If you want to read zainichi judo star and K-1 fighter Yoshihiro Akiyama (Chu Seong-hun) bitch about being discriminated against in both Japan AND Korea, read on.
Frankly, there’s only so sorry I can feel for a guy with such great hair and girlfriend who looks like this (although I’ve always been partial to her friend Hwang Sin-hye myself). Nice suit, too.
41 Comments
How the hell do you get “Yoshihiro Akiyama” out of “Chu Seong-hun”?
One of my former university students was Korean-Japanese. He was kind, smart, athletic, and rather handsome… You’d think the other students would have gone out of their way to become friends with him, but he always seemed somewhat alone in class.
It’s great that he’s finally found success. There’s a different sort of melancholy and set of problems to deal with that people in between national boundaries and ethnic lines have to deal with. It may seem very simple but just the sense of belonging is very crucial to mental health, something that, often times, people who already have an identity that they can easily belong to don’t easily understand.
This discrimination is probably what drives him a fighter in the first place.
^ as a fighter
#1 - When a Korean family moves to Korea, they usually end up adopting American-sounding names. e.g., how do you get “Joseph” from “Chul-soo”? It’s the same concept here. I suspect that Chu’s family changed their surname as well in order to hide their Korean background.
In the case of “Joseph” from “Chul-soo”, there is no cognate. Is the same true for Zainichi Koreans, or would, say, every “Park” have the same Japanese last name as well?
“Bitch” is hardly a fair characterization of what the guy is doing. Korea and Japan are far from being the giant melting pot America is. I wonder if you’d be as critical of foreign workers, biracial children, or more importantly, expats in Korea who rightly complain about the discrimination they face. Sure, you’re being sarcastic, apparently because Chu is now somewhat of a public figure, but somehow I don’t see you being equally sarcastic about say, a child of a foreign worker who despite the discrimination and against all odds makes something of herself and later tries to convey the hardships she went through.
I also want to know the answer to dogbert’s question.
I do know that the first letter of the last name, you keep. Chu kept the “ga-eul?-chu” character. In order to make it Japanese style, he added a 2nd character.
Curiously, most Japanese used 2 character last names, instead of the Chinese or Korean single domination.
Easiest would be to ask a Korean hal-ah-buh-ji, who had done chang-shi-gae-myung in his younger days.
I don’t understand on what basis the 2nd character is added.
Certain Chinese last names, though, are kept as is, with single Chinese character last names, even in Japan. That, I am sure of. Baseballl legend, Sadaharu Oh. Wang in Korean. Wong in Chinese, I believe.
I will guess that the 2nd character has to do with what region your ancestor is from.
An interesting thought, given that many Kim, Park, Lees are fake nobles to begin with.
This kind of keep your 1st character, add a 2nd, didn’t work well with Park Chung Hee, I think. Wasn’t Japanese enough. So, he became Okamoto.
I think Kim Dae Jung took Toyota as his, and then went back to Kim.
to even things out.
one of the things I always wanted to do, was ask every old Korean what his Japanese last name was.
you never know, they might just say it, without realizing they should have smacked me in the face first.
So far, I have been too much of a coward, and it probably will feel like sin.
#7,9 - Here, we come to a divergence. Some Koreans choose a Japanese equivalent of their Korean surnames (during the influx of Korean immigrants following the Japanese Occupation, “Kaneyama” was a common equivalent for the surname “Kim”). Others, however, choose surnames that are unrelated whatsoever to their original Korean names. This also holds true with first names. I believe there are more Koreans with unrelated Japanese surnames than there are Koreans who choose to use a rough equivalent of their last name in Japanese. Of this, however, I am not sure.
So, to answer your question, every “Park” would not have the same Japanese surname.
You don’t say.
