Damn, This is Ugly

by Robert Koehler on July 11, 2008

in Ministry of Barbarian Affairs, Stupid Foreigner Tricks

Parents of a 4-year-old are accusing a British kindergarten teacher of sexual molestation, the British International Kindergarten may sue the parents for libel, the Gangnam District Office of Education will sanction the school, and the Korea Times is there to cover it all.

Ugly, ugly stuff.

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July 19, 2008 at 11:31 pm

{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }

1 templar July 11, 2008 at 1:53 pm

At least the school is going in to bat fot the teacher in this case. Is this school reputable? I was thinking of sending my child there.

2 andy-in-japan July 11, 2008 at 1:57 pm

It looks like the parents were looking for an easy pay-off (or carrying out a grudge of some sort).

The behavior of the kids is totally in line with the silly non-sense that little kids do all the time. Luckily, I never had parents trying to extort any money from the school — or carry out a vendetta against me.

3 andy-in-japan July 11, 2008 at 2:00 pm

I certainly hope the teacher didn’t do anything truly bad… but from the article, the only bad guys are the parents who may be simply over-reacting. But the article reads like some slimy parents are out to do some inappropriate damage.

If I were the teacher, I’d be booking a ticket to another country right now – unless he’s already half-done with collecting a pay-off from the parents. And if innocent, he’d better get paid handsomely.

4 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 2:20 pm

‘It looks like the parents were looking for an easy pay-off (or carrying out a grudge of some sort).
The behavior of the kids is totally in line with the silly non-sense that little kids do all the time. Luckily, I never parents trying to extort any money from the school – or carry out a vendetta against me.’

do we need any more proof of the low quality of your average expat in asia?
sick.

an expat a child molester? no way.

5 Cloying_Odor July 11, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Funny how this isn’t really a crime in Korea when done by Koreans to other Koreans. Korean men are Gay until they are 28 then they get married have kids and become 30 something pedophiles. It’s a scientific fact.

6 Tripod July 11, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Mmm, so one story about Korean pedophiles being arrested and this…Another attempt at creating an artificial balance at the expense of English teachers?

7 shakuhachi July 11, 2008 at 2:39 pm

do we need any more proof of the low quality of your average expat in asia?
sick.

an expat a child molester? no way.

Death to the foreign scum. White people in Korea commit far more crimes that Koreans do overseas, correct?

8 Robert Koehler July 11, 2008 at 3:07 pm

do we need any more proof of the low quality of your average expat in asia?
sick.

Pawi, don’t you have a university to shoot up?

And on the other side of the spectrum:

Funny how this isn’t really a crime in Korea when done by Koreans to other Koreans. Korean men are Gay until they are 28 then they get married have kids and become 30 somthing pedophiles. It’s a scientific fact.

Is it now?

9 hitest July 11, 2008 at 3:15 pm

I think it is very inappropriate for any teacher to be kissing their students, especially on the mouth. At the very least there are health issues. At the worst it is sexually inappropriate whether you call it sexual harassment/assault/misconduct/abuse. Done innocently or not, it should not be condoned. The risks far out weight any benefits.

If the allegations are true, this teacher is guilty of unprofessional conduct and needs to be counseled AT LEAST, about inappropriate behavior.

The business owner can show support for the teacher if he believes he is dealing with a case of bad judgment rather than child abuse,and perhaps even let the parents view CCTV tapes if such are available.

The owner should also let the parents know that the teacher has been counseled to prevent any further incidences occurring and perhaps also let the parents know that he will be supervised closely. They have the right to know that their children are safe and have the right to ask the teacher not to kiss their children, or for him to not allow their children to kiss him for that matter. If the owner failed to convince me of his and the teacher’s sincerity and willingness to accommodate my request they would never see my child again.

I don’t understand why they wanted an apology. Would they accept a “Sorry I abused your children!” ? I presume they wanted a guarantee that even though it might not be construed as abusive, the kissing would cease and desist.

Curiously, I wonder if it was a female teacher kissing the children they would be reacting the same way?

