It seems Korean-American groups—or at least one—plan to protest against the publisher (HT to reader) of Rhie Won-bok’s comic book “Far Country, Neighbor Country” for its anti-Semitic content:
“I don’t have words to describe the outrage I feel,” said Yohngsohk Choe, co-chairman of the Korean American Patriotic Action Movement in the USA.
The group met Friday with Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Cooper said he would travel to Seoul on March 15 to raise concerns about the book.
[...]
Korean-American community leaders said they were disgusted by the images and would speak to officials at South Korea’s consulate in Los Angeles and in Seoul.
Somewhat more in mentioned in this report:
“I don’t have words to describe the outrage I feel,” said Yohngsohk Choe, co-chairman of the Korean American Patriotic Action Movement in the U.S.A., who was at the meeting. “The depictions are explosive. They have the potential to harm good relationships we have established with our Jewish American neighbors in Los Angeles.”
The story was mentioned by Korean-language Newsis as well.
Anyone know if any other LA hanin groups are planning to show up at the consulate?
Anyway, it’s nice to see Korean-Americans protest the comic, especially since Rhie appeared to have invoked their name in it. I must say, though, to be fair, protests should probably be directed at the publisher or Rhie personally rather than the Korean consulate—as far as I know, the Korean government had nothing to do with producing or promoting the comic.
Interestingly enough, meanwhile, the Simon Wiesenthal Center has issued a statement of concern pertaining to a recently released book in Japan co-authored by a Japanese and Canadian that reportedly cites Nietzsche to assert that Americans, Israelis, Jews and Christians are conspiring to control the world.
{ 111 comments… read them below or add one }
How disappoining.
I hope the blg-meister is getting peer pressured into compulsively discussing Japan’s failings as a justification of Korea’s, and not, instead, that the blog-man is converting to a personal-life obsession with attributing Korea’s problems to Japan.
Sorry to disappoint.
“Korean-American community leaders said they plan to launch a protest against the publisher of a popular South Korean song that contains anti-American lyrics, punctuated by the chorus ‘Fucking USA!.’”
Oh wait, sorry. That was all in my head. That never happened. Nor would it. Ever.
Russian photojournalist’s work from the north, April-May 2006:
http://www.tema.ru/travel/choson-1/
[links are at the bottom of this page to navigate to more pages of the same series of photos; a total of 5 webpages of photos from this series; can you find the ajuma with a rifle?]
Some of the same with English explanations:
http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03100&num=1716
Yohngsohk Choe (why he thought this spelling would be an aid to pronunciation is beyond me) seems to miss the point. Or at least what the rest of us non-Koreans would think is the point. Choe says the reason to condemn the comic book is that the depictions are explosive, and that the Joooooos might be upset at Korean-Americans.
In other words, it’s all about Choe and what might happen to Choe and his tribe now that the cat’s out of the bag, and not because the anti-Semitism expressed in Far Country, Neighbor Country is just wrong. Disappointing, but not unexpected.
Brendon,
Sorry, but that’s an unfounded assertion. There is nothing in that article that hints that he was motivated by anything but outrage at the racist contents of the book and concern for the affect it will/has had on its readers.
As Korea is being lost to the China camp, KoreanAmerican will play ever-increasing role in the future as the brige between the US and Korea and possible means of reversing the process. We may eventually wind up trying some military action as CubanAmericans tried in the Bay of Pigs.
Foreign nationals in Korea may play these roles as well.
“As Korea is being lost to the China camp, KoreanAmerican will play ever-increasing role in the future as the brige between the US and Korea and possible means of reversing the process. We may eventually wind up trying some military action as CubanAmericans tried in the Bay of Pigs.”
From where might such a mission be staged? Who would back it? How many Korean Americans would care to take part?
“Foreign nationals in Korea may play these roles as well.”
Hmm, no thanks.
Perhaps Robert Kim can represent Korean Americans, hey Baduk? Its better to have a Korean American representative that is respected by Koreans, right?
Two questions sakachi?
Does Pauline Hanson like Japanese immigrants?
And does you mom eat sushi?
I find it hard to believe that no Koreans in the US were aware of this comic book before this point. It’s been out since 2004? As soon as Koreans cross the Pacific they can no longer read their native language? I know these people talk. I’m just sceptical. They are outraged now? Where was the outrage when it came off the presses? If it wasn’t distributed in the US word of it still should have crossed the pond.
Good. You probably shouldn’t believe it.
I don’t recall anyone making that claim.
However, the reaction (or, more properly, the lack thereof) from nearly every single Korean or Korean-American person has probably encouraged you and many others to mistakenly draw the conclusion that this racist tripe was unknown to them.
Inscrutable? Deceptive?
I’m a kyopo and I wasn’t aware of this book prior to the big stink made about it. I think it’s safe to say most kyopos outside of Korea were not aware of it.
I have a friend who currently resides in the US as a graduate student, worked in Korea as a journalist, and by her own words “is interested in general matters pertaining to social justice.” When I mentioned the name “Lee Won Bok” and the title of the book (actually a series, like a set of encyclopedia), she was familiar with it. OK, when I asked her opinion, she said “it was very entertaining and informative.” Then I mentioned that lately there have been some controversy surrounding the books and the author. I also mentioned that the book talked about 9/11. She said, “it dealt with 9/11?” as if surprised. Then it became clear that the books she had in mind were an older edition. Turns out these books have been in publication since 1984. It is also clear that the books discuss a whole range of topics pertaining to world/current affairs, and the part that is described as anti-semitic is just a fraction of the whole, and a fairly recent addition at that.
You may ask: why aren’t the Koreans up in arms about this? My opinion on it: I don’t expect the Koreans to be so concerned about it anymore than I expect some Jews to be concerned if some Israeli professor wrote something that Koreans would consider anti-Korean. And even if they did, I would expect them to treat it as an oddity completely out of left field. Historically and even now, Koreans and anti-Semiticism have about as much to do with each other as matzoh and kimchi.
I’ve heard about all the outraged frenzy surrounding this, but I’ve yet to come across what the book actually said that was so offensive.
Anybody?
Robert Kim is much, much better than those Japanese Empire officers who turned into spies for the US, who purchased fishing boats with money to infiltrate Taiwan, Sakhalin, sold much of the same useless information to the CIA, the US Air Force, and deposited that money into Japanese Nationalist underground groups.
‘In other words, it’s all about Choe and what might happen to Choe and his tribe now that the cat’s out of the bag, and not because the anti-Semitism expressed in Far Country, Neighbor Country is just wrong. Disappointing, but not unexpected.’
or in other words, your hatred for koreans is presented as mr choe’s intention. how’s you korean wife and half korean chlidren? i just wonder how such a high class guy like yourself could marry into a people you see as vermin.
i suuport mr choe and am also outraged by mr rhie’s book.
The comics series strikes me as sort of like Sesame Street teaching the US Civil War or Civil Rights Movement with actors in blackface. UnPC and bad taste, but if I were K-A/gyopo, I’d hate to be burdened with explaining or apologizing over or remedying all the nonsense pumped out by the ROK media and “scholars”. Now, THAT would be a task for VANK.
bluejives, well said!
