Saw a thread earlier asking what we like the most...naturally, I thought, "Why not ask what we hate the most?"

Instead of the one thing we hate most...how about a top five or top ten?

Here's some of mine, but the terms can be a bit broad:

1. Traffic
2. Parking
3. Too many bodies crowded up in one small area
4. No vendor online ships to APO addresses (well, that's not fair, really...it applies to all military addresses, but it still upsets me!)
5. Pollution

Good subject! My tour in Korea has been great, but there are several things that drive me crazy!

1. The Korean Military
I hear day in and day out in the Korean media that South Korea wants to take over the lead role in defending South Korea. I have worked with militaries from over 10 countries before, and I must say, the Korean military is near the bottom when it comes to discipline.

This morning I was steaming because it took me 15 minutes to get through the Osan Air base main gate. I moved a total of 200 feet in 15 minutes. As always, the American security forces were checking IDs and the Korean military guys were standing around doing absolutely nothing! I know that at Camp Humphreys and Yongsan, the “rent-a-cop” Koreans check both Korean and American IDs. For some reason the ones at Osan don’t.

Additionally, I almost never see a Korean salute and American officer. I worked in NATO for 5 years and US officers were always saluted. I work in a combined environment and the Korean military guys NEVER take the lead role.

2. Reckless driving
Koreans are by far the worse drivers I have ever seen. They park on a main road to use the ATM or ask for directions. It drive’s me crazy!

3. Bar owners over charging GIs
A shot of Soju for $3-$5 when a bottle of Soju cost less than a $1? $10 for a juice? Enough said!

4. Lack of Gratitude
I don’t expect a Korean to thanks me, but I expect Koreans to thank veterans of the Korean War that live in Korea. I looked up the stats of the Korean War and almost as many Americans died or were injured in the Korean War than Koreans. A little more respect for our Korean War Veterans would be nice.

5. The Blame America first mentality
It has caught on here, just like in Europe.

Mike

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In reference to your comment on Korean military...
I could never figure out that desire for power and status in Korean culture; must be the Confucian way. It's not only the military, but just about everything in a Korean person's life. Age, rank, grade...just about anything that comes first automatically deserves respect (or the right to boss around and mistreat subordinates). It seems to be common to live by: "Hey, I worked my butt off and was mistreated to be where I am now; therefore, you (the subordinate) have to work just as hard and be mistreated, too."


Korean drivers...
Yah...they are shockingly terrible! One of my co-workers has had a driver's license for over five years now. When he first drove on post here...I couldn't believe my eyes when he just zipped passed stop signs, honked at the pedestrians crossing the road, and honked at the cars in front for keeping the speed limit. I screamed at him to pull over and asked if he was out of he had gone insane. It shocked me that he had absolutely no clue what he did wrong. He thought you only stop at stop signs if other cars are present. He said pedestrians should only cross if no cars are passing. "40km?! No, that's too slow." And he said all this like it was so normal to think this way. Since that day, I'll admit...I became frightened to drive off post.

Lack of respect...
Well, living in Korea for so long, I have heard the line "we saved you from the North Koreans. If it wasn't for us you wouldn't be here". That line really pisses them off because (in the Korean books) the Americans had their ulterior motives in "helping" Korea. Though I don't hear it too much these days, I think it is a factor of the of the general bitterness toward Americans (of course, it's that and the past cases of SOFA crimes). Why they don't respect veterans? Some do, really, but a lot of Koreans don't like to lose face; have too much pride to admit they are wrong or sorry. I bet if you confront them, they'll go off with their version of the story(s). Hmm...I think I'll start a new thread on this one...later, though. I got a few funny ones, first.

Traffic? Well since i'm an E-6 with almost 18 years in and CANNOT drive, WHO CARE's.....but when i was an E-6 in 1999 what i boiled down to is that i had a faster car, maybe for the people who have been here for a while knows it, a Honda CRX with skull and cross bones on the hood.

Yes they LOVE to put as many people in one spot as they can, but when that is what you are used to and that is the way you are brought up, what can someone say who was not brought up like that?