I feel a bit uncomfortable when some of the younger students take my hand, rub the hair on my arms, or when some of the older students stand too close. It is not because it evokes inappropriate feels, it is because it can be misinterpreted and also sets president for tolerating physicalness between teachers and students.

I will let some of the students grab my hand and walk with me down the hall for a bit (I don’t want to stigmatize), if there are other students and teachers around, but soon find an excuse to let go and divert their attentions, by pointing to something, stopping and getting a drink from the fountain, etc.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to show good judgment and error on the side of caution.

10 shakuhachi July 11, 2008 at 3:38 pm

I will let some of the students grab my hand and walk with me down the hall for a bit (I don’t want to stigmatize), if there are other students and teachers around, but soon find an excuse to let go and divert their attentions, by pointing to something, stopping and getting a drink from the fountain, etc.

The problem with what you are saying is that you have written several paragraphs establishing a standard for what should be considered inappropriate, then engaging in behavior that some people will consider inappropriate. You are leaving yourself open to accusations.

11 Tripod July 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm

“White people in Korea commit far more crimes that Koreans do overseas, correct?”

Foreign residents of South Korea are about half as likely to commit crimes as Koreans (which is to be expected since we were all screened by immigration before entering the country. Sure, it isn’t much of a screening process, but prevents most wanted criminals from entering the country).

12 Stafford July 11, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Children are grubby little bacteria factories. All the kids in my classes know they have to stay at least 1.0m away from me at all times.
Adorable little filthy cuties that they are.

13 Keyser Soze July 11, 2008 at 4:28 pm

#12 “Children are grubby little bacteria factories. All the kids in my classes know they have to stay at least 1.0m away from me at all times.
Adorable little filthy cuties that they are.”

LOL, W.C. Fields couldn’t have put it better!

14 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 4:40 pm

that was low, marmot, but taken in good nature. lol.

15 Bipolar Mindscrew July 11, 2008 at 5:24 pm

Some students will accuse the teachers wrongly. I myself was accused by one student of biting her (!) which appalled the director… until she noticed the teeth marks were awfully small and pointed in the wrong direction.

But this is a good illustration why we must be careful of our conduct, with physical distances as well as corporeal punishment.

16 william July 11, 2008 at 5:33 pm

#14,

Ah, the irony of Mr. Low blow himself, better known as “pawikirogi.”

17 Mrs. Linkd July 11, 2008 at 5:35 pm

For me, the office neckrubs are a little odd.

Sometimes I’ll look over my shoulder and see Manager Lee vigorously rubbing Deputy Director Oh’s neck and shoulders, Mr. Oh happily grunting as Mr. Lee pummels away. I think they were drinking together last night, as the smell of soju and cigarettes hovers in the air.

I’ve had a few female coworkers try to give me a bit of a rubdown, but my creeped out shoulder raising sent them away.

Not sexual harassment here, just coworker bonding. Very touchy feely society here… I could never give my college friends a scrubdown in a bathhouse… here, I think it’s almost required.

18 william July 11, 2008 at 5:42 pm

#8,

As far as the “low quality” Koreans, many crooked, sleazy, opportunistic, hypocritical, charlatan types are somehow managing to slither unto the shores of Canada and US.

19 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 5:58 pm

‘As far as the “low quality” Koreans, many crooked, sleazy, opportunistic, hypocritical, charlatan types are somehow managing to slither unto the shores of Canada and US.’

my point proven.

20 aaronm July 11, 2008 at 6:06 pm

my point proven.

No it’s not. Unless your point was that you are a thick, resentlful and low mommy’s boy as well as an extremely sick and unbalanced cunt of an individual to boot. Fuck off, drycleaner boy, nobody wants to listen to your shit here.

Sorry for the language, everyone else.

21 william July 11, 2008 at 6:08 pm

19,

You got no point, nor have any credibility in the subject. If you do, you’d look at yourself in the mirror, then pack your bags, go back to Korea, THEN criticize the people here. Until you do, you’re just a pariah.

22 JohnT July 11, 2008 at 6:38 pm

pawi represents the low quality heathen allowed to reside in the US.

