Korea exits the developed world.

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2003-09-13 01:15pm

http://www.koreanesl.com/esl.htm

Click on the link "Boycott Helios in Iteawon".

I'm grateful that I've gone back to living in a civilized democracy.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-09-13 01:22pm

Wow...

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-09-13 01:35pm

It's my understanding that that sort of thing is not uncommon in Korea.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-09-13 01:58pm

That is fucking ridiculous, I've spent quite some time working as a bouncer in the UK, here you are barely allowed to touch a customer until they present an obvious danger to someone....hell, even then you will end up to your ass in paperwork over it.....

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-09-13 02:52pm

I suddenly don't care about the oppression during WWII. If this is the way Korea works, then they have lost all of my sympathy.

Post by **Kuja** » 2003-09-13 03:02pm

I have no words for this except FUCKED UP.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-09-13 03:18pm

This is...wow.

Just wow.

This is disgusting. And fucking with the Irish? That's just asking for trouble.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2003-09-13 04:16pm

You know i was feeling sorry for korea for all the shit we've put them through (raping citizens in the war, taking land with no payment, toxic chemicals dumped with no cleanup etc...) but if they act like this then mabye they deserve it.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2003-09-13 04:39pm

Do we have confirmation that it actually happened?

Lilith · Post by **Lilith** » 2003-09-13 05:05pm

There are fights that occur between Koreans and foreigners in Korea; however, I recommend that you take this account with a grain of salt. I belong to a Korean Studies list serve that includes American English teachers, academics, government, and business folks all living in Korea. Every once in awhile on that listserve, a very similar story to this appears.

The problem is is that while everyone has heard of such stories, no one has ever had a personal experience with this or know of anyone personally who went through something like this. Most recount stories of one on one confrontations that occur in bars after drinking or someone saying something rude on the street, and so on.

In other words, stories like this are generally urban legends. The names change and the place change but it is a variation on the same story.

This is not to say that tensions are not high. The U.S. military and the State Department recommend that U.S. soldiers not wear uniforms outside of base (as they do in many locales throughout the world). However, systematic beating of foreigners with gas canisters and bats are not things that happen without notice.

Consider writing to the State Department, to the U.S. Ambassador in Korea, the Fullbright office, or to the various English languge newspapers in Korea for full confirmation.

BTW, does anyone else think that the ommission of name of the author as bit odd? I know of no journalist who would refuse to sign their own name to piece especially if they want the world to "know." Stories like this generally appear without authorship.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-13 05:59pm

Sounds like bullshit to me.

TheDarkling · Post by **TheDarkling** » 2003-09-13 07:11pm

Howedar wrote:Sounds like bullshit to me.

Indeed I find it most implausible that several Irish men wouldn't have a brawl given even the slightest provocation and in a bar no less.

Seriously if this is true it is rather bad indeed although I won't go as far as others and say they deserved the treatment they got in the past that sort of thinking is wrong.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-09-13 07:23pm

I have been a bystander to a fight between two Korean families

(a la family feud), but have never seen something like this - and I was based within walking distance if Iteawonm, near Camp Casey.

But god help you if it an *American* and a Korean get into it. You'll have a mob after you *and* the police...

j1j2j3 · Post by **j1j2j3** » 2003-09-14 11:55pm

I've seen that story about 2 years ago, and it couldn't even be confirmed back then...

And what kind of journalist writes like that?

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2003-09-15 12:05am

I recall a story like that posted on some ezboard. If this circulates enough, it might end up on Snopes.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-15 12:05am

That....is....screwed up.

I get the feeling that despite what we've done during the Korean War, their attitude is, "Well yeah they helped us but we don't give a shit."

Hello? You would've been living under Psycho-Kim if it weren't for our 50,000+ who've died in that war!

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-09-15 12:29am

While appaling sounds a little too bullshit(especially with the I don't want my name mentioned)

Sorry need a bit more then an offhand eyewitness account.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-15 12:29am

Oh yeah, you know that new president Korea has? Korea is going off the developed nations list in more than one way.

