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The theme the past year in Japan has been “Pure Love” or Jun-al in Japanese. According to the Japan Times this crazes was started by the hit Korean drama Winter Sonata.

2004 was the year of jun-ai (pure love), epitomized by the huge popularity of Yon-sama (the reverential nickname for Bae Yong Joon, star of the hit Korean drama “Winter Sonata”) and a craze for sentimental love stories that gripped the nation from Hokkaido to the Okinawa.
So what exactly is a jun-ai relationship? Well, it should be platonic or, at most, include just one sexual encounter. A jun-ai couple should also be faced by many obstacles contrived to keep them apart and pining for a romantic reunion. Jun-ai quotient also rises if it’s a hatsukoi (first love) situation — a pair who fell in love when they were 15 and somehow managed to keep those nascent emotions intact in spite of the passage of time.

The Japanese set great store on the hatsukoi thing, being convinced that the purest love comes when one has never loved before. For this reason hatsukoi is considered sacrosanct, a treasure that will never be tarnished with petty problems that inevitably plague a relationship between seasoned lovers.

What I found the most interesting about this article was how Japanese men and women view each other.

What a lot of women say, however, is that the young men of this country are too thick to understand this need for emotional drama. Twenty nine-year-old Minako says resignedly: “Kono kuni no otokowa fukami ga nakute nijigenteki sugiru” (The men in this country have no depth and are too two-dimensional).

Men are also bound by tradition: For a long time, any Japanese male who spewed forth about kojinteki kanjyou (personal feelings) was considered a big-time wimp and a loser. However, recognizing society’s need for men to hone their verbal skills, many companies now encourage their male employees to participate in company-sponsored communications classes. Whether this new trend will transform them all into Japanified versions of “Yon-sama” remains to be seen.

Sounds like Japan needs to import the metrosexual lifestyle.

This Japan Times article about relationships between Japanese women and westerners is quite interesting given the fact that Japan has actually published manuals about meeting foreign men.

Some of the magazines have taken the subject a step further and include real how-to manyuaru (manuals) with such titles as: “Gaijin Daalin wo Getto Suru Killaa Item (Killer Items That Will Get a Gaijin Darling)” and “Gaijin to no Renai wo Kekkon ni Musubitsukeruniwa (How to Convert a Gaijin Love Affair into Marriage).” Most of these instruct women to combine the traditional yamatonadeshiko (stereotypically demure Japanese woman) with gendaiteki tsuyosa (modern-day strength). For example, a gaijin hunter should carry a hand-ironed handkerchief at all times, but she should also be able to voice her opinion on current affairs, preferably in English. (Oddly, there’s no mention that in order to do so, she should subscribe to this paper).

I particularly like the stereotype given to western men in Japan:

In any case, the manuals seem to be working since statistics show that the number of marriages between Japanese women and foreign men has doubled (8,158 couples in 2003) over the past 20 years. For many women, foreign men represent everything naisu (nice) that Japanese just can’t (or won’t) provide. Top on everyone’s list is the conviction that foreign men are sweeter and more romantic, that they will keep saying “I love you” well into middle age. And if the daalin is from the U.S. or Europe, he will of course, smilingly share the burden of kaji (household chores) and ikuji (child-raising) and be home by 8 p.m. — at the latest. Chances are the daalin will take her back to his home country to live in luxury, and most importantly, their children will have the coveted daburu kokuseki (double nationalities). There it is, the scenario of the ultimate kachigumi (winning team).

Even Korean men have a favorable stereotype:

Interestingly, Japanese women choose Korean men over any other nationality, followed by American. Experts say the Yonsama Ninki (Bae Yong Joon popularity) may have something to do with this. But according to my girlfriends, they’ve always suspected that Kankoku no otoko wa jyounetsuteki de ichizu (Korean men are passionate and faithful), much more so than the cold, distant, absent Japanese male.

Why would someone even need a manual on meeting western men to begin with? Most single western men are probably trying to meet Japanese women anyway. I wonder if Korea has any manuals on meeting western men like the English Spectrum guys had for Korean women? I wonder if that would make the same amount of headlines? It would be interesting anyway to see Korean women’s point of view on meeting western men.

