Descriptions of modus vivendi in the city of Seoul being challenged from inside and outside
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
He Is Always Whining
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm in his heart.
He is always whining. He says he is being unfairly attacked from the press. He calls the major press "the gangs of the crime organization."
He thinks he is being beleaguered by hostile forces--the major press, the political establishment, the opposition parties and the big businesses. He imagines himself on the throne of virtues, which he thinks entiled him to define the others around him.
He kept complaining, "I cannot handle this; I cannot manage the Presidency; I cannot run this country." Why? Because too many hostile forces are in his way. In natural courses of events, he decided to put his Presidency to the test of a referendum on the issue--threatening to resign if the people did not vote him full confidence. He is the maverick President of South Korea.
He is always whining. He says he is being unfairly attacked from the press. He calls the major press "the gangs of the crime organization."
He thinks he is being beleaguered by hostile forces--the major press, the political establishment, the opposition parties and the big businesses. He imagines himself on the throne of virtues, which he thinks entiled him to define the others around him.
He kept complaining, "I cannot handle this; I cannot manage the Presidency; I cannot run this country." Why? Because too many hostile forces are in his way. In natural courses of events, he decided to put his Presidency to the test of a referendum on the issue--threatening to resign if the people did not vote him full confidence. He is the maverick President of South Korea.
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Factories Disgorging Married Couples
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm in his heart.
In the years of economic recession, when more than 30 people take their precious lives every day, there is just one place that has no knowledge about the nation's somber situation. The wedding halls across the country are overbooked these days. Guests to those gala places are milling around, in elbow- to- elbow torturous procession.
Wedding halls look like factories literally disgorging married couples. Brides and bridegrooms are put in conveyor belts of the assembly line. Everything is just in order to be dovetailed. Half an hour is the deadline but the twenty minutes are a norm.
Guests are a part of the whole process. They wait just outside the hall for the previous ceremony to end. Just as soon as the ceremony was done, they rush to the hall to stand witnesses to the occasion. Girls of the hall spread a fresh rug, which has been filthy.
All the procedures are done in a rush. The moderator announces the ceremony to begin. Mothers of both families go to the altar and light the candles. The elderly master of the ceremony mounts the podium and makes a solemn face. The bridegroom climbs the altar and awaits his bride. The bride's father hands his dear daughter over to the groom and comes back to his seat.
The master of the ceremony is about to confirm 'Pledge of Nuptials." He asks each of the newly married couples hurried questions and garners yea responses and pronounces them husband and wife with haste. He, also being a volatile man himself, in this age of the supreme divorce rate, dithers and fumbles for apt words. He doesn't think he can make a traditional sermon of obeying and being patient about such and such things and get away with it. With ceremonial claps, the ceremony ends. All done, the visitors chip in with chonji (a piece of mind: 25 dollars are a norm) and make a beeline for the dining hall for the feast. (Eat well and live well!)
In the years of economic recession, when more than 30 people take their precious lives every day, there is just one place that has no knowledge about the nation's somber situation. The wedding halls across the country are overbooked these days. Guests to those gala places are milling around, in elbow- to- elbow torturous procession.
Wedding halls look like factories literally disgorging married couples. Brides and bridegrooms are put in conveyor belts of the assembly line. Everything is just in order to be dovetailed. Half an hour is the deadline but the twenty minutes are a norm.
Guests are a part of the whole process. They wait just outside the hall for the previous ceremony to end. Just as soon as the ceremony was done, they rush to the hall to stand witnesses to the occasion. Girls of the hall spread a fresh rug, which has been filthy.
All the procedures are done in a rush. The moderator announces the ceremony to begin. Mothers of both families go to the altar and light the candles. The elderly master of the ceremony mounts the podium and makes a solemn face. The bridegroom climbs the altar and awaits his bride. The bride's father hands his dear daughter over to the groom and comes back to his seat.
