Time Magazine’s Emily Rauhala published this article on Christmas eve in which she states:
Demand for English training brings upwards of 20,000 foreigners to Korea each year. They work in public schools and private academies, teaching the language of global business to a generation of achievement-oriented youth. For the most part, they are well received. But every few years, a fresh wave of anti-foreign teacher sentiment shines a light on the nation’s lingering xenophobia.
Actually a lot of the article is stuff that has already been described more than a couple of times in The Hole or on Gust of Popular Feeling. Ben Wagner and Mike Hurt (nice video guys) also have their quotes included.
While most of it has been done before I am kind of curious about this:
King Gojong, Korea’s last monarch, didn’t think much of foreigners. “Uneducated louts,” he called them, driven by “lechery and sensuality.” But that was 1882, when American missionaries were knocking at his country’s door, and Gojong could do little to stop their evangelical advance. The kingdom, he realized, would have to cope with the outsiders. Learn from them, he told his people, but beware their lustful ways.
I admit, I remember reading something along the lines but not quite that harsh – citation please.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Said that paragon of the Confucian kingship one of whose prize possessions was a necklace of cats’ vaginas given him by his Queen.
^ Sounds like something that’s tossed from a float during Mardi Gras. Did the Queen have to flash her tits too?
Looking at the above two comments, is it any wonder that Koreans think your average English teacher is low class scum? Oh, and merry Christmas.
“This type of story, says Michael Hurt, a former English teacher who is now completing a Ph.D. in Seoul…”
He’s still completing that?
Curious that the article leaves the euphemism ‘entertainment’ visa undefined. Even more curious that those applying for ‘entertainment’ visas are no longer tested. Why is that?
I think all countries ought to screen for communicable diseases such as HIV, TB, Hep C and genetic predisposition to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. And of course keep those afflicted out.
Something wrong with article because it doesn’t point out that the ET earned his reputation. Yet another example of pasty journalism.
^ I can help ya with that: the birds flock to the lads.
Saint Nick didn’t bring you a wa wa washer again this year, did he? Chin up chum… lump of coal is still a gift.
Koreans think your average English teacher is low class scum
- Whereas your average English teacher KNOWS that the lowest of the low in Korea are indeed Koreans. Pimps, rapists, murderers, fraudsters, con-men, thieves, embezzlers, human traffickers, drug smugglers and child molesters count among their ranks countless Koreans but few if any foreigners. Give me facts based on evidence, not assumptions based on prejudice. And shove your Meli Kuhleeseemasuh up your dongko.
That’s probably because Emily Rauhala gets that vast majority of her information about Korea from places like The Hole, Gust of Popular Feeling, and the Metropolitician.
#8, LOL, good point.
Not really sure about “The Hole,” but all the information about AES, the HIV requirements, and media representations of foreign English teachers in Korea has come from Benjamin Wagner and Gusts of Popular Feeling. Anybody who writes on the topic owes a sizable hat
tip to the latter, considering all the information that has come out via his research and translation.
> I think all countries ought to screen for communicable diseases such as HIV, TB, Hep C and genetic predisposition to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
You were reasonable right up to the last one; is that *really* a cost-effective thing to test for?
I think pawikirogii is itching for a fight… denigrating foreigners as if Koreans themselves had nothing but virtue. What a dickhead. go back and eat your kimchi.
Ironic that Time would run an article like this, since just a few weeks ago they drank deeply of the Kool-Ade of Korean xenophobia. In their list of the fifty best inventions of 2010, they sing the praises of Korea’s English-teaching robot.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029497_2030615_2029711,00.html
Now, putting aside the fact that the “robot” is a CD-player attached to a slightly animatronic mannequin, has any one else noticed that the robot is always mentioned as an “antidote” to foreign English teachers? This is indicative of one of the most pervasive discriminations I have seen in Korea: that foreigners are not real teachers.
