The Seoul Shinmun reports that as the number of foreigners in Korea skyrockets, more and more foreigners are getting screwed legally due to language and cultural differences.
Case #1: Mr. M, a 33-year-old Canadian English teacher in Ulsan, helps a drunk bar patron who fell down the steps, applying medicine to his bleeding head and putting him in a taxi. A short while later, the drunk man presses charges, claiming the Canadian beat him. Police slap the Canadian with a 300,000 won fine in a summary indictment. Refusing to go down quietly, however, our Canukistani hero contacts the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, lawyers up, and gets a formal trial. Of course, the testimonies of the teacher and the drunk man differ, but the medical evidence shows the man was not beaten. The teacher is found innocent, and the police appeal is dismissed.
Case #2: A Moroccan is charged with threatening a bar maid with a beer bottle and sexually assaulting her. The Moroccan admitted he had sex with her, but that she was a prostitute whom he slept with after arranging it with the bar owner. Based on DNA evidence and the victim’s testimony, police charged him with rape. The Moroccan contacted the Korea Legal Aid Corporation and lawyers up.
The lawyer notes that the victim had plenty of time to escape, but didn’t, and after the supposed rape, she spent a long while talking with the accused. The lawyer had the scene of the crime searched, and turned up evidence that the victim had lied about the nature of her place of work. Prosecutors, noting the defendant’s lack of remorse, ask for 10 years, but instead he is aquitted.
Case #3: Chinese students are accused of gathering together to harrass, intimidate and assault political opponents and police in… oh, sorry, they actually did that. My bad.
The Korea Legal Aid Corporation said on April 29 that it helped some 1,237 foreigners last year. Of those, 102 involved criminal proceedings. In 2006, the corporation helped only 607 foreigners.
Most of the foreigners who asked for help were getting shafted because they either didn’t know the law or because they were illegal aliens. Some 83.7% of the foreigners who asked for help had come because their employers had failed to pay them wages or severance pay.
A Korea Legal Aid Corporation official said that as more and more Koreans come to see foreigner crime as a social problem, anti-foreign bias, too, is on the rise. He said there are cases of foreigners being detained simply because they’re foreigners and foreigners being unfairly treated in criminal proceedings.
35 Comments
Case #3: dude, you are naughty!
A “rent-a-adjuma” service as in providing mediation could go a long way in restoring balance to the force . . .
Hey, Elgy, I didn’t know you were Moroccan! I’ll be damned. I guess you learn something new everyday.
That’s the last time I stop to help any drunken, bleeding ajjeosi.
When I first got here, the older/retired GI crowd would sometimes caution newly arrived foreigners on the dangers of playing Good Samaritan in Korea. (I always thought it was stereotypical and dated - images of “Whiplash Charlie” from MASH came to mind - along with the notion that jsut about any Korean woman marrying a foreigner was just trying to escape Korea for the big “PX across the ocean.)
It’s bad enough that one has to worry about defending oneself in the event of being attacked, but it’s terrible to have to think about whether helping a sick or injured person on the street might bite you in the ass. I’m guessing that Koreans may sometimes be hesitant to get involved in others’ problems sometimes for this kind of reason.
The police appealed and the prosecutors were looking for 10 years even though evidence pointed to their innocence. Fucking unbelievable.
Didn’t the Moroccan get deported for the prostitution aspect of things?
Re: #6
Given that the Ministry of Justice publicly and assumedly unabashedly cited “National Pride” as the reason for finding, prosecuting, and deporting Chinese thugs, it’s not a big leap from there to think that the police and prosecutor can also claim “National Pride” as the sole reason to prosecute an assumedly dark foreigner from Africa with assumedly vastly different religious beliefs (i.e. - the lowest of the low on the Korean racial totem pole) for daring to stick his penis into a Korean woman, prostitute or not.
i.e. - “Our National Pride was hurt, so the foreigner(s) must pay.”