The master of the ceremony is about to confirm 'Pledge of Nuptials." He asks each of the newly married couples hurried questions and garners yea responses and pronounces them husband and wife with haste. He, also being a volatile man himself, in this age of the supreme divorce rate, dithers and fumbles for apt words. He doesn't think he can make a traditional sermon of obeying and being patient about such and such things and get away with it. With ceremonial claps, the ceremony ends. All done, the visitors chip in with chonji (a piece of mind: 25 dollars are a norm) and make a beeline for the dining hall for the feast. (Eat well and live well!)
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Why Sulking?
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm in his heart.
Sulking is a sign of immaturity. President Roh Moo Hyun is sulking from time to time. He appears so often before the press with pouting mouths and sullen faces. He is whining so often about anything surrounding him--the hostile press, the incooperative Legislature, the inconvionced labor and probably in his mind inoperative Cabinet.
In natural course of events, he has come to ask of the nation to give him the reconfidence. He has said in effect that he can no longer steer the nation for now. Through plebiscite or what you name it, he is determined to bite the bullet if and when things turn out adverse.
Sulking is a sign of immaturity. President Roh Moo Hyun is sulking from time to time. He appears so often before the press with pouting mouths and sullen faces. He is whining so often about anything surrounding him--the hostile press, the incooperative Legislature, the inconvionced labor and probably in his mind inoperative Cabinet.
In natural course of events, he has come to ask of the nation to give him the reconfidence. He has said in effect that he can no longer steer the nation for now. Through plebiscite or what you name it, he is determined to bite the bullet if and when things turn out adverse.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
Reimbursement: The Curse Word
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm in his heart.
The word 'reimbursement' has turned out to be the curse word South Korean society should get rid of. Why? Because the term is so dirty and disgusting that the very utterance of the term causes you sickness and subsequent throwups.
The term reimbursement or compensation has had to do with dirty justifications. Politicos, if subpoenaed and investigated, would come up with the excuse that there was no clause or suggestion of reimbursement between politicos themselves and businesses. The nonexistence or lack of 'the reimbursement clause' means that there was no condition attached to businesses' financial contributions to specific politicos or a political party. They rambled on to defend their innocence, saying, "it was a routine political contribution." They did not ask a specific favor and he did not give them any favor in return.
Should the rest of the nation be rendered powerless toward dirty collution of businesses and the Legislature? Should the rest of the nation give huge amounts of slush funds the designation of political donation and allow them subsequent indulgence? Why should the rest of the nation be impotent in handling corruption practices by lawmakers and businesses?
It's time for the national leadership to make a decision to do away with corrupt practices. Why don't they cut the Gordian Knot, that is, the justification of bribe taking in terms of zero reimbursement? Who on earth could hand tens of millions of dollars with no favor in mind? Don't the government authorities think it's time the related government agency launched the process to eliminate the term reimbursement once and for all?
Underhanded bribes and paybacks are bound to stem the normal flow of national goods and services, distort the proper exercise of administration, bring about waste of the national resources, and cause the nation innumerable economic loss and pain. The law enforcement authorities should make a concrete stipulation which enables the nation to consider any kind of political contribution exceeding a small specific amount of contribution through a public channel endorsed by considerable number of people as slush funds aimed at underhanded paybacks.
The word 'reimbursement' has turned out to be the curse word South Korean society should get rid of. Why? Because the term is so dirty and disgusting that the very utterance of the term causes you sickness and subsequent throwups.
The term reimbursement or compensation has had to do with dirty justifications. Politicos, if subpoenaed and investigated, would come up with the excuse that there was no clause or suggestion of reimbursement between politicos themselves and businesses. The nonexistence or lack of 'the reimbursement clause' means that there was no condition attached to businesses' financial contributions to specific politicos or a political party. They rambled on to defend their innocence, saying, "it was a routine political contribution." They did not ask a specific favor and he did not give them any favor in return.
Should the rest of the nation be rendered powerless toward dirty collution of businesses and the Legislature? Should the rest of the nation give huge amounts of slush funds the designation of political donation and allow them subsequent indulgence? Why should the rest of the nation be impotent in handling corruption practices by lawmakers and businesses?
It's time for the national leadership to make a decision to do away with corrupt practices. Why don't they cut the Gordian Knot, that is, the justification of bribe taking in terms of zero reimbursement? Who on earth could hand tens of millions of dollars with no favor in mind? Don't the government authorities think it's time the related government agency launched the process to eliminate the term reimbursement once and for all?
