Last night, something happened in my goshiwon that I will never forget.
It was a little after 1 a.m. I had just finished studying and was about to sleep when I suddenly heard a loud bang in the hallway. At first, I thought maybe someone just closed their door too hard. But then I heard another bang… and then more. After that, someone started knocking on doors loudly and shouting words that didn’t make any sense.
I opened my door just a little to see what was going on. It was a Nepali student who lives on my floor. I had seen him before—he’s usually quiet, but I knew he drinks alcohol a lot. Last night, though, he was more than just drunk. He had lost control.
He was knocking on every door, including mine, and yelling things no one could understand. He was sweating, walking unsteadily, and seemed totally lost. Then he went upstairs—to the 5th and 7th floors—where some of our Bangladeshi and Nepali sisters live.
That’s when everyone got scared.
One of my Bangladeshi juniors messaged me:
"Vaiya, he’s knocking on our door. We’re really scared."
I could hear girls crying. They locked their doors, turned off the lights, and stayed completely quiet. Some called their brothers, some stayed awake in fear. No one knew what to do. The place that usually felt like home suddenly felt unsafe.
From 1 a.m. to almost morning, nobody could sleep. We were messaging each other in our goshiwon group chat, asking:
"Are you okay?"
"Is he still outside?"
"Should we call someone?"
Our goshiwon is a place where people from many countries live peacefully—Bangladeshi, Nepali, Vietnamese, even some Koreans. But that night, one person’s behavior destroyed that peace.
Around 7 a.m., the same student started a fight with a Bangladeshi junior. That was the last straw.
Our goshiwon manager—a Bangladeshi man—finally called the police. He didn’t panic. He just did what needed to be done, calmly and responsibly.
When I left for university around 8 a.m., I saw police officers at the entrance, talking to the student. He looked down, confused and tired. It felt like a storm had just passed.
Later, we heard that the manager reported the situation to the university and told the student to leave the goshiwon.
Safety, and the Korean law and police:
That night, I felt scared and helpless. It was hard to believe something like that could happen where we live. But I also learned something important.
Our goshiwon manager stayed calm. He didn’t fight or shout. He just made the right decision—he called the police. And the Korean police came very fast. Within a short time, they were at the door, talking to the student and checking the situation. That made me feel safe again.
In Korea, being drunk is not an excuse. If someone drinks too much and causes trouble, the police can arrest them. You are still responsible, even if you were drinking. That’s the law here.
If something dangerous happens, don’t try to fight or handle it alone. The best thing is to call 112(Korea’s emergency number) or tell the manager. You can protect yourself, but only if it’s really needed.
What I saw that morning made me respect the system here. Koreans, in my eyes, feel responsible and calm in hard times. And the police? They are fast, serious, and ready to help.
Living in Korea teaches me not just about school, but also about people, safety, and how to act when something goes wrong. Even in fear, we learn.
N:B-I have some pictures related to this story, but I did not share them fully due to personal privacy issues.
Last night, something happened in my goshiwon that I will never forget.
It was a little after 1 a.m. I had just finished studying and was about to sleep when I suddenly heard a loud bang in the hallway. At first, I thought maybe someone just closed their door too hard. But then I heard another bang… and then more. After that, someone started knocking on doors loudly and shouting words that didn’t make any sense.
I opened my door just a little to see what was going on. It was a Nepali student who lives on my floor. I had seen him before—he’s usually quiet, but I knew he drinks alcohol a lot. Last night, though, he was more than just drunk. He had lost control.
He was knocking on every door, including mine, and yelling things no one could understand. He was sweating, walking unsteadily, and seemed totally lost. Then he went upstairs—to the 5th and 7th floors—where some of our Bangladeshi and Nepali sisters live.
That’s when everyone got scared.
One of my Bangladeshi juniors messaged me:
"Vaiya, he’s knocking on our door. We’re really scared."
I could hear girls crying. They locked their doors, turned off the lights, and stayed completely quiet. Some called their brothers, some stayed awake in fear. No one knew what to do. The place that usually felt like home suddenly felt unsafe.
From 1 a.m. to almost morning, nobody could sleep. We were messaging each other in our goshiwon group chat, asking:
"Are you okay?"
"Is he still outside?"
"Should we call someone?"
Our goshiwon is a place where people from many countries live peacefully—Bangladeshi, Nepali, Vietnamese, even some Koreans. But that night, one person’s behavior destroyed that peace.
Around 7 a.m., the same student started a fight with a Bangladeshi junior. That was the last straw.
Our goshiwon manager—a Bangladeshi man—finally called the police. He didn’t panic. He just did what needed to be done, calmly and responsibly.
When I left for university around 8 a.m., I saw police officers at the entrance, talking to the student. He looked down, confused and tired. It felt like a storm had just passed.
Later, we heard that the manager reported the situation to the university and told the student to leave the goshiwon.
Safety, and the Korean law and police:
That night, I felt scared and helpless. It was hard to believe something like that could happen where we live. But I also learned something important.
Our goshiwon manager stayed calm. He didn’t fight or shout. He just made the right decision—he called the police. And the Korean police came very fast. Within a short time, they were at the door, talking to the student and checking the situation. That made me feel safe again.
In Korea, being drunk is not an excuse. If someone drinks too much and causes trouble, the police can arrest them. You are still responsible, even if you were drinking. That’s the law here.
If something dangerous happens, don’t try to fight or handle it alone. The best thing is to call 112(Korea’s emergency number) or tell the manager. You can protect yourself, but only if it’s really needed.
What I saw that morning made me respect the system here. Koreans, in my eyes, feel responsible and calm in hard times. And the police? They are fast, serious, and ready to help.
Living in Korea teaches me not just about school, but also about people, safety, and how to act when something goes wrong. Even in fear, we learn.
N:B-I have some pictures related to this story, but I did not share them fully due to personal privacy issues.