Korean Job Discussion Forums

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Mistakenly copied my last post. Was unable to delete.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

Another erroneous posting.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

perhaps i'm jumping to conclusions here and misreading what some of you have said, but I think we can all agree on the following:

1. Park played a significant role in Korea's development
2. He was a pretty smart dude
3. He was also a nasty guy who put the smack down- human rights? What are those?
4. He was, if not a murderer, a brutish dictator (redudant I know) who at best looked away when people opposing him happened to pass away.
5. Wasn't a fan of democracy
6. Had one hell of an ego by the time he died in 1979

I also think he really cared about korea and truely wanted it to become great. I don't think everyone would agree with me on this point, so won't include it on the list.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Yeah, but what I meant was he put it ahead of greed and whatnot. I don't think he was as manical about nationalism as Hitler was. Hitler pretty much tops the list on that one. I think for someone in Park's place, it was an asset more than a hinderance. Unlike Hitler, he didn't have some grand vision of Korea ruling Asia or something like that.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

makushi · Joined: 08 Jun 2003

billbile · Joined: 10 Apr 2003

Well I had a student who came to my conversation class every day: the first one at 6:30 am. Once, when she was the only student, which was often, I asked her why she gets up and comes so early. She said, and I quote: "I want to study very hard, diligently, so that Korea can become the most powerful nation in the world."

Confused

Grrrrrr. I could have been reading the newspaper or snoozing but for those pythonesque ambitions.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

The original topic seems to be winding down here. However, since several posters had asked about exact details concerning Park's human rights abuses, I got out the only book I own which touches on the subject. The book is called THE TWO KOREAS. The author, Don Oberdorfer, is a former Washington Post reporter, and seems fairly middle-of-the-road politically. Overall, his narrative tends to support the pro-Park views held by many in Korea and elsewhere. Nevertheless, Oberdorfer reports that:

1. In KCIA "torture chambers"(Oberdorfer's term), opponents of the regime were subjected to "a brutal procedure known as the 'Korean barbecue'", in which they were "strung up by their waists and ankles and spread-eagled over a flame". As well, reports Oberdorfer, "others were subjected to water torture by repeated dunking or the forcing of water down their throat"(page 41).

2. Chang Chun Ha, "a distinguished Korean nationalist...who had fought for Korean independence while Park was in the Japanese army", was killed under "mysterious circumstances that the government attributed to a mountain climbing mishap but that his family and friends believed was political assassination". Furthermore, a doctor who examined the body and came to the conclusion that Chang was murdered was later beaten by the secret police(page 42).

3. Newspaper reporters and editors who published stories the government did not like were routinely called in for grilling and beatings by the KCIA(page 42).

4. In October of 1973, a "prominent Seoul National Universiy Professor was tortured to death" by the KCIA. It was this event which seems to have prompted the firing of Lee Hu Rak, the KCIA chief mentioned in Bignate's earlier post. And, the firing seems to have resulted from the protests of the American CIA, not from any horror on Park's part about KCIA atrocities(page 44).

5. By August of 1974, "nearly 200 people had been sentenced to death or long prison terms" under the emergency decrees issued earlier that year. According to a U.S. military report, there was "little or no validity to the charge of communist activity" by government opponents(page 51).

Oberdorfer's book is not primarily about Park or his human rights record. Presumably, one could read about other abuses which took place in publications specifically devoted to that that topic. Overall, I'd say THE TWO KOREAS is a so-so read. Informative, but a little dry.

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

yeah, I read the two koreas and came up with the same assessment: informative but dry.

Hearing about all those human rights violations and whatnot, it reminds me of my friend's experience. He went to Seoul Natl. Univ. back in the 70s and participated in a couple protests. Thanks to that, he was arrested. While he wasn't tortured or anything like that, he was forced to join the army right then and there and was sent off to Gangwon-do right near the DMZ. Remember this is the 70s, when there weren't express freeways and korea was anything but wired; this guy was in the boondocks. He wasn't allowed to communicate with his family for the 2 years he was in the army either.

After he finished his service, he finished his degree at SNU, then went off to UT-Austin to get a PhD. He actually made money while getting a PhD (THOSE were the days Smile

). Anyway, he's kind of blown away by the progress Korea has made. Had someone told him back in his college days that Korea would be a full-blown democracy these days, he wouldn't have believed him. I certainly understand, given his experience.

I didn't ask him what he thinks of Park Chung-Hee, but perhaps I will now. Obviously he hated the guy back then, but perhaps he has a slightly more positive view towards Park now.

On the other hand · Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

damn it! he's a tiny freakin korean before it was okay to eat dairy products!

billbile · Joined: 10 Apr 2003

I recently came across an article in a 1988-odd episode of "Far East Economic Review" about South Korea.

The government was passing a law which members of the secret security service were complaining about bitterly - that secret police were no longer allowed to use rape as a method of torture. There was a quote to this effect: "How can we expect to ever find the truth if we are not allowed to torture people in this fashion?"

What a total goof-off that guy was. What a bizarre world he must have lived in.

I wish I could track it down again. It was funny but in a sick, sick way.

lpcool · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul, Korea