Vendors? Here is wha i do, San Franscisco, CA 96271 or what ever your zip is here. Have never tried it but i have known some people who have done it and recieved there goods???????

Pollution? Can't say much about that....

Another comment about the people, i have noticed that the older people and the younger people really enjoy us being here, it's the older teens and college KIDS that HATE us. When me and my wife were here in 99 and we would ride the KIMSHE bus from the Hump to Osan, almost everytime we would have an older gentleman with a note book would talk to us and write down american slang, and me and my wife would always talk to the younger children in there language, not alot but the basic hello how you doing and they LOVED it, and the younger children would say hello in american.. It really was kinda cool!!

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They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

chucksnee...

Did you ever drive your CRX in the Yongsan area? I do recall a few cars around here that did have skulls & crossbones...wondering if one of them may have been yours.

Anyway, you can own a Formula 1 race car in Seoul and still only average 2 mph. We got those rich teens with Tiburons that try to zip through the traffic, but I always catch up with them a few seconds later. Like I mentioned of too many bodies in one, small area...the same applies to vehicles here. Bumper-to-bumper traffic irritates me.

Parking...I wasn't implying the Koreans were wrong for parking in such ways. Of course it's not their fault. None of these conditions are anyone's fault. It's just a fact of life here...and I will always hate that. ...just like I hate the fact Hyo Lee is always on TV and shooting videos and not here sitting on my lap right now.

I think I know what you mean of the San Francisco, CA method. That usually works when there is no "AP" in the drop down choice of the State field...however, if a vendor only ships UPS or FedEx, the package gets rejected by the APO. That happened to me a few times (vendor's mistake).

The people... the way I see it, senior citizens and children from all cultures are very nice. It's the young adults and people like us that screw everything up. Just kidding!

Oh yea, go in the gate by the commissary all the time, but this was more than your average scull and cross bones, it was as large as the hood and had a few Yellow arrows on the hood, roof, doors and in Korean it had "in American spelling" Pulk Chin

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CH-47 SI

They must find it difficult...

Those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority. --Gerald Massey

What I dislike about Korea is on Army installations things seem to be run by Koreans for Koreans. Go to their MWR events and all the Korean base workers are there especially if it is a free meal. By the time soldiers get there all the food is gone. Go to their clubs and it is the same thing. Bring this up to the manager who is likely to be a GS worker who is a Korean with naturalized US citizenship and they will say it promotes harmony friendship.
It's more money for the slots, bar and soldiers are turned off.

Things I dislike? (Cause I don't hate.) I dislike things that are different than what I was used to at home. I don't care to sit on the floor anymore, since I gained weight and getting up is not as easy as it used to be. I dislike heavy traffic, as there was nothing like this at my last base in SC. I dislike not being able to get favorite soft drinks and my favorite foods. I dislike many inconveniences that I go through every day. But I love my job, and my great apartment, and the fact that I walk more. It helps me to lose weight!

I can see where you are coming from, Gangster, and it's all true, but I'd also like to point out that there are opposite views to that. Many Koreans view other Korean workers as sellouts/traitors for not treating their own first. Take the Dragon Hill Lodge in Yongsan, for example. They literally treat Americans (non-Asians, to be more specific) with much more respect and courtesy than Korean customers. Why? I guess they have that mentality: "You're only a Korean; only as good as I am; therefore, I don't need to give you any special treatment." (Of course, language barrier is another factor). With mentality such as this, it's no wonder why many Korean employees always fight amongst themselves, go out and get drunk, and continuously b*tch about everything in life (always screaming, "...this is the problem with our country!"...).

I just have to say that I have to respect (even though I don't like it either) what those Koreans are doing in facilities you've experienced...they are just looking out for their own and don't want to be labeled as traitors to their race. I'm not saying you're wrong. It does suck for us. I'm just saying after 50+ years of the unequal treatment amongst themselves, what's going on is actually a step in a positive direction for them.

On the same subject from the last two posts, it is disgraceful how some Americans treat the Korean workers in the BX/PX. I see Americans talk down to Koreans everyday in the main eatery in the Osan Air Base BX. It is not everyone, but it happens a lot. As guests in Korea, Americans should be more respectful.

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