North Korea is going around making inflammatory claims about possessing nuclear weapons again according to a Korea Times report.

The North made the claim to an American congressional delegation which visited the communist country Jan. 11-14, Radio Free Asia reported on Saturday. The U.S. government radio station said that Curt Weldon, who headed the delegation, revealed the North’s claim in a forum held in Washington on Wednesday. According to the radio station, the North told the congressional delegation that through the cases of India, Pakistan and Israel, it had learnt that the possession of nuclear arms was the only means to thwart external attacks. It also told the delegation that the North had no intention of keeping its nuclear program in the long term and wished to maintain friendly relations with the U.S.

Here is the most interesting part of the article:

There looms the strong possibility, though denied by Washington, that the U.S. will take the issue to the Security Council of the United Nations if the North keeps playing with the six-party negotiations. If the case is referred to the U.N. governing body, it may plunge the peninsula into heightened tensions for an indefinite period, thus impeding the expansion of inter-Korean relations. But without doubt, the North will suffer the most because of various sanctions that the Security Council will inevitably impose against the Pyongyang regime.

In this regard, the North ought to return to the negotiating table immediately so as to diplomatically settle the nuclear confrontation with the U.S. and restore peace and stability to the peninsula. Time is rapidly running out for the North.

Reading this I begin to wonder why the UN hasn’t already demanded that they be solve this crisis like they demanded in Iraq? It can be easily argued that the Kim Jong Il regime is as oppressive as the Saddam Hussein regime or even worse. The people in North Korea are already starving more than the Iraqis ever did. They both got illicit weapons programs the subject of concern of the US. These are just some of the similarities between the two situations. According to the Iraq paradyme the UN believes all international disputes should be settled through the context of the UN. So why isn’t Kofi Annan not demanding that the UN handle this?

The only reason I can think of is that North Korea has no oil and nobody is getting any lucrative kick backs from the regime like what was happening in Iraq with the UN Food For Oil scandal. So in the interest of promoting international cooperation I propose the perfect compromise using the same “successful” logic in relieving the suffering of the Iraqi people by the UN.

Why doesn’t the UN create the Food for Missiles program! The UN could sell Kim Jong Il’s missiles on the international arms market and then give the money to the regime for the purposes of buying food and medicine for the suffering North Korean people or Kim could just build palaces like Saddam did. According to the Iraq paradyme either option is okay. Then the officials involved in selling the missiles could get kick backs from the regime for their efforts. Saddam gave oil vouchers as kick backs, maybe Kim Jong Il could give heroin vouchers or kickbacks of counterfeit US money. Whatever works. After all this is for the sake of international relations. Mostly everybody wins with this scenario. Kim gets the source of hard revenue he has been seeking, the UN gets to call the shots, officials are making money from kick backs, South Korea doesn’t have to worry about the collapse of the North, the US can put the North Korean crisis on the back burner for a while, and the North Korean people, well not much really changes for them.

However if the US threatens to attack the country still, then demand inspections after inspections and cast the Americans as unilateralists. It would be important to keep the Food for Missiles program operarating after all because without it so many of the North Korean people would suffer. Well mainly just the Nork military would suffer; the civilian people who cares about them anyway? This is all for the sake of international relations and goodwill. There is nothing more important than that. Well besides lining ones own pockets, that is pretty important too.

Martial arts action movie star Jackie Chan was in Korea recently promoting his latest movie, New Police Story. Last week he spent some time with Ahn Jung-hyun of Arirang Channel’s Heart to Heart talk show and had some interesting things to say.

Most notably he mentioned that he dated a Korean woman for eight years.

A- Now we want to talk about your special ties with Korea. I understand that you used to live here for a short while.

JC- In five years total, just in and out in and out. Even though I have–my family was in Australia. In Hong Kong just by myself so nothing to do like uh…Chinese New Year I just flew in by myself.

A- Why? (laughing slyly)

JC- (laughing) For my girlfriend. (a little embarrassed)

A- Ah ha! (laughing)

JC- You have to ask “why?” (laughing) You think I’m dumb just by myself here in New Year in the snow? haha

A- Well I wanted to hear you say that!

