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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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 Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:57 am Post subject: Musical brings Korean horrors home |
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It is probably the least cheerful musical since Les Miserables - a three-hour song and dance extravaganza set in one of North Korea's notorious labour camps.
Yoduk Story opens with goose-stepping communist soldiers and rousing revolutionary arias. Before long the action shifts to the hell of Yoduk - a North Korean prison camp that is believed to hold 20,000 political prisoners and their families.
It is the harrowing story of a celebrated state actress, who is sent to the camp with the rest of her family after her father is arrested as a spy - common practice in the North, where families down to the third generation are held accountable for the crimes of relatives.
Watching the play on opening night was a former camp inmate, Kim Yong-soon, who was imprisoned at Yoduk for eight years in the 1970s. Her crime was to gossip about the love life of Kim Jong-il, now the country's supreme ruler.
"Some-one had to tell the world about what's going on in the camps. As a former inmate it was an opportunity to remember the bitterness of the past and I couldn't help crying. I lost my parents and sons and my husband - and I had no way to vent my feelings," she said.
A former dancer in North Korea, Mrs Kim helped to choreograph some of the scenes for the production.
Some other refugees were concerned the musical would trivialise the sufferings of North Koreans, and said the storyline of love and forgiveness in the camp was unrealistic.
But the director, Jeong Song-san, says the production is an opportunity to dramatise the plight of North Korean prisoners and attract the attention of an apathetic public in South Korea.
He is a defector from the North himself, who was once briefly imprisoned for listening to South Korean radio.
"Even now unimaginably horrible things are happening in the camps," he says.
"But the South Korean government and the public are doing nothing about it. I hope this production will enlighten people and help stop the atrocities."
Threats
As they waited for curtain to go up on the first night, some cast members said they had doubted the production would ever get this far.
The original financial backers dropped out - the producers suspect they were scared off by pressure from the government, which is seeking to promote reconciliation with the North and is uneasy about such explicit criticism of the regime.
Mr Jeong says he received warnings himself from government officials and later received anonymous telephone threats.
"Discussion of the camps has become too politicised between those who sympathise with the North Korean regime and those that oppose it - that's why some people are opposed to what we're doing," said Kim Chung-kyung, who plays a concentration camp guard.
In the end, money was raised from individual backers and there was also support from groups that want to see more focus on human rights abuses in North Korea.
The government has abstained in recent years from UN votes condemning the North's record.
South Korean officials says privately that the North is holding some 200,000 political prisoners - but they argue that engagement rather than direct confrontation is the best way to bring about change.
Almost the entire musical is set at the Yoduk camp - it is portrayed as a nightmare world of public executions, rape and starvation.
The heroine is raped by the camp commander and bears him a child - but later survives to forgive him.
The theme may be too dark for some, especially younger South Koreans, many of whom find it hard to conceive of the horrors taking place just across the border.
"I'd heard of the camps but never took much interest. Seeing it has really shocked me - it's helped me to care more about what's happening," said Park Bang-hee, a student in her 20s, after the curtain went down.
The production can count on the enthusiasm of conservative and Christian groups - and is likely to spur debate on North Korean human rights, which have been overlooked in the rush to reconciliation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4841876.stm
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Most interested in seeing how this play is received. Hopefully it will at least will spark some discussion. |
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patchy
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:05 am Post subject: |
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| North Korea's the only place that has ever had repressions in the world. 10 million (or whatever figure it is) Native Americans were not killed or removed from their land by the white Americans. America is not an aggressor nation. They never attack nations unilaterally. There was no famine in NK. There are no nukes pointed at NK. Japan its neighbor will never be used to launch an attack on NK. NK's sovereignty is not being threatened. America hasn't threatened to attack NK. NK is not in a lockdown state. In a security threat situation, there is no need for martial law and there is no need to imprison those who collaborate with the enemy. There is no need to punish those who betray the laws of the state in its lockdown state. In a lockdown state there is freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom to congregate. There was no Abu Gharib. There is no Guantanamo Bay. There is no civil war in Iraq. There are no revenge killings of Iraqi civilians by the American military. And none in Afghanistan either. There was no killing of 2 million North Korean civilians by American bombing in the Korean War. There was no KwangJu massacre. There was no deaths of 80,000 people in the Cheju Massacre. There was no massacre at Suwon. There was no massacre at Youido. There was no No-Gun-Ri. There were no repressions of freedom for 40 years in South Korea after the American military occupation started. The record for the longest time a political prisoner has stayed in prison was not held by a South Korean. Dissidents were not killed in South Korea. Dissidents were not tortured in prisons in ROK. There was no Taejon Massacre and no cover-up. There is no School of Americas. There have been/are no death squads in Central America or South America. The Philippines, Burma, South Africa (in the past) never had political prisoners. There is human rights in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden didn't come from S.Arabia. Nor did most of the 9/11 terrorists. The US does not support dictators. The US does not support terrorists. The US did not support the Taliban. The US did not support the drug growing and drug trade in Afghanistan. The Iran-Contra scandal never happened. There is no oil in Iraq and no Halliburton ...................... [2,000 pages later] ................................... Most westerners are very well-educated and unbiased especially with regards to Asian history and politics. |
