I know, but as shocking as it may be, it’s true: a third grade social studies book in Singapore — a notorious center of anti-Korean propaganda — uses a photo of a homeless guy in Korea, and included this description:
Some people do not have a roof over their heads. There are many reasons why people are homeless. Some of these people are too poor to rent or buy houses. In some countries, there is insufficient housing for everyone.
Then, in a seeming comparison to Korea, the text says:
Even with limited land, our government is able to provide sufficient housing for the people.
Korean expats and school parents who send their kiddies to Singaporean schools are upset, needless to say, asking why they needed to use a picture of Korea when homeless exist all over the world (except for Singapore, apparently).
One netizen who sends his son to elementary school in Singapore said he was hurt when he saw the photo in his son’s textbook. He couldn’t understand why they used a photo of Korea with even hangeul writing showing.
Another netizen with his or her daughter in Singapore said her daughter came home one day saying something shameful happened at school, and talked about the photo. The daughter said the Singaporean kiddies asked her if this was Korea.
Have no fear, though — the Academy of Korean Studies’ Education, Science and Technology department, which is conducting a project to correct mistaken information about Korea in overseas textbooks, said that it would promptly confirm the situation and ask the Singaporeans to correct the book.
Clearly, the Academy might not want to cut off the VANKers just yet.
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Fistly, this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Authoritarian Singapore is using their textbooks to brainwash their own people and to justify the total lack of private ownership of homes in Singapore. The Sing. Govt. owns every piece of property in Singapore and the best you can hope for is a reasonable terms in renting it from them. FOREVER. This textbook piece was written by their Education Ministry in order to frighten their own people into supporting the govnerment’s policies on home ownership in Singapore. You have to know a little bit about the beast before you criticize it. However, in defence of the Singaporeans, they are pointing to another Asian country which is both far larger and an economic rival as a place where homelessness exists, so parallels between the two countries are valid points of comparison. Koreans should put a sock in it. Their reasons for being offended by this are bizarre and only make sense to them, but if I saw a picture in a textbook of a homeless person on the streets of Canada my first instinct wouldn’t be to have the publisher of the book edit it out of the book.
As Brian pointed out, if Korea would only examine the way they portray other countries in own textbooks with the same zeal, well, that would just be nice, that’s all.
As Brian pointed out, if Korea would only examine the way they portray other countries in their own textbooks with the same zeal, well, that would just be nice, that’s all.
As Brian pointed out, if Korea would only examine the way they portray other countries in their own textbooks with the same zeal, well, that would just be nice, that’s all.
crikey, triple post, I blame Japan.
Have no fear, though — the Academy of Korean Studies’ Education, Science and Technology department, which is conducting a project to correct mistaken information about Korea in overseas textbooks, said that it would promptly confirm the situation and ask the Singaporeans to correct the book.
And which part of this picture is mistaken information? That there’s not a smattering of empty soju bottles around him?
What animal gets killed in front of the embassy to protest Singapore?
White elephant, Singapore’s national animal, if you have the guts to kill.
This is why I love [C]orea. It’s a laugh a minute!
there are homeless people in Singapore, first place that comes to mind: under the bridges over singapore river around robertson quay.
not many though…
side note: Singapore’s holding “Korea’s Festival” this november for a few weeks.
In fairness, this is a serious issue, but the reactions are too out there, to be seen with any perspective or balance.
There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chong
He said, here comes the big boss, let’s get it on
We took the bow and made a stand, started swaying with the hand
A sudden motion made me stiff, now we’re into a brand new trip
“This textbook piece was written by their Education Ministry in order to frighten their own people into supporting the govnerment’s policies on home ownership in Singapore.”
“…they are pointing to another Asian country which is both far larger and an economic rival as a place where homelessness exists…”
Well, you’ve managed to explain the basic reasons why they left the hangeul in the picture without even noticing that you did.
I did not see Korea named in the textbook. I think that photo of a homeless person was just representative of all homeless people. Besides, Korea does have homeless people. You see them in Seoul’s underground walkways, and I see them living in tents and makeshift shacks under the bridges that cross the stream that I ride my bicycle along. Even the United States has homeless people. I do see any problem with using that photo in the textbook, especially when nothing was said of it being representative of Korea.
#13,
“I did not see Korea named in the textbook. I think that photo of a homeless person was just representative of all homeless people.”
That’s a disingenuous argument.
Sure, Korea has homeless people, but a book aimed at Singaporean elementary school kids isn’t the appropriate place to point it out.
I have to agree w/#13… there was no mention of Korea in the book. It’s a non-issue to me.
you think?