“or in other words, your hatred for koreans is presented as mr choe’s intention. how’s you korean wife and half korean chlidren? i just wonder how such a high class guy like yourself could marry into a people you see as vermin. ”
I actually have wondered this myself, pawi. How is that MANY (not all) white Western expats marry Korean women, have kids with her, but still generalize and look down on Koreans so? What does this say about their taste in women if they had to resort to finding a woman about the Koreans?
Heck, what does he think about his own wife?? or his own kids?????
“You may ask: why aren’t the Koreans up in arms about this? My opinion on it: I don’t expect the Koreans to be so concerned about it anymore than I expect some Jews to be concerned if some Israeli professor wrote something that Koreans would consider anti-Korean.”
Except, of course, that the Koreans have never been subject to anything even remotely similar to the Holocaust, the worst genocide that has ever occurred…
But then, of course, some Koreans or Gyopos surely think otherwise…
“I actually have wondered this myself, pawi. How is that MANY (not all) white Western expats marry Korean women, have kids with her, but still generalize and look down on Koreans so? What does this say about their taste in women if they had to resort to finding a woman about the Koreans?
Heck, what does he think about his own wife?? or his own kids?????”
Bullshit, JK, the only one generalising here is you yourself.
I forgot Bluejives and Pawikirogi, how could I…
Sorry, my bad.
Bullsh*t nothing, fantasy. Like you have your stereotypes about Koreans and kyopos, I have my stereotypes about white Western expats (or even those who are darker like you yourself said you were). I may not be happy that I DO generalize like this (like you said you were not pleased that you yourself generalize people who are gay), but the fact remains that many of us who interacted with white male expats in Korea found that in GENERAL (yes, now I’M doing that) they married Korean women and that they often complained about Koreans as a whole…often to excess. So then we Korean-Americans who listened to this often wondered, “If Koreans as a whole are soooo bad and Americans (or Canadians or German or whatever) sooooo good….why did so many of these Western males marry women from those supposedly screwed up Koreans? Did those white women from among the supposed less-screwed up Americans, Candians, Germans, etc. turn down these guys? Are those young Korean women the exception to the rule that all Koreans are supposedly brainwashed and think a like? Think about that, fantasy. You love to generalize about Koreans and kyopos. Don’t get upset that I expressed my own generalized views.
Not so pleasant to hear these generalizations, eh?
“Bullshit, JK, the only one generalising here is you yourself.”
And the LAST person to talk about others generalizing here is you, fantasy. I don’t mean to get on your case, but to paraphrase the good book, how can you notice splinter in someone else’s eye and ignore the log in your own?
JK,
my remarks about gays were satire, that’s for sure, made in order to drive my point home. And while I certainly did make generalisations about KOREANS (inclusive of Yuhaksaengs), and I stand by these generalisations which are shared by my wife, I’ve only rarely talked about Gyopos at all, as I’ve only ever met very few of them. On the rare occasions when I did talk about German Gyopos, or Korean-Germans, as some people (mostly in the US) insist they should be called, I said only positive things, namely that they are probably THE MOST SUCCESSFUL and THE BEST INTEGRATED immigrant group which has ever entered German soil. Good for them and congratulations from my side !
The insinuation of yours that I hate Gyopos is one of your typical strawmen arguments, designed to ascribe untenable views to your opponents, so that you then can rebut these strawmen arguments with ease.
I have, however, said that Bluejives and Pawikirogi are racists. Is there anybody here who, in full earnest, doubts this ?
JK wrote:
“but the fact remains that many of us who interacted with white male expats in Korea found that in GENERAL (yes, now I’M doing that) they married Korean women and that they often complained about Koreans as a whole…often to excess. “
Have you ever wondered about the Korean women who marry these expat men? I’m sure that most mixed couples had plenty of conversations about Korea and Koreans before walking down the aisle. Can’t wait to hear your response.
So, are you saying that generalizations are generally OK for use in general by the general population?
Right after WWII, many Americans brought French bride home. These men still have reserved right to make fun of the French.
The difference between France and Korea is that Korea does not have illustrious history to be proud of.
However, things are getting better as more Huydai cars and Samsung LCDs are sold. And, once the half-mixed offsprings are born, these blockheads cannot diss Korea any more because if they do they are dissing their own children.
Only fools do that.
“Why did so many of these Western males marry women from those supposedly screwed up Koreans?”
JK,
I purposefully refrained from bringing up the topic of interracial dating and marriage in the last couple of weaks, since I do not want people to think I have got nothing else to talk about. But since you happen to mention it and even ask me a straightforward question, I give you a straightforward answer:
My wife herself believes that many Koreans (even in her own family, I am sorry to say) are “screwed up”. She even told me before our departure from Korea:
“The Koreans are the way they are, some things are good in their culture but many things are not. Do not try to better them, it is a useless endeavour, a quichotique fight against windmill blades, they will never ever change. Just let us get out of here and never return.”
Now, I for myself, am not so pessimistic. I believe that Korean society will fundamentally change within twenty years of time. The Koreans have come such a long way economically, now they will bring their value system in line with what is sensible for a modern industrialised nation. This is simply bound to happen. It has happened in Germany, after all. Not without difficulty, though.
And we might possibly return to Korea some time in the future. At least it is not me who would oppose such a move…
Bluejives wrote:
“Historically and even now, Koreans and anti-Semiticism have about as much to do with each other as matzoh and kimchi.”
Matzoh and kimchi actually sound as if they’d go well together, but I have strange tastes.
Other than that, I think that Bluejives makes a good point.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
As usual, pawikirogi throws out his crazy strawman arguments. Thanks for being consistent.
@Jeffery Hodges
Jeffery,
please read my comment #20.
It’s a positive development. Although I have become rather more cynical over the years about certain things, I’m willing to Mr. Choe the benefit of the doubt here, wish him goodwill, and hope that the efforts of groups like his will help to increase awareness and understanding of this issue.
@Sewing:
Yes, I fully agree.
“I’m willing to Mr. Choe the benefit of the doubt here, wish him goodwill, and hope that the efforts of groups like his will help to increase awareness and understanding of this issue.”
In spite of JK’s persistently making up strawmen arguments about me allegedly hating Gyopo (which is nonsense) I really think that the group represented by Mr Choe got it absolutely right this time.
I think Brendon’s having a bad hair day.
Alas, I think I have to cherish the bad hair days as part of the larger category of “hair days”.
“matzoh and kimchi” Mmmm…why not, there used to be a place called “Kosher Burrito” in downtown L.A.
Whatever their motivation for joining the rabbi in condemning wanktard Rhie’s cartoons, I think the K-As are moving in the right direction.
Fantasy, thanks for the note. I’d agree that antisemitism has become an issue in Korea these days but that it’s riding in on the back of Leftist anti-Americanism.
