MUST READ!!!
With the start of the World Cup finals just around the corner, the incomparable B.R. Myers pulls no punches in his critique of Korean sports nationalism. I’ll post the conclusion below, but be sure to read the whole piece on your own:
If I remember rightly, the last World Cup’s “upgrade” of Korea’s image was followed by the downsizing or closing of Korean Studies departments across Europe. And since then, I have met foreigners who instinctively assume that the Japanese claim to Dokdo Island is the more valid one, because the Japanese seem more rational about it.
I hope to see a Confucian sense of moderation during this World Cup. But when you’re Korean it’s much easier to be a nationalist than a patriot, easier to feel a constant xenophobic aggrievement than to cultivate an informed love of an ancient tradition.
The more Korea neglects its language and culture, which are worth a million World Cups, the more it will behave like one giant favela, feeling a thrill of pride only when foreign teams “submit,” as the tabloids say, to its own. I don’t think the real Taekukki warriors died for this.
Brutal, but true.
44 Comments
Ah, shut up!
Tell the British, the French or the Brazilian to keep sense of moderation about the World Cup.
They will kill you.
Obviously you don’t play soccer (real name is football). Football is the most fascinating game in the world. About ten times more interesting the baseball or the American football.
I forgot the Germans, Dutch, Argentinian, Mexican, Nigerian…
The Cup happens only once in four years and it is bigger than the Olympics. Much bigger.
It is THE CUP. Ole~Ole~Ole~
Robert: Brutal, but true.
These are the songs the British sing in a public place, the stadium. Elementary school students are encouraged to join in.
F**k Off, To The Nationwide
F**k Off, To The Nationwide
F**k Off, To The Nationwide
To The Nationwide!
F*ck The F.a
(tune: I Yi Yippi )
U Can Stick Ur 500 Up Ur Arse
Farmyard
whos that creeping in the farm yard,
whos that with wellies on his feet,
its a leeds united fan,
with his jonnies in his hand,
and hes only come here to shag sheep.
Fat Scouse Bastard
Your just a fat scouse b*st*rd
FAT SCOUSE BAAASTARD
Your just a fat scouse b*st*rd
FAT SCOUSE BAAASTARD
in your liverpool slums, in your liverpool slums
your mums on the job and your dads in the nick
your kids dont go school coz there so thick
in your liverpool slums
you look in the bins to find something to eat,
you find a dead cat and you think its a treat
in your liverpool slums, in your liverpool slums!!
Football brings out “animal” in , even from proper English gentlemen.
Baduk, the key words in Myer’s article was “tempermental nationalism,” as in gloating winners and sore losers. You can say other nations go crazy over the World Cup, but it seems only Korea speaks of it like a military campaign. Oh yeah, and in the USA sports fans are far worse blah blah blah
Soccer(football) is the number one sports in Korea, as it is in most countries in the world other than the U.S., Japan and China.
Korean People gather to watch a good soccer game and like to see Korean team win. And, What is wrong with chants, dancing, wearing of uniform, etc to get excited about their country and players? All other countries do, too. The British, the Germans, the Brazilians, the French, the Argentinians, etc, etc…
The writer just didn’t know about football. It is a sort of racism to single out Koreans when every country in the world does the same thing. He is just ignorant about football phenom. He is writing about something he does not know much about and,out of his ignorance, bash Koreans.
Stupid dog!
Can anyone verify that Korean Studies programs in Europe actually downsized or closed after the last World Cup? That’s a pretty bold and unsubstantiated claim for Myers to make (prefaced by “If I remember rightly”). I’m curious if it’s true, and if there was a correlation to this militaristic sports nationalism he so cavalierly lambasts. Seems less than plausible.
The World Cup is a big, big, big event. People all over the world, who play football and know about football, are allowed to go bonkers during the World Cup time.
They don’t sleep. They watch nearly all games, even African teams playing Asian teams. They know names of all great soccer players,even from South America, Africa, or from Ugoslavia.
Many people in Korea are crazy about the game. That is why the soccer is the number one sport in Korea. The ferver is not totally due to Korean nationalism; Korean men love soccer. Of course, during World Cup time, some women and children join in to sing “Victory, Korea!” and get tearful about nationalism. However, for most men who play soccer (some play every morning), the World Cup is a special time of celebration of the sport.