Nevermind the fact that a Korean man could beat and rape any prostitute in Korea (heck, almost any woman regardless of procession, for that matter) and walk away from most police stations by merely claiming to be drunk at the time.
Regarding case #1, I am surprised that they actually dismissed the case. I was involved with a case where the foreigners (3) were arrested and charged with something they did not do. There was no physical evidence - just the lying bastard’s testimony. Hell…even the cops were laughing at this guy the night it happened due to him changing his story so often….
What I learned? In Korea, if you are involved (directly or indirectly) in any ‘incidents’ …you are basically fucked.
8: I’m figuring the only thing that saved the Moroccan was the system’s contempt for any woman who would sleep with such a low-on-the-totem-pole person without putting up a fight.
I was going to ask, but the page turned up in a round about way.
The Korean Legal Corporation.
http://www.klac.or.kr/
Phone: +82-(0)2-532-0132
Fax: +82-(0)2-3482-6556
Note to self…
Write their phone number down in every possible useful place you can.
‘to prosecute an assumedly dark foreigner from Africa with assumedly vastly different religious beliefs (i.e. - the lowest of the low on the Korean racial totem pole) for daring to stick his penis into a Korean woman, prostitute or not.’ migukweesonja
And where would the dark foreigner from Africa with assumedly vastly different religious beliefs rank on the white man’s racial totem pole, may i ask?
‘daring to stick his penis into a korean women!’ huffed and puffed miguknamja who was all huffy-’n'-puffy as he beat his chest silly.
LOL I actually mentioned in my post today that it, although not good, it is much better for me to stick my penis in the Dark Skinned African Girl than it is for then Blacks (please, this is an acceptable term in South Africa) to stick it in our Afrikaans girls. I was just pointing out hypocrisy concerning the whole Hongae issue, but it applies to #12 here as well, I think
This is my first post here and will probably be my last, given the vulgar tone of the comments. please keep it clean.
#14 just made my day… while #12 Pawi finally makes an appearance after being silent on the whole Chinese thing…
Just for the record Pawi, there’s lots of room on the white man’s totem pole… since it is so big. Your totem pole is obviously too tiny even for common sense.
@5 Too true. My two trips to police stations here - in 17 years - were for trying to do the right thing by someone. Now I just let them bleed to death.
#12
“huffed and puffed miguknamja who was all huffy-’n’-puffy as he beat his chest silly.”
Huh ?
I’m more than happy to read what you have to say whether in English or Korean, but please say it comprehensibly.
As for:
And where would the dark foreigner from Africa with assumedly vastly different religious beliefs rank on the white man’s racial totem pole, may i ask?
The fact that you’re using the term “white man” speaks volumes about your racial lens on the world. Do you mean Western European, Eastern European, Northern European, Russian, Australian, Afrikaan, South American, South African, North American, Israeli, or Baltic, just to name a few VERY broad and diverse regions of the globe with vastly different cultures, religions, and beliefs where white people can be found ?
I like the assumption that the ‘white man’ even has a racial totem pole. I, for one, see the lack of a racial outlook on the world to be one of the signs of a developed human being.
As sad as it sounds, I was once advised by a distant relative never to help the following people when I first arrived in NYC:
A. person involved in an accident bc he will accuse you of beating him up or hitting him with your car or whatever.
B. an old person bc he will intentionally fall and accuse you of pushing him to the ground.
C. a boy/girl bc he/she (or the parents) will accuse you of molesting the kid.
Surprisingly (or not), I’ve seen A & B already happen to people I personally know but luckily, I have not seen C yet.
What a nightmare it must be to have it happen in a country where you dont even speak the language.
Oh, one more thing. Several years ago, I was with a friend heading home from a night out in Apkujeong when we came across a man in his twenties getting his ass kicked by two girls in an alley.
The girls bolted as soon as eye contact was made. A second later, the victim’s friends came running out of some bar and one of them said something like, “Ya, shipssekki ya, nee neh deulee neh chingoo chutsuh?”
