It definitely is. It seems impossible to enforce but high-profile Koreans have been nabbed for things like, use of Adderall. I cannot remember her name, but a K-Pop singer got snagged for her use of Adderall in the states.
I find that Koreans can be surprisingly snitchy. For instance, garbage snitches. A lot of Koreans seem mortally afraid of accidentally throwing away plastic because neighbors would (and do) look at their trash and will report them to authorities for it. They can receive a hefty fine as a result.
A big part of the Lee Sun Kyun "scandal", less reported in the US media, is the fact that he was blackmailed by an escort. Having known very little about this, I thought he committed a mortal sin, but upon reading the allegations.. while they may look bad.. and they are really bad for his family.. they were at the very bottom of the totem pole of vice-seeking behaviors. They're not remotely reason for one to take their life over. Which leads to a broader discussion about Korea.The fact society in Korea makes suicide seem like a better option than the reputational ruination for the violation of what are essentially Christian-conservative values is a shame.
About the trash police - is there anything stopping a neighbour planting plastic in the garbage and then calling the authorities? Or just saying that the plastic isn't theirs, and perhaps the neighbour planted it? It just seems hard to prove either way.
Not really. Korea is still a high-trust society with hints of distrust and snitchy-ness.
It's really ironic. Most windows of low-rise Korean homes/"villas" have iron bars over them. Most homes have spiked fences. Trash police have many terrified of neighbors. There are cameras (Police cameras + always-on dash cameras) literally everywhere. None of these are hallmarks of high trust. And yet, I could leave a wallet in a mcdonalds and it'd still be there after 8 hours.
Yes, video surveillance on your garbage. I'm not joking. CCTVs, dash cams are everywhere in Korea. Even public toilet mounted hidden cameras (by pervs or blackmailers) are a thing.
“If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful. Note this:
Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."
First, I think it's clear I'm being somewhat loose and cheeky with my use of "what are essentially Christian-conservative values". Obviously, the use of drugs offend the sensibilities of much more than Christians. (I can't say I'm a huge fan of walking through the smell of weed so thick I could bounce off it), but if you understood christian society in Korea, you'd get what I meant.
Christian Koreans ajummas are hellcats. I'm not talking about tea-party 50/50 chance they did some wild things in college american conservatives but now are trying to erase those pangs of guilt through bible study. Christian Korean ajummas were born with these claws.
There is zero discussion about mental health with these folk. Things like ADHD or depression don't exist. They aren't afraid to give you a nasty look (as opposed to, say, the japanese). I cannot imagine what it's like to be famous and fallen out of grace in Korea.
I don't understand why Christians would necessarily be against the use of cannabis when you consider that it's a naturally growing plant. It strikes me as people second-guessing God and basically saying that he made a mistake in leaving it lying around. It would at least be more consistent if they also banned caffeine.
I don't know either. A known remedy for toothaches I've heard from old folks was to chew on some part of the hemp plant.
I think the idea of drug accelerationism/slippery slopes terrify people. I have to keep it real, though, america is doing a terrible job at dispelling the notion.
I find that Koreans can be surprisingly snitchy. For instance, garbage snitches. A lot of Koreans seem mortally afraid of accidentally throwing away plastic because neighbors would (and do) look at their trash and will report them to authorities for it. They can receive a hefty fine as a result.
A big part of the Lee Sun Kyun "scandal", less reported in the US media, is the fact that he was blackmailed by an escort. Having known very little about this, I thought he committed a mortal sin, but upon reading the allegations.. while they may look bad.. and they are really bad for his family.. they were at the very bottom of the totem pole of vice-seeking behaviors. They're not remotely reason for one to take their life over. Which leads to a broader discussion about Korea.The fact society in Korea makes suicide seem like a better option than the reputational ruination for the violation of what are essentially Christian-conservative values is a shame.