I have some percentage (not close to 50%) of me that worries about the future of Korea -USFK for my wife’s mom and sister and the many nice and many wonderful students I have had over the years.

But, I can’t justify the potential for bloodshed with NK (especially if it begins to collapse) and I can’t justify the costs (in real dollars and the amount of resources our military wastes defending Korea) — resources that could be more directly useful to the US elsewhere.

My wife regrettably agrees too.

I just wish more of the American people could understand the situation so we could have an informed vote about whether we want to remain in Korea or not.

Because it has been easy for me to see firsthand since the early to mid 1990s - contrary to part of the article - that Korea loves to dislike/hate USFK and the US-SK relationship, but they will NOT vote their feelings and demand the US leave…………until it is not in their economic or security interests to keep them…..

If the communists take over and they’re still there… I’m going to be terribly sad… And then I’m going to get angry enough to do something…

Maybe it’s sort of a “reverse projection” of the old “scheming oriental” stereotype. Steve Canyon had the “Dragon Lady”; modern Korea has the cackling, malevolent Uncle Sam, rubbing his hands together, while the fins of nuke bombs project from his ample pockets.

At one time I would have modified the proper noun “Korea”, in the previous paragraph, with the adjective “North”. Not any more.

Well, we did interrupt the “unification” process underway in June-Sept 1950, in a rather traumatic way. If we get out now, and properly apologize, maybe we can avoid an extensive reparations bill later.

(Sarcasm aside, I regretted the axis of evil speech even when I heard it –knew it would set the fox loose amongst the chickens. I’ve read that it did just that, and now the above comment reinforces it vividly).

(And I do realize that of course Mr. Shin ignores the fact that the NorK nuke program grew teeth shortly after we withdrew all our nukes from the peninsula–but never mind, perceptions have probably gone too far to override reality by this point).

(We should have been withdrawing our ground forces even before you arrived there, USinK. Well, better late than never).

M, thanks for the notes of correction. As time goes on I’ll try to search back for links thru your blog & others, so I can “lift and shift” off Gittings article. I’ve had a bad feeling about developments on the peninsula for years, and I don’t think it’s going to get better, regardless of what happens in our November election.

I see it like this — the average Korean agrees with the more radicals in wanting to see USFK out of Korea — for the good of the Korean people — but they disagree on the timetable. The radicals want it now. While the average Korean sees the “bad” alliance with the US and its military as a “necessary evil.”

What they do agree on, however, is the “evil” part.

Except perhaps for those above 65.

What I don’t like about the article is how it does the too common thing of arguing that this attitude in Korea is “new.”

It isn’t. I noticed it easily in my first months in Korea back in 1994 (or was it 95?).

Necessary evil………that was the message loud and clear ever since I arrived.

I didn’t hear it much from the kids. Nothing like how much they openly claim to hate the Japanese. But…………I guarantee you if I had asked my kid students what they thought about the US, many of them would have gotten around to checking off the list of events used to justify the anti-US attitude — like the division of Korea, Nogun-ri, and such.

It simply fits. You can’t have 75% of the educated Koreans under the age of 65 believing the US is “bad for Korea” and not have it filter down to their children……

Great actress, BTW, even if you doesn’t have Jun Ji-hyun’s ass.

Paul — the Cho Hyun-Dong’s the last guy you want making statements. While I’m sure ideological consideration were at play, ultimately, the foreign ministry got purged not because it was too “pro-American” but because it was making statements about the boss (in this case, President Roh) that would have gotten anyway fired, regardless of organization. Gittings neglected to mention that, too.

for all of you who go through the day with a rain cloud over your head, try watching ‘untold scandal’. very nice and visually stunning.

Maybe Mr. Cho Hyun-Dong, the South Korean diplomat in favor of the alliance, and whom the article mentioned as being “purged”, could write it. I imagine his signature on such a letter or article would be the most effective (assuming of course that he is inclined to do so).

Anyway, the “test” — it wasn’t even a “test.” Some members of the KTU decided to make up some supplimentary material for their classes. It was not given in all schools, nor was the “test” translated by the LA Times and others the only one produced. And, if I may say so, the translated sections that appeared in the American press weren’t even the most offensive sections. Should the KTU have been allowed to turn their classrooms into propoganda centers? No. Should the Roh administration have cracked down on the KTU for its activities? A resounding yes. But before we go overboard with the madressa comparisons, we need to understand what the problem because the exagerations aren’t helpful.