Okay, so maybe "gate" is not an appropriate word. But it was still enough to piss me off to the point where I actually thought about blogging about it and blow off some steam. So here it goes!
Apparently, this guy Kuroda Katsuhiro is the manager of the Korean branch of the Japanese Sankei Newspaper. He writes a column called "Yoboseyo from Seoul" or something like that, and talks about what he thinks about Korea. I really didn't bother doing much research, so forgive me if any of this detail is wrong. I'm just getting it off this article, and what little I do know about this guy.
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Article from ww.daum.net <======(It's in Korean so don't bother if you can't read, but take a look at the picture anyway)
I doubt any korean reporter would have reason to lie about his sources (/sarcasm off) but this time I think the info is somewhat credible so I'll just go with it.
Anyway, it seems that he's an infamous korea-basher and has repeatedly offended the Korean public with dumbass remarks like "Japanese women, beware of Korean men!" In this case, he talked about a Korean food named "Bibimbap." I don't want to bother explaining, just click
here.
As you can see, when it first comes out it looks all fancy, but the name itself means RICE THAT YOU MIX. You're supposed to mix it all up so you can have the rice, vegetables, meat, and sauce all at once (Flavor of Harmony, supposedly). And what does this Katsuhiro guy do but say that it looks all pretty in the beginning but looks all messed up (I exaggerated, but it's pretty much what he wanted to say) when you actually have to eat it. That itself, not so offensive depending on how it's said and the context in which the phrase is used. It's not like he's lying or anything. But what he did next was amazing: He compared it to an old chinese proverb that goes "Lamb Head Dog Meat." That means that while one advertises to sell Lamb meat he actually sells Dog meat. Translation? Says one thing, does something else behind their back.
Really? Mr. Kuroda, really? Your kind of people (Old conservative nationalistic politicians whose kind contributed to the Japanese invasion of Korea and China almost 100 years ago) are the ones who said "Oh we'll protect your country from those evil westerners!!!" while sucking all the natural, economical, and human resources from the Koreans, massacring them and taking their women as "comfort women" and assassinating the
queen who was in your way. I am aware that many countries that were colonized by western countries were treated like crap as well but that doesn't excuse your behavior. And then you have the balls to say that Korea is two-faced?
No, I'm not over-reading in to it. He is a known bigot and he clearly means that phrase as a poke at Koreans in general. Now, I'm not going to say there's NO Koreans like that. Just like in any other country, unfortunately a large number of people happen to be idiots that prove Katsuhiro right. But it's a whole different thing to be lumping everyone together and making general statements like that. If he was in front of me, and I had like 500% more muscle mass and a guarantee that there would be no retaliation, I would beat the crap out of him for making that statement (Yes I'm a scardycat, mock me if you will).
And if he really just meant the food? I'd still tell him to fuck off, doesn't change the fact that he's an inconsiderate bigot who needs to be put in his place or just plain old fired.
Oh, but the story gets better. Some Radio DJ named Yi Oe Soo (I totally made that spelling up, it's 이외수 but I don't know how HE spells it in Engish) went ahead and commented on that, saying "Well if you put it that way, how barbaric is Sushi? It is still in its primitive form. It's the epitome of an uncivilized food culture! ^^" and it made me want to drag him by his pony tail all the way to the Han River Bridge so I could throw him off and make him swim out in that filthy toxic muck and gag. I don't know about you, but that's just a stupid thing to say. "Hey, some Japanese dude that everyone knows is a bigot made some bigot comment about our culture, let's make an offensive remark at an important part of Japanese culture!" Are you kidding me?
Sushi does not have anything to do with being primitive. Oh, then are all asians who eat plain white rice primitive? It's the exact same shit we've all been eating since whenever we discovered how to grow and make white rice!! (
Wikipedia says 10,000 years in Asia) We don't do anything fancy to it, we just steam it and eat it! And what about fish? Sometimes all we do is salt it a bit and grill it! OMG so primitive!!! What are we, cavemen???
You friggin idiot, it's about SIMPLICITY and maximizing the natural flavor of the ingredients. You think it's easy to do that? Then you have no clue what sushi is, or even just simply what food is. Really. Don't friggin try sushi in Korea, go to Japan, go to Hawaii, ask the locals who know what they are talking about for a great place for sushi and go try it there. Go to Aomori, try their prize hon maguro. Go to Tsukiji. Then talk. Do you even know how much work and selection it takes to get you that one piece? Fuck you, go to hell.
