Comments on: Things that really, REALLY piss me off

By: James

James — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:12:23 +0000

I returned to the US in 2002 after having been in Korea for a number of years. I was amazed at first by the amount of-lets call it nationalistic pride that was exhibited seemingly everywhere I looked (San Francisco is not known as a bastion of Nationalistic Pride-gay pride is another story). People flew the US flag from every thing they could, from motorcycles to the rednecks driving the lifted full size 20 year old pickup trucks with gun racks in the back. Fine. The thing that dissapointed me was after a few months of driving at freeway speed, these flags either became very frayed or fell off all together becomming roadside trash. While I agree that the flag represents ideals of the country that people have fought and died for around the world, even in our own country it is not propperly displayed-very much to my own dissapointment. I agree, however, with you on the argument that it contributes to the idea that the US is dictating to South Korea what they can and cannot do (despite the fact that I am sure the current administration tries I doubt they are as successful as some would have you believe). The people of the Cheolla province, particularly in the Kwangju area still believe that the US authorized Chun Du Hwan’s movement of troops from the DMZ to sqaush the uprising in Kwangju in 1980. Despite the fact that President Kim Dae Jung set up a bipartisan panel to look in to the government’s use of force and the indictment of both President Roh Tae Woo and Chun Du Hwan. The point is that while I don’t think there are enough people that remember the benefits they currently enjoy because the US interceeded on their behalf but I think this is not the right way to express gratitute. Rather, it is a very cheap trick that short sighted polititians are exploiting for their own benefit not for the that of Korea.

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By: Esol

Esol — Sun, 21 Nov 2004 00:02:02 +0000

I just don’t get it.
It wouldn’t matter so much whether we abolish the NSL,
since some parts of our civil law already cover things up for people that praise North Korea.. or doesn’t it?

By: Flying Yangban

Flying Yangban — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 00:12:39 +0000

Some serious blogging going on in Kland
While I have been dorking around with the US election, some of my fellow IKK members have been doing yeoman’s work bring us the goods on the situation in Korea. Some of this stuff is so good that I feel

By: Simon World

Simon World — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 22:08:34 +0000

Asia by Blog
Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Please send me an email if you would like to be notified of new editions. Previous editions ca…

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 12:45:54 +0000

Kimbob, as the man who translated that editorial (and the one on the same subject yesterday), allow to point out that it should send up red flags when you see the same line — in this case, the one about the comparisons between the Chollima and New Village movements — being hammered over and over again. Yes, on the face of it, it seems like a problem, and given the tendencies of the KTU, it doesn’t surprise me. That being said, this is the Chosun Ilbo editorializing, which is not to say what it said in the editorial isn’t 100% on the money, but I’ve translated enough of them to realize that things aren’t always what they seem. I haven’t read the text; all I’ve done is read things written about the text, most notably by the Chosun, and saw some stuff on it via YTN. The way you solve this issue (assuming there is an issue), however, is by strengthening guidelines on textbook selection and enforcing classroom standards, not by deporting teachers or publishers to North Korea under the NSL or any other law. Besides, Japan’s largest teachers’ union is notoriously Marxist, and has been for a long time. Japan seems to have successfuly managed to stave off revolution, however. Remember, it’s not just the KTU in town — they’re confronted by the Ministry of Education and Korea’s other major teachers union, both of which are fairly conservative.

By: kimbob

kimbob — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 09:42:03 +0000

One perfect example why it’s needed to do exactly the opposite and strengthen this law, and not abolish it:

http://english.chosun.com/w21d.....40041.html

The only way to stop these nuthouse people from ruining Korea is to use the NSL law to deport these traitors back to North Korea where they belong.

It’s inconceivable and criminal to let these people teach the young so that they can grow up to be nice little young men and women with Kim Jong Il badges.
Is it any wonder that it doesn’t take much to whip up anti-American protests to protest an unfortunate accident that involved US army and the two dead girls?

Can’t wait until Park Geun Hye comes to power in 4 years. She will really have to deal with a long clean up list to clean out the rats which have been running wild in the absense of law and order for the last few years.

By: eeyore

eeyore — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 08:08:33 +0000

I have a question about the coverage of the protests and the general disagreements over NSL policy. Why does no one ever mention Park Geun-hye’s mother in these stories? Every story has to mention the abuses of her father - and rightly so, those were some really nasty times. But no one ever mentions the mom who was killled by NK gunmen. Isn’t there as much a legacy of mom as dad in her story?

She has seen a side of NK most people want to forget exists. You may not like her, but she is being treated as “Daddy’s little Facist” and it isn’t fair to her views, policies, or the woman herself.

By: The Marmot

The Marmot — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 04:26:59 +0000

Kimbob, the KTU doesn’t make up a majority of teacher in Korea, and while I certainly don’t like their politics or classroom antics (the latter of which would be impermissable even without the NSL), do I need to remind you that the KTU owes its very legitimacy to that time (which you yourself pointed to) when teachers would have been arrested an put in very bad places for straying from the official line under the NSL?

By: Kimbob

Kimbob — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 04:14:22 +0000

Exactly Bevers. You can praise and sympathize North Korea, and even have pseudo websites that sympathize with everything that the North stand for, and yet not only be arrested but thrive. I just don’t see how this law has hurt the “freedom of speech” until they go far, like being a member of the North Korean party, shaking the hands of Kim Il Sung and praising him. And we have Korean Teachers Union teaching the kids the great North Korean system while defacating on South Korea as the bad guys. In the past, many of those teachers would have been arrested under the NSL and the Amnesty International would have been all over the cases. Not now. They have been left alone in the name of Democracy and free speech. There’s no pattern of teachers being arrested under the NSL. there. Now look at the results of entire young generation of Koreans what they are learning.