For example, I heard the president was pro-labor, so he's passing all sorts of stuff that help blue-collar workers but hurt business. We can all agree that to have a shot at having a good economy you need big business, right?

So while big business is being driven out and people are raising a fuss about it, the president passes more pro-labor measures and blames the media for the misfortunes happening to the economy.

Just a small bit I heard. Anyway, good riddance. I'm pretty sure Japan would always be willing to take up South Korea's share of being one of America's economic partners.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-15 12:36am

Shinova wrote: Hello? You would've been living under Psycho-Kim if it weren't for our 50,000+ who've died in that war!

36,940 actually. The figure of 54,246 was the result of a half century old accounting error, which wasn't discovered until mid 2000, that included 20,617 non-battlefields US military deaths that had occurred worldwide during the course of the war in the tally. In fact only 3,275 of those occured in Korea, and are counted in the new figure of 36,940.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2003-09-15 02:38am

These are clearly not the friendly people I know from M*A*S*H, feels like a chain letter to me.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-09-15 02:42am

Notice how none of these imaginary people in this imaginary incident have filed complaints with their respective home nations' state departments over this apparently widespread treatment.

j1j2j3 · Post by **j1j2j3** » 2003-09-15 03:28am

Shinova wrote:Oh yeah, you know that new president Korea has? Korea is going off the developed nations list in more than one way.

For example, I heard the president was pro-labor, so he's passing all sorts of stuff that help blue-collar workers but hurt business. We can all agree that to have a shot at having a good economy you need big business, right?

So while big business is being driven out and people are raising a fuss about it, the president passes more pro-labor measures and blames the media for the misfortunes happening to the economy.

This is real stupid. Your saying that because the president has a pro labor stance he is driving out big business? In the land of the chaebol?

Shinova wrote: Just a small bit I heard. Anyway, good riddance. I'm pretty sure Japan would always be willing to take up South Korea's share of being one of America's economic partners.

What the fuck is this about? Japan is already a much bigger partner in trade with the US (Assuming you refer to the US, not the Americas as a whole).

Starting with an unconfirmed chainletter you go on to say that Korea's president being pro-labor is killing all the big businesses, which in tern will make Japan a bigger "ecenomic partner" with "America".

Great logic, huh?

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-15 03:29am

j1j2j3 wrote:
Shinova wrote:Oh yeah, you know that new president Korea has? Korea is going off the developed nations list in more than one way.

For example, I heard the president was pro-labor, so he's passing all sorts of stuff that help blue-collar workers but hurt business. We can all agree that to have a shot at having a good economy you need big business, right?

So while big business is being driven out and people are raising a fuss about it, the president passes more pro-labor measures and blames the media for the misfortunes happening to the economy.
This is real stupid. Your saying that because the president has a pro labor stance he is driving out big business? In the land of the chaebol?

Shinova wrote: Just a small bit I heard. Anyway, good riddance. I'm pretty sure Japan would always be willing to take up South Korea's share of being one of America's economic partners.
What the fuck is this about? Japan is already a much bigger partner in trade with the US (Assuming you refer to the US, not the Americas as a whole).

Starting with an unconfirmed chainletter you go on to say that Korea's president being pro-labor is killing all the big businesses, which in tern will make Japan a bigger "ecenomic partner" with "America".

Great logic, huh?

I heard this. I didn't come up with it.

Read before you start pointing fingers.

j1j2j3 · Post by **j1j2j3** » 2003-09-15 03:37am

Shinova wrote: I heard this. I didn't come up with it.

Read before you start pointing fingers.

Nevertheless, the conclusions you drew came from you.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-15 03:42am

j1j2j3 wrote:Nevertheless, the conclusions you drew came from you.

Yes, South Korea is at the very least looking to become iffy in the following years.

On another front, SK's business doesn't look as bad as I've heard, although apparently a third of its loan firms have retracted their business. I don't know what that'd imply.

And there's supposed to have been some kind of a task force created to investigate foreigners. Did something happen at the World Cup over there?