Underhanded bribes and paybacks are bound to stem the normal flow of national goods and services, distort the proper exercise of administration, bring about waste of the national resources, and cause the nation innumerable economic loss and pain. The law enforcement authorities should make a concrete stipulation which enables the nation to consider any kind of political contribution exceeding a small specific amount of contribution through a public channel endorsed by considerable number of people as slush funds aimed at underhanded paybacks.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
The U.S.A. Should Accept DPRK Refugees
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm in his heart.
The United states is supposed to accommodate DPRK refugees. By doing that, the United States is virtually raising drawbridges to the ramparts of North Korea, by which the great country of yours is able to save the famished people from plight and advance the fall of the last remaining Fascistic dictatorship and by which you'll be able to establish a reliable stronghold against the southward intrusion of China.
The United states is supposed to accommodate DPRK refugees. By doing that, the United States is virtually raising drawbridges to the ramparts of North Korea, by which the great country of yours is able to save the famished people from plight and advance the fall of the last remaining Fascistic dictatorship and by which you'll be able to establish a reliable stronghold against the southward intrusion of China.
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Choice is a Kind of Sacrifice
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm inside his heart.
Emigration (or Immigration) is not a shift of one's residence. It's a shift of loyalty. It means that you set up a fresh network of sovereign relationships--the relationships between a new sovereign state and its subject; a new ruler and his (her) ruled; the new society and its citizen.
The 'Shift of Residence Theory' is only an excuse for the crafty and greedy emigrants, especially the South Korean emgigrants, to hide behind a super power state such as the United States. Their major aim is to exempt their sons from the military conscriptions.
"You cannot eat your cake and have it" at the same time. Emigration (Immigration) is a kind of choice. The behavior of emigration (immigration) means gaining a new opportunity at one time and losing some old benefits at the other.
Choice means sacrifice to a certain degree. You cannot cry over your empty hands after you have consumed your cakes. That's an opportunistic act of straddlers at the most and a childish act at the least.
Emigration (or Immigration) is not a shift of one's residence. It's a shift of loyalty. It means that you set up a fresh network of sovereign relationships--the relationships between a new sovereign state and its subject; a new ruler and his (her) ruled; the new society and its citizen.
The 'Shift of Residence Theory' is only an excuse for the crafty and greedy emigrants, especially the South Korean emgigrants, to hide behind a super power state such as the United States. Their major aim is to exempt their sons from the military conscriptions.
"You cannot eat your cake and have it" at the same time. Emigration (Immigration) is a kind of choice. The behavior of emigration (immigration) means gaining a new opportunity at one time and losing some old benefits at the other.
Choice means sacrifice to a certain degree. You cannot cry over your empty hands after you have consumed your cakes. That's an opportunistic act of straddlers at the most and a childish act at the least.
Emigration Is Not a Shift of Residence
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm inside his heart.
Emigration (or Immigration) is not a shift of one's residence. It's a shift of loyalty. It means that you set up a fresh network of sovereign relationships--the relationships between a new sovereign state and its subject; a new ruler and his (her) ruled; the new society and its citizen.
The 'Shift of Residence Theory' is only an excuse for the crafty and greedy emigrants, especially the South Korean emigrants, to hide behind a super power state such as the United States. Their major aim is to exempt their sons from the military conscriptions.
Emigration (or Immigration) is not a shift of one's residence. It's a shift of loyalty. It means that you set up a fresh network of sovereign relationships--the relationships between a new sovereign state and its subject; a new ruler and his (her) ruled; the new society and its citizen.
The 'Shift of Residence Theory' is only an excuse for the crafty and greedy emigrants, especially the South Korean emigrants, to hide behind a super power state such as the United States. Their major aim is to exempt their sons from the military conscriptions.
Friday, October 03, 2003
Bare Hands Caught it
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm inside his heart.
