Two interesting articles about Korea and Korean Americans in New York Times recently.

Thomas Friedman writes that the world needs more American leadership, extensively quoting from Korean officials. The Korean wholeheartedly agrees.

Second generation Korean Americans are coming up with interesting Korean fusion food that is gaining in popularity. The Korean is actually a purist when it comes to Korean food, so he is ambivalent about this development. Thank you for the readers who sent the story. The Korean already saw the article by the time it was emailed, but thank you anyway.

But the Korean cannot let that story pass without saying this. About a decade ago, the Korean and the Korean Brother discussed a plan to retrofit a truck such that it can grill galbi on a stick. We would have taken it to the beach and sell it to the passers-by. Unfortunately, the Korean and the Korean Brother had to go to college and end up at boring jobs. We would have been millionaires.

Mongolian Spank Marks

Dear Korean,

A friend mentioned that many Korean children are born with a blue birthmark located at the base of the spine. He said it was from a genetic trait from Mongolian invaders centuries before. Is this true?

Unsigned

Dear Anonymous Coward,

No, it is a myth. In fact, it is a very good example of how two pieces of truth meld into a highly believable piece of falsehood.

Here is the piece of truth number 1: Korea did suffer extensively from Mongolian invasion in the 13th century -- so much so that much of Korean traditional culture as it survives today has a strong Mongolian influence. (For example, the red dots placed on the bride's cheeks in a traditional Korean wedding, like the picture.)

Piece of truth number 2: a little more than 80 percent of Korean babies have a blue birthmark right called "Mongolian Fleck". Usually it's a single dark blue dot in a size of a quarter on the buttcheek, but it could be larger. The birthmark usually fades away after a few years, and completely disappears by early teens.

But this is the part of confusion that created the myth -- the name "Mongolian". The name came about because it just so happened that the German biologist who first named the phenomenon simply decided to call it that way in 1885. This led to the false impression that Mongolian Fleck is something that only happens among Mongolians. Then the next step for a confused Korean mind is -- hey, didn't we get invaded by Mongolians long time ago? It must be the mark of that invasion!

Of course, that's not true. Mongolian Fleck frequently appears among Africans, Turks, Spaniards, and Native Americans as well. It has nothing to do with a specific people or a country. Korean babies had Mongolian Flecks before and after the Mongolian invasion.

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

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Pre-Figuring Mixed Children

Dear Korean,

My mom is full blooded Korean and my dad is of Irish and Canadian heritage. My girlfriend and I have been talking about having children at some point. We wonder what our future kids might look like. This is where my question for you comes from. My girlfriend is a full on red head. Bright red hair (I say orange, but that ticks her off), pale white skin, freckles... a Ginger-American.

That said, do you or any of your readers know of a couple consisting of a Korean man and a red headed woman and if so what do their kids look like? I realize that anyone's story would not be an indication of what would happen between my girlfriend and I, but I'm curious.

John

Dear John,

The Korean has no children (that he knows of), so the answer will have to come from the readers. Obviously genetics is not something we can predict, but it would be interesting to hear about the different manifestations of the mixture. The Korean's observation has been that white-Asian babies are usually born more or less with full Asian features, and their white features show later as they grow.

Readers, don't limit yourselves to white-Korean combinations. Let's hear them all.

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

From Attorney General Eric Holder:

Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards. Though race related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race. It is an issue we have never been at ease with and given our nation’s history this is in some ways understandable. And yet, if we are to make progress in this area we must feel comfortable enough with one another, and tolerant enough of each other, to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us.

The Korean said the same thing 2.5 years ago, and he has been doing his part.

Ask a Korean! is featured on January's issue of KoreAm Journal.

Ask a Korean! News: Nationalism (and Americans' Not Getting it)

The Korean absolutley loves the NBA and his Los Angeles Lakers. So he was not going to miss any part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, including the Dunk Contest. Among the contestants was the first European player ever to participate in the Dunk Contest, Spaniard Rudy Fernandez of Portland Trailblazers . Check it out.



Pretty sweet dunks, and the Korean thinks the judges underrated him. But the point that the Korean made about nationalism, and the fact that Americans don't understand it, was in full display in this little vignette.

In the first dunk, Fernandez takes off his own jersey and shows off the jersey of Fernando Martin, the first Spain-born player to play in the NBA. The significance of it is utterly lost on the commentators. To be sure, NBA All-Star Weekend is about antics and fun. This is the only time in the year when you can see Dwight Howard trying to cross over Kobe, and laugh at him for failing miserably at that. So it is somewhat understandable that the commentators are not very much into honoring a Spain-born basketball player whose career was cut short by a car accident.

For the second dunk, Fernandez enlists the help of Pau Gasol of Los Angeles Lakers, a fellow Spaniard. Now this is a major sin for the commentators. You can tell it particularly rankles Reggie Miller, a former star player for the Indiana Pacers, who says in incredulity, "This is a division rival right here, Portland and Los Angeles. What's up with that?"