I don’t think that most Koreans think much about Jews at all. I could be wrong, of course, and I did get one antisemitic commenter yesterday who left a note with a Korean word in it and an implied threat to get me sacked from my job at my university in Korea. I blogged about this today, drawing attention to the threat, but I’m not fully convinced that the anonymous commenter was really Korean.
We’ll have to see how this issue plays itself out in the days to come.
Jeffery Hodges
* * *
It works both ways.
People like bluejives and nulji are full of contempt for white people, yet would not hesitate to shtup white women.
Rhie is apparently a bigger dipshit than I’d imagined:
“While the book’s author said Monday he would change the sections that have drawn condemnation, Rhie Won-bok asserted his depiction of Jewish control of American media and politics was based on fact.
“The Jews are the invisible force that controls the U.S.,” Rhie, a professor of visual arts at Duksung Women’s University in Seoul, told The Associated Press. “I wrote the chapter to let people know that you can’t understand the U.S. without knowing the Jewish community.”
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=396686&lang=eng_news&cate_img=327.jpg&cate_rss=news_Lifestyle
Well, lately I’ve been noticing more stories on Korean TV that make Israel look bad. One channel even dug up an old documentary from the 90′s about prostitution in Jerusalem.
“Have you ever wondered about the Korean women who marry these expat men? I’m sure that most mixed couples had plenty of conversations about Korea and Koreans before walking down the aisle. Can’t wait to hear your response.”
You’ll get it.
Well, since you asked, you’re gonna hear my perspective.
First of all, I dated white women when I was growing up in North Carolina. You know what? We talked about how a lot of white people had a problem with one of the pretty white girls dating an Asian guy like me. Uh oh, sonagi, guess we gotta stereotype all white American people now, since a white American girl and I had a conversation about them! *Satirically spoken*
In other words, sonagi….you’re saying that because these Korean women married white expats that somehow the women think Koreans are screwed up? Maybe some of them do. But many do not.
Example 1 of who does: My Korean language teacher at Sogang University married a white American guy in her class. He was an engineer.
I used to complain a LOT about Korea and how Koreans weren’t efficient and all. This lady took it to another extreme! One of the cooks at the cafeteria apparently had some mental problems (she would ask your order adn then while you waited, she would ask you again five minutes later what you wanted to order). My teacher used to BARK at her and make her feel like crap. NOT your typical Korean “aga-shi”, this teacher. She used to get sassy with some of us, trying to be cute, until we told her to cut it out. And plain out, she just wasn’t all that cute. I sure as heck wouldn’t have dated her if she had been single, though we did get along. I doubt many other native Korean guys did either.
Well, she married a white guy. Good for her. And yes, the two of them used to B*TCH about Koreans this and Koreans that. It actually started to resemble a Western b*tch session (comprised usually of white English teachers) at a Hongdae or Itaewon bar. It actually got to be too much. But there was no turning back for her…she had had her issues with Koreans, so she viewed America as the place for freedom. However, from what I hear from her, she is not having that easy of a time in America either. Does this mean America is screwed up, too?
Example of one who doesn’t: I know a Korean girl in Australia. Beautiful and kind. When she was studying and working in Sydney, she used to get hit on by all the white guys there but at that time didn’t understand the concept of Asian fetish. One older white guy in particular used to call her all the time and would even show up at her workplace unannounced (talk about stalking). She didn’t know it at the time, but his previous wife, a pretty Japanese, had left him because he used to beat her up. But this former wife escaped to Japan and married her former Japanese boyfriend and is living happily ever after.
Anyway, he kept calling my Korean friend and calling her. She said to him she wasn’t interested. He continued to bother her anyway.
Eventually she returned to Korea. Unfortunately, by this time, her Korean boyfriend had moved on (because she had TOLD him in a letter to do as much). Heartbroken, she “escaped” the pain by going back to Australia to work for a few more years. The older Australian guy was still courting her and begging her to be his wife. Eventually, against her better judgment, she gave in.
It was two months before her wedding that she realized she would be leaving Korea and her beloved family forever. It broke her heart….especially since she knew she didn’t really love her soon-to-be husband. But she went through with it because the wedding preparations had all been done and she didn’t know how to get out of it…(yeah, yeah, it was stupid, but she knows better now).
And endured the worst kind of hell. Physical abuse at its worst.
Now this was NOT a case of the girl not liking her fellow Koreans or Korea. It was about a young 24 year-old girl who didn’t know how to say no to a very persistent much older and experienced white guy in Australia (who, from what I understand STILL has Asian fetish as he is always hitting on Asian girls….who usually tell him to go to hell). She told me, after she had left him, that she used to get sick of him putting down Koreans and such to her. They used to fight when he would put down all Koreans, including her family.
3. Then you have the example of the pretty educated Korean girl who doesn’t dislike Koreans or Korea and who falls in love with a nice white Westerner. It happens. Good for both the Korean girl and the American guy. I am happy for them.
4. And finally, there is one that may offend many of the white expats on this board, but I have to mention it (since we talk about unpleasant truths on this board). Is the girl not considered to be a catch by her fellow Koreans??
Once at the airport in North Carolina, I bumped into an old white schoolmate of mine. It was a weird coincidence that we found out we both were living and working in Korea at the time. With him was his Korean girlfriend. She was young (maybe 25) and pretty. Sexy, too. What a good catch, I thought. It seemed my old schoolmate had done well for himself. And she had even visited his home in NC.
At the same time, I was wondering….this is a really pretty Korean girl….with this white former schoolmate of mine. And as EVERYONE on this board knows, for a girl in Korea to go out with a white guy takes some guts (for societal and familial reasons). So why, I wondered, was she with him? Surely there were tons of Korean guys who would love to be with a girl like that (assuming she had a decent background). Was it as simple as she was just in love?
My folks were there with me before I was to take off to go back to Korea. My folks and I and the girl all asked each other the typical polite questions in Korean (the guy couldn’t understand Korean, and the girl’s English was limited). She asked us how long we’d lived in the US. We found out she was a student at a school in Korea. Eventually I was able to pull it out of her, after much hesitation on her part, that she was in community college. That was when I was thinking, “Ahhh…..THAT’S why.” She was considered hands off by most educated Korean guys. But to a white American like my old schoolmate (who himself never finished college), this meant nothing. He was young and in love….at the time. And not Korean guys with her background. But he represented America and easy escape. Say what you will, but it is what it is.
I was once talking with the Korean girl living in Australia mentioned several paragraphs before. She hung around other Korean women married to Australians (be they white or kyopo). She had sent me a picture of five of them (herself included), with their kids. I’ll talk about her four friends.
1. The prettiest of the bunch caught my eye. Turns out she was former model in Korea. Not college-educated. Barely spoke English. I asked how she and her white husband met. It turns out her Korean MOTHER had introduced them together.
That somehow didn’t make sense to me…..so I asked my friend to talk with the ex-model and see if there had been any “issues” for her in Korea. Sure enough, she had had a few scandals (and abortions) when in Korea, and everyone who was in know, since Koreans talk, knew better than to consider her for marriage. So what did her mother do? She introduced him to a successful white Australian. He represented escape from a situation in Korea that SHE made for herself. And he never knew about it. Still doesn’t know from what I understand. Now she stays at home and watches Korean videos all day and is happy at the easy life.