And, do you know Korean Soccer Team is voted as the most clean playing team (no rough plays, no tricks) in the last world cup, voted by other teams? This, by itself, is something to cheer about!
Myers article has its faults, Baduk, still his point about the military rhetoric and characterizing Korean nationalism is fairly spot-on.
The cheering and whatnot is all good–I’m cheering right along.
Re Korean Studies programs. They are indeed in bad shape, but BM does not connect this crisis with the World Cup, I assume. He just says that while Koreans were doing all this pilsung noise, things and problems which are more important for the country’s international standing remained ignored.
He should write about the Chinese.
After losing to Korean National Team, the Chinese soccer fans start identifying Koreans on the street and start beating them on the spot. Policemen just watched and laughed along with other by-standers.
This happened in one of the Chinese city (was it Beizing) about a couple of years ago.
Koreans will not beat you foreigners, even the French team, the Togo team, or the Swiss team beat the Korean team. Koreans will just applaud good soccer skills.
However, if these teams use dirty tactics or kick some Korean players(Park Jisung, Yi youngPyo or other important players), some Korean men might find out who is from France, Togo, or Switzland.
Hey, the game brings out animals in people. Countries have gone to war because of a soccer game.
It seems to me that BM is all for Korean patriotism. What I got out of the article saying that society spends too much time and effort on “World Cup” type nationalism that could be better spent elsewhere like on Korean language and tradition education. I have to assume that since he teaches Korean Studies at a Korean University, he does at least appreciate Korean language and culture.
Ah, I forgot about Italians.
If you happen to be in Italy during the World Cup time, or any other time as a matter of fact, and diss Italian soccer team or a player in the restaurant, your food will be messed up.
The cook will spit on your food, as in the movie, Casino.
Football (soccer) is loved with passion. Entire country, be it Italy, Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, or Korea, go bonkers. Men abstain from sex. Factories close down. Men sleep on the job.
Ole~Ole~Ole~!!!
Korea won’t make it out of the first round in this World Cup, so this article is a non-issue.
Baduk,
You make this World Cup thingy sound like March Madness.
Interesting read I guess.
My spin on the whole deal is that too much emphasis is placed on sporting achievements relative to national “image” (not case specific to Korea).
As the focus is football, I will use Brazil as an example. So what do I know about Brazil due to thier incredible success in regards to football -
*incoming profound conclusion*
- they are good at football. Yup. That’s about it.
As for the love of the game, there seems to be a bit of a discrepancy between the love of the game and the love of the national game. K-league attendance stats will tell that story better than I can. Is it the love of the game or perhaps an opportunity to show how good Korea is to the world - the medium being relatively unimportant.
On the bright side, it does make it incredibly easy for me to get good tickets to games here in Seoul. Made it damn easy to get tickets to any non-Korean game in 2002 which was also a plus I guess.
March Madness is a tea party in comparison to the World Cup.
I don’t see a problem with Korean nationalism during the World Cup. If anything, it’s a healthy respite from the usual divisiveness that exists on this peninsula. It’s a great equalizer and I think it’s one of the few things that really binds the country together.
I think it’s incomprehensible to most Americans because the American public gives a rat’s ass about the general election much less international sports. What is Myers really criticizing here? As far as I can remember, Koreans all over the world have always been ubernationalistic about their athletes, regardless of the sport. It’s not temperamental at all, if anything it’s quite consistent. It just gets elevated to a feverish pitch because it’s the World Cup- something that happens in virtually every country in the world that participates, except the US. At least the Koreans aren’t jaded and blase about the whole affair like Americans tend to be when it comes to sporting events that are played outside of the US.
And compared to the in your face hooliganism exhibited by some other countries, the Koreans are just exuberant fans. Minimalizing and criticisms generated are another beast altogether. Don’t lump the fans and the press together.
Andy Jackson,
Men abstain from sex during “March Madness”? I don’t think so. The cup only comes every four years. Men lose interest in sex during this time. The case in point : Very often, around this time, buxom lasses dress up in scanty clothes and pose with a soccer ball. The real soccer fans are looking at the soccer ball, figuring if the ball is properly inflated. This is true even if the girl is totally naked. (This, however, is not true for me).
The Goat,
Korean league teams do not play in the same caliber as the national team. It is like watching AA team in baseball. Not exciting.
