Bob, believe me, I am not a fan of Korean culture/people by a long shot.
I just don’t feel this is the right forum or venue to be discussing a topic such as this one when there easily could be Korean Forumosans. Discussing a whole culture/race of people is always a dangerous thing to do out in public like on Forumosa.com. Talking about things that make Taiwan a backward country is bad enough, let’s not bring a whole different country into this.
The sometimes excessive Taiwan bashing is the one thing I don’t like about forumosa actually because I have quite a bit of affection for this nutty little island. And I truly would not want to offend any forumosans who happen to also be racially Korean so… you are right 914. I’ll stop now. 
[Moderator’s Note: Some posts that were offensively anti-Korean have been removed. Criticism of Korean culture is allowed - racially offensive comments are not. Please be considerate of any Korean members who may be reading this thread]
To add some balance here, and support for 914’s comments, I’ve been to Korea twice, most recently last year. I had a fantastic time and met many wonderful Koreans and ex-pats in Korea. Seoul has become a modern, international, exciting place to visit - far more attractive than during my first visit some six years ago.
Furthermore, there are several positive signs, which I don’t have time to go into detail about, that Korea is opening up to foreign cultural influences. And the same can be said for other Asian countries (notably Taiwan, in fact) embracing a range of Korean products, both material and cultural.
I think lambastings like this thread are as bad as the weekly Whine and Cheese Festivals about Taiwan. Personally, I’m looking forward to going back to Korea, and I’d encourage others to visit. Then, revisit the stereotypes that persist about the country and see if they still make sense.
Part of the story that was not mentioned in this thread was that this web site
englishspectrum.com/2004/
had to shut down for a while. Someone had posted suggestions on how
english teachers could go about seducing their underage students.
If you Google enough you can find more about this, the whole sordid
scene has been unfolding since February or March. The “yellow press”
in Korea (and TV too) have been adding fuel to the fire. There was also
the english teachers wild club party and postings. Its ugly.
In any event, English Spectrum has learned the value of moderators.
Though I would note that craigslist is self-moderated, 5 complaints
and a post gets whacked.
Culture’s change. Perspectives change.
Here’s hoping the Korea bashing is all bullshit.
[quote=“914”]Making fun of Korean people’s surnames is stupid. You know who you are.
“All the Kims. Don’t forget the Parks!”
What the fuck? They’re just the more common surnames, just like Smith or Khan or Peters.
Don’t be a jerk and insult people’s names. Simple. Thank you.[/quote]
Stop! Nobody moves! If this is directed to me… I really noticed how unusual many Koreans are called Kim and was wondering why. OK, I said “ugly fat dictators”, but … I mean … this was not meant to be anti-Korean, only ant-Kim-Il-Sung. And I forgot to write the “beautiful” in “ugly fat dicatators and [beautiful] girls called Kim…”.
I got an explanation here, Kim=gold, interesting. I think it should be aloud to talk about such extraordinary pheomenons, as there are far more Kims in Korea than Smith in US or UK. I did not insult, just ask and wondered. But my fault you guys got it in the wrong “throat” (as we say in Germany), as I did not not type the [beautiful], which changes the meaning.
My wife wants to open a food stall with Kim Chi now, so I get my punishment right away 
[good job mods, thread looks better now]
The OP talked about Korea’s ESL industry imploding and I’m not surprised, but it can happen here just as easily.
I spent two years teaching in Korea and for the most part I had a good time. There are numerous similarities between Korea and Taiwan, so don’t kid yourselves.
I think one of the coals in the fire in Korea is the American presence in Seoul City, eg: the Military HQ near Itaewon, one of Seoul’s best known expat hangouts. Add to that the present attitude toward American military action world-wide and there was already a big problem in Seoul.
Seoul is the only capitol city in the world with an American HQ smack in the middle of it.
When I was there more than two years ago, this problem was fermenting and there were quite a few demonstrations, but they quieted down. All the Koreans needed was another excuse to fuel the fire and the ESL teachers obliged by getting carried away with their indifferent attitude toward their hosts.
However, it is a two-way street. The thing I found most vexing about Korea was they would pat you on the back for teaching well ( I taught adults), and then they would go and drink soju and talk behind your back. I knew this for a fact. I didn’t care because I wrote it off to only a couple of ignorant people.