I’ll not argue that there are a ton of unqualified teachers in Korea (though I’d love to have a sidebar as to why that is . . .). I will relate a short anecdote relevant to my point: the single best teacher I’ve ever met, anywhere, was told to her face that she’s not a “real teacher” by a Korean middle school teacher. The woman in question has a master’s in TESOL from McGill, has taught in multiple countries on three continents, and is, literally, the best teacher I’ve ever had the pleasure of observing. She speaks Korean. She’s married to a Korean. She has two Korean daughters. NONE OF THIS MATTERS, BECAUSE “FOREIGNERS ARE NOT REAL TEACHERS.”
This is the attitude that leads people to believe that foreigners have so little value, they can literally be replaced by CD players. And Time magazine agrees.
Perpetually angry kyopo slams foreigners in Korea… then instead of taking the high road, a bunch of butthurt foreigners respond with similar poisonous invective. Waah waah waaaaaaaaaaah.
Typical day at the Marmot’s Hole. Come for the (occasionally) high-quality posting, stay for the delightful comment threads.
@11 – Cost effective? Perhaps not. But once the economies of scale kick in the price will drop. And it’s the tested that pay for for it, so no worries for Mr and Mrs Taxpayer. So that the potential applicants needlessly waste their money I propose some people will default to being genetically predisposed to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This default is based on the genetic research done by their country’s scientists which identified the gene marker. Of course there will be those who think they’ve defied the odds and aren’t genetically predisposed, so let them be tested, and if the results bear this out they ought to be granted a visa, assuming no other problems exist. In the end it’s about saving lives, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me that we certainly don’t want those genetically predisposed traveling overseas where they’ll be exposed to tainted beef, thus turning their brains to sponge and causing social problems and undo hardship.
rather: So that the potential applicants DON’T needlessly waste their money I propose some people will default to being genetically predisposed to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
“Whereas your average English teacher KNOWS that the lowest of the low in Korea are indeed Koreans. Pimps, rapists, murderers, fraudsters, con-men, thieves, embezzlers, human traffickers, drug smugglers and child molesters count among their ranks countless Koreans but few if any foreigners.”
Really? Wow, English teachers leave their Eden to come to the land of scums just to teach english to the uneducated pimps, rapists, murderers…Thank you for the sacrifice you brave souls.
I will go eat my kimchi now.
I do try to please.
Anyway, regarding the piece, I believe the quotes attributed to AES Lee Eun-ung were not, in fact, made by Lee:
http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/08/lee-eun-ung-not-lee-in-itaewon-article.html
I also think the problem is a bit more complex than what the article suggests. Sure, Korean “xenophobia” is part of it, but so is (real and perceived) white racism, overemphasis on English education, etc.
Emily and her ilk just hate that middle-aged, fat, white guys who didn’t vote for Clinton or Obamacan still find romance in Korea…
And if you think I’m kidding, read the rest of the stuff she writes…
“Learn from them, he told his people, but beware their lustful ways.”
Pot, meet kettle.
Scum like the AES idiot and that moron Pawi are pathetic creatures and best ignored. Most Koreans are pretty civilised folk, a very few are revolting, racist and immoral shitheads. It’s the same with every country. Unfortunately it seems that even many mainstream Korean politicians use the xenophobia of lowlifes such as Pawi as a tool. In other countries like the UK and US it is only fringe lunatics like Nick Griffin and David Duke who use racism as a political weapon, and fortunately they are ignored by most people.
I actually feel a bit sad for creatures like Pawi, they don’t care about the students in Korea at all, they just care about their own inferiority complexes.
Most NETs here do a fine job under very trying conditions, many don’t stay more than a year because of numerous issues with dealing with Korean bosses. It’s a cultural thing to break contracts and lie, the bosses don’t just do it to foreigners, but also to their Korean teachers. My Korean wife has had to take several dishonest businessmen to court over monies due, and she doesn’t even work in the teaching profession.
Friends that I have who work in ESL-EFL in countries such as Japan, China, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other places never have to put up with the level of dishonesty that you have to put up with here in the land of the not quite right. Most Koreans are very honest indeed, it seems that education here seems to attract the ‘snake oil salesmen’ types.
