Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cmxc]

‘Ode to My Father’

There is controversy in Korea regarding the recent popular film ‘Ode to My Father.’
A sad, useless dispute
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/01/636_171369.html

The film seems designed to wrench tears from the audience, stirring up warm feelings for the the generation of Koreans whose hard work and sacrifices enabled Korea to rise from the ashes of the Korean war into its present status as among the top 15 economies in the world.

However, questions rightly arise whether it is entirely too premature to be celebrating Korea’s accomplishments.

To me, it seems especially shameful that the same generation that made the sacrifices celebrated in the movie are treated so badly by their country. Many of Korea’s elderly live in utter poverty and have been abandoned by the same children they worked so hard to raise. Some of Korea’s elderly women are prostituting themselves in Tapgol Park for a just a few dollars a day just to survive.

Those same elderly who sacrificed so much, might be the same grandparents who lost one of 300 dead kids in the Sewol tragedy of 2014. This same tragedy showcased how absolutely inept and corrupt the Korean government is, and how pervasive collusive ties between Korea’s government and private companies that put meager profits before any remote concern for safety or passenger lives.

The same grandparents more than likely have at least one or two grand-daughters or great-grand-daughters whoring themselves out in a country with the highest sex workers per capita in Asia.

Those same grand-daughters, if lucky enough to marry, have the world’s lowest birth rate, because any sane women with an education knows better than to try to raise kids in the hellish environment that Korean kids grow up in.

How would these grandparents feel about the huge numbers of their descendants who are leaping off bridges, buildings, and using charcoal briquettes to off themselves in some of the largest numbers in the world every year? All those sacrifices and hard work just so their grandchildren can kill themselves because they got a bad score on the college entrance test?

OR how would they feel about all their descendants cutting up their faces and using plastic to reshape their noses, eyes, lips, chins, etc, and very often dying in the process of pursuing some beauty standard that the elder generation would likely find alien and abhorrent?

I feel that the present generation of Koreans owes more of an ashamed apology to their grandparents, because I feel quite confident that modern Korea is nothing like the nation those same grandparents worked so hard and made so many sacrifices to create.

[radcon]

You don't know what you are talking about.

[Died By Bear]

[jcd]

Op has no idea.

They should call that movie "Why my father was such an a$*hole"

[jcd]

Op has no idea.

They should call that movie "Why my father was such an a$*hole"

[Stain]

[Stain]

[Chaparrastique]

[Old Painless]

They went through a hella time in those days, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's understandable they'd want their kids/grandkids to succeed and live a better life. Personally I can't imagine the hardship and family separations they endured. War is hell. When half or more of your entire family is involved in a war and the hardships that followed, it can be unbearable.

I can see where JCD is coming from, on the other hand, it's another illustration of how difficult life can be.