So, why have the foreign press started bashing anti-English Spectrum?
Anti-English Spectrum honcho Yie Eun-woong discusses this, accusations that his group is a bunch of xenophobes who hate Korean women dating foreign guys, low crime stats for E-2 visa holders and more with the Dong-A Ilbo.
I’m busy, but perhaps someone else will translate it for the Korean-ign’nt.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t have the Korean level to translate the entire article although I do get the jist.
It is really shocking to see the blogsphere in the Donga-Ilbo. This site requires foreigners to fax in copies of their IDs and complete the online registration (IN KOREAN!??) and then MAYBE they’ll be in touch with you after a week to get you your login and pass so that we may leave a comment. Talk about isolationism -Keep the truth out! is the message I’m getting.
I will do my best to translate some of the comments left by Koreans after viewing this article:
1 poster named 배상현(bravy7) writes:
It’s not the visa issued teachers that are the problem. There are many competent teachers with university credentials and TESL certificates in Korea. The problem lies with those foreigners teaching illegally in Korea. The hagwans don’t check credentials. Most likely those teachers teaching illegally don’t have university credentials and don’t know how to teach. As a result the teachers are not sincere and the children don’t improve their ability to speak English. Furthermore Korean children form a negative image of foreigners and chose not to study with them again. We have to check that foreigners have the proper visas and TESL certification.
-Seems to be missing the point…the article was in regards to AES stalking western teachers and spreading racial hatred.
another post by 송영환(sssdlove7744)
Negativity towards poor Korean teachers exists, why should foreign teachers be treated differently? Of course poorly skilled native English teachers should be kicked out. Since there is already a lack of native English teachers in our country we should reserve the teaching positions for those good teachers. through a thorough screening process. If our country has poor potters they will destroy the pots in order to prevent them being sold in the market. The destructive English teachers are breaking our pots. Select the best pottery makers.
-This post reeks of Korean Nationalism and is again missing the point (see above)
another poster 박성우(shiragi992):
Do Canadians need a visa to be here? Giving these idiots a visa is causing all the problems. From now on we shouldn’t issue these idiots that break the law a visa.
-Is this guy for real? He continues
Poor quality Canadian English teachers…they’re all such fakes. In order for our economy to improve we should do a better job of investigating criminal activity.
I intend to become a member of the Dong-ah Ilbo website. I’ll jump through the hoops if need be. I’d like to straighten a few of the warped oppinions on the Korean side. I invite others to participate.
It is interesting that Yie actually denies stalking in the article:
This is obviously bullshit given that Yie admitted “following” in the LA Times article. It doesn’t help that Dong-a Ilbo reporter did not pursue this topic further although the article refers to the LA Times article. But it is still kind of interesting that Yie is denying stalking — seems like he recognizes that stalking is AES’s original sin.
So, why have the foreign press started bashing anti-English Spectrum?
-If I have to explain to you why stalking people based on their nationality is wrong, you have been in Korea too long.
Well, well, well stalking is never a good thing but i think, and i know many will disagree, that a little bit of intimidation toward foreigners is not an entirely wrong thing. Not too much, not too bad, but just a bit to remind them to keep it reasonably low cos they’re just useful, tolerated guests and it’s not their turf.
Just my 2 eurocents here
We’ve seen this before: Yie backpedaling and saying, Oh, we never did that. First it happened with regards to his group’s stance on interracial relationships. When Andrea Vandom called him on spreading racist bile not only onto foreigners but onto Koreans involved with them*, he changed his tune, scrubbed his website, and denied everything. Now he’s claiming he never followed foreigners? Well, that’s not what he said here:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/05/117_24269.html
Mr. Yie: Were you lying then or are you lying now?
Of course, maybe all this backpedaling isn’t such a bad thing. At this rate, in another year or so, Mr. Yie will claim he’s never heard of foreign English teachers.
* Ms. Vandom’s very complete analysis of AES is here: http://2009hunma358.blogspot.com/2009/09/1.html
Mind you, a lot of the offensive material that Ms. Vandom highlights has since been removed from AES’s website.
