tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.comments2024-02-23T23:53:54.842+09:00Gusts Of Popular Feelingmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comBlogger5079125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-58299147429333990272024-01-05T10:32:56.161+09:002024-01-05T10:32:56.161+09:00I was a member of the FB group LOFT for a while wh...I was a member of the FB group LOFT for a while where foreign teachers discussed legal issues, with hagwon horror stories being the most common. What was also most common was the fact that the teachers working at the sketchiest places with the nastiest bosses tended to be dark-skinned South Africans. <br /><br />Most of them had never been out of the country before and certainly were new to teaching. I think the lower-rung hagwons prey on these more vulnerable (and let's face it, less desirable in the heirarchy of hagwon teachers based on national origin and skin color) teachers and abuse them willingly, assuming that they have little or no agency. Glad to see someone fighting back. HOMELY PLANEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16199471437449105444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-86491437752444801072023-11-17T14:37:10.388+09:002023-11-17T14:37:10.388+09:00Unfortunately, yes, it's still true. It's ...Unfortunately, yes, it's still true. It's weird, since I work in an elementary school and have some idea of how concepts about the 'other' are conveyed, but when you consider that grade one kids look at me with widened eyes, it clearly predates being in school. You'd think with more foreigners walking the streets and being in the media, etc, this would change, but the concept put forward in an article from 1984 about Itaewon, where it was called an 'ethnic exhibition' in Seoul, still seems to hold true. <br /><br />Did you ever write about your first-year experience on your blog?matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-49954042720687786982023-11-15T17:44:22.012+09:002023-11-15T17:44:22.012+09:00Horrific story, and not unique by any means. As ba...Horrific story, and not unique by any means. As bad as my own first-year <i>hagweon</i> experience was, this was so much worse. And it's worse in general the darker your skin is. Hard to believe that's still true, but it's still true.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-12975923728723520332023-11-11T18:48:13.409+09:002023-11-11T18:48:13.409+09:00Interesting, gotta pay a visit next time im in tow...Interesting, gotta pay a visit next time im in town!Oppacoreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03020250027741800670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-79552500694447300132023-11-05T20:13:26.490+09:002023-11-05T20:13:26.490+09:00Historical databases - you never know what they...Historical databases - you never know what they're going to show you.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-78390998577453162392023-11-02T20:01:21.517+09:002023-11-02T20:01:21.517+09:00That linked site is cool. Could see all the repair... That linked site is cool. Could see all the repair history of my building. Also realized how long ago this place was built and now wishing I hadn't looked. Sam Nordberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09860631468502504144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-12745434268516559372023-05-06T15:23:00.165+09:002023-05-06T15:23:00.165+09:00This is the first time I have ever seen an article...This is the first time I have ever seen an article about the rally, other than a So. Korean newspaper that claimed we rioted. As one of the 12 soldiers that organized and led the rally, I can assure you that it was a totally peaceful event. And, as most people also don't know is that the Army had discharged, or reassigned every single one of us within 3-4 months after the rally. Nevertheless, this was one of the things I have done in my life that I am most proud of. <br />Tyrone BellTeebell50@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17525372762400479614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-7446496470615757602023-03-22T22:59:25.275+09:002023-03-22T22:59:25.275+09:00I just came across this crime today. God it's ...I just came across this crime today. God it's so scary. Poor those girls. No one supported them. Even the law that is made to protect citizens.<br />I hope all of them die slow painful death and their parents should rot to death too.DeathNotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10029768907779680201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-58953335243944262652023-02-27T14:20:21.541+09:002023-02-27T14:20:21.541+09:00I'd agree that many hagwons have far less inte...I'd agree that many hagwons have far less interest in qualifications or ability and more interest in having someone to fill the seat and fulfill the 'native speaker' role (I remember once having tonsils the size and colour of golf balls but was ordered to come to work anyways) - the economic imperative dominating all others. From my experience the public schools are a bit more discerning and are a step above the hagwons in who they hire (and they're also less likely to hire only white people). I would guess with the basic due diligence of criminal checks, etc, that were introduced in 2007 some of the flotsam would have been prevented from washing ashore, leading to some improvement in teachers, but not having worked in hagwons for years, I really can't be sure - not that CRCs tell you anything about teaching ability or knowledge of the English language. <br /><br />Now that I think about it, psychotic breaks and other problems are more likely to develop in hagwons since teachers are alone in the classroom, whereas in public schools there's always a (co)teacher around who should be able to detect problems as they arise.