This is a case of Americans simply not getting it. In the mind of Fernandez from Spain, a nationalistic country, Rudy Fernandez represents Spain first, Portland Trailblazers second. So it totally makes sense for Rudy Fernandez to get the help from Gasol, the most high-profile Spanish player in the NBA, rather than, say, Brandon Roy of the Portland Trailblazers.

Clearly, there is no right answer in this. Fernandez is correct in some respect. He could have been signed by any NBA team, and he could traded at any moment. Portland Trailblazers cannot be more important than Spain. On the other hand, Reggie Miller is correct in some respect as well. NBA All-Star is about representing NBA teams, not where the players are from. If Dwight Howard of Orlando Magic, native of Atlanta, Georgia, got a help from his former high school teammate and fellow Georgian Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks, there would have been riots on the streets of Orlando. This little episode is a great illustration of how Americans think, as opposed to the rest of the nationalism-inclined world.

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

Ask a Korean! News: Yet Another Case for Immigration

Look at the assimilation of this Korean cow! It learned to surf!



Many thanks to Marylee S. for the link.

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

Korea-Japan Relation Saga, Part V - Contemporary Korean Nationalism

Dear Korean,

Do most young Koreans still hate the Japanese with a vengeance, and if so, what do they do when they meet a Japanese person? (And yes, I am well aware of the all too recent dreadful atrocities the Japanese committed in Korea and continue to disgracefully deny.) A Japanese friend’s husband said that young people don’t hate the Japanese so much anymore, but you imply that almost all Koreans (including young Koreans) possess a vitriolic hatred for the Japanese. And how then are Koreans that marry Japanese then viewed?

Just Kinda Curious

Dear Korean,

How much of a bad idea it is for me to visit S. Korea, being Japanese American? I just read your "Why Koreans Hate Japanese People" post and my dreams were just shat upon. Do I wear a sign reading "I’M SORRY" at all times? Wear a mask? I was actually considering being an English teacher a couple years from now in Korea but I think it's safe to say that I've crossed it off my list of future careers.

Sensitive Susie


Dear JKC and Susie,

Yet another question about the relationship between Korea and Japan. Apparently, a four-part series devoted to the relations between Korea and Japan has not been enough. Very well, the Korean will add Part V, nearly two years after the conclusion of the initial series.

The Paradox of Koreans’ Attitude toward Japan

The Korean will begin by highlighting two conflicting outlooks in Korea regarding Japan. First is Korean people’s tendency to go completely over the top whenever there is some type of contest between Korea and Japan. Such contest can be as innocuous as a sporting event. The sport does not have to be popular at all, as long as Korea beats Japan in some way. Take figure skating, for example. Is there any country in the world that goes completely nuts over a figure skating championship, like Americans would watch the World Series? Korea does, if it beats Japan in some way.

Currently one of the biggest star athletes in Korea is Kim Yuna, a world-class figure skater who won the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating two years in a row. To be sure, everyone in the world loves winners. It also helps that Kim looks adorable, and even more so when she performs. But it is undeniable that her stardom is partially propelled by the fact that on the way to winning those titles, Kim beat Asada Mao, a prominent Japanese figure skater. Recently Kim set a world record in short program, scoring 72.24 in Four Continents Figure Skating Championship held in Vancouver. When reporting the news of victory, Korean media also invariably reported that Asada finished with a mediocre score.

If Korean people get worked up over something as graceful and non-testosterone-driven as figure skating, one can only imagine the psychopathic heights that Koreans would reach if Korea were involved with Japan in a more serious problem – say, a territorial dispute. Currently, there is a territorial dispute between Korea and Japan with respect to two islets in the East Sea/Sea of Japan. [WARNING: Any comment discussing the substance of Dokdo/Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks will be summarily deleted. There will be another time for that.] To most Koreans, that Japan has the nerve to claim a piece of Korean territory as theirs evokes the images of Japan’s annexation of Korea before World War II, and all the atrocities that followed.

When this dispute flared up in the July 2008, all kinds of over-the-top reactions flowed from Korea, ranging from full page ads on Washington Post to a massive military drill around the islets. But this one definitely takes the cake: a far-right group called Korea Society of Special Agents (named thusly because they purport to represent former special agents for the Korean army – essentially the same as American Legion or John Birch Society in the U.S.) staged a protest in front of Japanese Embassy by bringing live pheasants, Japan’s national bird, and smashed their heads in with a hammer. The Korean will emphasize that the last act was considered insane and barbaric even to those Koreans who profess absolutely no love for Japan. (See this blog for example – one commenter wonders, “Why wasn’t burning Japanese flag enough?”)

The point is that when Japan is involved, it drives Koreans to overreaction, and some Koreans to truly crazy lows. To answer JKC’s question, are these overreactions based on vitriolic hatred to Japan? Yes, absolutely. But confusingly, that does not capture the whole picture, because of the answer to Susie’s question: is it really a bad idea for her to visit Korea? Answer: not at all.

