Comments on: Sexual abuse at Seongnam English Town?

By: railwaycharm

railwaycharm — Tue, 01 May 2007 07:18:16 +0000

kauffner, Why are we re-hashing this old story?

By: kauffner

kauffner — Tue, 01 May 2007 06:25:28 +0000

I worked at a Korean girls’ middle school and I saw male teachers feeling the students up on the neck and shoulders several times. On one occassion that I can remember clearly, I was standing right in front of the “couple” staring. The student was clearly embarrassed, but the teacher wasn’t. (Incidently, this particular teacher was married and had a daughter himself.) I can only imagine what goes on when they think no one is watching. I had an exercise where I asked students what they would like to change about the school. Several responded, “I wish that teachers wouldn’t touch me.” At grade school, the teachers are gods, free to beat the students with sticks as they please. Girls get beaten a lot more than guys because the teachers don’t have to worry about girls fighting back. At a camp, the students are eager to turn the tables and make trouble for the teacher. This guy was apparently confused as to where he was.

By: Iceberg

Iceberg — Fri, 26 May 2006 10:04:34 +0000

Checking out the OhMyNews article, it was interesting to note that one Korean netizen called out the dumbass who labled the suspect as some slimeball native speaker from Itaewon.

Just recognizing the various voices. Now, I’m off to have some 삼겹살.

By: Update on Seongnam English Town incident at The Marmot’s Hole

Update on Seongnam English Town incident at The Marmot’s Hole — Fri, 26 May 2006 09:11:38 +0000

[...] Over at Daves ESL Cafe, the foreign coordinators of Seongnam English Town note that my original post (based on my initial reading of the Segye Ilbo report) was incorrect in two aspects: We are the foreign coordinators of Seongnam English Town and felt we should write and post our statement about the allegations of sexual harassment. Although the story on Marmot has been updated, the original version was incorrect in two aspects - firstly, the teacher allegedly touched their bra strings through their clothes, as well as their shoulders, neck, upper back. The teacher alleges he was brushing off bugs, the students allege it was sexually motivated. [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 26 May 2006 06:39:34 +0000

In Korea, the students flirt with teachers to get a better grade. Some parents even bribe the teachers. When the teacher fails to deliver straight A’s, boom! Instant Salem witch trial.

By: shakuhachi

shakuhachi — Thu, 25 May 2006 10:59:42 +0000

“’shakuhachi—I take it you’ve never taught English in Korea. It’s only recently that I’ve been seeing reports of incidents like these leading to criminal charges. Regardless of the race of the culprit. Although given the fact that local groups in Seongnam have gone as far as to form a “countermeasures committee” over this incident, I’m kind of surprised charges haven’t been raised.”

Perceptive as always, Robert. I have never been an English teacher in Korea or anywhere else. What happens with incidents like these? In the west, I could even see parents taking the law into their own hands, considering the amount of children molestation hysteria in society (along with the endless rumors of ’satanic abuse’).

By: dogbertt

dogbertt — Thu, 25 May 2006 04:27:25 +0000

I would give the man the benefit of the doubt.

And as predicted in Cyberia, last week it is “Michelle Wie is Korean!”; this week accused kyopo Teacher B is an American, a foreigner. The hypocrisy is laughable.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 25 May 2006 02:35:58 +0000

Dogbertt—Linked the article. My bad. Added an OhMyNews report, too, which gives a much better idea of what took place. Or at least what was said to have taken place.

Shenzhen Whitey—I meant more specifically with the English camps, because their new, have been getting a lot of press, and hire foreign instructors who, if they’re like the foreign instructors in the rest of the ESL industry in Korea, probably contain a few questionable elements.

shakuhachi—I take it you’ve never taught English in Korea. It’s only recently that I’ve been seeing reports of incidents like these leading to criminal charges. Regardless of the race of the culprit. Although given the fact that local groups in Seongnam have gone as far as to form a “countermeasures committee” over this incident, I’m kind of surprised charges haven’t been raised.

By: shakuhachi

shakuhachi — Thu, 25 May 2006 02:07:18 +0000

Lucky it wasnt a foreigner. If it was, I doubt the issue would end with the resignation of the culprit.

By: Shenzhen Whitey

Shenzhen Whitey — Thu, 25 May 2006 01:34:57 +0000

Why was it bound to happen? You mean at the English camp specifically or at any academic or summer camp type of setting? Just curious.