Korean Job Discussion Forums

[endo]

I have head this phrase mentioned a few times since I arrived in Korea. I guesse it means that some Koreans believe they are of a pure race or bloodline which is unique and possibly superior to all others.

Aside from this being true or not (don't want to go there), I was just wondering if anybody knew the premise behind this belief in Korean culture?

Is it a relativley new phenomenom or is this rooted far back in Korea's past?

[Zed]

Does an ethnically pure Korean have 50% bear blood?

[J.B. Clamence]

It's rooted in all kinds of mythology. For example, every October 3, Korean celebrate National Foundation Day in remembrance of Tan-Gun, the "first Korean" born in 2333 BC!

You have to remember that Koreans don't have a very long history of having to live together with people of other "races", so their way of thinking is, generally speaking, a bit behind that of the west. Koreans are adopted abroad in droves, but would a Korean couple ever adopt a non-Korean baby? I'll give you two guesses on that one. Also, having "pure blooded" Korean babies is important to a lot of Korean, men and women, and is often a reason for them dumping a foreign significant other in favor of mariage with another Korean.

Also, there is a color here in Korea (quite pale in shade) which is referred to as "the natural color of skin". The implication is clear: If your shade doesn't match that color, you're not normal! It was in the news about a year ago, because a human rights group convinced the Korean government to stop using the name of that color in its official governmnet business, but the color still exists in the private sector.

Of course, there is no such thing as a "pure-blooded" race, as race is entirely a social construct. It is important to still use race in certain regards because it is still a powerful force in society, and to simply ignore it because it is not scientifically real would not help those problems at all. However, within the realm of "race purity" as a basis for nationalist sentiment, of course it has no basis, and is indeed downright dangerous.

[jaebea]

Sounds like a setup for some freaky inbreeding to happen.. :)

I've heard some people drop the line, but I kindly divert any subsequent conversation away from the subject for the rest of the night.

Ludicrous.

jae.

[Ya-ta Boy]

"Pure blood" is a convenient myth used by fascist parties to stimulate nationalist fervor. It got started in a big way after the War. Don't forget that little more than a century ago, a good share of Koreans were slaves of other Koreans.

As to the truth of the claim, just think for a moment about the Girls on the Hill in Itaewon and the Japanese, Chinese, Manchurian and Mongolian armies who used to hang out there.

[casey's moon]

Ever see an old box of crayola crayons with a "flesh" coloured crayon?

Of course, I think they changed that during the last 5 years or so.

[ajstew]

Yeah, I do think this idea comes from the myth where the founder of Korea... a son of a god... came down to Earth through the clouds and married a bear who then turned into a woman. Just kidding... I can't see this myth as having any relation to this way of thinking at all, but I could be mistaken. After all, we do have fan death.

[turtlepi1]

[Gollum]

[ThisCharmingMan]

[funplanet]

let's see....Mongolian (ever see the Mongol birthmark?), Chinese, Japanese, and God knows what else....

yeah, real pure

[nev]

Korean blood is 58% purer than Western blood, hence its slightly darker shade of red.

[Sucker]

...........and highly flammable.

Actually, there is a story about the royalty of the ancient Korean kingdom of Kaya - that they brought their wives over from India.

Most people thought it was a myth, until earlier this year, a group from SNU were digging up tombs to look at the pottery, etc. and some bright spark decided to do some genetic testing on the human remains that they found inside (princes from Kaya). Low and behold - they found a bunch of Korean royalty form some 2000 years ago with what seems to be DNA that orriginated in South or South East Asia.

The pure blood thing was used under the Japanese occupation to fuel nationalism and national unity. It was used by the dictator governments in the South to discourage anti-government activities. Park Chung-hee in particular funded quite a bit of research that was aimed at rewriting Korean history (that up until then had mostly been written by Japanese scholars) - and aimed to prove the linear succession of the Korean state from an original country some 5000 years ago.

Scholars today (Korean) are trying to show the public that the Korean peninsula has gone through many changes over the melinia; that even the three kingdoms were unique, culturally independent and ethnically diverse states (therer were musilims from Iran in Shilla, blond persians in Kogoryo, Indians in Kaya, etc). Korean society, however, has largely been conditioned to believe a false history thanks to the dictators of the past.

[manlyboy]

I believe the "pure blood" concept is closely tied to the historical fact that Koreans have stubbornly refused, at all costs, to be integrated and assimilated by their more powerful neighbours over periods lasting thousands of years. Apart from the Jewish nation, they are highly distinct from other peoples and cultures in this respect. No other nation today besides those two can claim such a long history of resistance to assimilation. Look at how Afghans today are being willingly assimilated to foreign ways.
I think Korea's history of keeping themselves "culturally pure" explains, or is at least strong contributing factor, why they think of themselves as pure bloods.

[captain kirk]

Wow, S, some good reading you've been doing, very interesting.
Korean scholars are trying to show Koreans that the ancient kingdoms weren't blood pure. I picture commerce, sailing ships, trade routes bringing Muslims, East Indians to Korea to settle.
I imagine most Korean books, at least for popular consumption, don't touch on this. Do you read Korean language and did you find some Uni articles/books? Can you recommend a good, very interesting book in English?