The reasons that foreigners are needed in Korea is because most Korean teachers are incapable of teaching English. If I hadn’t had other reasons to stay in Korea I wouldn’t have put up with the shit I’ve had to either, I’d be long gone. Sorry, but the dreams of replacing NETs with robots are ridiculous, NETs do a lot more than just ‘speak’ their language.
Life is too short to be miserable! My life is actually pretty good here. I’m lucky to have a good job, a quite nice house, a great wife. I’ve paid my dues (dealt with more than my fair share of dishonest Korean ‘businessmen’) and have a few good contacts, I’m in a far better position than most English instructors here, and I have far better things to do with my time than read the ignorant rantings of racist fools.
Merry Xmas everyone – except xenophobic morons of course.
Robert Neff:
The essay “Treaties, Extraterritorial Rights,and American Protestant Missions in Late Joseon Korea” by Ryu Dae Young (which can be found here) supplies the following excerpt of King Gojong’s decree issued in August (lunar calendar) 1882, shortly after the signing of the treaty between Korea and the US, to try to assuage the fears of those who feared Korea would be tainted by foreign religions:
“But as regards entering into treaty relations, of course we shall enter into them, and as regards prohibiting the foreign religion, of course we can prohibit it, and in establishing treaties of amity and commerce, we shall do so in accordance with the principles of international law. According to the rules of propriety, it cannot be permitted that religion shall be promulgated in the interior; besides, how can you . . . suddenly abandon the true and embrace the false and bad? Supposing, for instance, there were to be some stupid fellow, some uneducated lout, secretly attempting to diffuse his teachings [in our country]; then we have the law of our state, by which all such shall be exterminated and destroyed without mercy; what reason, then is there for sorrow on account of our (alleged) inability to deal with such abuses? Moreover, when [these malcontents] see even so little adoption of foreign methods in the direction of mechanism and machinery, they immediately regard that as contamination with foreign heresies. This, indeed, is the ne plus ultra of obtuseness! If the [foreign] doctrine is to be regarded as a doctrine of lechery and sensuality, then it can be kept at a distance; if foreign mechanism is advantageous, then we can reap advantage from it and use it to increase our wealth. . . . Let us repel their doctrines, but learn to use or imitate their machinery; both these courses of policy can be carried out, and thus no outrage will be done to propriety.”
Notice the “if” in this sentence: “If the [foreign] doctrine is to be regarded as a doctrine of lechery and sensuality…” As you note, Rauhala unfairly reduces this to ‘King Gojong, Korea’s last monarch, didn’t think much of foreigners. “Uneducated louts,” he called them, driven by “lechery and sensuality.”‘
One of several problems with the article, as Robert K notes above…
“citation please”
@ Robert Neff
The citation for the English translation of the Gojong quote (a decree issued on the signing of the Korean-American Treaty) is “Enclosure 1, J. Russell Young to Frelinghuysen, 18 December 1882, Foreign Relations (1882-1883), pp. 170-172.”
Prof. Ryu Dae Young says it’s “a fine English translation of the decree” and includes an extended translation of it here: http://www.ekoreajournal.net/archive/content.jsp?BACKFLAG=Y&VOLUMENO=43&BOOKNUM=1&PAPERNUM=8&SEASON=Spring&YEAR=2003
Prof. Ryu says “[t]he opening of the nation to the West triggered a great deal of uneasiness among the Korean populace [and this] decree was intended to calm these people down.”