The fact is that despite all of this, there are booming economic and cultural exchanges between Korea and Japan. Each year, 2.5 million Korean tourists visit Japan, the country that they supposedly hate. Japanese tourists visit Korea each year in similar numbers as well, without any concern for their personal safety. Japanese products, when not blocked by Korea’s trade restrictions, are extremely popular in Korea. One of the status symbols for the wealthy in Korea used to be the Zojirushi rice cooker, known as the “elephant rice cooker” in Korea based on its logo. Sony Playstation sells in Korea just as briskly as it sells anywhere else in the world.

Fine, so Koreans like high-quality products like everyone else in the world. But surely they would reject the cultural products of Japan with vitriolic hatred, right? Again, not at all. Japanese cartoons are very available in Korea, and have been highly influential. A cartoon named Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue was responsible for single-handedly making basketball popular in Korea in the early 1990s, leading to the golden age of Korean basketball. (The Korean himself has a hardbound collector's edition series of Slam Dunk.) Popular Japanese movies are popular in Korea as well, and the hip crowd in Korea is usually well-versed in the latest Japanese pop music.

So, to answer JKC's question, Koreans do not do anything special when they meet a Japanese person. Generally, they do not harass, nor do they get violent.

To those who have not seen this type of thing, this disparity is an utter mystery. Understanding the relationship between Koreans and Japan requires the full understanding of how nationalism works.

Understanding Nationalism

Nationalism is a peculiar thing. Although it is such an amazing force that motivates the actions of many countries in the world, it is not actively discussed like, for example, Communism once was. But the hold of nationalism is strong in many parts of the world, and those who fail to understand it do so at their own peril. This warning is especially relevant for those living in nations who distinctively lack strong nationalism, namely the United States and Canada. In particular, Americans’ utter failure to understand nationalism led to many, many foreign policy failures, of which the latest example was the War in Iraq. ("Greeted as liberators" – seriously, American policymakers believed that. Any Korean with half a brain could have told them otherwise.)

The Korean dealt with nationalism previously, but he intends to make this post the definitive post that explains what nationalism is, because it is nationalism is one of the cornerstones in understanding modern Koreans, especially with respect to their attitude toward Japan.

At the foundation of nationalism, there is a very simple premise: a person is nothing without his country, and his country is in constant danger of disappearance. Therefore, a citizen of a nation must absolutely devote himself to his nation to prevent such disappearance. Every member of the nation must contribute what he can for the country – soldiers must guard their country, businessmen must earn money for their country, artists must display the country’s creativity, and athletes must display the country’s physical prowess.

The corollary to this premise comes from the obvious truth that the world is made up of many nations. For nationalists, every citizen of every country in the world strives to strengthen their country. Essentially, each and every person in the world operates as a member of a team called "United States of America", "Brazil", "Thailand", "South Africa", "France", etc. And each team is striving to outdo one another in a giant world race for power, be it economic, political, social, cultural, or any other type one can think of. And losing this race is not an option, because the losing countries are taken over by the winning countries, and its people are to become slaves of the people of the winning countries.

The validity of this ideology, especially in the context of contemporary international relations, is at least arguable. For example, one can argue as following: “In theory at least, most of the world have come to recognize universal human rights, which include life and liberty. Enforcement of such right is a responsibility of all nations, and it does not depend on whether or not you have your own country.” But for Koreans, nationalism is a self-evident truth, because their recent historical experience of their losing their country proves it.

The Korean believes that this is the historical experience that non-nationalist countries lack. People from non-nationalist countries such as U.S. and Canada do not understand how terrible it is to lose their country, because they have never truly experienced it. Americans, for example, do not seriously believe that any other country will conquer America and subjugate Americans. Even for the most strident national defense hawk in America, the disappearance of America from the world is too remote of a possibility to be true.

But for Koreans, it actually happened. They have lost their whole country twice in the last century – for 36 years to Japan, and briefly to communist North Korea during the Korean War. At each occasion of losing their country, many Koreans lost everything –their history, tradition, language, their property, family, children, and their own lives. Set against this historical experience, any objection to nationalism rings hollow. For Koreans, it is obviously true that without Korea, Koreans are nothing. Therefore, Koreans are absolutely terrified at the possibility of losing the “race of nations”, and by extension losing their country. It does not matter how remote that possibility is. It happened twice, and it can happen again – and it is simply something that must not happen ever again. There is no room for debate.

Nationalism within Korean Mind

Ok, so that part is easy enough to understand. Once nationalism is understood, the over-the-top behavior of Koreans with respect to Japan becomes completely understandable. But what about the other side of the equation? Why do Koreans nonetheless accept Japan and Japanese culture without much resistance?

