The Marmot’s Hole

In case you haven’t checked it out already, Brian of Cathartidae has posted an essay by the Japan-based columnist Robert Fouser on the ways in which the Korean word “uri” (we/our/us) has been appropriated for use in Korean nationalist discourse. By all means, read it in its entirety - below I shall post a clip just to wet your appetite:

Appropriating “uri” for political and nationalistic discourse, as in “uri nara” implies that Korea is a family state, an “us,” and that other nations and peoples are a “them.” By extension, this turns all interaction with the outside world into a game of “us versus them.” In one-on-one interactions with foreigners, “uri” turns the participants into representatives of their respective nation-states, which prevents Koreans from seeing foreigners as individuals with their own ideas and beliefs.

Examples of how “uri” impedes cross-cultural understanding in Korea abound. In discussing relations between Korea and other nations, the Korean media refers to South Korea as “our side” and the other nation (except for North Korea) by its name. The word “our side” implies that Koreans are united behind a particular policy and that citizens of the other country are united behind the policy of their government. With sensitive issues, such as American trade pressure, Koreans often assume that individual Americans are familiar with the issues involved and support the policies of their government.

The use of “uri” to refer to Korean history and culture negates the importance of diverse influences on Korean history and culture.

It’s an outstanding essay, and like I said above, read it in its entirety.