Anyone tried South Korea recently?

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

Wait until you marry those Korean women in New York. I heard many many many horror stories. Once Korean women have a kid, they will turn into one of those vile "Ajummas" and make your life a living hell. I know because I work in logistics and have to ship their vehicles back to korea. Total Ball Busters. But anyway, best of luck.

[Cornfed]

I always thought it was funny that even libtard Westerners in Korea would use "ajumma" as a noun and to depict stereotypical battleaxe appearance and behavior.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

I always thought it was funny that even libtard Westerners in Korea would use "ajumma" as a noun and to depict stereotypical battleaxe appearance and behavior.

Believe me they still act like that in Korea. Real rude bitches and complete ball busters. Encountered many of them while traveling in Korea.
Those ajummas give those poor western libtards "run for their money" in experiencing the "Korean Courtesy" Hahahaha.
They wish they were in Japan instead..

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be much reason for South Korea to exist now, since most of the industry that was outsourced to them has in turn been outsourced to other countries. The big shots still have their jobs and hire harems of female assistants, but there doesn't seem to be much place for normal men.

The only reason why South Korea hasn't imploded is that all the big shots are keeping all their wealth in the country and they act as a middle men between china and western countries. What this means is South Korean conglomerates themselves are outsourcing most of the production to China and exploiting their own fellow countrymen via outsourcing internally. After that, they sell all those Chinese or locally made Samsung phones back to the westerners. As result, all of the profits goes back to the pockets of the Korean conglomerates while Small and medium businesses who are affiliated with the conglomerates gets the table scraps or nothing. However, the Korean society thinks this is patriotic or good for their country thanks to the constant nationalistic tripe played by the Korean Media. The sad truth is they are simply being exploited and this model will NOT be sustainable in the future... when China grows more powerful and the local industries are all dried out via depopulation. You can say bring in more Philippinos or Vietnamese immigrants to work on those third world sweatshops in Korean country sides, but those countries will soon grow wealthier and the immigrants will stop flocking to Korea for better pay.

[Cornfed]

As incredible as it may seem, it is possible that North Korea will go down in history as having played this whole globalism thing better than South Korea.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

As incredible as it may seem, it is possible that North Korea will go down in history as having played this whole globalism thing better than South Korea.

Yes.. I am really surprised how long North Korea held out despite all those sanctions by America and the world. They even outlasted the Soviet Union and they are still surviving even today and continuing to "troll" both South Korea and America. South Korea is America's "peripheral colony" anyway because over 30,000 American troops are stationed near Seoul and America doesn't allow South Korea to make nuclear weapons. Despite having globalization, capitalism, and Americanization, Most South Koreans are just as miserable as their fellow brothers and sisters in the North because Korean conglomerates will rip the very last feather off of the peons or the proles or what ever you wanna call them.
It's quite ironic because whether you are in extreme communism or extreme capitalism, it's always the common people who lose out in the end.

[Yohan]

Yes.. I am really surprised how long North Korea held out despite all those sanctions by America and the world. They even outlasted the Soviet Union and they are still surviving even today ....

For North Korea this is only possible because of China. What is not officially allowed to be moved over the border because of 'international sanctions' is taken secretly over the long border somewhere... without China, North Korea would be in big trouble.

Of course this is about the same on the other side of the border too, just more openly. Without USA South Korea would not even exist.
It would be gone during the Korean War 1950-1953.

It's quite ironic because whether you are in extreme communism or extreme capitalism, it's always the common people who lose out in the end.

Yes - but also no - in South Korea by far not all people are rich, but they have the chance to improve their life, either within South Korea or trying their luck somewhere abroad. In North Korea ordinary people do not even have the right to relocate within their own country...

The chance for a better life are better in South Korea compared to North Korea, which restricts and control anything what individual people are doing.
--
However it also should be noticed that North Koreans who made it to escape and are resettled in South Korea (the big majority of them - quite interesting - are women) often say, that while living standard in South Korea is clearly better they suffer really about the lack of communication, they are unable to talk to other people in South Korea who are living or working next to them. They say North Korean people usually are talking face to face to each other and were helpful, sharing the little they have - this was one of the few points they mention which was better in North Korea.

