tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post7609051784674377213..comments2024-03-26T03:31:06.199-04:00Comments on Ask a Korean!: Korea-Japan Relation Saga, Part II: Pre-Modern TimesT.K. (Ask a Korean!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-80627159202010070902013-02-21T16:10:24.754-05:002013-02-21T16:10:24.754-05:00@Julien: "But to us--observers from the West...@Julien: "But to us--observers from the West, I think that Japanese values were closer to ours...".<br /><br />That's where I started guffawing.<br />Sam Suhrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13599826426736183764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-80745332372886169232010-12-24T12:05:59.265-05:002010-12-24T12:05:59.265-05:00I must admit I've never been to the US, But gi...I must admit I've never been to the US, But given what I've heard, I also find the "the Korean thinks the U.S. is the least racist country in the world, period." comment kind of hard to swallow. Here in the Netherlands race is mostly a non-issue. Class difference and religious difference are generaly infinatly more important, although still not as important as in the US.wasneeplushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10180984195656372176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-34209102472381535552010-07-25T13:39:42.181-04:002010-07-25T13:39:42.181-04:00The history is fascinating. I think if myself as a...The history is fascinating. I think if myself as a fairly well read/educated person, but I knew little about the pre-ww2 relationship between Japan and Korea. Back in the 90s, a group of Polish historians felt that Americans were similarly ignorant about their nation's extraordinary history (including historical difficulties with Russia). They contacted a couple wealthy benefactors (including the heiress to the J&J fortune) and helped launch a multiple-part PBS series on Poland. Because it looked at both ancient (the Poles once had a spectacular empire) and recent events (ww2, cruel domination by the Soviets, Solidarity) from a distinctly Polish perspective, the PBS series was a great success. One of my friends teaches high school history and uses part of the series every year.<br />The Koreans have an equally fascinating and - sadly - unknown history. Someone needs to tell this story!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-34218373219503211712010-05-28T01:26:50.106-04:002010-05-28T01:26:50.106-04:00Gotta agree with the U.S. being the least racist c...Gotta agree with the U.S. being the least racist country in the world. Not to say racism doesn't exist but the laws and society in general are generations ahead of most other countries. BTW Tomek, Europe is not a country.CHOKONENhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00241689405028435697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-6783862682787563862010-03-31T08:39:07.622-04:002010-03-31T08:39:07.622-04:00"the Korean thinks the U.S. is the least raci..."the Korean thinks the U.S. is the least racist country in the world, period."<br /><br />LOL<br /><br />Never been in Europe, have you?<br /><br />This is just plain ridiculous, seriously. <br /><br />On top of it how would you copmare racism in Alabama to this in NY?Tomekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11842300904498125524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-63484285463771952952010-03-28T10:23:26.099-04:002010-03-28T10:23:26.099-04:00One topic which needs to touched is the origin of ...One topic which needs to touched is the origin of Japanese people. 2000 years ago, there was no "Japan" to speak of. At that time Japan was populated by Jomon people, much like the Ainu people of present. Since then, Japan was conquered by people from mainland, probably mixture of Koreans and Chinese. Genetic testing of modern Japanese testifies to the fact, showing large Korean component. Linguistic similarities between Korean and Japanese language also points to this conclusion. So many if not all Japanese people can trace their original heritage to people who lived on mainland, to contemporary Koreans and Chinese people. So in regard to cultural heritage, yes Japan developed it's own, but in the beginning, the people in Japan were Koreans and Chinese people who conquered Japan from Jomon people and proceeded to diverge culturally and linguistically from mainland over 2000 years.lost koreanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02934558358008272929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-39545851546182439102010-02-20T02:57:39.390-05:002010-02-20T02:57:39.390-05:00You sort of ignore that Japan's cultural herit...You sort of ignore that Japan's cultural heritage isn't just a borrowed corruption of Chinese heritage. That they actually developed their own, that doesn't make Korea culturally superior in any capacity. It might appear that way to the Chinese though.<br />But to us--observers from the West, I think that Japanese values were closer to ours, so they seem somewhat more civilized from my perspective.<br />But again, I have to stress that the appearance of cultural superiority is entirely subjective and lines up merely with what you're used to.<br />This is probably why the word "barbaric" is so frequently used to describe alien cultures.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06357871284229458322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-15955411608920141972007-02-12T02:29:00.000-05:002007-02-12T02:29:00.000-05:00Ginny, the Korean is nonetheless impressed, since ...Ginny, the Korean is nonetheless impressed, since the East Sea/Sea of Japan naming dispute is somewhat obscure outside of Korea and Japan (actually kinda obscure in Japan too).<BR/><BR/>The Korean has had some training in social science, if you can call majoring in political science a "training". At any rate, the Korean doesn't think the U.S. is one of the least racist countries; the Korean thinks the U.S. is <I>the least</I> racist country in the world, period. (In fact, the same emphasis was given in the original post, one about Korean Christians.)<BR/><BR/>But if you want an elaboration on that, you would have to email the Korean and get in line like everyone else :) Currently your wait is (MACHINE VOICE) "ONE" month and (MACHINE VOICE) "TWO" weeks. Thank you for calling the Korean hotline.The Koreanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04328000772620833495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-76760501030695983842007-02-11T16:29:00.000-05:002007-02-11T16:29:00.000-05:00woo-hoo! For the sake of disclosure, I'm half-Kor...woo-hoo! For the sake of disclosure, I'm half-Korean, so I'm slightly less clueless about Korean history than the average American. <BR/><BR/>Now maybe I should ask you to expand on your comment (somewhere, earlier on the blog) about why you think the US is one of the least racist countries there is - I'm interested in your take on it, having grown up outside the US, and (I'm guessing) having had some training in social science?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285764141871752425noreply@blogger.com