Comments on: North Korea Problem

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:14:00 +0000

Wow, It looks like you brought a heated discussion here. 😀 I do get those questions a lot too whether I am from North or South?…Dahhh!?

By: TurnUptheAC

TurnUptheAC — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:47:00 +0000

I know this is a very sensitive subject, especially since many families have been split between North and South Korea during the war. It is always upsetting to hear people don’t understand the differences…its kinda similar to how many people feel the muslim religion encourages terrorism when it is just a very small sector of extremist muslims that decide to participate in terrorist acts. It seems such a shame that South Koreans feel a need to clarify which “Korea” they are from. I went to a concert last week to see Galaxy Express (they were amazing live as was No Brain and Lowdown 30 a month earlier) as they toured the United States and they felt the need to assure us they are from the “good” Korea…and I felt bad they felt the need to do so and if they had suffered some hateful comments while on tour.

The american media doesn’t help with acknowledging the differences or sensitivity to the issue either. My Korean roommate a few years back asked me to turn off the news when they began to report on North Korea because it hurt his heart too much and found the fear-mongering upsetting. I was especially upset when one of my friend’s boyfriend who claimed he was a “communist” (that is a whole different story) tried to engage with my korean friend/roommate about North Korea…and ignored both his and my asking to stop asking questions or trying to spout the history of the conflict and communism, which my Korean friend knew better than any non-Korean american.

I admit I still do not understand the entire complexity of the issue, but I wish people would approach the subject with more sensitivity and compassion since many South Koreans still have family that are trapped in North Korea.

By: Nic

Nic — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:22:00 +0000

In reply to Ganata. Yeah I've come across people who don't understand about Bali too.

By: Ganata

Ganata — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:29:00 +0000

I came across with some folks who even still think Bali is a sovereign state, Indonesia is somewhere out there on Africa land, or they have never heard of it, or Egypt isn’t North Africa, but Middle East.. whenever I think about them, I’m glad I was born in a country that requires students to learn geography and world history. When I was an elementary student, we got a globe map test (yes… all continents and the existed countries: Africa, Asia [East, Middle, South, West] Latin America, Australia & NZ, pacific islands), we learned N. America too, but we skipped the 50 states of America.. hahaha.. We also had to draw those continents correctly. What we thought was useless, is actually necessary.
At the time, I thought it was so damn difficult to memorize all of them, but now I’m really grateful, otherwise I could have been included to the list of those ignorant people too… and yes, by reading we open the source of knowledge.. try not to only rely on media-state news agency or not so fair media like CNN/Fox, try to read from other sources too like BBC, Al Jazeera, Korea Times, The Economist, or Int’l Herald Tribune. Nowadays, we have to be selective.

By: Jason Tankard

Jason Tankard — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:59:00 +0000

Travel safe.

By: Cassie

Cassie — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Preachin’ to the choir over here. During my one month visit home in America during march, all anybody could say was “North Korea is gonna bomb us! AHHH!” or “You can’t go back, North Korea is going to nuke the entire whole of South Korea and you’re going to die!”

And I’m just left shaking my head like, “guys, If they were gonna, they would have done it, not ran their mouth about it” But no one really listens

I’m glad my husband stayed in Korea while i was in America because he probably would’ve gotten really upset after the 5th time of being asked the same ignorant questions. I don’t even want to think what some of the ignorant hicks in my hometown might’ve said ‘go back home, Korean spy!’ god knows they’ve done similar crap in the past.

By: LinaKim

LinaKim — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:35:00 +0000

In reply to Yewan Holmes. Ahh, I didn't mean it like "Everyone in the devil family is evil". There was a reason why I said "daughter of a devil" and not just "devil".

By: dewaanifordrama

dewaanifordrama — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:33:00 +0000

In reply to Carolyn Raines. I just posted another link in the comment above ^^

By: dewaanifordrama

dewaanifordrama — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:33:00 +0000

In reply to Meghann.

My pleasure. It helps that I am subscribed to some good news sources on Twitter, like James Pearson who writes for KoreaBang and NK New.org. Mr. X also shared this excellent one today: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3727471.htm

By: Meghann

Meghann — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 05:28:00 +0000

In reply to dewaanifordrama. Thank you for providing such great articles ^^ it's hard finding them with the Internet in such a frenzy.