Living in South Korea, they often complain they have no friends, nobody talks to them, all people around them are busy and do not even know their neighbors (who are South Koreans) living next to their own house.

They also are surprised that ordinary South Koreans do not care much about North Korea and do not even want any form of unification, considering often North Korea as a 'different country'.

It seems to me they miss some kind of social life in South Korea - which exists in North Korea.

Of course the South Korean government points out in return, that there are problems with North Koreans too, as quite a few of them turn out to be unwilling or unable to change to the new system. Some want to go back, but are afraid if they really do that. Others are ending up in jail for criminal activity, some commit suicide. -
Of course there are also some other North Koreans, who receive a new ID, are happy to be away from North Korea and try hard to integrate into the difficult life-style in South Korea.

------

Of course both, all Koreans, regardlesss if from the North and from the South, blame Japan for all and everything. I am maybe a bit biased, as living as an European among Japanese people for more than 4 decades, but while I think, Japan is responsible for everything up to 1945, Japan should not be blamed for the Korean War 1950-1953, which was causing the horrible destruction of the Korean peninsula and ending in a divided North and South Korea.

There was no Japanese Army existing at that time from 1950 to 1953, no Japanese was fighting in Korea. There are even reports from 1945, when USA took over the Korean colony from the Japanese, that Korea was in a relatively good condition and the Japanese left 1945 without destroying anything.
Some reports even said that parts of Japan in 1945 because of bombings (including fire bombings, atomic bombings) was in a worse condition that Korea, which was not the prime target during WWII.

I have no idea South and North Korea will do in future - in Japan politicians often share the opinion the best is do nothing and just to wait and see....

It is really sad, very pity. I think, good co-operation between Japan - South Korea - North Korea and also Taiwan could create a fairly large economic zone of about 230 million people - but I guess, this is just a dream...

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

Yes.. I am really surprised how long North Korea held out despite all those sanctions by America and the world. They even outlasted the Soviet Union and they are still surviving even today ....

For North Korea this is only possible because of China. What is not officially allowed to be moved over the border because of 'international sanctions' is taken secretly over the long border somewhere... without China, North Korea would be in big trouble.

Of course this is about the same on the other side of the border too, just more openly. Without USA South Korea would not even exist.
It would be gone during the Korean War 1950-1953.

It's quite ironic because whether you are in extreme communism or extreme capitalism, it's always the common people who lose out in the end.

Yes - but also no - in South Korea by far not all people are rich, but they have the chance to improve their life, either within South Korea or trying their luck somewhere abroad. In North Korea ordinary people do not even have the right to relocate within their own country...

The chance for a better life are better in South Korea compared to North Korea, which restricts and control anything what individual people are doing.
--
However it also should be noticed that North Koreans who made it to escape and are resettled in South Korea (the big majority of them - quite interesting - are women) often say, that while living standard in South Korea is clearly better they suffer really about the lack of communication, they are unable to talk to other people in South Korea who are living or working next to them. They say North Korean people usually are talking face to face to each other and were helpful, sharing the little they have - this was one of the few points they mention which was better in North Korea.

Living in South Korea, they often complain they have no friends, nobody talks to them, all people around them are busy and do not even know their neighbors (who are South Koreans) living next to their own house.

They also are surprised that ordinary South Koreans do not care much about North Korea and do not even want any form of unification, considering often North Korea as a 'different country'.

It seems to me they miss some kind of social life in South Korea - which exists in North Korea.

Of course the South Korean government points out in return, that there are problems with North Koreans too, as quite a few of them turn out to be unwilling or unable to change to the new system. Some want to go back, but are afraid if they really do that. Others are ending up in jail for criminal activity, some commit suicide. -
Of course there are also some other North Koreans, who receive a new ID, are happy to be away from North Korea and try hard to integrate into the difficult life-style in South Korea.