JC- Hahaha, (nodding) yeah at that time I had a very very good Korean girlfriend. Yeah, for 8 years. And…in the old days–I don’t know you remember or not, Korean women, very hard to get out of the country. There’s no way they can get out. And also, not like now, everybody have telephone everyone can call. No, you have to go umm…company. Telephone company. To book! I’m talking about….almost 30 years ago. Thirty years ago! Then book. Then what time you come back Jackie. Then come back 4 o’clock then sit there until “Jackie Chan!” “Yes?” “Booth number 2” “Oh, ok” (mimes holding the phone) “Jackie?” “Yes.” Just like that. Then when you have time, fly in to see her. Yeah. So I lean a lot of Korean from her. So in the old day when I speak, I speak like a woman because the only way she teach me. (grinning) And after, when I go back to Hong Kong continue make a film…and I run out of money, and I….even call is expensive. (shaking his head) But…face to face I can speak a lot of Korean. But on the phone? Difficult! You know, always like “Mo heyo? Ha poyo? Toah? Choa? Nanea saeyo?” (hanging up the “phone”) Then two days later call again same thing! Then…slowly slowly slowly (parting his hands ending in a shrug) didn’t call anymore.

A- Mmm…so that’s how you split up.

JC- Mm. Now I think she..she get better life now. She get married, have children…

Jackie also mentioned that he liked to sing old Korean songs but did not like modern Korean music because it is to Americanized.

A- (laughing) You speak Korean quite well.

JC- Used to be. Yen ha leh. Yen ha leh. I speak very…I think…30% Korean. But now, forget. Because at that time I love Korean song. Because I love Korean culture. Like what? (sings a bit of two Korean songs) I learn Korean song to learn how to speak Korean. That’s the best way. Yeah. Like today, nothing to learn anymore. When I look at Korean song everybody yo! yoyoyoh! (rapping) Uh! I rather see the old day! In the old day really can learn! That’s a Korean culture. But now (shrugging) I look at all the song is American culture! Everybody copying American song. We copy Korean song. Yeah. Nothing to learn anymore.

When ask about his favorite Korean movies, he said he like Old Boy best and really wanted to meet the writer of the movie. He also said he cried watching Going Home and he really liked the movie Tae Guki.

Throughout the interview Jackie demonstrated his Korean language abilities and displayed his typical charm and humor. Definitely an interesting interview worth checking out if you are a Jackie Chan fan like I am.Jackie also did a show on SBS, toured a fish market with actress Kim Hee-sun, and did some charity work during his stay in Korea. He pretty much did everything right in winning the public over in Korea. I’m confident his new movie is going to do very well here.

The 1-9 Infantry “Manchus” formerly of Camp Hovey, Korea have been working hard to get out the vote in Ramadi Iraq.

Winding through the dusty streets of Tamim, a district on the southwest edge of Ramadi, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry handed out colorful fliers and instruction sheets Tuesday.

“Saddam will not be on the ballot this year,” he added with a laugh.

It is great to see the Manchus doing some good work in Iraq. I still find it amazing that 3 years ago I would have never dreamed the Manchus would ever deploy off the Korean peninsula to fight in the deserts of Iraq. The changes 9-11 has brought to the military are truly amazing.

We all may get chance to see President Bush in a Hanbok this November at the APEC summit being held in Pusan.

The government’s APEC summit planning committee has been deliberating what clothing to choose, to the point of convening an advisory council composed of Korea’s top seven hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) experts.

Meanwhile, Busan’s municipal government plans a hanbok-wearing campaign during the summit in order to highlight the beauty and rich cultural associations of Korea’s traditional dress.

That should be a sight to see, President Bush in a hanbok. Hopefully he uses the APEC platform to mend some fences with South Korea. Never the less November should be entertaining at the very least.

Don’t look now but there is push to introduce the metrosexual lifestyle to Korea

“Everyone has a desire to look better. But men have been just stuck in the stereotype of a strong man’s image associated with their classic suit and tie and have given up their freedom and creativity to express themselves,” Jung said.

In the book, Jung points out that Confucianism has created a male-dominated society in Korea and played a great influence on forcing men to repress their individuality. But metrosexuality can be a good starting point to break wrong standards or old customs, he said.