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-8458877114707146652023-02-07T12:52:16.371+09:002023-02-07T12:52:16.371+09:00I was stationed in Anjeong-ri for the first time i...I was stationed in Anjeong-ri for the first time in 1974-1975. I was born in Yokohama to a Japanese Mother and Black American Father. I was sort of lost in the whole racial thing. I know blacks would want me to dap in the chow line which I learned to do for solidarity and so I wouldn't get my a$$ kicked in the barracks. I went to the UN Club sometimes but mostly in the clubs in club alley. T-Club, Seven Club, Alexander, Galaxy, Maxim, and Top Hat. Now, I'm not a joiner and usually kept to myself, a lone wolf if you will, and whatever girls were interesting. Sometimes I ran into an obviously race particular girl but there were so many for my young a$$ that I could've cared less. Nobody ever mentioned the race riots of 70-71. I heard that a white courtesy patrol officer had beer bottles thrown at him in the UN Club but that was about it.<br />tlpendarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03640353577986574149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-60918143816854751362023-02-06T16:20:54.723+09:002023-02-06T16:20:54.723+09:00My insider experience at various hagweons in the 9...My insider experience at various hagweons in the 90s (plus the one I'm at now, although I'm not a teacher here—I'm a textbook-content creator) shows that the problem cuts both ways: there's unfair stereotyping of foreign workers, but there are also plenty of foreign workers who really are unqualified to teach English because they lack the basic knowledge and qualifications. As to the question of behavior, I've found that unstable personality types are more attracted to hagweon work: I knew some jerks when I taught at the university level, but for the most part, they weren't the type to have psychotic breaks. In hagweons, meanwhile, unprofessional behavior by foreigners was a fairly normal thing. It didn't help that a lot of hagweon work presented itself as a joke, so on some level, I can't blame hagweon expats for not always taking their work seriously. The whole English-ed system is a mess, in my opinion, and definitely requires revamping. Anyone looking to teach English in Korea ought to, at the very least, be put through a competency test of both their teaching ability and their English-language knowledge.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-92138421821565934072023-01-24T20:38:14.224+09:002023-01-24T20:38:14.224+09:00I’d have to say no. I haven’t searched for Korean ...I’d have to say no. I haven’t searched for Korean academic articles on English teachers in a while, but I’d imagine things continue as always. On the Korean side, admitting that the media and government were acting in a discriminatory manner might look like an easy topic to follow up, but since the targets were perceived as being mostly Western, white, and male, it’s not an easy sell; Western academic commentators can be expected to follow the same pattern. Everything I’ve seen written about English teaching in Korea is more interested in discussing topics like language teaching efficacy or cultural adaptation of foreign teachers. Even among progressive academics examining English teachers in the context of other migrants to Korea we find the same cultural politics of the West at work, which means little interest in the travails of privileged Westerners. My argument for some time now has been that if you allow negative media stereotypes of groups perceived to be privileged to continue unchecked, it may also pave the way for the acceptability of demeaning portrayals of other, less privileged groups. matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-61811705494376918542023-01-20T00:38:31.567+09:002023-01-20T00:38:31.567+09:00Matt
Have there been any academic journal article...Matt<br /><br />Have there been any academic journal articles looking at these specific issues? Sociology, criminology, psychology periodicals et. al. It was a witch hunt from beginning to end, but often when similar "issues" are highlighted in Western Nations it is not uncommon for (usually leftist) scholars to disprove such public sentiment with studies. I realize that academic works can be manipulated rather easily (depending on your point of view) to either confirm or deny a perceived issue. Just interested if you know whether any Korean academics (or indeed interested European researchers) took up the cudgel. <br /><br />Andrew BaxterNurse-ABhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08558707911345742037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-9039155043804358422023-01-01T14:22:20.914+09:002023-01-01T14:22:20.914+09:00Haven't a clue! You'd think he'd do we...Haven't a clue! You'd think he'd do well in PR. I can't imagine he was happy to see the HIV tests lifted, but ten years was a run longer than it should have been.