Abiola Lapite offers some solid commentary on Barbara Demick’s, piece in the LAT on Hines Ward and the circumstances of mixed-race individuals in Korea.
Which leads me to a very interesting report in Yonhap yesterday on the political debate on allowing mixed-race Koreans into the military. Until last year, mixed-race Koreans were barred from serving in the military. This was mostly out of fear that visibly mixed-race Koreans would find it overly difficult to adjust to barracks life, which is tough enough for young men to endure as it is even without being subject to abuse on account of their race. Then last week, the Military Manpower Administration announced that revisions to the military conscription law passed in June made it possible for mixed-race Korean to voluntarily enlist for military service, although implementation of the law has been delayed.
The “Hines Ward Craze,” however, is sparking reflection over the treatment of mixed-race Koreans in Korean society, and politicians have been unable to avoid being being sucked into the discussion. Grand National Party lawmaker Song Young-sun pressed the Military Manpower Administration for measures helping mixed-race Koreans join the military, saying, “I phoned the head of a particular group for mixed-race people, and he appealed that they, too, want to join the military but couldn’t because people stare at them like they were monkeys in a zoo and discrimination was severe.” Rep. Song said the government needed to consider extending the same kinds of military service obligations shouldered by ordinary Korean men to mixed-race Koreans as well, and that debate over allowing them to perform alternate forms of national service was putting the cart before the horse.
In response, Uri Party lawmaker Im Jong-in, a.k.a. “The Other Man from Ansan,” said that while it was important that mixed-race Koreans of white, black and Asian extraction be treated equally, he felt that subjecting such individuals to the draft at a time when prejudice against them was rife could cause problems.
Fellow Uri Party lawmaker Kim Myung-ja, however, said that “with borders disappearing to such an extent that one out of ten marrying couples in Korea were marrying foreigners, there needed to be a change in thinking in military manpower administration that went beyond skin color.”
Grand National Party lawmaker Hwang Jin-ha said, “Tens of thousands of rural men are marrying women from the Philippines and Vietnam, so won’t their children soon be eligible for the military draft? We must prepare for when these issues arise later.”
Military Manpower Administration chief Yoon Kyu-hyuk admitted that he hadn’t given the issue of mixed-race Koreans joining the military much thought, but that he would look into the matter from now.
Perhaps the most interesting proposal came from Uri Party lawmaker Park Chan-suk, who said, “The U.S. military, the strongest one in the world, has a lot of Korean-Americans in it… As there will be many opportunities for us to send the military abroad on peacekeeping missions and the like, we must allow people like foreign laborers who have come to Korea to enlist in the military.”
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
What does mixed race mean? Black-Korean? White-Korean? What about Chinese-Korean or Japanese-Korean?
What does mixed race mean? Black-Korean? White-Korean? What about Chinese-Korean or Japanese-Korean?
The article says ?????[?????, which means someone of ‘mixed blood.’ It is the English translation that inserts the notion of race. Though it’s more wordy, ‘person of mixed ethnicity’ might be a more precise way of putting it. My understanding is that a person who has both Japanese ethnicity and Korean ethnicity would fall under this discussion.
For our porpoises (because they’re such lovely animals), “mixed-race” refers to Koreans who are visibly of mixed extraction. You know, “one of these things is not like the others…” The reason I define it such here is because the Military Manpower Law is quite specific about the “visible” part. Chinese-Koreans and Japanese-Koreans don’t really qualify in this regard, I guess. I just asked a coworker about this, and he said that technically, those with a Chinese or Japanese parent would be “mixed-race,” given the meaning of the Korean word (???), but in terms of “common sense” or general perceptions, no, they wouldn’t be, because they don’t look “mixed.”
I work with both Chinese- and Japanese-Korean people and there is nothing that would suggest “mixed” about them, not even accent. Maybe the Korean military should enforce Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Even better, maybe Korean society should rid itself of the myth of racial purity.
Robert is correct. The provision of the law exempting male Korean citizens of mixed blood from the draft was qualified by reference to the person’s outward appearance. Presumably, many “Kosians” would then not be exempt from the draft.
Although frankly, I wonder why any “mixed” Korean would want to fight on behalf of people who look down on him so.
By the way, is this
true or just more Uri Party fearmongering?
The bloggist formerly known as Marmot wrote:
For our porpoises (because they??e such lovely animals), ??ixed-race??refers to Koreans who are visibly of mixed extraction. You know, ??ne of these things is not like the others????The reason I define it such here is because the Military Manpower Law is quite specific about the ??isible??part.
