Are Vaccinations Safe?

Dear Korean,

My name is Roy, and I am reaching out to you on behalf of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health (LADPH). LADPH just launched a public awareness campaign that urges people to protect themselves and their loved ones from preventable disease through proper vaccination. I work with SAESHE, a marketing agency that handles LA County's Asian American marketing and community outreach.

Los Angeles County is currently experiencing the worst epidemic of whooping cough in 60 years, with more than 870 cases last year alone. Effective of July 1, 2011, a new California school immunization law will require all 7th-12th graders in public and private schools to receive a pertussis booster (Tdap) shot, protecting them from whooping cough.

On behalf of LADPH and Los Angeles County, we are asking The Korean: Are vaccinations safe? Why should we get vaccinated?

Roy Cho
Assistant Account Executive

Dear Roy,

Despite the wishes of the Korean Parents, the Korean is not a doctor. But it does not take a doctor to know that vaccinations have done a tremendous amount of good for humanity. Thanks to vaccination, very serious diseases like polio, diphtheria and tetanus are practically eradicated. Vaccinations are safe, and we should be vaccinated to avoid preventable diseases.

Vaccination should have a more special meaning for Korean Americans, as it is one of the more enduring gifts from America to Korea. A very underrated contribution that America made for Korea is Korea's vast improvement in public health. As a Japanese colony, Korea's public health was miserable. Under the Japanese rule, Koreans had virtually no opportunity to receive medical education and become a doctor. Public health at the time was entirely focused on allowing the Japanese to live safely in Korea. The imperial police was in charge of public health in colonial Korea, and patients were treated as criminals, not people with illnesses. Virtually no attempt was made to treat the patients who were quarantined.

A good example of the brutality of Imperial Japan's "public health" policy is the way it treated Korea's leprosy patients. By the time of independence in 1945, Imperial Japan had built the world's largest leper colony in Korea, holding some 6,000 leprosy patients in an isolated island of Sorok-do. These patients, and their Japanese watchers, did not learn of Japan's defeat in World War II until three days after Japan surrendered. The Japanese in charge of the island heard the news along with some of Korean patients when they visited mainland to receive supply. The Japanese officials then killed 20 Korean patients on the boat to prevent the news from spreading, then returned to the island to embezzle the supplies in the island. The news nonetheless spread among the lepers, and the Japanese officials killed more than 60 patients in the ensuing riot before leaving the island.

The state of public health went from miserable to atrocious following the independence and through Korean War. At its height in the late 1940s, Seoul had 40 new smallpox patients every day; 40 percent of the patients died -- and we are talking about the disease whose vaccine was discovered in 1796. According to the U.S. military reports in 1946, nearly a thousand people died in one small town alone (Seonsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, a little north of Daegu,) in just one week from at least five different communicable diseases. In 1949, it was estimated that more than 1.4 million Koreans had tuberculosis. In 1951 during the war, the same number was estimated to be 2.8 million.

American presence in Korea since the independence and through Korean War played a huge role in vastly improving such atrocious state of public health. Vaccination played a huge part in this. Of course, the starting point of American military's public health policy in Korea was its concerns about the health of their own soldiers who come in contact with Koreans at the time. During Korean War, one of the first steps to join KATUSA -- Korean soldiers who assisted the U.S. troops -- was to be sent to Japan and be vaccinated for smallpox, typhus, cholera, etc. But it is too cynical a view to think Americans acted out of pure self-interest. Despite being on a lower priority, Korean civilians eventually received regular vaccinations in an organized fashion. Much of humanitarian aid from America also focused on vaccination as well.

(Source: 전우용, 현대인의 탄생 (2011))

Elementary school students in Gaejeong, Jeollabuk-do

line up for BCG vaccination against tuberculosis (circa late 1950s.)

American emphasis on preventive public health is 

very much alive in Korea to this day.

(source)

In this day and age, the Korean does not know a reason why anyone would refuse to be vaccinated. But if you are a Korean American who need more reasons than the good folks at VaccinateLA could give, here is one more: thanks to the vaccination practices that America transplanted in Korea, Korea now has one of the lowest death rates in the world -- ironically, much lower than those of the U.S. Vaccination has proven to be a life-saving gift; it would be terrible manners to reject such a gift.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Ask a Korean! News: How LG Made the World's First 3D SmartPhone

Here is an interesting report on the development of LG's Optimus 3D, the world's first 3D SmartPhone, which provides a nice caricature of how Korean companies not only come up with a new idea, but stick to it until a new product is born.

*             *             * 

March 2010. Another miserable day passed by for LG. The media was saturated with stories about Apple's iPhone. Samsung developed Bada, its own SmartPhone operating system, and was preparing for its own response to iPhone, Galaxy S. But LG Electronics had nothing, as it exclusively focused on regular cellphones based on a flawed strategy. It could not even attend the Mobile World Congress, the world's largest mobile communication device trade show held in February, because it had nothing to show. It was pure humiliation. The first quarter sales for cell phone business dropped by 19.7 percent compared to the same period previous year, and profit fell by 88.9 percent. The company leadership was being questioned.

The employees at Mobile Communications Department of LG Electronics -- the department that created such legends as The Chocolate and Prada Phone -- could not get accustomed to the suddenly new reality created by iPhone 3GS. It became a dead weight for the company. The department hastily conjured up SmartPhone projects. It had to prepare for the period after iPhone 4, considering the development time. It essentially had to give up on 2010. (In fact, the Mobile Communications Department was in the red between second quarter of 2010 through the first quarter of 2011.) Vice President Nam Yong resigned, and in October the owner-CEO Koo Bon-Moo stepped in as an emergency relief pitcher.

"Will it really work?"

Back to March 2010. The head of Roh Hyeon-Woo, executive researcher of the Technology and Strategy Team, was clouded with thoughts. At least by the new year, he needed something to show LG's presence. Technology and Strategy Team and Product Design Team met every day. Then somebody piped up:

"Do you think 3D will be a hit? The television department was all about 3D."
"Oh yeah, 3D! How come no one thought about 3D on cell phones? We shouldn't wait until 3D becomes a hit. We should do it first."

Thus began the 450-day journey of creating a 3D SmartPhone that did not require 3D glasses. For the Projects Team to actually build the product, the idea must be tested to examined whether it can be actualized. The process normally takes two to three months, but not this time -- the team had to battle with the internal skepticism as well. There were concerns that it was too early, because there was not enough contents to view in 3D. When the business was good, such skepticism would not have had much effect; when the business was shaky, the skepticism shook the convictions of the team members as well.

(More after the jump)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Uh, No. Arirang Belongs to Korea. Thanks.

[Note: This is a reaction to Roboseyo's post, titled Nobody Owns Arirang.]

I remember the first time when I saw my family's jokbo when I was a child growing up in Korea. Jokbo means "lineage book," and it shows the flow chart of everyone who is related to me starting from the very first Korean person who shared my last name, who was born in 69 B.C.E. It was, and still is, an awe-inspiring sight. My family's jokbo is consisted of more than 30 volumes, broken down by centuries, clans and subclans. The volumes would take up two full rows of a bookcase in my grandfather's run-down house, their uniform spines forming a brick-paved road toward my origin. My grandfather would flip to his favorite pages -- dog-eared for easy reference for his show-and-tell with his grandchildren -- and point to a name. The name could be a famous scholar, general, someone I would have learned about in school history classes. After going through some dozen names like that, he would flip all the way back to the last page of the last volume. And there it was -- my name, son of my father, grandson of my grandfather, 81 generations and more than two thousand years from the fountainhead of my family.

Roboseyo, a blogger I like and respect, recently claimed "nobody owns Arirang". I disagree with his view. I begin this post with the story about my jokbo is because I sense that Roboseyo does not have my sense of connection with the past, as is typical of North Americans. I believe that once people understand the feeling of having a meaningful connection with the past, they will have an easier time understanding why Koreans and the Chinese have such significant interest in laying claim on their history and culture.

(More after the jump)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

The Korean's Summer Barbecue Recipe

The Korean strives to be a reasonable, even-keeled person, but he cannot help himself in one particular area: Korean food. When it comes to Korean food, the Korean will be more unreasonable than a tiger sports dad attending a peewee football game. He will be totally biased, irrational and obnoxious. He will utterly disregard the reasonable preference of everyone else. He will lose his shit and wantonly issue death threats to anyone who gives a bad recipe.

The most recent recipient of the Korean's rage is Mark Bittman, who presented this "Korean" recipe to the New York Times. Now, the Korean actually likes Mark Bittman's work, as Mr. Bittman presents great insights on food and food culture. Mr. Bittman also gave a clear disclaimer: "I will not (and cannot) claim that every element of this menu is legitimately Korean." And please, read the paragraph above just one more time -- the Korean is not a rational person when it comes to Korean food. He is a crazy raving lunatic. You don't have to listen to him.

Having said all that...

