I heard a story. . . it might have been talmudic, it might have just been one of those old folk tales that goes around, I can’t remember for sure, about an old man sitting by his city gate. When travellers came by, they’d ask him, “What is this city like?” and he’d say, “What were people like in the last city you visited?”

If they answered, “In the last city, people were rude, greedy, conniving and narrow-minded,” he’d answer, “Keep travelling. People here are the same.”

And if they answered, “In the last city, people were kind, generous, helpful and honest,” he’d say, “Well you might enjoy visiting our city: people are the same way here.”

I think that it’s typical of human beings to think that their experiences and knowledge are the most valid and the most truthful. Every country and every person has faults, if one digs down. I believe that like attracts like (The Law of Attraction), and as day follows night, if one LOOKS for only negatives in Korea or any other country, of course negative is what they will attract.

And, I mentioned this in another site…

Buddhists believe in Karma (or acts of providence, fate or destiny).

Sometimes, I think the relationship between some English teachers who constantly criticize all Koreans, and some Koreans who constantly suggest that all the English teachers are marihuana smoking, womanizing, low life bastards, must in their previous life have had awful wife/mistress relationships, or horrible mother in law/ daughter in law relationships, that are being resolved in this life through the constant bickering and criticising I read.

It’s impressive that you, a non-Korean, mention:

[Quote] - from your essay ….
“…any case, while the meaning of the word arirang is uncertain, the emotive and thematic thrust of most versions of the plaintive, passionate song is clear: It expresses the han(한) or bitter sorrow and longing of two lovers forced tragically by the invisible hand of fate to part – a particularly resonant theme among the long-divided Korean people”. [Quote]

I thought HAN was something non- Koreans could never understand. It’s an emotion only Koreans possess (so I think).

[Quote] – comment from your essay …
Koreans love to wax lyrically and emotionally about their 5,000-year-old history and proud nation, but when push really comes to shove, this is a country in which money trumps tradition almost every time that can hope to stop development’s money-mad destruction of historic neighborhoods and buildings, but more often than not they seem clueless and to hardly give a toss.[Quote]

We chose LMB, so what can I say? Also, the problem with Korea is that they didn’t go through the process of resolving their issues with the Japanese and pro-Japanese (traitors during the Colonial period). Korea was divided into two separate states and war broke out straight after becoming liberated from Japan. Most of the Koreans who fought so hard and gave up so much for Korea’s independence from Japan, were totally ignored and silenced by their own government (the first government of Korea who hired pro Japanese as government officials).

That the pro-Japanese people were not brought to justice, and in fact were given high government positions, was the worst thing that could have happened, in terms of its effect on the moral values of some Korean people. I believe this extremely negative impact continues to this day.

At the end of the day, I criticize Korea for accepting Western culture without filtering. Mind you, I do believe in learning as much as possible from western cultures, but I agree that it is ludicrous for any country, let alone one with an ancient culture like Korea’s, to accept another culture without filtering, and without acknowledging, celebrating and keeping what is good about one’s own culture. I think that’s what you have said in your book as well. I criticize the inefficiencies and seeming lack of forethought of the Korean government.

[Quote] Again, whenever I take a mildly pro-North engagement stance on this blog, I get ridiculed by all the hard-liners here. And I certainly don’t see much informed commentary on the North on Dave’s either. Yes, I criticized South Korean nationalism in my book, but that’s because I consider it hypocritical in the way it looks down on and often ignores Choson-jok and the people up North. Do _you_ care about the Choson-jok and the Northerners, and if so what have you done to help them?[Quote]

There’s a China based organization that helps North Korean escapees. I don’t know about Koreans living in other countries, but Koreans living in Australia set up organizations which collect donations from gyopos and help China based organization. Yes, I criticize myself for only saying I want to something positive for North Koreans but not actually taking any action myself.

LiveWithPassion, thank you for reading my book, but I have a question for you. These essays were in that book:

http://www.kingbaeksu.com/bbs/.....amp;no=156

http://www.kingbaeksu.com/bbs/.....&no=59

Do you consider such essays “belittling Korea”? Actually, when I talk about the problems of urban development on this blog, I get ridiculed as a “sentimental Orientalist” for the most part. And actually, on Dave’s I have rarely seen people concerned about the redevelopment of Seoul.