------

Of course both, all Koreans, regardlesss if from the North and from the South, blame Japan for all and everything. I am maybe a bit biased, as living as an European among Japanese people for more than 4 decades, but while I think, Japan is responsible for everything up to 1945, Japan should not be blamed for the Korean War 1950-1953, which was causing the horrible destruction of the Korean peninsula and ending in a divided North and South Korea.

There was no Japanese Army existing at that time from 1950 to 1953, no Japanese was fighting in Korea. There are even reports from 1945, when USA took over the Korean colony from the Japanese, that Korea was in a relatively good condition and the Japanese left 1945 without destroying anything.
Some reports even said that parts of Japan in 1945 because of bombings (including fire bombings, atomic bombings) was in a worse condition that Korea, which was not the prime target during WWII.

I have no idea South and North Korea will do in future - in Japan politicians often share the opinion the best is do nothing and just to wait and see....

It is really sad, very pity. I think, good co-operation between Japan - South Korea - North Korea and also Taiwan could create a fairly large economic zone of about 230 million people - but I guess, this is just a dream...

That's a fair assessment regarding both koreas. I keep on reading and watching the Korean news and visit the country once in a while, so I have a good understanding of the situation.

I don't hate my own countrymen individually but South Korea has a serious demographic, wealth inequality problems and lack of job opportunities.
I just want to tell you the "dark truth" that no "koreaboos" or "politically correct robots" will ever dare to tell you. South Korea is no walk in the park. I can understand why most North Korean escapees have a difficult time integrating into South Korean society. It's just too damn cut throat, hyper competitive, impersonal and highly judgmental society. Even South Korean themselves think so and over a million South Koreans chose to work and
live abroad where there is little bit of peace of mind. North Korea despite it's huge poverty has more collective mindset. Because there, the state
tell them what to do, how to live, what to think, etc. So their lives are somewhat "set" then their brothers in the South where there is
too many competition, too many choices and plus the dog eat dog, fanatical capitalism.

Personally I don't hate Japan at all. This is going to sound very controversial but The Joseon Dynasty brought it along themselves to be colonized by Japan because they played the hermit kingdom policy, refused to modernize, and refused to accept western ideology like Japan did in Meiji restoration. Japan had 50-60 year head start than Joseon Dynasty. When Japan built it's military might and defeated both Qing Dynasty(China) and Russian Empire in the East, The Korean Empire(Josen Dynasty's successor state) just accepted to be annexed by the Japanese empire in 1910 because the Korean empire was very weak and had very little industrial capabilities.

Yes, the Japanese exploited the Koreans, forced them to learn Japanese, be a Japanese citizen, and conscripted Koreans into the Japanese Imperial Army in WW2. I understand that. However, the Japanese have destroyed most of the outdated and antiquated Confucian ideas and mindsets and helped Korea to modernize by building factories, schools, hospitals, railroads, and infrastructure(Although most them were destroyed in the Korean War in 1950).

The Japanese was not the reason for the Korean War. The Korean War happened because the Soviets took the Northern half of Korea and the Allies took the Southern half of Korea after WW2. The Korean War started when North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung begged Joseph Stalin to allow him to invade the South to turn every thing communist. Stalin obliged and when the North Invaded, America and it's allies helped because they don't want to lose their foothold in East Asia. The Korean War, in contrast kick started Japan's reindustrialization and economic growth because the Americans and it's allies need a forwarding base and they wanted to stop communism from spreading into Japan.

Even during Korea's "Miracle of the Han River" economic growth in the 1960's, many Korean companies asked Japan for help with technological knowledge and many retired Japanese engineers were rehired into Korean companies(Samsung and others) for several times the salary they get in Japan.

The Military dictator, "Park Chung Hee" was also a friend of Japan(Because he served as a colonel in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War 2) and his government received lot of technical knowhows and assistance from Japan. The Reparations for the comfort women was already paid to the Korean Junta government by Japan, but the Korean government pocketed the money and still fools the public that the Japan needs to apologize and pay reparations to the Korean comfort women.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_on ... ettlements

Despite this truth, The Korean Public still hates Japan and want Japan to vanish from the face of the planet. They don't know that because of Japan, South Korea modernized.