GO DIE IN A FIRE, MARK BITTMAN. Boston lettuce leaves for ssam? Why not eat sandpaper instead? And gochujang for ssam too? What are you, 10 years old? And who told you that there is such Korean food as "grilled scallion salad" and "Korean potato salad"? Where did you get your recipe from, David Chang?

And the greatest, most unforgivable sin of all -- soy sauce in kimchi. What the fuck. WHAT. THE. FUCK. The Korean nearly had a heart attack just reading that. Thanks asshole, soon all the trendy restaurants will serve soy sauce cabbage and call it kimchi (but pronouncing it "keem-shee".) Go to hell and die.

And the idiots who commented on the article about how gochujang (chili bean paste) is never made with beans, fuck you too. Gochujang is made with beans. Have you even seen a meju, dipshit? That's the fermented block of ground beans, from which doenjang, gochujang and ganjang are made. It also looks like your face -- ugly. Shut the fuck up if you don't know what you're talking about.

::::HYPERVENTILATING::::

Ok. Alright. Even amid this irrationality, the Korean still has enough sense to think: if you don't like something, don't just criticize -- offer an improved suggestion. So here are the Korean's suggested recipe for a real deal, backyard Korean barbecue.

The recipes, after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

"Roboticity" and Violin -- Reaction from a Reader

Really good reactions to the Korean's post keep hitting the Korean's inbox, and he is learning a lot from them. This one from N.S., a former violin instructor (and a current law student) was extremely enlightening toward addressing the silly argument that Asian classical musicians are supposed to be wooden and robotic.

(Posted with permission, with some edits from the Korean.)

*               *               *

Dear Korean,

I read your "Tiger Mom" and "Paper Tiger" pieces via links through other blogs. I thought they were terrific and will read more. As a parent and a soon-to-be "Biglawyer", they spoke to my concerns, and I really liked the way you took ethnic themes and got beyond them to questions of wider concern. You're right, of course: any "tiger parent" is going to take their kids farther than they'd get with lackadaisical, cut-corners, low-energy-low-involvement parenting.

I used to be a violin teacher. In my experience, it wasn't that Asian kids were robotic; rather, their skill level was higher than their talent level relative to other kids.  Highly talented Asian kids would of course play very well. But even moderately talented Asian kids would play fairly well -- well enough to sit at the back of the second violins in all-state orchestra, instead of first chair.

Meanwhile, moderately talented white kids wouldn't put in the work necessary to compete with Asian kids at their talent level. It's true that moderately talented Asian kids would tend to sound rather "drilled," but on the other hand, moderately talented white kids would play out of tune, suffer memory lapses and miss shifts. And they would do all that with phrasing and pacing just as boxy as those of the "drilled" Asian kids. Meanwhile, the truly talented Asian kids would eat everyone's lunches and outplay less hardworking kids on every metric: phrasing and musicianship, intonation, bow control, articulation, whatever you could name. That's what you get when you have both skill and talent. Drill alone isn't sufficient for playing like Cho-Liang Lin or Kyung-Wha Chung or Nobuko Imai. But it is necessary, and anyone saying otherwise is dreaming.

*               *               *

One caveat -- N.S. was specifically commenting on the stereotype about how Asian American children are supposed to be robotic because of their upbringing. He is NOT making a racist comment about the supposed abilities of white violin students. There are obviously many, many talented white violin players in America and in the world, and N.S. as a violin instructor would be the first to know them. Don't get it twisted.

This comment particularly hit close to home because Chung Kyung-Wha that N.S. mentioned is the Korean Wife's violin heroine. The timing of this post is particularly appropriate, because Chung's mother Lee Won-Sook passed away just a few days ago, at age 93. Lee was the original Tiger Mom -- she had seven children, and raised four of them to be world-class classical musicians. (The other three became a successful businessman, a professor, and a doctor.) She wrote two books on childhood education, and the stories she told in those books make Prof. Amy Chua look like a hallmark of indulgence. For example, Lee would carry a hammer and nails in her purse, check every single seat of a concert hall where her children would play, and fix the chairs that might creak.

To close, here is a beautiful rendition of Zigeunerweisen by Chung. Pay attention at around 6 minute mark for a show of ridiculous virtuosity.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Ask a Korean! News: Adoption Day

The Korean knows that many Korean adoptees and adoptive parents read this blog. As their questions pile up, the Korean is planning on a big series on adoption -- hopefully coming out in the next few months. (Still have to finish the Confucianism series and want to have one other series before getting to the adoption series.)

Consider this a bit of a preview: May 11 in Korea was the sixth annual Adoption Day, established to raise awareness on issues about adoption in and from Korea. And here is one major point to know about adoption in Korea: it must be understood within the context of Korean society, and in particular how it treats its women. For the most part, the birth mothers did not "give up" their children -- even if they put their children up for adoption, in most cases they did not want to. The translated article below gives a glimpse of the birth mothers' experience.

*               *              *

"A child is not some thing you can give up. I never gave up; the circumstances did."

On Adoption Day, May 11, the cry of the mothers who had to send away their child to the arms of another because of insurmountable circumstances brought tears to the eyes of the audience gathered at Social Welfare Fund Center at Seoul. In the first "Event for Single Mom" hosted by KoRoot, an organization that assists international adoptees, and Korean Association of Families with Unmarried Mothers, two mothers who sent their children to international adoption shared their heart-wrenching story.

Ms. Kim (37) said, "I gave birth to my daughter by myself in 1999, at age 24. I signed the papers giving up my parental rights and put my daughter in the adoption agency," and said as she sobbed, "At first I did not feel the motherly love, but once I saw the face of my daughter I could not bear to send her away. I begged the agency to return my daughter, but they refused because I signed away my rights and I had no way to earn money." She said, "I wanted to raise my own daughter somehow, but I had nothing and had no place to live together. I did not give up my child because I wanted to," and said, "I thought I was going insane after I sent away my daughter. I started drinking although I never really drank before; I did all kinds of things."

Ms. Kim said, "I am here because I hope my words will help other unmarried mothers," and urged, "the government should take the lead in creating an environment in which a mother can raise a child on her own, then pursue adoption if that fails."

Ms. Noh Geum-Ju (52) had her son, her son who was born in 1976 when she was 18, adopted to the United States against her will; she met her son 29 years later in 2005. She mustered the courage to speak as well. Ms. Noh said, "My husband was a gambling addict; I had barely given birth and could not even breast-feed yet, but my husband made me go to the blood bank to sell my blood," and said, "I ran away from home for about 20 days to teach my husband a lesson, but his other family sent the child away to the adoption agency."

She said, "I hate those words, 'give up the child.' I did not give up my child; others did." She wiped her tears as she said, "Regardless, I could not protect my son as his mother. I am a sinner. I have lived with the mindset that I deserve any stoning I get." She insisted, "Right now the young unmarried mothers may be at a loss, but I want them to never lose heart and protect the child with their own hands," and said, "Our society must build the frame in which mothers can raise their child on their own. Please stop pointing fingers."

Ms. Noh added, "the name 'Adoption Day' should be changed into 'Adoptee Day' -- the name sounds like it is encouraging adoption," and added, "the mother's heart cries out like an unending stream whenever she hears the word 'adoption.' I hope the government will be more sensitive to that."

자식 입양보낸 모성의 절규 “버린 거 아니에요” [Dong-A Ilbo]

*                   *                  *

The Korean will save his thoughts until later, but he just want to add a caveat here: if you want to discuss, PLEASE think about how you come across. Adoption issue is very, very, very, very, very, very, very sensitive to everyone involved. Please feel free to discuss, but if you are not capable of discussing a difficult issue with the requisite rhetorical sensitivity, shut up and let others talk.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Why You Should Never Listen to Asian American "Writers" of Angst

[Note: This post is a reaction to Wesley Yang's article on New York Magazine, titled "Paper Tigers".]

First, I have to clarify and apologize for my use of the term "Writer" in this post. I myself am a writer of sorts. Obviously, I like writing. I would not have spent years writing a blog for a hobby otherwise. I also admire other good writers. I voraciously consume their works and attempt to improve my own writing by emulating them.

But, in my mind, there are writers, and there are "Writers" -- and I hope that the capitalization in the term "Writers" makes clear that the term, as I define it, does not refer to people who write for living or people who enjoy writing. My definition of Writers points to a peculiar breed of writers, frequently encountered in places like New York. The defining characteristic of Writers is their undeserved sense of self-importance. "Writers," for one reason or another, have achieved little or nothing in their lives. But that does not stop them from assuming their air of smug arrogance. In fact, in their little universe, the nothingness of their being is a perverted evidence of their genius, so far ahead of their time that the lowly world does not understand. So they often hate the world, and hate their parents who set the world order. They hack away toward building a masterpiece that, in their minds, even the stupidest of the people with whom they are forced to share the oxygen will not be able to deny. A handful of them do succeed, but most fail. Even those who succeed often leave a trail of misery for themselves and their family and friends in the wake.

