Korean Job Discussion Forums

charlieDD · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Location: Seoul, Korea

We heard the Iranian president Mr. I'm a Nut Job . . declare yesterday there were no homosexuals in Iran.

Reading a Korea Herald from the early 90's recently, I recall seeing an article where a Korean top military official said in response to the American military's new "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy and whether Korea's military, which had to work closely with the American military, would be impacted by the new American policy . . . "Korea doesn't have gay people, so it won't have any impact at all on our military" . . or something to that effect.

Look around Korea now and see all the metrosexual men, the openly gay men and women . . .

What do you think? Iran in 20 years, 30 years, . . . . ????

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

Yeah, well I remember the Iraqi information minister saying Saddam would behead George Bush on the banks of the Euphrates. So what?

sojourner1 · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:55 am Post subject:

I crack up laughing my arse off when I hear someone say that we have no gays. Gay people are in every country of the world as many of you already know. I am working on saying that when a big shot leader man who broadcasts he has no gays on his team actually is a gay man insecure about his homosexuality.

Pluto · Joined: 19 Dec 2006

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

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

willardmusa · Joined: 28 May 2006

From someone who lived in Korea in that period, and then subsequently in the late 90's and then again in the '04-'06, I would say the "metrosexual", the effiminate males, do represent a major change, a softening, in Korean male sexuality, and the OP's pointing it out is indeed relevant.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's, men were men / women were women in Korea. Men were tough guys, for the most part.

The somewhat effiminate traits of many Korean males, straight as they may be, is so very different from this. A guy acting like a metrosexual back then? It just would have been so gay !

Yes, a metrosexual isn't likely gay, though he may be. However, the existence of this kind of person in Korean society represents a much more open attitude toward what defines what a man is in Korea. Along with this development you can see much more open homesexual expression in Korea. An openly gay movie star in the early 90's just could not have existed.

The more important observation the OP makes is how if we just live long enough, we can look forward to countries like Iran free of dictators, the politician and the religious types. I agree. Good observation, Charlie; and good research.

I think we could add another observation: Korea isn't that far away from its military governments and leaders like that quoted general. The reported comment was from 1992 (when Clinton took office for his first term and issued the new policy within weeks thereafter). That's only 15 years ago.

thiophene · Joined: 15 Sep 2007

Sex changes are legal in Iran so I think their position is that gay ppl are anatomically one sex and physiologically another sex. Still dumb imo but just somethign to think about.

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

Well, the US is still not very progressive on homosexuality if the OP is talking about progressiveness and if he thinks for example gay marriage should be permitted. There is heated debate about that in the U.S. and many gay translators of Arabic were fired. In England and Canada, you cannot fire someone for being gay in the military or government. Not long ago, I used to hear about being gay could compromise one's security. Also, I remember the CNN report saying that were thousands of young homosexuals in the streets who were abandoned by their parents or kicked out of their homes. I am sure there are many in a similar situation in Canada, but I haven't seen such a report. I don't know what the French military thinks, but I doubt the Russians are progressive on the issue. We saw how they beat up some homosexuals from England on camera in Moscow.

P.S. didn't General Pace say homosexuality is immoral.. It tells you what the military thinks of having gays in there... At least, some of the brass..

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

Treefarmer · Joined: 29 May 2007

i don't think an open attitude to homosexuality and freedom in other regards go hand in hand

look at thailand etc they have much more advanced views on sexuality than the west, but democracy hmmmmm