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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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 Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
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NOW HERE�S WHAT THE MEDIA DON�T TELL YOU:
1. Block B donated money to Thailand before the interview, long before the interview. Each member individually donated an amount that is equivalent to around $200.
2. Block B donated all of their earnings from their Thailand showcase to charity causes in relation to the flood.
3. During the Thailand showcase, Block B, with the help of Thai BBCs, donated and distributed books to Thai schools to help in the recovering of the country from damage caused by the flood.
4. 7000won is equivalent to around $6, I am told. Zico did not say he would only give that amount of money to Thailand, he did not say Thailand should be grateful for that money, he did not joke about the flood. The interview asked about their paychecks, and about them donating money. As they were discussing this Zico said he only had 7000won on him right then, and they joked about him being poor.
5. Every month, Block B donate around $200 to Africa (I am not sure if each member does this individually or not, but I think so).
6.The interview linked above is not the full interview, and the most widely available version of the interview is very badly cut.
7. Taewoon of Co-Ed/SPEED, Zico�s older brother, has personally tweeted a link to an honest and accurate article that includes the proper translation/transcript and (I�m not 100% on this part) the full uncut interview.
8. Antis have created death petitions and sent many death threats, they have created petitions for the group to be disbanded, they are spreading false translations, and they are harassing Zico�s mother and brother online (twitter and cyworld).
9. Not only has Zico shaved his head, and each member individually apologised (with unique and lengthy writings, not just �I�m sorry�, and without trying to justify or look innocent), but they are withdrawing from many events in their schedules. Block B might even be taking a full and extended hiatus from the industry to self-reflect and learn from this. There are rumours (emphasis on �rumours�) that other members of Block B might yet shave their heads. |
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Thanks! 8 is crazy...and so is 9. Both of which raise major issues, the latter probably being the worst response possible. I know the whole history of Koreans shaving their heads for repentance. But they have nothing to be shameful of...regret and embarrassment, but shame...no! It teaches their young fans that perhaps whenever they make mistakes they should be overwhelmingly shameful.
Being that few follow (or in my case know how to follow) Zico's brother's tweets can you kindly post the link of the better interview? |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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I get where rchristo is coming from. I mean, treat them as individuals. Isn't that what the bottom line of no racism and ultimate cultural sensitivity is about? That people are individuals and shouldn't have to be accountable for everyone else from their country?
At the same time I can understand companies wanting to correct such things. There's a fine balance between individuality and representation one has to do when they are in the public eye. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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The Thais got a page out of Korea's playbook and is using it.
Block B is to Thailand like ______ beef is to Korea.
Who can guess this analogy? |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
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NOW HERE�S WHAT THE MEDIA DON�T TELL YOU:
1. Block B donated money to Thailand before the interview, long before the interview. Each member individually donated an amount that is equivalent to around $200.
2. Block B donated all of their earnings from their Thailand showcase to charity causes in relation to the flood.
3. During the Thailand showcase, Block B, with the help of Thai BBCs, donated and distributed books to Thai schools to help in the recovering of the country from damage caused by the flood.
4. 7000won is equivalent to around $6, I am told. Zico did not say he would only give that amount of money to Thailand, he did not say Thailand should be grateful for that money, he did not joke about the flood. The interview asked about their paychecks, and about them donating money. As they were discussing this Zico said he only had 7000won on him right then, and they joked about him being poor.
5. Every month, Block B donate around $200 to Africa (I am not sure if each member does this individually or not, but I think so).
6.The interview linked above is not the full interview, and the most widely available version of the interview is very badly cut.
7. Taewoon of Co-Ed/SPEED, Zico�s older brother, has personally tweeted a link to an honest and accurate article that includes the proper translation/transcript and (I�m not 100% on this part) the full uncut interview.
8. Antis have created death petitions and sent many death threats, they have created petitions for the group to be disbanded, they are spreading false translations, and they are harassing Zico�s mother and brother online (twitter and cyworld).
9. Not only has Zico shaved his head, and each member individually apologised (with unique and lengthy writings, not just �I�m sorry�, and without trying to justify or look innocent), but they are withdrawing from many events in their schedules. Block B might even be taking a full and extended hiatus from the industry to self-reflect and learn from this. There are rumours (emphasis on �rumours�) that other members of Block B might yet shave their heads. |
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1. In the grand scheme of things, $200 per band member is not that much money. However, regardless of the amount of money being donated, it does not give Block B the right to behave rudely when they are guests in another country.
