Iceberg had a “run-in” with some Korean gangsters and lived to blog the tale:
From seemingly out of nowhere there appeared no less than six gangsters who lined up behind my friend. Oblivious to their presence, my friend tightened his grip around the bbi kki’s collar and continued his interrogation. “Oh shit,” I thought, “this is going to get ugly.” I walked up to within a couple of feet of the gangsters, preparing to do what little I could to help out my friend should they decide to jump him. But they just stood there - arms crossed and striking poses. I actually sort of admired their patience.
Finally one of them spoke up, “Hey! Why are you acting like this in front of your foreign friend? You’re making Korea look bad.”
I guess courage is contagious because, upon hearing what the gangster said, I defiantly responded, “He’s not making Korea look bad. You’re making Korea look bad.”
I didn’t quite know what to expect after that. Would they take my words as a challenge? Would they get in my face? Would they jump me and my friend? Were we about to get the shit beat out of us?
Read what happened at Iceberg’s blog.
7 Comments
Thanks for the shout out. It’s an honor.
I love it! I’ve had to use a similar line like that in Japan before too, although in a much different situation. It really stumps the ‘bad guys’ when you come back at them like that.
Good story, Iceberg!
I met a large group of Jopok outside a Spirit MMA event in Seoul a few years ago.
They were all well dressed in expensive suits with expensive looking escorts.
Their minders were wider than they were tall. Looked like a gang of oddjobs.
I was thinking that some of them probably could have done better in the bouts than some of the competitors that evening.
Hm. As a guy with a Korean face, I could never get away with the “Wow, you speak Korean!” reaction from native Koreans no matter WHERE I was born and raised (the US).
Considering the punchline (no pun intended), that is a great story!
What’s funnier is when I get the “Wow! You speak English” reaction that I get sometimes in America when I was born and raised here and never lived in a different country my whole life.