I know Writers well because I have a lot of Writer within myself. I read a ton of books as a child, and I have always written well. I received a lot of praise and compliments from my teachers and parents of my friends for my reading and writing habit. As an elementary and middle school student, I was one of those insufferable 12 year olds who thought he got everything in life figured out because the grownups could not answer his clever little questions. Left unchecked, I would have been a Writer too -- the kind that bloviates on the unfair world that fails to recognize my genius, the kind that wonders why the stream of praises and compliments stopped coming just because I am no longer a 12-year-old smart aleck but a 30-year-old college graduate without a job.

Instead, I received enough good education from my parents and my schools to know that the world is full of people who are smarter than I -- and they spend less time bragging about it. I learned that B-students routinely beat the snot out of A-students in life with unrelenting diligence and effort, that nothing in life will be handed to me just because I can put together a set of some pretty sentences. I might yet change my job and make my living by writing things, but I will never become a Writer. In fact, my pen name for this blog -- The Korean -- is a self-mockery of my Writerly tendency that still rears its head from time to time. On this blog, I constantly engage in a third-person speak to remind myself how ridiculous I sound if I started taking myself too seriously.

(More after the jump)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

What Became of Korea's Royal Family?

Dear Korean,

I am British and although this hasn't been on the news much you may have heard we are about to celebrate a Royal Wedding. Although I suppose that you will probably find the whole thing ridiculous (It isn't, the kitsch provides excellent presents for American Friends and Relatives) I was wondering whether you could explain the current status of the Korean Monarchy (ie, what has happened to them since they were overthrown after Korea's independence from Japan) and the general attitude towards them.

Her Majesty's Subject.

It has been more than a week since the royal wedding, but the Korean still has not stopped crying...

NOT! Are you kidding? As a proud American, American media's dotage upon the royal wedding appalled the Korean. The Korean means no offense to Her Majesty's Subject, and he wishes the newly married couple well as he wishes for every newlyweds. But regardless, didn't Americans fight a war or something to get away from the British royal family and its shindigs? George Washington must have been spinning in his grave last weekend.

You are committing treason, OK! Magazine.

(Source)

But this is an interesting point, so let's dive in. As most people know, Imperial Japan annexed Korean Empire in 1910. In 1945, Korea re-emerged as two sovereign states, neither of which had a king. Then what happened with Korea's royal family? The fate that befell on his family was perhaps not as severe as those Koreans died in forced labor or were mobilized into forced prostitution, but it is a tremendously sad and tragic reflection of the decline and fall of Korea in the early 20th century. Let's travel back four generations.

First Generation: Emperor Gwangmu

We go back four generations because the demise of Korea's royal family arguably starts in 1907. While Korea officially disappeared in 1910, in practicality Korea lost is sovereignty in 1905, when the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 was entered into. Under the treaty, Korea became Japan's "protectorate," and lost the ability to conduct its own foreign affairs. A governor from Japan was sent to Korea to conduct Korea's foreign affairs instead. It goes without saying that the treaty was not entered into in a fair manner -- dozens of armed Japanese soldiers were staring down the emperor and the officials when the treaty was signed.

Emperor Gwangmu

(Source)

Emperor Gwangmu (also known as Gojong) of Korea could plainly see where this was going. Although the 1905 Treaty stripped his ability to conduct foreign affairs, the emperor sent secret envoys to 17 major powers, including United Kingdom, France and Germany, to protest the forcible signing of the 1905 Treaty. The highlight of this effort was in 1907, when three Korean envoys were sent to the Second International Peace Convention at the Hague. Although Japan froze out the envoys from attending the convention, Yi Wi-Jong, one of the three envoys, managed to give a speech imploring for help in a separate conference. (The speech fell on deaf ears.)

The three secret envoys to the Hague: 

Yi Sang-Seol, Yi Joon, Yi Wi-Jong

(Source)

Although the emperor's efforts did not create any result, Imperial Japan did not take kindly to Emperor Gwangmu's extracurricular activity, and demanded that he abdicate his throne. The emperor acquiesced, giving way to his son, Emperor Yunghui (also known as Soonjong) -- who would become the last emperor of Korean Empire.  Former Emperor Gwangmu died in 1919. Although this is not certain, there are ample indications that he was poisoned.

More after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 29. 015B

[Read more reviews from the Korean from the Library Mixer. To join, click here.] 

[Series Index]

29.  015B [공일오비]

Also known as:  空一烏飛 ("A single crow flies in the sky.")

Years of Activity:  1990-present? (last regular album in 2006)

Members:

Regular members
Jang Ho-Il [장호일] - Guitar
Jeong Seok-Won [정석원] - Keyboard

Temporary members
Jo Hyeon-Chan [조현찬] - Drum
Jo Hyeong-Gon [조형곤] - Bass

Discography:

Gong'ilohbi [공일오비] (1990)
Second Episode (1991)
The Third Wave (1992)
The Fourth Movement (1993)
Big 5 (1994)
The Sixth Sense (1996)
Lucky 7 (2006)

Representative Song:  21th Century Monolith [21세기 모노리스] from The Sixth Sense

21세기 모노리스
21st Century Monolith

[narration]

MX-1:  여기는 MX-1, 지구 헤드쿼터 응답하라 오버
MX-1:  This is MX-1, Earth headquarter respond, over
HQ:  여기는 헤드쿼터, 지금 상황이 좋지않다. 5번에 교신대기, 스탠바이 오버
HQ:  This is headquarter, situation is bad right now. Comm link ready on 5, standby, over

[song]

벤치위의 노신사 아무말없이
The old gentleman on the bench, without a word
담배에 불을 붙이고는 지친몸을 쉬네요
Lights his cigarette and rests his weary body
시들어진 꽃들을 어루만지며
While tending the wilted flowers
세상을 이긴 승리자에 탄식을 하고
Laments at the victor who won the world
흐릿해진 하늘을 보며
Looking at the overcast sky
어린 시절 꿈들은 한숨이 되가고
The childhood dreams turn into a sigh and
끝도 없이 이어만지는 폭풍우의 계절은
The season of storms that continue without end
눈물을 뿌리네
Sheds its tears

[narration]

MX-1:  여기는 MX-1 지구 응답하라 오버 여기는 MX-1 지구 응답하라 오버
MX-1:  This is MX-1, Earth, respond, over. This is MX-1, Earth, respond, over
HQ:  여기는 헤드쿼터. 스탠바이 오버
HQ:  This is headquarter. Standby, over
MX-1:  무슨 일인가? 상황을 알려달라 오버
MX-1:  What's going on? Inform situation, over
HQ:  지금 비상전시체제로 돌입했다. 별도의 지시가 있을 때까지 스탠바이 오버
HQ:  We are now in emergency wartime response. Standby until further instruction, over

[song]

역사라고 불렀죠 파괴를 믿고
We called it history. We believed in destruction
화폐를 믿고 과학이란 종교를 믿었는데
We believed in currency and in the religion called science
누구를 탓할까요 버려진 낙원
Who are we to blame? The deserted paradise
신은 더 이상 기다리지 않는답니다.
God no longer waits for us
위대했던 인류의 꿈은
The once grand dream of the mankind
자신의 관을 직접 만들어만 갔고
Only continued to make its own coffin and
끝도 없이 올려간 탑은
The tower that was risen endlessly
예정된 싸움속에 무너져 버리죠
Falls in the predestined fights

[narration]

MX-1:  여기는 MX-1, 수신재개 요망 오버. 헤드쿼터 응답하라 오버
MX-1:  This is MX-1, request reopening communication, over. Headquarter respond, over
HQ:  여기는 헤드쿼터, 상황이 좋지 않고있다. 별도의 지시가 있을 때까지 스탠바이 오버
HQ:  This is headquarter, the situation is getting bad. Standby until further instruction, over
MX-1:  여기는 MX-1 헤드쿼터 응답하라 오늘이 내 딸 생일이다 가족들과 교신할 수 있나 오버
MX-1:  This is MX-1, headquarter respond, today is my daughter's birthday, can I communicate with my family, over
HQ:  (Static)
MX-1:  여기는 MX-1 헤드쿼터 응답하라 가족들과 교신하고싶다 오버
MX-1:  This is MX-1, headquarter respond. I want to communicate with my family, over
HQ:  (Static)
MX-1:  헤드쿼터 내 목소리가 들리면 딸에게 전해다오, 아빠가 생일 축하한다고, 응답하라 오버
MX-1:  Headquarter, if you can hear me tell my daughter daddy said happy birthday, respond, over
HQ:  여기는 헤드쿼터 -- 작동모드를 수동으로 전환하기 바란다 여기선 더이상 통제할 수 없다 오--
HQ:  This is headquarter -- change operation mode to manual, we cannot control from here any more, ov--
MX-1:  헤드쿼터, 무슨일인가! 상황을 알고싶다. 무슨일인가? 응답하라 오버!
MX-1:  Headquarter, what's going on? Inform situation. What's going on? Respond, over!
HQ:  (Static)
MX-1:  여기는 MX-1, 헤드쿼터 응답하라. 무슨일인가?
MX-1:  This is MX-1, headquarter, respond. What's going on?
HQ:  (Static)
MX-1:  헤드쿼터!
MX-1:  Headquarter!
HQ:  적군이다, 적군이다... 오오 신이시여 우릴 용서하소서
HQ:  The enemy, the enemy is here... oh God forgive us

Song note:  21th Century Monolith is about a spaceship (which looks like a train in the music video) that is returning to Earth seven years after it left, only to be greeted by a nuclear war.

