Textbooks under scrutiny

As this September 12, 1975 Korea Times Article reveals, concern by the government about depictions of Korea in foreign textbooks (such as this) is nothing new.


Interesting that it was noted that textbooks "lacked historical and theoretical depictions of democracy in Korea." There might have been a very good reason for that...

More responses to Korea's 'Ups and Downs'

The following letter to the editor was published in the Korea Times on September 12, 1975 during the letters page brouhaha which followed an article about the "Ups and Downs" of Korea.


The letter, which did not refer to the "Ups and Downs" column, prompted several responses which touched on similar subjects of criticism and 'incorrect' portrayals - but this time they were all written by foreigners. This one was published on September 14, 1975:


Is his last name really Choson? Interesting. His response falls into the "I've never had any problems here, so I can't imagine anyone else would" category.

The mention in Dennis Swing's letter of how women seen with foreign men are subjected to a "tirade of vicious remarks" is responded to in this September 18 letter:


Mr. Craig seems to be supporting the Korean people, and criticizing the arrogance of foreigners who would dare complain about people who call their female companions whores to their faces, but he chose a rather inapt analogy. It wasn't that "only prostitutes" were accustomed to walking alongside men - something that suggests that all women seen walking with men in Korea were assumed to be prostitutes. The point was that it was assumed that only prostitutes would be seen walking with foreign men.

On September 21, the following letter was published in response - perhaps - to all of the previous letters:

One wonders how the number of letters published compared to the number of letters submitted, but the way the Times portrayed it, there were more foreigners writing letters defending Korea against foreign criticism than those writing letters pointing out its 'faults' (though it should be noted that the column that sparked the debate also contained praise for Korea as well).

Ups and downs, back and forth

On August 27, 1975, the Korea Times published a piece by John G. La Bella titled "Ups and Downs" in the Thoughts of the Times opinion column.


More interesting than the piece itself was the responses that followed. On September 4, the Times published this letter to the editor:

Respect For Host

Dear Sir,
I am really disturbed by the recent series of articles written by Mr. John G. LaBella in which he is critical of Korean people. Mr. LaBella should remember that he is a guest in this country and must show more respect for his host. What right does a guest have to criticize his host in public?

Ma Tai-jin, Insa-dong, Seoul

On September 11, 1975, the Times published the following two letters - one which shared the sentiments of the above letter, and one which criticized such sentiments:


On September 20, an American resident responded to the first letter above:


Needless to say, arguments about who is qualified to comment upon or criticize Korea have been going on for a long time. It's a bit like reading some blog's comment section, except that the conversation took three weeks to unfold. Tomorrow we'll look at another critical letter related to the above kerfuffle and the responses it garnered.

Showing of "63 Years On"

I got an email from The House of Sharing asking me to mention that this Saturday there will be a screening of the Kim Dong-won documentary “63 Years On” (끝나지 않은 전쟁), which is about the Comfort women, and which will be shown with English subtitles. I haven't seen this particular film, but I've enjoyed all of the other Kim Dong-won documentaries I've seen (He's best known for "Repatriation" and "Sanggye-dong Olympics").

Date: Saturday, March 26th, 2011
Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Film duration: 63 min. There will be a speaker and group discussion after the film.
Where: Dongguk University, 90th Anniversary Commemorative Munhwa Gwan (Cultural Center), Deok Am Seminar Room, 1st Floor (How to get there: Dongguk University Station (Line 3), Exit 6. Go up the escalator and follow the road until you see Lee Hae Lang Fine Arts Theater. It’s the building on the back side of the theater)

Info: www.houseofsharing.org
Email: info@houseofsharing.org

A preferred omission?

[Update]
This posting about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is also interesting:

Unlike many other bombing raids, the goal for this raid had not been a military installation but rather an entire city. The atomic bomb that exploded over Hiroshima killed civilian women and children in addition to soldiers. Hiroshima's population has been estimated at 350,000; approximately 70,000 died immediately from the explosion and another 70,000 died from radiation within five years.

I imagine the writer would be shocked to learn 67 cities had already gotten the same treatment.

Also, the Wikipedia page on the bombing of Tokyo has several photographs and maps.