Come over here and join the ROK military and then MAYBE you can shit on expats.

Be a REAL Korean boy.

23 JohnT July 11, 2008 at 6:39 pm

Hopefully this story isn’t true. If it is than he should have his twig and berrys cut off and thrown in the slammer.

24 william July 11, 2008 at 7:15 pm

Where did my post go? :(

Anyways, the point of it all for this “pawikirogi” character is that, if he wants to be taken seriously, he has to look at himself in the mirror, pack his bags, move back to Korea, and contribute to his country of birth, THEN he has the right criticize people here.

Otherwise, he’s merely a hypocritical pariah with no credibility who slithered unto the shore of US on back of mom. HOw low is that!

25 skindleshanks July 11, 2008 at 7:15 pm

It’s hard to say who is in the wrong here, but you can bet if it was a woman kindergarten teacher kissing the kiddies, nobody would cry molestation.
Little kids need good male role models, and at that age I think allowing some expressions of affection is healthy; however, in today’s climate where every male who is friendly towards children is a potential pedophile, it’s too great a risk for most men to consider investing their lives with younger children. I think that society suffers as a result.

I maintain a strict no touch policy even with my youngest students, and I back off if they come close. I’m thankful that at least it’s still legal to hug and tickle my own kids–before long, it may not be.

26 mizar5 July 11, 2008 at 8:50 pm

You’d never get me to teach in Korea. Kudos to those brave enough to try.

27 mizar5 July 11, 2008 at 9:54 pm

Where is that article in which the Korean singer bragged to the press about kissing his daughter on the mouth? Again this looks like a case of the anti-foreign double standard.

28 keith July 11, 2008 at 10:08 pm

A teacher has to be very careful about their behaviour. The story does sound like it’s bullshit, but it’s a big warning for teachers. It was a kindergarten so it’s a warning for babysitters too. I’m glad the school is backing the teacher up, if they have it all on tape then it will prove it one way or another.

I teach at the high school level here and have many female students say things like ’sexy teacher’ and other such nonsense, they’re young and going through puberty. You just have to shrug it off and make a lighthearted joke, without hurting the student’s feelings. I’ve had loads of kids tell me they ‘love me’ it’s no ego booster. I find it rather sad actually- I wonder how often their parent say that to them.

I know when I was their age I had a ‘crush’ on a couple of my teachers. I’m very very careful about any touching of any kind, and with suggestive comments that some of the girls and boys I teach make.

Laughing any comments off is a good way of keeping your relationships with your students on a strictly professional vibe. I’ll prod the odd student in the shoulder to wake them up occasionally, but that is as far as it goes.

You have to distance yourself, but also be approachable at the same time. whoever said teaching was easy?

29 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 10:18 pm

‘Where is that article in which the Korean singer bragged to the press about kissing his daughter on the mouth? Again this looks like a case of the anti-foreign double standard.’

a father kissing his daughter 4 year old is the same as some expat kissing a four year old girl?

i’m embarrassed that you’re my fellow ‘korean’.

30 mizar5 July 11, 2008 at 10:44 pm

No, pawi, the difference lies in the fact that the Korean guy actually bragged about it while the English guy was accused of the same thing apparently without any proof that it actually occurred.

I have even seen sympathetic comments in the Korean press about Korean mass murderers to the effect that after all, he is Korean.

Oh, and your embarrassment is understandable for someone whose value system upholds ethnic loylty above intellectual honesty.

31 mizar5 July 11, 2008 at 10:45 pm

“a father kissing his daughter 4 year old is the same as some expat kissing a four year old girl?”

Some expat, huh? That pretty much confirms my point.

32 KrZ July 11, 2008 at 11:12 pm

Glad I’m not in Korea today. Crap like this always dramatically increases your odds of getting hassled on the subway :(

33 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 11:23 pm

‘No, pawi, the difference lies in the fact that the Korean guy actually bragged about it while the English guy was accused of the same thing apparently without any proof that it actually occurred’

uh, no, the difference is the korean ‘guy’ was talking about his own daughter. there’s nothing wrong with a father kissing his little girl.

