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Joe Boxer
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: Bundang, South Korea
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 Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: Korea is the Worst! |
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| OBwannabe wrote: |
You lost me at this....
| maitaidads wrote: |
Don't fool yourself that banking $800 a month, going to the CGV, drinking and smoking on the cheap, and laying an average looking local is worth it. |
Sounds like a damn good life to me! |
Lol! |
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duhweecher
Joined: 06 Nov 2013
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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I'm ethnically Korea and was born here, but I'd have to say I understand where his anger comes from:
1. Korea suffers from collective amnesia (they have no clue that in 1940s and 50s NO ONE was rich...they were all eating rice with worms in it); (grand)parents have gone through loops to avoid telling their children the truth. In the US people value "know your roots"; in Korea, people value liars who makeup their roots (and some who can actually prove them).
2. Korea has an inferiority complex. I liken most Koreans to current-day African-Americans and can understand why the two often seem to hate each other (too alike). Both use passive aggressive, out-right aggressive, and simple circumlocution to show their true feelings especially when race, ethnicity, and in the case of Korea, nationality are involved.
3. And I think that Korea is depressed because we also suffer from reverse Paris syndrome if there is such a thing. In other words, the media makes us so insular, but nestle this insularity in what appears to be outward concern. In actually, we don't know about the world nor do we know about ourselves--and often think that only through Other (on the country level) can we understand self. As such, we get jealous, realize our disillusionment, and don't actually know how to react to it. Things like China is poor, then hearing of a friend who visited or studied in China then came back with stories of how poor our "rich" really are, hurts. Makes us wonder what the hell are we doing any of this stuff for if we're just gonna be faking it in the world.
4. We think we are "we," and that leads to all kinds of problems to say the least. The richest Korean isn't as rich as the least richest Chinese, means for us "we," meaning the whole country *is poor.* This really does shock and well...we're not use to shock or how to even react to it. No wonder we all dress alike and try to look good but not too different from the next person.
and finally,
5. Explaining asterisks above: we are a country of extremes. We've grown use to taking things beyond reality, sometimes to the point of going beyond logical reasoning...this could be a historical factor or a media-driven over-doing of historical reality. I mean we've benefited greatly from overdoing things...making the Occupation more extreme than it probably really was (though that's not to say it wasn't...but many countries have faced such extreme historical circumstances). We like extremes and often play into them as a means of getting what we want. This seems to run all the way from interpersonal relations to national disputes.
Last edited by duhweecher on Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| ^ The above post is like a million times better than the original poster's post. |
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optik404
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm pretty sure there are rich people in China that aren't as rich as the Samsung guy. |
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trueblue
Joined: 15 Jun 2014
Location: In between the lines
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:05 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I love how some people think they're going to SK to be worshipped for their white skin, |
Can you please provide the details of how you drew up this assumption? |
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jcd
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:06 am Post subject: |
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| Koreans want Chinese wealth that's associated with a giant conformist scary dark (panda programs don't fool me) paternal government ? I guess a billion dollars isn't nearly as good unless you can make people disappear easily. I'd like to see them request extra pickles at a MCds in the US. |
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duhweecher
Joined: 06 Nov 2013
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:20 am Post subject: |
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| jcd wrote: |
| Koreans want Chinese wealth that's associated with a giant conformist scary dark (panda programs don't fool me) paternal government ? I guess a billion dollars isn't nearly as good unless you can make people disappear easily. I'd like to see them request extra pickles at a MCds in the US. |
Perhaps you missed the whole point entirely?
Plug any richer country's name in place of "China" and you'd get the same answer...and yes, even if that means they you can't ask for extra pickles. We Koreans put more interest in another person's bankbook regardless of whether said person can spend it and regardless of the politics, blood, or other BS behind it.
It's probably one of the reasons that being a successful business man in Korea nearly almost always comes with the stereotype of said person being corrupt.
Korea has ZERO successful businessmen that have been seen or portrayed as role models. Most other countries do have one or two...and the idea that rich and ethically (semi) clean is possible. |
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LPKSA
Joined: 24 Feb 2014
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| trueblue wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I love how some people think they're going to SK to be worshipped for their white skin, |
Can you please provide the details of how you drew up this assumption? |
Sure. Having lived in Korea for nearly five years, in Seoul for most of them, I came into contact with a lot of fresh faces who were white, thinking that they would be respected because they were white, as if being white equals superiority. It's the classic case of colonialism which I didn't see in NES who weren't white. It wears off really fast when these 'colonialists' realize that the people whom they have come to work for, don't care about them or what they contribute to the society. It comes back out again when they are getting hammered at the bar with other colonialists. To be fair though, I didn't notice this as much in Seoul, as I did during my time in Shanghai. |
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optik404
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| duhweecher wrote: |
| jcd wrote: |
| Koreans want Chinese wealth that's associated with a giant conformist scary dark (panda programs don't fool me) paternal government ? I guess a billion dollars isn't nearly as good unless you can make people disappear easily. I'd like to see them request extra pickles at a MCds in the US. |
Perhaps you missed the whole point entirely?