[Original post]


There was an interesting omission in a Yahoo News article I read today:

Nuclear radiation is an especially sensitive issue for Japanese following the country's worst human catastrophe -- the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

I'd tend to think that attacks on two cities - even atomic attacks - paled in comparison to the firebombing of 67 Japanese cities in the spring and summer of 1945. I was out with a Canadian and an American who were both nuclear refugees from Japan on Saturday night and the topic of how the firebombing of Japan had been pretty much forgotten in the west came up. My sister taught in Oita ten years ago and wondered if the city had been bombed during the war. I was never able to find out until I watched The Fog of War, which can be seen here. The firebombing of Japan is discussed for about 8 minutes starting around the 33:00 point. At one point it lists all of the cities bombed along with the percentage of the city destroyed (Oita's figure is 28.2%). Obviously having a lot of time on my hands, (predating this blog) I decided to make a map. It came up in discussion the other night, so I'd thought I'd post it - I just didn't expect the omission mentioned above to appear as I was doing so.


I wonder to what degree the firebombing is dealt with in Japan's memory of the war. As Michael Hurt reiterated recently, the memory of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the only time nuclear weapons have been used on civilian targets - has allowed Japan to portray itself as a victim, so I'm curious if the firebombing has been downplayed at all in Japan, or in its presentation of its history to outsiders. Certainly, when westerners think of firebombing, Dresden or Hamburg come to mind - suffering firebombing wasn't a unique experience, even if was used to far more devastating effect in Japan.

This also brings to mind how the bombing of North Korea during the Korean War has been forgotten as well, though in the North's case, as Brian Myers has argued, it has also been omitted in North Korea's portrayal of the war to its own people, as massive bombing doesn't quite gel with the concept of Kim Il-sung being a protective leader and skilled general.

"Asians in the library"

A UCLA student - a self-proclaimed "nice, polite American girl" - has received threats after the ill-advised posting of this video.

Not much more to say than "Wow." Not only 'ching chong' and 'hordes of Asian people' but following up an imitation of Chinese with a reference to the tsunami that hit... Japan. Methinks the reason her 'epiphanies' never arrived had little to do with people talking on their cell phones. One wonders how long this will follow her around for.

The story is covered by the Daily Bruin and Angry Asian Man, and a comment on the response to the video is here; searches for 'Asians in the library' on Youtube will turn up lots of responses, parodies and remixes.

A Google search might also turn up the blog 'Asians Sleeping in the Library,' a Blackout Korea-esque blog consisting of photos of Asians sleeping in libraries and classes and which is "meant to celebrate, not berate, the hardest workers at our universities." It apparently welcomes submissions, and contains posts with titles like "Asians sleeping in packs."

As always, no one will ever go broke underestimating the amount of stupidity on the internet.

Japan's coast, before and after

[From here]

Jaw-dropping satellite photos of areas in Japan before and after the earthquake and tsunami have been published online in various places, such as here (and more can be seen here).

At their weekly protest in front of the Japanese embassy, former comfort women were photographed holding signs reading "Japanese Koreans and Japanese citizens, have heart."

[From here.]

It's certainly nice to see, though I had to wonder at the free Metro paper I was reading on the subway putting a story about a Japanese porn-inspired university freshman in Busan arrested for 10 sexual assaults over the last three years below the photo of the comfort women.

The native speakers are coming! The native speakers are coming!

[Update: As noted in the comments, Michael Hurt followed up on this with interesting results.]

On March 8, NoCut News and the Joongdo Ilbo teamed up to bring us this incoherent article:

'Fake' native speaking instructors descending upon Daejeon
After screening strengthened in capital area...
Unlicensed hagwons spreading

As screening of private hagwon native speaking instructors has been strengthened in the capital area (such as in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do), they are streaming into provincial cities such as Daejeon.

There is concern about the side effects of a good many of these hagwons, classes and private lessons which are operated as unregistered or illegal hagwons.

On the 7th, hagwons and parents of schoolchildren reported that recently some areas of Daejeon have seen the spread of hagwons set up as foreign language centers which claim to have second or third generation overseas Koreans or married native speaking couples from the US or Canada.