In 15 words or less:  Bridge between ballad and modern rock; pioneer of long-form music video.

Maybe they should be ranked higher because...  Their fifth and sixth albums did not receive their proper due as groundbreaking works.

Maybe they should be ranked lower because...  Did they leave any enduring classics like the way Lee Mun-Se, for example, did?

Why is this band important?
In the K-pop scene of the 1990s, "ballad" was the king. These sappy soft rocks with a clear rise-climax-denouement structure (think My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion) was a natural outgrowth of the folk rock neutered of its political message. When 015B debuted, there was no reason to believe that it would be anything other than another ballad group with catchy lyrics. But a closer observer of 015B would have known that the band began with a significant potential, and the band gradually began living up to its potential, album by album. It distinguished itself by adopting genres that were lesser known in Korea at the time. It did not seek popularity, or at least the kind of popularity that involves numerous television appearances to which teenage girls scream. 015B, notably, did not have a main vocal -- for most of its songs, the band casted other singers to sing them. Luminaries of K-pop like Shin Hae-Chul, Yoo Hee-Yeol and Yoon Jong-Shin regularly participated in 015B albums as featured artists.

015B's fifth and sixth albums were the culmination of its talent. The fifth album's title was The Short Hair [단발머리], a modern remake of a hit song by the immortal Jo Yong-Pil. This set off a wave of remake albums, pushing the K-pop world to have a popular retrospective that it never truly had (with Kim Gwang-Seok being a notable exception.) Their sixth album pushed the musical boundaries farther, moving toward modern rock that did not as yet exist. The song 21st Century Monolith from the sixth album made history, as the first Korean pop song to have a music video that cost more than KRW 100 million (around $100,000.) It began a trend of well-produced, movie-like music videos in K-pop.

Interesting trivia 1:  Jeong Seok-Won was the keyboardist for the band Infinite Orbit [무한궤도] with Shin Hae-Chul, another artist who would go on to become a legend in his own right.

Interesting trivia 2:  Jeong and Jang are actually brothers. Jang Ho-Il's real name is Jeong Ki-Won.

Interesting trivia 3:  015B underwent a decade-long hiatus because of Jeong's military service.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Ask a Korean! News: Korean Man Murders Mail-Order Bride

Dong-A Ilbo recently ran an awful story about a Cambodian woman who was killed by her Korean husband, with a silver lining that the police was determined to bring the killer to justice. Translation below.

*                  *                 *

On March 18 of last year, a fire broke out in the bedroom of an apartment in Gangwon-do, Chuncheon-si Hyoja-dong, killing Ms. C (25 years old at the time,) a Cambodian woman who came to Korea via marriage. By the time the firefighters arrived at the scene, the fire had subsided because there was not enough oxygen in the house. C was found dead nude and lying down with the face down. The police designated the husband Mr. Kang (45) as the likely suspect, and began investigating. But Kang was set free in August of that year. The police could not find evidence of arson based on its crime scene investigation, and the National Institute of Scientific Investigation (NISI) also determined that C died through lack of oxygen due to the fire. Sedative was discovered from C's body, but Kang explained that C usually took sleeping pills.

But facing the death of a marriage immigrant woman, the investigation team of the Gangwon Regional Police Agency did not give up its investigation. It also attracted suspicion that Kang purchased life insurance policies in his wife's name also. Exactly one year to the date since C passed away, the police arrested Kang on the charge of murdering his wife by feeding her sleeping pills and committing arson, in order to collect insurance proceeds.

The couple had married in Cambodia on March 2, 2008. Kang, who had two failed marriages, went to Cambodia based on the introduction of K, a marriage broker that he knew previously. K recalled, "Other men usually look for attractive women, but Kang did not care too much about the woman's looks." The police suspects that Kang did not go to Cambodia to find a spouse, but to plan for an insurance fraud.

Kang, a welfare recipient, made his living by collecting insurance proceeds from undergoing a light stroke. He purchased four health-related insurance policies from four different insurance companies from November 19, 2007 through November 24, 2007, only to hospitalize himself at a university hospital in Gangwon-do. Kang traveled to Cambodia with the money he received from repeating hospitalization. Since marrying C, Kang purchased six life insurance policies from six different insurance companies from September through December 2009. The proceeds totaled KRW 1.2 billion [TK: = $1 million]

One insurance company refused to allow Kang to purchase a life insurance policy because he had gone over the company-set upper limit on life insurance proceeds. A representative of the insurance company said, "Kang was very strange. He did not have a regular income, but enrolled in high-value insurances that required him to pay high premium. He particularly focused on insurance collectible upon death, which did not deal with health." An official from Financial Supervisory Service said, "Kang scored 82 on insurance fraud indicator. The indicator is calculated based on the enrollee's insurance and payment, and 82 indicates the likelihood of serial insurance fraud."

Kang tried to persuade C into joining insurance fraud also. Ms. P, another Cambodian bride who knew C, said, "Kang was a bad person. He bought a bicycle to C, told her to ram her bicycle into a car and collect insurance proceeds." Kang's greed for insurance money was endless. He planned to collect on the life insurance by bribing the local police in Cambodia and obtaining a death certificate for his wife, but failed when the local police refused.

Since returning from Cambodia, Kang began searching the Internet with such keywords as "innocent poisoning," "fire death" and "blowfish poison." He also joined a fire insurance on January 15, two months before the fire. Kang, who usually did not cook, would leave the house with a pot on the gas burner, or put a blanket over an electric heater.

On the day C died, Kang was shooting pool at a pool hall at 5 p.m., and returned home complaining of stomach pain. C told the police that he had sex with his wife after returning home; afterward, the wife was about the fall asleep, so he told her that he was visiting a friend in Suwon but returned to the pool hall instead. But the police suspects that Kang returned home, drugged his wife and put the blanket next to the electric heater so that a fire would happen. Kang did not appear to be grieving after the wife died. K said, "A few days after his wife died, C came to me and asked me to introduce C's sister. I refused, flabbergasted, then C demanded that I find him a wife from Uzbekistan. He also threatened me after he came back from the police."

The investigation team secured ample circumstantial and indirect evidence, but could not find a direct evidence. The acquaintances of C and Kang also suspected Kang, but there was no evidence. The family of C declined to speak with the police; apparently Kang had bribed them. Lieutenant Kim Dong-Hyeok of the investigation team emphasized, "We could not let Kang go just because we did not have direct evidence. We wanted to show the truth of the matter, however possible." The fact that the victim was a marriage immigrant also moved the police to action. Captain Kim Seong-Ho, chief of homicide unit, said, "C was young, but she came to Korea to marry her husband for the sake of her family. She could not even communicate in Korea. We could not give up the investigation because we felt terrible that another Korean harmed an immigrant."

The investigation began anew. The police had to prove scientifically that the fire was not simply a negligent accident, but a deliberate arson. Lieutenant Kim strove to present objective data. The investigation team asked for assistance from Financial Supervisory Service, Korea Life Insurance Association, NISI, National Emergency Management Agency, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the School of Firefighting and Emergency Response at Kyungwon University. Professor Choi Don-Mook from Kyungwon University said, "The police will determine the criminal, but we simulated how the fire broke out by reconstructing the crime scene."

Based on this simulation, the investigation team showed that considering the safety switch of the electric heater and the distance between the heater and the blanket, it was impossible for fire to break out based on simple negligence. This became the determinative cause for which the court found in favor of the police at the indictment stage. The police showed that the fire is an intentional arson, and there was no evidence that anyone other than the husband entered the house around the time of the fire. Insurance fraud provided the clear motive for murder.

This case is similar to the 1995 dentist murder. At the time, the husband who was a surgeon was indicted on the suspicion of killing his wife, a dentist, and his one-year-old daughter and setting fire on the house to hide the traces of crime. The court battle lasted eight years, but the husband was found not guilty because no direct evidence was found. The police and the prosecutor in charge of that investigation still considers the husband to be the most likely suspect. Similarly, although Kang admitted the charges of insurance fraud, but strenuously denying the charges of arson and murder.