“It’s a non-issue to me.”
Sure, but you aren’t a Korean kid who’s been allegedly asked about the picture by his/her Singaporean classmates, are you?
SomeguyinKorea (#4) wrote:
Korea was not mention.
The picture from the textbook is shrunk and reproduced into an online jpeg that has bad resolution. I think in the book it is easy to see Korean characters that the kids would recognize from TV programs. There might even be some English on the subway map that shows it’s Korea.
The real problem is that the photo says “Homeless people on the street” but these are homeless people in the subway station.
This is too much about something minor but I don’t think it’s necessarily a fabrication that Korean kids might have gotten asked questions and even teased about this.
What has me scratching my head is why the Singapore textbook makers would use a picture of Korean homeless for their propaganda when the problem they’re talking about is much more severe in many more areas, like the New York Times doing an expose on illegal immigrants… in Pierre, South Dakota.
A typical overblown reaction. But I’d like to put in one different perspective. Korea (outside Korea) is always known as a poverty stricken Third World back water. I think many Koreans are frustrated and insecure with that image. And this image comes back to bite as reality recently when the foreign investors from abroad, who have poor knowledge about Korea, pull all their money out of the country because they think Korea is a high risk developing emerging country in the same ranks as Vietnam, Pakistan, and Mexico.
Image and reputation really is very important to be prosperous. Unfortunately, Korea lacks everyone of it.
I agree with cm in #20. One more thing on “perspective”. The Singapore textbook story is half of all the topics at the Marmot’s Hole for 10/24 but it is not half of all the news topics in the Korean media. IOW it’s easy to get an overblown sense about high this is on average Koreans’ radar or how much they care about it.
“Besides, Korea does have homeless people. You see them in Seoul’s underground walkways, and I see them living in tents and makeshift shacks under the bridges that cross the stream that I ride my bicycle along.”
That’s what they get for worrying to much about Dokdo/Takeshima and not worrying enough about finding a job, right?
“Even the United States has homeless people.”
No shit. Way more than Korea.
…due in a large part, perhaps, to the fact that the SK government has, for the past couple of decades kept trying to cultivate a developing nation status with various international agencies in order to reap the benefits of that status. Anyone who’s ever been to Korea knows that it’s absolute bullshit, but it’s bullshit that the government actively cultivates where it’s convenient.
the fact that the SK government has, for the past couple of decades kept trying to cultivate a developing nation status
It really pisses me off that the Korean government pays millions of dollars to keep those M*A*S*H reruns on the air.
“What is disinguenuous about pointing out that?”
user-81 answered that one in #19, in case you missed it.
“Korea (outside Korea) is always known as a poverty stricken Third World back water. I think many Koreans are frustrated and insecure with that image.”
Well, South Korea has recently become recognized as a developed nation. Just a few weeks ago, Singapore was the only ‘developed nation’ in the region besides Japan. I think the Singaporean government is threatened by that.
Isn’t the Korean article anti-Singaporean propaganda also. It only talks about Korean netizens that are upset about the photos. If you look at some of the netizen comments about the article that were most agreed with in Naver, you’ll see that not all Koreans are falling for it. Here are some examples which I simplified.
“What they are showing is fact, don’t get pissed off.” (Received 68 thumbs up.)
“Why can’t they print it? Our country has a lots of homeless people. Our textbooks depict North Korea with photos of starving people. (Received 44 thumbs up.)
“You’re all being selfish. Our textbooks depict starving Ethiopians, New York bums and Chinese slums. (Received 33 thumbs up.)
“Just leave them be. They’re stating the facts.” (Received 13 thumbs up.)
”Our textbooks depict starving Ethiopians, New York bums and Chinese slums.”
New York bums made an appearence? Bums? I wonder if that is how the caption under the photo reads.
Our textbooks depict starving Ethiopians, New York bums and Chinese slums.
Good point. A better analogy would be if they depicted starving Estonians, New Zealand bums, and Viennese slums.
In related news Korea announced that it would correct Mrs. Phyllis Haler or Eastlake, NJ. Mrs. Haler has been reported admonishing her son Ernie to “finish your dinner. Don’t you know there are children starving in Korea?”
This is not true. Some property in Singapore (maybe most of it) is leasehold, but there is also plenty of freehold land too. And to be fair, a 999-year leasehold, which is common, is virtually equivalent to ownership.
The Singapore government offers properties on 99-year leaseholds, too, as a means of keeping residential property affordable for its people. And the crappiest HDB block is still way better than Korean apartments.
Ok, Brendan. I have only been there once, but the stuff written in the text is clearly written as justification for the Sing. Govt.’s housing policies.
