Let me see if I get this — you’re conducting a program to help foreign students become better acquainted with Korean history and traditional life, and of all the historic and cultural spots around the country, you’re bringing them to Dokdo? [Korea Herald]
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More like acquainting foreign students with propaganda. Forget about showing them some great places in Gangwon Do, or taking them to Haeinsa or Gongju, or giving them a day and night to check out Busan (heck, maybe even without the guides!) Instead they had to go to Dokdo so they could be photographed with an English banner. I’m sure they enjoyed experiencing traditional culture on the islets with the with the locals. Oh yeah, I forgot; there aren’t any!
How is this different from being required to pay one’s respects to he of the gigantic goiter if one goes to P-yang?
Shuffled off to Dokdo? I just hope the students knew enough in advance that when they rented their cellphone at the airport they went with KTF.
Kyoro Tours may start doing SK as well.
Visiting those rocks may actually teach foreign students a lot about Korea — just not what the hosts have in mind.
When is Starbucks going to open there?
As soon as they decide if they should charge in yen or won?
Slim, You are, very unfortunately, quite right.
slim,
I was thinking the same thing. I predict most of them will come to resent the experience.
“How is this different from being required to pay one’s respects to he of the gigantic goiter if one goes to P-yang?”
Gee, I don’t know. Maybe knowing in advance that you’ll be used for propaganda purposes?
Traditional? Dokdo? What?!?!?! Yes, it is Korean land, but come on, of all the cultural treasures in Korea, they had to bring them to an uninhabited bunch of rocks covered in seagull poop?
Please do not forget the “abundant natural resources” that are under all that seagull poop. Many a Korean have explained to me that there are natural gas reserves (suspected to be) there, which is just one more reason the Evil Yasakuni Worshippers are trying to high-jack the place. Those poopy islets are not only a Korean treasure but also a goldmine just waiting to be tapped.
Korean reporters just keep raising the global standard of English language usage in the media:
“They will also visit an old Buddhist temple in the city; coming face to face with Korea’s roots in ancient culture.”
Mind you, these kids were already templed out after Seoul and Gyeongju, yet there they were…face to face…with a giant golden Buddha.
“Traditional? Dokdo? What?!?!?! Yes, it is Korean land, but come on, of all the cultural treasures in Korea, they had to bring them to an uninhabited bunch of rocks covered in seagull poop?”
Think about how much all the minerals in that poop will be worth in the future. Heck, the elderly couple that lives on the island could declare Dokdo an independent republic (the real reason the Korean soldiers are there is to prevent that from happening, by the way).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauru
Yes, there are likely plenty of mineral and gas deposits there, but the purpose of the trip was “to help foreign students become better acquainted with Korean history and traditional life”. The trip had nothing to do with researching the wealth of natural resources here. Anyway, it is also a treasure trove for the fishing industry as well.
This was a propagangda ploy that was no less subtle than the “독도 우리땅” signs on the little RC boats at Gyeongju World, a (sad) amusement park down here in 경북.
“Many a Korean have explained to me that there are natural gas reserves (suspected to be) there, which is just one more reason the Evil Yasakuni Worshippers are trying to high-jack the place.”
Any proof of this? Sounds great, but is there anything there? Assuming it exists, can it be extracted/refined at a profit? Reminds me of reports over the years of sunken Russian treasure ships loaded with gold in the East Sea which, not surprisingly, turned out to be complete and utter bullshit stories.
“This was a propagangda ploy that was no less subtle than the “독도 우리땅” signs on the little RC boats at Gyeongju World, a (sad) amusement park down here in 경북.”
Sounds like a place likely to have a roller coaster tragedy in the near future…