Look, not to minimize discrimination against ethnic Koreans in Japan, but at the same time, what Chu was most upset about was not being put on the Japanese national team despite being a national of a foreign nation. Once he naturalized, he got a spot on the national team. Now, he might have a legitimate grip about being kept off the Korean team, but then again, maybe not — his coach with Busan City Hall, even while admitting that Chu had to take shit while he was there — seemed to suggest he was exaggerating a bit.
http://www.cbs.co.kr/Nocut/Show.asp?IDX=761667
Not to mention some feel he’s playing both sides to boost his own popularity:
http://www.mydaily.co.kr/news/.....038;ext=na
And how are we supposed to take something like this?
한편, 이날 토론에는 직접 추성훈의 직접적인 멘트도 들을 수 있었다. 추성훈은 전화통화를 통해 “난 한국사람이고 한국을 좋아하며 사랑한다. 그런 것을 한국팬들이 다 알고 있어서 응원을 해주는 것 같다”라며 “일본에 귀화했지만 그래도 난 한국사람이라고 믿고 있다. 그런 마음을 팬들이 알고 있는 것 같다”고 말했다.
Or:
It’s almost as if he’s a caricature of the “5th columnist gyopo” that you’ll read some commenters here bitch about.
Back to your comment, though:
Firstly, in no way would I rate expats “more importantly” than foreign workers and biracial children. Secondly, I would say I’d oppose long-term Canadian residents playing on the Korean ice hockey team unless they were Korean citizens, and likewise, I’ve stated on this blog that I dislike the idea of employing foreigners as high-ranking civil servants in Korea, as suggested by LMB.
#11,
I knew an elderly Korean lady who was quite proud of the fact that she learned Japanese during the occupation. Few Koreans did, actually. The Japanese found out pretty quickly that you cannot force a language upon someone. Language is simply not a good means of control a population as it cannot be spread as easily as a disease (to loosely quote Widdowson (I think)).
I was curious about this as well once when I was doing a teaching stint in Japan a long time ago. Not sure how accurate this is, but I was told that even if you simply switched your names to Japanese equivalent meanings, the name itself might not be a traditional family name or would be well known among say large employers that certain ethnic groups used it. Thus they simply used more common Japanese names that could be construed so as to avoid possible discrimination.
Somebody better call a waaaaaambulance. This guy plays both sides of the fence, particularly in K-1, where he wins for Korea and the Korean people (the Japanese are too polite to make a big deal of this).
The guy is almost as sickening as the Canadian who as far as I can tell is probably half Korean and half Caucasian and can’t even speak Korean, but in English tells the Korean audience that he fights for them against the “foreigner.” Truly a chunder-inducing moment.
Many Koreans (not all of them) living in Japan have a Japanese alias to hide their Korean-ness. However, they must have a Japanese name once they are naturalized. Son (孫、half Japanese), president of SoftBank is the only exception I can think of. Koreans prefer symmetrical Chinese characters like
Kaneda (金田), Kanayama (金山), Toyota(豊田),etc.
Mr. natto,
Don’t the Chinese origin last names usually keep it the way it is?
Like, Son, you mentioned.
It is the same as Sun, I believe.
There are a few others I could name, but you could, too.
Was Lotte’s Shin ever naturalized? Or is Shin also Shin in Japan?
if Kimsoft was alive, he would have been of priceless assistance.
#18
Almost all of them have two Chinese characters as a Japanese name.
Other than Kim (金) it is impossible to make two-character name by using the original last name. All of them sound very strange in Japanese.
Lotte’s Shin has a Japanese name which is 重光 (Shigemitsu). I am not sure if he is naturalized. He is rumored to have dual citizenships.
