The Korean is having a very busy time right now. He just graduated, and now he has to move in two days. It doesn't help that his apartment is not packed up at all.
Looks like the new post will be another week. But the Korean promises to make it a good one.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Stephen Colbert vs. The Korean
Good news everyone, the Korean is back with a spiffy new computer. And here is something that the Korean desperately wanted to cover, and here it is now-- at least a week late.
Dear Korean,
Did you see the Stephen Colbert show last night? He did his own Korean music video. I thought it was very funny, but it seemed to spoof budget music videos more than specific Korean-ness--the joke seemed to be that Stephen knows nothing about Korea besides Hyundai & what he learned from M.A.S.H. So, what did you think? Do you know anything about the Korean R&B scene? Are you not at all surprised that Rain is at the top of the Time Readers' 100 Most Influential People?
If you were going to satirize a Korean video, would you do it differently than in The Roots' What They Do? ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8l31heyYxQ ) Or what special video clichés would you have to add on for maximum Korean flavor?
RL
Dear RL,
Thanks for sending in the link for the Colbert Report. (If you are hopelessly behind the times and haven't seen it, here is the link.)
First thing the Korean thought seeing Colbert's video was that his Korean pronunciation was surprisingly good. It was pretty funny.
As to Rain, the Korean is not sure if he really is one of "100 most influential people in the world." The Korean was always skeptical about that type of gimmicky lists. The fact that Rain was voted in by regular people (who bothered to vote) adds to the fact that the whole thing seems to be a bit silly. But it is absolutely true that the "Korean Wave" is a cultural phenomenon to be reckoned with in Asia; the Korean can accept it if Rain was voted in as the representative for the Korean Wave.
The Korean has not followed Korean pop scene much. (Except for a few notable artists, the Korean has always thought it is generally stupid, as all pop cultures go.) But there are definitely certain trends in Korean music videos.
The biggest thing is that they always try to tell some type of story. The Korean thinks the genesis of this trend was the video for 21st Century Monolith by 015B, which cost an unprecedented 100 million won (roughly $100,000) in 1996. Although at the time it was a bold attempt, it unfortunately set a trend that made all the videos appear hilariously stale. Now every Korean music video is a small movie.
Trouble is that since songs generally don't last more than 5 minutes, the movie has to progress very fast. The result is the compressed version of the cheesiest Korean movie/drama you have ever seen. All the cliches are there -- usually a girl dies, either by cancer or a car accident that somehow leaves no injury, only a small stream of blood in the corner of her mouth. Often a rich guy steals a girl, and the poor dude works in a hazardous job, possibly dying of accident or exhaustion. (Or sometimes loses an arm! That's exciting.) And so on and so forth. If the Korean were to make fun of all this, it would probably look like the compressed version of Bobby Lee's skit in MadTV, parodying Korean dramas.
Would the Korean try it? Maybe. The Korean is done with school, so who knows?
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
Dear Korean,
Did you see the Stephen Colbert show last night? He did his own Korean music video. I thought it was very funny, but it seemed to spoof budget music videos more than specific Korean-ness--the joke seemed to be that Stephen knows nothing about Korea besides Hyundai & what he learned from M.A.S.H. So, what did you think? Do you know anything about the Korean R&B scene? Are you not at all surprised that Rain is at the top of the Time Readers' 100 Most Influential People?
If you were going to satirize a Korean video, would you do it differently than in The Roots' What They Do? ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8l31heyYxQ ) Or what special video clichés would you have to add on for maximum Korean flavor?
RL
Dear RL,
Thanks for sending in the link for the Colbert Report. (If you are hopelessly behind the times and haven't seen it, here is the link.)
First thing the Korean thought seeing Colbert's video was that his Korean pronunciation was surprisingly good. It was pretty funny.
As to Rain, the Korean is not sure if he really is one of "100 most influential people in the world." The Korean was always skeptical about that type of gimmicky lists. The fact that Rain was voted in by regular people (who bothered to vote) adds to the fact that the whole thing seems to be a bit silly. But it is absolutely true that the "Korean Wave" is a cultural phenomenon to be reckoned with in Asia; the Korean can accept it if Rain was voted in as the representative for the Korean Wave.
The Korean has not followed Korean pop scene much. (Except for a few notable artists, the Korean has always thought it is generally stupid, as all pop cultures go.) But there are definitely certain trends in Korean music videos.
The biggest thing is that they always try to tell some type of story. The Korean thinks the genesis of this trend was the video for 21st Century Monolith by 015B, which cost an unprecedented 100 million won (roughly $100,000) in 1996. Although at the time it was a bold attempt, it unfortunately set a trend that made all the videos appear hilariously stale. Now every Korean music video is a small movie.
Trouble is that since songs generally don't last more than 5 minutes, the movie has to progress very fast. The result is the compressed version of the cheesiest Korean movie/drama you have ever seen. All the cliches are there -- usually a girl dies, either by cancer or a car accident that somehow leaves no injury, only a small stream of blood in the corner of her mouth. Often a rich guy steals a girl, and the poor dude works in a hazardous job, possibly dying of accident or exhaustion. (Or sometimes loses an arm! That's exciting.) And so on and so forth. If the Korean were to make fun of all this, it would probably look like the compressed version of Bobby Lee's skit in MadTV, parodying Korean dramas.
Would the Korean try it? Maybe. The Korean is done with school, so who knows?
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Ask A Korean! News: Prince Fielder's hereto unknown Korean connection
Dear readers, the Korean is currently borrowing the Korean Girlfriend's laptop in order to report this amazing news of significant consequence.
On Friday, the Korean was watching the New York Mets versus Milwaukee Brewers baseball on his newly acquired HD TV, and the current major league home run leader Prince Fielder stepped into the box. Fielder is in the Korean's fantasy baseball team, the Inland Empire 66ers, so the Korean paid close attention.
Then the Korean noticed something so improbable that at first the Korean disbelieved his own eyes. The Korean reached for his remote, desperately hit "rewind" and "pause" on his DVR over and over and again, but it was there. So here is the news, reported for the first time here at Ask A Korean!:
Prince Fielder has a neck tattoo that says wangja ("prince") in Korean on his left neck. See the picture below.
I mean, what the hell. Seriously, who the hell gets a tattoo in Korean? (Unless there is a good reason to, like Hines Ward who has his name tattooed in Korean because he is half-Korean.)
The Korean has no idea how to feel about this. On one hand, it could be seen as evidence that Korea is becoming more recognized in the U.S. in various ways. Formerly, East Asia consisted of China and Japan, and Korea was kind of an afterthought. But tattoo in foreign language is usually done because it is considered "exotic", so the Korean is not sure if this is the case that Korea is more known in the U.S.
The overwhelming feeling that the Korean experienced (especially upon looking at the picture again) was how stupid neck tattoos look. The Korean always thought neck tattoos were silly, but seeing one in letters that the Korean can recognize was really the clincher. Even if neck tattoos were in English, they are usually done in some Olde English font so they are not readily readable.