The fucked up thing is, the victim didnt say anything! (In hindsight, I wouldnt either if I got beat up by girls). Luckily, my friend and I were able to run like two Asian Forrest Gumps and got the hell out of there. Had we not, I dont know what woulda happened to us.
‘I like the assumption that the ‘white man’ even has a racial totem pole. I, for one, see the lack of a racial outlook on the world to be one of the signs of a developed human being.’
well, how frickin lofty! as long as whites remain part of the human race,
‘developed human being’ will be out of reach.
‘The fact that you’re using the term “white man” speaks volumes about your racial lens on the world.’
really? between a white guy from south africa and a korean guy from america, who would you see as western first? i think you need to shut up.
“as long as whites remain part of the human race, ‘developed human being’ will be out of reach.”
Congratulations on crossing over from ‘annoying troll’ to ‘virulent racist’. I’ve read some pretty disgraceful stuff on various forums, but that’s among the worst.
‘when dinosaurs ruled the earth, the mammal remained small.’ book on evolution
‘Just for the record Pawi, there’s lots of room on the white man’s totem pole… since it is so big. Your totem pole is obviously too tiny even for common sense.’ bipolar
‘i congradulate you on your totem pole, mr t rex cox.’ pawi to bipolar
‘Congratulations on crossing over from ‘annoying troll’ to ‘virulent racist’. I’ve read some pretty disgraceful stuff on various forums, but that’s among the worst.’ bigrich
shut up!*
the first word ’shut’ was said really slow with the second word going up a pith. just so you can understand feeling behind me say word. ok?
Case #1. I’m 32. The case has been kicked up the supreme court so I have been told. It took a year to get me in the courtroom. By that time, all my witnesses on those damn 1 year contracts were gone. Wow that was weird. As I just typed “gone” I got a knock on the door and the mail man just handed me a letter from the court house. One sec, let’s go wake up the wife and see. Back. Yup once again i must show my handsome mug in court. This time it is final. Stay tuned. No joke i just got this letter. I’ll be in court May 15th 2:00 if anyone would like to join me.
“really? between a white guy from south africa and a korean guy from america, who would you see as western first? i think you need to shut up.”
In Korea, the South African. In the US it would be a toss-up.
Just playin’ the odds!
Hang in there, Mr. M.
Here is a question: What is more useless than your average Korean male ?
Answer: The guy he is holding hands with.
“really? between a white guy from south africa and a korean guy from america, who would you see as western first? i think you need to shut up.”
In the interests of impartiality surely this should be phrased “white guy from south africa or yellow guy from america”, in which case neither.
However, in your example clearly the white guy from South Africa since you’ve already identified the other as a Korean an eastern nationality.
hitest — was that necessary?
No, I am sorry Rob, and of course my apologies to all my Korean male friends… Although they might laugh at the joke, it was uncalled for. Cheers.
I might add, currently I am dealing with a law suit with a Korean man who attacked me, fell down in the attempt and is trying to sue me for his efforts. Guess I was blowing off steam. My bad.
These are the times I’m glad I got out of there when I had the chance.
@hitest.
the atmosphere on this blog appears to leave little room for nuances such as irony or sarcasm. I for one accept your apology but hope that you continue to express yourself as you deem fit.
ps, the joke was kind of lame, and I too am glad the little brown asian got out of there when it had the chance.
As if it were possible, new lows from Pawi.
Sorry, off topic here but…
Pawi, I have noticed that you have an unhealthy obession with Japan as evidenced from all of your recent avatars. Do you lose sleep over your obsession with Japan? I showed some of your posts to some of my Japanese colleagues, who have no clue about anything regarding Korea nor have any interest in Korea. However, they laughed and thought it was cute that kyopos like you seem to pull your hair daily obsessing about a nation which seems to control your emotions 24/7. They just laughed about it and said it was cute to see Korean anger and frustration on the internet.