For anyone out there who still wants to claim the Cows Gone Wild protests are anti-Lee Myung-bak and not anti-American then please explain to me why were statements from US Ambassador Sandy Vershbow intentionally mistranslated in order to get an anti-American reaction from the Korean public?:
UDP chairman Sohn Hak-kyu said at a party executive meeting today, “For Ambassador Vershbow to say ‘Koreans should learn a little more about science’ is an insult to all Korean citizens… Because the Lee Myung-bak administration took a humiliating posture towards the United States, an arrogant and impudent statement was made.” He then called the ambassador “very rude” for an earlier phone call in which he told Sohn that he was disappointed and that the UDP head’s statement were causing public insecurity. [Robert Koehler - TMH]
Here is what Ambassador Vershbow actually said:
So we hope that Koreans will begin to learn more about the science and about the facts of American beef and that this issue can be addressed constructively. We believe there is a lot of work ahead in getting people to pay more attention to the science and the facts of the matter. [Yonhap]
Obviously very different statements and as Robert points out, Sohn Hak-kyu attended Oxford thus showing he has good English proficiency and is intentionally mistranslating what the Ambassador said in order to promote anti-American sentiment within the Korean public. Make sure to read the rest of Robert’s posting that shows how the Korean media has now taken Sohn’s interpretation of what the Ambassador said in order to fan the flames of anti-Americanism in Korea with not one media outlet bothering to check and see what Ambassador Vershbow actually said. Mistranslating statements is a common tactic in the Korean media thus the fact that a Korean politician is doing it of little concern to them.
What this does show is that the anti-US Korean left behind these protests are using two different narrative to address the two different audiences. With the US and western media beginning to take notice of what is going on in Korea the Korean left are claiming in English that these protests are all about the poor governing by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, which is ludicrous since the guy has only been in office barely 100 days. The press reports being released in English to the western media are mostly written by Korean correspondents who have no intention of writing exactly what is going on in Korea. The best article written yet was in the Washington Post and it was because it was not written by a Korean correspondent.
In Korean to their Korean audience the Korean left is continuing to make this not only anti-Lee issue, but an anti-US issue as well which is further demonstrated by this mistranslation. The average Korean thinks the US government is trying to kill them with dangerous meat and now the Korean left behinds these protests are trying to create the perception within the public that the US government is not only trying to feed Koreans dangerous beef, but they are arrogant and think Koreans are stupid as well. This is all a blatant smear campaign which is nothing new in Korea. This is straight out of the Korean media playbook.
What this issue does bring out is the US government’s poor abilities to engage the Korean public in Korean. Relying on the Korean media to translate what you say is not the way to engage the Korean public. Imagine how things may have been mitigated a bit if a number of high echelon people working in the US Embassy to include the ambassador could speak Korean and get their message straight to the Korean public?
Popularity: 4%
8:02 am on June 5th, 2008 1
9:48 am on June 5th, 2008 2
I would offer that US Government public relations in Korea may be intentionally hampered by ROK media laws.
This may be only be an urban legend, but it is my understanding that US media outlets (to include AFKN) are forbidden from printing and distributing in Hangul and showing Hangul subtitles on TV broadcasts.
Apparently, the legend goes that the ROKs forbid these media translation activities because they consider them to be a form of PSYOPs on the Korean population.
Again, this may just be one of those urban legends you here about from working on the USFK staff. But if it is true, then your only recourse is to become proficient in Hangul.
11:23 am on June 5th, 2008 3
Jax, don’t be ridiculous.
11:54 am on June 5th, 2008 4
Tom,
Thanks for pointing out the fallacy of my posting …
… oh wait, didn’t I twice offer a disclaimer?
Now if anyone out there is knowledgeable on ROK foreign media laws, then please be the Mythbuster.
12:06 pm on June 5th, 2008 5
“The press reports being released in English to the western media are mostly written by Korean correspondents who have no intention of writing exactly what is going on in Korea. ”
I have been saying this forever. Kyopo journalists report the Korean story (propaganda). They can’t be trusted.
