Regrettably on my last trip to Seoul I was assaulted at a major pedestrian crossing at midday. I was waiting alone to cross at the traffic lights when I heard a scream and felt pain over the top of my head.
To my terrible dismay, I realized the scream was mine and I had been hit. I struggled to look around to see a well-dressed young man equipped with a snazzy iPod looking back at me strangely. He seemed to be enjoying my pain and confusion.
I dared not say a thing in fear he would hit me again. While I regained my composure, I heard more screams. The assailant had then moved on and hit two more women over the head before making a hurried departure. We were too stunned to move or say anything.
My daughter is a graduate student at a prestigious Korean university. She has had two similar assaults in the 18 months she has lived in Seoul.
The same letter, with only a few subtle changes, by that same author was in the Joongang Ilbo two weeks ago. The JI piece seems to want to go in a different direction, though, and was titled by the paper "Korea’s denial of mental illness," whereas the KT letter is titled "Attacks in Seoul Street." Both close with
I will continue to travel to Seoul because my affinity for Korea is more than skin deep. Then again, if I was a tourist visiting Seoul for the first time I would never go again.
There was a similar situation in March when a California woman, presumably of Korean descent, had nearly-identical letters published in both the JI and KT on the dangers of American beef.
3 comments:
My girlfriend told me about a guy going around and attacking women in her area recently. But she also said he rode a motorcycle. For what it's worth she goes to Sookmyung Women's Uni in Yongsan.
I am wondering if this incident really reflects a mentally ill person. My guess is that what she experienced was one of the "Privileged" generation, who's parents never said "No" to, who's teachers never gave honest feedback to, and who grew up believing that he really is somehow "Special" and as such can do anything he dang well wants to do.
Over the past 7 years at my specialty high school, I have seen more and more of this anti-social behavior, encouraged, or at least not discouraged, by the teachers. Excuses are made and consequences for the behavior are nowhere to be found.
My guess is that it is, in part, a result of the one-child family. Siblings do have their uses, not the least of which is to teach humility to each other!
"prestigious" Korean university
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