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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:12 am Post subject: Op/Ed: Arirang |
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http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2872719
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Arirang gets rid of annoying outside views
It was fun being a television star, but all good things must end.
Oh, you didn�t know I was a television star? Well, good for you. That probably means that you get your news from newspapers like this one, instead of from television. As the American humorist Russell Baker sagely observed: �You can learn more about the world by drinking gin from the bottle than by watching television.�
Nevertheless, for more than a year, there I was, an oasis of lucidity in the vast wasteland of television. Or so my friends told me.
I was a panelist on Arirang TV�s weekly news roundup, �Korea Today.� The show featured in-depth stories from the past week�s news and commentary from a panel that included two Arirang journalists, a Korean businessman and a foreign guest. The latter chair rotated among several resident foreigners, and I appeared once or twice a month.
We were semi-scripted. That is, we panelists were given transcripts of the news stories, and then circulated our responses among ourselves. Whatever was lost in spontaneity was more than repaid in deliberation (we didn�t just wing our thoughts), breadth (we didn�t repeat each other) and courtesy (we didn�t interrupt each other, as on American TV shoutfests). Also, the camera crew always knew who was speaking and when the next person would come in, which made for smoother camera work.
We could say whatever we wanted, and we could disagree with each other.
All went well for some time. Then, last spring, we were discussing, for the umpteenth time, Korea�s favorite gripe ― Japan�s attempt to sanitize its history. In planning my script, I decided to get real about this issue ― Japan is not the only guilty party. But I know that this is a touchy issue, so I planned my script to lay some groundwork before coming to the point.
As disgraceful as Japan�s whitewash is, Japan is not alone in perfuming its history. American history is taught entirely differently today than when I was in school. For example, the treatment of the American Indians by the European settlers used to be glossed over as the advance of a superior civilization.
And even in Korea, controversial textbooks exist. But when the American ambassador protested to the Education Ministry about a school curriculum containing alleged anti-American distortions, he was brushed off with the explanation that Korea�s sacred allegiance to the �freedom of the classroom� forbids the government from imposing correct doctrine on what teachers should teach. I mildly concluded: Does the �freedom of the classroom� apply in Korea, but not in Japan?
When I showed up for the Friday afternoon taping, I was told that I could not say that. I could say that Japanese textbooks were distorted, and that American textbooks used to be distorted. But the fact that anyone had questioned the truth of Korean textbooks was unmentionable.
Sometimes I think I am too polite. It would have been fun to nod grimly, wait until the right moment in the taping, speak my mind and storm dramatically off the set. Perfect! On the other hand, the issue, as I saw it, was not manifesting my own righteousness. So I nodded grimly, trimmed my remarks and, later, told my Arirang bosses that I was quitting the show unless I was assured that I would not be censored in the future.
And I wasn�t censored ― exactly. When the Dalai Lama�s application for a visa to attend a meeting in Korea of Nobel Peace Prize winners mysteriously disappeared in the labyrinths of bureaucracy, I was allowed to opine that it was a shame that Korea�s many millions of Buddhists would not get the chance to see an important fellow Buddhist. But I was not allowed to say that the Korean government, so loud in its assertion of Korean autonomy against the United States, had stifled the visa in deference to China. At the taping the anchor followed my remarks by stridently declaiming that �No official decision has been made on the visa, so we will just have to wait and see.�
(As the anchor well knew, the government never makes an official decision when the Dalai Lama asks to visit Korea, as has happened more than once. The decision is simply withheld until it is moot.)
Serves me right, you might say; I should have known that these are sensitive matters for Korea. Yes, but Korea, and Koreans, have an inferiority complex. They desperately want the world to respect Korea ― and they are right. The world does undervalue Korea ― its culture, its economic miracle, its rowdy democracy. I know that I did not properly respect Korea before I came here six years ago.
But you don�t gain respect by pretending that Korea is perfect, that no mistakes have ever been made, that Koreans never disagree among themselves. Yet this is the image of Korea that Arirang, under a new management composed mainly of trade-promotion flacks instead of journalists, chooses to present. The English-language service is nominally an independent entity, but it draws a hefty chunk of its budget from government funds and clearly it feels an obligation to make the government look good.
Last summer, the Arirang management vetoed a segment on the transfer of wartime command of the Korean army. It was the biggest political story of the season. The �Korea Today� panelists, both Korean and foreign, lined up with the government on this issue, so we would not have said anything hostile. But the issue is controversial among Koreans, so we could not do the story.
In the fall, President Roh Moo-hyun threatened to resign, and National Assembly members allegedly were on the North Korean payroll. You wouldn�t have heard about these events on �Korea Today� ― we discussed the 300 billionth export dollar earned and the 30 millionth cell phone manufactured, leavened with light features.