But Prince Fielder's neck tattoo is written in plain, legible Korean. It is as if some regular Korean dude was hanging out and drinking with Prince Fielder one night, then Fielder passes out, and the Korean dude picked up a marker and wrote it on his neck as a joke. (Like poor Zach Braff here in Garden State.)
Did anyone else notice any Korean tattoos on people? The Korean would love to hear your story. Please write on the comment, or email the Korean.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
On Friday, the Korean was watching the New York Mets versus Milwaukee Brewers baseball on his newly acquired HD TV, and the current major league home run leader Prince Fielder stepped into the box. Fielder is in the Korean's fantasy baseball team, the Inland Empire 66ers, so the Korean paid close attention.
Then the Korean noticed something so improbable that at first the Korean disbelieved his own eyes. The Korean reached for his remote, desperately hit "rewind" and "pause" on his DVR over and over and again, but it was there. So here is the news, reported for the first time here at Ask A Korean!:
Prince Fielder has a neck tattoo that says wangja ("prince") in Korean on his left neck. See the picture below.
I mean, what the hell. Seriously, who the hell gets a tattoo in Korean? (Unless there is a good reason to, like Hines Ward who has his name tattooed in Korean because he is half-Korean.)The Korean has no idea how to feel about this. On one hand, it could be seen as evidence that Korea is becoming more recognized in the U.S. in various ways. Formerly, East Asia consisted of China and Japan, and Korea was kind of an afterthought. But tattoo in foreign language is usually done because it is considered "exotic", so the Korean is not sure if this is the case that Korea is more known in the U.S.
The overwhelming feeling that the Korean experienced (especially upon looking at the picture again) was how stupid neck tattoos look. The Korean always thought neck tattoos were silly, but seeing one in letters that the Korean can recognize was really the clincher. Even if neck tattoos were in English, they are usually done in some Olde English font so they are not readily readable.
But Prince Fielder's neck tattoo is written in plain, legible Korean. It is as if some regular Korean dude was hanging out and drinking with Prince Fielder one night, then Fielder passes out, and the Korean dude picked up a marker and wrote it on his neck as a joke. (Like poor Zach Braff here in Garden State.)Did anyone else notice any Korean tattoos on people? The Korean would love to hear your story. Please write on the comment, or email the Korean.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
Friday, May 11, 2007
DisasterDisasterDisaster
Bad news everyone. The Korean's laptop is dead - cause of death: drowning. (The Korean spilled water on it.)
Fortunately, the Korean Brother will bring the Korean a new computer, but that won't be until next week. So no post until then. Thank you all for reading.
Fortunately, the Korean Brother will bring the Korean a new computer, but that won't be until next week. So no post until then. Thank you all for reading.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
So this guy went into a Korean bathroom, and there was no toilet paper...
Dear Korean,
Why do some bathrooms in Korea (western-style ones) say that you should put used toilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet instead of the toilet itself? I would think that a trash can just sitting around full of fecal used toilet paper would be a big health hazard. The flush on the toilets seem to be perfectly strong and don't jam up, yet many bathrooms still have big notices telling people to put their waste paper in a trash can instead.
If It's Brown, Flush It Down
Dear Bathroom User,
You just never know if the toilet would jam up with excess amount of toilet paper. Some people definitely go completely overboard with the amount of paper required for the act. In fact, this is not unique to Korea either -- the exact same problem happens in America, especially in skyscrapers with complicated plumbing systems. The solution for the New York skyscrapers apparently is to use single-ply toilet papers (possibly because of the health hazard that you mentioned.) So we have this hilarious consequence of all these Wall Street bigwig banks and law firms using single-ply toilet paper.
Speaking of Korean public bathrooms, until the late 1990s very few Korean public bathrooms (ones in subways, etc; bathrooms in restaurants and shopping centers are not included here) had toilet paper, because people would routinely steal them. People generally carried their own Kleenex for emergency use, but almost all Koreans (especially men, who don't carry a purse) experienced a situation in which he was forced to contemplate the next step after he has relieved himself. So a very popular series of jokes in Korea involves a situation in which someone runs out of toilet paper in a public restroom. The Korean's favorite one is the following:
Two guys were sitting in the public bathroom stalls, when the first guy talks to the second guy:
A: Er, excuse me. Do you have any toilet paper?
B: I'm sorry, I do, but just enough for myself.
A: Oh come on, can you please help me out?
B: No way man, I'm sorry.
A: Look, I'll pay you $10 for that toilet paper.
B: I'm sorry, I really need this.
$10 bill is slipped into B's stall from A's stall.
A: Alright then, do you have ten $1 bills?
Do you have any good no-toilet paper jokes? Send them over this way, and the Korean will post them.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
Why do some bathrooms in Korea (western-style ones) say that you should put used toilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet instead of the toilet itself? I would think that a trash can just sitting around full of fecal used toilet paper would be a big health hazard. The flush on the toilets seem to be perfectly strong and don't jam up, yet many bathrooms still have big notices telling people to put their waste paper in a trash can instead.
If It's Brown, Flush It Down
Dear Bathroom User,
You just never know if the toilet would jam up with excess amount of toilet paper. Some people definitely go completely overboard with the amount of paper required for the act. In fact, this is not unique to Korea either -- the exact same problem happens in America, especially in skyscrapers with complicated plumbing systems. The solution for the New York skyscrapers apparently is to use single-ply toilet papers (possibly because of the health hazard that you mentioned.) So we have this hilarious consequence of all these Wall Street bigwig banks and law firms using single-ply toilet paper.
Speaking of Korean public bathrooms, until the late 1990s very few Korean public bathrooms (ones in subways, etc; bathrooms in restaurants and shopping centers are not included here) had toilet paper, because people would routinely steal them. People generally carried their own Kleenex for emergency use, but almost all Koreans (especially men, who don't carry a purse) experienced a situation in which he was forced to contemplate the next step after he has relieved himself. So a very popular series of jokes in Korea involves a situation in which someone runs out of toilet paper in a public restroom. The Korean's favorite one is the following:
Two guys were sitting in the public bathroom stalls, when the first guy talks to the second guy:
A: Er, excuse me. Do you have any toilet paper?
B: I'm sorry, I do, but just enough for myself.
A: Oh come on, can you please help me out?
B: No way man, I'm sorry.
A: Look, I'll pay you $10 for that toilet paper.
B: I'm sorry, I really need this.
$10 bill is slipped into B's stall from A's stall.
A: Alright then, do you have ten $1 bills?
Do you have any good no-toilet paper jokes? Send them over this way, and the Korean will post them.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
Friday, May 04, 2007
Swing a dead cat to hit a Kim
Dear Korean,
Why do so many Koreans have the last name of Kim? What's a "high" Kim and what's a "low" Kim?