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-15402595082749462622022-12-31T19:08:25.507+09:002022-12-31T19:08:25.507+09:00I wonder what Lee Eun-eung is up to nowadays. Has ...I wonder what Lee Eun-eung is up to nowadays. Has he embraced reality?daeguowlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265027333985937239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-19936768107632179032022-12-26T22:33:20.175+09:002022-12-26T22:33:20.175+09:00For sure there are some foreigners who shouldn'...For sure there are some foreigners who shouldn't be teaching here, but the bar is quite a bit higher than it was when these articles were written / broadcast fifteen years ago. On the one hand, it's nice that the media here doesn't really attack foreign English teachers anymore (with the occasional <a href="https://populargusts.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-reminder-from-yonhap-you-need-to-be.html" rel="nofollow">exception</a>), but I imagine it's merely a condition in remission. I also imagine it means the media is has found other, perhaps more vulnerable scapegoats, which isn't great either.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-77651038526268697032022-12-26T17:28:58.634+09:002022-12-26T17:28:58.634+09:00Without a doubt, there are plenty of unqualified e...Without a doubt, there are plenty of unqualified expat English instructors, but watching Korean "journalism" at work is a bit like watching an immune system.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-3265451449758209542022-12-19T09:15:51.514+09:002022-12-19T09:15:51.514+09:00They're not very prevalent these days at all. ...They're not very prevalent these days at all. There was a case a couple years ago of a teacher chatting with teenage girls and getting nude photos or video from them, and hardly any media touched it. We did have <a href="http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2020/05/a-reminder-from-yonhap-you-need-to-be.html" rel="nofollow">this article</a> from Yonhap about foreign teachers during the Itaewon Covid outbreak in 2020, though, so perhaps these attitudes are just dormant.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-12005519333943974452022-12-18T23:08:00.205+09:002022-12-18T23:08:00.205+09:00How prevalent are these attitudes towards foreign ...How prevalent are these attitudes towards foreign English teachers these days? In ROK I mean; of course the Norks are still hostile.The Sanity Inspectorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04808433661634318393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-3295746721137141372022-10-19T19:28:43.278+09:002022-10-19T19:28:43.278+09:00Thanks for your permissions! I finally finished it...Thanks for your permissions! I finally finished it albeit pretty rough still. It was certainly hard to research everything so I commend you again for your efforts. I actually enjoyed this a lot and it inspired me to try and do research on other influential Korean artists. Anyways I hope you enjoy my post https://koreanrockalbums.blogspot.com/2022/10/shin-joong-hyun-discography-1960-2019.htmlReign256https://www.blogger.com/profile/06344915003999494946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-83032076488825121962022-10-17T15:28:33.323+09:002022-10-17T15:28:33.323+09:00Disagree. Women of colour receive the majority of ...Disagree. Women of colour receive the majority of violence when compared to caucasians and men, it DOES have a lot to do with the story. People view them as expendable and easy targets. It’s gross. dirthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07163286306494067198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-31748194180141219812022-10-14T11:26:44.406+09:002022-10-14T11:26:44.406+09:00Of course, and feel free to leave a link here when...Of course, and feel free to leave a link here when you're done.matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-10875539986277934072022-10-14T02:37:57.423+09:002022-10-14T02:37:57.423+09:00Ever since you said you probably won't get aro...Ever since you said you probably won't get around to making a post 1975 discography post, a thought has been in my head that perhaps I could make one. I just wanted to know if it was okay to use some of your research for the 1958-1975 albums as a lot of information are hard to find with the deletion of Daum blog (such a shame) With credit of course!Reign256https://www.blogger.com/profile/06344915003999494946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-89944387543748684772022-10-10T15:01:58.228+09:002022-10-10T15:01:58.228+09:00Nice find! Thanks for that. (And yes, what a ridic...Nice find! Thanks for that. (And yes, what a ridiculous price.) Okay, so we can see that 7 songs on this album show up on the first side of the 1968 'Add 4' LP. The maniadb link for the 1968 LP notes the different catalogue numbers for the songs (from different record companies), making clear it's a compilation LP. matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296009437690229938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12946845.post-18937901355849964522022-10-10T05:28:16.396+09:002022-10-10T05:28:16.396+09:00In the K-pop museum it only displayed the cover wi...In the K-pop museum it only displayed the cover with no explanation nor the track list. However I did manage to find the album on sale on this site (albeit with a ridiculous price tag) which included more photos of the album !including the track list!<br />https://m.bunjang.co.kr/products/201497112?q=%EC%8B%A0%EC%A4%91%ED%98%84&ref=%EA%B2%80%EC%83%89%EA%B2%B0%EA%B3%BCReign256https://www.blogger.com/profile/06344915003999494946noreply@blogger.com