Robert:
I completely agree with you that non-citizens, by definition, do not belong on the national team. But the plight of Koreans living in Japan is very real and unfortunate. No, I’m not talking about the discrimination they face in Japan. I don’t know enough about Japan to intelligently comment on whether the discrimination Koreans face there is worse than the kind foreigners generally face in any country. What I’m talking about is the hardships these Koreans face in Korea. These people are Japan residents who, simply out of patriotism, choose to keep their Korean citizenships in the face of discrimination or at least inconvenience. They are fully aware of the consequences, so they are mentally well-equipped to endure whatever perceived unfairness they face in Japan. What hurts them most, however, and what eventually disillusions them, is the discriminatory treatment they face in Korea. The sports world is probably one the most backward communities in Korea. It is rife with mental, physical, and sexual violence, and the partisan politics that Chu fell victim to. That’s why we contantly read about atheletes who, after a lifetime of enduring inconvenience and possible discrimination just to remain a Korean citizen while living in Japan, in the end are forced to either become a naturalized Japanese citizen or give up their career. I’m never quick to be judgmental, so I respect whatever choices Japanese residents of Korean descent make. But one thing for sure, when they choose to remain a Korean, they should not face discrimination in their home country.
You probably knew all this, so on to where our opinions diverge. We know for a fact that Yoshihiro was one who chose to stay Korean, at least until his career was on the verge of being derailed in Korea. So for me, the logical conclusion is that he chose to become a Japnese mainly for career development purposes. That’s why I believe him when he says he still feels Korean at heart, etc. I’m the last one to go on a nationalistic rant and praise or chastise him for his choice. I’m just sayings that I believe his statements that you took exception to. After all, the discrimination he (allegedly) faced in Korea is the same kind all Korean atheletes face; his was just a little more pronounced.
Of course, K-1 (which is only a couple of steps away from the WWE), will milk his predicament and the controversy for all it’s worth, but that doesn’t change my mind about the credibility of what Yoshihiro is saying. (I stopped watching K-1 and Pride four years ago after being disgusted by some matches that were obviously fixed. The UFC, on the other hand, is about as corruption-free as any sports organization can get. Good thing they bought Pride.)
thank you, Mr. Natto.
Long time reader,First time commenter.
“How the hell do you get “Yoshihiro Akiyama” out of “Chu Seong-hun”?”
Simple.
Akiyama Yoshihiro is 秋山成勲 in Japanese.
Not so much different from秋成勲Chu Seong-hun.
Not that I deny some in Japan have negative feeling about Zainichi Korean
and discrimination still is a hot issue,but I think K-1 fan’s are angry about same old “slippery”tricks,not his ethnicity.
I hate to bring wiki as source of any argument.But notheless it is convenient.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihiro_Akiyama
Actually, most Koreans with a Japanese name, at least those whose family “emigrated” [forcibly or not] to Japan during the colonization of Korea by Japan [forced labour anyone?] *had to* take a Japanese name.
Indeed, the generations after the war kept the Japanese name along with the “real” one — including on their ID cards — as a way to make their life relatively easier. My ex g/f, a 3rd generation zainichi, used to switch between both identities depending on whom she spoke to.
This is one of the reasons why I hope discrimination in Korea softens at the very least. I dont see any reason to reject skilled and smart folks just because they didn’t live in Korea. If they are Korean they are Korean.
Only in Cantonese, where Wong can be 王 or 黃… In Mandarin the former is Wang, the latter Huang.
I’ve read somewhere Japanese last names, such as Yamato, indicate the origin of a place.
Such similar naming could be found in Silla Kingdom.
Mounting evidence that Koreans are ancestors to Japanese.
Bow down Japanese right wings.
Sorry to burst your bubble but historically things flow from Korea to Japan. There is overwhelming proof from archeological digs so please take your nonsense elsewhere.
Religion, civilization are from Korea.
Some Japanese words are from Korea.
The Yakuza is from Korea.
*archaeological*
“Religion, civilization are from Korea.”
So we don’t need to bow down to Chinese that much?
Good news.
iha an elderly Korean client no too long ago. When she started speaking to me in Korean, I immediately heard a Japanese accent. In others words, some of her inflections sounded Japanese and not Korean. I asked her about this. She told me she was zainichi and lived the first 10 years of her life in Japan. After that, she went to live in Korea. She said she had a hard time there for the first few years. She was treated as if she were Japanese. She said they always called her chokbari. She told me she never understood why Koreans refer to Japanese as chokbari (choke-bah-ree) which, btw, means somebody with a pig foot. I pointed out traditional Japanese shoes and socks and she understood immediately.