Walter H. Sakai
Professor of Biology, Santa Monica College
Dear Professor Sakai,
There really are a lot of Korean Kims. Kim is the most common last name in Korea, making up roughly 20 percent of the population -- which makes it about 10 million Kims. According to Los Angeles Times article that spoke about racial diversity in Los Angeles County, Lopez and Kim were two examples of ethnic last names that were more common than Smith. Other very common last names are Lee (15 percent) and Park (10 percent). Kim, Lee, and Park put together is about 45 percent of the Korean population.
Why so many Kims? Kim was the last name for the oldest and longest dynasty of Korea, namely Silla Dynasty, born in 57 BC and perished in 935 AD. In the early period, Silla had three rotating last names for kings -- Park clan was the one that started the Dynasty, then Seok clan, then Kim clan. Over time, Kim clan became the most powerful, and eventually all Silla kings were from the Kim clan for over 700 years. Since Kims were royalties and noblemen, their population was bound to become large.
There is not exactly a "high" or "low" Kim, but Kims (just like all other last names in Korea) are divided into a number of clans and subclans. The largest Kim clan is Gimhae Kims, which has more than 4 million members. There are certain last names that used to only belong to lower-class people (e.g. Cheon, Bang, Ji, Chu, Ma, Gol, Pih). But the significance of family lineage has greatly diminished in the modern era; frankly, no one but old coots care about last names in Korea anymore.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Some meta-questions
Dear Korean,
Why do you refer to yourself in the third person?
Gretchen
Dear Gretchen,
Because the Korean thinks it's cool.
Dear Korean,
Why do you refer to your answer seekers as cowards?
Linus Cheeseater
Dear Linus,
Only the ones who don't sign their names are cowards. At least give a first name, or give a funny pen name for the entertainment of all. You are on a good start.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
Why do you refer to yourself in the third person?
Gretchen
Dear Gretchen,
Because the Korean thinks it's cool.
Dear Korean,
Why do you refer to your answer seekers as cowards?
Linus Cheeseater
Dear Linus,
Only the ones who don't sign their names are cowards. At least give a first name, or give a funny pen name for the entertainment of all. You are on a good start.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
My Sassy Girl?
Dear Korean,
How do Korean guys reconcile the wife-beater rep with images like that of the guy in "My Sassy Girl"? My cousin loves the movie and runs around saying "wanna die?" in Korean.
Baffled Chinese
Dear Baffled Chinese,
Easy. My Sassy Girl is a comedy. It's funny because it's so obviously untrue.
As an aside, the Korean never understood the appeal of My Sassy Girl. Someone please explain why that movie is any good. It appears that there is an American remake of that movie in the works -- if this is going to be another Infernal Affairs/The Departed debacle, the Korean will pop a vein in his head.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
How do Korean guys reconcile the wife-beater rep with images like that of the guy in "My Sassy Girl"? My cousin loves the movie and runs around saying "wanna die?" in Korean.
Baffled Chinese
Dear Baffled Chinese,
Easy. My Sassy Girl is a comedy. It's funny because it's so obviously untrue.
As an aside, the Korean never understood the appeal of My Sassy Girl. Someone please explain why that movie is any good. It appears that there is an American remake of that movie in the works -- if this is going to be another Infernal Affairs/The Departed debacle, the Korean will pop a vein in his head.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com
Korean movies ... are really just okay.
Dear Korean,
I am a pretty dedicated movie buff. Recently, I've been seeing a few Korean movies. My question is this: why do these movies rock so hard? What is it about Korean filmmakers that has them putting out such awesome fare? I realize that anything that actually makes it to the U.S. from Korea has to be pretty decent (hence a skewed sample, perhaps), but I haven't found much of anything here that will rival these interesting movies in many capacities. Is it just that familiarity breeds contempt? What's your take?
Foreign Film Enthusiast
Dear Foreign Film Enthusiast,
The trend of good Korean movies is a really recent one, and there are a few reasons for that. First, Korea finally is rich enough to sustain a movie industry that does not look cheap (as opposed to Bollywood). Also, more Americans (although still not enough) are receptive to watching Asian films because of the success of some Asian movies (most notably Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The growing Asian American community also proabably has something to do with it.
As to actual appeal of the movies, the Korean thinks what you said are all correct. The movies that make it out of Korea are all above-average movies. Also, Korean movie makers tend to employ a different story-telling technique than American film makers, which tend to highlight different aspects of a story. (The influence of Wong Kar-wai has a lot to do with this. Among American directors, Sophia Coppola's style is the closest to Korean story-telling style.)
But make no mistake about it -- Korea produces really shitty movies as well. The worst movie that the Korean has ever seen in a theatre
(and the Korean has watched Battlefield Earth in a theater, so this is saying something) was Bi-cheon-mu in Korea, an ill-fated attempt at a blockbuster martial arts movie. The highlight of the movie was Kim Hee-seon, the lead actress, sternly said, "if you kill him, I will die too." The line was not really spoken, but read, as if she had a telepromter in front of her. High comedy.
But the Korean really thinks that the attitudes of "foreign movie buffs" are somewhat unfair. If you look at the imdb.com page for Bicheonmu, you can see that a lot of idiotic people liked what was generally considered the worst Korean movie of the decade (at least worst among the ones that cost a ton of money to make.) The Korean loves foreign films, but he also thinks the achievements of Hollywood deserves to be recognized. The Korean has not yet seen any movie that matches the strength of Godfather, for example. Even recently, the Korean hard pressed to think of another movie, foreign or American, that so sensitively and humourously portrayed family love as Little Miss Sunshine. It's good that your horizons are broader than what are immediately around you, but see the movies for what they are: some movies are going to be fantastic and some movies will really suck, no matter where they are made.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
I am a pretty dedicated movie buff. Recently, I've been seeing a few Korean movies. My question is this: why do these movies rock so hard? What is it about Korean filmmakers that has them putting out such awesome fare? I realize that anything that actually makes it to the U.S. from Korea has to be pretty decent (hence a skewed sample, perhaps), but I haven't found much of anything here that will rival these interesting movies in many capacities. Is it just that familiarity breeds contempt? What's your take?
Foreign Film Enthusiast
Dear Foreign Film Enthusiast,
The trend of good Korean movies is a really recent one, and there are a few reasons for that. First, Korea finally is rich enough to sustain a movie industry that does not look cheap (as opposed to Bollywood). Also, more Americans (although still not enough) are receptive to watching Asian films because of the success of some Asian movies (most notably Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). The growing Asian American community also proabably has something to do with it.
As to actual appeal of the movies, the Korean thinks what you said are all correct. The movies that make it out of Korea are all above-average movies. Also, Korean movie makers tend to employ a different story-telling technique than American film makers, which tend to highlight different aspects of a story. (The influence of Wong Kar-wai has a lot to do with this. Among American directors, Sophia Coppola's style is the closest to Korean story-telling style.)