I personally know of several people whose hoj?k and other records show that their mother is not ethnically Korean and they were told they would not have to do military service because of their dual ethnicity, regardless of the fact that they looked entirely Korean. In one case, for example, a young man was born in Japan to an ethnic Japanese mother who was a Japanese citizen (who died while in Japan). Incidentally, his Ewha-educated sister had difficulties landing a job at a certain chaebol because of the same ethnic background.
Chinese-Koreans and Japanese-Koreans don?? really qualify in this regard, I guess. I just asked a coworker about this, and he said that technically, those with a Chinese or Japanese parent would be ??ixed-race,??given the meaning of the Korean word (???), but in terms of ??ommon sense??or general perceptions, no, they wouldn?? be, because they don?? look ??ixed.??
Once a person of mixed ethnicity is “discovered,” he might face some of the same difficulties a person of obvious mixed ethnicity would, so if the exemption/barring (depending on how you look at it) was due to protection, it should still apply.
Furthermore, a simple ethnic mix would be an easier legal standard to apply than a visible test. Who determines the results of the visibility test? What about those of 100% Korean ethnicity (as far as that can be determined) who look mixed? Or for that matter, what about those who are mixed but look 100% White or Black? Would they then be required to do military service because they don’t look “visibly” mixed? (I’m sort of kidding with that, but it could pop up).
The law read:
“?????????????????? ????????? ?????? ??????????
Uri Party lawmaker Park Chan-suk:
Foresight! In the very near future, when the Korean plan to rid itself of the US is compltete, they are going to have to fins someone to fight theor battles for them. The only question is whether they\’ll be able to offer enough of an inducement to anyone desparate enought to think about enlisting.
I don’t know why kushibo is blowing his top about mixed race(or person of mixed ethnicity, according to him) issue? Is this because Kushibo is a person of mixed ethnicity himself? Let what’s inside your heart out, Kushibo. You can always share your personal experiences as a mixed ethnicity person with us. We’re ready to listen.
Good news! The salary is being doubled to ten bucks a month!
Well, being a parent of a mixed child, screw the Koreans and their prejudices. As someone mentioned to me, Koreans are the equvilant of the Asian Hillbillys. Enough said.
‘koreans are like the asian hillbillies!’
well no, you’re wrong; you see, koreans don’t lynch, burn down churches, tie colored folks to trucks, create laws to keep it’s own citizens down, prohibit one race and another to dine with another, yada, yada, yada. you get the picture, don’t you?
in the future, don’t ever compare white racism with the korean variety since there’s really no comparison.
‘several black churches set aflame in the south probably due to racists’ recent headline
‘katrina- one black and one white’ recent headline
‘i demand rights!’ expat who thinks he’s special and should therefore have special rights
You’re right, pawikirogi, but not necessarily the way you meant it.
I guess to a bitter kyopo like nulji, a non-Korean thinks he has “special rights” if he objects to Korean racism against his wife and children. Of course, nulji’s just upset because even though he knows he’s special (since his mom always told him so, he being born a male and Korean and all), his schoolmates in the U.S. never recognized him as that and teased him unmercifully.
One can only imagine the ways Korean racism would be expressed were the population of non-Koreans to ever exceed a minimal amount. Tell us, nulji, how many Chinese were Koreans able to tolerate before they were finally driven out?
While the conscripted soldiers get little more than ten bucks, some discounted ciggies and a grenade thrown in now and then, they could always aspire to join the ‘professional ranks’.
Beyond salary, there are bound to be other perks, who knows. The approximate annual salaries for Korean soldiers are as follows: Staff Sergeant 620k ~ 846k, Sergeant First Class 745k ~ 1’620k, Master Sergeant 939k ~ 1’174k, Sergeant Major 1’139k ~ 2’039k, Warrant Officer 963k ~ 2’250k
And for those with a college degree: 2LT 735k ~ 817k, 1LT 800k ~ 1’095k, Capt. 1’043k ~ 1’691k, Major 1’322k ~ 2’139k
http://kr.ks.yahoo.com/service/ques_reply/ques_view.html?dnum=HAJ&qnum=4491804&p=??? ??? ????&s=-score&b=1
Those salaries are monthly, not annual. Schlapsta’s table (see TinyURL http://tinyurl.com/cwfp3) is pretty interesting. Professional soldiers’ salaries here in Korea are in fact reasonable given prevailing wage levels — and the conscript salaries, while undeniably crappy (W33,300-44,200 per month) are far higher than the ten bucks I joked about. When I served here, it really *was* five bucks a month.
since when is 850 dollars a month reasonable?
heh. you can get that from working a ‘part time’ job 6 days a week at 4000 won an hour.
Question for anyone in the know… I saw a caucasian fellow in a 3rd ROKA military academy uniform the other day in Daegu.. has anyone else ever seen this before? Do they let foreigners into the academy?
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