Comments on: Discrimination

By: wjk

wjk — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:03:24 +0000

apparently, most ROK men hold grudges against all who qualify for goon dae, but somehow dodge it.

They want ROK women to enlist, and especially overseas Korean males making won in ROK to change their citizenships and enlist.

Does ROK army still waive military duty for what they define as non-full Koreans?

the goon dae issue is still a huge issue, evidently shown by the recent event, where some dude held a bogus easy serve gig, finally confessing after interogation.

ah, the ROK men. Did you know that some war movie heroes and macho men in Korean cinema never were in Goon Dae?

Such hate. It’s like the hot weather.

By: globalvillageidiot

globalvillageidiot — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:31:39 +0000

“Random, arbitrary acts of discrimination is necessary to remind the foreigner of their proper places, else they soon forget.”

Does that apply to my four year old - Korean/Canadian dual citizen - too? I’ve lived here more than a decade and have permanent residency, so what about me? Do you think that green card holders - or other foreigners in the United States or Canada, for example, regardless of visa status - need these constructive reminders also?

By: Netizen Kim

Netizen Kim — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:35:16 +0000

Random, arbitrary acts of discrimination is necessary to remind the foreigner of their proper places, else they soon forget.

By: Arghaeri

Arghaeri — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 06:14:01 +0000

“I believe this also means I can’t get an F-5 visa since the only path to an F-5 is via an F-2.”

There is a path via D8 if you’ve 500,000USD to spare….

By: Maddlew

Maddlew — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:05:25 +0000

I think you confuse my right to have a voice with you and some others begrudging me that right.
On the small islands of your posts you grant me no dignity and therefore I have none.
Yet on this peninsula the government thinks I should have a voice, that it is of value. They have deigned to grant me a modicum of dignity, otherwise there wouldn’t be a “Whiney Foreigner’s Complaint Department”,(that might not actually be the name). Some people disagree which is their right.
Wherever you call home I certainly wouldn’t begrudge you your voice. No matter how perfect your world, no matter how NICE you find it, I’m sure there are areas for improvement. Your unique perspective is not necessarily a bad thing. Allowing you that voice is tantamount to conceding you dignity. If the government and its people do not grant you that dignity then you have none.
The Nazis allowed the Jews they could find and control no dignity. Therefore the ones they shoveled into ovens had none. But I believe it speaks more of the Nazis than the Jews.
I am generalizing. There are those who accomplish dignity despite the odds. Speak out in the face of horrible adversity. Luckily, my life is not that dire.
There is one thing I do have. I will use a sports analogy. Many teams who lose say the other team was lucky or the umpires or referees blew a call. But the winners have the ultimate argument. Scoreboard! I am, I can and I do.
Wherever you are I hope you have scoreboard too. I know some people don’t.

By: Rhesus

Rhesus — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 05:31:49 +0000

“I like it here. I will continue to complain…”

Cheap, but still…

By: seouldout

seouldout — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 05:14:55 +0000

Hmmm, three years of butt play to get a free subway token later in life or plop down a 1000 won? Okay Netizen Kim, you win that one. You’ve earned your free ride.

By: Maddlew

Maddlew — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:53:10 +0000

You say it isn’t my right to lodge a complaint. Well, the Korean government says otherwise. Slowly, the rest of Korea is joining in. You think Korea will remain in stasis while the rest of the world adapts? Too late.
My God, open your eyes. Korea will become less discriminitory because it is in its best interest, or so LG, Samsung and Hyundai believe. Sorry, they’re running the show and you’re not.
Now, if you think that this is a bad thing, diminishing discrimination because it is such a wonderful and integral part of Koreanness, then that is subject to a whole new debate.
I do live here. I like it here. I will continue to complain and Korea will continue to grant me that right because it believes that right for me exists.

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:22:10 +0000

“Korea would be wise not to let foreigners to deconstruct the meaning of the national identity.”

That old ‘Are we losing our national identity?’ fear mongering trick doesn’t work on me. I’ve heard it so many times before in Canada, it’s starting to sound like a broken record.

Actually, national identity as we generally know it is artificial: it is often created by a government trying to manipulate nationalistic sentiment and it rarely reflects the complex reality (or rather realities) of its citizens. Either way, loss of national identity is inevitable because all societies are in constant evolution as a result of the (mainly) innner and (sometimes) outer influence that are place upon it (generally by its members). We just don’t notice the process as it is generally a slow one in democratic societies.

By: Rhesus

Rhesus — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 00:21:02 +0000

Sonagi,

I’m not sure I understand your second paragraph (39). African Americans weren’t immigrants, for one. And again, it seems you’re applying a (to you) universal, abstract principle to this situation, which is a mistake, I think.

“I think your question is a red herring.”

Nah, this question is important. Is one’s primary allegiance to a set of abstract principles, or to an actual, existing society? These two kinds of allegiances are not necessarily complementary.

“Keep sputtering.”

That’s a bit antagonistic, don’t you think?

o.t. The parrot bite is starting to get better, finally.