2. See point 1.
3. Again, see point 1.
4. Regardless of how they intended to present it as a joke, it ended up sounding more like an insult to the Thai viewers. Clearly, Block B should have thought more carefully about this given that meaning can often be lost in translation. After all, they should have been more cognizant of the fact that Thailand is not Korea.
5. Is Thailand a part of Africa??? Perhaps, you have been reading too many of the entries in Uncyclopedia. Anyways, point 5 is not relevant.
6. I suppose that an uncut version of the interview might put them in a better light. Nonetheless, it really does not excuse their behavior whether it was ill intentioned or not.
8. On this point, I do 100% agree that is ridiculous. But then again, this is nothing really new with regards to Korean netizens.
9. It sounds like Block B is doing the right thing. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| rchristo10 wrote: |
| Konglishman wrote: |
rchristo10,
Like it or not, when you or I or anyone else goes to another country, to a large degree, we are often perceived as cultural ambassadors of our home countries. To give an extreme example, suppose an American traveled to Pakistan and decided to burn the Quran. In all likelihood, that would lead to a great deal of animosity directed at Americans. Or just to give a less extreme example, lets say that a Japanese man were to go to Korea and started loudly insisting that Dokdo belongs to Japan. While that would not likely lead to a national uproar unless he was a well known person, it would almost certainly lead to increased animosity on a local level against Japan.
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Why shouldn't Korean celebrities be allowed to represent themselves, not their nations? The point is that even if Beyonce said a racist comment, the US would not apologize for her behavior--she's Beyonce, not Albright.
Granted, globalization has inadvertantly led to a strengthened sense of nationalism, and Korea being homogeneous doesn't really help in such situations. We get it. But dude, you're not an ambassador of any country. Trust me. People will forget you just as quickly as you'd make the paper for such behavior. But, they'd likely not forget Obama or his attendants making amends to the US society on the your behalf.
That band said something stupid. Why make them ambassadors? People use the whole "you're a representative of such-and-such country," crap to get FOBs to at least behave or consider the culture differences when they go abroad. The truth is that host countries know better than to believe that a single foreigner represents any country. And if they say otherwise, then they're just using it as ammunition for their salient xenophobia and prejudices. Personally, I hate the idea of telling people such things because it unnecessarily puts said (imagined) ambassador on a pedestal from the outset. Who says natives care so much about said ambassador's homeland as to see them as well...an ambassador?
I admit that the homogeneity of Korea makes tagging them and their behavior much easier, so the US examples that you and I have employed are faulty to say the least. But, still, that's why we have...you named it: Ambassadors! And no, a kids band doesn't cut it.
With that in mind, a country shouldn't belittle itself for such pettiness. (Ever consider why Japan was/ is so reluctant to apologize for their past ills?) Korea should not apologize for that band's behavior nor link it to Hallyu.
Korean entertainers also need to learn the fine art of regret to replace this antiquated, colonial period notion of shame & remorse, which takes small matters and makes them much, much worse. With these type of role models (not singling out only the band in question) it's no wonder that their fans don't take slightly less petty matters to the extreme and embark on their own shame rituals (i.e. suicide).
Shame for a slip of the tongue? Cutting off your hair? Making an apologetic video? Having a Cultural Minister of the country send letters to avoid such grave mistakes in the future? It's no wonder there's a major suicide problem here. This shame culture has to be put to rest! If we can't get rid of the undue reactionism that typically precedes it, then maybe we should at least work in reverse. Regret is one thing, but to take something as petty as this and to push it to such an extreme is beyond reason.
Make a mistake, correct it, and do your best to avoid making it again. Keep your head up, because it's pretty damn hard to go forward when you're looking less than two feet ahead.
| Konglishman wrote: |
While people are certainly free to say what they want, you seem to forget that there is also responsibility that comes along with freedom of expression. In the case of Block B, along with showing bad manners, they were making light of a national catastrophe in Thailand. Obviously, the South Korean government is correct to be concerned that this kind of behavior has the potential to hurt relations between Korea and Thailand. Of course, I understand that you are concerned about Block B's freedom of expression, but I just disagree with your take on it.
