By The Marmot has the scoop that the Korean media has now picked up on YouTube videos of stupid drunk, idiot "foreigners" acting like fools outside of a Hooters restaurant and on the subway in Seoul. These videos are actually some what old because over at USFK Forums the videos had already been posted last month and widely condemned by everyone over there.
According to the commenters over at USFK Forums these "foreigners" are in fact in the Air Force and one of these idiots is actually a Osan Security Forces (MP) member. Just another example of the on going trend SFs and MPs not leading by example and being absolute fools. Emails have been sent out and I’m sure this is being dealt with.
Now I think a bigger question is, are these idiots really newsworthy? The Metropolitician doesn’t think so, which in a normal country this would not be newsworthy, but in Korea the xenophobic media loves stories like this even though there are plenty of drunk Korean idiots on the subway as well. I have actually been physically grabbed one time by a drunk Korean on the subway and fortunately some people on the subway intervened to get the guy to let go of me; at the least these fools didn’t assault anyone. The only crime I can think of that these guys can be charged with, at least under military law would be drunk and disorderly conduct. It is not a crime to be an idiot and being an idiot is definitely nothing new.
11:23 am on July 7th, 2007 1
lol.
That happens everyday in the ROK, what else is new? So you’re right, is that news?
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12:17 pm on July 7th, 2007 2
GI,
You could be right. Probably there are lot´s of drunk koreans in seul subway. But I dout you find drunks koreans like this in USA.
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1:26 pm on July 7th, 2007 3
[...] According to the ROKdrop blog, these videos are about a month old. [...]
3:46 pm on July 7th, 2007 4
KEEP ‘EM IN THE VILLE…
…where the locals are bribed (with business income) to tolerate stupidity… and drunk, stupid action doesn’t make national news.
For every reported incident like this there are many, Many, MANY more that are never brought to public attention.
By maintaining the failed policy to drive people out of the bar districts, leadership is embarrassing our country… and, therefore, an embarrassment TO our country.
…unless it is all a trick to annoy Seoul citizens so badly the Korean government, under public pressure, begs Youngsan to move as quickly as possible.
Hmmm…
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3:51 pm on July 7th, 2007 5
…brings to mind…
“The genius of you Americans is that you never make clear-cut stupid moves, only complicated stupid moves which make us wonder at the possibility that there may be something to them which we are missing.”
Former Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser
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6:38 pm on July 7th, 2007 6
Dr. Yu,
Have you been to Koreatown in LA? Because if you have you would know there are plenty of drunk Koreans acting like fools there just like there are plenty of drunk people all across America acting like idiots. However, you don’t see them on CNN.
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10:57 pm on July 7th, 2007 7
Is the drunken behavior the problem here, or is it the content? What is the content? Americans disrespecting Koreans in Korea, which is the most offensive part which you completely overlook.
How many Koreans do you see in the US who get on public transportations and start verbally sexually harassing and molesting white girls, sing songs about all the stupid american white peoples around them, as all the white people around look around in disgust?
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2:17 am on July 8th, 2007 8
[...] Subway Idiots [...]
7:25 am on July 8th, 2007 9
How come you won’t see this kind of shit involving American soldiers in countries like Saudi Arabia? Because over there, they would get their asses handed to them, unlike in Korea.
Speaking of middle east countries, watch Korean military in action, in Iraq.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH1XxB9aTcw
They are well liked over there, and unlike what GI Korea keeps saying, they’re not just building toilets and playing computer games, nor are they just getting drunk and disrespecting the locals.
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9:32 am on July 8th, 2007 10
Tom,
Obviously you haven’t been to the LA Koreatown either because I have seen plenty of drunk assholes there, not that I care because there are plenty of drunk assholes everywhere, but since you and the Korean media care so much about drunk assholes the next time I’m in Koreatown I’m bringing my camera.
You don’t see drunk Koreans on the local news in America because we don’t give a shit unlike YTN which has no problems playing the race baiting game.
The only time I can remember a Korean being on local news for doing something inappropriate was by walking into a college campus blowing away over 30 people. Now when some Air Force idiots walks into a college campus in Korea a blows away over 30 people, than yes that is news.
How about this:
http://discordinferno.wordpress.com/2007/07/04/and-on-her-birthday-some-more-love-the-model-minority/
She didn’t even have to get drunk to be an idiot and say things about America that are just as idiotic as what the guys on the subway were saying.
Your example of Saudi Arabia additionally shows how little you know. The vast majority of soldiers have been removed from Saudi Arabia and even when we did have a large concentration of soldiers they were locked down on a base in the middle of nowhere unless given prior permission to leave base for some reason. There was no public subways out in the middle of no where much less even a public bus.
