Here is just another example of the Korean mind block I have posted about before:
“We are trying to tell our customers that we only serve Korean beef,” said an employee of Daedo Restaurant in Nonhyon-dong, southern Seoul, an eatery that specializes in beef surloin. She asked for anonymity because she spoke without the authorization of her employer.
“I understand that our boss is considering putting out a banner saying that our shop doesn’t serve American food,” she said.
Meanwhile, in a quirky development related to the spreading bird flu, some beer halls are abuzz with customers who enjoy friend chicken.
“It is one in a million chance to contract a bird flu,” one patron at a bar in downtown Seoul. “I take it as a chance to get royal treatment in this restaurant which otherwise would have been crowded with customers.” [Korea Times]
You have got to love the irony.
Popularity: 3%
10:06 am on May 13th, 2008 1
I’m ready to form a conclusion: this beef deal is the first real “spike” in anti-US activity since the middle or late 2003.
Arguments can be made about this one and some can be made about other events - like the 2005 Pyongtaek Riots or the later economic meetings in Pusan (what was it — APEC or WTO???).
You can argue that this one doesn’t meet the criteria of a spike, but I think it meets enough:
The only thing having me hedge my bets is that the media has had a significant amount of truth-telling and counter-arguments against the hysteria.
I don’t think it has had as much as it did in the other events like in Pyongtaek or the Pusan economic forum or the more recent FTA meetings or the MacArthur statue riots.
In all the other cases I can think of, the media was either muted and reported very little of what was going on (Pyongtaek 2005) or came out strong and consistent against the anti-US elements —– and more importantly — the society as a whole followed the press’ lead.
The society has clearly decided not to do that nearly as much with Cows Gone Wild!!
It is true it seems half or more of the protesters are high school and middle school students rather than adults, but those kids have adult parents.
There has also been enough support for the Mad Cow Disease is Going to Kill All Koreans in the press itself - and I’m talking about the news media and not just the MBC news special report.
A couple of pop culture figures have joined in. And politicians wholesale.
In short, the anti-US groups have successfully seen their reach move much further this time than they have enjoyed on issue I can think of since 2002-2003.
And, the issue is so blatantly irrational — like the 2000 Water Dumping Saga. And the Maehyang-ri Saga.
The event, it even it went away today, has also already made a lasting mark in Korean society’s mind.
Yes. This is like old times.
10:08 am on May 13th, 2008 2
I forgot —- the fact this ignorant event wiped out the Chinese Protesters Story, and wiped out the bird flue coverage, also lets us know Korean society is MORE THAN HAPPY to whip itself into an anti-US frenzy of some duration…..
Old times….
11:51 am on May 13th, 2008 3
I don’t know if Cows Gone Wild, which by the way I like that description of the US beef issue
, should really be considered a spike yet. The protests are mainly young kids being encouraged by their leftist teachers to show up at the protests.
Since these kids are gone nearly all day and night anyway at school their parents probably have little idea what they are up to. Plus young kids show at these protests more as a social event and could care less about what the protest is really about.
So far mainstream Korean society has not been involved in the protests and the Korean media has actually been providing articles that refute the scaremongering.
I’m willing to bet that once the hoopla passes they will all be buying US beef because it is cheaper then Korean beef and deep down they know this is all nonsense anyway.
12:06 pm on May 13th, 2008 4
That pretty much sums up Korea in a nutshell there. Interesting.
12:51 pm on May 13th, 2008 5
spam filter… why?
2:16 pm on May 13th, 2008 6
“Plus young kids show at these protests more as a social event and could care less about what the protest is really about.”
But that, and a few other things you mention, like Koreans eating a lot of American beef two months from now, is EXACTLY the kind of thing we should expect from anti-US culture in Korea as a whole nation.
It’s a game. A sport. A national past-time.
Were Koreans terribly serious about Maehyang-ri? Do they protest Korean bases and ranges? Were they terribly concerned about the water quality of the Han River or the environment in 2000 or any time they have used USFK and US Embassy pollution?
The only people who take anti-Americanism truly serious are the radical fringe.
Does that mean that anti-Americanism in the society as a whole shouldn’t concern us? No. And I’m sure GI Korea would agree.
But, the anti-US culture in Korean society as a whole is kept alive —- year-by-year —– by things like Cows Gone Wild!!
I admit I am not completely sold on whether or not this is a spike yet. If I were still teaching Korean adults in Korea, I could tell. But from here?
I still give it a greater than 50% chance.
The question to ask is:
Will average Koreans be remembering Cows Gone Wild!! as an example of Uncle Bully pushing Korea around — just typical economic pressure (neo-colonialism) — putting South Korea’s health at risk (economically and physically) — with South Korea’s government too stupid or too weak to do anything about it?
