On the 18th police in Suncheon arrested 31-year old Mr. L, an American English instructor at an elementary school in Yeosu, on charges of drug smuggling.
According to police, Mr. L is accused of ordering 32 packets of “E=XTC” through a website in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the month.
And the kicker:
A member of the prosecutor’s office said, “working as an English instructor in Yeosu since last October, Mr. L confessed that he used E=XTC at a party with his foreign coworkers, but those foreign instructors have not been charged with use of it since unlike other drugs it cannot be detected by hair testing and there is no third-party evidence.”
I always said that if foreigners around here would be busted for drugs or other stupid shit, it'd be the dumb asses in Yeosu. Not the first drug-related arrest in local history. Several years ago some teachers were busted at Elvis, a popular foreigner bar in Suncheon. As I first mentioned back in April, one of the guys wrote on a local messageboard of his time in prison:
Nobody said that we couldn't do the time. In fact we used the five weeks that we were locked up to great effect. 5 weeks without a beer or a cigarette, and I feel like I'm 21 again. Fuck Betty Ford. 100 sit ups and 100 push ups a day and I'm looking like a machine. Got to meet numerous interesting people, including the ex Mayor of Suncheon who is doing five years for accepting bribes. Read some great books, and also got a great reference from the Governer of the prison for the free English lessons we provided to the prison guards.
And an Irish guy busted in the same sweep weighs in:
Ive heard a rumour that some fag scott went to the police, Alls i can say to this if it is true, that this guy is a complete prick, thanks for destroying my time in korea, the worst about it i dont even know this guy, and if you did go to the police, you are the lowest of the low and basically i hope you burn in hell, sooner rather than later. I heard this guys about 40 and hes one these pricks that had to come to korea to find a job and a wife. LOSER.
You stay classy, Suncheon.
19 comments:
This shit happens all over Korea and not just in Suncheon . I would like to point out there is hundred of foreigners lived in or ARE STILL living in Suncheon that have no interest in Drugs .
Of course. I don't think, and wasn't implying, Suncheon is any more prone to it than other places. Just trying to add a little extra info to the story.
I had a bloke from KBS rock up to my workplace to ask me some questions about it - he informed of the arrest and want to ask a few questions in regards to drug use and attitudes towards drug use amongst the foreign community.
He seemed a nice enough guy but had several wacky accusations such that foreigners are freely sharing drugs at local bars and that kind of nuisance. I told him I've never or heard of such incidents and said that 99% of foreigners are decent, law-abiding people who do not taking drugs.
I mentioned the drug tests and the fact that all foreigners know of Korea's strict drug policy right from the start so there's no excuse for taking drugs and you're a fool if you do so.
As I said, the reporter seemed like a decent guy I just hope he didn't twist or distort any of my comments as I've heard that to occur to others before.
By the way, thanks for the shout out the other day, I appreciate the extra traffic!
Were you interviewed on camera?
I don't know what can be done to kill the stereotype that foreigners are big into drugs. Yeah, you hear of busts every now and again, and in foreign countries there are often more liberal attitudes toward recreational drug use . . . did you bring up Cho Seung-hui and the New Zealand stabber, and how Koreans can thus be considered dangerous on campus?
Doesn't help that these drugs aren't able to be detected by a test . . . who knows what hoops they'll come up with next.
What's with the censorship on this blog?
Samuel, your comment didn't even make sense, and was crass without a point. Be critical or humorous if you want, but not to the point that it irritates other visitors. You know where the line is, you know what I mean. End of discussion.
I was interviewed on a park bench just outside work. There was a camera guy about 5 metres behind us though I couldn't tell if he actually bothered filming anything as the interview was conducted in English - the reporter's English was very good - and they never once asked me to shift direction or face a certain way for the camera angle. The reporter had his notebook but I don't think he even took notes as I guess my opinion wasn't alarming or controversial enough to warrant it. I presume the camera guy probably took some footage and I guess it will depend on how newsworthy my account was on whether there will be footage or not in the 9pm news. (Either way I'm not going to bother watching it).
I didn't bring up Cho Seung-hui or the NZ stabber - didn't think of them at the time - and also just wanted to give my opinion but the same time didn't want to say anything to further inflame any people out there already with an axe to grind and/or strong prejudice against us foreign folk. Unfortunately, the eyes are going to be on us a lot more for the upcoming weeks as a result of this.
I guess you mean both of my comments, and NB's ass well. It's your blog--hail freedom of speech.
Ive heard a rumour that some fag scott went to the police, Alls i can say to this if it is true, that this guy is a complete prick, thanks for destroying my time in korea, the worst about it i dont even know this guy, and if you did go to the police, you are the lowest of the low and basically i hope you burn in hell, sooner rather than later. I heard this guys about 40 and hes one these pricks that had to come to korea to find a job and a wife. LOSER.
Did he really say it? It sounds like a joke quote.
But that's how the police roll here: If you are arrested for drugs, they go easy on you (e.g., deportation instead of jail time) if you finger others (I think it's five they're looking for) who you know are taking drugs, too.
If I were so inclined to smoke pot or whatever, I would certainly never do it while in Korea. That's just all kinds of stupid.
Did who really say what? The quotation from the Irish guy? Well, that's what he posted. Suncheon is well-rid of that lot.
"foreigner bar"
This is a direct translation of Korean. I hope you don't speak Konglish to your students in class. I think you meant "foreigners' bar." It surprises me that you, Robert, GI Korea, and others have adopted the Korean use of the singular "foreigner" as a noun modifier.
Popular bar among foreigners, rather. It's not owned or operated by foreigners, so I don't think foreigners' would be appropriate. To me foreigner bar sounds about as appropriate as dance club. I don't like the overuse of foreigner, but I guess after hearing it so often---and from other foreigners, too---it's become natural.
I don't say foreigner+anything to my students.
Sonagi, I wholeheartedly agree about being careful not to Koreanize one's English, especially in teaching. ;) What is the technical lingo for this happening?
Brian wrote:
Did who really say what? The quotation from the Irish guy? Well, that's what he posted. Suncheon is well-rid of that lot.
Brian, I hadn't read the earlier post all the way through, so I was confused. Thanks for clearing that up.
There is nothing wrong with Foreigner bar
I would be weary about what you believe from the Korean media... they are the professors of "fan death" afterall. The rumor mill in Korea is crazy... especially in a town the size of Yeosu and especially where foreigners are involved and the news doesn't always report the facts.
I also have difficulty trusting the Korean law system as I've been a victim of it's ridiculous policies (as have other friends of mine).
Also, it's not good to generalize people who live in any specific area. As a person who lives in Yeosu I can sincerely say that most people here are amazing.
Yeah, maybe things have changed in the last couple years. I think the incoming class of 2006 turned it into Frat Row.
I don't care much about that one guy. THere are dumbasses all over, and every year you read stories of people who mail themselves drugs or who get busted doing pot. I'm bothered that, according to the media, he shared with other foreign teachers. Now I know this is a line that gets repeated any time there's a drug case, but still . . . it doesn't mean the authorities will be any less suspicious of our demographic.
Post a Comment