Judging by Korean dramas I would think the metrosexuals are already making a foothold in Korea. Jung references this fact:

Jung believes Korean actor Bae Yong-joon is a good example of a metrosexual since he is very popular in Japan not because of his masculine appearance but because of the tender side he has shown fans, and it proves a modern and globalized society needs a new paradigm of men in diversified roles.

I wouldn’t say Bae Yong-joon looked very masculine in Winter Sonata an now his tenderness is in question with the leaked celebrity X file detailing his tendencies to slap people around. I wonder if it is because of his rumored steroid usage? You got to love tabloid crap. Imagine a whole country of Bae Yong-joon’s. Oh, the horror. I like ajushi just the way he is, I have no problems with him, even though ajushi can be a little grumpy at times and try to rip me off of my cab fare. Besides that we get along great.

Brian over at Gangwon Notes has some interesting pictures of a fire escape at a Korean camp he was working at. I have seen this type locked fire escape in hotels before and thought how odd it was. I wonder if Korea has any fire safety laws in regards to this? They probably do but they are probably enforced as well as traffic laws are here.

I remember reading in the Asia Times about a brothel that burned down in Kunsan and a bunch of prostitutes were killed because of a locked fire escape.

And this is where the problem lies. As long as South Korea maintains the illegality of prostitution while turning a blind eye to one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation, the industry itself escapes regulation and the sex workers do not enjoy even the most basic of human rights. In 2002 in a red-light district in Kunsan, 15 sex workers were killed when the building where they were confined caught fire. With the doors bolted from the outside and bars over the windows to prevent escape, the girls were unable to flee the flames, all suffering a horrific death. A Seoul court ruled in favor of the bereaved families, awarding them a total of $2 million in compensation from the brothel owner.

The same judge, however, ruled that the local government and the police had no legal responsibility, even though the brothel confined the women with the likely knowledge of the local authorities.

In comparison this camp isn’t to bad. At least they had fire extinguishers at the locked fire escape. However, I wonder when the last time those fire extinguishers were checked for serviceability? At the very least you can use them to break the glass. Maybe that is what they are really there for.

North Korea continues to try and turn over a new leaf by saying they are going to change legal codes to promote human rights in the country. Yes, you read that one right, promote human rights.

North Korea has made it mandatory to issue arrest warrants in criminal proceedings to enhance human rights conditions, according to Pyongyang’s code of laws newly issued in August 2004.

“North Korea is trying to deliver a message to the world that it also is trying to adjust itself to international standards,” Paik Hak-soon, director of North Korean studies at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, told The Korea Times. “We are not in a war time, so they are trying to abide by the rule and process in punishing criminals.”

So you get a warrant before you get sent to the gulag. Big Deal. If North Korea wants to adjust itself to international standards, how about it start by feeding its people.

Why does is this report of a Korean being murdered in Kuwait given any credibility?

The government is examining a Reuters report that a group calling itself the “Kuwait Mujahideen” killed a Korean national in Kuwait.
Reuters reported on Saturday that the group claimed in a statement on a website it killed several Kuwaiti soldiers, three U.S. soldiers and a Korean in a shootout. But in a follow-up report Reuters quoted a Kuwaiti security official as saying that one militant had been killed and only two Kuwaiti policemen hurt in a gun battle with members of an armed Islamic group.

If this was true wouldn’t it be all over Fox and CNN by now? Shouldn’t the Korean media wait to see if a report is true before reporting it. I could start my own extremist website today and post claims of killing Koreans. Would the Korean media report that too? This is an old terrorist tactic to put out false claims of killings to add to the perception of chaos in the country. It is the same as civilian casualties. Claim as much civilian casualties as possible even if they are not true just to create the perception. Look at the threats made against the Korean soldiers in Iraq. Has anyone actually made an attempt yet to kill any Korean soldiers? No, but they are going to keep making threats to add to the perception that the Korean soldiers are under immediate danger and shouldn’t be in Iraq though they are in a peaceful area of Kurdistan. With news media like the Korean media ready to report anything no matter how unvalidated, it plays right into the hands of the terrorists. Perception is greater than reality. A little Terrorism 101 for you.