12:08 pm on June 5th, 2008 6
This stuff is like watching a playbook. Anytime the US ambassador has spoken out on something, the same things has happened. It’s as predictable as gravity.
12:28 pm on June 5th, 2008 7
if we view all the participators of these demonstrations as one entity with one purpose and goal, then it would seem like their stance is changing to meet the circumstances.
but i personally feel that it shows how the left leaning parties and failed candidates from the past two elections are trying to highjack the popular consent of the people with the help of an equally opportunistic media.
it would be wrong to assume that Sohn Hak-kyu somehow represents this movement. he’s basically a failed candidate in a failed party trying to get something out of nothing.
while the average couch-korean may be swayed by such show boating lets not let ourselves be influenced such cheap ploys; especially as we should be more objective outside observers.
12:34 pm on June 5th, 2008 8
As someone stated to me in a previous post, “The issue of US beef has more to do with leftist politics than US beef”. I tend to agree. The beef issue is not a US issue that the US can do anything about, regardless wether the US Ambassador speaks Korean or Swahili. It is a Korean political issue. A showdown of sorts between the left and the right. Well orchestrated by the beef industry in Korea, latched onto by the left, and reported by a media looking for ratings. Surely a political football for lee. But it really has nothing to do with the US or the safety of its beef.
12:36 pm on June 5th, 2008 9
jhaelin, it seems the central theme of all your comments is to make excuses for the anti-Americanism. You comments seem to consistently interpret invents so as to minimize and downplay the events. Sometimes your apologetic viewpoint seems to blame everyone but the Koreas actually protesting.
What is the color of the sky in your world?
1:44 pm on June 5th, 2008 10
Between tracked vehicles, formaldehyde and old beef, we will eventually “get” all the Koreans.
…and, then, it’s on to Canada!
Muah hah hah hah hah haaaaa!
2:40 pm on June 5th, 2008 11
shattered,
i have at no point tried to dismiss nor excuse the existence of anti-americanism in korea nor in these protests.
i have, however, been trying to balance a foreign perspective which often becomes too ameri-centric.
no doubt america, americans, its policies, continue to be major influence on korea, but every time there is a protest in korea doesn’t mean they are always anti-american.
these protest, as i am sure many others in korea, )especially ones involving economics) are much more complicated than a one-dimensional, american-centered issue. i just think koreans deserve to be viewed as having a little more depth and diversity which may be difficult to do when there are language and cultural barriers.
3:02 pm on June 5th, 2008 12
There you go again jhaelin.
Minimizing and trying to obfuscate the issue. Nobody is claiming that ALL protests are anti-American. But these “mad cow” protests are anti American.
hxxp://au.youtube.com/watch?v=jVe4TCmZiwQ&feature=related
Why does this video talk about Bush? Look 153 into it and it claims that the USA is imposing US imperialism.
Yes, they they are complaining about 2MB too, but only because he is seen as too pro American.
3:03 pm on June 5th, 2008 13
” i just think koreans deserve to be viewed as having a little more depth and diversity which may be difficult to do when there are language and cultural barriers.”
So do you speak Korean? Just wondering, and how long as an adult have you lived in Korea.
You are acting as a spokesperson on this, so I would like an honest answer.
4:50 pm on June 5th, 2008 14
wow i am beginning to feel a bit like mr. vershbow…
“” i just think koreans deserve to be viewed as having a little more depth and diversity which may be difficult to do when there are language and cultural barriers.”
So do you speak Korean? Just wondering, and how long as an adult have you lived in Korea.
You are acting as a spokesperson on this, so I would like an honest answer.””
i didn’t realize my statement above implied that i spoke korean nor that i am one who can cross such barriers that differences impose and play the role of spokesperson. i was just merely recognizing the wall and its possible influence on perspective.
but i can understand your assumption.
based on how you seem to assign my posts and the assumed position you have given me, it is understandable that you would draw the conclusion from my statement.
and although, i think mr. sohn is an opportunistic niche grabbing parasite, he is obviously savvy enough to recognize that koreans can make similar hasty conclusions from just one sentence -influenced by their prior assumptions of versbhow’s position.
and before you accuse me of clouding up the water even more, i think what i am trying to do is just appreciate the dense population of fish and plants floating in the water.
ultimately what shocks me is how personally so may foreigners are taking this issue and how some have linked this event with the previous events of anti-americanism (i.e. the 2002 soldiers, tanks, little girls, oh my!)
and although perhaps it is a defense mechanism in anticipation of confrontation with koreans, i have yet to hear any stories of foreigners or even american soldiers being harassed from these protests.
as of today, aside from verbal attacks on vershbow and bush, i have not heard of any incidents on expats…but of course i can be wrong on this.
