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Korea is a small country. The president of KBS(the biggest TV station) expressed his anti-American views. His underlings, producers, writers or what have you, all fell in line. They will produce anti-American programs only. Or else.

The same is true when this Commie is replaced with pro-American president. All anti-American reporters either leave the station, or change their views overnight to survive. This is called “picking the correct soup line to stand on”. If you choose a wrong line (wrong political view), you are gone. Kapute!

The change occurs literally overnight. And, this is true for all areas of Korean society.

// Baduk, that’s fine, but it’s not desirable for freedom and democracy in South Korea. At this point, any kind of continuation of state controlled media control, mass propaganda, and jailing or prosecution for political views is completely undesirable. Let them speak their minds, protest or whatever. Just don’t let the government provide protesters easy access to US military training grounds, and let them be accompanied by tv and newspaper reporters to film the whole thing and make headline news. That’s ridiculous government sanctioned propaganda by using the masses. While sweet talking at the diplomatic table. In no case should the media, court, and teachers turn pro-American overnight just because the ruling President is pro-American. That would be a shame and a giant step backwards. You don’t see the Germans turning pro-American overnight because the new PM is pro-American.

I was a little suprised at your take on Hasting’s book. I’ve hit it a few times and my take on it was that he was pretty negative about outside involvement in the War especially the Americans.

But, based on your read I’ll go through it again and see if something else doesn’t strike me. A fresh read can do wonders.

Regarding the Chinese in the war, a great account is Chen Jian’s “China’s Road to the Korean War.” and of course Fehrenbach’s “This Kind of War” is the mea culpa for Korean War studies. I would also recommend Hermes’ “Truce Tent and Fighting Front.” His is the only source I know of that details the behind the scenes negotiations between the CPV, Nam Il and Admiral Joy. It also gets into the philosophical battles going on between State Department and War Department. It’s prescient stuff regarding our current situation with the dudes up North…

Bingo.

You have no ideal how much truth that is if you are Korean, and deal with Koreans regularly. Suspicion of counter party is as Korean as kimchi. Koreans do not believe in both parties can be winners. In the world of Korean culture, there can only be a winner and a loser. And usually, the winners are the clever ones who have the clever tricks up the sleeves, while the loser are the stupid ones. Thus explains why Korean labor and management can’t get along, or why Koreans have such a hard time with the ideal of farm liberalization or even Free Trade. These difficulties and conflicts will not end in Korea unless Koreans themselves start thinking radically different.

Well, I’ve found that Koreans have great suspicions about other Koreans’ motives. Perhaps such suspiciousness of one’s own kin inevitably leads to a greater suspiciousness of the outsider. There seems to be a widely-held belief that there’s always some trick involved, i.e. mountain is NOT mountain and water is NOT water. Perhaps this is due to the educational system which has to create ever trickier tests each and every year. Is Acoms Razor known here? The shrimp caught between two whales platitude. That’s a nice national identity. Better suited than Dynamic Korea. And the “opening up too soon” gambit; been hearing that one since 1989. Have yet to see anything swallowed up, but Samsung’s dominance of Korea grows year after year. At the next Let’s-Spell-Korea-With-a-C convention could someone offer up Samsungistan as a more appropriate alternative? And of those ugly corporate tactics you speak? Surely you jest. Other than Lee Kun Hee I’m having trouble thinking of any chaebol head that hasn’t spent time in the slammer–and Lee would likely had been indicted had he not hid out in the States. These foreigners and their ideas you suspect have been modern Korea’s catalyst. Korea, left on its own…well, it wouldn’t be Samsungistan.

http://www.joins.com/article/2306641.html?ctg=1502

At the present time the US is doing so much for Koreans and it is hard for Koreans to accept the US being so fair and so proactive. Trade between two countries have steadly increased and will do so in the future as FTA gets signed. Korea and America are in win-win situation and Koreans know that. And, enjoy the mutual friendship.

Don’t take some Korean losers’ words too seriously. If you are a Korean and live in NewYork, you will still be faced with namecalling “ChingChong”, “slant-eye” and “Chink” because average NewYorkers do not represent Americans and nor do some Seoulites. The administration sets the tone.

Korean people, especially young people, have changed from even one decade ago. They are busy learning English and browsing internet. They are opening their minds to the world and eager to join the world outside Korea. Many of them think about living in Australia, the US or Canada in the future.

Korean people have changed.