The investigation team requested the records for the dentist murder case, closely reviewing them to ensure that the investigation did not miss anything. Lieutenant Kim said, "I will be in charge of the case until the court battle ends." He added, "Outside of Korea, indirect and circumstantial evidence is sometimes enough to get a conviction because crimes are becoming more intelligent and the suspect may go to great lengths to hide his crime by committing arson, for example. We will keep hunting down evidence even if it takes the Supreme Court to hand down the conviction, if only to leave a good precedent."

억울하게 죽은 여인 도저히 그냥 둘 수 없었다 [Dong-A Ilbo]

A few thoughts after reading this...

1.  When a person's companionship is essentially purchased with money, it is only a matter of time before something like this happens. The Korean has been critical of Korea's mail-order bride practice from the very beginning of this blog, and he is still disgusted by this retching spectacle. This is a national shame that cannot end soon enough. This practice either needs to be severely regulated at the marriage broker level, or banned altogether until the situation improves. When a person's worth is commodified, the person's life is constantly in danger.

2.  If there is any silver lining to this, it is that the police pursued this case doggedly and is in the course of bringing the murderer to justice. In the process, there was a nice display of collective self-awareness that the Korean discussed in this post. It is not as if Captain Kim felt responsible for C's death. But he understood that Kang, a fellow Korean, exploited C, who put herself in a vulnerable situation by coming to Korea. That in turn gave Captain Kim an extra measure of impetus to be more persistent about his investigation.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 30. Sinawi

[Read more reviews from the Korean from the Library Mixer. To join, click here.] 

[Series Index]


30.  Sinawi [시나위]

Also Romanized as:  Sinawe

Years of Activity:  1986-present (last album in 2006)

Members:

Current Members
Shin Dae-Cheol [신대철] - Guitar
Lee Gyeong-Han [이경한] - Bass
Lee Dong-Yeop [이동엽] - Drum
Kang Han [강한] - Vocal

Former Members
Kang Jong-Su [강종수] - Drum
Kim Min-Gi [김민기] - Drum [TK note: NOT the same Kim Min-Gi who is ranked 31 in this list]
Kim Jong-Hyu [김종휴] - Drum
Shin Dong-Hyeon [신동현] - Drum
Oh Gyeong-Hwan [오경환] - Drum
Kim Geyong-Won [김경원] - Bass
Kim Yeong-Jin [김영진] - Bass
Dalparan [달파란] - Bass
Park Yeong-Bae [박영배] - Bass
Seo Taiji [서태지] - Bass
An Joon-Seop [안준섭] - Bass
Moda - Bass
Kim Hyeong-Joon -[김형준] - Keyboard
Kim Bada [김바다] - Vocal
Kim Seong-Heon [김성헌] - Vocal
Kim Yong [김용] - Vocal
Kim Jong-Seo [김종서] - Vocal
Sohn Seong-Hoon [손성훈] - Vocal
Lee Byeong-Moon [이병문] - Vocal
Im Jae-Beom [임재범] - Vocal
Jeon Chang-Gyu [전창규] - Vocal

Discography:
Heavy Metal Sinawe (1986)
Down and Up (1987)
Freeman (1988)
Four (1990)
Sinawi 5 [시나위 5] (1995)
Blue Baby (1997)
Psychedelos (1998)
Sinawe Vol. 8 (2001)
Reason of Dead Bugs (2006)

Representative Song:  Turn Up the Radio [크게 라디오를 켜고] from Heavy Metal Sinawe

크게 라디오를 켜고
Turn Up the Radio

피곤이 몰아치는 기나긴 오후지나
Past the long long afternoon where the fatigue rushes in
집으로 달려가는 마음은 어떠한가
How is a heart that races homeward
지하철 기다리며 들리는 음악은
The music heard while waiting for the subway
지루한 하루건너 내일을 생각하네
Skips the boring day and thinks of tomorrow
대문을 활짝열고 노래를 불러보니
Opened up the front door and tried singing
어느새 피곤마저 사라져 버렸네
Before I knew it, even the fatigue vanished
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 따라해요
Turn up the radio and let's all follow the song
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 노래해요
Turn up the radio and let's all sing along

두눈을 감고서는 잠들려 했을때
When I tried to close my eyes and go to sleep
옆집서 들려오는 조그만 음악소리
The little sound of music coming from the house next door
소리를 듣고싶어 라디오 켜보니
Turned on the radio to hear the sound
뜨거운 리듬속에 마음을 빼았겼네
And I lost my heart in the heated rhythm
자리에 일어나서 노래를 불러보니
Got out of the bed and tried singing
어느새 시간마저 지나가 버렸네
Before I knew it, even the time passed by
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 따라해요
Turn up the radio and let's all follow the song
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 노래해요
Turn up the radio and let's all sing along

아침을 알려주는 자명종 소리마저
Even the sound of the alarm clock announcing the morning
쌓여진 졸음만은 어쩔수 없어라
Can do anything to the piled-up sleep
두손에 잡혀지는 라디오 켜보고
Turn on the radio that comes to my hand
하품과 기지개를 마음껏 해보세
And let's yawn and stretch all we want
방문을 활짝열고 노래를 불러보니
Opened up the room door and tried singing
어느새 졸음마저 사라져 버렸네
Before I knew it, even the sleep vanished
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 따라해요
Turn up the radio and let's all follow the song
크게 라디오를 켜고 함께 노래해요
Turn up the radio and let's all sing along

Translation note:  Is there a more elegant translation for 어느새?

In 15 words or less:  Greatest heavy metal band in K-pop history.

Maybe they should be ranked higher because...  Is there any other band that has three former members who ended up being on this list?

Maybe they should be ranked lower because...  Was there ever a time when Sinawi even grazed the public consciousness with its music?

Why is this band important?
It goes without saying that Korean pop music was imported from outside of Korea at some point or another. But on some level, it is not terribly surprising that certain types of pop music succeeded in Korea better than others. Trot has a certain level of smiling melancholy that connects with the pathos of Korea's traditional music. Same with folk rock/ballad, with their maudlin calm. Even rap is vaguely reminiscent of pansori, in which a single performer stands on the stage and alternately narrates and sings.

In this sense, among pop music genre, heavy metal may have been (and may still be) the most foreign music to Korean ears. There is simply no precedent for screaming into the mic and ear-piercing tunes. And the men in leather pants, with their flowing long mane swinging on the stage!

Which makes the presence of Sinawi in Korea's pop music history all the more remarkable. I mean, just watch this video:

Can you imagine ANY Korean you know rocking out like that with that kind of hair, clothes and makeup?

Sinawi is remarkable because of its relentless pursuit of the rock orthodoxy. It utterly dedicated itself to rock and heavy metal, popularity be damned. Although Sinawi never got anywhere near the top of the charts, it quite literally opened up a new frontier in Korean pop music. The universal language of rock was alive in Korea, and Sinawi provided a meaningful starting point of heavier rock sound in Korean pop music.

Another remarkable thing about Sinawi is its current and former rosters read like "Who's Who of Korea's Rock Legends," many of whom unsurprisingly make this list. Dalparan is the stage name for Kang Gi-Yeong, the bassist and leader of Pipi Band. Kim Jong-Seo pursued a solo career after Sinawi and became a de facto face of Korean rock. And as described further below, former bassist Jeong Hyeon-Cheol got kind of famous also.

Interesting trivia 1:  Shin Dae-Chul, guitarist and the leader of Sinawi, is the son of Shin Joong-Hyeon, Korea's "godfather of rock."

Interesting trivia 2:  Kim Jong-Seo was slated to be Sinawi's original vocal. But only one week before Sinawi's debut concert, Kim disappeared. Kim reappeared one day before the concert, but the band had already fired him. Kim Jong-Seo would come back to rejoin the band for Sinawi's fourth album, which became much more pop-oriented under Kim's influence. Kim then had a falling out with Shin Dae-Chul, who wanted more orthodox rock. Sinawi disbanded and would go into a five-year hiatus until Shin could reorganize the band with entirely new members.

Interesting trivia 3:  Also joining for Sinawi's fourth album was a 17-year-old high school dropout bassist named Jeong Hyeon-Cheol -- who later would take on the stage name Seo Taiji. Seo recalls his days at Sinawi as the time when he really learned music. Officially, Seo was pushed into a solo career after Sinawi disbanded after the fourth album. Seo was closer to Kim Jong-Seo, and was not particularly inclined to stay with Shin's insistence at orthodox rock. According to an unconfirmed rumor, the final straw for Seo was when Shin told his bassist -- 13 years junior -- to go out and buy cigarettes for him. Seo, reportedly, took the money and never returned.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Confucianism and Korea - Part IV: Confucianism in Modern Korea

[Series Index]

So after three preceding parts, here we are now -- the most fun part of the series where we will look at Confucianism in contemporary Korean society and compare/contrast with what we know already. In fact, the Korean could have jumped straight to this post, but he opted to take a slower, more prodding route for exactly one reason -- to give context. And the reason for giving more context is because people who are unfamiliar with Korea overuse Confucianism to explain everything about Korean culture. Sometimes it works, sometimes it is misleading, and sometimes it is laughably ignorant.