But make no mistake about it -- Korea produces really shitty movies as well. The worst movie that the Korean has ever seen in a theatre
(and the Korean has watched Battlefield Earth in a theater, so this is saying something) was Bi-cheon-mu in Korea, an ill-fated attempt at a blockbuster martial arts movie. The highlight of the movie was Kim Hee-seon, the lead actress, sternly said, "if you kill him, I will die too." The line was not really spoken, but read, as if she had a telepromter in front of her. High comedy.But the Korean really thinks that the attitudes of "foreign movie buffs" are somewhat unfair. If you look at the imdb.com page for Bicheonmu, you can see that a lot of idiotic people liked what was generally considered the worst Korean movie of the decade (at least worst among the ones that cost a ton of money to make.) The Korean loves foreign films, but he also thinks the achievements of Hollywood deserves to be recognized. The Korean has not yet seen any movie that matches the strength of Godfather, for example. Even recently, the Korean hard pressed to think of another movie, foreign or American, that so sensitively and humourously portrayed family love as Little Miss Sunshine. It's good that your horizons are broader than what are immediately around you, but see the movies for what they are: some movies are going to be fantastic and some movies will really suck, no matter where they are made.
Got a question or comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Ask A Korean! News: A Possible Hate Crime?
According to Associated Press, a Korean exchange student at Auburn University in Alabama was beaten up by four men on the 19th at his dorm, three days after the Virginia Tech shooting. FBI is currently investigating whether it was hate-motivated. The Korean student was not wounded very seriously.
Given that the exchange student has only been in the country for a month, it seems likely that it was a hate crime. The Korean is not sure if he should be outraged, or be thankful that it is the only reported case of hate crime after the shooting.
Given that the exchange student has only been in the country for a month, it seems likely that it was a hate crime. The Korean is not sure if he should be outraged, or be thankful that it is the only reported case of hate crime after the shooting.
Koreans Also Have Exceptionally Strong Neck
Dear Korean,
It is a running joke among many of my friends that Koreans have abnormally large heads, which is the best way for us white folk to distinguish them from other Asians. One drunken night we decided to do an experiement and measured everyone in the room's heads--and found that the two Koreans did in fact have larger heads that the rest of us (an extra inch in diameter, as I recall). I also read once that North Koreans who've escaped to the South are often ridiculed for their oversized noggins, which look more disproportionate because they've suffered from malnutrition. But this doesn't explain why Korean's have such big heads in the first place. Why do Korean's have such large heads?
Pinheaded Whitey
Congratulations, Pinheaded Whitey. You're the first one who ever sent a Korean-related question that completely stumped the Korean. The Korean has no freakin' idea how to answer your question. According to the Korean's own experience, it seemed like southern Chinese people (the Cantonese-speaking folks) had the largest head among all Asians. The largest head size the Korean has ever seen belongs to a white man, a proud 8.25 inches of hat size.
The Korean could counter your question by talking about large head and big brain and such, but that's just weak. Besides, if that were true, whales would be running the world anyway.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
It is a running joke among many of my friends that Koreans have abnormally large heads, which is the best way for us white folk to distinguish them from other Asians. One drunken night we decided to do an experiement and measured everyone in the room's heads--and found that the two Koreans did in fact have larger heads that the rest of us (an extra inch in diameter, as I recall). I also read once that North Koreans who've escaped to the South are often ridiculed for their oversized noggins, which look more disproportionate because they've suffered from malnutrition. But this doesn't explain why Korean's have such big heads in the first place. Why do Korean's have such large heads?
Pinheaded Whitey
Congratulations, Pinheaded Whitey. You're the first one who ever sent a Korean-related question that completely stumped the Korean. The Korean has no freakin' idea how to answer your question. According to the Korean's own experience, it seemed like southern Chinese people (the Cantonese-speaking folks) had the largest head among all Asians. The largest head size the Korean has ever seen belongs to a white man, a proud 8.25 inches of hat size.
The Korean could counter your question by talking about large head and big brain and such, but that's just weak. Besides, if that were true, whales would be running the world anyway.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
When are YOU getting married?
Dear Korean,
Is there a graceful, mature, yet honest way to answer elders' never ending question - 'Why aren't you married?' Or, from my grandmother on this New Year's Day,"There's nothing wrong with meeting someone and getting married. That's the last thing I am waiting to see before I die." The answer, if communicated truthfully, is very complicated. I'm not even quite sure what their point is in asking, since they don't seem to want an explanation. I am going to Korea for a month in the spring and anticipate most of my energy spent justifying my marital status.
Sunny K.
Dear Korean,
I'd like to ask you about why Koreans put so much emphasis on marriage AFTER graduation from college or grad school? It's so funny to see Korean parents force their kids to study all their lives and then wonder why their son or daughter has no marriage prospects at all. My family members (they're Korean) are pushing me to find a wife but I guess I'm driving them crazy since I've decided like many other men, to live a bachelor by choice lifestyle - I don't date and I don't care. Am I causing them to go insane since there would be zero gossip about me?
Slasher
Dear Sunny and Slasher,
You remind the Korean of a Korean joke: "How is a woman like a Christmas cake? They sell like crazy on 22, 23, 24; they slow down on 25, and after 26 they are half-priced." But it's not just women - it's the same for men, although men can afford to be late by about 2~3 years.
The marriage question is seriously the most pesky thing for young Korean people - even young Korean people in Korea have no idea what to do about that. Elders ask that because it's just a requisite step in life. First you go through school, then you get a job, then you get married. There's got to be something wrong with you if you miss one of the steps.
Sadly, the Korean really has no idea, although he empathizes 100 percent. Plenty of Korean elders ask the Korean the same question, the Korean simply replies "it will happen sooner or later," and they generally let it go. Like you suggested, it's not like the elders really want to know what's going on - they just ask because it's what they are supposed to ask.
Your Mother.
Dear Korean:
Our daughter has just started her freshman year at a small university with about a 20% international student body. She is well versed in various cultures but has taken a fascination to the South Korean Culture. We have had her Korean friends in our home. My question is this: Do Korean young men pursue American women? Our daughter had started what she thought was a relationship with a young Korean man who had been physical in the manner of holding hands, hugging and expressing his feelings; but when she confronted him to find out what his intentions were, he became very vocal and humiliating. Is this common for young men from South Korea? I think that our daughter might like to marry a Korean but everything that I have researched does not show that Korean men would be a good marriage partner since the Korean society is so male dominated and women take such a second role. Thanks in advance.
Alice E.
Dear Alice,
The first thing the Korean thought reading your email was that mothers are the same everywhere in the world. You should have seen the Korean Mother when the Korean brought home his first white girlfriend. If there were Ask A Korean! back then, the Korean Mother would have sent in this question: "How do I make my son drop that white devil girlfriend?"
Do Korean men pursue white women? Sure, all (straight) men pursue women, no matter what the race. Is what your daughter going through with that Korean boy somehow culturally related? Maybe, but it doesn't sound too different from any boy-girl interaction. Maybe he liked your daughter enough, but wasn't ready for commitment.