So in summary I don't hate Japan at all. Japan is cool with me.

and lastly I don't know about this new Asian Union that your talking about. I don't think it's possible because the following countries you have mentioned hates each other, have past grievances, and have different political systems.. So I don't think it's going to work.
Maybe China will grow really powerful and manage to influence the countries around it.

[Yohan]

That's a fair assessment regarding both koreas. I keep on reading and watching the Korean news and visit the country once in a while, so I have a good understanding of the situation.

Yes, about both Koreas, maybe we should mention in this thread also North Korea....

I don't know if you have seen these video clips, it's quite interesting as it offers a view how the elite people (not sure how many they are, maybe 1 million people, or 2 million people, I am not sure - it is said about 10 percent of the North Korean population?) are living in Pyongyang, and you can see Kim Jong Un among them, obviously without any bodyguards next to him, in a happy mood. Sanctions? They don't work, all this construction material must come from 'somewhere'....
And for these elite people, life is fairly nice in North Korea... nice housing, good restaurants, swimming pools, even a golf club etc....
Not everybody is starving in North Korea, not everybody is poor....some even have private cars...

Retired 리춘히 Ri Chon-Hee, the faithful TV anchor over decades for the Kim family gets also her new flat, and openly said, in this area Pyongyang looks not bad at all. Very clean, people properly dressed, no signs of malnutrition - and Pyongyang is not such a little village as some Western people believe it to be -it is a fairly large city of about 3 million people.





The problem is however, as many mentioned who escaped from there, is maintenance and power supply, water supply etc.
The special elite as you will see in these video clips are living in the lower floors for good reason.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

That's a fair assessment regarding both koreas. I keep on reading and watching the Korean news and visit the country once in a while, so I have a good understanding of the situation.

Yes, about both Koreas, maybe we should mention in this thread also North Korea....

I don't know if you have seen these video clips, it's quite interesting as it offers a view how the elite people (not sure how many they are, maybe 1 million people, or 2 million people, I am not sure - it is said about 10 percent of the North Korean population?) are living in Pyongyang, and you can see Kim Jong Un among them, obviously without any bodyguards next to him, in a happy mood. Sanctions? They don't work, all this construction material must come from 'somewhere'....
And for these elite people, life is fairly nice in North Korea... nice housing, good restaurants, swimming pools, even a golf club etc....
Not everybody is starving in North Korea, not everybody is poor....some even have private cars...

Retired 리춘히 Ri Chon-Hee, the faithful TV anchor over decades for the Kim family gets also her new flat, and openly said, in this area Pyongyang looks not bad at all. Very clean, people properly dressed, no signs of malnutrition - and Pyongyang is not such a little village as some Western people believe it to be -it is a fairly large city of about 3 million people.





The problem is however, as many mentioned who escaped from there, is maintenance and power supply, water supply etc.
The special elite as you will see in these video clips are living in the lower floors for good reason.

Yes.. I know. Pyongyang is the city for the elites. Only the most loyal, fanatical, smartest people in that country lives there.
All the money in the country is there too. They also have "Bureau 39" that is in charge of acquiring dollars in illegal means, a giant slush fund for Kim Jung Un and his cadres. Methods include cyber hacking, forced labor of hundreds of thousands abroad, weapons sale, sale of artworks, natural resource sales, etc.

[Yohan]

....and lastly I don't know about this new Asian Union that your talking about. I don't think it's possible because the following countries you have mentioned hates each other, have past grievances, and have different political systems.. So I don't think it's going to work.
Maybe China will grow really powerful and manage to influence the countries around it.

Free trade and tourism between Japan, South and North Korea....(and also Taiwan) - Sad, but it's just because of politics that nothing is moving on.
Otherwise I see no problem about co-operation between NK + SK and Japan.