An excellent example of such ignorance comes from back in 2008, regarding the earthquake in China. (Hopefully people still remember this.) In a Q&A with a New York Times reporter stationed in China, one of the questions was this:

Have there been any mentions of the earthquake as an example of the Chinese leadership’s ‘mandate of heaven’ being withdrawn?

This is freakin' hilarious. "Mandate of heaven" is a Confucian concept under which the ruler may proclaim his legitimacy, and natural disasters in the past were considered to be signs of the presence and departure of the mandate of heaven. While he is no expert on China, the Korean would daresay that few in modern China have thought about natural disasters in those terms in the last few decades. Accordingly, the Times reporter's response was a barely suppressed chuckle:

To tell you the truth, no one I’ve spoken to in the past week has mentioned the mandate of heaven. The survivors seem more concerned with getting by on a day-to-day basis and looking after the welfare of family and friends.

So in order to avoid this kind of situation, allow the Korean to give a couple of big caveats about how Confucianism operates in Korea.

1.  In modern Korea, Confucianism is a mode of thought, not a set of commands. Put differently, Korean people make Confucian-style thoughts, but that does not mean Korean people consciously try to follow Confucian laws. In fact, Koreans think without thinking about whether their thinking style is Confucian. It is very, very rare to find a Korean person who explicitly connects her code of conduct to Confucianism.

A similar example is America's libertarianism and Christianity. A lot of American libertarians expressly disavow Christianity. But they still generally subscribe to individualism, which is a Christianity-styled thought. This does not mean that all Christians are individualistic, nor does it mean that individualistic people think they are Christian. (In fact, often the opposite is true for both propositions.) But it does mean that major tenets of Christianity, if followed to their logical conclusion, lend themselves to individualism. (Yes, the Korean is aware that this is a broad example, but this is a broad discussion about a broad topic.)

This is how Confucianism works in Korean minds. Very few Koreans "obey" Confucianism. In fact, if you tried to justify something you did by quoting Confucius in modern Korea, you are more likely to be laughed at than seriously listened to. But Korean people's world view is often Confucian-styled, often themselves without realizing that it is Confucian-styled.

2.  In modern Korea, Confucianism is not the only mode of thought available. There is a tendency among non-Korean observers of Korea to attribute to Confucianism every mode of thought/action that appears remotely different from theirs. This is a big mistake. Influences of other major Eastern philosophies -- i.e. Buddhism and Taoism -- as well as Korea's traditional Shamanistic philosophy play a large role in guiding Korean minds. Christianity has been around Korea for 200 years also. In addition, much of Korean mode of thought is based on Hobbesian individualism, which is an outgrowth of Korea's recent historical experience of war and extreme deprivation. Do NOT try to explain everything about Korea with Confucianism. And please, no stupid questions like, "If Confucianism tells people to respect elders, why do I see so many Koreans not giving up seats to elders in a subway?"

Having said that, let's dive straight in. Here is a non-exhaustive list of how Confucianism operates in Korea today, after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Koran Burning, and the Cowardly Shield of Individualism

The news that Koran burners have blood on their hands is getting surprisingly little publicity in the U.S. To those who are not aware, Pastors Wayne Sapp and Terry Jones in Florida burned a Koran in a church on March 20. On April 1, several hundred protesters surrounded the UN headquarters in Afghanistan, and the protest turned deadly. At least 30 people were killed, including seven UN staffers.

To the extent there was any reaction in America, the reaction was no more than some tut-tuts and hand-wringing accompanied with some mutterings about First Amendment rights. In fact, some people took to task that Gen. Petraeus dared to offer condolences to the people who died in the violent episode. Particularly interesting is this post by W.W., an America-based correspondent for the Economist:

General David Petraeus and Mark Sedwill, NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, issued a joint statement condemning the Florida zealot's zealotry and offering "condolences to the families of all those injured and killed in violence which occurred in the wake of the burning of the Holy Qur'an", omitting to note the agency and responsibility of the zealots actually responsible for the deadly mob violence, almost as if zealots in Florida are expected to control themselves while zealots in Afghanistan are not.

...

But the military occupation of Afghanistan, which is (let's face it) the basis of most anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan, is not Terry Jones' responsibility any more than it is mine, and neither is the behaviour of zealots enraged by his idiotic pyrotechnics. The mob can't pass the buck to Terry Jones any more than Terry Jones can pass the buck to Khalid Sheik Mohammed. The buck stops in each zealous breast. It's imprudent to issue official statements that suggest otherwise—that suggest responsibility rests with those who try to incite and not with those who choose to be incited.

The Wall Street Journal concludes its piece on Mr Petraeus' unwelcome new travails with a quotation from a rioting zealot in Kandahar:

"We cannot see the difference between that man in Florida and the American soldiers here," said Karimullah, a 25-year-old religious student who, like many Afghans, goes by one name and took part in Sunday's Kandahar protests. "They are killing our people here while in the U.S. they burn the Holy Quran. America just wants to humiliate the Muslim world."

Like Terry Jones, Mr Karimullah is just full of it. He can see the difference between the American soldiers in Afghanistan and Terry Jones, if he tries. For example, Terry Jones is not part of the military occupation of Mr Karimullah's country. And the innocent civilians Afghan rioters have wantonly killed aren't American soldiers or Terry Jones.

Zealotry and Responsibility [The Economist] (emphasis added)

The Korean thought this was interesting because it clearly shows something about America that drives this American crazy:  the stunning lack of self-awareness at the collective level, and the willingness to hide behind the ignorant and cowardly shield of individualism at every opportunity.

More after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 32. Patti Kim

[Read more reviews from the Korean from the Library Mixer. To join, click here.]

[Series Index]

32.  Patti Kim [패티김]

Years of Activity:  1958-present

Discography:
(Patti Kim did issue albums prior to 1969, but the information online only traces back to 1969.)

Stereo Highlight Vol. 3: The White House [스테레오 하이라이트 Vol. 3: 하얀집] (1969)
Patti Kim Stereo Vol. 5 [패티金 스테레오 Vol. 5] (1970)
Patti Kim '70 (1970)
Patti Kim '71 (1971)
'74 Bronze Medalist in the Third Tokyo World Music Festival ['74 제3회 동경 가요제 세계대회 동상 수상] (1974)
Wind [바람] (1974)
Patti Kim Greatest Hit Album Vol. 5 (1975)
Stereo Lifetime Vol. 1 [스테레오 일대작 제1집] (1976)
Patti Kim Sings Love [사랑을 노래하는 패티김] (1978)
Unforgettable by Patti Kim [패티김의 못잊어] (1978)
Homecoming Grand Concert [귀국 대공연] (1978)
Love that Left Autumn Behind [가을을 남기고 간 사랑] (1983)
Patti Kim '84 (1984)
Light and Shadow [빛과 그림자] (1985)
Hit Song 1 [힛송 1] (1986)
Patti Kim (1990)
Patti Kim (1991)
Life is a Small Boat [인생은 작은 배] (1994)
Love is the Flower of Life [사랑은 생명의 꽃] (1997)
Patti Kim (1999)
The One & Only (2008)
Friendship [우정] (2009)
Patti Kim Golden Best (2009)

Representative Song:  Love that Left Autumn Behind, from Love that Left Autumn Behind.

가을을 남기고 떠난 사랑
Love that Left Autumn Behind

가을을 남기고 떠난 사랑
Love that left autumn behind
겨울은 아직 멀리 있는데
But the winter is far away yet
사랑 할수록 깊어가는 슬픔의 눈물은
The tears of sorrow that deepens as I love
향기로운 꿈이었나
Were they a fragrant dream
당신의 눈물이 생각날때
When I recall your tears
기억에 남아있는 꿈들이
The dreams remaining in my memory,
눈을 감으면 수많은 별이 되어
When I close my eyes, will turn into countless stars
어두운 밤 하늘에 흘러가리
And flow in the dark night sky


아 그대 곁에 잠들고 싶어라
Oh how I wish to sleep by your side
날개를 접은 철새처럼
Like a migratory bird with folded wings
눈물로 쓰여진 그 편지는
The letter written with tears
눈물로 다시 지우렵니다
I will erase again with tears
내 가슴에 봄은 멀리 있지만
Though to my heart, spring is far away
내 사랑 꽃이 되고 싶어라
How my love wishes to be a flower

아 그대 곁에 잠들고 싶어라
Oh how I wish to sleep by your side
날개를 접은 철새처럼
Like a migratory bird with folded wings
눈물로 쓰여진 그 편지는
The letter written with tears
눈물로 다시 지우렵니다
I will erase again with tears
내 가슴에 봄은 멀리 있지만
Though to my heart, spring is far away
내 사랑 꽃이 되고 싶어라
How my love wishes to be a flower

Translation Note:  The words "migratory bird" loses all poetic meaning in English and turns into a clunker that weighs down the romance of the song.