But the Korean thinks your broader question is important. The Korean would be the first one to say that Korean culture indeed is male-dominated and women tend to take a second role. But the Korean thinks this is a healthy way of thinking about culture - culture is nothing but a trend. Some people follow the trend, and some don't. All one can do is be aware of it, and be ready to evaluate people on individual basis. It's just like looking at pit bulls. They are generally fierce, but some of them are quite docile.
Another thing is that Korean society is changing very, VERY fast. The Korean visits Korea every two, three years, and the shift in cultural attitude in each visit is simply astonishing. Simply put, the youngest generation of Koreans are really not very different from Americans. So who knows?
It's good that you are aware of the culture, but please be ready to make individual evaluation before you jump to any conclusion. If that Korean boy was a trend-follower, he would not have pursued a white girl anyway.
Our daughter has just started her freshman year at a small university with about a 20% international student body. She is well versed in various cultures but has taken a fascination to the South Korean Culture. We have had her Korean friends in our home. My question is this: Do Korean young men pursue American women? Our daughter had started what she thought was a relationship with a young Korean man who had been physical in the manner of holding hands, hugging and expressing his feelings; but when she confronted him to find out what his intentions were, he became very vocal and humiliating. Is this common for young men from South Korea? I think that our daughter might like to marry a Korean but everything that I have researched does not show that Korean men would be a good marriage partner since the Korean society is so male dominated and women take such a second role. Thanks in advance.
Alice E.
Dear Alice,
The first thing the Korean thought reading your email was that mothers are the same everywhere in the world. You should have seen the Korean Mother when the Korean brought home his first white girlfriend. If there were Ask A Korean! back then, the Korean Mother would have sent in this question: "How do I make my son drop that white devil girlfriend?"
Do Korean men pursue white women? Sure, all (straight) men pursue women, no matter what the race. Is what your daughter going through with that Korean boy somehow culturally related? Maybe, but it doesn't sound too different from any boy-girl interaction. Maybe he liked your daughter enough, but wasn't ready for commitment.
But the Korean thinks your broader question is important. The Korean would be the first one to say that Korean culture indeed is male-dominated and women tend to take a second role. But the Korean thinks this is a healthy way of thinking about culture - culture is nothing but a trend. Some people follow the trend, and some don't. All one can do is be aware of it, and be ready to evaluate people on individual basis. It's just like looking at pit bulls. They are generally fierce, but some of them are quite docile.
Another thing is that Korean society is changing very, VERY fast. The Korean visits Korea every two, three years, and the shift in cultural attitude in each visit is simply astonishing. Simply put, the youngest generation of Koreans are really not very different from Americans. So who knows?
It's good that you are aware of the culture, but please be ready to make individual evaluation before you jump to any conclusion. If that Korean boy was a trend-follower, he would not have pursued a white girl anyway.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Psycho Mass Murderer Edition
Thank you for waiting folks, the Korean is back after the busiest three-week stretch of his life. The Korean must say that every time he tries to get some rest from the Korean-American world, something always happens to pull him back in.
First, the Korean’s sincerest condolence and regret to the families of the Virginia Tech shooting. These are the times that the Korean is glad being a Christian, so that he can pray for the people; it’s also satisfying to believe that Cho Seung-hui will be in hell for eternity.
Honestly, the Korean does not think Adam Cho have put the Korean American community in danger. (“Adam” is the psycho killer’s English name by the way. If Cho was like most Korean Americans, there would be less than three people in the world – his father, mother, and maybe his sister – who called him Seung-hui when he was alive. On the other hand, it is funny and annoying to see people mangling that name that no one used when he was alive. Back to the topic.)
This is not another 9/11, where there is a sense that America was under attack by foreigners, and that foreigner might be that guy wearing a turban. Cho’s actions were so clearly psychopathic that possibly no one who is halfway non-stupid can entertain the thought that being a Korean had something to do with propensity for mass murder.
Yet the world is full of stupid people, and they try their best acting stupid. So we would have such news report from New York Times and ABC that Cho’s picture of holding a hammer looks just like scenes from Oldboy. The Korean can see the thought process as if it’s displayed in a glass case: Let’s see, the psycho killer is Korean, so something Korean must have turned him psycho… what’s the first psychotic Korean thing I can name? … I know, Oldboy! Let’s reverse this thought process: Hmm, the psycho killer lived in America since young, so something American must have turned him psycho… where have I seen double handguns? … I know, Gary Cooper from High Noon! It’s gotta be the old Western films that turn people into mass murders! Give me a break.
The thing that makes the Korean most disappointed is that even with this, Second Amendment will live on. As long as someone lives in Virginia, he can buy any number of handguns and go on a rampage. The Korean cannot believe that it is not a bigger deal. Look, murderous psychos will always be there. Then why isn’t it more efficient to take the methods of killings away? It makes no sense. Follow Korea’s lead for once: criminalize gun possession, and lock up hunting guns during non-hunting season.
What is more interesting is the Korean people’s reaction to this. Koreans, in short, completely flipped out. The guilt trip about the fact that Cho was a Korean was simply enormous, and they desperately tried to find a way to apologize to America. Apparently, the Korean ambassador at D.C. even suggested fasting as a show of condolence and regret.
The Korean can try to somehow explain Korean’s people’s reaction through something about Korean culture – how it’s like every Korean is a family, and you take responsibility for actions of family members, not just yourself, and all that garbage. But that’s simply untrue, and saying such a thing is dishonest. Korean people flipped out because they are racists; there can be no other explanation. Only thing that Korean people can see about Cho is his race, and they reacted accordingly. They desperately try to apologize to Americans because, if the situation was reversed and 32 Koreans died in the hands of a deranged American, all Americans in Korea will be lynched.
In making this point, some Korean commentators have been giving the example of the two girls who were accidentally run over by American tanks, and how Korean people reacted strongly to that. The Korean thinks that’s a bad example, because American army represents the American government. More relevant is a case that happened a few months ago, when a Chinese man was arrested for killing his Korean girlfriend and dismembering her body. That prompted an Internet firestorm of how Chinese people in Korea are all crazy killers and they need to be driven away.
Readers, please don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise. America is the least racist country in the world, and you should be grateful that you live here.
First, the Korean’s sincerest condolence and regret to the families of the Virginia Tech shooting. These are the times that the Korean is glad being a Christian, so that he can pray for the people; it’s also satisfying to believe that Cho Seung-hui will be in hell for eternity.
Honestly, the Korean does not think Adam Cho have put the Korean American community in danger. (“Adam” is the psycho killer’s English name by the way. If Cho was like most Korean Americans, there would be less than three people in the world – his father, mother, and maybe his sister – who called him Seung-hui when he was alive. On the other hand, it is funny and annoying to see people mangling that name that no one used when he was alive. Back to the topic.)
This is not another 9/11, where there is a sense that America was under attack by foreigners, and that foreigner might be that guy wearing a turban. Cho’s actions were so clearly psychopathic that possibly no one who is halfway non-stupid can entertain the thought that being a Korean had something to do with propensity for mass murder.