Chokbari is kind of funny when you think about it.
So we don’t need to bow down to Chinese that much?
Since when did anyone bow to the Chinese? Im sorry if the Chinese are the biggest joke on the planet but lets not project our personal issues here.
2 words. William Hung.
“2 words. William Hung.”
Who?
Somehow I have no idea why I get this Australian flag.
But I’m a Chokbari!
“chokbari is kind of funny when you think about it.”
Like lawn jockey or towel head, right?
The problem comes in with Loyalty.
During WW1 and WW2, many Americans were the children of immigrants from Germany. They were willing, and desirous to fight for the USA against their parent’s land of birth.
For example, My Great Grandfather came from Germany. His Son, William, was a sailor in WW1. I had three Uncles fight for the USA in WW2. They were the grandchildren of German immigrants.
The question is not of nationality. The question is of loyalty.
So after 2 generations in Japan…are these persons loyal to Japan or to Korea?
As immigrants to Japan, would they fight against Korea? If Japan would fight against Korea again, would these persons commit terrorist acts against Japan.
***
When people want both pieces of the pie, they often do not get either.
The article mentions the Utoro problem, but I really can’t understand how that would be an example of Korean discrimination in Japan. The land originally was used to house Korean workers hired to build an airplane factory before the war. In 1962, Nissan acquires it, but could not get the residents to move out. Finally, in 1987, Nissan gives up and sells it for 300 million yens to 許昌九 (Heo Chang-gu) aka Mr. Hirayama, who was the head of the Korean community there and received the loan for the purchase from a Mindan (Korean Residents Union in Japan) bank. The deal was cosigned by 河炳旭 Ha Byeong-uk), who was the leader of the Kyoto branch of Mindan. Two months after the acquisition, the land was sold to a company founded by Ha Byeong-uk (Ha & Heo are the representative and executive) for 450 million yens. Then, they try to have the residents evicted. But they fail, and Heo dissappears and Ha sells his company and land to another zainichi-Korean owned company. The company is now trying to sell the entire property to the residents. It’s a case of zainichi Koreans cheating on their own people to get rich.
As for Akiyama, he might actually be received more warmly if he didn’t play so dirty. His fight with Sakuraba on New Year’s Eve in 2006 is now so notorious that he will mostly likely remain the heel of K-1 forever. Among Japanese K-1 fans, he is hated not for his ethnicity, but the way he cheats to win.
Personally, I think this story of “gook” is cute, too.
“Gook
(U.S. military slang) A misunderstood word thought to be derogatory by American troops in the Korean War that was derived from the words “hangook” and “migook”. “Hangook” refers to Korea and “migook” is the common word for America. American troops misinterpreted “migook” (sounds like “me gook”) as an assertion of “I am a gook”.
BTW, twice recently you mentioned having “clients”. What is it you do, exactly?
Dogbert,
Call me a neophyte, but I had no idea that’s where the word “gook” comes from. However, it makes total sense! The thing is that almost all Koreans with whom I have come into contact deny that there is any negative racial epithet used against Koreans. I almost believed them too, but I kept hearing so many older people in the US refer to Koreans as “gooks”. However, on internet boards, so many Koreans deny that “gook” refers to Koreans and vehemently say that it is a word used only for Vietnam. However, now I realize that the word’s origins lie much earlier to the days of the Korean war.
In the link that Robert provided, there is a photo of Akiyama which I swear to God exactly resembles that of the actor Cary Tagawa from the “Mortal Combat” movies. Does anyone else think so too?
I should have made clear that most experts believe the “me gook” story I posted is inaccurate and not the origin of the word, which most believes predates the Korean War.
I just put it up as a counterpoint to pawi’s post. And it is a cute story — just imagine all those scruffy little Korean kids surrounding some halftracks and yelling up at the soldiers, “Me gook, me gook!”
LOL.