In fact, Block B could have simply refused to apologize. Consequently, they probably would have lost funding from the Korean government, but hey, that is the Korean government's choice with regards to whom it wishes to give funding to. |
Of all the posts and crap you've been writing, finally, you're on topic. Believe it or not, I'm not stupid. I know that there are consequences for one's actions. That's fine and dandy; nothing new there. My point FROM THE BEGINNING, which either you're ignoring or purposely missing in your astute reading, is that their behavior in the interview [see LINK in original post] was not something that the country should have apologized for by involving the Cultural Minister--which in my view made it a national issue. Hallyu, if it's to amount to anything, has to be more than merely the individuals who encompass it. And telling Koreans to put on fronts and be other than who they are for the sake of "decent personalities" is not the right way to go--apology or no apology. Get it!? |
Frankly, I think that you take a far too limited view on international relations. For example, do you recall the Florida church that was making a point of burning a Quran. As you may recall, Barack Obama had to go out of his way to plead with the pastor not to do this as it was believed that the backlash would put American troops in greater danger. While in this case, it may seem much more trivial, one could argue that Block B has put Korean business interests in danger.
As far as you wanting to change Korea's shame culture, I think that is not likely to change much for another generation or so at the very least. Further, I certainly would not want that to disappear without a culture of guilt taking its place.
Finally, as I already pointed out, due to the uproar the interview was causing within the music business in Thailand, while it may initially sound odd to us, the Korean government was rightfully concerned about the impact it was having on contracts in the music business between Korea and Thailand. Also, I doubt that a simply "Oh, I was just misunderstood" would have sufficed given how insulting the remark sounded especially in the context of their rude behavior.
In short, I completely disagree with your basic premise. Get it? |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
| Block B? Where do they come up with these names? |
A lot of k-pop is given pseudo-english names to appear international and sophisticated. Simplistic but often nonsensical names derived from a faulty understanding of english.
Basically the sort of gobbledygook you also see printed on T-shirts here.
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| I only got through the part where one of the guys said they're there to "conquer Thailand." Couldn't stomach anymore of that crap after that. I can understand why people would be offended by foreigners saying they're coming to their country to "conquer" them. |
Exactly.
They're basically going to all these foreign countries with an aloof, arrogant attitude. Girls generation had the same thing printed all over their tour bus in NY.
The chickens are coming home to roost I'm afraid. And it is all (unfortunately) entirely predictable to those of us who have been here for any length of time.
Koreans have had 20 years of experiencing foreigners only as clownish english teachers who they are encouraged to disrespect, or as demonized GI's or Russian prostitutes. In addition, foreign expats in Korea were never allowed any input or cross-cultural instruction that might have provided greater awareness. Our advice has always been viewed as criticism.
The overly-nationalistic and racist garbage peddled by the korean media over past decades has also done a grave disservice to this country in terms of instilling counter-productive attitudes. If you were here ten years back, you would have born the brunt of this xenephobic misinformation (even while most of us actually had very good intentions of helping korea  ).
Koreans are suddenly getting more exposure to the world but they have not had anything in this country to prepare them for proper or respectful interraction with foreign cultures. They are hapless, beyond naive when it comes to the outside world and it is embarrassing to watch. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 11:27 am Post subject: |
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| Julius wrote: |
| fermentation wrote: |
| Block B? Where do they come up with these names? |
A lot of k-pop is given pseudo-english names to appear international and sophisticated. Simplistic but often nonsensical names derived from a faulty understanding of english.
Basically the sort of gobbledygook you also see printed on T-shirts here.
| Quote: |
| I only got through the part where one of the guys said they're there to "conquer Thailand." Couldn't stomach anymore of that crap after that. I can understand why people would be offended by foreigners saying they're coming to their country to "conquer" them. |
Exactly.
They're basically going to all these foreign countries with an aloof, arrogant attitude. Girls generation had the same thing printed all over their tour bus in NY.
The chickens are coming home to roost I'm afraid. And it is all (unfortunately) entirely predictable to those of us who have been here for any length of time.
Koreans have had 20 years of experiencing foreigners only as clownish english teachers who they are encouraged to disrespect, or as demonized GI's or Russian prostitutes. In addition, foreign expats in Korea were never allowed any input or cross-cultural instruction that might have provided greater awareness. Our advice has always been viewed as criticism.
The overly-nationalistic and racist garbage peddled by the korean media over past decades has also done a grave disservice to this country in terms of instilling counter-productive attitudes. If you were here ten years back, you would have born the brunt of this xenephobic misinformation (even while most of us actually had very good intentions of helping korea ).
