Corsair the Rational Pirate

IT's Korea! = IT's A Mistake

In Korea and Japan they use the English language differently. They have what is called Japlish and Konglish. These are words and phrases created in the English language but used in other places to mean something completely different... Or mean nothing at all. The problem here is that "I do not think it means what you think it means" applies. People who really speak English look at what the Konglish speaker has created and scratches his head in bemusement.

Korea is doing it again:

A private national image promotion institute on Thursday proposed ``IT's Korea!'' as the English slogan best suited for promoting South Korea's image abroad.

The slogan was chosen through a recent competition held by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) and was announced during a symposium to establish the image of South Korea, hosted by the CICI at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul.

According to Choi Jung-wha, president of CICI, the ``IT'' in ``IT's Korea'' can stand for three different concepts.

``IT is an acronym of not only `information & technology' but also `innovation & tradition.''' Choi said. ``IT also means `integration and transformation,' which are two words that describe the changing South Korean society and reunified future Korea.''

OK, the Information and Technology bit I get. Although I would bet lots of money that plenty of English speakers, when asked wouldn't know what the hell that meant and that is really the only one in common use. However, it is not "information & technology", it is just "information technology".

The second one is stretching is a bit. "Innovation & Tradition?" A google search comes up with sites about shingles and architecture (the GIS is even better, who knew there were books about shingles?)

And the third one is even goofier: "Integration and Transformation" gets you stuff about meditation and data warehousing.

All of these are fine ideas in and of themselves, but what does meditating on shingles have to do with Korea?

Choi said that the slogan proposed by CICI could give the nation a more high-tech and innovative image. Choi added that she doesn't believe it would conflict with ``Dynamic Korea,'' the government's current slogan for national image promotion, but that the new slogan could be more succinct and practical than the government's slogan.

OK, if you say so, Choi-boy. The problem, of course is one of mouth-breathing, American hicks who get their ideas on Korea from the news:

Besides the issue of establishing of the nation?s image, the symposium also advised Korea to make consistent efforts to raise the understanding of Korea and shed negative images of the country abroad.

Tami Overby, executive vice president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, pointed out that despite the difference in reality, the negative images of Korea, affected by U.S. media reports, are prevailing. According to Overby, many U.S. citizens believe South Koreans hate America, Korean companies are corrupt, there is a war threat between two Koreas, and Korean laborers are all militant and violent.

``We recognize the perceptions of Korea among most Americans are either outdated or simply wrong. So we all need to increase our efforts to help change the perceptions to more closely match the positive,?? she said.

OK, lets look at this. "Many South Koreans hate America." I wonder why that would be:

Could it be the frenzied destruction of our symbol of national unity? Nah, just a bunch of dumb Americans, probably.

How about "Korea companies are corrupt"?

According to President Kim Dae-jung, eliminating corruption and reforming the political sector are prerequisites for sustainable economic growth in South Korea,

A pay-for-favors system is endemic across Korea in areas ranging from politics, school teaching and journalism. Under this system, white envelopes containing money are dispersed in order to get preferential treatment. Transparency International ranks Korea the 48th most corrupt country in its overall list of 90 nations reviewed.

Many observers have blamed the rampant corruption as one of the root causes of its economic woes and achievement of business transparency is considered an urgent task.

I guess Kim Dae Jung is a hick from backwoods Kentucky and don't know nothing about no Korean bizness.

And what about this whole mythical "threat of war"? The US is trying to move people around in Korea but is getting nowhere with North Korea:

There are about 600 South Korean and U.S. troops in the area now, the South Korean Defense Ministry said. South Koreans account for about 70 percent of the force, but that figure will jump to 93 percent after the Oct. 31 handover. After that date, U.S. forces will comprise just 7 percent of the region's defensive punch.

On Sunday, North Korea condemned a reduction of U.S. forces along the DMZ as preparation for a pre-emptive attack against the communist country. The North sometimes argues that a pullout signals an attack, because it would reduce the risk of immediate U.S. casualties along the border fighting zone.

So staying at the DMZ provokes the NoKos. And leaving the DMZ provokes the NoKos. Seems to be a pretty warlike place to me.

And finally we have the awful misperception that "Korean laborers are all militant and violent". Nothing could be further from the truth!

Trade union militants in South Korea's capital, Seoul, have attacked riot police with fire bombs and metal pipes.
At least 12 people, including some policemen, were injured in the clashes.

About 40,000 workers took part in the protest against labour laws under which union leaders can be sued for lost production during strikes.

Three union leaders have committed suicide over the measures that have led to a wave of labour unrest and caused industrial output to drop.

Mourning robes

The workers say they are out to avenge their colleagues who killed themselves in recent weeks in protest against government policies.

Some, wearing mourning dress, marched with pictures of dead union leaders.

Others waved red and white flags and banners, including one that read "No more killing".

Kinda rough when you have to plead for not being killed when you go on strike.

So everything that Americans believe about Korea is a misconception. I just wonder where the misconceptions began in the first place. Couldn't have been the peace loving, truth telling denizens of the Land of the Morning Calm, could it?

Nah, Could it be Satan?

posted by corsair the rational pirate at 09:13

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