Plug any richer country's name in place of "China" and you'd get the same answer...and yes, even if that means they you can't ask for extra pickles. We Koreans put more interest in another person's bankbook regardless of whether said person can spend it and regardless of the politics, blood, or other BS behind it.
It's probably one of the reasons that being a successful business man in Korea nearly almost always comes with the stereotype of said person being corrupt.
Korea has ZERO successful businessmen that have been seen or portrayed as role models. Most other countries do have one or two...and the idea that rich and ethically (semi) clean is possible. |
Isn't that guy who was going to make a run for the presidency considered a role model? I don't know his name but he looks relatively young. |
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KimchiNinja
Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:50 am Post subject: |
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| duhweecher wrote: |
Korea has ZERO successful businessmen that have been seen or portrayed as role models. Most other countries do have one or two...and the idea that rich and ethically (semi) clean is possible. |
Interesting, I thought it was more because they value the success of the collective (Apple), rather than drawing attention to one person (Steve Jobs). And because Koreans don't really like standing out. But you saying it is because to stick out means people assume you must be corrupt? |
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tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:00 am Post subject: |
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| duhweecher wrote: |
I'm ethnically Korea and was born here, but I'd have to say I understand where his anger comes from:
1. Korea suffers from collective amnesia (they have no clue that in 1940s and 50s NO ONE was rich...they were all eating rice with worms in it); (grand)parents have gone through loops to avoid telling their children the truth. In the US people value "know your roots"; in Korea, people value liars who makeup their roots (and some who can actually prove them).
2. Korea has an inferiority complex. I liken most Koreans to current-day African-Americans and can understand why the two often seem to hate each other (too alike). Both use passive aggressive, out-right aggressive, and simple circumlocution to show their true feelings especially when race, ethnicity, and in the case of Korea, nationality are involved.
3. And I think that Korea is depressed because we also suffer from reverse Paris syndrome if there is such a thing. In other words, the media makes us so insular, but nestle this insularity in what appears to be outward concern. In actually, we don't know about the world nor do we know about ourselves--and often think that only through Other (on the country level) can we understand self. As such, we get jealous, realize our disillusionment, and don't actually know how to react to it. Things like China is poor, then hearing of a friend who visited or studied in China then came back with stories of how poor our "rich" really are, hurts. Makes us wonder what the hell are we doing any of this stuff for if we're just gonna be faking it in the world.
4. We think we are "we," and that leads to all kinds of problems to say the least. The richest Korean isn't as rich as the least richest Chinese, means for us "we," meaning the whole country *is poor.* This really does shock and well...we're not use to shock or how to even react to it. No wonder we all dress alike and try to look good but not too different from the next person.
and finally,
5. Explaining asterisks above: we are a country of extremes. We've grown use to taking things beyond reality, sometimes to the point of going beyond logical reasoning...this could be a historical factor or a media-driven over-doing of historical reality. I mean we've benefited greatly from overdoing things...making the Occupation more extreme than it probably really was (though that's not to say it wasn't...but many countries have faced such extreme historical circumstances). We like extremes and often play into them as a means of getting what we want. This seems to run all the way from interpersonal relations to national disputes. |
light comes on  |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:27 am Post subject: |
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IN BEFORE METALHEAD GETS HERE:
AMERICA AMERICA
THIS HAPPENS IN AMERICA TOO
AMERICA AMERICA!
God shine his light on theeeeeee |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:36 am Post subject: |
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| KimchiNinja wrote: |
| ^ The above post is like a million times better than the original poster's post. |
True dat. He could've cut Koreans a bit more slack though. |
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maitaidads
Joined: 08 Oct 2012
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:45 am Post subject: |
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| If anyone doesn't deserve cut slack, it be these rascals. |
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mike in brasil
Joined: 09 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:04 am Post subject: |
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I came to Korea as the flamer that I am.
I wear lipstick, mascara and flaunt my man-bag.
And guess what, it's caught on!
My advice: stop using your whiteness. Just assume your inner-fruitcake.
I'm now a media consultant for SBS. |
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