According to at least one North Korean hidding in China, who hazards to guess that he speaks for a lot of North Koreans, he thinks all the beef protests in South Korea show that democracy there is still immature and “developing.” Per the article:
“Since coming here to China, I have seen the candlelight protests on an almost daily basis through South Korean TV. It is hard to say that I speak on behalf of all North Korean citizens, but when watching the candlelight protest campaign, my thoughts were that South Korea is not a completely realized democratic society, but is a country which is in a transitional stage of development.”
“I can understand if several tens or hundreds of people become ill from U.S. beef. But American and South Korean people are eating it now, so what is the problem? I do not understand having protests on the basis of the hypothetical risk alone.”
On the flip side, it is likely that this particular North Korean probably doesn’t understand how vCJD hibernates in the brain for 10 to 30 years as well as the underlying, non-beef related issues that play a role in the candle light protests, but it’s an interesting read nontheless. Ah, the prespective gained from living in a dirt poor, repressive, totalitarian country.
30 Comments
By dirt poor, repressive, totalitarian country, do you mean China or North Korea. Hey-o!
Try the roast beef, it’s great
Or do you mean South Korea?
I haven’t heard anyone as reasonable as that in a while here in the Dirty South.
“On the flip side, it is likely that this particular North Korean probably doesn’t understand how vCJD hibernates in the brain for 10 to 30 years”
Hey, nobody gets any guarantees in this life. Every expatriate in Korea takes his or her chances of coming away with hepatitis, VD, tuberculosis, Hansen’s Disease, chollera, mosquito-borne diseases, etc.
While Koreans have the right to demand assurances that imports will be held to domestic standards, the protestors are in fact demanding that US products be held to standards exceeding those set for domestic product or by the OIC.
The hypocracy of this is underscored by the unconcern about the quality of Chinese imports.
The demand that Korea be granted the same deal as Japan is an all-too-familiar red herring, as Japanese import conditions are consistent with Japanese domestic standards.
Korea has not a double but a triple standard: one standard for domestic products, a lowered standard for Chinese products and a higher standard specifically for US products.
The attempt to justify such discriminatory trade practices on moral grounds appears absurd, and yet, righteous indignation is on display. The conclusion that Koreans generally internalize a belief they are entitled to special treatment is unavoidable. While it is difficult to reconcile this with the fact that Korea has been far and away the net benefactor of US policies, logic has little to do with emotional relationships.
It would appear that Korea feels humiliated about the poverty of its past and remains hypersensitive to any perception of not being treated in accordance with their perceived elevated status. Contrast this to Japan, where there appears not to be such a blatant inferiority complex. Apparently the Japanese feel that since it took 2 atom bombs to defeat them, and as there is shared guilt for the sins of the past, the 2 nations are essentially on a level playing field. In contrast, the desparate need to prove oneself appears to be the driving force behind Korean national pride. It’s a national pride propelled by a psychological complex, and this is why reason cannot win the day.
In terms of business, attempting to hold Korea to standards of fair dealing has been a consistent challenge, and dealing with Korea’s arbitrary standards is a huge headache.
This leads me to conclude that as China and India and who knows what up-and-coming nations gradually fill the supply niches that Korea currently occupies, capital should eventually flow to those nations that are easier and fairer to do business with. Lacking a clear cost advantage, as any quality advantage slips away, Korea may have nothing more to offer than real estate for military bases.
Korea’s star is falling. It is a one-hit wonder, a flash in the pan, and it is headed for a huge correction. In this context, the FTA is desparately needed, and to endanger it over non-issues is foolhardy. In business dealings, one needs to know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, which the Korean public and opposition parties do not appear to understand. What they must understand is that they are not in a strong position, and anti-american propoganda is not a bargaining tool. Korea has just used up a bargaining chip - anti-US sentiment - to wrangle out a meaningless concession on US beef, but at what expense?
#2
South Korea isnt poor, repressive or totalitarian. Although you could make an argument about some areas of Seoul being dirty.
And its all the more ironic that you accuse South Korea of repression and totalitarianism when your user name is Mao.
Mizar,
You deal with Korea’s complexity when it comes to American beef because it’s a huge market, U.S. cattle rancher’s third largest export market. It’s going to provide a billion dollars of extra revenue which the U.S. beef industry would sorely like to have as domestic demand weakens.
In terms of the beef market, South Korea is the hot girl at the bar. You’ll put up with the silly games she plays if you can take her back to your place… and the U.S. beef industry is very close to taking the pants off that hoe (so to speak). So you won’t hear much complaining from the U.S. (government or beef industry) nor should you. ‘Cause it’s getting what it wants at the end of the day.
I believe the 10-30 year hibernation period is not conclusively proven yet. It’s generally believed to be true.
The astronomically low chances of anyone contracting the disease in the first place almost renders this concern a moot point. Also we haven’t witnessed a widespread breakout of MDC among baby boomers and seniors who consumed American beef in the 60’s or the 70’s.
WangKon, good observation and nice analogy. However, remember that we are not talking about a one night stand, but a long-term relationship.
As badly as that girl may crave a little meat, she can’t live without her sugar daddy. If that girl has too much baggage, daddy can go find another place to put his meat, so to speak.