Someguyinkorea,
“Sure, Korea has homeless people, but a book aimed at Singaporean elementary school kids isn’t the appropriate place to point it out.”
Why not? If those same kids come to Korea, they will see homeless people as soon as they arrive in Seoul. And I am sure there are homeless people in Singapore, too. Don’t you think that even the smallest kids deserve some information about these people? You wouldn’t care at all if there were a picture of homeless people in any other country.
“Well, you’ve managed to explain the basic reasons why they left the hangeul in the picture without even noticing that you did.”
I was indeed trying to justify the usage of this photograph. Should the hangeul be edited out to avoid offending Koreans? Should everything in Korea be swept under the rug? I don’t think that most Koreans would agree with you.
“What has me scratching my head is why the Singapore textbook makers would use a picture of Korean homeless for their propaganda when the problem they’re talking about is much more severe in many more areas, ”
Because you guys and your fancy new developed nation status are now Singapore’s direct rivals. Deal with it. That’s what happens when countries get noticed; other countries try to take them down. I don’t expect you to understand.
If Singapore really wanted to bad mouth Koreans. They would put in pictures of us living in dull communist like beehive apartments. I’m sure the Singapore kids would really cry their little eyes out with pity.
Because you guys and your fancy new developed nation status are now Singapore’s direct rivals. Deal with it. That’s what happens when countries get noticed; other countries try to take them down. I don’t expect you to understand.
부링 잇 온!
“You wouldn’t care at all if there were a picture of homeless people in any other country.”
No, I’d still think it’s bullshit.
“Should the hangeul be edited out to avoid offending Koreans? Should everything in Korea be swept under the rug? I don’t think that most Koreans would agree with you.”
What are they aiming to accomplish in that section of the book? Answer that question and you’ll understand why I think it was inappropriate.
Jack Trout of Trout and Partners Marketing consulting firm on Korea’s marketing strategy:
http://news.chosun.com/site/da.....00729.html
We’ve all heard it before, but I’ll repeat his opinions again.
1) On slogans “Dynamic Korea” and “Sparkling Korea”.
From overseas, I never heard of those slogans before. China is also dynamic and Japan is also sparkling. What’s different about Korea? You paid those famous foreign experts money for these slogans? That was a waste of money. I landed in Korea this morning, and it wasn’t sparkling, it was all foggy LOL.
2) On slogan “Gateway to North East Asia”.
Silly ideal. The “Gateway” strategy has been tried before by a few countries but they’ve all failed. If I want to go to China, I go to China. If I want to go to Japan, I go to Japan. Why would anyone purposely go to a gateway. The gateway strategy can’t succeed.
Someguy, are you going to say anything interesting or are you gonna just keep hinting at things?
I am a Singaporean, married to a Korean. While I have been ambivalent of the politics/propaganda of my home country, I am, at times, equally ambivalent about Korea; although the love of my better-half, pulls me towards being a Korean at heart.
I do not think Korea’s newly acquired status as a ‘developed’ nation prompted the textbook writers/curriculum specialists of the National Education unit (Ministry of Education, Singapore) to put up such a picture, with the psychological aim of supplanting its Asian brethren.
All things taken in context, for a textbook to be written, approved, and put-to-print, it takes about three years before it reaches the students. I do not think Korea’s recent stature in the economic or political arena was cause for the textbook writers to mount a negative campaign. If anything, the Singaporean textbook failed to delineate reasons for comparison – Seoul being of similar size to Singapore in terms of land area, yet, Seoul is approximately 3 times denser in terms of population size. The provision of affordable and adequate, quality housing in the Korean context of urban land constraints, made worse by property speculation, is all the more challenging.
I believe the intent of the textbook unit’s theme of – The Environment Affects the Type of Housing People Live in – was meant to drive home the point that in dense urban environment, the need to plan, zone and build sustainable urban habitats is crucial – to prevent the homeless from ending up on the streets.
The broad aims of the Singapore National Education can be found at:
http://www.ne.edu.sg/
Under the Heading of Principles and Approach – Principles of Governance, the website lists:
[Quote:]
The Imperatives of successful Governance in Singapore
What is so unique about Singapore’s governance context? We believe the principles are shaped by three key elements:
1. Unique Nation
This relates to our physical constraints – our size, lack of natural resources, and a multi-racial society;
2. Unique Environment
This relates to fundamental forces in our external environment that influence our existence; and
3. Unique Government
This relates to the unique features of our political system, including the legacy of the PAP Government.
Together, these elements make us unique as a country to govern. However, each of these elements is not mutually exclusive but interacts with one another. For example, our physical constraints compel us to leverage on our external environment. Internal and external forces in turn, shape the role of our government.