So you dont have the time to translate this, but you do for stuff about the Korean wave and when a korean is attacked abroad, plus calling those who cant read it themselves ignorant! Was a big fan of this site, but your focus recently has become shall we say more than a little biast, understandable considering your position, but sadly disappointed in what this site has now become. We have the Korean press for biast repoorting, dont need blogs too.
“agoldenshy”
Mr. Marmot never claimed to not be biast (sic). If you think he’s poorly choosing what he does and does not translate, you could learn Korean yourself, and then wouldn’t be subject to the whims of such biast (ㅋㅋ) blogging.
Some people just be ign’nt.
Actually, I think that’s already happening within this article. Yie admits that there is almost no problem with NSETs in Seoul area.
Jesus, would you like us to start calling you sir, never once mentioned that I didn’t speak/read Korean, nicely showing just how ignorant you are, just because you speak Korean, whoopie, don’t presume noone else can boast your amazing language skills, please, you guys should get your own tv show, may i suggest “Chatting with God”
Somebody wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
golden shower, how about learning to read English first? Korean wave thing was posted by Elgin, and the bus hostess story is posted by Neff — neither of whom is named Koehler. And the bus hostess was pretty clearly a local woman, not Korean.
I shudder what you might do with your purported Korean skills. You might read the AES article and believe that aliens are attacking.
hahaha, I spell a word wrong and you jump all over it, how clever, the marmots hole the new daves esl, as for who posted what, are you saying he has no decision about it at all, please, to ‘thearsehole’ please shudder away, was not talking to you, never would. Robert, yer maybe, but just tired of reading the same ol crap, considered this place different but sadly recently its just become the same, nicely shown by your readiness to jump on spelling mistakes etc and not look at what i was actually saying. Good day and be careful in the snow.(To ‘thearsehole’ i am not implying that Korean snow is any more or any less dangerous than snow found in other parts of the world before you start slobbering at the mouth)
It’s not just one word. All of your comments are barely coherent, mind numbingly idiotic jumbles of words thrown together. Are you really this retarded or are you trolling?
I’ve often wondered, is trolling beyond the ability of most retarded people?
judging by the last two comments obviously not. goodbye.
One should never troll under the influence.
Agreed. And hopefully the Korean locals start with you and your children, with a little intimidation regularly thrown at your girlfriend as well just to make sure she understands that cavorting with foreign ex-cons is frowned upon.
Here is an email I just sent to Kim Hyun jin(bright@donga.com), the reporter who gave Lee Eun-woong plenty of time to formulate his reply to the LA times report without back tracking and finding out as much as he/she could in advance.
김현진
잘못하는 기자이시요! (You are a terrible reporter!)
Stalker 이은웅 역사를 한아도조사안했거든! (You didn’t do any research on Lee Eun-woong’s history!)
Ms. Vandom’s very complete analysis of AES is here: http://2009hunma358.blogspot.com/2009/09/1.html
왜 그것무시했어요? (Why are you ignoring this?)
당신못하면 우리가 진실로 레포트 할께요…(If you cannot report the truth we will)
I hope to contribute bits and pieces when I have time to do the translation however I’m sure there are more suitable translators out there.
In short this article is structured like this: The reporter mentions what the LA Times said about Mr. Lee. Lee then goes on to deny it and states “They think this because this happened” he then mentions lies as if they were facts. This is then proceeded by a line or two of how they are here to protect the interests of “our coutries children”.
It also should be noted that he mentions he has “Good teachers” and is willing to introduce them to schools (For a generous commission I’m sure)..”우리 모임도 사이트를 통해 ‘좋은 외국인 강사 추천하기’ 코너를 만드는 등 ‘외국인 강사 바로보기 운동’을 보다 적극적으로 펼칠 예정이다.”
Foreign ESL teachers can always leave Korea if they’re threaten by Anti-ESL teacher group. China is wide open for these ESL teachers.
