Comments on: Korea gets its “first” Korean Playboy model

By: Sugar Shin

Sugar Shin — Mon, 10 May 2004 20:10:32 +0000

Mango, your post-button-hitting-libido is impressive!
Five times, my friend. WOW, five times!

By: Mango

Mango — Mon, 10 May 2004 07:29:20 +0000

The newspapers know their readership: they know that any korean “succeeding” in the west will sell papers, it panders to korean’s inferiority complex with the west. Reader’s can then ask foreigners in seoul, “Do you know Lee Sabi? Famous supermodel?You don’t? Are you American? What??, everyone knows Lee Sabi! Strangee…”

By: Kkachi

Kkachi — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 09:13:57 +0000

Marmot, the problem isn’t in translation. It’s with the Korean papers’ tendency to push things as the “first” whatever. There seem to be quite an obsession with firsts here. It’s just interesting (as I mentioned in the first post) that this is the third “first Korean” in Playboy.

I wonder whether the newspaper editors think people have short memories or it’s just a way to get people to buy the paper.

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 00:45:24 +0000

Kkachi, I thought of the same thing myself. Anyway, here’s the original Korean version I used to the translation above. Anyway, it starts off with:
??흹?쨈??????흹??? ??흹??짯 ?흸???샚???씵?????쨈?쨀쨈??쨈 ?짧짢??쨍??쨈 ???????????짚.
Read the rest on your own - maybe you can make out what they’re trying to get it.

I just like looking at the pics.

By: Kkachi

Kkachi — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 15:47:15 +0000

What’s interesting about this story is that Lee Sabi is the third “first Korean” for Playboy.

First Lee Sung-hi was the first Korean in the newsstand edition of Playboy (Playboy’s Girls of Summer, I think–not the regular magazine), then Hacelyn Joo (Remember her?) was the first Korean cyber-Playmate. Now Lee Sabi (actually Lee Unjung–Why do they take new names to pose nude?) is the first Korean on Spice TV and possibly the first Korean cover model for the Asian edition.

Have any of these models been featured in the American monthly magazine? If not, get ready for a fourth “first.”

By: Christopher

Christopher — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 08:48:21 +0000

Bingo….because you’ll never be your own person (nation) if you care what the hell everyone else (the world) thinks about you.

I suppose the US, which isn’t as strict as Korea on numerous things, isn’t its own nation then going by the logic presented here.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 08:22:41 +0000

Maybe an offshot of the magazine but I don’t think the magazine itself. But it’s not like I really seek this stuff out you know…

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 07:48:50 +0000

Personally, I didn’t take the story that seriously. All the Korean-language dailies covered it, and if one thinks it’s a bit of a strange thing to get nationalistic about, so be it. Hey, I thought it was kind of strange that people got so worked up about the World Cup aound here, but then again, I’m not a huge football fan. Beautiful women in advanced stages of undress, however, is something I can appreciate a little more, and if the Chosun and Joongang Ilbo want to do a little nationalistic flag-waving about Lee’s appearence in Playboy, more power to ‘em. Besides, I can’t stand arguments that run along the lines of “Korea will never be taken seriously if it keeps…” — I hear this ALL THE GODDAMNED TIME about everything Koreans do, from eating dog meat to Korean driving etiquette. Korea has enough things to concern itself with as it is without having to worry about what the “globe” (read: white folk) thinks about it.

By: Davide Inglima - limaCAT

Davide Inglima - limaCAT — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 07:35:07 +0000

A friend of mine reminded me on irc that if s.korea goes on like so, maybe we Italians will pardon you for World Cup 2002

By: corsair the rational pirate

corsair the rational pirate — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 06:36:07 +0000

Gopogo:

50% of the guys in Korea are prostituting women? I guess that keeps the other 50% busy doing the nasty with said women… What a great country!