‘Oh, and your embarrassment is understandable for someone whose value system upholds ethnic loylty above intellectual honesty.’

you ain’t no korean, mizar. you’re a white guy who thinks your constant denigration of koreans will be more credible if you pretend to be one. what happened to your style of writing? what happened to all the ‘we koreans’ crap you used to sling around here?

where’s your honesty, mizar?

34 mizar5 July 11, 2008 at 11:37 pm

Of course I recognize the responsibility of a teacher to be very circumspect about his behavior with students, and I’m not condoning the behavior or defending the culprit if it occurred, even though I make the point is that ethnicity and nationality simply do not enter into the equation.

Of course, we know that it often does. This is one of the main rationales for opposing capital punishment in the US.

35 dda July 11, 2008 at 11:45 pm

36 pawikirogi July 11, 2008 at 11:57 pm

‘even though I make the point is that ethnicity and nationality simply do not enter into the equation’ mizar

‘Where is that article in which the KOREAN singer bragged to the press about kissing his daughter on the mouth?’ mizar

losing your grip, miz?

37 Kevin July 12, 2008 at 6:44 am

Don’t give the cunt too much of a hard time, if I was Pawi, I’d be embarrassed, too.

38 Teacha781 July 12, 2008 at 7:22 am

Pawi and his logical failings is a perfect example for why the Prime Directive should be followed.

39 Mizar5 July 12, 2008 at 8:05 am

Teacha781: “Pawi and his logical failings is a perfect example for why the Prime Directive should be followed.”

Wow, the Prime Directive~! A Sci Fi nerd after my own heart! Unless you’re lampooning me (not that there’s anything wrong with that)you must also have taken a liking to Vulcan culture.

When I wrote that it would take tremendous guts to be an English instructor, I thought to myself that if I had to teach any subject, there’s no course that I’d be more interested in teaching than logic. I’d bring in my sock puppet Pawi to illustrate all the fallacies…

40 Teacha781 July 12, 2008 at 5:56 pm

Mizar5 thx for the comment

My new schtick is to attempt full use of KLogic at all times. It’s trying, but I’m getting the hang of it.

41 Dubious July 13, 2008 at 1:58 am

Wow pawi must’ve nit a nerve.

42 Tom Thumb July 13, 2008 at 11:00 pm

A couple of posts above speculate the parents were looking for a “pay-off”. This is not so, whatever else you might say about them. I happen to know them. Maybe–MAYBE–they are overreacting, or maybe the child’s recollection is confused. I have no idea about that. But I do know the parents are not mercenaries in this. Apart from what I know of them, there’s the objective fact they are able to pay W1,500,000 a month, the father is a respected professional, and live in a luxury apartment complex. These facts don’t suggest two-bit hustling.

43 Tom Thumb July 13, 2008 at 11:01 pm

A couple of posts above speculate the parents were looking for a “pay-off”. This is not so, whatever else you might say about them. I happen to know them. Maybe–MAYBE–they are overreacting, or maybe the child’s recollection is confused. I have no idea about that. But I do know the parents are not mercenaries in this. Apart from what I know of them, there’s the objective fact they are able to pay W1,500,000 a month for pre-school tuition, the father is a respected professional, they live in a luxury apartment complex. These facts don’t suggest two-bit hustling.

44 Railwaycharm July 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm

I think this thread might be the reason pawi crawled back under his rock. The cheering you hear from Yeouido is coming from yours truly. Fine job by all!

45 Yu Bumsuk July 14, 2008 at 3:33 pm

Tom Thumb, the girl is four in Korean years, which would put her at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 in western years. How much could a child that age accurately remember? And, while pervs come with all manner of desires, have you ever before heard of one getting off on touching toddlers’ teeth? If he was touching her teeth, don’t you think it was more likely he was checking out a toothache or how her teeth were coming in? (the latter is something he might be interested in if he were teaching phonics and syllable articulation).

Sorry but this story stinks more than any abuse allegation in Korea I’ve read of so far.

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