I’m visualizing 김기자 forwarding that ‘bilingual’ email to his colleagues.
I’m embarrassed and sometimes ashamed when Americans act on their prejudices and harass foreigners. Apparently, you’re not, Koreansentry.
Blacks can always leave the southern US if they’re threatened by the Ku Klux Klan. Oakland, CA is wide open for these blacks.
Lifer, your thought is admirable, but your Korean really needs work. If you are going to be doing this regularly, I am happy to give you edits.
Very few comments on the MH this week. Robert you knew just the recipe to fix that up. An AES post. Gracias. Just in time as I was getting bored.
Classic definition of ignorant, someone who complains when the word is used correctly.
ignorant “lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified”, ergo “korean ignorant” => “lack of knowledge of korean”
So what was his complaint again, that Marmot’s not allowed to link to an article unless he translates it for everyone first!!
This article and a second one as well was covered at Gust of Popular Feeling last week:
http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2010/02/anti-english-spectrum-in-donga-ilbo.html
Arghaeri: Hate to continue, but words in English do have more than one meaning you know that yer? The collins english dictionary, as does Websters, says:
ignorant:
1.lacking in knowledge or education,
2. rude through lack of knowledge of good manners, an ignorant remark,
3. ignorant of lacking in awareness or knowledge of, ignorant of Asian culture.
Just like you are using one definition of the word, my ‘argument’ was that i believed he was using it in the other form, and even if he wasn’t, he must have known that it could be taken to be offensive. In a similiar way, you my friend are a cock, of course which version of the word you think i am using is up to you.
Would that be Classic Cock? New Cock? Cock Lite? Diet Cock? Cock Zero? Cherry Cock?
I’m so ign’nt.
“Hate to continue” . . . or perhaps continuing to hate.
Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
Dating?
I agree. In fact, before I fly back to Korea, I’m going down to the local college and mall to intimidate a few of the Korean students there. Not too much, not too bad, but just a bit to remind them to keep it reasonably low cos they’re just useful, tolerated guests and it’s not their turf.
And what do they do with their Korean families? Not all of them are backpacking losers who can pull stakes any time they feel like it.
agoldensky,
Of course but one does not interpret meaning randomly. Golly, what did he say, lets role a dice, oh meaning no. 3 today, Oh that’s bad, nasty man.
1) meaning is unchanged, ignorant = lack of knowledge (not stupidity)..(lack of education may the reason for same, but does not define “ignorance” or lack of knowledge, I am well educated but I remain ignorant in many areas).
Where there is more than one meaning, the intended meaning is taken contextually. In this case “ign’nt” was clearly modifed by “korean”, therefore could not be interpreted as your meaning one “generally lacking knowledge or education, but as the definition that I gave.
Further, contextually the comment was directly related to “translate it (from korean)” therefore clearly in context the meaning of “korean ign’nt” is further limited to ignorance of the Korean language not ignorance of korean culture.
2) What possible relevance does this meaning have. Are you seriously suggesting you took time to contemplate whether he truly meant that “Perhaps someone will translate it for the rude people lacking in korean good manners”
3) Websters, defines ignorant as “lacking in knowedge of asian culture” Really
Well, repeat 2)
“I believed he was using it in the other form, and even if he wasn’t, he must have known that it could be taken to be offensive.”
So you deliberately ignore all contextual interpretation, all other potential meaning, in order to come up with a meaning which you “believe”, and even if you’re wrong might be taken as offensive only by someone who is ignorant of the meaning of ignorant, or having read it correctly is obsessively insecure about their lack of korean language skills.
“In a similiar way, you my friend are a cock, of course which version of the word you think i am using is up to you.”
So an innocent remark gets you all worked up as a travesty, but a clearly deliberate and intended personal insult is OK. You really are a classy guy.
“Would that be Classic Cock? New Cock? Cock Lite? Diet Cock? Cock Zero? Cherry Cock? I’m so ign’nt.”
You bastard, Iceberg, are you suggesting meaning five, Cock Zero could apply to me, you calling me cockless .
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