In Japan there is a fairly large ethnic Korean community, about 900.000 people, about maybe half of them already are holding Japanese citizenship and changed to Japanese names.

Most Koreans in Japan who are not holding Japanese citizenship are holding South Korean citizenship with special visa permits, aboout 400.000.
Only few Koreans, around 25.000 and still declining, are related to North Korea.

In general these Koreans are not going home - even not to South Korea - even not after their retirement, so Japan cannot be that bad for living.

----

As Korea was a former Japanese colony, there are always dreams of major projects going on how to link co-operation between South Korea and Japan and even between North Korea and Japan.

Nothing was working out, not the tunnel project, not the railway from South Korea through North Korea to Europe, or the Japan-North Korea link by ship and airplane from Niigata to Wonsan....just nothing...
Japan–Korea_Undersea_Tunnel

If two are for it, the 3rd one is against it...and even if all 3 are for it, China or USA (as in charge of the UN at the border) will be against it, like with the railway projects between North and South.

It is unbelievable, people living in South Korea/North Korea cannot even call each other by phone...

I agree with you, I am not optimistic too. I see no progress at all....nt nw, not in the near future.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

....and lastly I don't know about this new Asian Union that your talking about. I don't think it's possible because the following countries you have mentioned hates each other, have past grievances, and have different political systems.. So I don't think it's going to work.
Maybe China will grow really powerful and manage to influence the countries around it.

Free trade and tourism between Japan, South and North Korea....(and also Taiwan) - Sad, but it's just because of politics that nothing is moving on.
Otherwise I see no problem about co-operation between NK + SK and Japan.

In Japan there is a fairly large ethnic Korean community, about 900.000 people, about maybe half of them already are holding Japanese citizenship and changed to Japanese names.

Most Koreans in Japan who are not holding Japanese citizenship are holding South Korean citizenship with special visa permits, aboout 400.000.
Only few Koreans, around 25.000 and still declining, are related to North Korea.

In general these Koreans are not going home - even not to South Korea - even not after their retirement, so Japan cannot be that bad for living.

----

As Korea was a former Japanese colony, there are always dreams of major projects going on how to link co-operation between South Korea and Japan and even between North Korea and Japan.

Nothing was working out, not the tunnel project, not the railway from South Korea through North Korea to Europe, or the Japan-North Korea link by ship and airplane from Niigata to Wonsan....just nothing...
Japan–Korea_Undersea_Tunnel

If two are for it, the 3rd one is against it...and even if all 3 are for it, China or USA (as in charge of the UN at the border) will be against it, like with the railway projects between North and South.

It is unbelievable, people living in South Korea/North Korea cannot even call each other by phone...

I agree with you, I am not optimistic too. I see no progress at all....nt nw, not in the near future.

It's very dicey. Koreans born and living in Japan are not considered "real or full koreans" by Koreans themselves. They consider those people as
"Japs" or 쪽빠리 instead of Koreans despite having Korean blood. I mean Korean Americans are also not considered as true Koreans either. They are considered as black haired foreigners 머리검은 외국인 or Americans. Koreans in China is considered Joseon joek 조선족 or considered as chinese or Jjang Gae 짱깨 which is racial slur for Chinese. South Korea is not exactly accommodating or welcoming to foreigners like Canada. There is very little legal protection for them and Koreans are raised to be nationalistic and xenophobic.

The North and South are two hostile countries and the Korean war is not over yet! They just had a truce or armistice instead of real peace back in 1953. How do you expect citizens from both sides to talk to each other on their cell phone?

The Taiwanese doesn't really like the Japanese because they were also colonized back in 1910.. The Japanese think Koreans as inferior and both countries are still fighting over a tiny island Dokdo or Takeshima. The Korean society hates the Japanese and they glee over Japan's "lost 30 years". How do you expect both of them to corporate? . Despite Japanese government paying 800 million dollar reparations to South korean government back in 1965, the Korean public still want to see Japan burn and the Japanese public are not fond of Koreans either!

