Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tokki1]

I've created this post mainly because I need to vent. Yes, I realize there are probably about 1000 posts on this topic.

This is my sixth year in Korea. Yes, I love it here.

However, I simply cannot get used to the increasing racism--especially with the 'documentaries' on Korean t.v and their effects on Korean society, and the constant lying. Yes, I realize that Koreans are raised to lie to their controlling parents and that this continues until they're six feet under, and that lying is a part of Asian culture, and 'face', etc...

I'm just having a bad Sunday, after having a couple of Korean friends try to pull the wool over my eyes all weekend with constant lies and ridiculous, outrageous attempts at deception.

The truth is out there.

The truth will set you free.

Oh, and no I don't do drugs, carry diseases around with me, molest children or abuse Korean women. So phuck you ajoshi.

I've noticed the racism increase steadily in many ways over the past few years. As I've mentioned in seperate posts, I believe it really got bad during the Englishspectrum.com scandal. What the hell is going on?

Sorry all, it's I hate Korea day for me.

[jajdude]

Interesting post. I have been under the impression thar racism is decreasing, however, due to increased exposure to foreigners, and realizing, imagine this, that we are people too. Also, English ability among Koreans is getting better. That might help diminish racial stereotyping and old school views, perhaps?

[Col.Brandon]

So what happened?

[Alyallen]

[Tokki1]

[New Balance]

I don't get lied to often. I guess I don't look so gullible.

Yo, six years is a long time. Once you start ranting because of a failed relationship and start blaming the confucian way of saving face, then maybe you've been pickled too long. Korea Break, eh?

[Tokki1]

[jajdude]

[Bagpipes11]

Has anyone read the book "Koreans" by Micheal Breen? He made an interesting point in the book about the Korean education system. In their system almost everything is learned for the purpose of a test....memorizing. The teacher speaks, the students listen. They do not question authority. They just accept it as fact.

Micheal Breen made a point that Koreans are the same way with the media. They listen to the news as if it were gospel....

"Oh, it is on the news! Then it must be true!"

The same theory applies with Fan Death. Ask a Korean adult about fan death. Ask them what proof they have of it, and they will tell you that they saw news reports about fan deaths...so therefore it is true.

So, there is increasing number of documentaries about the dirty foreigners ruining their country. The average Korean who does not know any better will take this information as gospel because it was on tv.

[sojourner1]

Here my obagwon rant with nothing less than the truth. I am speaking about my experience living in a neighborhood of mostly old people, very few 20 to 30 something year olds, very few young couples, no young professionals, and very few kids as all my students are bussed here to this dong each day.

Yes, living here is a very awkward situation due to the racism, but at least I haven't seen any hostilities directed at me. At most, very passive aggressive behavior like a clerk following me around in a store, getting very close, and getting in my way and people just staring me down right and left which is getting so very old and annoying. This is when you just walk into them, push your way through, and go about your business.

At work, they are very uncomfortable with FT's, but have to put up with us due to the nature of it being an English hagwon. We just make jokes with them to cut the thick air. Guess a sense of humor and a thick skin goes a long way if you are to be successful here. You can sense how people feel about you and if they accept you or not. When I am seen, I sense many Koreans feel I am eye sore in the local scene and view me as an intrusion as many do not want Korea to be English speaking and heterogenous. Of course, I am living and walking around in an area where most do not send their kids to English classes nor ask for private tutoring and where it is rare to see another foreigner. The young couples with children locally are the ones who are struggling to raise kids in small apartments like my own. I have been walking around here for 7 months and no one has asked for a private lesson or invited me to sit down and eat/drink with them. Stares, gossiping, and unfriendly body language is about it. All these sorts of things are indicators of how you are perceived where you stomp around. This is what you get if you land in a sh$t dong full of poor old ajummas and adjossis with a few young couples struggling to make ends meet while the local English hagwon is the most expensive around and where the rich kids from the other side of town are bussed in each day.

The farther outside of Seoul and the more traditional working class or boring retirement community you go live in, the more xenophobia you experience which is no fun. I can't even get service from my local tiny post office, because they are so racist or xenophobic as I tried to send a package and was refused service. Common knowledge of how much money you make and knowing you're making more money than most people in a sh$t dong might have something to with being unwanted, besides the fact of simply alienating them. As with anywhere you go, if they accept you, then they are friendly and accommodating and some are, particularly in larger places like Seoul with a few friendlies here and there sparsely spread out everywhere. In fact, during a weekend trip to Seoul, I found the Koreans to be much friendlier, the friendliest I have met, who were accepting and open minded, except in Itaewon where they were too friendly in a bad way despite speaking fluently. I sat in a western style hip hop bar near Insadong full of Koreans and didn't feel uncomfortable one bit, because they were comfortable with my presence. I ate out several times and was comfortable with no tensions about the local people not wanting me around, but where I live, there is no local eating out, I have to travel to get that. You aint getting me to go to a pojangmacha or other small joint full of racist xenophobic adjossis in a sh$t dong like where I live without a Korean with me. No thanks.

If I do another contract in Korea, it will definitely be in or near Seoul. Seoul is a whole different reality with a very positive open mind to diversity and globalization which leads the rest of the country to do something they don't want to do which is speak English and see waygooks walking around. This is for the birds where I live at now, but what keeps me here is the money and the fact I made a 1 year commitment. It takes a thick skin to tolerate while each and every day, I just think about the end of my contract here in this place. Of course, it's about money, because I know if I had a bunch in the bank, I would book a flight and go live a more enjoyable life elsewhere.

[Alyallen]

[jajdude]

I hear ya Aly, I'm just voicing opinions like everyone else.

I feel for sojourner. Living in a crap place with crap people can make life crap.

[Nemesis]

As a person having lived, worked, and connected in China, Japan, and Korea, I can say with firm conviction...

Korea is not the best place in East Asia.

Interestingly, Thailand is a regional leader -- yet Koreans look down on Thais.

[Alyallen]

[TheDude]

Just a reminder here fellas: keep it civil and avoid the demeaning comments.

I am sure you are old enough to be able to have a civilized discussion about this topic.

If it goes overboard, the thread will simply be locked.