Yet the world is full of stupid people, and they try their best acting stupid. So we would have such news report from New York Times and ABC that Cho’s picture of holding a hammer looks just like scenes from Oldboy. The Korean can see the thought process as if it’s displayed in a glass case: Let’s see, the psycho killer is Korean, so something Korean must have turned him psycho… what’s the first psychotic Korean thing I can name? … I know, Oldboy! Let’s reverse this thought process: Hmm, the psycho killer lived in America since young, so something American must have turned him psycho… where have I seen double handguns? … I know, Gary Cooper from High Noon! It’s gotta be the old Western films that turn people into mass murders! Give me a break.
The thing that makes the Korean most disappointed is that even with this, Second Amendment will live on. As long as someone lives in Virginia, he can buy any number of handguns and go on a rampage. The Korean cannot believe that it is not a bigger deal. Look, murderous psychos will always be there. Then why isn’t it more efficient to take the methods of killings away? It makes no sense. Follow Korea’s lead for once: criminalize gun possession, and lock up hunting guns during non-hunting season.
What is more interesting is the Korean people’s reaction to this. Koreans, in short, completely flipped out. The guilt trip about the fact that Cho was a Korean was simply enormous, and they desperately tried to find a way to apologize to America. Apparently, the Korean ambassador at D.C. even suggested fasting as a show of condolence and regret.
The Korean can try to somehow explain Korean’s people’s reaction through something about Korean culture – how it’s like every Korean is a family, and you take responsibility for actions of family members, not just yourself, and all that garbage. But that’s simply untrue, and saying such a thing is dishonest. Korean people flipped out because they are racists; there can be no other explanation. Only thing that Korean people can see about Cho is his race, and they reacted accordingly. They desperately try to apologize to Americans because, if the situation was reversed and 32 Koreans died in the hands of a deranged American, all Americans in Korea will be lynched.
In making this point, some Korean commentators have been giving the example of the two girls who were accidentally run over by American tanks, and how Korean people reacted strongly to that. The Korean thinks that’s a bad example, because American army represents the American government. More relevant is a case that happened a few months ago, when a Chinese man was arrested for killing his Korean girlfriend and dismembering her body. That prompted an Internet firestorm of how Chinese people in Korea are all crazy killers and they need to be driven away.
Readers, please don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise. America is the least racist country in the world, and you should be grateful that you live here.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Korean is still alive!
He is just swamped with final papers and exams. New posts will come this weekend. In the meantime, send in questions!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Japanese' Incredible Ability to Forget Their Past - Update 3
The process for publishing a textbook in Japan is the following: first, publishers write a draft of a textbook. Then the textbook has to be "approved" by the Ministry of Education. MoE may outright refuse to approve the book, or approve the book subject to modification.
Out of the 16 new history textbooks for Japanese high school students, not one of them says that Comfort Women were forcibly drafted by the Japanese military. Also, modification requirement was added on to 5 Japanese History textbooks with respect to the number of deaths in the Rape of Nanking, with the MoE opinion that states "the number did not take various different theories as to casualties into enough consideration."
Out of the 16 new history textbooks for Japanese high school students, not one of them says that Comfort Women were forcibly drafted by the Japanese military. Also, modification requirement was added on to 5 Japanese History textbooks with respect to the number of deaths in the Rape of Nanking, with the MoE opinion that states "the number did not take various different theories as to casualties into enough consideration."
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
U-Mun Hyeon-Dab
Hi Korean,
I heard that there is make-up for men in Korea. Is this true? I wouldnt be surprised, since many Korean male actors wears some sort of make-up and Korean men really do care about their appearances. Many the Koreans guys I've known are very effiminate. They like to take pictures of themselves and they say to others that they are handsome.
Alice
Dear Alice,
There is no reason for you to recognize the title. The Korean will not explain it - it's going to be an inside joke for those who understand. If the readers are curious, please email the Korean and ask what that means.
To answer your question, sure, there are cosmetics for men in Korea. (Here is an example.) There are cosmetics for men in America too. (Here is another example.) In fact, the Korean would seriously doubt that there is any country in the world that does not have cosmetics for men. Every country (that is rich enough so that its male citizens can afford to care about his looks) would at least have moisturizing lotion and aftershave.
That said, the concept of masculinity is different in different cultures. For example, the Mexican has explained how Mexican men's show of manliness is to play grab-ass with other men, since that shows that they have conquered all women around them and moved onto men.
So Korean men may take pictures of themselves and comment on each other's look, but such actions are only effeminate in American standards. On the flip side, certain actions by American men would be considered highly effeminate for Koreans - like not beating their wives.
(I keed, I keed.)
I heard that there is make-up for men in Korea. Is this true? I wouldnt be surprised, since many Korean male actors wears some sort of make-up and Korean men really do care about their appearances. Many the Koreans guys I've known are very effiminate. They like to take pictures of themselves and they say to others that they are handsome.
Alice
Dear Alice,
There is no reason for you to recognize the title. The Korean will not explain it - it's going to be an inside joke for those who understand. If the readers are curious, please email the Korean and ask what that means.
To answer your question, sure, there are cosmetics for men in Korea. (Here is an example.) There are cosmetics for men in America too. (Here is another example.) In fact, the Korean would seriously doubt that there is any country in the world that does not have cosmetics for men. Every country (that is rich enough so that its male citizens can afford to care about his looks) would at least have moisturizing lotion and aftershave.
That said, the concept of masculinity is different in different cultures. For example, the Mexican has explained how Mexican men's show of manliness is to play grab-ass with other men, since that shows that they have conquered all women around them and moved onto men.
So Korean men may take pictures of themselves and comment on each other's look, but such actions are only effeminate in American standards. On the flip side, certain actions by American men would be considered highly effeminate for Koreans - like not beating their wives.
(I keed, I keed.)
Monday, March 26, 2007
The Japanese' Incredible Ability to Deny Their Past - Update 2
According to Reuters, Prime Minister said the following in the Japanese Parliament Budget Committee, when asked by a Parliament Member about his view on the forcibility of mobilizing Comfort Women: "As the Prime Minister, I apologize at this moment. My view is the same as the Kono statement. (The Korean's Note: See this post for what Kono statement is.) As I mentioned several times, I feel sympathy for the people who went through the difficulty, and I apologize for their having been placed in such a situation."
Some apology, huh? Mr. Abe, "difficulty" is when you need to have some sushi and you can't find a pair of chopsticks. Being kidnapped and raped 20 times a day for several years is not a "difficulty." And "having been placed"? Who taught you how to apologize, Richard Nixon?
But it's not fair to characterize all Japanese people to be oblivious this way. Professor Kimizima Kazuhiko, one of the co-writers of the joint history textbook between Korea and Japan, said the following in a press conference: "In talking about forcible mobilization of Comfort Women, Prime Minister Abe is distinguishing between the "narrow" meaning and the "broad" meaning; but in "forcibility", there cannot be a narrow or broad meaning. I don't think such maneuver to avoid responsibility is right."