Have you never went to a buddist temple (Jeol) in like the super countryside and tried their sanchae(mountain vegetables) meals? Is it all fancy and spiced and shit? No, dumbass, it's really simple with barely any thing at all added except MAYBE salt, sesame oil, and soy sauce. And yet it taste GREAT. Why? Cuz it's made with all natural vegetables they fucking grow themselves with loving care, you dipshit. You gonna call that primitive too? You're a bigot. You're just the same as that Katsuhiro Kuroda guy.
Kuroda and Yi, I don't give a shit what other people may say or think about you. You guys are both bigots that can't contribute anything positive to your respective societies, much less anyone else's. People like you are why Korea and Japan still can't really get along. More than 60 years have passed since the invasion was ended, and yet the healing hasn't even really started yet. The witnesses are just dying left and right with no closure. I can't even imagine how that feels. And all that's happening is their left over baggage is just being passed on to the next generations that will soon start taking charge of the country and ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING TOWARDS PEACE but can't because of nimrods like you. And now that the internet is in wide use, oh how neo-nationalism, egocentrism, and bigotry flourish. The Anti-Japanese, Anti-American, Anti-anyothercountrythateversaysanythingnegtiaveaboutkoreaordoesanythingtonegativelyaffectkorea sentiment is at an all time high in Korea since decades ago. Why? Because young people who don't fully have the cognitive capacity to filter out crap and think with their own minds look at crap like Kuroda and Yi and just accept it as their own thoughts and views, and it stays with them when they become older.
No matter how much some people try to understand what happened, make ammends, and move on, assholes like you are the ones that keep both countries embedded in the past. The political power that be right now in Japan are clearly the conservative powers that received their reigns from imperialists who were active in the early to mid 1900's. Their politics are based on the "We are superior" mentality Japanese politicians used to have back then, and it really doesn't work in the current global society. We live in a different world now, and the way the politicians think must change as well. Not just in Japan, but Korea as well. They are so hung up on what happened over half a century ago that there's just no real progress going on between the two countries, just very superficial progress here and there that aren't even stable.
Dear Japanese Politicians: Dokdo? You idiots, you were supposed to give it back whether it was specifically named or not in the treaty. Don't argue, don't be jackasses, just give it back, it was NEVER yours at any point in time.
Dear Korean Politicians:Reparations? You retards, President Park already got the reparations from the Japanese government during his dictatorship. Where do you think the money came from to help run all the projects and developments? I admit it wasn't nearly enough, but the point is Korea asked, Japan payed. End of story. You can't go now and say oh it wasn't enough, we want more! I know you want to impress your voters but really?? Go find something better to work on like DOMESTIC DEVLOPMENT, how about using money on WELFARE instead of wasting it on REPAVING AND REDOING ROADS AND SIDEWALKS EVERY YEAR just so that you won't get budget cuts the next financial year? Oh and stop wasting money equivalent to MILLIONS OF DOLLARS on your PRIVATE TRIPS AND VACATIONS. The people pay taxes so you can get payed to WORK FOR THEM.
Apology? Do it, Japan, and Korea, accept it, and for gods sake get past it. Do you not feel threatened at all by the EU? If the Korean and Japanese governments had half a brain they'd already be in a similar relationship, working to make profits off that relationship and becoming stronger, richer countries in a symbiotic relationship. I don't include China because they would never participate in anything like that. I love Korea, it's a second home for me, and I love Japan less but still love it, it's home #3. I just want to see them get along.
This is getting way off topic so I'll stop here. But seriously, listen, bigots everywhere: Go jump off a cliff. A really high one. Dig a real deep trench where you will fall so we can just cover your bodies up with dirt when you're all gone and be done with it. I don't want you ruining what chances I have at a better future, nor my children's. I would love nothing more than to put a 9mm in your head if it was legal to shoot bigots, I really would. Kuroda, Yi, that goes for you too. The world is moving in a new direction. What we want is to get along. Peace. Prosperity. Not just for me, or you, but for everyone. Not some communist socialist bullshit, dumbass, but all humans have the right to a minimum amount of dignity and humane living conditions, the right to not feel outcast in their own society, the right to not be treated like dirt just because some others just happen to have more money and more opportunities. So you know what? Lead, follow, or get the fuck out of the way, because we don't need you. We don't WANT you.
I apologize if anyone was offended by the constant use of "You", it was aimed at the bigots spoken of above. So if you are not a bigot, please rest assured I don't mean to target you. If you ARE a bigot, I hope you are very offended, dismayed at all the hatred, and go do exactly what I asked you to do.