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Antisense
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:13 am Post subject: |
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| North Korea's the only place that has ever had repressions in the world. 10 million (or whatever figure it is) Native Americans were not killed or removed from their land by the white Americans. America is not an aggressor nation. They never attack nations unilaterally. There was no famine in NK. There are no nukes pointed at NK. Japan its neighbor will never be used to launch an attack on NK. NK's sovereignty is not being threatened. America hasn't threatened to attack NK. NK is not in a lockdown state. In a security threat situation, there is no need for martial law and there is no need to imprison those who collaborate with the enemy. There is no need to punish those who betray the laws of the state in its lockdown state. In a lockdown state there is freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom to congregate. There was no Abu Gharib. There is no Guantanamo Bay. There is no civil war in Iraq. There are no revenge killings of Iraqi civilians by the American military. And none in Afghanistan either. There was no killing of 2 million North Korean civilians by American bombing in the Korean War. There was no KwangJu massacre. There was no deaths of 80,000 people in the Cheju Massacre. There was no massacre at Suwon. There was no massacre at Youido. There was no No-Gun-Ri. There were no repressions of freedom for 40 years in South Korea after the American military occupation started. The record for the longest time a political prisoner has stayed in prison was not held by a South Korean. Dissidents were not killed in South Korea. Dissidents were not tortured in prisons in ROK. There was no Taejon Massacre and no cover-up. There is no School of Americas. There have been/are no death squads in Central America or South America. The Philippines, Burma, South Africa (in the past) never had political prisoners. There is human rights in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden didn't come from S.Arabia. Nor did most of the 9/11 terrorists. The US does not support dictators. The US does not support terrorists. The US did not support the Taliban. The US did not support the drug growing and drug trade in Afghanistan. The Iran-Contra scandal never happened. There is no oil in Iraq and no Halliburton ...................... [2,000 pages later] ................................... Most westerners are very well-educated and unbiased especially with regards to Asian history and politics. |
Talk about an unprovoked post. The OP was just pointing out a controversial play that is airing. Where all this US political hegemony discussion has sparked from - well, you've totally blanked me there. |
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patchy
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| Antisense wrote: |
Talk about an unprovoked post. |
Didn't the OP want the play to provoke a discussion?
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| The OP was just pointing out a controversial play that is airing. Where all this US political hegemony discussion has sparked from - well, you've totally blanked me there. |
I said the US never invaded anyone and never threatened anyone, including North Korea. Why on earth would you have a problem with what I've said? |
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Antisense
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Ottawa, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:30 am Post subject: |
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| Didn't the OP want the play to provoke a discussion? |
Yes, most likely a discussion of South Korean attitude towards North Korean political camps, or perhaps, the influence that politically powered productions may have on South Korean society.
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| I said the US never invaded anyone and never threatened anyone, including North Korea. Why on earth would you have a problem with what I've said? |
Dripping sarcasm, I like it - though not an extremely effective means of argument. 
Either way, I was just wondering where your post stemmed from. If you don't want to discuss it, it really doesn't cause me any grief.  |
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seoulsucker
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: The Land of the Hesitant Cutoff
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| Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Someone had their Grande Chomsky Enema today. |
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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:33 am Post subject: |
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| seoulsucker wrote: |
| Someone had their Grande Chomsky Enema today. |
I highly doubt that Chomsky would be such an apologist for Pyongyang. I believe the poster 'patchy' summed up the attitude of the pro-Pyongyang crowd in SK. Just try and change the subject. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Chomsky might not be an outright apologist (though he comes damn close in the case of Milosevic) but he has shown over and over that he's not real big on discussing crimes committed by non-western countries unless he can use them the way patchy did. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Didn't the OP want the play to provoke a discussion? |
Yes. About the subject of the post, I would think.