In 15 Words or Less:  Korea's first pop star.

Maybe she should have been ranked higher because...  Patti Kim debuted in 1958. Just think about how old your parents were in 1958. And she is still going strong to this day as a septuagenarian.

Maybe she should have been ranked lower because...  Did she do a single musically special thing that lived beyond the prime of her career?

Why is this artist special?
For people who like to indulge in imagining a post-apocalyptic world, Korea in the 1950s was a close approximation. Korea began the 20th century as an extremely poor and backward country, followed by 36 years of brutal and exploitative imperial rule. After a short-lived run after the liberation, it would enter into a civil war that was as much a total war as any other war in modern history.

When the Korean looks at Patti Kim's career, a single number arrests his sight and does not let go: 1958. Only five years after the war that leveled everything and killed or wounded around four million people. Four million lives. Can you even imagine that? Just for a frame of reference, right now Japan is (rightly) receiving an outpouring of international support after its horrific earthquake, which had a toll of around 25,000 dead/wounded/missing people. In the wake of an utter, total destruction, how does it make sense to hope?

More pertinently, how does it make sense to hope that one would make a career as a singer? Remember, "pop stars" did not exist in Korea in the 1950s. Heck, "pop culture" did not exist in Korea. There were some popular singers, but their status was roughly equal to clowns at a traveling carnival in modern day America -- entertainers, yes, but not rich and not respected. Few Koreans of the 1940s grew up dreaming to be a star. Most probably did not know what that meant. Which makes Patti Kim's artistic career all the more remarkable.

Born as Kim Hye-Ja, Kim began her career as a singer for the U.S. military stationed in Korea. She took the stage name of "Patti" for Patti Page, one of the hottest names in American pop music scene at the time. In fact, they bear a fleeting resemblance to each other:

(Source) (Source)

Kim continued her career by becoming an exclusive singer for the club at what is now the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul. Since then, Patti Kim's career was nothing but pioneering and trailblazing. She was the first Korean pop singer to be invited by NHK broadcasting studio of Japan for a concert. She was also the first Korean pop singer to hold a concert at the Carnegie Hall. She appeared on Tonight Show by Johnny Carson. And she continues to chug along, still holding concerts at 72-year-young. Although she did not really break any grounds as a musician -- someone else composed nearly all of her songs -- her stage presence is reported to be legendary.

Given the strength of Korea's pop culture worldwide, it is amazing to think that its roots trace back to a USO show or a dark nightclub of a hotel. But that is so, and Patti Kim was in the middle of it.

Interesting trivia 1:  Patti Kim's song Parting [이별] is rumored to be one of Kim Jong-Il's favorite songs.

Interesting trivia 2:  This turned up in the Korean's research and he couldn't not share.

Look at that scandalous cleavage!! In Korea of 1960s!! (Source)

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

A Retrospective on Identity: State of a Gyopo at Age 30

Thirty is probably the age that causes the most trepidation among Koreans. Thirty means much more than the pressures for a job and marriage from your parents. It is an occasion for a deep reflection about your life. It is not a coincidence that one of the most iconic Korean pop songs is titled "Around Thirty." For Koreans around thirty, Kim Gwang-Seok's soft voice, singing "Another day drifted away/Like exhaled smoke," rings truer than ever.

Confucius said that thirty is the age at which he established himself. By saying this, Confucius is not simply saying that you should move out of the basement of your parents' home by the time you are 30. He means that by 30, you should have a good idea of who you are. You should establish yourself, your identity.

Today, I turn 30 years old. Also, I have lived in America for 13 and a half years. Given that I spent the first few years of my life in Korea without much awareness, I would say the time I spent in Korea and the time I spent in America are approximately equal. All this makes a great time for me to reflect on how I came to establish my own identity as a Korean American.

More after the jump.

Coach Leta Andrews and TrueHoop

It is because of American Tiger Moms like Leta Andrews that the Korean still has faith in America:

GRANBURY, Tex. — At 7:15 a.m. on Monday, the girls’ basketball team at Granbury High assembled for practice. As always, shirts had to be tucked in, hair pulled back. If a shoelace came untied, it meant running the bleachers. Questions had two acceptable answers: Yes ma’am and no ma’am.

Sure, Coach Leta Andrews had her lighter moments. She might show up at practice in a crazy wig; once she even wore a bikini. But joking around is not how she got her name on the local water tower for winning more basketball games than any high school coach in the country — 1,346 victories, an average of 27 a season, in her 49-year career.

...

“She’s a tough coach,” Jordan said. “She doesn’t let you slack off. Sometimes she makes us cry, but we know it’s for the good. I can’t picture high school without her.”

Former players stay in touch. In 1996, Andrews traveled to Atlanta to cheer on Amy Acuff, who had played for her championship team in Corpus Christi and was now competing in the Olympic high jump. Three years ago, shortly after having stents implanted in a blocked artery, Andrews drove eight hours to attend the funeral of Cerny’s mother.

Acuff, a four-time Olympian, said: “I think people often are afraid to discipline kids; they feel it is too harsh or that the kid won’t love you. But I think the root of respect and love is a person expecting and demanding that you be as good as you can be every single moment.”

Andrews longs for more diversity on her team and more gym rats, players who want to win as badly as she does. “Don’t run around like a chicken with your head cut off,” she scolded her offense Monday. But she is not ready to retire. The only win that is important, she said, is the next one.

“I’m not ready to turn this over to these younger coaches,” Andrews told her husband recently. “They just don’t demand enough.”

Texas Coach Demands Best, Has Record to Prove It [New York Times] (emphasis the Korean's).

After hearing so much whining about Tiger Mom's "emotional abuse," it was so nice to know there are still people in America who get it. But over at TrueHoop (one of the Korean's favorite blogs,) Henry Abbott had a different take.

More after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

Translation Review - 빛의 제국/Your Republic is Calling You by Kim Young-Ha (2010)

The Korean, apparently, is big time nowadays -- he is receiving free new books from publishers in hopes of having them reviewed on the blog. Life as a Z-list celebrity is sweet.

So far the Korean has received several novels, but he did not really review any of them. Truth is, the Korean is not much of a novel reader at all. When he does, he only reads canonical texts for the sake of being more educated, not really for the sake of being entertained. Because of that, the Korean is not very capable of giving a good review of a novel.

But the most recent novel sent to the Korean was different. Your Republic is Calling You is a translated Korean novel. See, the Korean may not be a good novel reader, but he is a pretty damned good translator. So he may not be able to give a good novel review, he can give a solid translation review.

Korean original of Your Republic is Calling You

So the Korean went out and bought Korean version of Your Republic is Calling You, which is actually called 빛의 제국 (“Empire of Lights”). For the first half of the two books, the Korean first read a section of 빛의 제국, then read the same section in Your Republic is Calling You. Then for the second half, the Korean read through and finished 빛의 제국, then read through the entire second half of Your Republic is Calling You.

But first, a little bit about the novel itself. Kim Young-Ha is a promising young novelist in Korea, and this is his fourth novel. 빛의 제국 was originally published in 2006, and the English version was published in late 2010. The translator is Kim Chi-Young.

Kim Young-Ha

Your Republic begins with main character Kim Ki-Yong, a 42-year-old who runs a small movie import business in Seoul. He is married to his wife Ma-Ri who is a saleswoman at Volkswagen dealership. The couple has a daughter Hyon-Mi, a bright high school student with typical teenage angst. Ki-Yong leads a peaceful if lethargic life, until one morning, a mysterious email directs him to Order Number 4: “Liquidate everything and return immediately.” Now Ki-Yong, a North Korean spy who had been undercover for 21 years and received his last orders more than a decade ago, has one day to undo his life of two decades. On that same day, Ma-Ri and Hyon-Mi go through their own unusual, personal adventures.

“Kafkaesque” is the word that is often used to describe the tone of the novel. That description is fair, in a sense that Your Republic sterilely narrates events that appear to be manipulating individuals beyond their control. But with Kafka, it does not really matter where the story was set. The value of The Trial endures because the aspects of the modern legal system (or more generally, the modern state) identified in the novel resonates universally. In contrast, Your Republic is completely dependent upon the stage. Unlike the story of Josef K., Ki-Yong’s story can happen only in the context of the two Koreas.

Therein lies the translator’s challenge. The events and emotions attendant to that story may be very familiar to Koreans, but not necessarily so for non-Koreans. Like most translations are, it is not simply about conveying meaning -- it is also about conveying the emotions evoked by the meaning. So how did our translator do?

More after the jump. WARNING: many, many spoilers after the jump.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists: 35. Song Dae-Gwan/Tae Jin-Ah

With these two towers of trot, we conclude the "Tier 4 - Notable" section in the top 50 ranking.

[Read more reviews from the Korean from the Library Mixer. To join, click here.]

