koreanscholar

[koreanscholar]

12.06.2018 North Korean agent as the president?

During his time since he was sworn in as the President of South Korea, Moon has done many things that can directly benefit North Korean regime. He has found new allies and made best friends out of the brutal and oppressive regime in the North. How ironical that he calls himself a human right advocate! It is as if Hitler’s best friend calls for human rights to others. While he is so busy working for and defending the stances of the North Korean regime, Moon is also busy persecuting the people who oppose his pro-communist policies. I am not sure anymore whether we in the ‘democratic’ south have the freedom of speech. People get sued for defamation if it is against the pro-communist government. I am not talking about in North, but here in South, you should call Kim Jung Un ‘Dear Leader’ on air. If not, you are done with the TV stations (which themselves get pressured by the Blue house at the risk of their certificate getting revoked). Some people openly advocate communism on the street, which would have been unimaginable a year ago. I am not surprised that some activists suspect that the government act on the basis of a grand plan to bring about reunification by making south more like the north.

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03.07.2018

Time flies and that eventuality is scary. Enormously busy with every little detail in the life. Politics in Korea is tacit but filled with great turmoil. I see many hypocrites who close their eyes upon the dark (and doomed) future that the current government is driving the people toward under the motto of the reunification of, by, and for the Korean people. I have already heard about those who applied and got permanent residence abroad as a safety measure in this uncertain future.

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02.21.2018

Finally arrived back in Korea. Nothing much has been changed, it seemed. I was happy to see Korean flags hanging around the streets. I think that it will take a while to get settled.

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02.20.2018

20 minutes to the boarding. Scenes of the past 100 days seem to pass me in an instant. Have the goals at the beginning been achieved? 

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02.19.2018

We finished the last homework in the States and thereby had to drive a long time.

Faced with the trading pressure from the USA, Moon reportedly announced that he would  respond with a resolute attitude. This is in good contrast to his response to Chinese pressure, to which he said he would try to better communicate. When he first came to rise, I thought that he is naïve. Now, I believe that he is evil under the guise of naivete. If at all, being ignorant is nothing less than evil for a person with great responsibility. I wish that people find his true nature before it is too late (perhaps it already is).

[koreanscholar]

02.18.2018

Miraculously, we finished packing and got going by 10 AM. Stopped at a few spots and then left for Santa Monica. Nature is always relaxing. I felt too bad for not being able to spend more time outdoors. We would definitely miss this moment in retrospect. Finally checked in at the hotel, but severe headache prevented me from enjoying all the features, since I had to stay in bed. A long boring day is awaiting me tomorrow (an exciting one for SH).

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02.17.2018

We reviewed yesterday’s meeting at Google over breakfast. Unfortunately, I was informed that the connection at Google cannot participate in the paper as an author, although he offered to help as an invisible contributor. Back home, we started packing seriously and went through a series of exit procedures. Bought chocolate boxes to give away once we arrive back in Korea and later in the thick of packing, went to see K and S to thank for the hospitality so far. We will and hope to see them back in summer unless ... Tonight will be long.

[koreanscholar]

02.16.2018

I visited Google. The dining area was truly great as I have heard: everything was free even for visitors like me. The space was structured like a maze with many areas that are seemingly not office and quite impressive on their own. We discussed research while having lunch. It felt like I would become a much more creative person just by spending time inside, although I suspect if I were for long, I would most likely adapt myself with mediocrity.

[koreanscholar]

02.15.2018

I was busy finishing the revision in the morning. Enjoyed some free time in the afternoon and on. Watched the Olympic Games on NBC and lauded the lifelong efforts of many athletes.

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02.14.2018

Review results of a paper have finally arrived in exactly three months. An overly long review typically bodes ill, I supposed: this time, however, the review was surprisingly good, thanks to which I have something to focus on for a few days. Even without this, I am expected to be quite busy coming days because of the long-awaited transition. With whatever I could, I try not to think about Moon the Disaster.

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02.13.2018

From Chloe Kim’s interview today: she was happy to win the gold medal in her parents’ home country. The view about Korea being her parents’ home rather than hers, which I might have taken uncomfortably a few years ago, is more natural and relieving these days than the concept of blood-based ‘people’ often politicized for various reasons. Most recent example obviously would be what Moon (and his cabinets) do to the North Korean regime in an extremely submissive and disgraceful way, and this is justified in the name of ‘Between the same Korean people’. What is more important than blood must be whether they share an equal set of values. In this sense, I cannot understand how North and South Koreans can be grouped in a single word.

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02.12.2018

We visited Prof. Lee’s home for a very hospitable lunch and enjoyed the ensuing conversation for over four hours. I felt a bit sorry for not being able to linger as neighbors. One of the host’s remarks that caught my attention was that many academics in humanities and sociology studies based in Korea are often quite rigid and never acknowledge their limits even when they are faced with robust data. Surprisingly, he took an example from the clash between historical and economic perspectives, the champion of the latter he mentioned was Prof. Younghoon Lee’s view on Imperial Japanese government’s role on the modernization of Korea. From the historical perspective, the one that we learn from schools, Imperial Japan was evil and egregious. However, positive effects need also be recognized, he said.

Related, I deplore politicizing Imperial Japan by the Moon government and find it extremely unfair and uncomfortable to openly denounce Japan for what happened in 70+ years ago, while reserving comments on human rights abuse and atrocities done by the North Korean regime and happening right now. This is nothing but manipulate people, which reminds me of what happened on the Sewol.

[koreanscholar]

02.11.2018

President Moon, himself and what he does, is in many ways extremely concerning. Moon the Disaster, epithet given to him, is no less an exaggeration. While he follows his political opponents (and those who openly express negative comments) very ferociously and vigorously, he appears to be nothing but a meager paper tiger when he is at a diplomatic table. A few days ago, official photographs showed that he was reading scripts on paper (apparently written in Korean) even though he was with translators when he met US VP Pence and Japanese Prime Minister Abe. Moon has never been to abroad for a time long enough to offer him experience to familiarize himself with foreign cultures and to learn the ways to befriend people in other cultures. This is quite typical of those in the left because they had to spend much time in their youth underground. Still, the photograph saddens me on behalf of the people living in Korea, because Moon represents more than himself as president. Very unfortunately for many, he is incapable, if not imbecile.

http://www.pennmike.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2169

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02.10.2018

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