2. The same story with another woman in the picture. She was not college-educated and was not working and as opposed to the ex-model was NOT that pretty. However, she approached a white Australian guy in a bar and expressed her interest in him. Eventually they got married. Good for her because it’s doubtful too many Korean guys would have been interested in her enough to marry her. Now she is living in Sydney without a job and ALSO watching Korean videos all day and calling my friend to get advice on how to care for her children.
3. The third friend was the eldest of the group. She was not college-educated and not at all pretty and getting pretty old (in addition to old-looking). But her family had money. Eventually, she married a younger white guy, who worked for an airline as a steward. Her family in Korea not only approved, but they pay for all the couple’s credit card expenses. Now did her family have reason to complain about their daughter’s interracial relationship? No! Of course not! The girl had run out of options in Korea. Despite coming from a rich family, she couldn’t, or WOULDN’T, go to college and wouldn’t get a job and couldn’t find a guy to give her the time of day. Why NOT stick her with a penniless white Australian guy who wants her and would be kind to her?
4. The fourth woman in the picture was a former yu-hak-saeng who had married an Australian kyopo. To test my theory, I asked my friend to see if SHE had had any issues in Korea. Nope, nothing like the other three. In fact, THIS girl, who WAS educated was working at a business in Sydney. She had also been hit on by many a white Australian…but she chose to marry a kyopo. It seems race DID matter to her when it came to a marriage partner, I found out through my friend, and for her it had to be either a Korean or a kyopo. But maybe it wouldn’t have if she had not been educated and had limited options for her in Korea? And maybe she WOULD have considered a white guy then? Who knows.
What I’m saying, sonagi, is that things are not as simple and black-and-white as Koreans being screwed up hence these “good catches” among Korean girls choosing white Western guys over Korean guys.
“In spite of JK’s persistently making up strawmen arguments about me allegedly hating Gyopo (which is nonsense) I really think that the group represented by Mr Choe got it absolutely right this time.”
Oh fantasy, shall I prove you wrong? First of all I never said you HATED kyopos….only that I got tired of you making your negative generalizations about them (over at the Metropolitan and here at this blog). When I asked if YOUR generalizations were appropriate, you mentioned that old straw argument of yours about a yu-hak-saeng putting a knife to your throat. Now what that had to do with Koreans and kyopos as a whole is STILL beyond me.
Anyway, do you really deny you didn’t make any negative generalizations about kyopos?? If you insist and when I have time later, I will put up some things you wrote. Then what? Will you offer me yet ANOTHER apology (you’ve offered me two so far) because I corrected you?
JK
Your deep inferior complex against white caucasian men is seriously sick.
I mean, maybe you need to see a mental doctor. I am not joking. Your post about interracilal dating and marriage is sometime seriously freaky.
Sorry I realy wan’t to be offensive. Maybe its not white men who is disturbing you. Maybe you have another problem deep inside your heart.
Wow, this thread devolved into stupidity quickly.
I have reread my post above and I think it was not appropriate.
I had no intention to be offensive against JK, but it was inappropriate.
Mr.Koehler could you delete my post?
Sorry for the inconvenience.
My appologies to JK
@JK,
I wasn’t assuming anything about your response. North Carolina has a lot of white folks and a lot of black folks. I’m curious to know if you ever dated any black girls.
Please, let’s agree that feeding the trolls is prohibited.
However, it is a shame that this issue is, in fact, holding itself high on the pitcher’s mound, right in the center of the field for all to see.
Bars with Nazi themes are anti-Semitic, and these types of bars have made a few appearances here, and their appearances have not been denounced by the general public (though there may have been isolated instances of critical opinion).
Anti-semitism is hate. Fundamentally, the essence of this issue in Korean society is hate. Korean people and Korean society harbor much hate.
This comic book issue is such a popular topic because, for one reason, probably most of the posters here recognize this anti-Semitism as another manifestation of other forms of hate in this society that posters have encountered in their daily interactions with Korean society, whether it be anti-Americanism, anti-Japanism, anti-Sinoism or other anti-foreign attitudes and behaviors.
There is a lot of hate here (not so much in this discussion thread, mind you; here there seems to just be a cesspool of resentment maintained by some poster). This comic pool issue is just the clearest example of the hate here that everyone can easily latch onto.
After running a google search on Yohngsohk Choe, I’ve found he’s active in the KA community in LA and was the contact for protests against Chinese expropriation of North Korean refugees. There’s little evidence that his intentions, as well as other KA who are protesting, are anything but sincere.
#42. I mean, really.
“. That was when I was thinking, “Ahhh…..THAT’S why.” She was considered hands off by most educated Korean guys. But to a white American like my old schoolmate (who himself never finished college), this meant nothing.”
Give me a break. As if all Koreans have PhDs and Americans are lucky to have a GED.
By the way, my wife is beautiful and sexy (she once was a top ranked athlete in Korea). Now, she’s working on her second university degree. Oh, I almost forgot. My in-laws are very wealthy. I guess she’s too smart, confident, and rich for most Korean men, right? Whatever.
#42. I mean, really.
“. That was when I was thinking, “Ahhh…..THAT’S why.” She was considered hands off by most educated Korean guys. But to a white American like my old schoolmate (who himself never finished college), this meant nothing.”
Give me a break. As if all Koreans have PhDs and Americans are lucky to have a GED.
By the way, my wife is beautiful and sexy (she once was a top ranked athlete in Korea). Now, she’s working on her second university degree. Oh, I almost forgot. My in-laws are very wealthy. I guess she’s too smart, confident, and rich for you, right? Whatever.
#48,
There is a lot of hate everywhere around the world. In any case, Koreans need to understand that with the privilege of being the home country of the head of the UN comes the moral responsibility of acting in accordance.
“People like bluejives and nulji are full of contempt for white people, yet would not hesitate to shtup white women.”
People like dogbertt are in, if not full of, contempt for Korean people, yet would not hesitate to shtup Korean women.
i remember in the military i had this lady friend who was white. she had to room with a young black girl. the black girl thought they were friends. she was wrong. you see, white girl didn’t like her? you know why? well, because this black girl would seem to talk non stop about white people. she told me she mostly tolerated it because she was actually more interested in the black girl’s friendship. but then, she just got tired of it. she started to avoid her.
my point here is that the korean lady married to an expat may just be trying to get along. i won’t take the word of some expat who tells me his wife agrees that koreans are the worst people on planet earth. you think the expat would say anything that would contradict his contradiction?
btw, can you show me where a bunch of korean ladies write in korean about how much they hate their husband’s people? if you can show me such a group, you know what? i’ll think the same thing about them that i think about you. many of you hate koreans. you gonna tell me someone who says korean women are whores or that they lie and would do anything for money doesn’t hate koreans. BS!
brenden despises koreans, but there’s a ‘but’ here; he despises only half the koreans. what he doesn’t understand is that to hate half is to hate all because they ain’t no all without half. you get?
moving on to something else, our resident 110 pound weakling wrote:
‘People like bluejives and nulji are full of contempt for white people, yet would not hesitate to shtup white women.’
what does ‘shtup’ mean? i won’t ask the gaunt one this question because we already know dislikes koreans. i’d like to ask brenden and marmot this one:
how many korean male friends do you have? and by friend, i mean someone you go out with, have dinner with, sleep over their houses, shoot the shit, get drunk with, and sometimes share intimate thoughts. i’ll bet in the last year, i’ve had more white guy friends than you’ve had in your entire time in korea. when i was in the military, it was all white to me. that’s why i hope koreans don’t think all white peole are like the expat. most white people got too much class to ever say the shit that comes out the expat’s mouth.
lots of mistakes but then, it’s only you guys.