Meanwhile, the other panelists had their own run-ins. In September, we wrote to the Arirang management, asking it to respect its mission (�Korea for the world, the world for Korea�) and Korea itself. We asked to be part of �a show that would tell the world about �Korea Today� ― its success and dynamism, its vibrant democracy.�
A courteous reply thanked us and assured us that our �suggestions have been well noted and reviewed.�
You can see the outcome of the review when the new show airs this weekend. There is still a show called �Korea Today.� The slogan is the same, and perhaps my picture will still be on the Web site. But the troublesome panel of outsiders has been abolished. South Korea is shown as a society without controversy, where government policies are wise and unchallenged, where only economic statistics and cultural festivals engage public attention ― in short, a society without flesh-and-blood human beings. Rather the way, in fact, that North Korea pictures itself.
*The writer is a former editor of the JoongAng Daily and a professor at Yonsei GSIS.
by Harold Piper |
I'm not a fan of Arirang TV, and this piece shows some of the reasons why. |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| I've watched that show a few times. I absolutely detest Arirang, with it's ridiculous lap-dog approach to all things "great" about "Korea". Piper's conclusion puts into words perfectly what Arirang is all about. From the ridiculous robotic/cartoon-voice narration, to the scripts being read by foreign narrators yet written and edited by Koreans, which leads to the absurdity of narrators reading ridiculous English but pretending like what they are saying makes sense. Arirang can be summed up with one word: Farce. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:48 am Post subject: |
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We could say whatever we wanted, and we could disagree with each other.
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I used to watch that show, hoping to glean some useful information. I gave up in frustration because no one ever disagreed about anything. There was no discussion. It was just 3 people sitting around agreeing with each other, to no one's enlightenment. |
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butlerian
Joined: 04 Sep 2006
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
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We could say whatever we wanted, and we could disagree with each other.
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I used to watch that show, hoping to glean some useful information. I gave up in frustration because no one ever disagreed about anything. There was no discussion. It was just 3 people sitting around agreeing with each other, to no one's enlightenment. |
I agree to a large extent of what you say, but you guys really need to learn more about the culture over here. I would suggest Richard E. Nisbett's "The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently - and why" as a start. |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| butlerian wrote: |
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Quote: |
We could say whatever we wanted, and we could disagree with each other.
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I used to watch that show, hoping to glean some useful information. I gave up in frustration because no one ever disagreed about anything. There was no discussion. It was just 3 people sitting around agreeing with each other, to no one's enlightenment. |
I agree to a large extent of what you say, but you guys really need to learn more about the culture over here. I would suggest Richard E. Nisbett's "The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently - and why" as a start. |
I think it's only too clear to anyone who's been in Korea for a reasonable amount of time, and who has done some reading, what the differences in thought are between Asia and the West. The point is, "Korea" likes to portray itself one way, yet it is soooo far from what it likes to think it is. What is sad is a show like Korea Today, and a channel like Arirang, could be a vehicle for some change, yet it is nothing but a hollow shell. Nevertheless, change will come, because Koreans choose to watch OnStyle, CNN, OCN, and Western culture seeps in, while a channel like Arirang only survives due to kickbacks from the government. It's the CBC of Korea, without the integrity. |
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bobbyhanlon
Joined: 09 Nov 2003
Location: 서울
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:26 am Post subject: |
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| Nevertheless, change will come, because Koreans choose to watch OnStyle, CNN, OCN, and Western culture seeps in, while a channel like Arirang only survives due to kickbacks from the government. It's the CBC of Korea, without the integrity. |
pretty sad that the representatives of western culture are OnStyle, CNN and OCN. no wonder koreans think we are a bunch of weirdos..
regarding arirang, i once went on heart to heart. actually it was a really nice experience, but i did notice that whenever i said anything good about korea, i was allowed to ramble incessantly, but whenever i said something negative, the subject was changed pretty damn quickly! i'm friends with a girl who used to be a producer there and she told me that everyone at arirang knows how dumb and biased their output is, but the station is basically aimed at promoting korea in the outside world,so obviously they are going to be flying the flag a bit.
compared to sbs though, arirang was a bastion of professionalism. i have never been made to feel like more of a token white monkey than the day i foolishly agreed to take part in an sbs show during the last world cup. eat this kimchi, drink this soju, wear this 'be the reds' shirt, and tell us how wonderful korea is, for 12 long hours. to anyone reading this, never get involved with sbs. it is a cheap, bottom of the barrel-scraping peddler of utter crap, with zero integrity.