Despite the counter-hysteria notes in the Korean press, I would have to say the answer is definately Yes.
Based just on what we’ve seen the last two weeks, I can picture average Koreans sitting together at a restaurant with a bottle of soju and some (American) sogoki on a plate, eating handsomely, and bitching about how the US is always pushing Korea around - among other things.
I can easily see - a year from now - when some other trade dispute comes up, the Beef Tragedy being mentioned in a line or two about how the US has pushed Korea around —– since Taft-Katsura.
I can see the Beef Tragedy being taught as an example of why the US is ultimately bad for Korea in classrooms at university (and now secondary and elementary schools too) for years and years to come.
THAT — is how anti-US culture in Korea remains a key part of the society as a whole.
Despite the obsurd nature of the scandal, despite the notes pointing out its irrationality in the press, you still have editorials in the press decrying the Blue House’s actions and lack of actions, Park Chung Hee’s daughter decrying the beef deal and the Blue House’s “inability to negociate with DC” (meaning basically “sadaeism”), ——- to the point Lee’s administration goes on national TV for a press conference and bows in shame to the nation vowing to do better next time.
All of that has elements of what keeps anti-US culture alive and thriving in South Korea.
7:24 pm on May 13th, 2008 7
Chickenhead if you are in an internet cafe the IP address on the computer may have been marked as a spam IP before you got on it. I looked in the spam filter, all 1,000+ spam comments I received today and I did not see your comment in order to rescue it.
USinKorea I think we are just disagreeing on scale of the Cows Gone Wild Spike. I think this is just another small incident in the long running chain of incidents that feeds the anti-US narrative in Korea. The Yongsan Water Dumping issue may have had a bigger anti-US impact then this one.
Koreans will be eating US beef in no time because it is cheaper saving people money and the Korean economy will improve because of the open access to US markets for Korean products due to the FTA. By the end of the year many Koreans will realize how stupid this is if they haven’t already. However, to this day I still run into people who believe the Yongsan water dumping nonsense that even inspired a movie.
I doubt Cows Gone Wild will inspire a hit Korean movie any time soon, but with Korea who knows.
7:54 pm on May 13th, 2008 8
Lots of Korean restaurants pass off cheaper US and Ozzie beef.I hope the protesters enjoy it at their self-congratulatory late night dinner
11:10 pm on May 13th, 2008 9
I clearly see anti-american move here.
But I think the main reason for such “hysteria” is to attack President Lee’s administration. Opposition parties are using korean anti-american feeling to hurt Lee’s administration, and korean “patriots” are being manipulated like fools.
Thorough Korean history Korea always faced enemies and had to fight for survival. Now that we are not being invaded anymore, Korean society had to chose an imaginary enemy to satisfy it’s survival instinct. Sadly for USA, you are Korean new “enemy” now (to me China it’s our enemy).
Why USA? Since the end of WW2 Americans were the most visible and active foreign force within Korea (American soldier everywhere, interacting with Koreans, sometimes having misconduct problems …). You are paying the price of interacting with people still traumatized with hundreds of years of foreign invasion and a not too long colonization attempt by Japan.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to blame USA for this problem. Just trying to see the facts as clearly as possible.
Korea needs to be more objective and stop acting based only on emotions.
12:01 am on May 14th, 2008 10
“You are paying the price of interacting with people still traumatized with hundreds of years of foreign invasion and a not too long colonization attempt by Japan.”
While I definitly agree that American goodwill towards Korea results in hatred from Korea, I disagree that Korea has had hundreds of years of foreign invasions.
Lets take a closer look….
1950 Korean war, China was invited in by the North, and the USA was invited in by the south. No invasion there.
1910 The Japanese never “invaded”, they were invited by treaty.
1640-1910 No invasion. Yes a few skirmishes here and there, but no invasion. Korea was a vassel of the Chinese Empire.
12:09 am on May 14th, 2008 11
nothing changes in Korea.
hxxp://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0D91E39F931A25755C0A96E948260
12:15 am on May 14th, 2008 12
Does “shattered” mean racist in chinese?
12:28 am on May 14th, 2008 13
LOL, you must really hate hearing the truth.
Sure hurts DON’T IT. 
Well, I don’t write the truth for you, but I am glad it stings you.
1:44 am on May 14th, 2008 14
2:57 am on May 14th, 2008 15
I don’t agree with either the idea that Korea was a vassel of China unless it is meant in a very limited sense. China and Korea enjoyed a mutually benefical and close relationship. Korean society did adapt a lot of social items from China, but again, it was not imposed on them. It was taken in like societies take in advanced technology.
I also don’t agree with the thousands of years of invasion unless it is meant in a limited sense. China and Korea both had to deal with repeated, periodic raids from the tribes of Manchuria - which is one of the biggest reasons why China and Korea had such a long, close relatoinship with each other.
