Comments on: Random News and Blog Blurbs http://www.rjkoehler.com/2003/08/25/random-news-and-blog-blurbs/ Korea... in Blog Format Wed, 7 Jan 2009 02:49:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: The Marmot http://www.rjkoehler.com/2003/08/25/random-news-and-blog-blurbs/comment-page-1/#comment-21 The Marmot Tue, 26 Aug 2003 12:26:52 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=9#comment-21 I say "overemphasized" because I believe there's a tendency for the West to take the concept to extremes. And it's not like the West lacks its own concept of face - although we tend to refer to it as "national prestige." Anyway, I think Chuck Downs had a pretty interesting take on this all - during the '53 Korean War armistice negotiations, American negotiators were told to go out of their way to save their opponents "face" - this, they were told, was how Asians negotiate. The Chinese/DPRK side, on the other hand, was under the impression that Westerners a) lack face b) respect strength, and c) feel guilty when the other side acts if they were somehow grievously insulted. Both sides going into negotiations with such cultural misconceptions, the negotiations took on a rather bizarre format, with Communist negotiators repeatedly insulting American negotiators, and American negotiators bending over backwards to protect their insulters' "face." I say “overemphasized” because I believe there’s a tendency for the West to take the concept to extremes. And it’s not like the West lacks its own concept of face - although we tend to refer to it as “national prestige.” Anyway, I think Chuck Downs had a pretty interesting take on this all - during the ‘53 Korean War armistice negotiations, American negotiators were told to go out of their way to save their opponents “face” - this, they were told, was how Asians negotiate. The Chinese/DPRK side, on the other hand, was under the impression that Westerners a) lack face b) respect strength, and c) feel guilty when the other side acts if they were somehow grievously insulted. Both sides going into negotiations with such cultural misconceptions, the negotiations took on a rather bizarre format, with Communist negotiators repeatedly insulting American negotiators, and American negotiators bending over backwards to protect their insulters’ “face.”

]]> By: Randall Parker http://www.rjkoehler.com/2003/08/25/random-news-and-blog-blurbs/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Randall Parker Tue, 26 Aug 2003 00:01:16 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=9#comment-20 I want to read the SK keynote address in full. It will be very interesing to see just how bad it is. Will Noh make SK's aid contingent on NK ending its nuclear program? I want to read the SK keynote address in full. It will be very interesing to see just how bad it is. Will Noh make SK’s aid contingent on NK ending its nuclear program?

]]> By: Adam Morris http://www.rjkoehler.com/2003/08/25/random-news-and-blog-blurbs/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Adam Morris Mon, 25 Aug 2003 21:01:57 +0000 http://rjkoehler.com/?p=9#comment-19 Marmot: I think in the south korean context you are right about the face issue. It's overemphasized. However, in China and especially in politics the idea is very strong. Remember when the plane landed in Hainan? All of that back and forth was about China gaining face over the issue. Marmot:

I think in the south korean context you are right about the face issue. It’s overemphasized. However, in China and especially in politics the idea is very strong. Remember when the plane landed in Hainan? All of that back and forth was about China gaining face over the issue.

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