mbc though, on the other hand, gave me a decent, serious interview, and asked me questions like 'do you think this world cup has provided an outlet for vulgar nationalism in korea?' and so on. their role in the hwang woo-suk case (i think) shows that they do have plenty of journalistic integrity, so not every media outlet is bad. |
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JeJuJitsu
Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:39 am Post subject: |
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| That creepy, grammatically stilted, pedantic, female narrator voice now also narrates my nightmares. Same voice lady does all the subway and bus "next stop is..." And she is also the phone voice when you call english services, and the voice for the human-looking robot babe that Hyundai built. |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| bobbyhanlon wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Nevertheless, change will come, because Koreans choose to watch OnStyle, CNN, OCN, and Western culture seeps in, while a channel like Arirang only survives due to kickbacks from the government. It's the CBC of Korea, without the integrity. |
pretty sad that the representatives of western culture are OnStyle, CNN and OCN. no wonder koreans think we are a bunch of weirdos..
regarding arirang, i once went on heart to heart. actually it was a really nice experience, but i did notice that whenever i said anything good about korea, i was allowed to ramble incessantly, but whenever i said something negative, the subject was changed pretty damn quickly! i'm friends with a girl who used to be a producer there and she told me that everyone at arirang knows how dumb and biased their output is, but the station is basically aimed at promoting korea in the outside world,so obviously they are going to be flying the flag a bit.
compared to sbs though, arirang was a bastion of professionalism. i have never been made to feel like more of a token white monkey than the day i foolishly agreed to take part in an sbs show during the last world cup. eat this kimchi, drink this soju, wear this 'be the reds' shirt, and tell us how wonderful korea is, for 12 long hours. to anyone reading this, never get involved with sbs. it is a cheap, bottom of the barrel-scraping peddler of utter crap, with zero integrity.
mbc though, on the other hand, gave me a decent, serious interview, and asked me questions like 'do you think this world cup has provided an outlet for vulgar nationalism in korea?' and so on. their role in the hwang woo-suk case (i think) shows that they do have plenty of journalistic integrity, so not every media outlet is bad. |
No, actually they envy our freedom of expression. Why is it sad that they represent aspects of life in the West? Is being entertaining such a bad thing? Is being able to express an opinion that is "controversial" such a bad thing? The cost of freedom may be bad taste (sometimes), but I'll take that any day over the government-directed mind control "utopia" that is Korea. Judging by the line up to get the hell of this country by Koreans, the people aren't drinking the kool-aid. |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:08 am Post subject: |
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Isn't it dramatically un-funny how issues are allowed to froth,how those who suffered become more or less unseen,and those that of them or "for' are either blinkered,blinded or collusive.
It was a pet subject just a few years ago to mention Japan hatefully-how they were so stubborn to refuse to apologise and repent...
When I was a judge(in name,not importance for a competition that has "gone for 50 years") piety against the Japanese was a common theme.
I left Korea,then came back to only recently find a whole slew of stuff.Suffice to say,Koreans don't talk about Japanesein quite the same way now.Do they talk negatively against something?No.It's just been faded out.Like that prior hystericism never happened.
This article details it in length.
http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/2007/02/sins_of_the_fat.html
Everything will be revisited this election year though no doubt.Anti-Americanism,Dokdo et al,regular as clockwork.
Last edited by rothkowitz on Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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J.B. Clamence
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Arirang TV is thinly-disguised nationalist propaganda, plain and simple. Remember the "in-depth" investigation into which was better: hanboks, kimonos, or Chinese silk dresses. I'll give you three guesses what their conclusion was. |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| J.B. has it right. |
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aldershot
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| the only international news on arirang is during the weather report. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| J.B. Clamence wrote: |
| Arirang TV is thinly-disguised nationalist propaganda, plain and simple. Remember the "in-depth" investigation into which was better: hanboks, kimonos, or Chinese silk dresses. I'll give you three guesses what their conclusion was. |
I heard the same comment from the Seoul chief for Reuters when I was teaching a new group of recruits for the diplomatic corps
His comments about the rest of the english language media here wasnt much better |
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blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Maybe that's why the "netizen" movement has been so powerful here; it's the only voice that people consider un-censored. Too bad that too often it's so influenced by extreme elements of Korean thought, re: propaganda. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree to a large extent of what you say, but you guys really need to learn more about the culture over here. I would suggest Richard E. Nisbett's "The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently - and why" as a start. |
butlerian,
I have read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. I have even made a few posts about it here on this board. I highly recommend the book. However, that book does not really relate to my comment about the TV program under discussion.
There are several political parties here in Korea and no doubt even more variety of opinion on various public issues. When I turn on a current affairs program, it is not unreasonable to expect to hear a variety of differing opinions reflecting government policy and critics' views. This was never in evidence on the program we were talking about. |
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