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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:02 pm Post subject: *Foreigners questioned in Busan over play* |
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When I read the paper this morning, I could only shake my head and wonder "how dumb are some people?"
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200612/14/200612142001142179900090409041.html
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Ajumma-baiting draws attention of Busan police
December 15, 2006 ㅡ Busan police were not amused by a group of nine foreign residents there who formed a dramatic troupe and staged performances on Dec. 1 and 2.
The play was a series of vignettes satirizing Korean customs such as the fondness for dog meat soup and the habits of Korean middle-aged women, although the phrase in English loses all the impact of the Korean word ajumma.
Possibly because of that content, the Busan police found a number of violations of law and regulations by the group.
They opened an investigation, they said, of performances without the approval of the Korean Media Rating Board and immigration violations stemming from their presence here as English teachers, not performers.
The investigation is aimed at nine people from the United States, Ireland and Canada among other countries. They include a visiting professor of English at a university in Busan, elementary school English teachers and instructors at private English institutes.
Police said the group advertised the play among their students and charged 7,000 won ($7.60) admission to the performances.
The play, called "Oriental Story," was a series of 10-minute vignettes on the performers' perceptions of Korea.
The police insisted that their investigation was limited solely to the presentation of a play not authorized by the media board, and had nothing to do with its contents. |
You know, I don't doubt that the police were called because of the content, but I don't blame them. Man, I really wonder what was going through these guys' heads when they dreamed this up.
"Ok, we're here teaching so that must mean we're entitled to publicly mock our host country" 
Edited for title
Last edited by Captain Corea on Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Octavius Hite
Joined: 28 Jan 2004
Location: Househunting, looking for a new bunker from which to convert the world to homosexuality.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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Their mistake in my mind was charging money, if it had been just an impromptu play nothing could have been done, buttheads.
I love though that the Busan police only have this to take care of. Developed, "global" country my ass. Where are all the lurking Kyopo's to defend this? |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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I think that's a brilliant idea. What an insecure country this is. Can you imagine if, in Canada, the police got a call about a group of Koreans making a play mocking Canadians? How absurd.
I'd definitely pay W7,000 to see something like that. Next time they should go to Thailand together and make a video, and then get a Korean friend to handle the sales. In fact I could see some contributions I could make to that: whiney high school girl gets in trouble and gets her handphone taken away; gym ajosshi in the shower room feels the call of nature; drunken ajosshi suddenly feels need to go over to a table of young foreigners and giv them his opinion on life; oh no, my makeup isn't thick enough; etc, all based on personal observation. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| I think that's a brilliant idea. What an insecure country this is. Can you imagine if, in Canada, the police got a call about a group of Koreans making a play mocking Canadians? How absurd. |
So why is it their responsibility to mock it? If they had a problem with Korean customs/culture, either leave (easy anough option), or have a discussion with people about some of the issues.
As mentioned in another thread, comedy is not easily translated from one culture to another.
If they were serious about bringing light to certain Korean issues they didn't like, there is obviously more effective ways of doing it.
PLUS, charging for it??? Honestly, this is where they really mucked up. |
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jurassic5
Joined: 02 Apr 2003
Location: PA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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not a smart move with charging for it...
i don't think satire works quite as well in Korea as they thought.... |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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They sound like douches who should leave the country if they really feel the need to mock it.
Charging for the play is definitely a violation of their visas, so the police are on solid legal ground, although it's obvious why they're choosing to go after these guys. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:27 pm Post subject: yes |
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Korea must be really special if people can make 10 minute skits about it.
I bet they were funny. I also imitate ajosshis to my wife occasionally, and she has nothing to say. I hork a huge logie or tell her I'm gonna piss on the sidewalk or something. |
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skconqueror
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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Did they tape it?? That might be interesting to see  |
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twg
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Location: Getting some fresh air...
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Ehn, they broke the law, they got busted. No biggie. |
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jaganath69
Joined: 17 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| This kind of censorship and police monitoring of culture belongs in Iran, not in a 'modern, globalised nation'. Hub of Asia my ass. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| advertised the play among their students |
Hey, kids! Great idea for your weekend entertainment. My artiste friends and I are going to work illegally at a second place that isn't on our ARC card. Come down and watch us mock your culture. It'll only cost you W7,000.
I wonder how the cops found out about the play. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| jaganath69 wrote: |
| This kind of censorship and police monitoring of culture belongs in Iran, not in a 'modern, globalised nation'. Hub of Asia my ass. |
If non-citizens came to a "western nation" and worked outside oftheir visa AND mocked their host country... I doubt the reaction would be any different. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm a 100% backer of the "whiners *beep* off home" view, but not "taking the piss out of Korea, go home". That sucks. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| jaganath69 wrote: |
| This kind of censorship and police monitoring of culture belongs in Iran, not in a 'modern, globalised nation'. Hub of Asia my ass. |
If non-citizens came to a "western nation" and worked outside oftheir visa AND mocked their host country... I doubt the reaction would be any different. |
I don't most people would actually care. "Oh, how dare he make fun of the glorious nation of Canada, I shall smite him and call the police."  |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| I think that's a brilliant idea. What an insecure country this is. Can you imagine if, in Canada, the police got a call about a group of Koreans making a play mocking Canadians? How absurd. |
So why is it their responsibility to mock it? If they had a problem with Korean customs/culture, either leave (easy anough option), or have a discussion with people about some of the issues.
As mentioned in another thread, comedy is not easily translated from one culture to another.
If they were serious about bringing light to certain Korean issues they didn't like, there is obviously more effective ways of doing it.
PLUS, charging for it??? Honestly, this is where they really mucked up. |
I think you're totally off-base here. Is it not constructive to take your complaints and discomforts regarding something and turn it into a play or some other piece of art? What's wrong with this? Honestly, I can't understand your opinion. The only thing they did wrong was to charge for it. |
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