What to put some of that English teaching experience to use for a good cause? Check this out (email from LiNK-Seoul):
Jayoutuh and the NK refugee shelter at Onnuri community church are looking for English teachers.If anyone is interested, please, find the… language program application, fill it out and submit to me.
If you are interested, email me at andyinrok@yahoo.com over the next week or so and I will send an application to you. This is a volunteer project and they are only interested in serious inquiries (this is not something to do on a lark).
If you want to learn more, here is the Jayoutuh homepage (also in English). Onnuri is a huge church in Seoul that has opened its doors to NK defectors.
10 Comments
I’m sure this request will get a big response from over-worked, and under-paid English teachers to give up their valuable freetime to help out North Korean spies, instead of teaching privates, studying Korean, or drinking watered-down Korean beer.
Not to sound cruel, but what sort of job is a North Korean actually qualified to do in South Korea without any formal higher education or proper training? “Gyopo” English teacher in a hagwon or public school system? They’ll fit right in there with their communist co-workers.
Seriously, how about some free beers and American hamburgers in exchange for English lessons for these spies?
–Remort
Beer, and hamburgers to teach English to North Koreans. *snort*
Given that North and South Korea are still at war with one another and that I highly doubt these commie North Koreans have been granted South Korean citizenship, I hope no American would participate in this “English teaching” given the possibility of having to face HIGH TREASON charges.
–Remort
Remort … you need to lay off the crack.
no American is gonna face “HIGH TREASON” charges for teaching North Korean defectors (or spies) a little conversational English.
i’ve been considering Andy’s post for most of the day, and the only thing that is giving me pause is how much i feel like devoting myself to this project. it has never once occurred to me that my government would find this action hostile or even worthy of a treason charge. (they have more on their plate … and always will).
and i’m sure North Koreans, once they are able to assimilate more into South Korea society will find a wealth of job opportunities at their disposal. you seem to be forgetting about all the ‘crap’ work that younger South Koreans are too proud to do these days. heavy labor, factory or low wage assembly, and farming come to mind. i’m sure any one of these is a giant step up from the “job market opportunities” in North Korea.
They are given SK citizenship.
Actually, they are not given citizenship. They are already citizens.
Even Kim Jong-il is technically an ROK citizen subject to ROK law, something that migth make him think twice about reunification. If Chun Doo-hwan got a (commuted) death sentance, you can imagine what KJI would get.
Remort, you are sounding like that KH board troll “forgitit” in your comments and that is not a positive comparison to make.
Andy, that Christian organization “Onnuri” you mention is very much a protestant charismatic sect that I have personally found to have little quality, if not merit, as a religious organization. Your news about their role in such is not positive news to me either since it suggests that North Koreans are easier targets for religious hustlers of all stripes.
I can only wonder what the Catholic Church in Korea is doing regarding North Korea but then I would suspect that they are doing things that can not be safely discussed on the internet as well.
R Elgin,
I am not a big fan of megachurches myself but at least they are stepping up.
If I become aware of other groups (Buddhist, Catholic or otherwise) doing something like this, I would gladly pass the word.
@ Remort,
Without a doubt a few spies ‘defect.’ The key word is ‘few.’ The vast majority of defectors are beaten down and disillusioned; they need all the help they can get, and that includes a few English lessons. Learning something is always good, realizing that you can take a class that isn’t 60 percent propaganda is priceless, to them. And it will show that that Americans aren’t the monsters they’d been told we are.
I encourage those in Korea to help out if you have the free time. I’m not there or I would do it myself. Thanks to those who do.
The only good red is a dead red. What’s next? Teaching Chinese and Cubans English too?
The fact of the matter is North and South Korea are still at war. Providing aid and comfort to the enemy ought to get you a place in front of a firing squad.
Think about this for a moment folks, think seriously about these North Korean’s willingness to have their remaining relatives back in North Korea punished because they were so selfish to escape… now they should be taught English?!?!? Let Korea fix its own education system, and start by teaching the South Korean taxi drivers a bit of English.
–Remort
Andy, that’s the theory of course (= about them being citizens already) but in reality there are quite a few hoops they have to jump through before getting their ID cards or SK passports and being treated as citizens.
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[...] Are you a Korean English teacher? (Via. Marmot’s Hole) Jayoutuh has a opportunity for you! Filed under: North Korea @ 11:17 pm [...]