Ken:> |
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billybrobby
Joined: 09 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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*takes huge hit of crystal meth and hits reply button*
| patchy wrote: |
| North Korea's the only place that has ever had repressions in the world. 10 million (or whatever figure it is) Native Americans were not killed or removed from their land by the white Americans. America is not an aggressor nation. They never attack nations unilaterally. There was no famine in NK. There are no nukes pointed at NK. Japan its neighbor will never be used to launch an attack on NK. NK's sovereignty is not being threatened. America hasn't threatened to attack NK. NK is not in a lockdown state. In a security threat situation, there is no need for martial law and there is no need to imprison those who collaborate with the enemy. There is no need to punish those who betray the laws of the state in its lockdown state. In a lockdown state there is freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom to congregate. There was no Abu Gharib. There is no Guantanamo Bay. There is no civil war in Iraq. There are no revenge killings of Iraqi civilians by the American military. And none in Afghanistan either. There was no killing of 2 million North Korean civilians by American bombing in the Korean War. There was no KwangJu massacre. There was no deaths of 80,000 people in the Cheju Massacre. There was no massacre at Suwon. There was no massacre at Youido. There was no No-Gun-Ri. There were no repressions of freedom for 40 years in South Korea after the American military occupation started. The record for the longest time a political prisoner has stayed in prison was not held by a South Korean. Dissidents were not killed in South Korea. Dissidents were not tortured in prisons in ROK. There was no Taejon Massacre and no cover-up. There is no School of Americas. There have been/are no death squads in Central America or South America. The Philippines, Burma, South Africa (in the past) never had political prisoners. There is human rights in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden didn't come from S.Arabia. Nor did most of the 9/11 terrorists. The US does not support dictators. The US does not support terrorists. The US did not support the Taliban. The US did not support the drug growing and drug trade in Afghanistan. The Iran-Contra scandal never happened. There is no oil in Iraq and no Halliburton ...................... [2,000 pages later] ................................... Most westerners are very well-educated and unbiased especially with regards to Asian history and politics. |
*finally exhales* |
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jinju
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| patchy wrote: |
| North Korea's the only place that has ever had repressions in the world. 10 million (or whatever figure it is) Native Americans were not killed or removed from their land by the white Americans. America is not an aggressor nation. They never attack nations unilaterally. There was no famine in NK. There are no nukes pointed at NK. Japan its neighbor will never be used to launch an attack on NK. NK's sovereignty is not being threatened. America hasn't threatened to attack NK. NK is not in a lockdown state. In a security threat situation, there is no need for martial law and there is no need to imprison those who collaborate with the enemy. There is no need to punish those who betray the laws of the state in its lockdown state. In a lockdown state there is freedom of speech, freedom of press and freedom to congregate. There was no Abu Gharib. There is no Guantanamo Bay. There is no civil war in Iraq. There are no revenge killings of Iraqi civilians by the American military. And none in Afghanistan either. There was no killing of 2 million North Korean civilians by American bombing in the Korean War. There was no KwangJu massacre. There was no deaths of 80,000 people in the Cheju Massacre. There was no massacre at Suwon. There was no massacre at Youido. There was no No-Gun-Ri. There were no repressions of freedom for 40 years in South Korea after the American military occupation started. The record for the longest time a political prisoner has stayed in prison was not held by a South Korean. Dissidents were not killed in South Korea. Dissidents were not tortured in prisons in ROK. There was no Taejon Massacre and no cover-up. There is no School of Americas. There have been/are no death squads in Central America or South America. The Philippines, Burma, South Africa (in the past) never had political prisoners. There is human rights in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden didn't come from S.Arabia. Nor did most of the 9/11 terrorists. The US does not support dictators. The US does not support terrorists. The US did not support the Taliban. The US did not support the drug growing and drug trade in Afghanistan. The Iran-Contra scandal never happened. There is no oil in Iraq and no Halliburton ...................... [2,000 pages later] ................................... Most westerners are very well-educated and unbiased especially with regards to Asian history and politics. |
Anyone defending NK is scum in my books. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:15 am Post subject: |
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Is patchy really patchy or is he sovietman's newest incarnation?
It will be difficult for a western audience to swallow the plot: the main female character is raped by the main male character but she finds it in her heart to forgive him. I think that's just too Korean for a lot of people to accept. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:29 am Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| It will be difficult for a western audience to swallow the plot: the main female character is raped by the main male character but she finds it in her heart to forgive him. I think that's just too Korean for a lot of people to accept. |
Ever seen ���۳���? |
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sjrm
Joined: 27 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| Hater Depot wrote: |
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| It will be difficult for a western audience to swallow the plot: the main female character is raped by the main male character but she finds it in her heart to forgive him. I think that's just too Korean for a lot of people to accept. |
Ever seen ���۳���? |
saw that back in the states. not too bad of a movie, although i noticed there was a lot of slapping in it. just an observation thiough. |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| The pro-Pyongyang crowd here (mainly amongst the student populace) seem to hate N.Korean refugees because they ruin their fantasy about life in the 'workers paradise'. |
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