Jason Thomas, the Canadian English teacher who made the news by becoming the Korean Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union’s first foreign member, has apparently quit the union over a recent statement by the KTU’s Gyeonggi-do office claiming recent sexual assaults at two provincial English camps represented a “structural problem” owing to under-qualified, over-sexed foreign instructors. On his blog, he writes:
First, I’ll attempt to explain what I think Gyeonggi KTU was doing with the release.
The English Villages in Gyeonggi were founded by Governor Sohn, who is an important member of the conservative Hanarra Party. Public education is not a big priority for Sohn or Hanarra, and the KTU used the publicity surrounding the incidents to score some easy political points against Sohn, and to promote public education. Worthwhile goals, in my opinion.
But this is NOT an apology.
Gyeonggi KTU is cynically exploiting the currents of xenophobia that exist in Korea, to its own ends. The release deliberately targeted ill-informed and biased newsreaders, and I was shocked that teaching professionals would do this. The statement attacks EVERY FOREIGN TEACHER IN KOREA.
Unfortunately, despite appeals from various union members and foreign teachers, the Gyeonggi office has refused to retract their statement.
As SOMEONE must accept responsibility for this inane and hateful piece of propaganda, I will resign from the KTU.
Judging from his post, he doesn’t seem like a happy camper right now.
Frankly, I feel kinda bad. I guess I’m partly responsible, being the guy who broke news of the statement in English.
17 Comments
Whereas it should have attacked *NONE* since the pervs were actually Koreans, and not happy members of the ESL Americano-Canuckan crowd… That’s something the dude shoulda mentioned, too…
This is b.s. The KTU is saying, essentially, that they don’t think the Kyŏnggi governor, as a Hannara Party member, is doing enough for public education. So to make that point, KTU tries to undermine one of the big projects that shows that he is trying to do something for public education.
Good for him for taking a stand.
None too soon — “cynically exploiting the currents of xenophobia that exist in Korea, to its own ends” is much of what the KTU as a whole is all about.
Good for him, fellow’s got a set!
Kudos to the KTU for their strategy to have a useful idiot and kudos to the useful idiot for giving up that role, after only a year or so.
Yeah — the xenophobic KTU hates foreigners! So to punish them, the one foreigner in their midst gives the mutton-headed fools relief from the irritation of his presence. Guess he showed them…
Good for him. I am sure he has some friends there, but at the same time it showed those friends and others that he feels this is a serious topic that is also a “structural problem”.
But he does seem like someone tailor made for the Korean Teachers Union as politicizing an event is considered a worthwhile goal.
Someone buy the man a beer. Well done, Jason.
Right on dude, stand up for what you believe is right and proper.
Right and proper is to kill 99% of the unions. Unions are legalized Mafias for the weak minded and under-qualified.
I think the guy originally thought he was joining part of the international workers’ struggle and he probably wears Che t-shirts. He must be crushed to find the KTU not meeting his romantic notions of international solidarity. As Slick Willie would say, “I feel your pain.”
Unions are needed and you’d be a lot worse off in the US without the rights they fought hard for all those years ago. The KTU, however, is a joke.
QUOTE Kudos to the KTU for their strategy to have a useful idiot and kudos to the useful idiot for giving up that role, after only a year or so. END OF QUOTE
Well said, doggbert! Cannot agree more…
Mook, the industrial revolution is long past. Unions are nothing more than legal mafias
and the top execs of big corps are not…?
takes a gang to fight a gang.
railwaycharm
from United States Jun 7th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Mook, the industrial revolution is long past. Unions are nothing more than legal mafias
So are gvernments and armies, but you need them for some things too.