Comments on: Koreans Feel Like They’re Giving, But Not Getting Back: US Commerce Secretary

By: Janus

Janus — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:04:43 +0000

I nth CM.

By: Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:47:15 +0000

How exactly do the Koreans justify the statement that they’ve given everything? It seems just the opposite. They’ve agreed to a trade deal via an elected government and now they want to renege on it. The US has not reneged. The US is ready to hold up its end of the bargain.

It’s Lone Star over again in one key way- lack of Korean reliability based on xenophobia and nationalism, and at the expense of reason and self interest.

At this point, any action taken by the US Gov’t, outside an endless cycle of giving in on one issue at a time while the Koreans have the next one heating up, will be met with powerful opposition. I think we have to stay out of it and let them sort out their own political mess.

If the UDP or anyone protesting is serious about renegotiating, isn’t it interesting that there’s been nary a peep about what the Korean side should give up in order to be granted the renege on beef??

It goes to show that there is no maturity on the part of those on the streets. If the US comes back with such an idea, a little quid pro quo, how do you think the mob will react? “Look! I’m being oppressed!” Right out of Monty Python.

By: swlee

swlee — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:54:31 +0000

Pops,
how did you know? Do you also know that we are watching you at night? That the fruit and vegetable truck that goes past every hour is actually my commanding officer pumping subliminal messages into your brain while you ready for work. Gotta go, am causing a revolution at 1300hrs, need to clean my mouse.

By: Brendon Carr (Korea Law Blog)

Brendon Carr (Korea Law Blog) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:27:02 +0000

They expect to flood other nation’s markets with their goods and have their companies make huge profits, but you don’t dare try the same with them.

What’s really ridiculous is Korean companies don’t make huge profits. Most Korean companies are barely solvent, what with the bloodsucker class spiriting away profits by means of embezzlement and bribery.

By: Pops

Pops — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:44:01 +0000

Slim, That lefty may be a Panda plant, they’re getting pretty sino centric full of themselves these days. Expect strongarm street tactics, bluster and bravado to migrate into English language blogs to enlighten all the rest, this prattle may be just the initial wave…

By: Left Flank: Ugly Marbling

Left Flank: Ugly Marbling — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:42:27 +0000

[...] Robert Koehler responds defensively and with partisan pique. [US Commerce Secretary Carlos] Gutierrez also said that the US would not renegotiate the beef [...]

By: sumo294

sumo294 — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:19:18 +0000

Marmot as much as I respect your opinion, I would like to see this play out. Because, as inept the lefties are, the conservatives have been sleeping through a changing republic. I begin to think that Korea will swing towards the psuedo democratic messes that constitute Western Europe. Sad, really, but not overly so since its a matter of self-determination. I wonder how long this lame episode will last against a backdrop of serious international portents. Why should it play out? Because at worst Korea just becomes another middling country with a middling culture and a middling economy. And if it has a better future then something better than that mediocrity. You cannot gift something a nation or people lack. You wait and see if they have that something special inside. Let them protest.

By: Nappunsaram

Nappunsaram — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:22:34 +0000

Whoops. Showed footage of the protests and the blockades, not the debates.

By: Nappunsaram

Nappunsaram — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:18:39 +0000

20: There was a full-page article in the latest Newsweek, too. The tagline was “America and South Korea have much to gain from their big trade deal, but may kill it for silly reasons.”

http://www.newsweek.com/id/139402

The TV coverage of the situation is gaining momentum. It’s on the headlines for the BBC and Al Jazeera. Interestingly, the BBC talked about the protests and then mad cow disease, while Al Jazeera showed footage of the debates, and then the political fallout for LMB. To quote the guy they talked to on the street “(LMB) doesn’t listen to us. This is our constitutional right.” They also quoted that the beef trade to S.K. is worth $800 million.

By: JohnT

JohnT — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:17:28 +0000

It’s seems to me that most Koreans think they should get anything/everything they want and not give anything back. It’s always take, take, take with them.

They expect to flood other nation’s markets with their goods and have their companies make huge profits, but you don’t dare try the same with them.

Korean men seem to think it’s their right to date foreign females and even have TV shows about it, but don’t you dare steal “their” women if you’re a foreign guy. Sure if you are rich and famous it’s more acceptable, but it’s still stealing “their” women regardless.

When was the last time you heard about a Korean cussing out a Korean guy in public for being with a foreign woman? It may happen, but when do you hear stories about it?

They bitch and moan (and demonstrate)about Americans/foreigners, but Americans/foreigners have no right to do the same about them.

They expect to be respected elsewhere in the world when they go some place, but they don’t do the same for others. This is despite the fact that they say they are so kind to outsiders.

How many half or non-Koreans born here are appointed to senior positions in the public or private sectors for example?

This thinking isn’t true of all Koreans and some (the cool ones) hate that kind of shit, but the majority of voices always drown out the minority of voices.