Some apology, huh? Mr. Abe, "difficulty" is when you need to have some sushi and you can't find a pair of chopsticks. Being kidnapped and raped 20 times a day for several years is not a "difficulty." And "having been placed"? Who taught you how to apologize, Richard Nixon?
But it's not fair to characterize all Japanese people to be oblivious this way. Professor Kimizima Kazuhiko, one of the co-writers of the joint history textbook between Korea and Japan, said the following in a press conference: "In talking about forcible mobilization of Comfort Women, Prime Minister Abe is distinguishing between the "narrow" meaning and the "broad" meaning; but in "forcibility", there cannot be a narrow or broad meaning. I don't think such maneuver to avoid responsibility is right."
The Japanese' Incredible Ability to Deny Their Past - Update 1
Note: As the Comfort Women issue is growing, there are more and more statements by Japanese officials denying their countries' horrific past crime. Each time there is such a denial, Ask A Korean! will post them.
On March 25, Japanese Minister of Defense Shimamura Hakubun appeared on Radio Nippon and said the following: "There were nurses for the military and journalists for the military, but no Comfort Women (the Korean's note: here apparently used as a euphemism for prostitutes) for the military. It is true that there were Comfort Women, and I think some parents sold their daughters. But that does not mean that the Japanese military was involved."
On March 25, Japanese Minister of Defense Shimamura Hakubun appeared on Radio Nippon and said the following: "There were nurses for the military and journalists for the military, but no Comfort Women (the Korean's note: here apparently used as a euphemism for prostitutes) for the military. It is true that there were Comfort Women, and I think some parents sold their daughters. But that does not mean that the Japanese military was involved."
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Korea-Japan Relation Saga, Part IV – Post-WWII
[Series Index]
-WARNING- This post will make an analogy between what imperial Japan did to colonial Korea and the crime of rape. If you had read Part III, you would know it is in fact worse than that. But the Korean understands that many people are uncomfortable with a discussion of rape. If you are one of those people, you might want to skip this post. But the Korean promises that this post will be interesting, and hopefully enlightening.
Imagine two criminals committed a horrendous crime against someone. The victim’s injury has been more or less healed after a long time, but there are many scars remaining, reminding him/her constantly of the crime. What should they do? Any decent human being would answer in the following: “Find ways to atone for your crime. Apologize sincerely, and support that apology with action. Then, perhaps, the victim might find ways to forgive your crime.”
One of the criminals of World War II – Germany – did exactly that. In December 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt went to Warsaw, Poland, and sent an unmist
akable image out to the world when he fell to his knees before the monument at the site of a concentration camp. Since the end of World War II, West Germany and unified Germany have spent $104 billion for restitution of the victims of its war crime. Denying the existence of Holocaust is a crime in Germany, freedom-of-speech concerns aside.
What did the other criminal do? To its credit, Japan did officially apologize for its colonial past several times, including at the level of the Japanese Emperor and Prime Minister. In fact, especially in the 1990s, Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa and his successor Murayama both apologized pretty sincerely, acknowledging Japanese Imperialism to be “invasions”.
Problem is that unlike Germany, Japan somehow has trouble maintaining that party line. Each time there is an apology from Japan, there are two Japanese politicians who say such things as “the Imperial Japan in fact did a lot of good to Korea, like modernizing it.” Well, that claim is somewhat true, but consider the following. Suppose there is a woman who wished to have a child. She then becomes a victim of rape, and gives birth to a child. It is true that without the rapist, the woman would not have gotten her child. But should we recognize the commendable behavior of the rapist of granting his victim’s wish? Of course not.
Another issue along the same line is paying respects to Yasukuni Temple. At Yasukuni, 14 top war criminals of Japan, including Tojo Hideki, are buried. (If you don’t know, Tojo is to Japan is Mussolini to Italy and Hitler to Germany.) Since 1996, on every End of War Memorial Day of Japan (which is Liberation Day for Korea, making it doubly insulting,) Japanese Prime Minister would visit Yasukuni Temple and pay his respects. Imagine the uproar if Angela Merkel (Prime Minister of Germany) paid respects to Hitler’s tomb every year!
One argument that Japanese people make is that Yasukuni has more than the 14 war criminals – it in fact memorializes over 3 million war deaths, and visiting Yasukuni simply has the meaning of commemorating the dead. But in that case, why not move out the war criminals’ tomb out of the temple? We know where Hitler is buried in Berlin – it’s underneath a random parking lot, and there is no marker for the place, so that it cannot become a shrine for Neo-Nazis.
Still another issue is that when a new war crime comes up, Japan refuses to recognize its role in the crime. The current row over Comfort Women is a really good example of this. (See the earlier post for the short discussion.) This issue was not really made public until late 1980s~early 1990s, and Japan initially dragged its feet, saying it was merely private contractors recruiting women for the military. Finally, in 1993, Kono Yohei, then-Minister of Defense, admitted that the Japanese military was involved in recruiting the women through force, lies, and deception. Since then, Japan’s position has been admitting moral culpability, but not the legal one. Accordingly, in 1994, Japanese government set up a private fund in order to compensate the victims. Naturally, no victims of Comfort Women took the money.
(More on why Japan can take such a position a little later, but talk about splitting hairs! Recalling the rapist earlier, it’s as if the rapist is claiming clean hands because he did everything but forcible penetration. Some nerve.)
Things were unsatisfactory to Koreans even then, but recently Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo made it worse. As U.S. Congress is trying to pass a resolution urging Japanese government to apologize to the survivors of Comfort Women, Abe bluntly refused to apologize, and hinted at backtracking on the involvement of the Japanese military in conscripting the women by re-investigating the issue once again.
Just compare this to what Germany did. Amazing, isn’t it? Instead of treating its war crime as a clear evil that must not be repeated ever again, the Japanese government seems to see them as a matter of opinion.
Naturally, the amount Japan paid in restitution to Korea is nothing compared to $104 billion that Germany paid. Japan paid exactly $500 million to the Korean government in 1965 – less than 0.5 percent of what Germany paid. Korea was desperately poor at that point, and in exchange for $500 million, the Korean government decided to extinguish all of its claims against Japan regarding its past. It’s a complex issue in the international law as to whether a government may enter into such a pact. But since 1965, every time a new and horrendous war crime is uncovered, like Comfort Women and Unit 731, Japanese government repeats its argument that it paid all of its obligations in 1965. That may be arguably true, but it surely is not the way to make yourself appear to be atoning for your crimes.
Finally, the most egregious form of not atoning is that, certain history textbooks in Japan minimize its war crimes in World War II. The Korean actually saw one such textbook. The biggest section on World War II was how Japan was the only country in the world which was nuked. There was no mention of Comfort Women, Rape of Nanking, or war crimes in general. Only description of Japan’s imperialism was how Korea, China, and Southeast Asia belonged to Japan’s “sphere of influence”, like the ones other imperialist countries had. Beyond any absence of apologies, this is appalling and sickening. Japan is trying to erase its colonial past, and it’s working – many young Japanese have no idea why Korean people hate them so much, because they have no idea what Japan has done to Korea only 60 years ago!
