Korea Herald on Blog Commentary

by Robert Koehler on August 5, 2008

in Blogging, Ministry of Barbarian Affairs

In the Korea Herald’s Expat Living section, there’s a pretty big piece on expat bloggers, in large part sparked by Brian in Jeollanam-do’s troubles. It has interviews with a number of bloggers, including yours truly.

Give it a read.

{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }

1 bumfromkorea August 5, 2008 at 1:15 pm: You’re allowed to say ‘bitch’, but you can’t say ‘fuck’ (or shit, depending on Metro’s expletive vocabulary preferences)? SEXIST!!!
2 Wedge August 5, 2008 at 1:19 pm: While at the same time the Korea Times calls this blog “A blog opposing the imports of American beef” while lifting the IMF 1 and 2 comparison. Nice one, KT.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ww.....28661.html
3 Tripod August 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm: “Why do foreigners complain so much?”

Because our foreignness not only provides us to view Korea with an outsider’s perspective, it also allows use to express our views as we are detached from the social pressures and intimidations that Koreans are often subjected to.
4 Tripod August 5, 2008 at 1:25 pm: “I seek full and unfettered cooperation in my campaign to correct this foreigner’s behavior. If we cannot do that to a foreigner on our own soil, how can we hope to correct the behavior of U.S. President Bush?”

LOL.

At least he didn’t mention Dokdo.
5 Tripod August 5, 2008 at 1:26 pm: correction…permits us to view Korea from an outsider’s perspective…
6 R. Elgin August 5, 2008 at 1:31 pm: I was sorry to read of Brian’s problems.
I can only wonder why he works for such an employer, made up of bad citizens who seem to be shamed by the virtuous foreigner. Maybe they are not really Korean . . .
7 WangKon936 August 5, 2008 at 1:34 pm: Elgin,

Brian isn’t exactly 100% innocent. He flings the mud sometimes too.
8 NES August 5, 2008 at 1:36 pm: @2 Wedge

While at the same time the Korea Times calls this blog “A blog opposing the imports of American beef” while lifting the IMF 1 and 2 comparison. Nice one, KT.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ww…..28661.html

Robert doesn’t exactly strike me as the “candle girl” type. They should be taken to task for that, but I guess one could make a full-time job of correcting the Korean media (Isn’t that one of Robert’s jobs? I suppose they intentionally waited until he went on vacation).
9 shakuhachi August 5, 2008 at 3:12 pm: Brian isn’t exactly 100% innocent. He flings the mud sometimes too.

Maybe we can talk about correcting his attitude after all the kyopo living in western countries have their attitudes corrected. Deal?
10 roboseyo August 5, 2008 at 4:38 pm: the point isn’t whether or not Brian flings mud. . . I’m sure he has good reasons for writing his blog the way he does, and I’m sure (especially now) he’s fully aware of the consequences of doing so. the point is that if Brian WANTS to fling mud, as long as he’s not breaking the law (naming names, publishing personal info about the creep who took a run at him, etc.), he should be free to do so without worrying about attacks from arrogant whatzits like this Hong dude.

I was pretty surprised to see my name in the Herald today: don’t know if I deserve to be included in a list with Met, Marmot, Turnbull, Brian, and co., but I’m glad people are talking about this, instead of just wincing and wondering if THIS is the post that’ll set VANK on our asses.
11 Maddlew August 5, 2008 at 4:57 pm: I’m not concerned about my daughter dying of ingested beef. I’m concerned about her getting hit by some driver who believes that because he woke up late everyone should clear the streets so he can drive at warp speed while he texts his excuses to his boss. I do pay taxes. I do pay for my child to go to school every month. The issue of self-absorbed drivers is one that effects me directly. “You don’t understand Korea.” Do you understand the message the front of that car grill is conveying? Go ahead, pull out that same old rationalization so you can attend your US the pinata gatherings while my child continues to run the real risk of being a fucking hood ornament, and so does yours!
12 Maddlew August 5, 2008 at 5:07 pm: Something people here can make a difference on, childhood traffic fatalities, they instead choose to sit on their asses and act likes it’s an affront to complain about it. There is nothing Korean, traditional or cultural about a dead child. It’s universal.
If Brian actually wanted candle-light vigils for this sort of change then he or I differ. I don’t want a vigil, I want things to actually change. I’m afraid every single day for my daughter’s safety.
13 Tripod August 5, 2008 at 5:14 pm: It all comes down to censorship. It still exists here.
14 ecorn August 5, 2008 at 5:24 pm: Maddlew, resources and stats on child vs. car injuries/fatalities in Korea provided here:

http://www.safekids.org/members/korea.html
15 Maddlew August 5, 2008 at 5:47 pm: These stats aren’t lifting my skirt, ecorn. Thanks for the link.
I know that Brian was pointing out the hypocrisy of these demonstrations, but it also demonstrated dramatically certain issues that Koreans can make a genuine difference on to promote change. It’s certainly in their interest as well.
Despite our differences we want the same thing. A safe place for ourselves and our family. It’s too bad the source is numbing minds to the message.
16 globalvillageidiot August 5, 2008 at 5:58 pm: Maddlew, as a parent here I know exactly where you’re coming from.
17 Chris August 5, 2008 at 6:30 pm: @2 Amended. Story posted by Korean staff without approval.
18 Fan Death Avenger August 5, 2008 at 6:44 pm: “Why do foreigners complain so much?”

