By GI Korea on March 19th, 2010 at 1:10 pm

Picture of the Day: Korea’s Newest Immigrants

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Marriage immigrants celebrate yesterday in the Incheon Immigration Office, where they were naturalized as Korean citizens. YONHAP

• shadowboxer
  6:16 am on March 19th, 2010 1

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• Hank
  7:25 am on March 19th, 2010 2

  You are an idiot. Go post your stupid, racist comments elsewhere.

• Leon LaPorte
  9:28 am on March 19th, 2010 3

  They do appear as if they will fit in with their new countrymen…

• Clowning_Odor
  11:49 am on March 19th, 2010 4

  Most of them do look to be ethnically Korean. I am sure it's not on purpose or racially motivated by the Korean Govenment.

• Mohamud
  2:39 pm on March 19th, 2010 5

  Did they take the citizenship test? or does one exist.I know it is not easy getting Korean citizenship what with the pure blood clause.

• Marcus Ambrose
  3:29 pm on March 19th, 2010 6

  You've got your head in the sand. Point out one in the picture that doesn't already look Korean.

• Marcus Ambrose
  10:31 pm on March 19th, 2010 7

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• revealingtrueselves
  11:21 pm on March 19th, 2010 8

  Shadowbox and Marcus,

  You guys show how silly and shallow you are..

  Imagine some Koreans who read this can see how ugly your heart is.

  Telling the truth, there's lots of Korean with natural round eyes and double eyelid in Kyong-sang province. Still I like almond shaped eyes rather than big double eyelid,hairy,super fat,slow-witted,red and leather-skin, frankly speaking though hating to show my ugly sides.

  Buy some mirrors and look at yourself. oo..ooop.s..!

• Grok
  11:47 pm on March 19th, 2010 9

  Ahhh RTS, you just fell for the Korean cultural sensitivity bait. While Shadowboxer's criticism was as subtle as a brick to the head, the point about "keeping it Asian" in regards to appearances in the public eye isn't inaccurate. Retorting with the equivalent of "Take your stinkin' paws off me, you damn dirty ape!", while humorous, doesn't help the cause. Instead, we can applaud that Yonhap is publicizing that Korea is actually accepting non-ethnically Korean immigrants (I think), which I'm sure many Koreans would still shudder at the thought, but note that Korean society needs to be more accepting of foreigners as citizens if it truly want to be regarded as cosmopolitan, instead of just saying it is in its public face. Otherwise, it should be happy to go back to being known as the Hermit Kingdom.

  Face it, until "traditional" Korean culture gets over the racial purity bit (btw, how many non-famous half-Koreans get treated well in everyday life in the 고향?), Korea will continue to garner criticism from those who know it well enough. Does that outweigh the positive aspects? Not unless we make it so.

• greedyjewbanker
  12:26 am on March 20th, 2010 10

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• JohnT
  3:20 am on March 20th, 2010 11

  When in Korea, do as Koreans do!

• JohnT
  3:41 am on March 20th, 2010 12

  They say they don't teach about racial purity in schools. It may not be in text books now, but according to the elementary students I taught, they still think their blood is pure. What's going on there?

  Funny, when you talk about biracial Koreans in Korea, most Koreans will start pointing out how America has racial problems and yada, yada. Yeah, America does have racial problems, there's no denying it and it's wrong isn't it?!

  Some will say that Korea is safer for foreigners than say places like Russia. Oh really? Why is the suicide rate for biracial Koreans so much higher than with "pure blooded" Koreans? Why are their public school drop out rates like 33% higher as well?

  However, look at the success of Koreans in the US compared to born-and-raised minorities in Korea. Are there any differences? Compare and constrast.

  Look at what those school kids in Canuckistan did when that Korean kid was bullied and then kicked out, any Korean students do the same for non Korean students in Korea?

  The fact that the majority of Korean nationals allow this to happen proves that it isn't just a minority of Korean nationals that think that way. Have I talked to every Korean? No. For the people who ask this, "Have YOU yourself talked to every Korea?"

  Now here come the pathetic excuses from some and insults from others-which just proves the points I've been making about them all along.

• JohnT
  3:42 am on March 20th, 2010 13

  And as you Koreans say, "If you don't like it, leave!"

• Tom
  3:47 am on March 20th, 2010 14

  ranting and raving and ranting and raving.

• Tom
  3:51 am on March 20th, 2010 15

  So says the half slant eye himself (he claims he's half Chinese). Most of the above in the picture are Han Chinese or Joseon-joks from China.

• Tom
  3:54 am on March 20th, 2010 16

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• Tom
  4:37 am on March 20th, 2010 17

  [DELETED BY ADMIN]

• Tom
  10:49 am on March 20th, 2010 18

  [DELETED BY ADMIN]

• Tom
  10:54 am on March 20th, 2010 19

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• Leon LaPorte
  2:11 pm on March 20th, 2010 20

  I do know a Turk in TDC who is a Korean citizen. All the GI's think he's a Russian. Somehow though I don't think the Koreans would use him (about 6 foot and gray eyes) as a poster boy.