They run small scale-operations teaching from kindergarten to middle school with various English related educational activities such as authentic American curricula, graded English class progress, conversation-based question and answer classes, and short orientations for those preparing to study overseas currently in progress.

In particular, in areas like Seoul and Gyeonggi-do where well known hagwons are concentrated, there is concern that students and parents are victimized by PR made up of unconfirmed claims made about teaching in order to attract students.

Their form of management is similar to hagwons, but there are numerous instances where they are unregistered hagwons which have not been reported to the relevant education office.

For this reason, and to protect against the inflow of unfit native speaking conversation teachers, create a wholesome atmosphere for studying and of course to guarantee safe places of learning for youth, from the first of last month the Ministry of Justice began strengthening the screening of native speaking instructors.

It's [already] accepted that when native speaking instructors apply for alien registration, they submit an ‘employment physical exam’ issued by a medical institution designated by the Minister of Justice.

Therefore, after the screening was strengthened in the capital region, unfit native speaking instructors who had trouble earning money in some circumstances stretched out their legs and managed [private lessons] themselves in lax provincial areas.

Though screening for native speaking teachers working in places like hagwons has been strengthened, the dissatisfaction of hagwons is about to explode over the selection of teachers by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology or city and provincial education offices and the lax manner by which these public offices regulate the management of native speaking instructors.

While it's recognized that hagwon [instructors need] an employment physical exam issued by a medical institution designated by the Ministry of Justice, the selection of teachers under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology or city and provincial education offices, and native speakers working as foreign language conversation instructors in schools are exempted from medical institution [health checks].

A hagwon official said, "Already the government lashes out at hagwons as the main culprits for the ever rising private education costs, and with so many that are even unregistered and operating without permission, the market is very confused. There's concern that parents and students will suffer due to so many unverified, unfit native speaking instructors."

Jungdo Ilbo Reporter Lee Yeong-rok / In partnership with NoCut News

The first time I read the article it didn't make much sense, and re-reading it didn't improve things. A native Korean-speaker described it as "an article written by foot (발로쓴기사)," due to how sloppy, incorrect, and ungrammatical it is. It goes well beyond being poorly written, however, and into the realm of utter cluelessness. This 'reporter' has no idea what he's talking about, and seems to have scanned a few articles without reading them in order to give the appearance of substance to an otherwise weightless article.

It seems he mixed up the new nationwide drug testing regulations for E-2 visa holders (the enhanced drug test on physical exams from Ministry of Justice-designated medical facilities taking effect from February 1) and new regulations calling for Korean hagwon teachers in (apparently) only the Seoul area to submit criminal record checks (there was no information as to who made the decision or when it was being implemented). He then says that these new regulations have caused unfit native speaking instructors to head for Daejeon in droves - after only a month! The fact that he thinks that hagwon owners would criticize the "lax management" of foreign teachers hired by the Education Ministry and regional education offices speaks to his ignorance as well, considering how public schools require criminal record checks and repeat drug and HIV tests for all native speaking teachers, regardless of their visa status, while hagwon hiring standards have put three overseas Koreans wanted for murder in classrooms with children.

Of course, true threats to children's safety (like being in a classroom with a wanted murderer) pales in comparison to the perceived threat: that "parents and students will suffer due to so many unverified, unfit native speaking instructors."

A commenter here asked if I could re-upload the zip file of photos of colonial-era Korean cities - it can now be downloaded here. Actually, some of the blogs the commenter contributes to are worth checking out, especially if you're interested in urbanism.

Call for volunteers for the "Inside Canada" blog

I was asked by Joyce Cho at the Canadian Embassy if I could announce the following on my blog:

Canadian Editors Wanted for the Embassy Blog

Inside Canada, the Embassy of Canada’s Korean language blog is looking for five Canadians residing in Korea to volunteer as contributing editors. We’re looking for interesting stories about your life and your career aimed at the young generation of Korea in a section called “Korea is my second home,” to be launched in April. By publishing one story a month for a 6-month term, you will be greatly contributing to providing our readers with a positive and friendly image of Canadians residing in Korea. Your stories written in English will be translated into Korean. So if you are a student studying in Korea, in business, an English teacher or a professor and have stories to share, please email Joyce Cho (joyce.cho@international.gc.ca) at the Embassy of Canada with a brief introduction of yourself by March 20, 2011.

