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Korea
An Old Warrior Tries to Explain it to His Mush-brained Grandkid
2003-07-22
And fails. EFL
Ever since the North’s admission that it has a nuclear programme, South Koreans have felt a greater divide with their neighbours in the North. But Park Heung Bok’s biggest concern is the division he feels with the younger generation’s liberal attitude towards the communist state. "The reconciliatory policy has only helped Kim Jong-il make his nuclear bomb," he said. "Young people are so naive — they didn’t experience the war and they did not see the atrocities of the communists. "The younger generation think it’s just history, and a war can never happen here again. It’s a very dangerous situation."
"Nope. Can't happen here, 'cuz we're special..."
Back at Mr Park’s home, his 20-year-old grandson Hyun Jin is typical of this new generation. As the family eats together around the dining table, Hyun Jin talks about how he has spent the day. Rarely would he try to talk about North Korea in front of his medal-decorated grandfather. "North Koreans are hungry and so much in suffering. I feel sorry for them that they are always being pressurised by the United States," Hyun Jin said.
One of the most remarkable things about the whole Korean conflict is how successful the NorKs have been at getting the younger generation to swallow their propaganda line. I guess those KCNA articles don’t translate well.
"My grandfather has strong anti-communist feelings because he fought in the war. I’m not as anti-North Korean as he is. I’m more anti-American."
"That's ever so much more fashionable..."
This is the biggest fear of Park Heung Bok. As the nuclear tension rises, Mr Park worries that the attitude of most South Koreans — like that of his grandson — is too soft about North Korea. "The communists are all liars. I wonder how we could live together with them if the Koreas ever reunify," he said. "Young people should not be fooled by the North Koreans, and should arm themselves with a stronger sense of anti-communism. We should be prepared for any physical attack by North Korea."
I couldn’t have said it better than Granddad.
They might even give some thought to the mechanism the NKors plan to use for "reunification." The last go-around featured an NKor attempt to "reunify" the country...
To Hyun Jin, a second Korean War is something he has never really thought about. And he sounded doubtful that his generation — having grown up in a more prosperous environment — would be ready to deal with a war if it ever happened. "My grandfather knows how to fight, so I’m sure he’ll stand up again to protect the country," [!] Hyun Jin said. "But I get a feeling young people like myself — we don’t know a thing about war. Somehow I get the feeling that we’ll just be running for our lives."
Yeah, your 70-year old grandfather will protect you. Reading this makes me so proud of the young men and women in Iraq. I thought there was conscription in Korea. Do college kids get a deferment?
Posted by:11A5S

#9  Hyun Jin may be in for a helluva wake up call some morning.
Posted by: tu3031   2003-7-22 10:40:02 PM  

#8  The key here is not North KOREAN vs South KOREAN,
it's simply KOREAN.

The Chinese are casually racist: "You're not
Chinese? Sorry for you."

The Japanese are insularly racist: "We're separate. We must be special. We ARE special."

The Korean's make either of them look like pikers.
It's been a feature of Korean nationalism for
centuries, as a way to make itself proof against the "mongrelization" inherant in being invaded, by the Chinese on their way to Japan, or the Japanese on their way to China, time after time.

These kids view it not as NK against SK, but rather Korea against the world.

"Han-gook" (Korean) - "Mee-gook" (everybody else)
Posted by: Bud   2003-7-22 4:03:58 PM  

#7  The key here is not North KOREAN vs South KOREAN,
it's simply KOREAN.

The Chinese are casually racist: "You're not
Chinese? Sorry for you."

The Japanese are insularly racist: "We're separate. We must be special. We ARE special."

The Korean's make either of them look like pikers.
It's been a feature of Korean nationalism for
centuries, as a way to make itself proof against the "mongrelization" inherant in being invaded, by the Chinese on their way to Japan, or the Japanese on their way to China, time after time.

These kids view it not as NK against SK, but rather Korea against the world.

"Han-gook" (Korean) - "Mee-gook" (everybody else)
Posted by: Bud   2003-7-22 4:03:55 PM  

#6  I can't help but wonder why the South Koreans didn't try to shift some of their population south, away from North Korean artillery. Seoul changed hands a few time during the last war, and artillery is not exactly new technology. The threat to Seoul is longstanding and has been ignored.
Posted by: Yank   2003-7-22 1:45:32 PM  

#5  to follow up on hiryu - the SKor dovish position re NKOR nukes makes perfect sense. NKOR doesnt need nukes to threaten Seoul = all those artillery pieces are just as effective. Nukes are a weapon for NKOR to blackmail the US - by threatening Japan perhaps, or even more likely by threatening to sell the nukes to the middle east. Thats a big problem for the US - its hardly a concern of South Korea.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-7-22 10:52:39 AM  

#4  While infuriating, the denial that seems to exist in the South comes from the reality that Seoul is toast whatever happens if worse comes to worse.

Still, if we're seen as the problem and not the solution I'm all for our people checking out.
Posted by: Hiryu   2003-7-22 6:58:19 AM  

#3  South Korean sounds like what the US could be like in 30 years, which is truly amazing.

Think about it for a second. South Korea's "Baby Boom" generation grew up in the late 50s and 60s, slightly later than the US Baby Boom. These kids are the third generation after the war, like my kids are.

These children are affluent, educated, and know even less about the realities of the world. At least our Gen-X's have had to experience Iraq (twice), Bosnia, Kosovo, and 9/11. These kids have none of that. Just affluence AND the experience of seeing foreign troops in their country all the time.

Like most kids, they worship the "other," that which is not their parents or grandparents. The other is always better than what their relatives know.

I can't believe that all Korean kids have gone this soft in the head, but over and over again your read about them and this kid sounds typical, not unique...

They're in trouble...big trouble.
Posted by: R. McLeod   2003-7-22 3:16:56 AM  

#2  If it wasn't for this grandpa I'd say let them eat grass.
Posted by: Rafael   2003-7-22 1:51:27 AM  

#1  Even though I know the reporting has described the current fat & happy young Pollyannas in SKor, it really pisses me off to read this guy's comments. 20 yrs old? Sounds like a no-clue pre-teen.

Grandpa has some work to do. And he'd better hurry. Reality's coming. Soon.
Posted by: PD   2003-7-22 1:14:07 AM  

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