Thw Korean National Team will include Park JiSung(Manchester United), Yi Yongpyo(British Premier League), AnJungHwan(German Professional league), ChaDooRi(ditto) and other players. These players were the stars of the last World Cup.
how ’bout if we change “americans” to “many americans”…
i predict the US will have one of its best world cups ever.
i predict the US will have one of its best world cups ever.
And all of one thousand Americans will know about it or care.
I don’t think BR Myers gets what this is all about. When real life is as stifling and difficult and competitive as it is in Korea, then any routine diversion that the great majority decide to take part in will tend to transform itself into a national craze. Neglecting our culture and language you say? Come on man, when everybody’s trying get a leg up on you and leave you in the dust, you don’t got time for such things. Let’s just be glad that people don’t kill each other over soccer like they do in Africa.
Baduk,
I am quite familiar with the national team and who plays where internationally. You are overlooking the fact that a number of the players on the national team also play in the domestic league.
I think the AA comparison is a cop out. You are basically trivializing domestic leagues (taking the big four out of this). I don’t really care about this enough to research it, but I have a pretty good idea that the attendance figures for K-league will be under J-league, minor Euro leagues, SA leagues, and perhaps even MLS.
Furthermore, I don’t think there is a league in the world that can boast top to bottom national team quality - including the big four.
how ’bout if we change “americans” to “many americans”…
Can we settle on ‘most’ or ‘a large majority’?
Perhaps Korean are just applying what they learned from watching The 10 Year War between General Bo George Patton Schembechler and Woody Hitler Hayes on AFN. Though I’ve personally never witnessed Korean fans wearing a clever FUCK MICHIGAN tshits throwing piss bombs.
Before you question how early I start drinking, how many of you can spell Schembechler?
GO BLUE!
FUCK OHIO!
The weaknesses of the article have been more than adequately pointed out by the above commenters; however, the distinction it makes between nationalism and patriotism is important.
Erik Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn (1909-1999) saw the former as leftist and the latter as rightist. [For more eye-opening insights, see also Eric von Kuehnelt-Leddihn on Leftism.]
José Ortega y Gasset, in The Revolt of the Masses , linked the cult of sport, not sports themselves, to the culture, or anti-culture of the “mass man.”
Mr. Myers’ article would have been more interesting had it taken the Korean example and applied it the phenomenon of “mass man” everywhere. Korea is, after all, one of the world’s most democratic societies, and that is no compliment.
As for Deutschland 2006, the Herd will behave in much the same way across the globe.
Is any of what Myers wrote untrue? A lot of it is not. He does tend to generalize though. I remember reading an article written by a Korean prof a few months prior to the World Cup saying that Koreans should be careful not to get to become to proud/nationalistic, which is what they did after the Seoul Olympics. This was in the Times or Herald, I can’t remember which one. No one can doubt that Korea has become more nationalistic since that time, unless of course you weren’t here before and after the World Cup. After all, the phrase Dae Han Min Guk was not widely said until that time. I can’t recall any Dae Han Min Guk number one channels or air conditioners befor that time.
Baduk and several other don’t get it. What Dr. Meyers is saying is that this has nothing to do with football. The same thing happened recently with baseball and could be made to happen with taffee pulling if it meant feeling good about beating famous foreign taffee pullers. This is a national hysteria that can be made to take whatever form the media wants it too. The vast majority of 2002 World Cup “fans” haven’t had the slightest interest in football since then until now.
“….That unfortunate “Pilsung Korea” song is back, no one having yet realized that the “l” is lost on the Western ear….’
Why would that matter to a Korean?
“….And speaking of letters: this time around, banners are to bear the word Corea, which is allegedly the pre-colonial and therefore “true” spelling. Constantly reminding the world that your country used to be a colony…”
Reminds the world that they were once a colony? How is that? Personal thought vs. the world’s thought?
“….is an odd way to go about enhancing its stature, but that’s Korean nationalism for you.”
No it’s not. Korean nationalism is when Koreans believe they possess unique traits simple because they are Korean. Myers is stretching simple universal actions and claiming them to be nationalism.
I think baduk is on the right track here. This is ridiculous.
“No one can doubt that Korea has become more nationalistic since that time, unless of course you weren’t here before and after the World Cup. After all, the phrase Dae Han Min Guk was not widely said until that time. I can’t recall any Dae Han Min Guk number one channels or air conditioners befor that time.”
