Irish 'alcoholism nature' cited in job rejection

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- An Irish teacher who applied for a teaching job in South Korea was rejected with a letter citing "the alcoholism nature of your kind."

Katie Mulrennan, 26, an Ireland native living in Seoul, said she responded to an ad for a teaching position on Craigslist in September and the reply she received said she would not be considered for the job due to her country of origin.

"I am sorry to inform you that my client does not hire Irish people due to the alcoholism nature of your kind," the email reply read.

Mulrennan said she initially didn't think the email was serious.

"Usually when you apply for a job and they don't want you, they don't send a reply," Mulrennan told the BBC. "Or they tell you they would prefer someone from North America, because some schools prefer the accent. But this reply was a first. When I got the email, it was so abrupt and short. I actually laughed when I read it initially."

Mulrennan said she forwent writing an "angry" reply and instead sent them a follow-up she described as "a little bit sarcastic."

The teacher said she has since found a job in Seoul.

The recruiter behind the email reply might be surprised to learn World Health Organization data indicates South Koreans actually drink more than the Irish, with the average South Korean drinking 52 cups of liquor per year compared to 50.3 cups for the average person in Ireland.