I’ve tried to track down the original decree in “The annals of the Choson Dynasty” here:
http://sillok.history.go.kr/inspection/inspection.jsp?mTree=0&id=kza
Once on that page, click through the following four links > 고종 19년(1882년) > 고종 19년 8월 > 고종 19년 8월 5일 > 서울과 지방에 세운 척양비를 모두 뽑아버리라고 명하다
The decree is quite long, but I think this is the relevant section:
I’ll defer to Prof. Ryu on the accuracy of the translation, but I’d guess the “uneducated lout” Gojong is referring to is a hypothetical Korean stupid enough to follow the Westerners “doctrine of lechery and sensuality”. The quote explaining that “we have the law of our state, by which all such shall be exterminated and destroyed without mercy” couldn’t have been meant to apply to the foreign missionaries since they were exempt from Korean law under the same treaty (which granted extraterritorial rights). But perhaps that hadn’t been disclosed to Gojong’s audience.
@ Granfalloon
The Time robot article actually fits in wonderfully with the sentiment of Gojong’s decree. Stripping away the Western “doctrine of lechery and sensuality” preserving only the useful technology: cue “Engky”. http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/02/english-teachers-to-be-wiped-out-by.html
(Apologies for the repeat citation, bulgasari’s comment wasn’t up when I made mine).
Matt and Ben,
Thanks – I think the problem I had with the paragraph was the same Mr. Marmot had – the failure to include the “if”. I need to go back and check my copies of this material but because I have been sick in bed all week it will have to wait a little. If memory serves me right, Kojong (I hate spelling it with a G – I thought names were exempt from this rule – Kojong’s name has always been spelled with a “K”) at this time was playing politics and actually wanted to open to the West. I think if you have Confucian Gentleman and Barbarian Envoys (Prof. Martina Deuchler) it goes into it in much greater detail and with much greater clarity than I can do so in my fever-plagued state (excellent excuse for any mistakes I might have made).
Again – thanks for the citations.
The problem with this article is that it’s just as one sided as any given Korean article. The ET’s image in Korea isn’t just about Korean racism, it’s also about their historical behavior in Korea. In fact, it’s that behavior that’s earned them the reputation they have. Of course, we won’t see too many et(s) admiting to that because we all know how much they like to think of themselves as victims. I wonder when they will be singing ‘kumbaya’ and ‘we shall overcome’. PS Keith, I think as a British person, you should be very careful in accusing others of dishonesty since your people made dishonesty a profession.
Accusing a country of “dishonesty” is misleading. Dishonesty is a vice found in all humanity. Each country merely adopts its own style of vice though some consider their brand as being more perfect than others, whereupon it becomes “nationalism” and “patriotism”.
@ Benjamin Wagner:
Nice find regarding the Korean language version of Gojong’s speech.
@ Robert Neff:
The essay Iinked to above makes clear that in that speech Gojong was trying to convince the naysayers – those against opening up to the west – that it was to Korea’s benefit to do so. He was against the hypothetical ‘uneducated lout’ who might try to spread Christianity, not foreigners in general.
@pawikirogii
“The problem with this article is that it’s just as one sided as any given Korean article.”
No disagreement there.
“The ET’s image in Korea isn’t just about Korean racism, it’s also about their historical behavior in Korea. In fact, it’s that behavior that’s earned them the reputation they have.”
Fair enough for some of the things they’re accused of – being irresponsible teachers, having fake degrees, partying too much, having luck with the ladies, drugs. But is it really fair to say, as National Assembly Rep. Lee Joo-young did, that “Of foreigners, native speaking teachers are especially potential child molesters”? Or that they’re a threat to Korean women and children because they have AIDS?
You could just as easily say that the US soldier’s image in Korea “isn’t just about Korean racism, it’s also about their historical behavior in Korea.” This would also be true, but where did all those negative articles about them – so popular up until a few years ago – go? And if the ET’s image is based on their deeds and attitudes, why did it take until 2005 for the media to start focusing on it? Why, as foreign teachers are subject to more and more tests, background checks, etc, are there ever more calls to subject them to more tests and checks? Arguably the background checks and the economy in the US has led to a more suitable pool of applicants over the past few years, but last year there were some 350 negative articles about foreign teachers, with a similar number looking likely for this year.