5:06 pm on June 5th, 2008 15
p.s. so as to be clear about what my position is…
i think these protest (and most protests) are great from the perspective that it is citizens going against a government that is trying to push something unilaterally.
as an american who considers that day in march five years ago as a day of infamy, it gives me hope when common citizens anywhere can influence a government beyond the limited options fed to them at the ballot box.
and yes, i think some koreans are racists, anti-american and ignorant, as i have met them. but i have also met others who are not. and until i have an adequate sampling size of koreans that i have come to know personally, i will reserve any sweeping generalizations.
5:13 pm on June 5th, 2008 16
” i just think koreans deserve to be viewed as having a little more depth and diversity which may be difficult to do when there are language and cultural barriers.”
So, you don’t speak Korean, nor have you been to Korea as an adult. Yet, you want to interpret events of Korea for the “expats”. Speaking of arrogance, look in the mirror. Many of the “expats” you dismiss as having “one-dimensional, american-centered” actually do speak Koraen, have lived in Korea as an adult, and are not American.
My gut feeling is that you are an apologist for your ethnicity. An no matter what happens in Korea, and no matter how small your undersanding of Korean culture is, you will try and deflect and mitigate the reality.
5:15 pm on June 5th, 2008 17
“i have yet to hear any stories of foreigners or even american soldiers being harassed from these protests.”
Maybe because all your friends are Kyopos, and don’t mix with Americans.
5:19 pm on June 5th, 2008 18
jhaelin let me make clear these protests are not similar to the 2002 tank accident. The 2002 protests had rallies that drew up to 250,000 people tearing up American flags. The biggest rallies the Korean left has been able to mobilize for the US beef issue is 40,000 from media reports. The pictures I have seen of the protests do not look like 40,000 though.
However, when foreigners are banned from entering business establishments, USFK camps are fire bombed, and GIs are attacked, kidnapped, and stabbed then we can compare this to 2002. These protests are no where near being anything close to 2002.
These protests are closer to the nonsense in 2000 in regard to the Yongsan Water Dumping incident which was nearly as ridiculous as this issue.
6:05 pm on June 5th, 2008 19
[...] By the way for those wondering, I in no way think this has anything to do with the current Cows Gone Wild madness. [...]
7:35 pm on June 5th, 2008 20
As I’ve argued before, it makes no sense to attempt to separate out the anti-government and anti-US threads in the protest culture — because of how closely they are aligned.
It was this way throughout the authoritarian rule period and it has held over from it.
The current phenomenon is about US beef, and anti-US sentiment, and anti-Lee sentiment.
It doesn’t matter that the foundation on the US beef angle was bogus. It was what clearly sparked the fire and is still used as a main theme in the protests.
And the new beef deal and the disinformation is very much about Korea’s will to dislike the US in Korea.
And it has purely internal Korean political aspects as well.
7:35 pm on June 5th, 2008 21
nice GI!
i guess i’ve been put on a list.
oh the mirrors, the mirrors that reflect the dark.
10:10 pm on June 5th, 2008 22
“as an american who considers that day in march five years ago as a day of infamy”
I would never have guessed you were American until you wrote that you were. Maybe you shoud say, “as an Amerian passport holder” or something. What day in March five years ago?
11:50 pm on June 5th, 2008 23
6:50 am on June 19th, 2008 24
[...] Here is a perfect example of how the Korean media has absolutely has no shame when they twist what anyone says to include totally changing translations from English speakers to fit their Cows Gone Wild narrative. [...]