Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gollum]

This is taken from part of a student article written for our school newspaper. The story is about Ewha University:

"The statue of a past Korean Ehwa Girls�� University female president is inside the university. She dedicated her energy to expand female culture. She was a Japanophile, however, so there are some who want to remove her statue."

I know it is said that the Japanese were horrible to the Koreans, but I often wonder if this culture ever sees anything positive in what other nations did for it? Japan certainly improved several areas of life here. The USA had propped up this place economically, among other things.

I'm sure that long after the USA leaves, it will be written into history how horrible the US occupiers were, and how they did little but cause division and hardship for Koreans. And they'll speak of the glory of past dynasties (glory that never really was) and how great Korea would be if outside forces had never meddled with it.

[shindoi50]

I have been at an ASAK meeting where the leader praised and thanked the US for their help after the war.

That said a friend who teaches history here said one of his Korean colleagues who is rather pro-Japan in some respects is shunned by his peers for daring to write such things for publication.

[jajdude]

It's weird. Sometimes seems like they don't really like anybody. Maybe NK?

[Homer]

Gollum,

whether we like it or not Korea does have a past with Japan. It is not a pretty or pleasant past either. It has left scars and only in time will those disapear. It has been 60 years since the end of the Japanese occupation, it is not that long of a time and it is all too easy for us, as people who did not experience this or have ever experienced this to judge the Korean attitude.

Now, as for your bit about how the US will be seen. They are not , nor have they ever been seen as occupiers. They will not be seen as this in the future either. You are confusing current feelings towards the US (since Bush was elected and adopted a very aggressive and provocative foreign policy) and the long term feeling in Korea for the US.

Korea does have a long history, they are quite proud of it. That is their choice and they are definitively not the only nation that is proud of its history (long or short it may be).

Finally, you are quoting one student from a university newspaper and applying his views as if they were national policy here in Korea. A big leap in logic if you ask me.

[Gollum]

[mindmetoo]

How did Korea actually become one of the world's largest economies? They really had to pull themselves out of the muck. You would figure Koreans would have gone "Boy life sucks. Why does life suck? The Chinese! The Japanese! The Americans! The Russians! The Trekkies! Bah. I could get my head out of my ass or I could crack open another bottle of soju...Hello sweet soju..." Instead they worked hard. Weird.

[JacktheCat]

That's just the thing though, isn't it.

In just 50 years, Korea has gone from being a third world basket case with a lower GNP then Haiti, to being the 11th largest economy in the world. Transforming itself from a war ravaged nation of rice farmers to a heavily industralised, high tech exporting machine.

And yet, Korea still can't get rid of this chip on it's shoulder. The notion that they are oppressed, threatened by the rest of the world, surrounded by enemies.

Someday I'd like to see Korea stand proud, take pride in it's many laudable achievements and stop demonizing other countries to build up it's ego. To realise that they are a great country and that they don't need to feel inferior anymore.

[funplanet]

having the majority of their defence paid by the Americans didn't hurt either...and that is not meant to take anything away from their ingenuity and hard work...

but have a few extra billion laying around sure didn't hurt them

[Alias]

Some Koreans seem to believe that Korean resistance fighters defeated that Japanese during WWII.

[Canucksaram]

With far too few exceptions, it has been my experience that Koreans tend to be irrational, illogical, lacking in critical thinking skills, and overly nationalistic (to the point of jingoism), and suffer from an unhealthy dose of "victim syndrome."

Many of my Korean friends who've travelled abroad still tend to voice alarmingly narrow-minded views about their country, their culture, their national history, etc.

This country is in flux. If ever there is a generation of Koreans raised with a proper foundation of critical thinking skills, this nation will be a force to reckon with. Sure, the U.S. helped in their reconstruction, and said help exponentially assited Korean's post-war recovery, but the Korean "hunker down and bear it" work ethic (yes, filled as it is with "face time" over "productive time") accounts for just as much as, if not more than, the U.S. aide.

Practically speaking, will a Korean "sea-change" ever happen? My very personal, and admittedly biased view is that no, it will not. The very basis of Korean "culture," i.e., Confucianism, hierarchy, male dominance, and so on, is poisoned.

As a Westerner, I freely admit my biased -- but not necessarily untrue -- belief that Western culture is successful (in large part) because it is adaptive and has, at its very fundament, a rather remarkable ability to bond with the new while retaining that which works and discarding that which does not.

Adapt and survive. Stagnate and die. Don't wait for the future to happen . . . make it happen.

[Captain Corea]

[Homer]

[Wrench]

I had a teacher say to me that Japan was worse the Germany during WW2. I kinda laughed.

[mindmetoo]

[Apple Scruff]