Post #42 read more than a bit like an early run at the storyline for ‘The Joy Luck Club’. Please post more, JK – I loved that book.
Hehe…I will bite.
When I was single, I had what I thought were friends. We went out, drank too much, blah blah. Then I learned that every single one of them went behind my back and tried to undermine any situation that involved a Korean woman. Every single one of them. I pretty much gave up after that.
The only one that remained cool until the day he left was a KA.
By the way, sleepovers? Dude….
“by friend, i mean someone you go out with, have dinner with, sleep over their houses, shoot the shit, get drunk with, and sometimes share intimate thoughts.”
…write ‘BFFE’ on the back of each other’s hands?
…no.
Nulji raises a valid point, but as usual tries to pin the blame on “the expat”.
The truth, which nulji knows, is that Koreans in general have a very different view of who can be friends, which excludes nearly all expats. And how many Korean men want “foreigner” friends anyway, beyond someone to just show off? I don’t think it’s that many. Not to mention the truth of what “The Goat” says.
Korean-Americans, that is a whole different story.
[blockquote]“People like bluejives and nulji are full of contempt for white people, yet would not hesitate to shtup white women.”
People like dogbertt are in, if not full of, contempt for Korean people, yet would not hesitate to shtup Korean women.[/blockquote]
The point being, my clever hoju kyopo, is that bluejives and nulji should not even pretend to be able to take the high road on this question.
And you know what? I do not hold Koreans in contempt who don’t hold me and my people in contempt. Keep that in mind.
This one’s going postal!
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/26/skorea.cartoon.ap/index.html
It’s amazing just how far off topic this thread has become.
Amen, Robert; the time has come….
I may speak for many in saying that the surprise is greater if the thread actually stays on topic.
It’s pretty surprising — all I have to do is make one post, and out comes our friend pawikirogi to savage me as representative of the White Expat for despising all (excuse me, half of all) Koreans. I’m with dogbertt: My criticism is reserved for those Koreans who despise others, especially me. It only seems like I’m criticizing everybody because ignorant lack of respect for others is a trait found in abundance here in this land.
Mark, I hope you are able to serve us whole pots of STFU.
“Give me a break. As if all Koreans have PhDs and Americans are lucky to have a GED…..By the way, my wife is beautiful and sexy (she once was a top ranked athlete in Korea). Now, she’s working on her second university degree. Oh, I almost forgot. My in-laws are very wealthy. I guess she’s too smart, confident, and rich for most Korean men, right? Whatever.”
Someguyinkorea, regarding #51.
I showed several examples of Korean women marrying Western expats (#42) to show that Korean women married them for various reasons, and not simply because Korean women think that Koreans as a whole are supposedly “screwed up.” But of all the examples I gave, you jump on ONE I gave you, and you think I am saying that about ALL Korean woman-Western male marriages. I am simply showing that a generalization that a Korean woman marrying a Western male is not simply because the woman thinks Koreans are “screwed up”, and I gave different examples to counter this generalization. Yet you ASSumed I was talking about EVERY Korean-Western interracial relationship and ASSumed I was implying something about you and your wife. Talk about a chip on your shoulder!
I guess some stereotypes and generalizations are okay but not others, huh usinkorea?
“what does ‘shtup’ mean?”
It’s Yiddish. Rent ‘Blazing Saddles’, get a bowl of popcorn, enjoy. You should get it.
PS. If you still don’t get it, just Google the damned word. I mean, it’s not as if you don’t have the internet, right?
I just logged into yahoo.com to find that the story is now on its main list of 6 or 7 top news topics.. It’s getting bigger. The Yahoo news story pointed out without putting too fine a point on it that it was a Korean-American group, and not a Jewish one, that Rhie apologized to.
It seems inevitable that some Korean politicians will weigh in now. It will be VERY interesting to see how this plays out.
What I really wonder is where Rhie got such strong views from. Has he lived in the US? Or lived outside Korea at all? Anyone?
“I showed several examples of Korean women marrying Western expats (#42) to show that Korean women married them for various reasons, and not simply because Korean women think that Koreans as a whole are supposedly “screwed up.” But of all the examples I gave, you jump on ONE I gave you, and you think I am saying that about ALL Korean woman-Western male marriages. I am simply showing that a generalization that a Korean woman marrying a Western male is not simply because the woman thinks Koreans are “screwed up”, and I gave different examples to counter this generalization. Yet you ASSumed I was talking about EVERY Korean-Western interracial relationship and ASSumed I was implying something about you and your wife. Talk about a chip on your shoulder!”
…and you err the moment you started to assume that anything you say can offend me.
No, I was pointing out that you are prejudiced, whether you know it or not. You’re projecting it onto Koreans. Reread your post, hopefully you’ll get it.
relayer77
My guess is that he read the Korean/English/or German version of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Someguy,
What makes you think that? Did he directly quote any of them, or nearly do so?
THanks,
R7
ps
If so we can have fun labeling him as a plagiarist in addition to the other charges.. hehe.
BTW…It’s gotta be weird to be some Jewish guy in LA and suddenly learn about such rabid racism coming from here in Korea. Mainly because I imagine that Korea is pretty far off the map for most American Jews.
Too bad Bluejives isn’t a girl (or you) — the procreation factor along with the pro-fascist, blind-eye to Nazism, would be impressive…
You could start your own colony in Pennsylvania or the mountains of West Virgina if you wanted the Paekdu-factor…
Anyway, I’m glad to see you have come around to accepting that generalizing from experience and knowledge is not in and of itself wrong — progress at least…
I would like some clarification:
I know Bluejives has experience with Korea as an adult through 1 year of language teaching at a middle school in Korea.
What is your adult experience in the land – how long and in what capacity or capacities?
I had to pester him for several days in different threads to get an answer, but since we are getting to the point where generalizations are acceptable and the debate is about which ones are more fitting – and such generalizations are being based on experience – it would help to have yours more clearly defined….
:clap:
Just wanted to acknowledge recognition of a fine point I am sure will bypass his understanding completely.
Not me, and I am heading toward defining JK as such too.
I would beg to differ a little.
I think Korea’s early educational tradition, while not to be compared with education of modern times, is something to give a kudo or two to.
