Korean Job Discussion Forums

[strange_brew]

What a piece of nationalistic garbage. The author makes some clever observations and arguments, but whatever credibility he gains with those is lost with his over the top generalisations (sounds like this place sometimes) and fanatical nationalism that seems to be everywhere. This is at least my opinion. Anybody else read this tripe?

[afsjesse]

A link please!

[strange_brew]

It's a book by Won Bok-Rhie. I believe that is his name.

[bangbayed]

I thought it was a pretty insightful book myself. Sure there are some generalizations, but when you're writing something anthropological/sociological, that's bound to occur. What generalizations did you have problems with?

[bundangbabo]

Its shite, the book defends Koreans 'pure blood' and how important it is and makes the false claim that no country in the 20th century has developed as quickly as Korea - convieniently forgetting about Russia/Soviet Unions accomplishment of putting man in space from serfdom within 40 years.

What is worse though is the book is translated from Korean so there are a load of Koreans out there that believe this BS.

Oh, and that Britian tried to invade Korea and the Koreans succesfully repelled the invasion - first I have heard! A battalion of Grenadier Guards would have took the whole of Korea in a day back when we were world leaders of colonisation!

[legalquestions]

I checked at What the Book on Saturday, but they didn't have it.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I thought it was all right and in some areas quite honest. The odd BS coating is easily enough seen through.

[Jandar]

More re-written history from the anti-Japanization movement.

[Bingo]

What they fail to note, when they boast about how fast Korea industrialized, is this. Korea industrialized faster than the UK (for example) because we had to invent everything as we went along. Koreans didn't have to do that. Western science and technology was given to them on a platter - a free gift for which we have yet to receive a thank you. That's how they industrialized so quickly.

If Europeans hadn't transferred their technology to Korea, hangookin would still be living in huts. They invented nothing in 5000 years. How many more millennia would need to pass before Koreans industrialized on their own merits?

Korea is only industrialized because of Western genius...but I guess that little nugget wasn''t in the book.

[Bingo]

sorry, double post

[theholyinnocent]

[PeteJB]

Britain tried to invade? At what point in history? I'm sure if they were serious about invading this would've become another British colony.

[pest2]

The book is an excellent way to break into understanding about Korea and how it fits into the rest of East Asia. The bad thing about is, as others have said, it's a book about Korea from the perspective of Koreans.

They seem oblivious to certain issues others would see in Korea such as chavanism, violence, and the bad image Koreans get as international travelers and sportsman.

But, if you've just arrived, by all means, read it for sure. And it has neat and funny draw-rings, too...

[thrylos]

Actually, I find many parts of it critical to Korea and the Korean "way". The chapters of the Korean Character and The World Record Parade make Koreans look like the lemmings and haphazard slipshod folk I think a lot tend to be. (or at least that's my interpretation of it). He's pretty critical of the Confucian characteristics of society in a sublte, nice way, too.

I use it in some adult conversation classes and it generates real debate-- "Oh, you're a westerner, you shouldn't be reading this" or "I never thought about it in that way". What works for me and my classes is that this is written by a Korean and that peaks their interest...In fact, many students buy the original Korean version to make sure they understood what we read in the English translation...

All around, a good book, IMO

[sjrm]