Bits and Pieces

The Korea Herald has an article about mental health services for expats.

You won't see me disagreeing with this.

The Joongang Ilbo had an interesting article the other day about

a Gangnam cram school, or hagwon, which has expanded into the burgeoning business of tutoring kids who want to win school elections.

“Leaving a strong impression with your performance is more important than campaign pledges or self-introductions,” lectures his teacher, who is surnamed Yang. He shows Kim how to deliver the line in the manner of Hyun Bin for the election. The two have been practicing vocalization and gesticulations for a full month.

On the same day, a student council election is taking place at another elementary school in Gangnam, and seven candidates are in the ring.

“If I become a president, I’ll make sure there’s no violence on school grounds,” promises a female sixth-grader surnamed Uhm, who has a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo. Uhm holds up a wooden board with the word “violence” painted on it. She smashes the board with a karate chop. Uhm gets the second-highest number of votes, becoming vice president.

“Being elected as either president or vice president of the student council will help me get admitted to an international middle school,” said Uhm. “My hagwon taught me how to write a speech and worked with me on my pronunciation.”

The wave of prepubescent politicians is powered by fierce competition to get into international middle schools and special-purpose high schools, where admission offices pay a lot of attention to students’ extracurricular activities.

It's always interesting seeing what niches hagwons will rush to fill.

The Chosun Ilbo reports that a great, great grandson of Ito Hirobumi has been appointed Japan's foreign minister, and notes that this could ruffle Korean feathers, adding that "Matsumoto is aware of the fact and has apparently asked whether it would be better for him to admit that he is related to Hirobumi when meeting Korean government officials."

I don't imagine the way to broach that would be to say, "Well, y'know, there is a link to Korea in my family's past - my great, great grandfather was murdered by a Korean."

The Joongang Ilbo has an article about Misari, the spot along the Han River east of Seoul where folk singers popular in the 1970s and 1980s perform. A coworker took me there in 2001 to see Song Chang-sik, but as it turned out he wasn't playing that night, and we ended up seeing a few other performers instead (including, I think, the Seoul Family). I think that was actually the first 'concert' I saw in Korea, a few weeks before the Samzzi Sound festival (which was more to my taste).

"Mercilessly smeared with foreign words"

On June 16, 1984, the Korea Times published the following article:


On the one hand, such sentiments are (were?) not only found in Korea. On the other, sentiments like these -

People appear to be indifferent at the Korea language being mercilessly smeared with foreign words. [...] The Korean language is nakedly exposed to the influx of foreign words amidst internationalization[.]

- sound quite familiar. Korea, "nakedly exposed," is weak and helpless at the hands of things (and people) foreign, which treat Korea "mercilessly." This kind of language crops up at different times and from the pens of various groups, from state actors like Park Chung-hee (who in the mid-1970s banned long hair, 'decadent' foreign pop songs, and marijuana in order to protect the youth from "degenerate foreign culture" which threatened 'healthy' traditional culture) to opposition movements (like the anti-American feminist groups who called for the government to force all visitors to the 1988 Olympics to show that they were AIDS-free).

Though the writer says that the issue should also be viewed outside a "'narrow' nationalist view," his cracks at the "'petit' intelligentsia" who hold onto foreign words, his assertion that the Korean language was "nearly wiped out" by the Japanese (two ten year periods of oppression bookending a 35 year period are enough to wipe out a language?), and his description of words of Chinese origin in the Korean language as "alien" (just like all those French words in the English language - damn the Normans!) make it pretty clear where he stands.

With the influx of so much English and the changes wrought by the internet, it's hard not to read the following sentence without wondering if he's kept his sanity in the 25 years since:

"It is shuddering to think what would become of the Korean language if such a trend is carried on for several decades down the road."

A little more than a decade later, an opposing view would cause great debate. I'll save that for tomorrow.