The Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador over a spate of attacks on Koreans — including this killing — that are believed to be racially motivated.
The government is also considering issuing travel warnings for certain regions of Russia.
Russians Remind Us What Xenophobia REALLY Looks Like
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Things look really horrible over there in Russian land. All foreigners, not just Koreans, are a big fat target by roving gangs of Neo Nazi thugs. Non white people are living with fear of being attacked and killed. I understand the Russian government encouraged the movement from the beginning, but recently have cracked down a little, because of bad international publicity. It’s really puzzling why a country that fought the Nazis in WWII and lost millions of lives in doing so, admire and tolerate such a movement. If Hitler was alive still, he would have laughed at those Russian Nazi’s and would have exterminated them as inferior Slavs.
Great title. A much-needed reminder.
I was once threatened by a drunk student wielding a chair who didn’t have the balls (or perhaps the strength) to lift the chair above his knees. (It turned out he was pissed off because his sister was dating a Japanese guy; I’m a white American, but go figure.) That has been the only instance of xenophobia I’ve experienced in 13 years here.
Eastern Europe, and especially Russia, are tough places for non-whites to live in apart from a few civilized zones.
The whining and complaining by white guys in S. Korea (usually white American males raised in suburbia, straight out of college) always makes me laugh because anything they moan about comically pales in comparison to SERIOUS xenophobia in other parts of the world (usually perpetrated by whites and blacks actually…Asians in general don’t have systemic racial violence against non-Asians).
I should know. I lived in Eastern Europe and recall randomly getting jumped by skinheads, Russians, Poles, etc. with no provocation whatsoever. Luckily, they didn’t have any knives but it sounds like that’s the new sidearm for the Russian bald monkeys these days.
No amount of Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is going to save you when 5-10 guys jump you and start sticking knives in your gut and neck.
Keep that radar going at all times like I used to do when going out, and if necessary, use your environment (glass cups, chairs, ash trays, etc.) to quickly stun the attacker(s) — then get the hell away. You do *not* want to end up on the ground rolling around when his buddies are around. They will stomp your head, and worst case, stab you all over while you’re busy wrestling.
Racism is alive and very very prevalent in Russia…and the authorities there. There’s an implicit understanding that the authorities don’t really
like foreigners (especially those that don’t look white) in their country.
My mom’s goddaughter and her husband went to Russia to adopt a child close to Siberia. He’s Chinese.
He was mugged by a Russian guard at the
Russian embassy during the adoption process. Their escort talked to an
embassy official and was told to stfu and not make a fuss or the adoption
wouldn’t go through. Make of that what you will.
They were also told by their escort to make sure they always had some
money on them so that when cops pulled them over, they would have
money to bribe the cop in to leaving them alone. (Being nonwhite made
them a target)
They were really happy to finish the adoption process and will never step
foot on Russian soil ever again…especially their embassys.
This was 10 years ago….i doubt anythings changed…
I saw this short documentary a few years ago. It outlines the situation in Russia quite well, I think. Scary stuff.
http://current.com/items/84906361_from-russia-with-hate.htm
That said, I still don’t see the need to downplay the xenophobia here in good ol’ Korea. It’s worse elsewhere, yes, but that’s never a good enough reason to let anyone off the hook.
A formerly Russian friend once told me, “The price of life in Russia is very cheap.”
I would never live there, even as a white guy.
#3, for what it is worth (and I am in no way placing this in the same category as what has happened to these Korean kids in Russia), but I know a number of white guys who have sustained beatings in Korea, generally for daring to talk to a member of the opposite sex.
#6, if you’re not putting it in the same category, then what’s your point? That shitty things happen in Russia, Korea, Indonesia or wherever? If so, then why complain specifically about Korea when shitty things happen everywhere to everyone? Or were you actually putting it in the same category to knock on Koreans while feeling good about yourself? Is it so hard to just say this shouldn’t have happened and that justice will be served instead of knocking on Koreans with a backdoor slap? Was it justified because it happened to white people in Korea or are you saying Koreans don’t have the right complain because white sometimes almost get beat up in Korea? Seriously, what’s your point?
This thread reminds me, though. Growing up in the States I got jumped by a bunch of kids, one time. It was a racially motivated attack. The perpetrators? Black kids. Just sayin’.
In real life, I find it easy enough to focus on the good in a population. There’s gonna be a variety in the first place, a mixture of good and bad. But then it’s just really easy seeing that good and ignoring the rest. ~~ That’s the way it goes, I guess.~~ ;;; But getting to such a point was never “easy.”
Let us hope Koreans don’t ever follow the Russian example.
#7, it was in response to #3′s casual observation that no amount of white boy whinging in Korea is warranted. That is all.
I guess it’s a good thing these slavo-nazis don’t get exported. Every Russian I’ve met in Korea and abroad has been friendly, if a little rough-around-the-edges. I can’t say the same for Americans…
(Assuming Xenophobia can be applied to types of discrimination beyond racism.)
Because some belly aching expats need to be reminded that Korea ain’t so bad… Comparatively speaking.
Yeah, Korea is better than that any number of Podunks, but why is it that when Samsung springs for a grand new library annex at Yonsei, they can’t fix it so the entrance lobby through the old main library building no longer smells like an uncleaned toilet all the time.
Odd title. Just because one thing is more rotten than another, doesn’t mean one should accept what’s less rotten. That’s not say Korea, or Russia for that matter, is rotten but I think the point makes sense. I think we are lowering the Korea bar a bit when we decide to evaluate Korea’s bad points by showing how these same points are worse in other countries.
No.13, but thats the way it is here. How many times you do read the ol “but in America” or “but in Europe” line to excuse something that happens here in Korea? As if this somehow magically removes the blame from Korea. Of course what these people always fail to forget is that people living in Korea are of course going to point out things that happen in Korea, the ” but in America it’s worse” line is great if you are living there, but comically useless for those living here, but sadly this line of thought-or lack of – is called upon time and time again on this site
No, it’s called an attempt to keep things in perspective.
you say perspective, i say deflect
Actually places suck or rock depending on who you are.
For example, S. Korea may be paradise on Earth for some single Korean-American males with a high-paying gigs — whereas a white guy from Podunk, USA — who’s here because otherwise, he’d be on his parent’s couch jobless back in Suburban Hell, is going to be whining like a 2 year old with a dirty diaper every day.
BS. Koreans can be just as violent.
I think the article needs to be put in a better perspective.
What it’s simply saying is that things are extreme for foreigners in
Russia.
In Russia, do you live in fear and are afraid to go out at night or even daytime?
In S.Korea, can you say the same? or in other countries?
I sort of doubt it. They may not like you, but i doubt they’d beat you to
death….
Not many developed countries are as bad as Russia in that respect.
#14, fair enough. I guess that means expats will also stop comparing Korea to other places, right?
Surely, the ROK (even under, say, Chun Doo-hwan) should be held to much higher standards than Putin’s Russia.
Isn’t that the point of this post? – that the standards are higher
I thought it was another of those “shut-up-and-eat-your-kimchi” public service announcements.
“Because some belly aching expats need to be reminded that Korea ain’t so bad… Comparatively speaking.”
which expats are these, very few are the instances where I seen Korea ranked in the worst categories ….. comparatively speaking….
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