The sentiment toward western guys being with Korean women is also a tool used against ESL teachers and American military. It’s mostly jealousy. There are PLENTY of women to go around. For the most part, Korean guys are super slow to move on the women they like and the women, knowing this, go for the western guys and then the Koreans get angry…yada yada yada.
I did hear at one point the Korean ESL industry was collapsing and that Chinese/Mandarin was gaining significantly on the ESL schools. This latest development won’t help matters much.
So where am I going with this? I dunno. But there is one thing for sure. The OP or whoever said that some Korean ESL schools use illegal teachers, falsify documents, and have illegal schools. So…what’s the difference between Korea and Taiwan?
I’m tellin’ ya man. Not much! 
Like I said, I’ve taught in both Korea and Taiwan and I don’t really feel a whole bunch of difference. Except maybe the language and the food!
I really don’t think anyone could have done anything to prevent what is happening in Korea right now. The Koreans are a very enigmatic bunch and it doesn’t take much to set them off on one demonstration or another. That is also another thing I witnessed.
There are many Kims in Korea. But having the same last name doesn’t mean that they share the same blood heritage.
For about 1000 years, Koreans have maintained the unique system of using their regional bases as a way to differentiate their identities.
For example, there are about 300 regional origins for the Kims, such as the Kyongju Kim clan, Kimhae Kim clan, Ahndong Kim clan, etc.
There are about 240 regional bases for the Lees, about 130 for Park and about 130 for Choi, and so on and so forth.
Marriage between people with the same last name and place of origin has been traditionally FORBIDDEN.
I think generalizing that Korean people are like this, Taiwanese are like that, blar, blar, is preposterous. It’s like some people believing Americans are all beautiful, cool and rich.
One of the most interesting, beautiful (inside and out), kind-hearted and smartest friends I have happens to be a Korean. And two most vicious and cunning human-beings I’ve ever met in my life happen to be Taiwanese women: one, a co-worker at my company who’s making my life livin’ hell and the other my ex-boss.
But of course, I know many nice Taiwanese.
Seoul is an exciting dynamic hip city where old and new co-exist (You won’t wanna leave there especially if you have cool friends who could show you around) and the authentic Korean food is heavenly.
[quote=“luvcats”]There are many Kims in Korea. But having the same last name doesn’t mean that they share the same blood heritage.
For about 1000 years, Koreans have maintained the unique system of using their regional bases as a way to differentiate their identities.
For example, there are about 300 regional origins for the Kims, such as the Kyongju Kim clan, Kimhae Kim clan, Ahndong Kim clan, etc.
There are about 240 regional bases for the Lees, about 130 for Park and about 130 for Choi, and so on and so forth.
Marriage between people with the same last name and place of origin has been traditionally FORBIDDEN.[/quote]
Now that’s very interesting. I’m glad you posted that.
Now, to all of you complaining about my opining that certain remarks ought not be censored and deleted, are you not happy to see the above post explaining why there are so many Kims, and in doing so probably refuting the notion that perhaps Koreans are inbreds?
One thing I find amazing about this Korean backlash is that there’s no acknowledgement (by the angry Koreans) that when a foreign guy dates one of “their” women, that’s as much the choice of the Korean woman as it is that of Mr. White/Black. No one’s dragging her along by the hair. But this obviously doesn’t matter a fig in such a highly paternalistic society. To Kim Chauvinist (who probably accounts for 90% of the Korean male population), if Korean men object to Korean women dating foreigners, that’s the end of the story. Aggressive intervention is called for.
[quote=“ecce wombat”]if Korean men object to Korean women dating foreigners, that’s the end of the story. Aggressive intervention is called for.[/quote]It’s not just the men. Once I was sitting in a restaurant with two other westerners and my Taiwanese wife. Some woman stomped up and started on at my wife in Korean, which one of the westerners responded to as none of the rest of us could understand or speak Korean. After a brief exchange finally she spun on her heel and stomped away again. She’d been demanding to know what my wife, who she’d mistaken for Korean, was doing fraternizing with us foreign devils and it took some convincing to get it across that she was also a foreigner. No apologies were offered either for interrupting our dinner or for the mistake.
:loco: