I am so sorry to bump Robert’s wonderful post on Japanese buildings in Gunsan but this quote from an editorial in the Chosun Ilbo is simply amazing in the breadth of gall and ignorance it demonstrates:
. . . When a criminal country (Japan in 2006!) that plunged millions of Asians into catastrophe in World War II aims at becoming again a military power armed with the bomb, it means that the postwar generation is brazenly perpetuating the wrongs of their fathers.
or
. . . On top of it, our government is now systematically dismantling the Korea-U.S. alliance, based on which we can ask it to counter any Japanese threat to South Korea. Japan is having a high old time thanks to our administration’s half-baked views on security.
I was under the impression that Japan was under new management and certainly not the power-hungry regime that was Japan during the early Twentieth Century. This mindless and unjustified complaint from the Chosun seems oblivious to the current realties that shape today’s world, not to mention the far more potent and tangible Chinese threat to Korea.
Considering such a clearly distorted view, as exemplified by a conservative Korean newspaper, is such just a blatant attempt to encourage readership or simply one of the more profound examples of wrong-headed, reactionary thinking that passes for wisdom in Korea?
61 Comments
Actually, the editorial does pin it on the Norks:
Never heard Japanese people saying they want to be “a military power armed with the bomb” — pure fiction from the Chosun. N. Korea brags of having several bombs and the S. Korean gov’t sends them tons of unmonitored aid. Jeebus people, get off the short bus!
Oops, you are right Sewing. Rather, it is the idea of calling contemporary Japan a “Criminal” nation, which it clearly is not and the blindness on the part of the Chosun regarding a countries need for self-defense — something that almost seems to be outdated in Korea.
The Japanese are some of the most passive people on Earth, at least in their current iteration. I remember in ‘92 a poll found something like 82% of the men wouldn’t take up arms to defend the country, even if invaded. However, if anyone can convince them that developing a bomb is a good idea, Little Elvis can. I have confidence in the guy.
Sewing, that is not the same as pinning it on the Norks. This is a typical Korean conspiracy theory against Japan, that Japan is looking for an ‘excuse’ to remilitatize. Also, I would like to see the context in which the Choson Ilbo claims that Taro Aso said that Japan had to ‘thank’ the north.
‘92 a poll found something like 82% of the men wouldn’t take up arms to defend the country, even if invaded.
polls always change and are not always accurate. It only takes a handful of people to motivate and mobilize a nation in the direction the nazis and others have taken.
Administrative note for R.Elgin:
You can “back-date” the story to get it published further down the page.
You may need elevated WP rights to do so, so YMMV.
Sometimes, hearing about Japanese “excuses” to rearm, I ask Korean friends or family where they would draw the line between ‘excuse’ and ‘legitimately provoked’. What event would it take, I ask, to hypothetically make Japan’s re-arming/re-writing the constitution to eliminate pacificism/building it’s own nuclear bomb necessary?
Usually, I have to re-explain my question several times, and I think it is because they have never before thought about or questioned the idea that Japan could possibly be justified in doing anything. Given the hypothetical example “If North Korea publicly demanded massive amounts of cash within one month, threatening explicitly to “exterminate” the Japanese with nuclear bombs, would Japan building a bomb in your opinion be justified or an ‘excuse’?”
100% of the many Koreans I have asked this too puzzled briefly, then replied it would be an excuse. When I up the ante and give them the scenario “If North Korea annihilated a major Japanese city with a nuclear bomb, killing over a million, would Japan be justified in re-arming, or would you still consider it an excuse?” Again, 100% refuse to answer or evade the question - they know logically Japan would be justified, but have been socially programmed to insist on ‘excuse!” Try these on Koreans you know and see for yourself.
Most Koreans have also been convinced there is some chance of Japan “coming back”, despite the obvious fact that this would be not only impossible (the 2 Korea’s are armed to the teeth/also armed-to-the-teeth China would never allow it anyways - this is not 1905, folks) but that Japan has for 55 years shown not the slightest interest aggressive foreign adventures and in fact clearly shown it’s desire to be left the hell alone by China and the Korea’s.
Yet, try suggesting that, living in a region like East Asia, with the massive armies of Russia, China, South Korea and North Korea beside it, Japan has some legitimate reasons to be nervous and need for a strong military of it’s own. Nevermind that the last 3 countries listed despise Japan and officially indoctrinate hatred of Japan in their school systems, or that the last country (NK) regularly makes public threats of extermination and ’settling scores’.
China routinely threatens war on Taiwan and makes territorial claims on its neighbors, N. Korea–well, the word psychotic comes to mind, and S. Korea placates the norks and provokes Japan, such as with the “Dokdo stamps” a couple years ago, and Japan is the major threat in NE Asia?
Both China and S.K. are being disingenuous, using Japan as a scapegoat in the hopes that it takes attention away from their own domestic failings, which are massive.
The irony of all this is that Japan is Korea’s second most important ally behind the United States. If this is how you treat your friends…
japan was never a “friend” to korea !!!! how’d ya like them apples for your ‘irony”.?
But Japan could be (indeed, should be, if rational thinking were to prevail) Korea’s most natural friend. Both Japan and Korea are industrialized democracies, both are isolated (although Korea is by far the more friendless state), and both stand to lose quite a bit from the rise of China.
France and Germany are now each other’s closest allies. Why not here in Northeast Asia?
I bet ten years from now Japan will not be a peaceful country that you know today. With coming threats from China and NK, Japan will arm and their WWII nationalism will come back.
They have no choice.
Up to now, Japan played both Koreas. But, China is telling NK to attack Japan. Japan has no choice to become military power once again. And, the Japanese love it. Their sea and air power are much stronger than both Koreas’ and even match that of China’s; China just have outdated weapon systems in large number. Japan even manufactures F-15s, probably only country outside the U.S. doing this.
Japan will rise again. And, yes, they want to eat up Korea as much as China does. If you question this, just ask any Japanese. The Japanese love the days when they owned Korea and they love to do it again if chances are given.
With the US withdrawing from the region and allowing Japan to take care of the region, Japan will rise again.
Wedge:
The Japanese are some of the most passive people on Earth, at least in their current iteration. I remember in ‘92 a poll found something like 82% of the men wouldn’t take up arms to defend the country, even if invaded. However, if anyone can convince them that developing a bomb is a good idea, Little Elvis can. I have confidence in the guy.
——————————-
I’m not too sure how a poll that was conducted in ‘92 is relevent to shifting dynamics of Modern East Asian politics that seems to change almost daily now, no thanks in large part to Roh, and the Lunitic Left who put him there.
‘certainly not going to accuse them of being boring, but, is putting your own Country in unnecessary danger worth the entertainment value for the rest of us who can enjoy it for what it is from afar?
If we are to shift the focus onto what is relevent today, those yearly , almost ritual like visits by Koizumi to the shrine of the WWII war criminals is more telling.
Why is he doing this?
Fact of the matter is, Koizumi is no fool, and no matter how much criticism he recieves abroad from
those visits, he still continues to score political points at home.
Well, what does this mean?
Japanese people are no more pacifist than any other people in the world.
They’re likely to turn on a dime if they are threatened by the likes of Kim Jung-Il or anybody for that matter.
Even in good o’l U.S. of A. people talked about peace time dividends and and cutting back on military spending before 9/11. Not anymore.
Fact of the matter is, personal survival comes first before anything else. If the Japanese feels threatened they will beef up their military, and then they will begin to feel their militarist past wasn’t so bad after all.
No thanks in small part to Roh who started this ball rolling for some reason I haven’t the foggiest clue.
Right now 1/5th of Japan’s population is over 65, and it’s considered the world’s oldest society (median age: 42). So it’s going to wheelchair Asia into submission? Come on, which countries in NE Asia have openly expressed an intention to take over/go to war with their neighbors: China and N. Korea. Which countries in the region spend an outsize part of their GDP, in an opaque manner, on building up their offensive capabilities: China and N. Korea.
I saw a report that said at present birth rates, there will only be 500 Japanese left by the year 3000 — that should cheer you up, Baduk.
Korean Birthrate is even lower.
Baduk,
I see you agree with me that Japan will re-arm due to provocation from China and NK. I have to quibble with this part of your opinion, though:
“And, yes, they want to eat up Korea as much as China does. If you question this, just ask any Japanese. The Japanese love the days when they owned Korea and they love to do it again if chances are given.”
My thinking is, whatever they may or may not secretly desire, Japan CANNOT invade Korea. Things are utterly different since 1905, when half of Korea’s tiny “army” carried pikes and spears. Korea was defenceless then because of hundreds of years of leadership incompetence - useless yangbans and a still more useless royal family thought huffy pride, airy debate on how many ancestors could dance on the head of a Confucian pin, and generally feeling superior was a good enough strategy for national defense (hmmmm, could Roh and Uri’s be their reincarnations?).
Besides the lack of leadership, the Japanese did not have to deal with global opinion or bodies at the time, and controlled entirely the Korean information flow. Sitting in Masan wondering how you could fight the Japanese occupiers? You wouldn’t have a clue what was going on in the rest of Korea, or even the next city.
A successful Japanese sea invasion now? There’s a greater chance aliens will show up and take me to the Andromeda galaxy tomorrow. Hell, the Chinese aren’t even sure they can do one with little Taiwan. You would have 4 to 5 million Korean troops called up from reserves in the first few days alone, falling upon the invaders as though they were the rapists of their mothers. World opinion would freak out, the world economy Japan needs would end, China would offer nukes and millions of soldiers…even if Japan got through all this, they would have to then control 60 million Koreans - impossible.
Sometimes I fancy the Koreans as Will in “Good Will Hunting”. They need some Robin Williams guy to hug them while they cry it all out in catharsis, only instead of “It’s not your fault” they would have repeated to them “They’re never coming back. They’re never coming back. They’re never coming back.”
Whew. There’s 30 minutes my employer will never get back.
“japan was never a “friend” to korea”
Maybe not, but Japan was the second largest provider of foreign aid to South Korea (after the US), which helped Korea to develop its infrastructure and industrial base in the late 60s and 70s.
Japan is a very different country now and if I were Japanese, I’d be pushing to arm the country to the teeth, just as everyone else in the region is (though SK isn’t all the way there, being able to rely on the US to carry it militarily).
Hugh hits the nail on the head. Japan won’t invade, Korea and it is rediculous to think so. Anyone who even suggests it is a complete idiots and should be shot for the benefit of the human race. Let’s face the plain and simple facts here. Koreans hate the Japanese because they are racist and their stupid education system tells them to. Chinese are the same. North Koreans are the same. If you argue this undeniable fact to any of the above they all call you racist or tell you that you obviously don’t understand or you are ignorant of history etc. Japanese certianly seem to be arrogant and probably quite disrespectful of what Koreans/Chinese think/want. This gives the Koreans/Chinese more ammo to keep up the hate.
Who here has tried to convince a KKK member that black people aren’t the anti-christ or that Jews are just people too? Can you imagine the success you would have trying to do that? Well that’s the same as trying to convince a Korean or Chinese that Japan isn’t their enemy and they don’t have to hate them. It is possible and in rare cases they have turned the other way but it is extremely difficult. That is pretty much the situation as I see it and it seems pretty obvious that this is exactly the case. All the discussion on these boards is great and interesting but unless you can turn people away from racism these problems will never end.
Settle in for decades more of the same kind of petty crap between these countries and watch as the rest of the world slowly becomes completely sick of it.
MISTRANSLATION ALERT!!
The translation of that Chosun editorial was done very, very loosly. Rough paraphrasing with a little more editorializing along the way, if you ask me.
Let us compare the fourth paragraphs of the English and Korean versions.
English:
http://english.chosunilbo.com/.....60030.html
Korean:
http://www.chosun.com/editoria.....60504.html
Mr. Elgin, before you “bump the Gunsan post” and sound the alarm about something, how about doing some more homework? Point here is that The Chosun Ilbo, inc, has no idea what a twentysomething translator who was brought up on MTV and Harry Potter, a proofreader who knows nothing about Korea, and a teamjang who cares only about his own hind are up to. Yes one can argue that it’s still “the Chosun Ilbo’s official translation” and if anyone (not you, not me) were going to try to use it as ammunition against the Chosun that would be valid, but the translated eddie here does NOT represent what the Chosun as an organization or Korean conservatives in general are thinking.
Hugh,
Well, I am of a Korean blood and I have a right to say this: Koreans are not the smartest people in the world. Actually, they are still flogs-in-a-well; they have no idea how the rest of the world works. They just love their breathren in the North.
Similar to a woman, who is very confused about her brother who once raped her, SK is very confuse. Almost schizo about what is going on.
As the US leaves, SK will soon split into two factions. Even a civil war will break out, partly due to NK and Chinese agents in Korea disguised as politicians and civic leaders. The same thing that happened in VietNam.
These two groups may actually start shooting at each other. Daily clashes on the streets. Then, Korea is wide open to be eaten up by NK(China) or Japan. I rather prefer, surprisingly to most of you, that Japan to take over Korea, rather than KJI-Hu alliance.
Japan is not as poor as the opposing camp and will rather treat Korea better, even more so because of international image Japan has to upkeep. Yes, the better of two evil groups is Japan.
Being eaten up by Japan is better than being ruled by KJI. Economics is not the only reason.
If two Koreas united under the Chinese umbrella, the first thing China wants the United Korea to do is to attack Japan. Military population on both Koreas, which may turn against China, can be successfully eradicated by a war with Japan.
Besides, China has a bone to pick with Japan. Inducing Korea to wage war on Japan would be killing two birds with one stone.
Yep, being ruled by Abe and his cronies will be better than getting nuked by them. Two separate Koreas, one belong to China and the other to Japan, will bring back the balance in the region.
Baduk, that is the sickest sexually perverse imagery you have used yet. Seriously, please stop with the disgusting metaphors.
Made you wake up, huh?
NKs are brothers to SKs, but during Korean War NKs beat, killed and took prisoners of SKs. Based on class warfare and armed with the extreme prejudice on anyone who oppose Communism, these “brothers” showed no mercy.
Then, the Chinese entered the war. Some Koreans say actually the Chinese troops did treat them much better than NKs who lined up and shot whole a lot of SKs.
In real life, “Rape” happens. If you don’t like the word or the action and asking me not to use the analogy, in a sense you are like president Rho. He is so afraid of the war, he just says there is no problem in SK.
Sibling rape does happen. If my analogy offends your senses, just imagine not a real brother, but a half-brother who is ten years older. In these days of frequent divorce and remake of families, sibling rape can occur more often.
No, Baduk, your metaphor did not wake me up. I have been awake for 13 hours. Your frequent violent sexual metaphors make me nauseous. A woman sexually brutalized by a family member would not feel “confused,” Baduk. Try “traumatized.”
Oranckay wrote:
Yes, that is what grabbed my attention to begin with, why a conservative newspaper would write such a crazy and slanderous thing. I did not hunt down the Korean version to begin with and I am surprised that they would let such a mistake get out. I guess this means the Chosun is guilty of not paying for good translators!
BTW this editorial appeared in the Korea Herald today sans the “criminal” comment. The rest of the mistranslations were left intact.
Geez, Turbo, that is exactly why I quit buying the Korea Herald some years ago.
Totally agree. However, you hear pretty much every Korean or Chinese prepubescent-zit faced schoolkid who spends 18 hours/day in a dark gaming center saying how they dream in masturbatory ecstasy about China and Korea bombing and killing all innocent Japanese civilians. It is like a wet dream for them. Tells you alot about the low level of intelligence and social graces among Koreans and Chinese. Sadly enough, as soon as they step out of the game room, they realize that they cease being the reincarnation of the Ming Emperor who has subjucated all of Japan, the US and other countries to which Koreans feel jealousy. The sad realization hits when they see that they have to go back to their piece of shit, Korean-engineered junk Hyundai and go back to their nighttime job of deliverying egg rolls to white people for their father’s resaurant and being the subject of laugh and ridicule by white girls who explode in laughter when these guys show up with their coke bottle glasses, smelly garlic breath and little chicken chested bodies proclaiming to be proof of the superiority of the Korean male. hahahhaha.
Wishful thinking on Koreans thinking that they are somehow the world’s most sought after nation. But then again, it is not surprsing considering the sick amount of nationalistic brainwashing through lies and distortion that Korea forces down the throats of its citizens. Seriously, you talk to any Korean and he will tell you that Bae Yong Joon is more popular than Brad Pitt..that Park Chan Ho is the world’s most respected and talented baseball player in the Major Leagues, and that Koreans invented Chinese characters, the internet, fire, air, water, civilization. Not much to add in terms of actual intellect, but Koreans sure are entertaining to listen to and watch..kind of like watching chimps playing in a zoo.
Uh…yeah, right. This is so ridiculous its not even worth responding to. Believe me, if you were really to ask any Japanese rather than fabricate and make up lies based on what the bigoted and racist media in Korea tells you how Japanese think, then you would be surprised. Oh, but I forgot…you are Korean so you have an allergy to actually using your own brain, logic (a foreign concept which is cannot be understood by the Korean mind) and going out and proving something yourself. You would rather rely on social propaganda and racist brainwashing and prejudices to do the thinking for you. Sorry, my fault for having wishful thinking.
wiesunja,
Tone it down, man. Your English is good but you think like an Oriental - heavy on emotion and no substance.
Since you seem to have been in Japan for sometime, pray tell how average Japanese view Koreans? Are they all like you in that they love to bash all Koreans?
baduk,
Sorry to dissapoint you, but an average Japanese isn’t intereseted in Korea or in the Koreans all that much, so Korea bashing could never be a national pastime in Japan. I’d say less than 1% of the Japanese “love the days when they owned Korea and they love to do it again if chances are given.” Even those at the right-leaning anti-Korea 2-channel conclude that the worst thing Japan could do is to get involved with the peninsula, like she did 100 years ago. BTW, anti-Koreanism wasn’t rampant in 2-channel until 2002. Before then, any anti-Korean comments made on irrelevant boards were usually met with “Go back to the hangul board, you Korea haters.”
Nah…not in the least. The ironic and sad thing about it is that the average Japanese is completely clueless and totally ignorant about how low class, distasteful, and hateful Koreans are as a people in general. It really pains me to see all these totally clueless Japanese welcoming all things Korean and showing kindness and generosity to these ingrate baboons who behind closed doors curse and ridicule the same Japanese people who treat them with benevolence and laudation. Seriously, when I see Japanese idiots like this…I really would love to shown them a translated verision of your everyday Korean website. Finding a Korean website which has hateful and filthy racist messages about Japan is about as hard as finding a grain of sand in the Sahara. It’s just too bad taht Koreans are two faced and dont show their true disgusting side to Japanese in front of them but only do it on the internet and behind their backs. Typical cowards.
Its funny…Koreans love to wish that Japan hated Koreans as much as Koreans hate Japan. It’s that inferiority complex at work again. However, when they realize that rather than hatred, most Japanese feel “indifference” or a total “I really don’t care about Korea because it totally does not interest me” attitude about Korea..it infuriates Koreans more because as basic psycology says, the thing which hurts a rejected lover the most is not hatred from his ex, but indifference.
You see, the Korean mind so badly wishes it were true that Japan covets or thinks about Korea 24/7 just like Koreans do. However, when they realize that other than the ridiculous, totally faked and forced, Korea-government backed “Hallyu” propaganda that came into Japan 2 years ago but is now nose diving in popularity, the average Japanse hardly cares about Korea more than he/she does about the weather, this causes Koreans to get even angrier and more jealous than if Japanese were combing Korean internet sites 24/7 making malicious comments about Koreans just like Koreans do pretty much every minute of their day on Japan-themed websites. The truth is that less than 10% of the Japanese public has visited Korea or cares about learning Korean…a pretty much useless language. This upsets Koreans and fuels their jealous because Japanese is the number 3 most sought after foreign language in Korea (used to be number 2 until Chinese came in). In Japan, the only people who learn or want to learn Korean are the old 50 year old ladies who are victims of the Hallyu brainwashing. Most normal sensible Japanese wouldnt even think about being seen going to learn Korean or watching these junk shows and dramas from Korea. Also, Korean-Japanese zainichis make up almost 90% of the employees at Korean companies doing business in Japan such as Samsung or LG. No Japanese in his right mind would think of working for a Korean company as a career move…if anything it would be a major step down.
So basically, whereas the number one motivation in life for a Korean is to wake up everyday and comb all Japan-related internet sites to make sure that foreigners are not getting a good image of Japan by posting as many hateful and racist messages deriding Japan as they can before retiring for the evening, your average Japanse goes to a Korean-themed website maybe once or twice a month to look for cheap kimchi, imiation rip off products or cheap whores. Other than that, there really is nothing that Korea offers in which Japanese are remotely interested. Thus, the wishful thinking of Koreans as shown above.
However, some Japanese who actually want to learn hangul (God knows why) are wisening up and discovering the “real Korea” rather than these propagandized fake image of Koreans shown in dramas. It should be funny when they realize how utterly barbaric and sickening Koreans can be in their attitudes toward modern Japanese. Then you might see the fantasy of Koreans (that being that Japanese really do hate and covet Korea) come true to an extent…but I doubt it hardly.
“Wiesunja”, to be accurate, a recent evaluation of Korean posters performed here recently shows that the majority of online posting is the product of an avid minority of posters (trolls?) that, other than posting commentary, might flame and post racist content. The greater majority of Koreans are misrepresented in the sense that they simply do not post and do not really care to criticise things Japan.
The only observation about Korean society that I’ve noted as having merit so far is the tendency of many Koreans to allow emotion to trump reason and this is generally a fault of those who have not learned to think critically. We also get the same kind of people in the U.S., only the style is different and is not considered a social characteristic (yet).
You would do well to consider the emotional content of your postings as well.
Privately many Japanese have expressed their personal hatred toward Koreans and Chinese to me over the years. They had nothing to gain by sharing this with me, and I can, on some level, understand their feelings they expressed. It’s a bit shocking to understand even after Japan’s defeat in WWII, that many Japanese, even today, feel that all Asian countries, including Hawai’i are in fact Japan’s property. Further, I believe, Japanese think that without American intervention, legally their holdings/colonization throughout Asia would be recognized internationally as Japan’s property.
The fact of the matter is, with Japanese personal racist opinions aside, Japan isn’t going to give up its #2 position to China without a fight… I think the same sentiment holds true for America’s vision of the future.
–Remort
Stopped taking your medication, eh? It really will help to control those hallucinations of yours, old chap.
Sure, and they also think little black helicopters working at the UN popped out of an Illuminati-controlled grassy knoll to shoot JFK in a bid to establish a New World Order to be ruled by the Zeta Reticulans … As I said, all you have to do is go back to taking your Haloperidol and the nasty voices in your head will go away!
Hans Castorp and wiesunja,
Are you sure that you guys are the Japanese with Korean ancestry? I thought the real Japanese are, as wiesunja described, sophiscated and sublime so as not to engage in “name calling” and “hate mongering” against Koreans.
I guess you guys are not of norm.
Keep writing. Some Japanese-wannabes on this blog have been saying that the Japanese are different from the Korean. I guess you two can work as counter-examples.
When have I ever claimed to be Japanese? In fact I’ve told you before that I’m not, but you’re so fixated on Japan you just keep on assuming anyone who doesn’t agree with your conspiracy theories must be Japanese.
I’m only “hate mongering” [sic] against Koreans in general if Wiesunja’s paranoid nonsense is typical for the average Korean - if you insist it is, who am I to disagree with you?
If an Englishman is a counter-example against the Japanese … Might I suggest you take up a career in comedy?
Oops, I referred to “Wiesunja” where I meant “Remort” above. 御免なさい、Wiesunjaさん、本当に申し訳ございません。一寸まごまごしました。妄想にとらわれている韓国人の出鱈目な話の所為です。(Since Baduk insists I’m Japanese, I might as well write like one …)
It’s quite funny but not surprising at all that whenever criticizes and reveals the dirty truth about Korea’s ugly side, that person is automatically instigated as a “Japanese” by Koreans, even when the topic has nothing to do with Japan in the first place. Go to any website on the internet. When the Korea vs. Switzerland World Cup fiasco happened and expats in Korea and in Europe were posting about how Korea should shut it’s whiny mouth about its well deserved loss considering how they love to obnoxiously gloat and brag like a 5 year old child when they win, I could not even count the number of accusations hurled by Koreans toward commenters in Europe or in N. America criticizing Korea calling them “You must be Japanese! ”
The Korean mind is definitely warped…and sees the boogeyman (Japan) whenever something goes wrong which shames their nation. It’s always:
“Oh, my Hyundai’s a real piece of low quality engineered shit! That’s Japan’s fault!”
“The only people who take sides against Korea in the World Cup are Japanese! It is impossible for non-Japanese people to dislike Korea.”
“The person who started the IMF must be Japanese..they secretly want to destroy us!”
“The guy who started the Taegu subway fire must have been Japanese..there is no other explanation”
Sure, most normal minded people laugh at such accusations but these are true to honest comments that almost all Koreans actually believe with the utmost conviction. Scary..but true.
Korea seems to suffer from a very sick “stalker” disease. It’s like Korea is some spurrned lover who desperately was hurt by his girlfriend (Japan) who rejected him. Thus, Korea does nothing but obsess and stalk her day and night and blame her for his present misery, unpopularity with women, dorky and unattractive style, and overall depression. Normal nations do not take such an unhealthy attitude..it is only the Koreans who have such a psycotic inferiority complex and obsession about Japan. Very pathetic and sad.
Right..remember, to the Korean mind, all foreigners except the Japanese love Korea and accept it as a wonderful nation filled with a master race of people. If you think that Koreans are ignorant boors who are hypocrites, then that can only mean that you are Japanese. No one else will ever say anything bad about Koreans..only Japanese.
Hans: Say what you will with your incoherent personal attacks. However, the fact remain that Japanese have a superiority complex, thinking that they are better than other Asians. I have provided examples of this, and Japan’s sordid past definitely supports this misguided belief as their reality, at least, until we nuked them.
What the Allied Forces should have done with Japan is divvy it up amongst its former colonies as a form of retribution payment. Instead of having the forced the Korean or Chinese languages on the Japanese as a form of punishment for their war crimes, China is simply going to absorb Japan, erasing Japanese culture, language, and national identity — just wait and see. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how the Chinese treat their Asian neighbors, and in particular their Japanese neighbors, in the coming years, not in the sense of getting revenge, but in the spirit of personal and national atonement.
–Remort
Oh good, more trolls…
Amen, Elgin!
Baduk isn’t the only commentator to make assumptions about one’s nationality based on one’s opinions. Do you recall this thread, Wiesunja?
http://www.rjkoehler.com/2006/...../#comments
You argued back and forth with me about my ethnic identity, insisting I must be Korean because I remarked that in Tokyo I had seen a lot of women who looked like they had had plastic surgery.
Elgin, not all trolls are Korean. I wouldn’t even call Baduk a troll because he posts under only one username and writes what he really thinks. His ideas are extreme, and he has a particular fondness for rape metaphors, but he doesn’t spew hate in order to bait other commentators, like some of the posters on this thread.
wiesunja,
I assume you to be a Japanese because your server flag is Japan. And, you don’t seem to be a Japanese-wannabe, because your logic is that of an Oriental - full of emotion with no data to back it up. However, you could be a western teen grown up in Japan who had no chance of learning western way of thinking.
Hans Castorp,
I suspected it for some time, but your ability to write Japanese make me to identify you as a Japanese or a Japanese-wannabe. To me, they are the same.
Sonagi,
Thank you for the vote of confidence. I come to this blog to exchange ideas. Sometimes, as you say, my views are extreme and I am not afraid to write them. And, I expect the challeges to my ideas and counter-examples.
Sometimes, the exchanges can be heated. But, they can still be worthwhile if both sides stick to providing examples and data, instead of engaging in name-calling. I am guilty of breaking this rule a few times and I do appologize for those infractions.
Since I joined about three years ago, some of my views have changed and many pre-conceived notions about Japan and China have been altered. I thank many participants in this blog for that.
Nobody is perfect. Let’s keep exchanging our experiences and biases. In the end, we will learn thing or two about other people and other countries.
The only thing “incoherent” here is the paranoid nonsense they were in response to, and I say it’s better to attack one delusional individual than to claim as you do that an entire nation of 126 million Japanese wants to rebuild an East Asian empire. There’s only one word for such claims: crazy.
I guess that makes The Marmot a Korean-wannabe, and Sonagi a Chinese-wannabe, right? Heaven forbid that anybody study a language other than his or her own …
Like I said, you’ve missed your true calling: you have a natural gift for (unintentional) comedy.
Remort,
Say what you will with your incoherent personal attacks. However, the fact remain that Koreans have an inferiority complex, realizing that they are inferior to other Asians but so fearful of admitting it which explains their countermeasure of arrogant and comical boasting claims of supeiority. I have provided examples of this, and Korea’s sordid actions/attitudes in the past and the present definitely support this misguided belief as their reality, at least, until they are able to be full 100% comfortable with themselves without always having to compare themselves with nations to which they feel jealousy, namely Japan and the US.
What the UN Forces should have done with Korea is pat them their back and say “You did good..you did good. You are not a worthless nation..because you’re good enough, you’re smart enough, and dog gone it, people like you!” I think Koreans need alot of self encouragement. Perhaps then, you will see Korean newspaper headlines actually show the launching of Kim Jong Il’s Taepodong missiles instead of cunningly trying to hide the truth. Perhaps then Koreans will learn to put their priorities on straight by discussing these things which matter instead of going ballistic for 3 weeks straight in ecstasy when they realize that Korea has finally surpassed Japan’s place as a producer of plastic lunchboxes in the world or other such proud feats which Koreas will paste on to their National Hall of Fame for the rest of eternity.
Amazing delusions. What is your drug of choice? DMT? LSD? Perhaps natural Magic Mushrooms? Your vivid hallucinations are being wasted here. You should turn your talent to writing fiction.
shakuhachi,
Using somebody else’s picture is so sneaky (national trait?). You’re such a loser. Write “L” on your forehead.
Baduk, Bluejives씨는 괜찮다고 하셨습니다. 근거 없는 망언하지 마세요.
Some of you posters had better leave off with the name calling, which is not proper; you can not hide behind your ISP either unless you want to try and hide behind proxy servers.
“Remort”, you are obviously a Kornet admin troll. Nice try chump but no cigar.
This thread is about the Chosun Ilbo and the strange op ed I found. Try to keep it closer to something resembling insightful commentary or your scribblings will vanish.
What is a “Kornet admin troll”?
A “Kornet admin troll” is a fool of a technician that works for Kornet, here in Korea who enjoys spamming as well as messing with blogs, here and elsewhere.
His IP address points to:
IPv4 Address : 211.104.25.0-211.104.25.255
Network Name : KORNET-INFRA000001
Connect ISP Name : KORNET
Publishes : N
[ Organization Information ]
Organization ID : ORG1600
Org Name : Korea Telecom
Address : Jungja-dong, Bundang-gu, Sungnam-ci
Zip Code : 463-711
[ Technical Contact Information ]
Org Name : Korea Telecom
Address : Jungja-dong, Bundang-gu, Sungnam-ci
Zip Code : 463-711
E-Mail : ip@krnic.kornet.net
And yet you are here…
Said the person who insisted repeatedly that I must be Korean. Why are you so obsessed with other posters faking their nationalities?
“wiesunja” is posting from the U.S. (RR.com), not Japan, and I suspect has a connection with the Kornet troll as well. His posts will be deleted here on in.
Meanwhile, in the real world…a coworker of mine who is Japanese is marrying a Korean woman next month, and a former coworker of my wife (Korean man) is marrying a Japanese woman next year. So there.
R.Elgin, if this guy is spamming and trolling from work can’t somebody inform his boss, or is that futile?
“National trait”?? You do know that shakuhachi isn’t Korean, don’t you?
One Trackback
[...] Like Kaplan, I don’t believe it will be possible to unify Korea or to create a Jeffersonian democracy immediately. For the first few years, a strong authority will have to restore order and essential services. I also believe that if we devote sufficient time, funds, and planning to the problem, and if we don’t test the limited patience of Americans with a major U.S. military deployment there, Korea can hold unified elections within two or three years, and that inter-Korean border controls can be relaxed within five years. Essential to this is the restoration of a normal, healthy U.S.-South Korean relationship that will be needed for joint planning, along with advance agreements with China and Russia to avoid the carving out of feifdoms and foreign occupation zones. Without question, this planning would be immeasurably easier with Japan’s cooperation and without China’s meddling, but that may be asking too much of modern South Korea’s national maturity. [...]