Also, despite Korean society’s own obsession with its “5,000 year history of invasion” – I think its relationship with China — that helped both manage (sometimes poorly but often well) the pressures from the Manchurian and Mongolian tribal groups and Japanese pirates was worth saying good things about.
I would say the fact that Koreans were able to maintain such a long alliance, and introduce many things from Chinese culture and administration, but still remain at core Koreans is also something to say good things about.
Bluejives, Pawiki, and JK, please don’t let this above infect your opinion of me or other waekuks…
JK, you do know the difference between a generalization and a stereotype, right?
Got any links to this? It would probably be very interesting to read and compare…
Uh…..
Can we get a Naver poll on this one?
Polling the expats won’t do for JK and Bluejives. It will have to be the Koreans voting on this aspect of Korean agashiness…
Please, please, with sugar on top, please, start writing these longer posts as a matter of habit…
As someone who has spent a ton of time on the anti-US issue, I wouldn’t agree with this.
Someone else above mentioned that they don’t believe most average Koreans have any thoughts about the Jews or Israel.
These is something inbetween these two thoughts I haven’t seen anybody really mention yet in these threads on these issues.
What bothers me about the comic book and its position in Korean society is how Koreans can’t see that it is wrong or why it is wrong (which apparently also applies to white-people bigoted kyopos on this board —– (whose names are Bluejives, JK, and Pawaki).
And from time to time something will make the general news in Korea, viewed by Korean society as a whole, and the society seems to just absorb it. Not only is there no outcry heard, if an outcry is heard, it is by non-Koreans, and then the Koreans spend time discussing how they just don’t get it.
And by “absorbed” I don’t mean “ignored” at all – I mean processed and concluded to be just fine and proper.
For example, back in 2002, when anti-US activity was in vogue bigger than any time since probably 1988, a news item came out about a middle school teacher proudly allowing a reporter to interview 3 of her female students whose new school activity in art was cutting their fingers and writing anti-US slogans — as they had seen the anti-US NGO leaders do on TV.
Even though anti-Americanism was on display in a major way – a very sizable and healthy backlash rose up spontaneously in the society. The reporter and news agency reported the item much like the teacher felt about it — with civic pride.
A sizable portion, perhaps even majority, of the viewing audience, however, did NOT feel that way and they voiced their opinion, even when they were hopping mad at the US in Korea otherwise.
My point?
When something like this racist comic book sells well in Korean society, and you don’t hear a peep out of the society — it is a cause for concern…
To me, the silence and book sales aren’t a sign of “hate.”
It is more a sign of Korea not having a very good understanding of the world and its place in it.
That is much more inline with what bothers me about this anti-semitic thing (and some signs of it I saw among some Korean intellectuals I knew).
As I mentioned recently and before, when I was in France living in an international dorm, there were people from all over Europe, Asia, and South America. These were people by and large who were gung-ho about meeting others from other nations and getting to know them and sharing cultural experiences —– and the main place to hangout when in the dorm was the cafeteria —– but the “clumping” was something you had to notice…
You had mixing and mingling, but you also could clearly mark out not just Asians from Europeans but English-speaking and German-speaking Europeans, and you could also make out a Swede table and a Dutch table and a Korean table and a Japanese table and so on….
I used to think there was a big problem with their being black and white churches in the US…..then I learned more about the world….
Ah….come on…!!
We haven’t even heard more than a one shotter at the Japanese!!
Off topic….please….
Or, since the threads I’ve been reading lately have pretty much quickly jumped into a debate about the Japanese with an obligatory Tokdo reference or two or three….is that what you meant by not being on topic???
Since I don’t think JK will get or appreciate it, I am pretty sure Brendon was making a type of pun…
Oh, you were showing glimpses of more than that, that’s for sure…
Start with “To test my theory” and then go to “It seems race DID matter to her when it came to a marriage partner” –
and maybe you’ll start getting the same idea I am…
That would be a “yes”…
Too bad you still don’t get it….
I’ll place my bet with hell freezing over…
someguyinkorea….so I’m prejudiced, huh? I give some examples and you take it to mean that I am questioning YOUR marriage to a Korean woman. Amazing. You still have that chip on your shoulder.
usinkorea, another filibuster? As for glimpses about me, what about glimpses we have of YOU from your own long comments? I’m being serious. Have you taken a good look at your own posts and your own self to see your own prejudices? I’ll also place my bet with hell freezing over….
“Please, let’s agree that feeding the trolls is prohibited.”
Sine qua non,
I was asked a question and I answered it. Do you think you are helping the atmosphere by your little comment? Okay, back to “SAFE” topics, like how them big bad, racist Koreans.
“Start with ‘To test my theory’ and then go to ‘It seems race DID matter to her when it came to a marriage partner’ –
So race DID matter with one Korean woman in Australia. WHAT IS YOUR POINT, USINKOREA? I swear, sometimes (no, often) you make no sense. Actually almost never.
#80 should have said “Okay, back to ‘SAFE’ topics, like how them big bad, Koreans are racist.
Filibuster…
Okie-dokie….somehow not making no sense to you makes me feel better about myself — as part of my self-reflecting —
“I wasn’t assuming anything about your response. North Carolina has a lot of white folks and a lot of black folks. I’m curious to know if you ever dated any black girls.”
Sonagi, you are right. My apologies. And yes, I have.
I had some specific examples in mind, and actually, I would categorize the ones in mind as Americans…
Sorry to hijack, but I’ll give you all another story where the Korean woman b*tched about……Americans.
After I returned from Korea, I met up with one of my hoo-bae (juniors) from MBA school to grab a bite outside.
Well, while we were at his place talking before we went out to eat, he gets a call from his classmate, this Korean female yu-haksaeng (hence she was also my hoo-bae). She basically invited herself to accompany us. I took a look at her when she arrived. Not bad-looking but not that pretty either and kind of self-absorbed. In a word, high-maintenance. It was definitely the kind of girl guys like me wanted to avoid despite her strong background (Ewha Women’s University grad and of course an MBA from the US).
Anyway over dinner, she dominated the conversation, talking about her boyfriend, this white American doctor. It seems she had pushed him to get married, but while he had reluctantly agreed to do so, he was dragging his feet. So then the girl said, “He’s such a typical American to not want to commit. That’s the problem with Americans, they…..” I then jumped in and said it wasn’t nice or accurate for her to generalize all Americans as such since I knew MANY Americans who were eager to commit to a marriage and knew MANY Korean males who were NOT eager. I said she shouldn’t generalize Americans based on her boyfriend’s reluctance.
She gave me a sideways glance then back at my friend (as if to say, “uh oh, we got one of them sensitive Americans among us”) then looked down for a second, going, “Neh” to kind of appease me. Then she continued her story a little more carefully. Of course then she got emotional and frustrated again and started talking about her bf’s reluctance to marry and AGAIN was about to stereotype all American males…..when she cast a glance at me and stopped herself. She knew I was gonna reprimand her again.