Koreans are suddenly getting more exposure to the world but they have not had anything in this country to prepare them for proper or respectful interraction with foreign cultures. They are hapless, beyond naive when it comes to the outside world and it is embarrassing to watch. |
All the cross-cultural training in the world doesn't override people's tendencies. Otherwise the term and stereotype "Ugly American" wouldn't exist.
In Korea's case, it doesn't help that many of those that would be most receptive to foreign ideas and whatnot have emigrated to other countries.
Humanity is still in its infantile phase regarding cross-cultural interactions. |
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Konglishman wrote: |
| rchristo10 wrote: |
| Konglishman wrote: |
rchristo10,
Like it or not, when you or I or anyone else goes to another country, to a large degree, we are often perceived as cultural ambassadors of our home countries. To give an extreme example, suppose an American traveled to Pakistan and decided to burn the Quran. In all likelihood, that would lead to a great deal of animosity directed at Americans. Or just to give a less extreme example, lets say that a Japanese man were to go to Korea and started loudly insisting that Dokdo belongs to Japan. While that would not likely lead to a national uproar unless he was a well known person, it would almost certainly lead to increased animosity on a local level against Japan.
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Why shouldn't Korean celebrities be allowed to represent themselves, not their nations? The point is that even if Beyonce said a racist comment, the US would not apologize for her behavior--she's Beyonce, not Albright.
Granted, globalization has inadvertantly led to a strengthened sense of nationalism, and Korea being homogeneous doesn't really help in such situations. We get it. But dude, you're not an ambassador of any country. Trust me. People will forget you just as quickly as you'd make the paper for such behavior. But, they'd likely not forget Obama or his attendants making amends to the US society on the your behalf.
That band said something stupid. Why make them ambassadors? People use the whole "you're a representative of such-and-such country," crap to get FOBs to at least behave or consider the culture differences when they go abroad. The truth is that host countries know better than to believe that a single foreigner represents any country. And if they say otherwise, then they're just using it as ammunition for their salient xenophobia and prejudices. Personally, I hate the idea of telling people such things because it unnecessarily puts said (imagined) ambassador on a pedestal from the outset. Who says natives care so much about said ambassador's homeland as to see them as well...an ambassador?
I admit that the homogeneity of Korea makes tagging them and their behavior much easier, so the US examples that you and I have employed are faulty to say the least. But, still, that's why we have...you named it: Ambassadors! And no, a kids band doesn't cut it.
With that in mind, a country shouldn't belittle itself for such pettiness. (Ever consider why Japan was/ is so reluctant to apologize for their past ills?) Korea should not apologize for that band's behavior nor link it to Hallyu.
Korean entertainers also need to learn the fine art of regret to replace this antiquated, colonial period notion of shame & remorse, which takes small matters and makes them much, much worse. With these type of role models (not singling out only the band in question) it's no wonder that their fans don't take slightly less petty matters to the extreme and embark on their own shame rituals (i.e. suicide).
Shame for a slip of the tongue? Cutting off your hair? Making an apologetic video? Having a Cultural Minister of the country send letters to avoid such grave mistakes in the future? It's no wonder there's a major suicide problem here. This shame culture has to be put to rest! If we can't get rid of the undue reactionism that typically precedes it, then maybe we should at least work in reverse. Regret is one thing, but to take something as petty as this and to push it to such an extreme is beyond reason.
Make a mistake, correct it, and do your best to avoid making it again. Keep your head up, because it's pretty damn hard to go forward when you're looking less than two feet ahead.
| Konglishman wrote: |
While people are certainly free to say what they want, you seem to forget that there is also responsibility that comes along with freedom of expression. In the case of Block B, along with showing bad manners, they were making light of a national catastrophe in Thailand. Obviously, the South Korean government is correct to be concerned that this kind of behavior has the potential to hurt relations between Korea and Thailand. Of course, I understand that you are concerned about Block B's freedom of expression, but I just disagree with your take on it.