Some observers saw this paradox as a sign that Koreans are hypocrites, or that Koreans do not truly take nationalism seriously. Neither interpretation is true. The apparent paradox is very easy to understand once one considers the analogue of nationalism. What other set of belief system puts a non-human entity above humans, and teaches that the value of human beings depends upon that entity?

Answer: Religion. The Korean will not go so far as to say nationalism is equivalent to religion. The Korean is a religious person, and there is much more to religion than there is to nationalism. But the Korean will say this much – the way in which ordinary Koreans, who are generally nationalistic, deal with nationalism is very similar to the way in which ordinary Americans, who are generally religious, deal with their religion. There are those who are fundamentalist and orthodox, and there are those who believe in god but do not think much about religion in their day-to-day lives. That is exactly how nationalism operates in Korea.

In Korea, the “fundamentalist nationalists”, as it were, are relatively few in number. Very few Koreans get violent or rude at the sight of Japanese people. Instead, most Koreans enjoy Japanese product, Japanese culture, and even Japanese people to varying degrees, despite their nationalistic tendencies. This is not very different from what we see in America. 78.5 percent of Americans say they are Christians, but only a handful can be seen firebombing an abortion clinic or holding a picket that says “YOU WILL GO TO HELL” on Las Vegas Boulevard. In fact, majority of American Christians directly go against their own religion by believing that people of other religion and even those without any religious belief can make it to heaven.

Make no mistake about it – Koreans generally believe that they are nothing without their country, and they must devote themselves to their country. Nationalism is a constant presence in a typical Korean mind. But it is hardly the only presence, nor for most Koreans is it the most dominant presence. Koreans are just like any other people in the world – they like high-quality Japanese products, and they find Japanese culture interesting. They know harassing a complete stranger is a wrong thing to do, regardless of nationality. And those countervailing concerns are, for most Koreans, much stronger than their nationalistic zeal.

Korean Nationalism in Practice

It is important to note that nationalism is a constant presence in a Korean mind, although it may not be practiced to the fullest at all times. But there are several specific situations in which, even from “non-practicing” Korean nationalists, the latent nationalism flares up.

The most obvious situation is when a non-Korean makes an insulting statement about Korea or Koreans in general. Such action, for a nationalist, is a clear blasphemy. Similarly, making a claim that poses a threat to Korean territory or Korean self-determination also provokes nationalism.

It goes without saying that leaders of Japan manage to do both quite often. It was only last November when Japan’s Chief of Air Force claimed that Japan actually helped Korea during World War II. In 2006, Shimane Prefecture in Japan declared Feb. 22 to be “Takeshima Day”, advocating for its control of Dokdo islets that Koreans consider theirs. And along with North Korea, Japan is always at the best position to offend Koreans' nationalistic sensibilities because there is so much history between the two countries, and because Japan generally remains either ignorant or insensitive to the crimes of its past.

But another situation is worth a mention – when Korean politicians are in trouble. Samuel Johnson’s aphorism, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” holds true in Korea as well. It is often the path of least resistance for an unpopular Korean politician to stoke the nationalist fire to distract Koreans from more pressing issues, much like the way Richard Nixon used race-baiting to distract Americans from Vietnam War. North Korea has always been the favorite target for the Korean dictators from 1950s through 1970s, while Japan became more of a scratching post for Korean politicians in the recent times.

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

Excellent op-ed from Thomas Friedman at New York Times, about how immigration can help deliver America from the current recession.

The Korean's own preferred immigration policy is quite radical. Immigration policy is one of only two areas in which the Korean supports a completely extremist and unrealistic idea. (The other is complete ban of all civilian ownership of firearms except hunting rifles, which will be kept at local police station during non-season.) But even for those who do not favor extremely liberal immigration policy, this point is hard to argue with: there are very smart people from all over the world clamoring to live and work for America, and we are turning them away. Plainly, this hurts America. It needs to change right now.

Interesting article about immigrants' kitchen in New York Times, featuring a Korean person among others.

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Rec Soccer Leagues in Korea

Dear Korean,

I'm moving to Korea to be a English teacher in February. I'm interested in joining a club or rec soccer team, preferably one that might be more suited to someone who doesn't speak any Korean. Can you tell me how I can find information about joining one of these leagues?

Jon

Dear Jon,

The Korean does not know, but he bets his readers do. The Korean knows that there are many rec soccer and baseball leagues in Seoul, but he is not sure about any bilingual ones. If there is none, maybe this could be a good time to form one through AAK!

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

Ask a Korean! News: AAK! Won Some Awards, and So Did You

The good folks over at Hub of Sparkle held a contest for Korea-related blogs, and Ask a Korean! was duly nominated in multiple categories. Without doing any pimping for votes unlike some people, AAK! swept all categories in which it was nominated, emerging with two wins and one tie.