And is this essay “belittling” Korea:

http://www.kingbaeksu.com/bbs/.....amp;no=154

Again, whenever I take a mildly pro-North engagement stance on this blog, I get ridiculed by all the hard-liners here. And I certainly don’t see much informed commentary on the North on Dave’s either. Yes, I criticized South Korean nationalism in my book, but that’s because I consider it hypocritical in the way it looks down on and often ignores Choson-jok and the people up North. Do _you_ care about the Choson-jok and the Northerners, and if so what have you done to help them?

My book was social critique, the intention was not to belittle Korea and I’m sorry if you feel that way about it. Some of it was sarcastic at times but my message was very sincere.

Thanks again for reading and sorry I didn’t answer your comment sooner, but I only just noticed it now.

No, using Nazi imagery to sell cosmetics is not typical of every country of the world.

Anyway, thanks for the update.

Good points. A lot of non-Koreans belittle Koreans in these forums because, uh… hummm… ah… they have nothing else better to do. Not much more going on in their lives.

Anyways, regarding said ad, here is an update.

http://ap.google.com/article/A.....QD902TV7O1

And just like citizens of any other country in the world, we are hurt when people who do not take the trouble to learn about us or understand us, express blatantly biased or uninformed opinions about us.

When a person like Scott Burgeson belittles Korea the way he did in his publication ‘대한민국 사용후기’ something boils inside me. I can see, Sadly, that Burgeson’s 대한민국 사용후기 is a summary of most of the comments on Dave’s . I feel so deeply angry and disappointed to read such negativity, with no attempt being made at ALL to understand other humans or cultures, or present a balanced viewpoint.

We do learn World History at school. Yes, I agree that some Koreans are ignorant. I agree that some are thoughtless. I agree that some are insensitive. Are there not ignorant/thoughtless/insensitive people in every country? Many Koreans are educated, wise, sensitive, loyal, kind, dependable and able to put themselves in other people’s shoes. Some are not. Is this not typical of every country? How do you know what most of Koreas think about an advertisement like Coreana’s?

By the way, I couldn’t find the newspaper article in Joonang Il Bo – the link didn’t work. You only had comments from 4 -5 gyopos; I agree with some of the gyopos’ comments, and some I find childish. Wouldn’t that be typical of the opinions of any group, young or old? Some make sense; others don’t.

I am just so appalled the way some of you try to belittle these gyopos at every opportunities and denigrate Korea and Koreans in general..

Prejudices that result from religion, race or culture seem to get more and more controversial the more we talk. The argument never ends. We don’t seem to learn.

****Brian, I will write to Korean newspapers and let you know how they respond.*****

We Koreans DO see our own faults. We criticize our own faults and problems. We Koreans are WELL aware that there are problems with our educational system, that some Koreans spit on the street, that SOME Koreans are thoughtless and close the door without thinking of the people behind them. Can you think of a country where SOME people aren’t exactly the same as this? Without wishing to hit out at people from other countries, thus making myself just as guilty of bias and unkindness, is it not the truth that many Americans, for example, are almost completely unaware of what is going on in the rest of the world? Is this their own fault? A little, yes. Is it the fault of the American education system? A lot, in my opinion, due to its bias towards everything American, and disregard of things and people that are not American. And America would not be the only country to focus their education on themselves.

Oh yes, we criticize unscrupulous Hagwon owners. Not surprisingly, many teachers then have bad experiences with these Hagwon owners, and in retaliation, feel it appropriate to label every Korean as unscrupulous. When these same English teachers jump on the “let’s criticize Korea” bandwagon, show no respect for Korea or Koreans, and make no effort to understand their host country, it appalls me.

I feel really ashamed, as a Korean, and angry as a member of the human race, whenever I encounter individuals or businesses who are as insensitive as the Coreana Cosmetics people have been in using an advertisement featuring Nazis. I believe that at the very least, it demonstrates a lack of imagination, that they have to resort to such appalling advertising strategies in order to gain the attention of the public. I that in many Korean people’s minds, such a strategy would have the reverse effect to the one the advertisers desire. I hope that the company’s image would be tarnished immeasurably, and that many responsible individuals would boycott their products.

As a Korean, I am angry that the creators of such advertisements provide the perfect opportunity for expatriates to widely express and reinforce negative opinions they may hold of our countrymen. Such opinions are expressed by some of the English teachers who seem to make it their life’s work to criticize Korea.