Comments on: Well, at least some people are watching ‘Yodok Story’

By: ‘Yodok Story’ becomes a political football at The Marmot’s Hole

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:15:12 +0000

[...] As Robert reported last week, the musical Yodok Story, about life and death in a North Korean labor camp, has been seen by over 30 members of the Grand National Party. This has caused some concern in the mind of Jung Sung-san, director of the musical (Korea Times): `I think my musical is being used excessively for political purposes by certain groups and seen from a political perspective rather then getting deemed recognition for its artistic side,’ Jung told The Korea Times. `This is a pure Korean musical, created and made by (an) all Korean staff amid an influx of western musicals. I hope the media as well as audiences will give more attention to its value as an art piece rather than focusing on making political rhetoric.’ [...]

By: The Korea Liberator » First Act, Last Laugh

The Korea Liberator » First Act, Last Laugh — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 03:11:20 +0000

[...] Robert Koehler picks up some good commentary from a Korean blogger and a poet from the North, but otherwise, it pains me to say, missed the point widely. His focus on who was in the audience — as opposed to the subject matter on stage — brought him perilously close to giving us a thinking person’s answer to an Oscar Night “best dressed” list. There’s no arguing with Robert’s assertion that the paleocon politicans in attendance had mixed motives. I have enough fingers on one hand to count all of the sincere politicians in South Korea without even putting down my beer. (He makes a stronger point when it comes to Hwang Jang Yop, however; after all the people Hwang probably sent to die in Yodok before his defection, he still aspires to political leadership and claims that Juche is “misunderstood.” On the other hand, Hwang contributed money, so they can’t very well keep him out.) As it happens, I’m not being a great fan of Park Geun-Hye or her entourage myself, and I’ve been a consistent critic of their bouts of authoritarianism against people whose views I despise. Yet I still applaud them for recognizing the moral rightness and political appeal of demanding the closure of concentration camps in their own country, and I don’t see how those two points are mutually exclusive. What kind of nation Korea wants to be — free or slave, united or divided, righteous or mercenary – is an issue that deserves a place at the very center of Korea’s national debate. Ditto Lee Myung-Bak, another politician of whom I’ve never been especially fond. Their mixed records on promoting freedom are certainly less shocking than the fact that certain former human rights activists were conspicuously absent from the gallery. [...]

By: Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » North Korea: Prison-camp musical

Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » North Korea: Prison-camp musical — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 19:35:58 +0000

[...] The Marmot Hole’s Robert Koehler fingers North Korean apologists in the South Korean government with a look at the smash new musical Yodok Story, which portray’s life in North Korea’s Yodok camp for political prisoners. [...]

By: R. Elgin

R. Elgin — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:44:52 +0000

“Gaemee” I seem to recall that there is enough evidence of wrong-doing to put Kim YS in jail. There seems to be no will to do such though. Go back and check the public record if you would like. I only know what has been written.

As empirical evidence, I would also point out that in Korean society (as you most likely are aware), there is a long history of families helping each other in difficult times as well as in acts of illegally-gotten gain. Such is a great strength and sometimes a vice.

By: 조엘

조엘 — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:06:47 +0000

Am I a fascist?

Hmmm well let’s see if Fascism is: 1 : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition 2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.

Then I would have to say no I am not a fascist. I am probably more of a realist. R

ealism: 1 : concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.

Most politicians gain power and influence and use it to break the law, lie to the public, and better their own situation. Korean politicians are no exception. It’s foolish and more importantly UNREALISTIC to think you can trust them.

By: gaemee

gaemee — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 12:24:11 +0000

Although the son was a thief, there is no evidence to suggest that Kim YS was one as far as I know. Robert’s and R. Elgin’s as wella as judge judy’s assertions seem to be based on assumptions rather than facts.

By: judge judy

judge judy — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 11:51:59 +0000

correlation is not causation. however, a good case can be made for everyone in a dirty house getting dirty.

cheon doo won and no dae woo should still be in prison. their pardons are unpardonable.

By: gaemee

gaemee — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:46:50 +0000

The fact that the son was dirty doesn’t necessarily mean that the father was dirty too, does it?

By: seungyup

seungyup — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 05:45:37 +0000

Sadly I’m related to Hwang Jang-yop. I prefer to spell my name with yup, not yop or yeop.

By: sanshinseon

sanshinseon — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 04:03:51 +0000

What some of you above are ignoring use that Korea has a long tragic history of “political retaliation”, where those who take power put the previous officeholders (or leading businessmen) in prison or otherwise punish them, often just to mollify ‘public opinion’. This leads, quite understandably, to leaders and factions that don’t want to give up power, try to keep it way too long. If you think that your rivals are just going to serve you up to kangaroo courts, why should you agree to hold a free/fair election?

In the past 15 years or so there’s been a strong conscious effort to break that cyclical and cynical habit. Kim YS strongly resisted the pressure to put Chun & Roh etc on trial, but had to bow to ‘public opinion’ in the end. Kim DJ was quite careful to not let YS be indicted, and Roh ditto for DJ, in the widely-shared judgment that eventually establishing a functional democracy (with “honorable opposition” ethics) in South Korea is more important right now than seeking punishment and “justice” for whatever particular ways that former leaders broke the laws.

We can individually agree with that evaluation or disagree, coming from our own national and cultural backgrounds, but that is the general reasoning behind what has happened in this nation in the past decade…

I look forward to the day a former Korean President can be enjoying an “honorable retirement”, unashamed to show his face in public, speak out on civic values and the national interest and have his words respected — look forward to having one who deserves that.