Korea military liked all over? No one outside of Kurdistan even know the ROK Army is in Iraq. Go ask someone in Baghdad what the ROK military is doing for them. The vast majority of those soldiers sit on base all day locked down. If you don’t believe me than I let them speak for themselves:
http://rokdrop.com/2006/12/01/zaytun-unit-to-be-redeployed-from-iraq/
When Maliki met with Roh no talks about Zaytun were discussed he was more interested in sending in Korean businessmen to Iraq:
http://rokdrop.com/2007/04/12/maliki-to-roh-less-zaytun-more-hyundai/
Even the Kurds laugh at the Zaytun unit:
http://rokdrop.com/2007/03/20/totten-on-the-rok-army-in-iraq/
None of this is the ROK Army’s fault though. This is all the fault of a Korean government who deployed the unit with the purpose of first and foremost of having no casualties. The ROK Army initially was offered to be in charge of the entire Kirkuk sector which the ROK military wanted to do. Roh refused this offer and now the ROK military is nothing more than a window dressing army for the coalition effort there.
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10:21 am on July 8th, 2007 11
GI,
I don´t understand why you are defending these guys. By acting like that they insulted not only koreans but all american citizens living in Korea. I see most of time you are defending american soldiers misbehaving in Korea without fair reason. Would it be because you are a GI like them?
This kind of situation only stains the image of normal american people living in Korea. Most are professionals tryng to earn their money or build their life in korea peacefully but this few guys just ruin all they did to earn respect from the koreans.
I see that you are the advocate of this people that are a “worderfull example” of the american society, always insulting korea in order to protect them whenever they act like stupid.
These guys are no children anymore. They are soldiers with power to kill people. Their attitudes influence the way the world sees the USA. The fact that there are drunk koreans in Seoul is not reason to justify what they did.
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11:06 am on July 8th, 2007 12
Defending them? Sounds like you are making another straw man argument. I have stated repeatedly they are idiots and that the military is dealing with them. I do not agree with or condone such actions and all my times riding the subway I only one time saw soldiers acting like complete utter idiots similar to these guys.
They were of course drunk and when I approached them and identified myself the two of them in the group of three immediately shut up but the third was so drunk he still would not shut up. I called the MP station at Camp Red Cloud to come pick the guy up at the Uijongbu train station. I couldn’t get the guy to shut up on the subway but just the fact I was trying to handle it and then apologized in Korean to the people in the car was enough to settle the matter. Those guys a dealt with are idiots and are as much a disgrace as the guys on the YouTube video.
With that said my observation along with the observations of a host of others is that this is not newsworthy. What is the newsworthiness of this incident other than race baiting? Like there has never been drunk idiots saying inappropriate things on the subway in Seoul. Give me a break. The only reason this was on the news was because they were foreigners.
Also wasn’t I along with a host of others disappointed the 18 year old USFK dependent didn’t go to Korean jail for stabbing the taxi driver? The grandma rape case I stated the guy should have gotten more jail time. I want criminals in jail after receiving a fair trial. The cases I point out from time to time the soldiers did not receive a fair trial. Than I compare these cases to when Koreans are tried for killing, raping, or assaulting US soldiers and are not convicted of anything.
Take the strawman argument somewhere else.
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4:15 pm on July 9th, 2007 13
have you ever seen MP’s drive on yongsan
1. they never stop for pedestrians
2. they never go the speed limit
3. most katusa MP’s never signal when turning
4. and they are complete asses when they pull you over
so yeah you think they are special or above the law?
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4:23 pm on July 9th, 2007 14
the easiest way is take your cameras with you all the time and record drunk koreans being well…just that
drunk koreans!
put it on youtube and send the links to the media outlets in korea
see if thye bite?
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6:52 pm on July 9th, 2007 15
“which in a normal country this would not be newsworthy?” wow, so you are implying that korea is not a normal country? look, you make good observations about korea, and i respect your views on many things, but you can’t judge a country based on your western upbringing/culture/etc. i’m not arguing whether or not this is newsworthy, but you can’t be surprised if someone who reads your blog comes out thinking you have something against the korean people. yes, ytn may be the cnn equivalent in that it’s on cable channel, but this sort of things are sometimes “news” locally in the states. my point is, everything here is “local” due to its size and population. and let’s look at the big picture. since 2002, whether or not it’s the fault of the korean media, foreigners have been in the news alot. thus, for a newsroom producer, of course this is “newsworthy.” lets look at the circumstances of the u.s. you don’t think middle eastern looking men making a mockery of the u.s. in n.y. that’s uploaded on youtube isn’t newsworthy? it may not be, but considering the world we live in since 2001, it may be. it may not be in korea though. it’s all about the circumstances. second, whether or not this is good, koreans are very proud people, as you already know. very image conscience. so of course when foreigners mock them in their OWN country, people are gonna be upset. korea is korea. it’s a unique country with unique people. just like japan. just like the u.s. what’s newsworthy here might not be in the u.s. what’s newsworthy in the u.s. might not be here. what’s newsworthy in atlanta might not be in seattle and vice versa. i know you don’t hate korea, but sometimes what you write can be perceived somewhat naive.