The raids from Manchuria did have a significant impact on Korean society history: much of the area of current North Korea was administered as a military zone rather than by civilian rule well into the Chosun Dynasty. The Korean government until late in the Chosun Dynasty was also frequently trying to encourage Koreans in the southern area to migrate up north to settle to increase the number of people up the norther districts and to increase the number of more “pure Koreans” in that area.
But, I don’t think you can count the tribal raids as “thousands of years of invasion.”
Also, when Koreans talk of thousands of years of invasion, they mean also that Korea was unique in that history.
But if you study European history, ethnic and national groups were constantly moving around and fighting over territory. The current boundaries of nations like Germany are fairly new in terms of history.
Korea’s history is not so exceptional as it likes to think.
3:05 am on May 14th, 2008 16
GI Korea,
I agree pretty much with all you are saying.
The Water Dump was definately bigger.
But, I also think we have to keep in mind that these little events are crucial to the anti-US promotion long term as well.
The only area I disagree with you somewhat is on the idea that much of the society will have realized the stupidity of the Cows Gone Wild!! Hysteria.
(…You said “many” Koreans would - and I expanded that to “much of the society” for discussions sake…)
In the irrational nature of much of anti-Americanism in South Korea —- I think most Koreans will know the mad cow disease stuff is bunk…and they’ll start eating American beef soon after it hits the market…
….but when economic issues come in the future…..the society as a whole will still remember the Cows Gone Wild!! issue as an example of how Uncle Bully pushes them around. It will stay in their mind like a lot of small issues over the years.
That is what the anti-US groups need: they can’t count on having big ticket items coming up every year or even every two years. They have to have these important but minor spikes come up about once a year to keep things fresh.
And by keeping things fresh, the society is always prepped to explode when something big happens or Korean society feels powerful enough or feels the need for the US weak enough —– to let loose all the pent up, built up anger.
3:07 am on May 14th, 2008 17
On Dr Yu’s point in one comment…
I expanded at my blog on one of my comments from yesterday in this thread.
http://usinkoreajournal.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/what-else-could-we-be-bitching-about-cows-gone-wild/
I think we can partially judge the importance of this event in Korea by how it wiped out anger over the Chinese riots.
3:08 am on May 14th, 2008 18
Dr. Yu
i am not sure if u are aware, but US military have very low standard which might explain shattered’s intelligence
http://www.slate.com/id/2182752/
people like shattered are good at arguing a price of blowjob with a juicy girl but gi like him sucks at aruging isssue that involves korea. shattered, i am not sure if that korean juicy girl used u so she could get a green card but keep ur hatred towards korean to yourself.
4:12 am on May 14th, 2008 19
“but US military have very low standard”
Kimuchi200 your contempt for the American men and women that are defending “your country” is nothing new (crapping on them while you play warcraft). Many Kyopo’s and REAL Korean’s alike feel like you do and hate the Americans.
It really doesn’t bother me if you say bad things about the USA (or China or Japan for that matter). Heck even Robert Kim, who is a hero to many Kyopos still keeps his US passport. Everyone knows who is at the bottom of the list between the USA, Japan, China and Korea. Everyone, even Koreans know Korea is at the bottom of everything. That is why you are in the USA, my friend.
However, I find it amusing that you show your contempt of Americans by discussing how the standards have been lowered. The irony is that the Americans who faught and died in the Korean war, so your cholla family could be free enough to run to America had on average about an 8th grade education. Those “low standard Americans” which you have some much contempt for did more for Korea then your cholla family ever did.
Actually, your family did one good thing for Korea, once your family ran away from the motherland, the collective IQ of Korea went up. (but it went down in the USA, when your raft washed ashore)
4:37 am on May 14th, 2008 20
shattered,
i am sure it is very hard for u to understand that i am an american. why do u care if im korean american or not? why is it so important to u? how do u define an “american?” just because my grandparent didnt ride around with horse hunting for their former employee doesnt mean im not an american. as an american, i have all the right to criticize MY goverment and military. shattered, u r a racist. i hear that the us military is so desperate that they allow kkk people in. it is very clear that u have major beef with korea and korean. it is 3:30 am in korea now! had fun with fillipino juicy girl?
5:11 am on May 14th, 2008 21
kimchi2000 you are falling for lefty George Soros funded propaganda:
http://forwarddeployed.com/2008/01/28/george-soros-linked-to-national-priorities-project-hit-piece/
The US military has recruited people with higher amount of high school diplomas then the average population.
Slate has been trying for years to pass off the stereotype of a dumb army which of course I shown continuously which is false:
http://rokdrop.com/2007/03/29/a-dumber-army-fact-or-fiction/
Plus the fact how people of the left look down on people joining the army they consider to be “dumb” is really quite elitist and despicable.