In fact, Block B could have simply refused to apologize. Consequently, they probably would have lost funding from the Korean government, but hey, that is the Korean government's choice with regards to whom it wishes to give funding to. |
Of all the posts and crap you've been writing, finally, you're on topic. Believe it or not, I'm not stupid. I know that there are consequences for one's actions. That's fine and dandy; nothing new there. My point FROM THE BEGINNING, which either you're ignoring or purposely missing in your astute reading, is that their behavior in the interview [see LINK in original post] was not something that the country should have apologized for by involving the Cultural Minister--which in my view made it a national issue. Hallyu, if it's to amount to anything, has to be more than merely the individuals who encompass it. And telling Koreans to put on fronts and be other than who they are for the sake of "decent personalities" is not the right way to go--apology or no apology. Get it!? |
Frankly, I think that you take a far too limited view on international relations. For example, do you recall the Florida church that was making a point of burning a Quran. As you may recall, Barack Obama had to go out of his way to plead with the pastor not to do this as it was believed that the backlash would put American troops in greater danger. While in this case, it may seem much more trivial, one could argue that Block B has put Korean business interests in danger.
As far as you wanting to change Korea's shame culture, I think that is not likely to change much for another generation or so at the very least. Further, I certainly would not want that to disappear without a culture of guilt taking its place.
Finally, as I already pointed out, due to the uproar the interview was causing within the music business in Thailand, while it may initially sound odd to us, the Korean government was rightfully concerned about the impact it was having on contracts in the music business between Korea and Thailand. Also, I doubt that a simply "Oh, I was just misunderstood" would have sufficed given how insulting the remark sounded especially in the context of their rude behavior.
In short, I completely disagree with your basic premise. Get it? |
No, I don't get it.
The government should be concerned about a country's anger. No problem there. But it also needs to judge whether its involvement will lead to affirmation and further temper the waters or to appeasement. In this case, government involvement for a less-than-well-known group led invariably to the former. I think you know Korea well enough to acknowledge that an "uproar" lasts for two or three days and bides just as fast (with or without an apology). Same for Thailand.
International relations are important, but diplomacy is even more important. The government's involvement in such a petty matter was NOT a good diplomatic move. For a well-trained IR expert like yourself, I'm sure you know that apologizing for every minuscule problem that occurs between countries is not a good diplomatic policy, for the sheer reason that constant apologies quickly become blanket gestures. And such gestures also set precedence for similar, future incidents.
After the incident, there was anger at the group and some people did have tissy fits at, not simply, Block B, but also at Koreans in general--nothing new about that. It happens with every country that experience 'less-than-worthy/ perfect' visiting entertainers. To take such a matter and make a "convoluted," evasive comparison (burgeoning on complete casuistic sophistry) with defacing the Quran is stretching to say the least...
In terms of the shame culture, I didn't know that a culture of shame was diametrically opposed to a culture of guilt. I was thinking that Korea's ritualistic attrition practices were in effect caused by a culture of guilt--a guilt that most other countries share. That is unless you're saying that Koreans only emote shame but really have zero to no guilt pushing them to act. Why would Korea need a culture of guilt to replace that of shame when they clearly have both, i.e. the two "cultures" are not mutually exclusive? But go figure...I guess my logical reasoning is just too simple for your creative thinking.
Nope. I don't get it.  |
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The Floating World
Joined: 01 Oct 2011
Location: Here
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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Just want to step in and say that the whole 'conquer _____________ country' shouldn't be seen as such a big deal.
As usual it is Koreans taking something they've seen in the western world and just ever so slightly not really understood it and then like an enthusiastic 5th grader, running out into the big wide world with it before they can walk with it.
What I'm refering to is the whole "Conquer America' attitude in other western countries music industries - especially the UK. Hell wasn't the spate of Brit bands in the 60's and 70's known as the 'English Invasion' in the music biz? And then the brit pop phase, reports in the news etc used to run with pictures of a flag with britania on it etc. Even radiohead who were doing pretty well said they wanted to 'conquer America.'
Of course they make it clear they mean the music market, not the country lol....
Now take that imagery and then multiply by what you know about Korean understanding of international relations (ie it's all a zero sum game) and you will come out with the equation that
A (rabid nationalism and zero sum binary thinking causing exceptions of variable fluctuation frequencing) Plus B (being clueless about how other nations percieve you due to the inflationary effect of the hermit principle) equals K - acting rudely overseas or in front of foriegners in Korea, whilst not intending to or even realising that you are. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| All the cross-cultural training in the world doesn't override people's tendencies. Otherwise the term and stereotype "Ugly American" wouldn't exist. |
Americans have improved though. The heyday of their infamy was the 70's. They could still do to turn their voices down a few decibels but otherwise they're a lot more respectful.