----------------------------------------------------
This concludes the saga that is Korea-Japan relations. There are still a lot of things that have not been discussed yet, but the Korean thinks the series more or less covered why Korean people hate the Japanese so much.
Personally, this is how the Korean feels about this issue. Many Koreans will never forgive Japan, and they are entitled to such a feeling. But vast majority of Koreans, over time, would be willing to forgive Japan, as long as Japan makes all appropriate motions such as: apologizing, sticking by it in all levels of the government and the society; making appropriate reparations; and vowing never to repeat the tragic history. Until that happens, Koreans will continue to hate the Japanese.
-EDIT- Actually, the Korean decided to extend this series by one more part. Please check the "Series Index" link on the top to read Part V of the Korea-Japan Relations series.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
-WARNING- This post will make an analogy between what imperial Japan did to colonial Korea and the crime of rape. If you had read Part III, you would know it is in fact worse than that. But the Korean understands that many people are uncomfortable with a discussion of rape. If you are one of those people, you might want to skip this post. But the Korean promises that this post will be interesting, and hopefully enlightening.
Imagine two criminals committed a horrendous crime against someone. The victim’s injury has been more or less healed after a long time, but there are many scars remaining, reminding him/her constantly of the crime. What should they do? Any decent human being would answer in the following: “Find ways to atone for your crime. Apologize sincerely, and support that apology with action. Then, perhaps, the victim might find ways to forgive your crime.”
One of the criminals of World War II – Germany – did exactly that. In December 1970, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt went to Warsaw, Poland, and sent an unmist
akable image out to the world when he fell to his knees before the monument at the site of a concentration camp. Since the end of World War II, West Germany and unified Germany have spent $104 billion for restitution of the victims of its war crime. Denying the existence of Holocaust is a crime in Germany, freedom-of-speech concerns aside.What did the other criminal do? To its credit, Japan did officially apologize for its colonial past several times, including at the level of the Japanese Emperor and Prime Minister. In fact, especially in the 1990s, Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa and his successor Murayama both apologized pretty sincerely, acknowledging Japanese Imperialism to be “invasions”.
Problem is that unlike Germany, Japan somehow has trouble maintaining that party line. Each time there is an apology from Japan, there are two Japanese politicians who say such things as “the Imperial Japan in fact did a lot of good to Korea, like modernizing it.” Well, that claim is somewhat true, but consider the following. Suppose there is a woman who wished to have a child. She then becomes a victim of rape, and gives birth to a child. It is true that without the rapist, the woman would not have gotten her child. But should we recognize the commendable behavior of the rapist of granting his victim’s wish? Of course not.
Another issue along the same line is paying respects to Yasukuni Temple. At Yasukuni, 14 top war criminals of Japan, including Tojo Hideki, are buried. (If you don’t know, Tojo is to Japan is Mussolini to Italy and Hitler to Germany.) Since 1996, on every End of War Memorial Day of Japan (which is Liberation Day for Korea, making it doubly insulting,) Japanese Prime Minister would visit Yasukuni Temple and pay his respects. Imagine the uproar if Angela Merkel (Prime Minister of Germany) paid respects to Hitler’s tomb every year!
One argument that Japanese people make is that Yasukuni has more than the 14 war criminals – it in fact memorializes over 3 million war deaths, and visiting Yasukuni simply has the meaning of commemorating the dead. But in that case, why not move out the war criminals’ tomb out of the temple? We know where Hitler is buried in Berlin – it’s underneath a random parking lot, and there is no marker for the place, so that it cannot become a shrine for Neo-Nazis.
Still another issue is that when a new war crime comes up, Japan refuses to recognize its role in the crime. The current row over Comfort Women is a really good example of this. (See the earlier post for the short discussion.) This issue was not really made public until late 1980s~early 1990s, and Japan initially dragged its feet, saying it was merely private contractors recruiting women for the military. Finally, in 1993, Kono Yohei, then-Minister of Defense, admitted that the Japanese military was involved in recruiting the women through force, lies, and deception. Since then, Japan’s position has been admitting moral culpability, but not the legal one. Accordingly, in 1994, Japanese government set up a private fund in order to compensate the victims. Naturally, no victims of Comfort Women took the money.
(More on why Japan can take such a position a little later, but talk about splitting hairs! Recalling the rapist earlier, it’s as if the rapist is claiming clean hands because he did everything but forcible penetration. Some nerve.)
Things were unsatisfactory to Koreans even then, but recently Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo made it worse. As U.S. Congress is trying to pass a resolution urging Japanese government to apologize to the survivors of Comfort Women, Abe bluntly refused to apologize, and hinted at backtracking on the involvement of the Japanese military in conscripting the women by re-investigating the issue once again.
Just compare this to what Germany did. Amazing, isn’t it? Instead of treating its war crime as a clear evil that must not be repeated ever again, the Japanese government seems to see them as a matter of opinion.
Naturally, the amount Japan paid in restitution to Korea is nothing compared to $104 billion that Germany paid. Japan paid exactly $500 million to the Korean government in 1965 – less than 0.5 percent of what Germany paid. Korea was desperately poor at that point, and in exchange for $500 million, the Korean government decided to extinguish all of its claims against Japan regarding its past. It’s a complex issue in the international law as to whether a government may enter into such a pact. But since 1965, every time a new and horrendous war crime is uncovered, like Comfort Women and Unit 731, Japanese government repeats its argument that it paid all of its obligations in 1965. That may be arguably true, but it surely is not the way to make yourself appear to be atoning for your crimes.
Finally, the most egregious form of not atoning is that, certain history textbooks in Japan minimize its war crimes in World War II. The Korean actually saw one such textbook. The biggest section on World War II was how Japan was the only country in the world which was nuked. There was no mention of Comfort Women, Rape of Nanking, or war crimes in general. Only description of Japan’s imperialism was how Korea, China, and Southeast Asia belonged to Japan’s “sphere of influence”, like the ones other imperialist countries had. Beyond any absence of apologies, this is appalling and sickening. Japan is trying to erase its colonial past, and it’s working – many young Japanese have no idea why Korean people hate them so much, because they have no idea what Japan has done to Korea only 60 years ago!
----------------------------------------------------
This concludes the saga that is Korea-Japan relations. There are still a lot of things that have not been discussed yet, but the Korean thinks the series more or less covered why Korean people hate the Japanese so much.
Personally, this is how the Korean feels about this issue. Many Koreans will never forgive Japan, and they are entitled to such a feeling. But vast majority of Koreans, over time, would be willing to forgive Japan, as long as Japan makes all appropriate motions such as: apologizing, sticking by it in all levels of the government and the society; making appropriate reparations; and vowing never to repeat the tragic history. Until that happens, Koreans will continue to hate the Japanese.
-EDIT- Actually, the Korean decided to extend this series by one more part. Please check the "Series Index" link on the top to read Part V of the Korea-Japan Relations series.
Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@hotmail.com.
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