The one tie came from Best Post or Series in a Korea Blog, and the winning piece from AAK! was its collaboration with Gord Sellar and Roboseyo about why expats in Korea complain, and why Koreans get so defensive about it. Since AAK! won the other two categories in which it entered on its own, the Korean is led to believe that Gord and Robo dragged AAK! down.*

AAK! also won Best Blog about Korean Culture in a walk. HoS Spokesman Roboseyo said: "In my opinion, this was one of the strongest categories in the entire survey, and I was frankly surprised at how lopsided the voting came out, but in the end, there could be only one[.]" Indeed, Robo. Indeed.

But the Korean is most proud that you won an award as well. Yes, the Korean means you, all the readers who visit AAK! and leave comments. AAK! also won Most Interesting Comment Board, a tribute to the quality of readership here. The Korean always believed that people can have good, intelligent conversation on the Interwebs, and he is very pleased to see that AAK! attracts commenters who are also interested in good, intelligent conversation. The Korean congratulates you all. Go have yourselves some nice steaks to celebrate.

p.s. The Korean is NOT putting up the picture of the Golden Kimchi trophy because it doesn't look golden, just ridiculously rancid. Barf.

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

*Not true.

Bonus Football Question -- Can Koreans Play in NFL?

Dear Korean,

I pay nearly zero attention to football, but judging from what I remember of the game in junior high, my hunch is that any East Asians who end up playing will either be half-breeds or scrubs unless there's a large contingent of kimchi-eating hulking ogres that I don't know about. Where, exactly, are teams anywhere going to find East Asian football players who aren't scrubs/diversity hires?

Nathan S.


Dear Nathan,

Common misconception about football is that it is game only played by giant men. But that cannot be farther from the truth. For a good athlete, there is always a place in the football field regardless of size.

Take, for example, Steve Smith of Carolina Panthers, currently one of the best receivers in NFL. He is at modest 5' 9", 185 pounds. But with his speed and elusiveness, he simply dominates the opposing corners. Similarly, Warrick Dunn -- a fine running back when he was younger -- is 5' 9", 187 pounds. Hines Ward, receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the finest Korean in NFL, is also not very big -- 6' 0", 205 pounds. Such physique is not difficult to find among East Asians. The Korean himself is 6' 1", 190 pounds.

Accordingly, Asian Americans have had some success in football in the past. Dat Nguyen, a Vietnamese American, played middle linebacker for Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2006 and played a Pro Bowl-caliber season at 2003. On college football level, Timmy Chang of University of Hawaii holds the NCAA Div. I-A record in total offensive yards and career passing yards.

The Korean believes that the challenge is not that East Asians lack the ideal physique for football. The challenge is getting the best East Asian athletes to be interested in football.

Here is an example. Last summer, the Korean attended a charity soccer game in New York featuring Thierry Henry and his good friend Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. Henry is one of the best footballers in the world, and the other soccer pros were not too shabby either -- Robbie Fowler of the English national team, Claudio Reyna from the U.S. national team, Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls, to name a few. But playing with them were a number of NBA players -- Nash, Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell of Phoenix Suns, and Jason Kidd of Dallas Mavericks, and Baron Davis of Los Angeles Clippers.

Watching that game made the Korean realize that NBA was very lucky that Nash, Barbosa, Bell, and Kidd chose basketball and not soccer. (Baron Davis did not know much about soccer and essentially provided comic relief by goofing around in his baseball cap and glasses.) Boy, the four NBA players were GOOD. Clearly, Henry was a cut above everyone on the pitch, and was not trying very hard. But against the rest of pro soccer players, the NBA players were going toe-to-toe. Steve Nash in particular likes to speak about how soccer influenced his court vision as a point guard. If Nash had chosen to play soccer for his career, NBA would have missed out on a two-time MVP.

Similarly, East Asians are simply not exposed to football right now. The best East Asian athletes play baseball or soccer. But with enough exposure, that can change. Football is a game of specific, defined roles. And there is always a role for any good athlete, regardless of size. For all the grief that the Korean gives to Chan-Ho Park, he could have been a good quarterback if he was exposed to football in his youth. At 6' 2", Park is tall enough to look over the offensive line, and he does have a cannon of an arm.

But if it is East Asian hulking ogres you want, East Asian hulking ogres you got. Not necessarily kimchi-eating ones, but how about sushi-eating ones? Sumo wrestlers could make great NFL linemen. The Korean was once stuck in Narita Airport for about 5 hours, and he spent most of it staring at sumo matches showing on a big screen. After a few hours of sumo, the Korean realized that sumo techniques -- the footwork and the use of hands and arms -- were very similar to offensive linemen techniques.

The opportunities are there to expand the reach of football to the world. The Korean wishes to see the game attracting the world's best, not just America's best. The Korean will reiterate: a franchise in Los Angeles would be a huge step to that end. Bring an NFL franchise to Los Angeles NOW!!

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

Ask a Korean! News: Super Bowl 2009

So far in AAK! history, there has been two Super Bowls, and two Super Bowl picks by the Korean. The Korean is 2-0 in those picks.

