Comments on: Dokdo & Journalistic Standards of Yonhap News

By: Lee Government Pursues Internet Restriction Proposal

Lee Government Pursues Internet Restriction Proposal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:43:33 +0000

[...] sites maybe they should also go after their own mainstream journalists as well and begin to promote better journalistic standards so people won’t readily believe what they read on the Internet [...]

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:18:04 +0000

So much han, so many marketing opportunities.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:10:48 +0000

Well, after being back in Korea and checking out some of the Olympic coverage—not my choice—I see that they're airing commercials using images of those "Chosun" athletes forced to compete with the Japanese flag on their uniforms, then contrasting that with a montage of Korean athletes succeeding under the Taegukgi. So that's a well that never runs dry.

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:43:24 +0000

Hey GI, thanks for checking out my book!

Dokdo is the ultimate symbol of postcolonial Korean identity.

You'd think that after being an independent nation for 6 decades-plus, they'd have moved on by now, but it's amazing how crucial Dokdo remains to Korea's own (postcolonial) sense of itself.

Fascinating.

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:06:15 +0000

King Baeksu I picked up your book the other day at Kyobo and read in there how the Korea Herald plagiarized your work. It seems like plagiarism is just excepted practice in the Korean media and they have no shame doing it.

As far as Dokdo 2MB playing the Dokdo card was so obvious when the beef crisis was going on and incredibly it once again helped to get a politician out of hot water.

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:55:47 +0000

GI, the Korea Times often lifts reports from Yonhap verbatim, and then makes a few cosmetic changes presumably to throw people off the scent. I hope that they have some sort of agreement because otherwise it is outright plagiarism.

I like how Yonhap got Lovmo's name wrong, despite all the local passions surrounding "correct usage"" of the Dokdo name in English. Well, he's not Korean, so who cares, right?

Kongo, the Korean government never takes the bait. Rather, they shamelessly exploit the Dokdo trope whenever they need to. Notice how well it worked for Lee Myung-bak this time around, deflecting attention from the US beef protests at a crucial juncture?

I wouldn't be surprised if Lee actually asked Japan to throw another timber in the fire during the recent G8 summit in Hokkaido.

Many people are stupid, so sometimes you gotta throw 'em a stupid bone every now and then.

By: GI Korea

GI Korea — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:50:00 +0000

Kalani it looks like the Korea Times has the same journalism standards as Yonhap: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/...

By: kongo

kongo — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:19:57 +0000

What I don't understand is why does Korea always take the bait. Let's face it, Japan does this every so many years. Last time it was the East Sea, AKA Sea of Japan. What's going on really, why do these two countries continue this sibling rivalry.

Bases on what I see, the RoK pays for the maintenance of the island and has claim to it. I don't see why they should feel threatened when they are not being militarily challanged.

By: Brian in Jeollanam-do: Minnesota school teacher and blogger dismissively told to mind his own business concerning Korean affairs.

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:28:11 +0000

[...] to write about “sensitive,” “Korean” issues provided they don’t take the unpopular side. HT to GI Korea, whose ROK Drop blog had the story from Yonhap a couple of days ago. He and his guest posters are [...]

By: Bob Walsh

Bob Walsh — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:19:03 +0000

Hmmmm… Maybe Yonhap is taking a page from KCNA, which used to like to cite foreign recognition of the Great Leader's prowess and wisdom from out-of-the way places.

HEADLINE: SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF KIM IL SUNG THOUGHT OF UPPER SLEAZILAND HAILS SONGUN POLICY

HEADLINE: MBUTU UNGWEIZI OF MAASAILAND PENS POEM OF PRAISE FOR JUCHE IDEA