In September National Assembly Reps (via Yonhap) to paint foreign teachers (in public schools) as people who treat their jobs ‘like part time jobs’ with 66% quitting early, a “key factor intensifying regional disparities in English education.” The problem was that they used incorrect statistics – the true figure was 4.7% over the last three years. But this points to the other reason for teachers receiving negative coverage, which is not really talked about often. With so much money and effort being put into English education and so little in the way of results, as well as its role in both marking and exacerbating the divide between rich and poor, the frustration the system engenders has got to be released somewhere, and the MoE, the government, the National Assembly, the KTU and the Hagwon Owners Association can all defend themselves. The same can’t be said for foreign teachers.
to paint -> painted
@pawikirogii
“The problem with this article is that it’s just as one sided as any given Korean article.”
The article was about discrimination against “foreign English teachers”(compared to ethnic Koreans) and racism in S. Korea. Sorry pawikirogii but why don’t you explain how Time is suppose to show how “foriegn English teachers” discriminate against Korea/Koreans/ethnic Koreans in S. Korea? Discrimination is usually a one-sided story. Duh!
No disagreement there.
@ bulgasari
Fair enough for some of the things they’re accused of – being irresponsible teachers, having fake degrees, partying too much, having luck with the ladies…”
I don’t get the “irresposible” and “partying too much” part. Where are the stats(link please) with being “irresponsible” and “partying too much?” That’s like blaming “foreign English teacers” for earning money and sending it home or most recently making 4 million Won per month and having ALL accomodation including ALL utilities paid.
http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/12/sorrows-of-fake-native-speakers.html
Go to paragraph that begins…”Then we learn that it’s not these teachers’ fault…”
The “fake degrees” was to divert attention away from Koreans themselves(professors etc…) when they got caught with fake degrees. Having “luck with the ladies” is a joke right?
You want to talk about one-sided, Pawi? I spent last Saturday at an orphanage. The number of volunteers, mostly foreign English teachers, was tremendous. The amount of money raised and gifts contributed, through personal donations and donations from (mostly foreign-owned) businesses, was absolutely incredible. It was very heartwarming to see how many foreigners were willing to spend their Christmas helping those less fortunate. Not just a couple of hours, either. We were there most of the day.
Needless to say, things like this don’t make the newspapers. This does not fit the narrative that the local press likes to portray foreigners through. One-sided, if you will.
Now, it would be totally stupid of me to cite this incident as evidence that foreigners are “more virtuous” than Koreans. That would be using exactly the kind of fallacy of composition non-logic that we see used to paint foreigners as sexual deviants and drug addicts.
If your point is that the truth is more complex than this article portrays, then I agree. But don’t forget, that sword cuts both ways.
Mad respect, Grandfalloon. Keep it up; the world needs more people like you.
Fullslab:
If you haven’t met foreign teachers who put little to no effort into teaching (irresponsible), then you just haven’t met the wrong people. The pool has improved quite a bit over the past few years, due in part to expanded hiring by the public schools (slightly more scrutiny in the hiring process) and the criminal background checks. Thanks for the link to my blog, though I’m not sure how that applies to the discussion exactly.
The “fake degrees” was to divert attention away from Koreans.
The issue of unqualified foreign teachers with fake degrees pre-dated the Shin Jeong-ah scandal – it was not in response to it.
As for ‘luck with the ladies,’ that’s a euphemism for the asses who bragged about their conquests and left their musings on ‘K-pussy’ on sites like English Spectrum and posted the party photos which led to all the negative netizen and media attention back in 2005. That also led to the formation of Anti-English Spectrum (which now has at least ten posts about Quincy Black (four in the past week), making clear what their true concern is – and it sure as hell isn’t about ‘protecting children’).
No. It’s the seminal issue.
Nicely done.
Hey Pawi,
At least the waegs come house trained!
http://yfrog.com/f/3zg20seoulsummitp/
Guys this us vs them thing is so old school, let’s all try to get along…
The situation is grave, unfortunately it desn’t seem to be ever serious
Horribly written article. Might as get your hate on in the k blogosphere (see comments above). Expected more from TIME magazine.
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