5:28 am on May 14th, 2008 22
gi korea
yes, i agree with u that soros is a lefty and i could see how people from the right might not be so fond of him. however, what about the fox news?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308880,00.html
and this one from military.com?
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,78111,00.html
one thing is quite clear, the army need more people and they are willing to accept a bigot like shattered and mark.
5:45 am on May 14th, 2008 23
From what I understand there is an increase in number of applicants being allowed into the military with a GED. Does this mean that they are “dumb”? Does this mean that they are below the standards of people that kimchi2000 regards as normal? I entered the military with a GED in 1990, from there I went up the ranks and was offered a great job at my 12 year mark. All of this based upon a GED, does this mean I was part of the “dumb” military? I think this means that I was given a chance and I excelled. So, if you get the chance and can excell then go for it with a GED or lower education!!!!
5:54 am on May 14th, 2008 24
kordu,
im glad u got urself a ged and milked it to the fullest.
6:07 am on May 14th, 2008 25
Your military.com article is just repeating numbers from the NPP article and the Army secretary was quoted in the article as saying standards were not being dropped.
Your Fox News link is once again the quoting of stats with no analysis. The number of soldiers receiving waivers is so small and insignificant that the Army could deny these people from enlisting and still make their recruiting mission:
http://forwarddeployed.com/2008/04/21/context-of-recruiting-convicted-felons-into-the-us-military/
Once again this liberal elitism looking down on someone that may have been busted for shoplifting as a teenager and then denying them the opportunity to join the Army.
The only dropping in standards I have seen is the number of overweight soldiers allowed to enlist, which once again I don’t have a problem with because they should be given the maximum opportunity to serve their country. If they can’t lose the weight in the required time once in their unit, it is simple enough to chapter them out.
6:58 am on May 14th, 2008 26
GI Korea, would it be possible for you to adjust your spam filter so that excessive misspellings and punctuation errors would send the comment into the netherworld?
10:58 am on May 14th, 2008 27
Kimchi,
I’m not bothered by Shattered. I’m just curious to know whether he is an idiot or a retarded, but the more I see his comments the more I’m convinced that stupidity and insanity are still too weak standards to describe his mental capacity.
He is like those monkeys in the Zoo that entertain themselves by performing “funny” tricks like eating their own ….. (you know what I mean) and gets hysterical euphoria. He is just so ….. monkey.
He keeps repeating those things about Korea, and thinks that people get bothered about it. Have you ever seen people getting bothered because monkeys eat their own … (you know what I mean)?
Actually I doubt he is an American. But if he is an American, well it’s because of people like him that Koreans “love so much” Americans.
2:13 pm on May 14th, 2008 28
I find it interesting that the concepts of pride in military service are polar opposites in Korea and the US. In the US, with a volunteer-based armed force, Americans show pride and tend to respect those who serve (aside for a few lefties).
In Korea, where the conscript system is prevalent, military service is considered a duty and not respected as a career profession. Most young men would rather be in the PC-bangs than serve their country. However, anything comparable to pride in service I saw in Korea came from the ROK Marines. At least in the ROKMC you have to volunteer to get in. They don’t take unwilling draftees. Those ROK marines are some hard corp guys.
4:23 pm on May 14th, 2008 29
Good point chopsticks, but you forget about the Kyopo perspective where they have no respect for Americans doing the duty of Koreans, and protecting Korea.
But lets not paint all asians with one paintbrush. Many Chinese Americans and Vietname-Americans, Philipino-Americans, and Japanese Americans, for a short list, serve with honor. It is a mistake to think that all Asian-Americans are like Kyopos.
9:27 pm on May 14th, 2008 30
It looks like Koreans are lining up for a bowl of diry dalmonella dog stew.
hxxp://online.wsj.com/article/SB121055167388783853.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
I always thought that Jindo’s were worthless Korean mutts, but even a Korean mutt deserves better treatment.
I have heard non-Koreans call Korean bitches “sweet meat”, but now the WSJ confirms their moniker.
9:29 pm on May 14th, 2008 31
Koreans are lining up for a bowl of diry salmonella dog stew.
salmonella dog stew makes me want to puke.
12:55 am on May 16th, 2008 32
Korean brainwashing its children.
hxxp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jhe-i6ff3M&feature=related
Koreans are calling this a genocide.
hxxp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=jVe4TCmZiwQ&NR=1
Korean claiming that children may not live to to be adults.
hxxp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=YF7E0LPE_Kw&feature=related
Koreans are doing this because they really hate Americans.
6:24 am on May 16th, 2008 33
[...] all these Korean students out protesting over one of the stupidest issues in a litany of stupid anti-US causes in Korea; is it any wonder why Korea’s educational [...]
12:29 pm on June 1st, 2008 34