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8:08 pm on July 9th, 2007 16
I admit “normal country” is badly worded possibly a normal media culture would be a better term.
I have lived in many countries and not in any of them have I ever seen a national news channel devote media attention to drunken idiots on a subway. Also it is important to remember that the race baiting in the Korean media happens over and over again. This is not a one time thing.
Also there are jihadi videos that occassionally slip on to YouTube before they are identified and removed and I have never seen an uproar on CNN about them. Usually the big bloggers ID them and get them removed.
That is where this subway story belongs on the internet. This is Oh My News material not YTN.
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9:41 pm on July 9th, 2007 17
[...] even the Chosun Ilbo has picked up on the exploits of the Subway Idiots and is currently the second most viewed story on the [...]
12:08 am on July 10th, 2007 18
btw, just like you are not defending the idiots, by no means am i defending the korean media. just want to get that across.
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12:54 am on July 10th, 2007 19
Hypothetical Situation 1: Drunken Koreans are videotaped on the New York subway singing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” with one guy ad-libbing some lyrics about sleeping with American girls.
Conclusion to Situation 1: Everyone on the subway ignores them. Noone cares. Noone’s insulted. Nothing makes the news.
Situation 2: Drunken Americans are videotaped on the Seoul subway singing “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” with one guy ad-libbing some lyrics about sleeping with Korean girls, while pretending they’re Japanese.
Conclusion to Situation 2: National news.
My theory on how this got so big: The guy likes Japanese girls more than Korean girls. How dare he?
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10:08 am on July 10th, 2007 20
Dan85,
My theory:
“Japanese” rhymes with bees, breeze, cheese, ease, fleas, fees, frees, keys, knees, please, sees, squeeze, sneeze, tease, these and trees.
“Korean” rhymes with Aegean, Tennessean, and I’m-a-peein’.
Drunken rap takes what it can get.
“Yo’, I gonna do a Korean and pretend she’s Tennessean.”
I don’t think so. Grossly overweight, three teeth, breath like OxyContin and her mother and sister are the same person?
J!
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4:43 pm on July 10th, 2007 21
dan85, you are missing the point. you can’t compare america and korea. if you made a hypothethical situation comparing korea to another country, like japan, who shares similar background, then you might have some point. but even japan is a stretch. america is a diverse country that hasn’t been occupied by a foregin country for 50 years. korea is not a diverse country that is just going through the growing pains of joining the ranks of economic power. of course the mental set of the respective people are different. koreans have lot to learn, but foreigners making idiotic comments without fulling understanding the circumstances to lead koreans to act and behave in certain way makes me just shake my head in disgust of their shallowness.
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7:52 pm on July 10th, 2007 22
I don’t think I’m missing any point, and I was being sarcastic. Much of Korea idolizes and tries to copy many aspects of American culture, but a superiority (or an inferiority) complex when faced with a real live foreigner. How many people in Korea today were alive when they were being occupied? There is enough rampant ignorance in this country, and I could care less about the reasons behind it when a national news agency helps perpetuate it. The amount of racial tension in Korea is incredible. This should not be news, period.
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9:50 pm on July 10th, 2007 23
If this is news, then I guess I should be on YTN too since countless Korean guys have said out loud in public things to the effect of, “why is she with a foreign man?” when I’ve been minding my own business, walking along with my admittedly attractive Korean girlfriend.
Korean culture is hypersenstive; it can’t deal with the YouTube video.
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1:10 am on July 11th, 2007 24
i know you were being sarcastic, but you were using your sarcasm to make a point. before i go further, my views on korea are pretty much along the lines with most commentators here. korea has lot to learn and she is indeed very hypersensitive. but people making comparsions to try to make a point bothers me in that i don’t think it’s fair. news here or in the states is all about sensationalism. i don’t like it but it is what it is. i wish more news back in the states focused more on the positive things the us military is doing in iraq instead of focusing just on the deaths. i wish the korean press would be more balanced and focus more on the positive presence of the us military here. but whether journalsim has gone down the toilet, they “sell” whatever they want to sell. of course i think what ytn did is irresponsible, but koreans are hypersensitive about things for a reason. maybe it’s the education system. but like i said, considering everything that has been going on since 2002, of course something like this would be considered “news” here. not to you or me, but to koreans. at least we shouldn’t be surprised. i mean, you can argue that people of kazakhstan are sensitive for their reaction to borat. but i can understand why they felt like that. they are trying to improve their image worldwide and be part of the gloabl economy, and yet, they see this guy ruining their image. but at the end of the day, people have bigger things to worry about and move on. if what the ytn reported leads to a “boxer rebellion” against the foreingers, then we should be worried. but ordinary hard working people seem to live a normal life and not care too much. anyway, i’m rambling and i apologize. i will let you have the last word.
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