What is the big deal, you say? The big deal is that last year, when everyone, EVERYONE was picking New England, the Korean dared to pick the Giants based on the scoreboard that he saw in a dream. And the Korean was right, as he always is.

Can he keep the streak going? The Korean's pick will come in a bit, but the annual rant must come first.

Dear Commissioner Goodell,

Do you want to spread football to other countries? Then bring a goddamn franchise to Los Angeles.

Do you know how many Koreans watch MLB as Dodgers fans because Dodgers brought Chan-Ho Park? (The Korean hates him because he's an overpaid prick, but that's a different story.) Do you ever wonder why there are 1.6 billion Houston Rockets and New Jersey Nets fans? It is thanks to the very skilled guy named Yao Ming, and this scrub named Yi Jianlian. Manchester United, the world's most successful sports franchise, opened up a whole new market by signing Park, Ji-Sung. Do you see a trend?

Currently Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the teams in this year's Super Bowl, is probably the only NFL team that any Korean knows because Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward is half-Korean. Thanks to Hines Ward, Steelers playoffs games were showing on Korean television. Think about how amazing that is. Your league has made zero efforts to advertise in Korea, but people in that market are watching NFL, even though they know practically nothing about the sport.

A hypothetical LA team would naturally recruit heavily on Asian and Hispanic population to appeal to the local demographic. Even if it does not, it will attract Asian American and Hispanic American fans, who will naturally transmit their love of football through their frequent traffic with their homelands. Sooner or later, people in Asia and Central/South America would be watching football! It's that simple!

You somehow seem to be married to the idea of spreading football in Europe. The Korean has to ask: Why? Why obsess over that London game, when 16 years of NFL Europa plainly showed that Europeans do not care about football? Both MLB and NBA realize that Asia is the future of professional sports. Asia has an up-and-coming economy, and its people are receptive to new forms of entertainment.

The Korean will repeat: BRING A FRANCHISE TO LOS ANGELES. It will pay off in more ways than you can ever imagine. The Korean will write the same rant every year until you comply.

Sincerely,

The Korean

Ok, rant over. Now for the pick.

The Korean likes the ace receivers of each team, i.e. Hines Ward and Larry Fitzgerald. With Hines Ward goes Pittsburgh offense. Whether or not he can go 100 percent would mean a lot for the Steelers.

Fitzgerald -- the Korean is simply in awe whenever he sees Fitzgerald. He knew Fitzgerald would be good when he came out of college, but the Korean did not see that Fitzgerald will be the best receiver in the NFL. Also, Fitzgerald is smart and articulate; the Korean has a soft spot for smart and articulate athletes.

But at the end of the day, defense wins championships, unless you have Peyton Manning. (The Korean went with Colts over Bears two years ago on that theory.) The Korean simply cannot see a consistent run game coming from Cardinals against Steelers run D, and the Cards would be wise to more or less abandon it. Do you trust Warner to throw 35 times in the game without a disastrous pick or two from Polamalu? The Korean does not either. That makes this one an easy pick.

Steelers 24, Cardinals 13.

2008 pick: Giants 27, Patriots 20
2008 result: Giants 17, Patriots 14

2007 pick: Colts 24, Bears 21
2007 result: Colts 29, Bears 17

-EDIT 2/1/2009 11:32 p.m.- Steelers 27, Cardinals 23. The Korean was totally right about a pick thrown by Warner being the game-changer. But the Korean also underestimated Larry Fitzgerald's ability to single-handedly carry the team. At any rate, 3-0!

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

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Visiting Korea

Dear Korean,

I will be visiting Korea in a few weeks. Are there any must see places in Seoul and the rest of the Korea in general? Is it safe? Do you have any other tips and advice in general?

Krianne

Another chance for you the readers to answer some questions. Off the top of his head, the Korean thought of the following places to visit in Seoul: The palaces (there are several), business district near Gwanghwamun, traditional district at Insadong, shopping at Apkujeong (modern, expensive) Myeongdong (modern, cheap), Dongdaemun (modern/traditional), Noryangjin (traditional/fresh seafood), theatres and galleries at Daehakro, clubs and eateries at Shinchon/HongIk University, Seoul Tower at Namsan for a sweeping view of the city.

Any tip about traveling in Korea would be much appreciated.

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

Ask a Korean! News: Racism Starts Early

The Korean meant to write about this article, but Korea Beat beat beat beat the Korean to the punch on an essentially same article from a different newspaper. That means the Korean does not have to translate the article! Below is the translation:

A study has found that five in ten elementary and middle school students think they can be friends with the children of multicultural families.

That finding is from a five-month survey of 1,725 elementary and middle school students in 23 schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do conducted by a governmental organization for teenagers (청소년희망재단) [TK Note: organization is called Hope Foundation for Youth] at the request of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지가족부). The students were asked about their feelings on their multicultural peers.

According to the study, 52.9% answered they could be friends with children from multicultural families. 9.3% said they could never be friends with such a child, and 37.7% were uncertain.