Koreans, individual Koreans, are less nationalistic and have more money and power.
“What Dr. Meyers is saying is that this has nothing to do with football. The same thing happened recently with baseball and could be made to happen with taffee pulling if it meant feeling good about beating famous foreign taffee pullers. This is a national hysteria that can be made to take whatever form the media wants it too. The vast majority of 2002 World Cup “fans” haven’t had the slightest interest in football since then until now.”
If “this” has nothing to do with football then why use football to make the point? Just go back and write it again and not mention football or any sports.
What is the point?
“What same thing happened” with baseball? National hysteria? Why is there so much nonsense about how Koreans celebrate the way they celebrate? Did they kill someone? What is the deal?
Isn’t this about how Koreans react to sporting events? If not, then what is it? And how much time have you put into trying to understand the Brazilian’s behaviour?
Koreans are just rooting for their team. No?
Baduk: “He should write about the Chinese.
After losing to Korean National Team, the Chinese soccer fans start identifying Koreans on the street and start beating them on the spot. Policemen just watched and laughed along with other by-standers.”
True enough, Baduk. And football hooliganism in Europe is pretty disturbing. Still, Myers nailed Korean football triumphalism and good on him for having the guts to say what a lot of people think. I mean, what other country celebrates a 4th place finish as the proudest moment of a 5000 year history? Thankfully a) I don’t give a sh*t about football and b) won’t be in SK to have to listen to the ‘Be-the-Reds’ tribe go all rangy-tangy.
By-the-way, Kim Seong kon a prof at SNU wrote about Korean language programs have been closing at uni’s in Britian and the US, so he wasn’t pulling that info out of his butt.
“I mean, what other country celebrates a 4th place finish as the proudest moment of a 5000 year history?”
Any country whose team had never placed so highly in the Cup before, but which at the same time has had among its people a developing interest in the sport.
In general, I don’t mind the fervor which generates among fans here. I only mind when footballers-cum-skaters use a goal to whip up sentiment about a perceived wrong in another sport - I’d never seen that breed of whining before 2002, and never anywhere else but here.
“Isn’t this about how Koreans react to sporting events? If not then what is it?” Yes, indeed. This is the question. The hysteria witnessed at the World Cup where people who really had no previous or subsequent interest in football suddenly were wearing adult diapers in Kwangwhamun because they had no choice but to soil themselves due to lack of access to a bathroom, and whom were being taken to hospital in droves for swooning; “this’ hysteria reappeared shortly after the World Cup in the form of “candle light vigils” protesting the “murder” of two middle school girls by the US military. Same phenomenon, same mechanism: a herd mentality driven by the media. As I said before, it could be made to happen over anything. That’s what’s disturbing about it.
Turbo,
1. Koreans have every right to wear diapers on their heads if they wanted.
2. Many including you try to draw the connection between the World Cup hysteria and the candle light vigils. I don’t. Both events involved a large number of Korean young people. But the similarity ends there. Did one cause the other? No. Did one affect the other? Maybe, but I don’t see any evidence. Not very likely.
3. “a herd mentality driven by media”: Yes, Koreans do get affected and controlled by media. Therefore, it is very important what is being shown in the media, in the papers and in the theater. One can easily spin public opinions in Korea by printing propaganda, much more so than in the U.S.
Some people in the “Red Devil” squad tried to use the members for a political cause but were immediately shut down. Koreans do not want the World Cup enthusiasm used in political campaign (allowed only in commercial arena, KT corporation is the official sponsor of the WorldCup broadcast and promotion). It is a sport crowd, I assure you.
“Myers is stretching simple universal actions and claiming them to be nationalism.”
Do you think those are simple universal actions?
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let.....u/nazi.jpg
http://blog51.fc2.com/s/siegzion/file/worldcup.jpg
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let.....n19662.jpg
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let...../an_sk.jpg
http://nandakorea.sakura.ne.jp.....ondon.html
Frankly, I don’t think Korea deserved to be a host nation. In order to have pride in your own country, it is not necessary to do disrespectful acts to other countries, like Koreans did during the World Cup 2002.
