Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mateomiguel]

In my job we have complied a list of names. In this list are names of public officials, university presidents, and company CEOs. This list has spawned several hour long arguments within my poor, poor office. Because, the ultimate question is...

WHO GOES FIRST?

You would not believe how difficult this question is to answer. My boss has agonized over this list, hemming and hawing and finally arriving at the tentative idea of 'alphabetical order'. But alphabetical order by name, or title, or company? King Saejong forbid the Deputy Prime Minister comes before the Prime Minister. Admiral Lee Soon-shin himself would come and die needlessly to pirates on our front lawn if we were to put IBM before our very own beloved KTF. And if we went by name there would only be 3 categories: K L and P.

After managing to talk to them, I divided the names up into four categories and each category contains a list in alphabetical order. The categories themselves are not in alphabetical order, of course, because politicians go first, followed by government agency lackeys, university peeps, and then the lowly company executives. I have fervently defended this arrangement from two full assaults on it, one in which the Koreans involved wanted to liberate some sections from the tyranny of the alphabet while other sections were allowed to stay under its jackbooted heel.

There were objections that some of the people involved might think we favor one over another. I pointed out that putting some sections into alphabetical order and leaving others out might also be a clue that we favored one over the other. WHICH one would be the favored one in that situation is not entirely clear. I guess it would depend on each person's particular affection for the alphabet.

As one of my more westernized coworkers put it, "i'm feeling like i'm in the hell." yes, folks, that's a singular countable hell. The worst kind.