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| Humanity is still in its infantile phase regarding cross-cultural interactions. |
Is it? people were sailing the pacific and trading spices or silk centuries ago.
Yes, globalization is in its early stages and maybe one day soon everyone in the world will have standardized behaviour. I don't see human nature changing, however, and there will always be the tendency to find your identity in a localised group, exclude outsiders from it, while seeking to go and "conquer" their groups. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:21 pm Post subject: |
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A:"Do you know Korea?"
B: "No."
Is A better or worse off? I'd say better off.
Koreans want the world to know about them. Not sure that's a good idea. |
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Carbon
Joined: 28 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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All of this reminds me of the big push some years back to get more foreign companies interested in Korea, only to have them recoil even further back when the truth emerges; in that case it was the complete lack of transparency and subsequent embedded corruption that it facilitates. The more the real Korea comes to light - and I don't mean this in a completely negative way - the more it ends up working against them. Not negative in that Korea has issues with the world and always has; inferiority, defensiveness and selfishness are hallmarks of the typical Korean. They are who they are, like any other nationality with their ticks and bugs.
As the new generations of Koreans travel the world, they are emerging as being quite disliked in a relatively short period of time; the Philippines pretty much hates them (Tasmania, for similar reasons is heading that way), Thailand and Cambodia don't see them as more than typical sex tourists and everywhere they settle, end up being self-serving and parasitic to the local economies.
Big time digression. Back to the topic...
The 'Korean 'wave' is selling an image which reality doesn't support. The Blockheads simply showed their Korean-ness behind the wave. They have to learn to essentially stick to the topic in interviews and don't go off-script; just shut up and dance. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| Carbon wrote: |
The 'Korean 'wave' is selling an image which reality doesn't support.. |
Japanese women adore Korean men. Or at least the popular medi image of them: rugged, tall, romantic, good looking. I'll let you judge wether the reality supports this or no...
It also showcases the asian dream of wealth, luxury and material possessions. In that sense its not exactly wrong. Not if you're coming from cambodia.
Thats why thousands of poor s.e asians agree to marry koreans who they've barely met. A higher standard of living.
Thats why thousands of asians flock to korea to see the locations for dramas and movies. To recreate the heady, exaggerated korean version of asian romance: we can't get married because our parents don't approve and you don't make enough money" etc. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Thats why thousands of women flock to England to see the locations for dramas and movies. To recreate the heady, exaggerated version of Austenian romance: we can't get married because our parents don't approve and you don't make enough money" etc. |
I've always been amazed at how much things here resemble a Jane Austen novel at times.
I think those Asian tourists are indeed getting an Asian-Austen equivalent with their drama sightseeing and whatnot. The upscale locations, concerns about status and family and wealth, its all there. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Carbon wrote: |
| All of this reminds me of the big push some years back to get more foreign companies interested in Korea, only to have them recoil even further back when the truth emerges; . |
You mean like this?
http://m.korea.net/english/AboutKorea/Economy/Foreign-Direct-Investment
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| The number of foreign-invested companies in Korea has increased exponentially over the last decade or so. In 1997 the number was less than 2,000, but it reached 14,000 as of 2010. They now account for 13 percent of sales, 12 percent of all exports and 6 percent of employment in the manufacturing sector. |
Yep those foreign companies are just recoiling en masse aren't they...wait a moment that above quote doesn't support that statement...let's try again.
http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120224000958
| Quote: |
| Stressing that the European Union�s investment in Korea surged 67 percent in the second half of last year after the Korea-EU FTA took effect, despite the eurozone debt crisis, Hong said the FTA with the two major economies will promote foreign investment from other countries as well. |
(bolding mine)
Okay that looks good...oh wait that doesn't work so well either.
But I will try one more time. How about this?
http://www.asean.org/26584.htm
| Quote: |
| On Korea, two-way trade relations between ASEAN and the Republic increased 31.3 per cent from US$74.7 billion in 2009 to US$ 98.1 billion last year. Exports grew by 31.2 per cent amounting to US$45.0 billion while imports increased by 31.4 per cent to US$53.1 billion. Korea remains as ASEAN's fifth largest trading partner, while ASEAN was the second largest trading partner of Korea last year. FDI flow from Korea to ASEAN more than doubled � it shot by about 155.7 per cent from US$1.4 billion in 2009 to US$3.8 billion last year, making Korea ASEAN's fourth largest investor last year. |
Just can't seem to get it right... |
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