MUST READ!!!
Over in the Korea Times, Mike Breen discusses Korea’s nationalist education and the differences between “nationalism” and “patriotism.” Read the whole thing; here is but a snippet:
For the record, I have no argument with patriotism. Love of country is a good thing. But the education I’m taking issue with is not patriotic. It’s nationalistic. And nationalism is not about love of country. It’s about power. The nationalist does not share international values. That’s why he can go crazy over Dokdo but be unmoved by human rights violations in North Korea.
Some aspects of nationalist education are extremely nasty. For example, in a year or two, today’s 1st graders will be taught to be proud that Koreans are racially “pure.” Hands up, children, if this reminds you of a World War.
If this is what they are taught in school, it’s no wonder people who were born after the Japanese occupation of Korea are more anti-Japanese than the people who actually experienced it. Have you ever wondered why Korea is the only country on the Chinese fringe without a thriving Chinese business community? They were suppressed and no one thought twice about it.
Korea is now a democracy. And a truly democratic government must go to the wall to defend the rights of its minorities and its individual citizens and that includes their right to ignore and even dislike the country.
(Hat tip to Budaechigae)
UPDATE: This is one of the funniest comments I’ve ever read, courtesy Curzon:
WESTERN AUTHOR’S VISA REVOKED FOR PRO-JAPANESE SENTIMENTS
April 18, 2006Mike Breen was deported earlier this morning in violation of the Anti-State Pro-Japanese Collaborators Law. Suspicion began after Breen’s pro-Japanese article in the Korea Times on Friday. Breen’s true motives were revealed when he was found leaving a Yongsan sushi restaurant, and a check of his passport revealed he had visisted Japan no less than three times in the past eight years.
“Additionally, we have reasonable suspicion to believe that Breen’s grandparents were pro-Japanese collaborators,” said Metropolitan chief of police Kim Young-Suk. “These people think they can hide, but we will root them out wherever they try to undermine the glory of the Korean people.”
14 Comments
I’m not going to defend the “pure” bit, but that kind of hyper-nationalism can be a defense against neighboring countries that are militarily and (dare I say it) culturally stronger.
Many of the overseas Chinese communities dominate the economies of their host countries and are the target of occasional backlashes. Korean repression of the Chinese, while bad, saved Korea from that conflict without any apparent economic costs.
We should also remember that much of modern China started on the “Chinese fringe.”
I’m not saying that Korean nationalism is good, just understandable.
WESTERN AUTHOR’S VISA REVOKED FOR PRO-JAPANESE SENTIMENTS
April 18, 2006
Mike Breen was deported earlier this morning in violation of the Anti-State Pro-Japanese Collaborators Law. Suspicion began after Breen’s pro-Japanese article in the Korea Times on Friday. Breen’s true motives were revealed when he was found leaving a Yongsan sushi restaurant, and a check of his passport revealed he had visisted Japan no less than three times in the past eight years.
“Additionally, we have reasonable suspicion to believe that Breen’s grandparents were pro-Japanese collaborators,” said Metropolitan chief of police Kim Young-Suk. “These people think they can hide, but we will root them out wherever they try to undermine the glory of the Korean people.”
“Love of country is a good thing. But the education I’m taking issue with is not patriotic. It’s nationalistic. And nationalism is not about love of country. It’s about power. The nationalist does not share international values. That’s why he can go crazy over Dokdo but be unmoved by human rights violations in North Korea.” (Mike Breen)
This should be the Korea Herald’s lead editorial for the next year, and run 24/7 on Arirang TeeVee.
“I’m not saying that Korean nationalism is good, just understandable.”
“Understandable’ as in ‘comprehensible’ or ‘justified’?
I really feel it is a good thing for people to openly discuss this notion of “min-jok” and what it is all about. Though I think many Koreans snicker at the thought of some people taking it so seriously, there is this notion that haunts the thoughts of many Koreans. By discussing it, perhaps there would be fewer propagandists that attempt to use this “min-jok” spirit and revisionist-style history as a trojan horse for their nasty politics.
My hat is off to Mr. Breen for expressing just such a thought. This is precisely what worries many about the current state of affairs in Asia, not the least in Korea. Nationalism is being blind to all but one’s own empowerment, no matter who gets hurt. I guess we could call this “Nolbu-ism” in Korea and this sort of thinking only hurts the country and people.
The Japanese government just passed a bill defining patriotism (for use in the educational system, I think) as “to cultivate a mind that respects tradition and culture, loves the nation and homeland that have fostered them and at the same time respects other countries and contributes to international peace and development.”
Basically the LDP wanted just to say “love the nation”, but pretty much all the opposition parties thought it sounded too strong, too much like something out of the 1930s. So the wordy definition is a compromise.
Curzon, I am ready to testify. I have grave suspicion that Mr.Breen’s grandfather once was one of the first suchi eaters in England!
Mook,
comprehensible
Haisan, I think that is a great definition for patriotism.
anyone have more info/ confirmation about mr. breen?
baker: the comment was meant as a joke.
Didn’t the Korean War have a little to do with why the Chinese aren’t a big presence here?
Guys: Thanks for the kind words. I ain’t got nothing on Party Pooper.
meant as a joke but so easy to believe possible.
anyway, well done, ya had me hook line and sinker