First of all, my story is an example of a highly educated (albeit somewhat unattractive and high-maintenance) Korean woman dating a highly educated American male (so that people won’t accuse me of generalizing Korean female-white male marriages). But secondly, it is an example of a Korean woman doing her b*tching and generalizing about American guys as a whole to two people she thought were her fellow Koreans (until I corrected her assessment of ALL Americans) – the way white Americans and Westerners either living in Korea or married to a Korean woman do among their fellow white Americans and Westerners.
And either way, it is wrong.
Oh yeah, after dinner, she wanted to go grocery shopping. She asked the male hoo-bae and not me if it was okay. He said it was okay. I didn’t say anything and just went along. Looking back, I wish I HAD said, “Uh, can’t you do this another time? I was invited to eat with , and you invited yourself over to join us. Now you want us to go grocery shopping with you??” But she didn’t see that what she did was inconsiderate. Like I said, self-absorbed and high-maintenance. No wonder a lot of Korean guys had avoided her. But there was SOMEONE who would accept her the way she was (albeit relucantly). More power to her and her relationship with the white American, I thought. God knows he was gonna need it.
I have no problem with her generalization…
Also, what has been your experience as an adult (20 years and up) with Korean society in Korean society? How long and of what variety?
I’ve seen where you have noted things I’ve said from some time ago, but I’ll recap my time in Korea and relation to it as an adult: Met a small, nice group of Koreans (and Japanese) while studying in France for 6 months. 1996-2000 taught English in hakwons – 1/2 the time to adults only 1/2 to adults and kids in Wonju and then in and around Seoul. MA in Korean Studies (in the US). Married to a (Korean-born) Korean. Back in Korea for language study and research for the 2nd half of 2002-early 2003.
@JK, #43:
“In spite of JK’s persistently making up strawmen arguments about me allegedly hating Gyopo (which is nonsense) I really think that the group represented by Mr Choe got it absolutely right this time.”
“Oh fantasy, shall I prove you wrong? First of all I never said you HATED kyopos….only that I got tired of you making your negative generalizations about them (over at the Metropolitan and here at this blog). When I asked if YOUR generalizations were appropriate, you mentioned that old straw argument of yours about a yu-hak-saeng putting a knife to your throat. Now what that had to do with Koreans and kyopos as a whole is STILL beyond me.
Anyway, do you really deny you didn’t make any negative generalizations about kyopos?? If you insist and when I have time later, I will put up some things you wrote. Then what? Will you offer me yet ANOTHER apology (you’ve offered me two so far) because I corrected you?”
Now I am mighty scared that you will dig up the seedy secrets of my sordid past as an evil Gyopo-hater. Go ahead, show us the whole extent of my depraved utterings of contempt for the valiant Gyopo. Please do not forget to provide the appropriate links for the relevant quotes.
You know that, in the past, I occasionally felt you were being attacked a little bit too vigorously by certain posters (although these attacks did not occur without good reason), and in such situations I was trying to come to your rescue. And, on two occasions, I made statements which had not taken into account the full array of diverse statements you had made in the vast number of comments in the various threads of this and other blogs. So, I apologised to you for having responded to you without having read ALL of what you had said regarding the respective topic. Quite obviously, you regard this move of mine as a sign of weakness.
JK, I am really fed up with you, and, as far as I can guess, so are most commenters here.
No I meant that when you apologized, it was because of a MISTAKE you made about me (showing you have a penchant for making errors due to getting emotional). For one, you accused me of being wjk. I corrected you, and you apologized….over at the Metropolitan’s blog. Then you said on THIS blog sarcastically that I am American….or so I say. This was before I had ever even written one comment here. I again addressed this to you over at the Met’s blog, and you again apologized.
The only times you owe me an apology is when you are in the wrong and accuse me of things that have nothing to do with me, like you did. As for those quotes about “gyopos”, you’ll get them soon enough.
Fantasy, what IS weak is that you have to depend on others’ supposed opinions of me to support your own position. If this had been a completely dominated Korean or kyopo board, people likely would have gotten sick of you. But would that in and of itself mean that I should mention that I am sick of your generalizations as are “most commenters here” if this WAS a blog of primarily Korean and kyopo commenters? No, that’s weak. It’s kind of the very desired mob mentality that you so often criticize of Koreans and kyopos.
Your view has more support on this blog than mine does perhaps. Don’t think that means you are in the right. If we were to be in the company of non-Korean Westerners living in Korea, you might have more support for your views than I would. But if we were to be in the company of Korean-Americans living in Korea, I might have more support for my views than you would. Many in that company might even be sick of you, Fantasy. Does this mean you have crossed the line of maturity and are acting childish? Hm. No clear answer.
But the point is, I am saying that I speak for myself and I am sick of your attitude. I don’t need anyone to support me to make that statement.
“I have no problem with her generalization…”
usinkorea, YOU may not have had a problem with her generalization about Americans, but I did. And she based her negative generalization (that Americans don’t commit) based on ONE guy, as far as I could tell.
Fantasy, here you go:
“Well, fine, you are 100 pc Canadian, no doubt about that, at all. But the fact that you get so worked up about this site is still typical of Koreans or people of Korean extraction… ”
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=446#comments
Me now:
This is AFTER Brian had given a very reasonable and calm response to everyone over at the hate blog. Fantasy, of course, could be depended upon to criticize him.
“Authentic Koreans, as well as Gyopos, have a tendancy to project their own twisted thinking upon others and thus conclude that it is universal. However, it just isn’t.”
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=459#comments
“My Korean wife and I have not (yet) got any children, but in case we still will get some mixed-race offspring later I sure will explain to them that, if the Koreans had had their way, they would not even exist.”
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=457#comments
Me now:
No, this didn’t mention kyopos, but I felt it needed addressing. Uh, WHICH Koreans are you speaking of, fantasy? Both my parents are Korean, and they are very open about Koreans marrying non-Koreans. In fact many of their Korean friends have kids (both male and female) who married Caucasians. I HOPE you will be careful when you use the term “the Koreans.” It sounds a little too…..generalizing.
“…and I will tell my children that, in the view of many Koreans and also of some Gypos such as Bluejives, they are mongrels and the direct result of miscegenation. As such, some Koreans would have preferred if they had been put down straight upon coming out of their mother’s womb.”
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=457#comments
Me now:
At least you didn’t say the term “the Koreans” or “people of Korean extraction”, implying ALL kyopos, this time around.
“@ Kid from Ohio:
I have read your remarks on interracial dating, and I understand that you are someone who has given serious thought to the matter. So, for me, you are someone worth discussing with (unlike other Koreans or Gyopos, who are caught in the prangs of their own prejudices).”
http://www.occidentalism.org/?p=410#comments
“…But I am equally convinced that some Caucasians, South Asians, South East Asians, or Hispanics have been discriminated against by Kyopos. If you have got your wits together you will not doubt that assertion.”
http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2006/10/when_blood_mixe.html#comments
Me now:
I see, fantasy. We (all of us) kyopos are the ones doing the discriminating, eh? I once told you that I live in a very large community of Koreans and kyopos. As I once said to you, I have not met a warmer or more open and accepting people. Yet here I am hearing you talk about how “kyopos” discriminate against other races. I am not saying it may not happen….just that your blanket statement about kyopos in general was inappropriate.