• Marcus Ambrose
  2:38 pm on March 20th, 2010 21

  Exactly my point, i'm not sure why Mr. Admin is peeved at my post when I'm only contending that I think the picture is specifically staged so the average Korean doesn't go through the roof imagining people that don't look Korean actual become Korean.

  The fact is that the Yonhop story just happens to contain people the look Korean, not Russian, Filipina, African, Western European, or other, yet we all know those nationalities are now Korean citizens.

  I like Korea, and most Koreans. That's why I'm still here. But I should be able to point out flaws in the system without being attacked as racist. Why is it Americans can admit problems, but other countries are so sensitive about it?

• Leon LaPorte
  2:54 pm on March 20th, 2010 22

  I really don't know. There are a lot of deleted posts here.

• revealingtrueselves
  4:03 pm on March 20th, 2010 23

  First,I'm a bit of embarrassed to read my comment, last night I was made my mind to delete it but this morning, I got some replies so not going to delete it.

  I would like to say sorry about comment related to appearance.

  but,guys, what I was trying to say is that some Koreans see and hear what Americans complaint and disrespect Korean culture and people.

  I've heard and seen so many disrespect done by American, though those not done to me, but still count.

  Belittling half Korean? Maybe you say about abandoned G.I kids in Korea living in poor and bad environment with single mom. Most poor and introspective kids can be easy targets of the bullied.

  If they live with their daddy with comfortable environment, they can have better base to be successful in their life.

  Look at half,beautiful Korean-Americans with daddy who attends international schools and live fabulous life.

  And Korean society needs to be more accepting foreigner as citizen, grok?

  We have to accept them no matter what they call us chink or slant eyes publicly???

  They always complaint publicly just in front of our faces, stinky, dirty,garbage food, barbarians, *hores,*lut,…while they assume no one can understand them but imagine my nations and people spend bunch of money to learn English.

  Let me tell you what.

  My co-worker was very nice and offered kind costumer service to AMERICAN,but guess what the AMERICAN customer told his buddy in front of his face,"His face looks like stupid iron mask"

  That's very trifle but still counts.

  Some of your behaviors and comments give us bad image, reputation and prejudice about every single Americans even though some of them are very nice and great people.

  And guess what? Bad impression which hurt your heart are much stronger that good ones.

  Yeah, be my guest…as further as you want.

• Leon LaPorte
  4:08 pm on March 20th, 2010 24

  ”His face looks like stupid iron mask”

  Yeah, that's a common American insult. Americans talk just like that.

• archieb
  7:13 pm on March 20th, 2010 25

  You do know that many western people in Korea are NOT Americans? It doesn't sound like it. In fact, you even admit that nothing has ever happened to you. Sounds like you just want to carry a grudge without any reason or cause. Take my advice- for your own mental and physical health, try to have a better attitude about people who have never done anything to you. Besides, your fellow Koreans have never said anything cruel to you? Koreans have never been rude to you? Never? Ever? Be honest.

• Tom
  7:48 pm on March 20th, 2010 26

  You GI guys keep talking. I don't have to do anything to bring on hatred on yourselves.

• revealingtrueselves
  10:37 pm on March 20th, 2010 27

  They were all American G.I. stationed in Korea. Yeah, in fact,very honestly,I really hate to say it,but some of them showed rude and nasty attitude to me sometimes, do I have to disclose those????????

  No grundge without any reason or experience,can't you get it?

  And my fellow Korean, I hate most of Kyongsan province people who are rude and tough that's why I don't even go there.

  But still they don't disregard our culture. Can you imagine Korean call their food stinky,weird thing? Who would do that?

  That's totally different issue.

  I try to move on and have better attitude not to make mistakes of generalization fallacy, but still you got to accept there are some of your fellows who show attitude to degrade your character and image.

  bimbo,yummy,idiot,stupid,*lut,*hore,gold diggers,shouting "*uck" repeatedly,licking sound and gesture beside me… need more??

  I have ears and understand ENGLISH. FACT.

• Tom
  1:36 am on March 21st, 2010 28

  And they're surprised at the public backlashes that they've gotten. They've been treating the locals that way for decades, I know because I've also been at their receiving ends many times. But unlike many other Asians, Koreans will give back as much as they take it.

• kushibo
  5:14 am on March 21st, 2010 29

  I think some of you are seeing something that's not really there with this "look like us" assumption. The Inchon Immigration Office, has a high percentage of people from China using it, and that would tend to make a random group of new citizens pretty likely to be mostly or solely of Chinese origin.

  In the past, especially when non-ethnic Koreans being naturalized was eased and was a novelty, new citizens from Sri Lanka and other such countries were trotted out and their Korean skills put on public display.

  And ultimately, who are the most famous of the naturalized citizens? It's two White guys, Robert Holley and Lee Hanu, who is now the head of the Korean National Tourism Organization (and a very nice guy).

• GI Korea
  6:36 am on March 21st, 2010 30

  No its called a comments policy, if you don't follow it your post will be removed:
  http://rokdrop.com/about/

• HoChiMinh
  1:21 pm on March 21st, 2010 31

  I see that the Chinese censors are hard at work on this message board. Good job comrade!

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