Of the reasons given for being unable to be friends, 40.4% answered “because of trouble communicating if they can’t speak Korean,” 33.5% answered “because I would be exhausted by nervous feelings about it,” and 32.3% answered, “because they have different thoughts and lifestyles from me.”

Other reasons included “their appearance and skin color are different,” (24.2%), “I would be embarrassed to be their friend,” (15.5%), and “I would worry about being ostracized,” (16.8%).

41.4% answered “yes” when asked if they consider children from multicultural families to be Koreans, and the remaining 58.6% were uncertain whether they could be seen as Koreans or foreigners.

The study found that girls, middle school students, and those with direct experiences with “multiculturalism” were more likely than boys, elementary students, and those without such experience, to shun children from multicultural families.

Also, the study asked the students to rate their feelings of mental distance from such children on a 5-point scale. The average response was 3.03, indicating a slight aversion.

Asked to use the same scale to rate their aversion to marrying a multicultural child the average response was 3.7, and 2.69 when asked if they would eat together with them. [TK Note: translation error here -- instead of "eat together", it's "sitting next to each other during class".]

In the article, "multicultural child" is the politically correct term in Korea for a racially mixed child. The article itself is interesting, but one must need to read between the lines to see how deeply racism is ingrained in Korea. First, this article, while describing the same study results, has a more positive spin than other articles -- for example, the article in Dong-A Ilbo or Korea Herald. That said, let us discuss each finding.

First of all, only half of the students positively think they can be friends with mixed-raced child. One in ten think they cannot be friends. That's a strong statement of racism, especially considering the reasons given for being unable to become friends with a mixed-race child. Simple difference in looks (“their appearance and skin color are different,” (24.2%)) is enough to stop Korean youngsters from being friends with a mixed-race child. (The Korean trusts the readers to reduce the Korean's statements by the applicable respective percentage points.)

Also notable is the answering students' ignorance on the issue of mixed-race children. The questionnaire was asking specifically for mixed-raced Koreans children living in Korea. Such children certainly speak Korean; for most of them, Korea is the only country and culture they have ever known. Yet these facts are not known to Korean students. Thus, they assume that mixed-race children would not be able to speak Korean (40.4% answered “because of trouble communicating if they can’t speak Korean,”) or that mixed-race children would not share Korean culture with them (32.3% answered, “because they have different thoughts and lifestyles from me.”)

Good old-fashioned peer pressure plays a role as well. Korean students appear to realize that even if they themselves are not racist, the Korean society in general is. Thus, the downgrade in status in becoming friends with a mixed-race child (“I would be embarrassed to be their friend,” (15.5%), and “I would worry about being ostracized,” (16.8%)) is a consideration becoming friends with a mixed-raced child.

The Korean identified this problem very early in the AAK! history. As a racial minority in his country of residence, the Korean is particularly attuned to the plight of other racial minorities. The second post ever on this blog was about the emerging race problem of Korea. (It was so early that it was before the Korean adopted his third person-speak.) And the Korean still stands by his conclusion that he wrote in that post: "Unless Koreans do something to radically change their attitude toward foreignors and interracial people (unlikely), wide-scale race riots a la Los Angeles or Paris in about 20 years is a virtual certainty."

The Korean is slightly relieved by the fact that at least some in Korean government see this as a problem. The Dong-A Ilbo article concludes with a quote from an official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare: "This is a survey that shows an urgent plan for multicultural children is necessary," and added "I understand each ministry is forming a plan for multicultural children." While Korean government provides no shortage of inane initiatives, when it does succeed, it succeeds spectacularly. The Korean truly hopes that would be the case for reducing racism in Korea.

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

Korean Last Name Series: Gyeongju Son

Dear Korean,

My mother's last name is Son and her immediate family lives in Kyeungju, Korea. I don't know which sub-clan she comes from. What is the folklore around the "very first" Son?

Okashiikanojyo


Dear Okashiikanojyo,

Because the Korean already wrote a lot on Korean last names, often the Korean would receive questions regarding specific last names such as yours. So far the Korean has been answering them privately, but it would be interesting to build an archive of Korean last name-related stories. So here it goes.

The Korean assumes that you meant to spell "Gyeongju", a city in southeastern Korea which has a great historical heritage. Although it is entirely possible that your mother is not Gyeongju Son (pronounced sohn,) it is fairly likely. Therefore, the Korean will provide the story for the first Gyeongju Son.

Gyeongju Son clan has an interesting story. Originally, the last name began when in 32 AD, the king of Shilla (one of the three kingdoms in the Korean peninsula at the time) gave the last name Son to one of the tribe leaders. At the time, the kingdom of Shilla was essentially a federation of six tribal villages, so giving a gift as lavish as a last name was a good idea for a king who must please the village leaders.