He didn’t mention generalizations at all in #90. He said he was sick of you.
And it isn’t your view that wears thin. It is the BS manner in which you try to engage in debate with people on issues.
It is the constant use of strawmen, erroneous asignment of thoughts/ideas to others, and frequent ignoring of the topic of this or that post to yank the discussion to places it does not belong – in your effort to make them irrevelant as you fight to protect uri nara from the expat hordes.
To make it worse, you just never seem to get it – get obvious points – even when someone takes the time to explain it in some detail that is pretty much clear to the vast majority of readers.
And lastly, I’ll ask again:
what has been your experience in Korean society since you became an adult – say – since age 20?
You have this obsession with generalizations, and I would like to know what your experience is, because experience is one of the key building blocks of a useful/more accurate generalization.
So, what is your experience?
Western expats sticking up for each other. What else is new?
usinkorea, he asked me a question TO ME when he had negatively categorized all kyopos. I showed the evidence the way he asked for it. Yet you decide to misread that whole exchange.
As for your question, I’ll answer in the next comment.
“It is the constant use of strawmen, erroneous asignment of thoughts/ideas to others, and frequent ignoring of the topic of this or that post to yank the discussion to places it does not belong – in your effort to make them irrevelant as you fight to protect uri nara from the expat hordes.”
OMG, do you not see yourself doing this (but not to protect uri nara necessarily). It seems stereotyping Koreans and kyopos on this board is okay, but we dare NOT negatively stereotype the white Western expat. Talk about sensitive!
“To make it worse, you just never seem to get it – get obvious points – even when someone takes the time to explain it in some detail that is pretty much clear to the vast majority of readers.”
Again, the mob mentality of having to mention others to get support. And Koreans supposedly have the monopoly on this market. If this were a blog read primarily of Korean-Americans rather than white Western expats and Japanese, I could say the exact same thing to you.
After I go my MBA, I went to Korea and lived there for three-and-a-half years. My own personal blog covers many of the details of my experiences. I talk about my positive AND negative experiences with Koreans. I talk about my positive AND negative experiences with other kyopos. And I talk about my positive AND negative experiences with the white Western expat crowd (since this was also part of my Korea experience).
While in Korea, I taught at economics and English at a university, and then later, I worked for a large securities company. In between, I also learned Korean as a second language.
Anything else?
And why mention “uri nara”? Korea is the country of my forefathers, but I am an American. Having said that, I WILL correct people’s generalizations of Koreans if I feel that they are wrong the way others do the same for Japan (and they not being necessarily Japanese) or do the same for Israel (and they not being necessarily Israeli) or do the same for an Irish-American (and they not being necessarily native Irish), etc.
Don’t you see your OWN prejudices, usinkorea? I know you devote a lot of attention to writing long comments to me…but seriously, you should take a look at yourself because you are often very closed-minded and refuse to hear the logic behind a sound counterargument.
Correction in #98: It should have said “or do the same for Ireland (and they being Irish-American and not necessarily native Irish).”
I lost a comment, so this is the short version:
Thanks for the background information. It helps have a frame of reference in those few occasions you are not running around trying to knock down windmills with your irrelevant broken record about “all” and “stereotypes” and so on.
If you want to engage in a debate about whether this or that negative generalization fits well enough or not —– then how about doing so?
Instead of spending 90% of your time doing nothing more than cluttering up a comments section by attributing levels of generalization to people they did not mean — even after they go to lengths to say they did not mean it…
Or —
How about typing out a standard line that says something like:
“I believe all generalizations are stereotypes of all the people refered to and are thus inherently all wrong and should all be avoided all the time.”
then cut and paste that every time you see a need to attack the expat horde???
If you could do that for us…
maybe we could have a discussion on thread that didn’t turn into such a complete waste of time thanks to your bullshit?
But, I have the feeling this is exactly why you keep saying this same things over and over and over again —– everytime you read someone saying something you don’t like.
You want to end the discussion. Not take part in it.
Sure….that’s it.
Sound counter-argument.
Yeah.
Well, no gidget, I don’t.
Did I not just say above that the girl’s genealization about white men didn’t bother me in the slightest?
How many times have I repeated that generalizations are fine? How many examples of negatvie generalizations you could legitimately offer in a discussion about the US and Americans do I need to write before it sinks past your thick skull?
How many times do I have to say, in one form or another, that saying “Americans X” is not wrong -
that the “X” is what is important – not the “Americans”
that what is important is how well or not X fits “Americans”
and that the judgement of that will depend on the experiences of both the speaker and the listener in relation to Americans or America.
Why must you continuously seek to destroy a discussion by attacking the very idea of generalizing itself?
You mean this was your SHORTENED comment, usinkorea? Holy crap!
Anyways…..
“maybe we could have a discussion on thread that didn’t turn into such a complete waste of time thanks to your bullshit?”
Did it ever occur to you that in terms of word volume, you are the biggest contributor of bullsh*t??? As I once said to someone else, and to paraphrase the good book, you so easily see the slinter in someone else’s finger yet cannot see the log in your own.
Yeah, #100 was one of my longest. Right…
“Gidget”? What’s up with you and your fascination with underage surf girls?
Hm, a Master’s in Korea studies after having been a hagwon teacher for a couple of years. And major b*tcher about Korean people while married to a Korean woman. In many ways can’t stand Korea but at the same time can’t help but be overly fascinated with it and always end up returnin to Korea. Why am I not surprised by this profile?
And white Western expats living in Korea wonder why others stereotype them so.
Yes. That is my only function in life. I hate all things Korean and every single Korean who has ever walked the face of the earth, and I married my wife to torture her to strike back.
All all every all stereotype stereotype each and every all all generalization generalization all each all Koreans all each and every stereotype all kyopos each hate all every one of them all all generalization all hate each I said all each each each and every generalization generalization….
I take it, then, that if I were some hot Korean chick, I still wouldn’t meet up to your standards of acceptability? even if I humbled myself by saying, “Neh opah” to all your wise pronouncements…
and then if I married a white man, you could chalk me up to yet another proof of your theory?
If you were a hot Korean chick (talk about a sick thought), ANY guy would avoid you like the plague if you exhibited the same kind of angry, filibustering pigheadedness you do on your comments.
I must be tired, because it dawn on me until later..
Yeah….some guy with a MA in Korea and East Asian Studies….married to a Korean….keeps up with news and events in Korea…….go figure….
If you weren’t so dense, maybe you’d understand why you shouldn’t be suprised….
I forgot —- neh opah…
But, on 2nd thought, can you define your understanding of the word “filibustering”?
I have a generalization I’d like to see more of from all parties. Human being.
The stuff we call each other allows us to de-humanize one another which makes it easier for us to treat others poorly. We are groups of people forming smaller groups of people in order to feel stronger by excluding others.
There’s alot of insecurity being showcased.
Can we talk about the comic?
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