Comments on: N.K. bemoans use of English in S.K.

By: Zhang Fei

Zhang Fei — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:30:23 +0000

This is pretty amusing - having the biggest part of the Korean vocabulary borrowed from Chinese is fine, but a few scattered English words are verboten.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 04:18:05 +0000

I’m a cultural imperialist. I teach guys in my office English slang like “fucktard” and “asswipe.” So let that asswipe fucktard Chung apologize for letting people like me in the country.

By: dogbert

dogbert — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:29:02 +0000

“Matthew, Isaac — for your crimes against the Korean minjok you are hereby sentenced to death.”

LOL

By: gbnhj

gbnhj — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:18:52 +0000

But Kwon was not satisfied. “I wasn’t feeling sure that we were in our own country at all, seeing all these English signboards on restaurants along the way,” he said. “Why don�t you put a signboard for foreigners and another one for our own people as well?”

Would the councilor then agree that Korean-language signage found worldwide is likewise a confusing cultural pollutant?

By: Brendon Carr

Brendon Carr — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:53:38 +0000

Uh-oh. Sounds like the English teachers and their students are first against the wall when the revolution comes.

Matthew, Isaac — for your crimes against the Korean minjok you are hereby sentenced to death.

By: Daehan Miguk

Daehan Miguk — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:25:35 +0000

Perhaps his southern hosts neglected to inform him the course was designed by a club weilding Yankee imperialist (Ron Fream) who happens to speak English?

By: dogbert

dogbert — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:18:55 +0000

I see your point, but “CJ” is used by Cheil Jedang not only in connection with its golf course in Cheju-do, but everywhere.

I wonder if the comrade also commended Chung for not dying his hair (at least a color other than black).

By: kushibo

kushibo — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:08:03 +0000

dogbert wrote:
“It�s to do business with foreigners. It makes it easier for foreign guests and tourists in this era of globalization.”

More Chung nonsense. The English used for commercial purposes here is quite obviously meant primarily to enhance domestic appeal.

Far be it from me to come to Chung’s defense, but they were on Chejudo, at a and they were talking about a golf club that hosts an internationally recognized golf tournament. Yes, in this case, explaining why “CJ Nine Bridges” chose to write a bunch of stuff in English would necessarily include “doing business with foreign guests” and “making it easier for foreign guests.”

On the other hand, if they were in Chongno or some place like that, then that explanation might miss the mark a lot (because, as you said, the appeal to Koreans is a big factor in most places).

By: Daehan Miguk

Daehan Miguk — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 18:06:27 +0000

On this point I agree with our Nork visitor. Why just the other day I also felt I wasn’t in my own country when I saw one of those ‘English’ signboards, especially the one for ‘Dunkin Dognuts’.

By: dogbert

dogbert — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:33:59 +0000

“It�s to do business with foreigners. It makes it easier for foreign guests and tourists in this era of globalization.”

More Chung nonsense. The English used for commercial purposes here is quite obviously meant primarily to enhance domestic appeal.