Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Fears of a violent clash mounted Friday after progressive civic groups wanting a statue of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in Incheon pulled down and conservative groups determined to protect it to the very end announced simultaneous Sunday demonstrations in the city��s Freedom Park.

One pro-unification civic group told police it will hold a rally in front of the MacArthur statue from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The gathering, which it expects to attract 100 people, will call for the expulsion of the U.S. military and the toppling of the statue.
Chosun Ilbo (July 15, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200507/200507150022.html

Since 2002, Incheon police have been guarding the statue in the city's Freedom Park for fear of vandalism. Anti-U.S. demonstrations took place in the park in 2002 and 2003, according to the police.
Guards for McArthur angers civic groups
JoongAng Daily (December 01, 2004)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200411/30/200411302250512509900090409041.html

General Douglas MacArthur, was commander of Allied Forces in the Southwest Pacific during World War II, commander of the Allied Forces during the occupation of Japan, and commander of United Nations (U.N.) forces during the first nine months of the Korean War.
http://korea50.army.mil/history/biographies/macarthur.shtml

[VanIslander]

Douglas MacArthur lobbied to nuke China during the Korean war.

He was convinced that several Chinese cities needed to have nuclear bombs dropped on them, precipitating his own removal from command, after a long and at times distinguished career.

That general wasn't what Korea needed, nor America. His time had passed.

Why should Koreans have a huge public tribute to him now that the pro-U.S. dictators have been removed from office? The Korean public can have their say through democratic means; in other words, it'll be a hot-button political issue that the next right-wing candidate for president won't want to make too much of due to public sentiments at the time being. It'll come down or be moved before the next election, because it serves the political interests of both sides to do so. A prediction.

[Leslie Cheswyck]

Ironic when you consider MacArthur nearly succeded in re-unifying Korea. That is, until the Chinese stepped in and ruined the whole thing.

The Chinese were what Korea didn't need.

[VanIslander]

[dogbert]

Just how wrong can you be, VanIslander?

China Ready to Use Nuclear Arms Against U.S.

We should have tagged the little devils before they stole from us the secret of splitting the atom.

[Newbie]

[rapier]

To be fair, not many westerners know how it feels to be saved, developed, culturally dominated, and depend for your security on a stronger foreign power.

You don't have to live with a statue of Chairman Mao in New York.

[dogbert]

[Gopher]

Ike threatened Mao with nukes over the Matsu-Quemoy crisis. Mao said something like: go ahead, you'll only kill a few hundred million. (Reported in Ike's memoirs).

If Washington pulled out the troops, South Korea would have serious security issues. There would also be economic fallout.

The South Koreans aren't thinking this through. Not apparently concerned with the consequences. They'd probably be pledging allegiance to Pyongyang by 2006...

[Bulsajo]

[Real Reality]

The inscription at the MacArthur statue reads:
"We shall never forget what he and his valiant officers and men of the United Nations Command did here for us and for freedom. And until the last battle against the malignant infection of communism has finally been won, may we never forget it was also he who said 'In war, there is no substitute for victory.'"
South Koreans doubt relevance of MacArthur
By Jeremy Kirk, The Washington Times (January 18, 2005)
http://washingtontimes.com/world/20050117-100732-5590r.htm

Would civic groups and South Koreans prefer this statue?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/02/01/wnkor01.xml

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/images/pictures/ideasnk7.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/old-ideas/ideasnk7.html

Kim Il-sung started the war to place South Korea under his control by force, but as a result of the war he lost 1,500 square miles (3,840 square kilometers) of land to South Korea. Korea is still divided by a 248km-long and 4km-wide buffer zone called the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The war was the greatest tragedy the Korean people had ever suffered in their 5,000-year-long history.

Not many historians believe that Kim Il-sung was merely a puppet who initiated the war at the behest of his Soviet and Chinese bosses. Documents made available to the public recently in Russia and China clearly show that it was Kim Il-sung himself who first brought up the idea of war, and begged his bosses, Stalin and Mao, to help him in carrying out the war. Kim��s blind ambition to rule a united Korea under his Communist dictatorship resulted in one of the bloodiest wars in the history of the world. Therefore, Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994, will remain a war criminal whom the Korean people will never forget. A Korean War memorial is in Washington, D.C., next to the Lincoln Memorial. The inscription on the marble wall reads: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
This piece is dedicated to all those who died in the Korean War.
http://monthly.chosun.com/html/200005/200005220017_21.html

[Ya-ta Boy]

This coincides with the problem in Pyongtaek. The government has had 2 years to buy up land for the planned move from Yongsan by the end of this year. Naturally, it hasn't done so. The good people of Pyongtaek (some of them) have decided they don't want the move. Not In My Back Yard!

Both issues could be solved by a phone call from Condi.

Condi: Pres. Noh? Is that you? How are you? Having a good day are we? Good. There's something we need you to do.

There is a small problem. We need you to make a speech saying the troops are moving out of Yongsan, just like we agreed to do back in '85 and every Korean government since then has stalled doing anything about. We'd like you to say this is the express wish of the present Korean government.
If that isn't true, that's OK. We understand. We're packing up to move and it's just as easy to ship the boxes to Guam as it is to Pyongtaek. In fact, it is probably easier as we wouldn't have to deal with drivers on the roads.
There is also the matter of the MacArthur statue in Incheon. You remember the Incheon Landing don't you? That's the one where the entire North Korean Army ended up on the run out of Seoul. Good, I though you'd remember it. We don't really care what you do with the statue. It's just a symbol. As you know, appearance doesn't mean anything.
Thanks for the speech. We'll be listening for it in the next couple of days. You have a nice day now. Hear?

Bye-bye.

[Wrench]

Well I think they should really see what it would be with out the americans. Maybe they need to feel the full consequences before they see the light. I personnaly think the economy will tank when the yanks pull out.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[Bulsajo]