Apparently, according to Hankyoreh, American Beef industry has won the case against Canadian beef that South Dakota judge ruled against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) over-30-month rule on Canadian beef,,,
http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/int.....97757.html
It could give fuels to the candlelight protestors whatever 목장·축산업자 법률소송 기금 the R-CALF USA’s seven arguments based on. And for sure, this stuff will give a smile to many civic groups behind the candlelight.
I do not have English source. Anybody knows about this case?
As I’m begining to find out… anything from the Hankyoreh has to be taken with a grain of salt…
Kinda true, but not really:
http://www.montanasnewsstation.....=menu227_8
The U.S. is still importing Canadian beef over 30 months. The judge just ruled that the USDA should re-open the ruling to public comment and revise if it’s deemed necessary.
I do think that R-CALF isn’t acting much better than what’s going on in S. Korea (although at least they’re being civil and legal about it), and that their actions are mostly a lot of protectionist nonsense disguised as health concerns.
What does a North Korean, living in China, know about democracy? They know they don’t live in one that’s for sure.
Is this article not available in Korean? If not, why?
Well, these protests were held at what cost, you ask? 2.5 billion dollars, to be exact.
http://www.reuters.com/article.....USSEO29363
Impostor!
What’s in a package of Oscar Meyer beef bologna? What’s in head cheese? A beef boulion cube? A can of Dinty Moore stewed beef?
All those frozen dinners with some kind of beef?
Actually, I believe the stewed beef comes from brahma beef in Brasil. What are their age limits and health standards? Just wondering?
Okay, The Korean, could you be just a tad more specific?
Maddlew that is the point. Americans eat 30 plus month old beef all the time and have been for a long time. The very idea that a small country across the ocean which basically was brought up on the back America thinks that what Americans eat everyday is not good enough for them is breeding contempt for Korea.
#15,
Nothing but lips and asses.
“…non-beef related issues that play a role in the candle light protests…”
That’s his point: the hippies are having a tantrum-fest, but pretending it’s about a serious issue. Even North Koreans can spot useless, dirty hippies. Good on him.
“I do not understand having protests on the basis of the hypothetical risk alone.”
Do you understand dancing to get laid? This is protesting to get laid.
“Organisers said that, starting this week, they will no longer hold rallies on a nightly basis but plan to stage major protests at the weekends.”
Friday and Saturday nights, and don’t for get to look your best!
It’s better to drink a little beforehand; the beer downtown is expensive.
# 14,
Yes siree… we know there is only one Korean…
# 21,
Any hot girls? If so, I’m there! Where’s my candle?! Where’s my rain slicker?!
Shit, it’s cheaper than clubbing!
South Korea is the hot girl at the bar? lol
Then America is a fat ugly man to Korea?
Hahahahahahaha~~~~~~ What an arrogant country Korea is.
Like what I saw in a Rockford File episode, these loser(candlelight burners) may have eaten at McDonald before coming to the meeting and if you tell them that Hamburgers are made from beef they will not believe you.
“Hamburgers do not come from beef”, they will say, “It comes from a supermarket”.
These candlelight arsonists are so dumb that they do not even know what they are demonstrating against. Some are against the privatization of the public agencies. Others are against the government’s attempt to fire the head of KBS broadcasting system.
These losers are so immoral that they will buy and consume American beef and still come to candlelight virgil. Koreans can be very hypocritical.
Very hypocritical.
Baduk,
Are you sure you don’t mean “some” Koreans can be hypocritical rather than group ‘em all together?
“Some” is inferred from the context.
I am talking about losers who are demonstrating. When I say, “Koreans”, I narrowed the word down to those egg-suckers.
If I wanted to widen to include the entire Koreans, I would have said “All Koreans”.
I don’t know. I think this north Korean escapee probably knows more about democracy than most south Koreans or even Americans. Just because he was brought up in a country without democracy doesn’t mean he is completely ignorant of it. Maybe he studied up on it while in exile in China and is a self educated person when it comes to democracy. It’s actually a rather refreshing point of view, not us, and not them. A third party, and a rather unexpected third party at that. He probably dreamed of freedom so much while he was locked up in the north, that when he got to a (semi) free country, he started to read up on democracy to see what it’s all about. Now, that leads me to the next question: why is he still in China if he really wanted to be free in the first place? Don’t know, don’t know… Maybe he’s scared of liberal south Koreans rejecting him.
# 28,
Pretty good observation David. I too believe you don’t have to live in or among something to have an informed opinion. Some of the best commentaries I’ve read on America and American democracy was what defectors from the USSR wrote.
Some of the best commentaries I’ve read on America and American democracy was what defectors from the USSR wrote.
Yes, I agree. Such as Yakov Smirnoff.
In America, you catch a cold.
In Soviet Russia, cold catches you!
In America, you can always find a party.
In Soviet Russia, Party finds you!
In America, you drive car.
In Soviet Russia, car drives you!
In America, You watch TV.
In Soviet Russia, TV watch YOU!
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[...] tragic in a way, the very thing Korea holds to keeps it from moving forward. Take a look at the comments, particulalry #3, to a blog post about a North Korean in China reflecting on the recent anti-US [...]