Thousands of professional baseball enthusiasts, who were at the ready with their extra-large dragon fly nets, could not catch the coveted ball yesterday. (17:00, 031002 East Asian Time) Funny thing was that those who had been obsessed with catching the record-breaking home run ball (in a single season in Asia zone) startled to their feet to throw a grudging sidelong glance at a guy, who happened to grab the 56-th home run ball hit by Samsung Ace Mr. Sungyop Lee with bare hands, which was a real twist of the world. The lucky guy, who turned out to be a member of one of Samsung's many 'cooperative companies', said he would not put the ball up for public sale but donate it to the Samsung Baseball Group, which, the press reports, would reimburse the donation with an up-to-date and upgraded cellular phone and 50 years' baseball game watching free of charge.
Thousands of professional baseball enthusiasts, who were at the ready with their extra-large dragon fly nets, could not catch the coveted ball yesterday. (17:00, 031002 East Asian Time) Funny thing was that those who had been obsessed with catching the record-breaking home run ball (in a single season in Asia zone) startled to their feet to throw a grudging sidelong glance at a guy, who happened to grab the 56-th home run ball hit by Samsung Ace Mr. Sungyop Lee with bare hands, which was a real twist of the world. The lucky guy, who turned out to be a member of one of Samsung's many 'cooperative companies', said he would not put the ball up for public sale but donate it to the Samsung Baseball Group, which, the press reports, would reimburse the donation with an up-to-date and upgraded cellular phone and 50 years' baseball game watching free of charge.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Double Conflicting Ambitions
A Flintman from Seoul has his say. It'll be pungent from time to time and stinging sometimes, too, but will be warm inside his heart.
Is there anything we can call nature, that is, human nature? Is there anything we can call a trait, that is, a national trait? Is there any nation on the globe that has been so conflicting and divisive?
All the phenomena we have had in South Korea these days reminds me of a child who is crying over his (her) empty hand after he (her) has eaten his (her) cake. How evil, and immature at the least. They have been trying to make otherwise hollow attempts at the same time.
Koreans who have emigrated to the United States and who have ended up American citizens think so and try to achieve the double and conflicting goals of making allegiances to the United States and South Korea at the same time. Ms Lim Soo Kyung, a pro-Pyongyang student activist, who had entered DPRK against the government's disapproval, attended the mass rally there and been hailed as 'the Flower of the Motherland Reunification", has insisted on living here in South Korea as a liberal humanrights activist. Most or many of the lawmakers, who have made their offspring U.S. citizens, continue to pass for patriotic citizens and denounce the immoralities of the cabinet members. Mr. So and so, who had been to Pyongyang and who had received the 'operation fund' of more than 100 thousand dollars, and who had contacted South Korean students there in West Germany for the propagation of the 'Chuche Idea' of North Korea, have returned to South Korea one of these days, denying his having been a spy, and calling himself 'a marginal man.' He brazenly expressed his wish to live the rest of his life (to bury his dirty skeleton) here in the South Korean soil.
Is there anything we can call nature, that is, human nature? Is there anything we can call a trait, that is, a national trait? Is there any nation on the globe that has been so conflicting and divisive?
All the phenomena we have had in South Korea these days reminds me of a child who is crying over his (her) empty hand after he (her) has eaten his (her) cake. How evil, and immature at the least. They have been trying to make otherwise hollow attempts at the same time.
Koreans who have emigrated to the United States and who have ended up American citizens think so and try to achieve the double and conflicting goals of making allegiances to the United States and South Korea at the same time. Ms Lim Soo Kyung, a pro-Pyongyang student activist, who had entered DPRK against the government's disapproval, attended the mass rally there and been hailed as 'the Flower of the Motherland Reunification", has insisted on living here in South Korea as a liberal humanrights activist. Most or many of the lawmakers, who have made their offspring U.S. citizens, continue to pass for patriotic citizens and denounce the immoralities of the cabinet members. Mr. So and so, who had been to Pyongyang and who had received the 'operation fund' of more than 100 thousand dollars, and who had contacted South Korean students there in West Germany for the propagation of the 'Chuche Idea' of North Korea, have returned to South Korea one of these days, denying his having been a spy, and calling himself 'a marginal man.' He brazenly expressed his wish to live the rest of his life (to bury his dirty skeleton) here in the South Korean soil.
