Korean nationalism--and my big "but."

Today one of my students came up to me before class and said she was angry.  (She said this with a faint smile on her face; I think many of my students don't quite grasp the heat of the word "angry.")  I asked her why, and she said she was angry that on Friday I said that Michael Phelps was a very good swimmer.  She didn't like Michael Phelps, she said, because he beat Park Taehwan, Korea's superstar swimmer and most cheered-for Olympic athlete.  When I pointed out that Michael Phelps was undeniably a very good swimmer, she became petulant.  "I don't like America!" she proclaimed.  "I only like Korea!"

From what I've seen, the Koreans have some serious national pride.  To be fair, Korea has had a bit of a sad and abused history.  Most recently, the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 until 1945 has left a powerful sting.  I've already made two visits to Seodaemun Prison, the infamous hellhole in Seoul where Japanese forces starved and tortured Korean freedom fighters during the occupation.  (I've been meaning to blog about that, but I have Kind Of A Lot Of Thoughts, and I haven't found a 12-hour block of time yet.)  Plus, Korea is an infant democracy and has become a global power very quickly.  So a bit of national pride is certainly in order.

Still, it's a bit disconcerting to hear outright hatred of the Japanese, references to Thais as "dirty Asians," and all the rest.  In fact, this morning wasn't the first time--probably not even the fifth time--that I've heard a student say that they dislike other countries and only like Korea.  (Disclaimer: obviously, not every Korean holds this sentiment...and among those who do, it seems mostly harmless.  It's mostly a self-love rather than an other-hate kind of deal, as far as I've witnessed it.)  But--and there's always a but!--it's still a bit off-putting.

In this case, as with many bits of the national character, I find myself comparing Koreans with Germans.  During my time in Germany, I was surprised to find out how anti-nationalistic Germans are.  One of our teachers, who has blond hair, even said that when she goes abroad, she hopes other people will think she's Scandanavian instead of German because she doesn't want that "tag."  She's proud of being from Cologne, she says; she just doesn't exactly want Germany's reputation to precede her.  And that's understandable.  But the reputation is patently ridiculous, because modern Germany is a prosperous, extremely well-educated, considerate citizen of the world.  It has behaved very, very badly in its recent history...but that was three generations ago, and I have found that most modern Germans regard that ugly spot in their past with all the contempt and repentance that it deserves.  In fact, they often swing to the other extreme, going light on parental discipline lest it be too harsh and Nazi-like, and refusing to display German flags because to do so might seem overly nationalistic.  (Well...sometimes they wave flags during big soccer games.  But those are dire circumstances!  And even so, you see far fewer German flags than flags of the opponent's country.)

In relief against the Germans, Koreans seem almost dangerously nationalistic to me.  I don't exactly expect to see it develop into ethnic cleansing like it did in Germany--although exactly who would be ethnically cleansed?  Only 2% of the people in Korea are foreign, and a majority are temporary residents--but...again, that "but."  The hyper-nationalism is disconcerting.

Korea is shockingly homogenous.  To wit: 80% of Koreans have the surname Kim, Park, or Lee.  I mean, DANG, right?  They also are one of the oldest continuous civilizations on Earth.  Those roots run deep, yo.  Add a dash of kicked-puppy fortitude from the Japanese occupation, plus a heap of recent financial and political success, and it's no wonder the Koreans have rallied like they have.  So I suppose I'm not offering a rebuke; just making an observation.  I'm interested to see whether (and how) my perception of Korean nationalism changes as I get to know the language better and as I make more Korean friends.

I found a YouTube video someone shot of the museum at Seodaemun Prison, and although the camerawork is a bit frenetic for my tastes, it might be interesting to some of you.  In particular, beginning around 4 minutes and 15 seconds, you can hear a reenactment of torture with an almost laughably evil Japanese voice-over.  It's almost laughable, that is, because that portrayal of the Japanese as evil is hard to ignore at the museum.  Again, I must qualify that: the museum is exceptionally well-done...and besides, the Japanese guards that ran the prison were kind of evil.  But...well, you know.  "But."  The Japan of 2008 is not the Japan of 1928.

To end on a light note, I found another YouTube video that displayed the same Korean nationalism, but in a satirical and fun-loving way.  It's two Korean-American college students dressed up as two ornery ahjushi (Korean men) giving a lesson on Korean history.  And it is HILARIOUS, for two reasons: the way they poke fun at the aforementioned Korean pride, and the way they imitate Koreans speaking English.  AMAZING.  I give it three thumbs up.  Korean noodles numbah wUuUuUn!