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let.....u/nazi.jpg
http://blog51.fc2.com/s/siegzion/file/worldcup.jpg
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let.....n19662.jpg
http://www58.tok2.com/home/let...../an_sk.jpg
“Koreans are just rooting for their team. No?”
No. There is not even a passing similarity. It has nothing to do with sports per se. It’s hysterical racist inferiority complex of the most embarrassing kind. In the 70s it was boxing. Then it became Olympic gymnastics, soccer, short track and recently baseball. Whatever form it takes, it’s always an opportunity to embarrass ourselves by parading our idiotic desperate racial complex before the world. Sporting events are forums to promote racial pride. Somewhere along the line, the entire nation lost the concept of sports.
You guys should see some English soccer hooligans.
i have friends from ireland, england, australia and canada who were in korea for the world cup and they had the time of their lives. they all raved about how fun the koreans were and expressed their eagerness to return to korea. based on their accounts and also from the media, the korean fans were no more nationalistic than any other fans and their ridiculous antics and shows of support. and in fact, the picture i get is of exuberant magnanimity and not of sore losers.
i grew up in the u.s., lived in england and now am in japan. trust me, militaristic language to describe sporting events is universal. i’ve seen some ugly fans as well, particularly in the u.k. during one match between england and turkey, the fans in the pub i was in were chanting and singing some of the most jingoistic and violent lyrics i’d ever heard. and wasn’t it italy, who after their loss to korea, rioted in the streets beating up on anyone who they thought looked korean? and wasn’t it an italian team that cut the korean player who had kicked the winning goal.
the world cup particularly seems to bring out the worst. but in everything i’ve observed among the korea fans, they just seemed like they were having fun.
during the world baseball classic, i had observed the ugly side of japan as well: the national sense of superiority over korea and how it was painful to lose to korea twice.
anyway, the point is, all of you non-koreans living in korea, your experiences there are magnified, your impressions exaggerated, because, well, you’re right there in the thick of things. my fellow expats here in japan do the same thing. and of course, my non-brit friends in england did the same thing.
‘hysterical racial inferiority’? man, y’all just gotta relax and stop reading so much into sports. whatever offends you about korea and koreans, i’m just here to say the rest of the world is a lot worse, and korean fandom is harmless in comparison. but i understand how it is. it’s gratifying to piss and rant as an outsider. i’ve done my share. go ahead and do it all you want. then go back to the small town you came from and have a good life.
echowind,
Did the Japanese team plant their country’s flag in the mound after beating Korea?http://specificasia.up.seesaa.net//media/file_20060316T161945088.jpg
Was there any Japanese who claimed “Takeshima is Japan’s land!” in the baseball stadium?http://photoimg.enjoyjapan.naver.com/view/enjoybbs/viewphoto/ttalk/232000/20060316114249507871784800.jpg
Even non-Korean speakers sense the wierdness of the Korean reaction to Korean participation in international sports, whether it be the Olympics, the World Cup, the baseball classic or Hines Ward in the Super Bowl. And this last example should shut up anybody with one good eye who wants to disagree (but it won’t alas). But for those of us that speak Korean, well, the game is up and over. Sports announcers constanly let the cat out of the bag with the comments they make. I remember when Korea beat Japan in football in the 96 Asian Games and the sportscasters announced that this was historical revenge for the colonial experience. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, it is NOT about sport. It is about feeling good about being Korean which seem to be an increasingly difficult thing to do.
genie,
they certainly didn’t, and no there probably weren’t, but i’m not sure. and of course i could list any number of inflammatory comments made by japanese players, coaches, as well as chants i had heard in a bar during the third game. and i could make meticulous lists for any number of countries and link them here to make them appear, well, overzealous at best, subhuman at worst. but why would i want to do that?
why do you spend the energy to do it here, i’m not sure. go out and drink some beers with some friends. it’s good for you.
turbo,
international sporting events are only partly about sports in every country. yup, sports and nationalism are often intertwined. how else do you explain the japanese limiting the number of foreigners who can participate in sumo. and man, you should hear the comments by irish sportscasters when ireland is playing england in any sport. the french say some pretty funny stuff when playing germany or england too. and of course in my own u.s.a. i’ve had to raise an eyebrow when we played the old soviets, or when we cut down the play of opposing countries, even as they’re kicking our ass in basketball.
to paraphrase, it’s about feeling good about being american which seems to be an increasingly difficult thing to do.