What caught my eye was the message forum following the article. They tend to be more interesting than the articles. One post in particular jumped out.
Koreansentry (14.200.73.34) 07-26-2011 20:20
Say No to immigration, because it's plague to Korea. Let's keep Korea clean, I personally don't want to see Seoul turning into another Paris, LA, NY and London. Increase in foreign immigrants means racial tension and riots. Is Korea ready for all this?
Yes, it looks like Herr Consoleman posts on the Korea Times forums as Korea Sentry. The best reply to him was from someone going by the name thankswww.
thankswww (121.190.181.232) 07-26-2011 21:24
Koreansentry: Your IP address says that you are in Australia. Are you seriously complaining about immigration to Korea, while at the same time being a Korean living in a foreign country yourself? Why do Koreans become so proud only after they ditch their own country for greener pastures?
It is funny to see someone enjoying the life of an immigrant in one country speaking out against against immigrants going to his Fatherland.
"I personally don't want to see Seoul turning into another Paris, LA, NY and London."
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't matter what he personally thinks does it? If people in Seoul thought that way then they wouldn't call Yeoiudo the "Manhattan of Seoul."
New York city is expecting to raise about seven hundred million dollars in new business from the legalization of gay marriage.
Korea is a country that is expected to loose a few tens of millions of people over the next few decades from low fertility rates. The consensus among Koreans is that this down trend in population will cause some major economic problems. America has similar fertility rates, but every year America manages to replace those people with new immigrants. Those folks are usually hungrier for the American pie, and they create new business.
The counselman can spew is idiocy all he wants, but countries that take in new people, and experiment with new ideas - like gay marriage - are going to always have new ideas, because new people will come in and replace the old ones. Korea probably will never be so lucky.
Canada is pretty much in the same boat as America. Our low birth rate is countered by immigration.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see Herr Consoleman move back to Korea and try and survive. :)
Thanks so much for these posts. I am really interested in teaching Korea, but am a little worried about the whole...racism...thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks James. Most Koreans aren't as extreme as these idiots but the netnazis are a vocal group.
ReplyDeleteI've just spent a bit of time over at the Korean Sentry ... it's just post after post of some of the most vile shit I've ever read.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to believe that "most Koreans aren't as extreme as these idiots" ... but I guess nobody really knows how people really feel. The internet allows all of us some layer of anonymity (even if it's an illusion) and the normal censors of everyday life come off.
I hope that the people I work with don't hold the same views as the Korean Sentry and, specifically, the Consoleman. I really hope they don't.
While I saw a lot of racism while in Korea it was not usually at the level of the Korea Sentry idiots. It is true that the net allows a level of anonymity that lets peoples true feelings show more, or their stupidity.
ReplyDeleteI would never recommend spending time at KS. It is kind of a depressing site. As you said post after post of vile shit. It can really bring you down.