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

....and lastly I don't know about this new Asian Union that your talking about. I don't think it's possible because the following countries you have mentioned hates each other, have past grievances, and have different political systems.. So I don't think it's going to work.
Maybe China will grow really powerful and manage to influence the countries around it.

Free trade and tourism between Japan, South and North Korea....(and also Taiwan) - Sad, but it's just because of politics that nothing is moving on.
Otherwise I see no problem about co-operation between NK + SK and Japan.

In Japan there is a fairly large ethnic Korean community, about 900.000 people, about maybe half of them already are holding Japanese citizenship and changed to Japanese names.

Most Koreans in Japan who are not holding Japanese citizenship are holding South Korean citizenship with special visa permits, aboout 400.000.
Only few Koreans, around 25.000 and still declining, are related to North Korea.

In general these Koreans are not going home - even not to South Korea - even not after their retirement, so Japan cannot be that bad for living.

----

As Korea was a former Japanese colony, there are always dreams of major projects going on how to link co-operation between South Korea and Japan and even between North Korea and Japan.

Nothing was working out, not the tunnel project, not the railway from South Korea through North Korea to Europe, or the Japan-North Korea link by ship and airplane from Niigata to Wonsan....just nothing...
Japan–Korea_Undersea_Tunnel

If two are for it, the 3rd one is against it...and even if all 3 are for it, China or USA (as in charge of the UN at the border) will be against it, like with the railway projects between North and South.

It is unbelievable, people living in South Korea/North Korea cannot even call each other by phone...

I agree with you, I am not optimistic too. I see no progress at all....nt nw, not in the near future.

And Yohan I forgot to include:
LOL Free trade my ass..in your dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2NmE62 ... =AsianBoss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYtVHk9 ... =APArchive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJsoCA ... hannel=Vox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hm-psw ... l=KOREANOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6E9Py ... rirangNews

[Yohan]

And Yohan I forgot to include:
LOL Free trade my ass..in your dreams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2NmE62 ... =AsianBoss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYtVHk9 ... =APArchive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJsoCA ... hannel=Vox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hm-psw ... l=KOREANOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6E9Py ... rirangNews

Thanks for your reply, but the links you gave are about 3 years old. Big difference to the situation now.

Just my opinion, I see a better future between South Korea and Japan coming soon - but not with North Korea.

Tourists between Japan and South Korea are moving now again in both directions, no visa required anymore since Nov 1, 2022 , and covid-19 also was a reason for some restrictions to move between both countries. Trade will continue and is improving...

Both countries are relatively small and too near to each other, a fact which cannot be ignored.

As you know, former President Moon Jae-In was always dreaming about a good relationship with North Korea (he was even sent to prison one time because of his political opinion) and was very successful at the beginning.

This good start was only possible because Moon Jae-In was blaming Japan to please North Korea. However he could not blame USA, because without USA South Korea would not even exist today.

He managed even to bring North Korea and USA to meet each other face to face, but there was no progress and as you see yourself there is no progress up to now. Just nothing - Zero. North Korea remains to be a very strange isolated country.

-----

The approach towards Japan by the new president Yoon Suk Yeol is clearly different, he understands he has now two choices, either to continue somehow like former President Moon Jae In or to turn away from North Korean issues and to negotiate a more friendly political climate with Japan.

I think really he should try first of all to create a better relationship with Japan, that's better for both countries, and this is what he is doing now.

Times are changing recently and Abe is dead (somewhat related to the Korean Moony Church - but this is a different matter) and Moon Jae-In is also not the president of Korea anymore.

You see your own link, that even 3 years ago, many Koreans gave very reasonable replies, not really hating Japanese people in general.

[MrMan]

There are some materials, maybe some of the chemicals used to make touch screens on mobile phones for example, that are made exclusively in Japan. I would imagine some products are made in Korea that the Japanese use for their industries. These countries may be concerned with national pride, but global supply chains are intertwined, and these two countries are heavy hitters for certain technologies.