Based on our unique circumstances, we have identified several imperatives of governance for successful governance in the Singapore context. They are:
1. the need for good and proactive leadership to ensure that our national interests are protected;
2. the need for high standards of Government to ensure that public trust is maintained;
* 3. the need to optimise our resources and potential to compensate for our shortcomings;
* 4. the need to maintain our international space to compensate for our lack of hinterland;
5. the need to adapt relentlessly and remain relevant in a fast changing world;
6. the need for greater ingenuity in dealing with challenges;
7. the need to preserve our core values and identity in order to maintain our distinctiveness;
8. the need to promote a greater sense of belonging or rootedness in addition to preserving our core values and identity; and
9. the need for Government to continually re-examine its role to ensure it remains relevant
[Unquote]
The textbook unit’s theme could be written as an extension of #3. and #4., albeit, a less-than-perfect piece. It could have been written with better clarity.
Whilst I have no wish to defend Singapore’s political leaders, I hope I have given you, a Singaporean voice.
And those distressing beehive apartments are the good housing stock in Korea.
Singapore, although densely-populated, has got it all over Korea — at least Seoul — on quality-of-life.
40 Brendon Carr
“And those distressing beehive apartments are the good housing stock in Korea.”
Yes they are pitiful and unattractive. Part of the ‘lets make the most profit with the least effort’ mentality of construction companies. Though things appear to be changing, sadly not fast enough.
Thanks, yoosy. You are right, the quality of life nod does go to Singapore.
About 80% of Singapore’s residents live in HDB flats, most of them are 99-year leasehold owners. If you can afford it, there are freehold / landed properties (houses, bungalows) avail. Singapore’s master planning and use of “void deck” construction is really nice.
There are homeless people in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, etc. Not all are unemployed, many are in the working poor category. This is partly because of high housing prices in the cities. It’s ironic to see countries with many homeless people in the city, while rural towns are being depopulated with massive vacancy rates.
I’ve walked down streets of Taipei with homeless people sleeping under bridges, and rural towns in Yilan where the entire apartment building only had 1 tenant – he paid 600 NT ($20 USD) per month to local government for rent.
Many poor homeless people are not mobile due to their economic situation. If governments want to do something about it, they could ship them to rural towns full of empty buildings. But that’s not something the local government (and people) would accept, I suppose.
Cm said # 20 “Image and reputation really is very important to be prosperous. Unfortunately, Korea lacks everyone of it.”
I will disagree. Korea does not lack an (international) image, nor does it lack an (international) reputation. Unfortunately the international world is not as easily convinced that the reputaion Korea wants, it deserves.
Unfortunately the international world is not as easily convinced that the reputaion Korea wants, it deserves.
Hitest, don’t confuse “the international world” with Korea’s “international residents”.
Quite correct user-81 in your distinction. That said, much of what the “outside” world reads/hears about Korea, (be it accurate or false), is heavily flavored by those foreigners who live/lived here.
My impression is that Korea imagines itself sometimes to be something non-Koreans may have a hard time accepting as true, albeit relative to their non-Korean experiences.
That said, much of what the “outside” world reads/hears about Korea, (be it accurate or false), is heavily flavored by those foreigners who live/lived here.
When so much of the flavoring is “My boss made me live in a smaller apartment than was promised and he didn’t set up my cell phone right away” it’s not as potent as you might think. Journalists who write about Korea have a stronger influence and they know a lot of the whingeing about Korea is not unique to Korea. Some foreigners have a tough time in many places including Japan and Singapore. I talk with some of the foreigners here in America and half of what they say is just blah blah blah complaining.
I agree with you that most Koreans have no clue what non-Koreans go through in Korea but that’s not unique to Korea either.
Not to split hairs, but what appears trivial, sometimes remains in memory as, “Was not a good experience.” It doesn’t take much to leave a negative lingering impression. Word travels fast and far these days.
I don’t think Korea enjoys the kind of international image it believes, or prefers. Denial of social conditions/problems, is not as convincing to the outside world as perhaps Korea would wish for the purpose of “face”.
Well I am certainly beating this horse to death
Looks like the Korean embassy in Singapore made a protest and the government has promised to take the picture out for next year’s text book edition.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/t.....97758.html
Thank you for the update Wangkon. But by afternoon when ten more people talk about “That’s a lot of black folk” your update will disappear from the “Recent Comments” list and be completely forgotten.
I think it’s funny that the textbook is called “Interacting With Our World”. The Singapore government got rammed with interaction with our world alright.
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