[Series Index]

35.  Song Dae-Gwan [송대관]

Years of Activity: 1975-present

Discography:
(Regular albums only; "special" or "best" albums are too numerous and disorganized to trace.)

Sunrising Day [해뜰날] (1975)
The Looks [모습이] (1976)
20 Songs from Song Dae-Gwan [송대관 20곡집] (1976)
Song Dae-Gwan Solo [송대관 독집] (1977)
Me [나] (1977)
Myeongdong Vagabond [명동 나그네] (1978)
If You Go [당신이 가신다면] (1978)
Mi, Where are You [미야 너는 어디에] (1979)
With the Wife [아내와 같이] (1979)
Because of Jeong [정 때문에] (1989)
Who Are You To [네가 뭔데] (1991)
92 Song Dae-Gwan [92 송대관] (1992)
93 Song Dae-Gwan [93 송대관] (1993)
The Wife's Birthday [아내의 생일] (1994)
Song and Life [노래와 인생] (1998)
Memorial Album for Best Artist Award [최고 가수상 수상 기념] (2000)
Collection of Jo Dong-San [조동산 작품집] (2001)
Sorry I Loved You [사랑해서 미안해] (2005)
New Beginning [새출발] (2006)
For a Long, Long Time [오래오래] (2008)
Good Vibe [분위기 좋고] (2009)

Representative Song:  Four Beats [네박자] from Song and Life

네박자
Four Beats

니가 기쁠때 내가 슬플때 누구나 부르는 노래
When you are happy, when I am sad, the song that everyone sings
내려보는 사람도 뒤를 보는 사람도 어차피 쿵짝이라네
A person looking down, a person looking back, after all they are all koong-jjak

쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
한구절 한고비 꺾고 넘을때
Each refrain, each peak, as it is repeated and climbed over
우리네 사연을 담는
Carrying the stories of us
울고 웃는 인생사 연극같은 세상사
The crying and laughing matters of our lives, the matters of the world like a play
세상사 모두가 네박자 쿵짝
All the matters of the world, just four beats koong-jjak.
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
짠짠 짜라라라 짠짠짠 짜리 짜리라라 짜라짠
Jjanjjan Jjararara Jjanjjanjjan Jjari Jjarirara Jjarajjan

나 그릴울때 너 외로울때 혼자서 부르는 노래
When I am longing, when you are lonely, this song that we sing alone
내가 잘난 사람도 지가 못난 사람도 어차피 쿵짝이라네
A person who's so great, a person who is not so, after all they are all koong-jjak

쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
한구절 한고비 꺾고 넘을때
Each refrain, each peak, as it is repeated and climbed over
우리네 사연을 담는
Carrying the stories of us
울고 웃는 인생사 연극같은 세상사
The crying and laughing matters of our lives, the matters of the world like a play
세상사 모두가 네박자 쿵짝
All the matters of the world, just four beats koong-jjak.
쿵짝 쿵짝 쿵짜자 쿵짝 네박자 속에
Koong-jjak, koong-jjak, koong-jja-ja koong-jjak, in the four beats
사랑도 있고 이별도 있고 눈물도 있네
There is love, there are partings and there are also tears
짠짠 짜라라라 짠짠짠 짜리 짜리라라 짜라짠
Jjanjjan Jjararara Jjanjjanjjan Jjari Jjarirara Jjarajjan

Translation Note: Koong-jjak is an onomatopoeia for the sounds of a drumbeat. It has no meaning otherwise.

Interesting Trivia:  Song Dae-Gwan's grandfather was Song Yeong-Geun, a registered Independence Movement Patriot recognized for serving as a regional leader in the March 1 Movement in 1919. He was imprisoned and tortured by Imperial Japanese authorities, and died a few months after he was released from prison.




35.  Tae Jin-Ah [태진아]

Years of Activity: 1982-present

Discography:
(Regular albums only; "special" or "best" albums are too numerous and disorganized to trace.)

Gyeong-Ah's Love [경아의 사랑] (1982)
Tae Jin-Ah 2 [태진아 2] (1989)
Tae Jin-Ah 3 [태진아 3] (1990)
Tae Jin Ah Vol. 4 (1991)
Tae Jin-Ah Vol. 5 [태진아 Vol. 5] (1992)
93 Tae Jin-Ah [93 태진아] (1993)
95 Tae Jin-Ah [95 태진아] (1995)
97 Tae Jin-Ah [97 태진아] (1996)
98 Tae Jin-Ah [98 태진아] (1998)
2000 Tae Jina (2000)
2002 Tae Jin-Ah [2002 태진아] (2002)
Fool [바보] (2003)
2004 Tae Jin-Ah [2004 태진아] (2004)
2005 Tae Jin Ah [2005 태진아] (2005)
Good Woman [착한 여자] (2005)
Ajumma [아줌마] (2006)
2007 Tae Jin-Ah [2007 태진아] (2007)
2008 Tae Jin Ah (2008)
Love is Better than Money [사랑은 돈보다 좋다] (2010)

Representative Song:  Okgyeong-i [옥경이], from Tae Jin-Ah 2

옥경이
Okgyeong-I

희미한 불빛 아래 마주 앉은 당신은
You, sitting across under the dim light
언젠가 어디선가 본 듯한 얼굴인데
The face seems familiar from somewhere some time
고향을 물어 보고 이름을 물어봐도
Try asking her hometown, try asking her name
잃어버린 이야긴가 대답하지 않네요
Might be a lost story, she does not answer

바라보는 눈길이 젖어 있구나
The gazing eyes are moist
너도 나도 모르게 흘러간 세월아
The time that flowed away without you or me noticing
어디서 무엇을 하며 어떻게 살았는지
Where, what, how have you lived
물어도 대답없이 고개 숙인 옥경이
Asked, but Okgyeong hangs her head without an answer

바라보는 눈길이 젖어 있구나
The gazing eyes are moist
너도 나도 모르게 흘러간 세월아
The time that flowed away without you or me noticing
어디서 무엇을 하며 어떻게 살았는지
Where, what, how have you lived
물어도 대답없이 고개 숙인 옥경이
Asked, but Okgyeong hangs her head without an answer

Translation Note:  Okgyeong is an old-school woman's name. It is actually the name of Tae Jin-Ah's wife.

Interesting Trivia:  Tae Jin-Ah is a stage name constructed by taking one letter from three prominent trot singers -- Tae Hyeon-Sil, Nam Jin and Nah Hoon-Ah.



In 15 Words or Less:  The twin pillars of trot that kept the genre alive.

Maybe they should be ranked lower because...  How much does trot mean in the K-pop scene today? Is it any more than a novelty act?

Maybe they should be ranked higher because...  Longevity counts when it comes to influence. There might be only one or two other artists who had a 30+ year run of success like these two.

Why are these artists important?
As discussed previously in this series, trot has an awkward place in Korean pop history. It has very obvious roots to Japan's colonization of Korea, which evokes many bad memories. The music itself is thoroughly unoriginal, with its cheesy lyrics, unimaginative use of the same instruments (punctuated by the dreadful beats from mechanical drum boxes,) and the same goddamn one-two beat that just does not change no matter how many different songs are "composed." Instead of an expression of artistic endeavor, titles of trot albums read like an automobile model. ("Have you heard the 2005 Tae Jin-Ah yet?")

Young K-pop fans who follow the pretty faces like DBSK or SNSD consider trot to be decrepit. The too-serious K-pop aficionados (the Korean himself included) consider it to be hackneyed, stale, unoriginal. But the haters of trot must face this inevitable, uncomfortable truth that in Korea, trot simply refuses to die. One can talk about all the flaws of trot as a music until one's face turns blue, but trot fans of Korea will only turn up the volume.

So forget all your high-brow theories of what makes music great. Forget all the bullshit about conveying wrenching emotions or using innovative new sounds. And just listen to the music. Better yet, watch a performance live. Then you can understand why artists like Song Dae-Gwan and Tae Jin-Ah survived as celebrities for more than three decades. The one-two beat may be overused, but it's still catchy as hell. The lyrics are cheesy, but they still contain a sharp bit of satire or a maudlin piece of melancholy. It is so easy to bop your shoulders, so natural to sing along. (And another thing -- look at their clothes. They're pimps! Is there any other K-pop genre that comes with such surreal, over-the-top fashion sense?)

In fact, surviving is the perfect term to describe the career of Tae and Song. Korea in the 1970s and 80s was a very, very different place from Korea today. People liked different things back then. Yet Song Dae-Gwan and Tae Jin-Ah somehow churn out seemingly the same music year after year for more than three decades, and they keep showing up on TV while the younger, prettier faces change every month. And Korean people of 2010s are still attending their concerts, still buying their records. Even the younger generation is slowly returning to the fold, as Song and Tae act as a producer for a new generation of younger trot singers. Say what you will about their music, but there is no denying their influence.

Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com.