Not everyone is complaining. Sometimes it something called social commentary. These are two ideas, I believe, Koreans can’t or refuse to tell apart.
19 aaronm August 5, 2008 at 7:02 pm: #7WangKon936,

“Brian isn’t exactly 100% innocent. He flings the mud sometimes too”.

Here’s mud in yer eye.

http://www.safekids.org/members/korea.html

Statistics show that, in comparison with children in developed countries, Korean children are three to five times more vulnerable to dying from accidental injuries caused by traffic-related collisions, drowning, falls or suffocation.
20 H. J. Hodges August 5, 2008 at 10:03 pm: I can’t understand why my blog Gypsy Scholar was ignored in this article.

I’m incessently defending the Korean belief in fan death — and lately discovering, to my chagrin, that I’m ‘right’ — as well as commenting on other Korean topics . . . such as St. Augustine’s critique of curiosity in the early Middle Ages or the use of such Middle English words as “quaille” in Ozark dialect.

Well . . . okay, those last couple of topics aren’t directly related to Korean issues, but this country is currently globalizing, so expats — of all people — should be broadminded as to what constitutes Korean topics.

Besides, my tendency to blog about ‘non-Korean’ issues is usually taken as an attitude of studied indifference on my part to things Korean — and thus understood as my intended commentary upon those same things Korean.

In short, I am always Korea-blogging about Korea on my very famous Korea-blog, thereby deserving full expat-in-Korea recognition, and therefore cannot quite grasp why my Korea-blog was ignored in an article dedicated to expats blogging on Korea.

Obviously, my blog’s focus — both by commission and omission — upon a plethora of Korea topics has alienated most expats, who are therefore intentionally ignoring my blog. This constitutes a well-orchestrated case of anti-Koreanism!

Maybe I should do something truly Korea-oriented, like demonstrating before the American Embassy to protest being ignored!

Jeffery Hodges

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21 roboseyo August 5, 2008 at 10:52 pm: I heard you had a 1000 word write-up about your blog, H.J. Hodges, including an in depth genealogy of the modern word “quail,” but the Herald editor ruthlessly applied thumbscrews and forced the Expat Living writers to trim it down to a single page.

Unfortunately for you, he quailed at the length of the original write-up.
22 Baek du Boy August 6, 2008 at 8:40 am: Plenty of Korean immigrants and ex pats, working holidayers and students give commentary/opinions/criticism on Australia/America/Canada/NZ etc etc life.

Good on them if they do, it would be a lot more than those who speak of and about Korea on their blogs.

Quite frankly I can’t be arsed getting worked up about other people’s opinions and thoughts. I think this character sparring with Brian is a little sensitive.
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#8 (NES) off subject Bad Taste was Peter Jackson’s first movie, made on weekends over a couple of years with mates as actors.
23 WangKon936 August 6, 2008 at 8:57 am: Jeffery, it’s all about hit rates and eye balls. The aforementioned blogs just have more. I know, life’s not fair.

aaronm, I know Brian has his points sometimes (the traffic accident thing one of them), but there are other times where he does needlessly caracature Koreans in a borderline offensive manner. That’s why he attracts the attention that he does. He’s in real danger of becoming a Gerry Bevers type character, get’s fired from his Korean boss and ends up writting anti-Korean blog posts ad infinitum.
24 NES August 6, 2008 at 9:09 am: @22 Baek du Boy

Yeah, I got the dates mixed around.

I made one of my Korean friends from work watch them with me. He almost puked his pizza.
25 H. J. Hodges August 6, 2008 at 10:40 am: Roboseyo, rumors that I would call attention to my wildly popular blog GYPSY SCHOLAR are totally unfounded.

WangKon936, since posting my comment, I have had the insight that thousands of expats here in Korea have merely adopted “an attitude of studied indifference” to my blog while actually being incorrigibly hooked on reading it daily. Precisely how these teeming multitudes circumvent my site meter is truly baffling, but life is full of mysteries.

Jeffery Hodges

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26 WangKon936 August 6, 2008 at 10:47 am: # 25,

At first glance it’s like Western Confucian but a little more secular and mid-western-ish.
27 H. J. Hodges August 6, 2008 at 11:00 am: Yes, well, that’s because of my mid-western-ish life crisis. I keep trying to have a fling in life, but my wife won’t let me out of the apartment, so I blog instead.

Jeffery Hodges

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28 mins0306 August 6, 2008 at 11:24 am: Well, it was only going to be a matter of time before the Korean netizens pick up on the expat blogs.

Now, the next question is, will they gang up and endlessly harass the bloggers to the point where they decide to shut down their blogs?

Not that I’m advocating the above action, but knowing Korean netizens…..
29 roboseyo August 6, 2008 at 5:11 pm: HJ Hodges: I always read your site only in my peripheral vision, with youtube playing on a window on the corner of the screen. That’s why your sitemeter never registers MY hits.
30 H. J. Hodges August 6, 2008 at 6:14 pm: Roboseyo, that’s the most entertaining way to read my blog. Thank you to bits and pieces.

Jeffery Hodges

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