However, currently Gyeongju Son clan considers a person named Son Sun (Sohn Soon) to be the first Gyeongju Son. Son Sun was a poor man who lived with his elderly mother, wife, and a young child. The whole family barely had enough to eat, but the young child would always take Son Sun's mother's food. Seeing that, Son told his wife: "We can have another child, but we cannot have another mother. My mother must be starving because our child keeps on taking her food. We should bury the child so that my mother can eat well."

So the couple took the child into a nearby mountain and began digging a hole. But when they did, they found a strange bell made of stone. The couple hung the bell on a tree and tried ringing it, and the sound was beautiful and clear. The wife said "It must be the child's fortune to gain this strange object, so let us take the child back." Son Sun agreed, and took the child and the bell home. Son rang the bell, and the clear sound would travel all the way to the palace. The king asked about the sound of the bell, and the king's envoy learned the story and told the king. The king, moved by Son's filial piety, gave Son a house and a lot of food to honor his virtue. Son turned his previous house into a temple, and put the bell there.

Rather interesting story because it shows how seriously traditional Koreans regarded being good to your parents. Another interesting part is the surprising element of death and cruelty in the story, told in a matter-of-fact tone -- it is a familiar refrain in Korean folk tales.

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

Ask a Korean! News: Don't Let the American Bedbugs Bite

Hilarious article from today's Dong-A Ilbo:

"Bedbug Returns" -- Traced Back to America?

Larvae Found in Buildings Formerly Occupied by a Korean American

In December 2007, a Korean-American woman in her 30s visited the Foreigner Clinic at Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The woman complained of itchiness all over her body, and showed an insect that she captured at her house.

The insect appeared to be a flea or a bedbug, whose case has been unreported in Korea for the past 20 years. The medical staff, astonished, commissioned an investigation to a team led by Prof. Yong Tae-Sun of Yonsei Medical School specializing in parasitology.

The investigation confirmed that the insect was a bedbug, which led to an immediate examination of the apartment where the woman lived. Dead bedbugs and larvae were found in the woman's room and the adjacent room in the same apartment.

However, fortunately, the investigation team believes that the bedbugs were not indigenous, but were imported from the United States.

Prof. Yong, who publicized his report on Korea Journal of Parasitology in December 2008, said "Based on the fact that the woman who complained of itchiness entered Korea 9 months ago, and that the other room in which the bedbugs were found was also usually occupied by short-term foreigner or Korean-American visitors, it appears that the bedbug was imported from the U.S." Prof. Yong added "There has been reports of bedbug infestation in New York and New Jersey."

The apartments in question were later quarantined and the bedbugs were exterminated. However, the woman who visited the Severance Hospital and the occupants of the building have all moved to a different location.

Holy infestation! Failing at trying to kill all Koreans by sending in Mad Cow Disease-laden beef, clearly Americans have moved onto their next devious trick.

What is priceless, however, are the comments at the end of the article. One commenter sarcastically ribbed, "Time to hatch another candlelight protest." Another said, "Yankees also gave smallpox-laden blankets to Indians."

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

Ask a Korean! News: New York Times Finally Catches Up with Ask a Korean!

New York Times had an interesting article about how Americans talk about race, and how it is changing now that we will (in just four days!) have a black president.

The most interesting part of the article was the idea of "strategic colorblindness": the idea that white people "can be so uncomfortable talking about race that they think the most sensitive approach is to avoid the subject entirely[.]" According to studies, "whites, including children as young as 10, may attempt to avoid talking about race with blacks, or even acknowledging racial differences, so as not to appear prejudiced."

In other words, New York Times just figured out what the Korean figured out more than two years ago when he started the Ask a Korean! -- Americans, especially white people, have become afraid of talking about race. Thus, the Korean stated in his profile: "Interests: Giving honest answers to racial questions. The Civil Rights Movement has been so successful that people now have become completely AFRAID to ask legitimate questions concerning race. This only perpetuates misunderstanding between races. The Korean is here to fix that."

Keep it up, NYT. Maybe someday, your publication may become as successful as AAK! :)

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

Depression Among Koreans

Dear Korean,

What is the prevalence of depression among Koreans?

White Hispanic Chica


Dear White Hispanic Chica,

THANK YOU for asking a question that takes less than 10 minutes to find an answer for. It has been so long.

According to this article at Herald Business News, in 2007 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (a quasi-governmental body, because Korea is miles ahead of the U.S. in providing nationalized health insurance) estimated that 2.5 percent of all Koreans (roughly around 1.2 million people) suffered from depression, and only around half of them received treatment. However, psychiatrists of Korea estimate that 10 percent of all Koreans have "depression at the level where treatment is necessary."

While the estimate sounds a little high, it is not totally unreasonable. Because many Koreans still maintain the attitude that depression is not a real illness, it is likely that depression is not fully diagnosed in Korea. Also, especially with Korean males, depression may manifest itself as alcoholism, evading diagnosis.

Recently there have been campaigns to raise awareness for depression, terming it "the cold of the mind." Such campaigns are slowly turning the public perception in Korea around, but there is still a long way to go.

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