Blood type.

Stop. Ask yourself “What blood type am I?”. Chances are you’re a foreigner in respect to Korea (seeing as how this is an English language blog written for the benefit of foreigners) and that you probably answered with “I don’t know”. More importantly, you might have thought “why should I care?” The short answer? You shouldn’t. But don’t be surprised if other people do.

Well I’m here to lay it on the line. It does matter. Kind of.

See, this whole idea behind looking at someone’s blood type originates from a Japanese belief that blood type determines temperament, compatibility, and pretty much everything else that defines someone. Apparently your blood has been yakking it up. What does it say about you?

This sounds like fun! Let’s compartmentalize the entire planet, shall we? Fall in line and take a look at one of four possible blood personalities that exist:

(for visuals, a chart can be found here)
– – – – – – – – – – – – –
Type O – Enter the strong willed, athletic, self-confident power-mongering natural born leaders of society. These goal-orientated risk-takers are ambitious and full of desire. Not surprisingly, they can also come off as ruthless, insensitive, arrogant and bossy. Oh they sound like fun at parties /end sarcasm.

Type A – These conservative, patient, considerate people are a little hesitant to trust people but eventually follow social order and customs as they seem apparent. Being a natural introvert, these perfectionists punctually get the job done whilst not making waves or hurting anyone’s feelings. Their reserved nature sometimes is misinterpreted as uptight, stubborn and obsessive. Cross these types of people only with a solid exit plan.

Type B – These peace loving, tree hugging, passionate, individualistic free spirits are not inhibited by normal social cues. These liberals don’t like to be told what to do and thus prefer to optimistically think outside of the box. Unfortunately, their self-centered nature can make them seem a bit forgetful and irresponsible. In a social-ordered society like Korea, these people probably seem out in left field, if you know what I mean.

Type AB – These calm, cool, rational thinkers make excellent critics and analysts. They are adept at being in control of their emotions and functioning in harmony with other people. Their indecisiveness can give off an unforgiving, critical and disconnected vibe from time to time. They probably can empathize with you, but they also probably don’t care.

– – – – – – – – – – – – –
After reviewing, take a look at this commercial compilation staring everyone’s favorite Korean hip hop group. Can you spot the character traits?

This pseudoscience is alive and well in Korea and has taken a new form: Phenotype discrimination. Oh yes. You have B? Seat’s taken. Can’t sit here.

Also, as you can imagine, Korea draws from a very different genetic pool than America. In America, it’s almost equally common to have either O or A blood type. However, in Korea, like the rest of Asia, draws far more from the B blood type pool than any other. Strange considering the stigma attached to such a blood type. Especially B type men. So, we’ve either got a lot of rebel B types running around in secret in Korea or blood type doesn’t matter. Ah… nature versus nurture… my old friend.

Hell, I don’t even know my own blood type…hold up screw let me check. UPDATE: I’m type A. go figure.

Further reading? I like this paper because it’s translated from Korean to English and it features some modern native beliefs about blood type. Also, this post deals more with the Korean advertising giants that use blood type to sell just about anything – even fruit. This article is based more on Japanese culture, but is still worth a good read on type compatibility in relationships (semi-NSFW). And to round things out, here’s a super cute cartoon strip about blood types and how they affect kindergartners. Precious.

In conclusion, many of young Koreans laugh at the idea of using ABO blood type to determine a possible life partner. That being said, it sure might make a couple happy to know that they aren’t in one of the”B” type relationships. *shudder* Take it as you would any other predictor – it’s followed by some, ignored by some, and followed religiously by some. Where do you stand?

Thoughts?

Eating Dog.

I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, it’s not one of those posts. I’ll keep it civil. First, I’d like to point out a brief summary via everyone’s favorite online resource. Essentially, if/when you come to Korea, don’t expect to see dogs dangling from store fronts and dog being served at every meal because it’s just not that common of a dish. Understandably, some misinterpret the consumption of dog as an insult to their way of life. Like all things, some take the practice to a new level of ridiculous. Like this commentator points out, different isn’t always wrong.

The history of dog as a food source goes way back to the dog days of summer, known as 삼복 or 복날. These three days had a prescription to beat the heat – fight fire with fire, so to say. Fight the heat with a hot dish. Makes perfect sense.  See, I’m much more inclined to eat 콩국수, but that’s just me.

If it’s eaten nowadays, it’s usually in the form of 보신탕 which is said to be a great overall virility booster. But then again, 복분자 is supposed to do the same, but I end up just getting sleepy.

But get real. Not all Koreans are into eating Fido. In fact, great efforts are being made to change the “energy-boosting” trend. In my personal opinion, it’s getting more and more difficult to attest to Korea’s cultural homogeneity. Genetic homogeneity is still pretty much as exclusive as the Finer Things Club. Still exclusive but slowly changing, no less.

It really gives new meaning to the ‘dog days of summer’ doesn’t it? (oh come on, how couldn’t I make that reference in this post?) Although the tradition of eating hot food on 복날 is still practiced, a great alternative is the delicious 삼계탕. A chicken is still socially acceptable to eat, right?

What it all comes down to is just a cultural difference. Case in point: In America, it gives no one pause to eat cow. But, it’s not nearly as common to do so in India. Likewise, to eat a dog in America is considered uncivilized and culturally taboo. In Korea, it kind of is, too, but not as severe a taboo. But look around. Historically and geographically, have you seen mass pastures for cow grazing in Korea? Then why would it be just as common to eat cow in Korea as America? The amount of dog meat actually consumed in Korea is not well-documented but it has been estimated as low as 5% and as high as 30% of the population who have eaten the dish. So, Lassie is still man’s best friend. Even in Korea.

Personally? I’m not against the consumption of any animal. Keep in mind I’m a former vegan. It’s all a matter of perspective. It’s easy to judge some other country’s diet and say “that’s disgusting” and for them to go ahead and say the same about yours. But that doesn’t get anyone anywhere. While I am not up to trying ultra-exotic foods like this guy, I’m culturally sensitive enough to know that what I consider abso-frakin-lutely delicious is at the bottom of someone else’s food ladder. Not everyone thinks 된장찌개 is heaven-sent. But, I try to look at “strange” food as I do with beer. Some beers seem better suited to clean the heads of gold clubs overnight instead of being consumed, but I respect someone else’s choice. Just because my buddy is drinking a Beck’s Dark doesn’t make him a bad person. In the end, it’s all the same. Beer is beer and food is food.

UPDATE: AAK wrote a nice, lengthy writeup recently, too. Funny how we both used the same basic title though my article was written back in June. Here’s a self-imposed compliment – great minds think alike, right?

Shameless….

Thoughts?

Fan Death.

One of the most tongue-in-cheek moments that expatriates have to share is the beauty that is fan death. So cast away science and come with me on a fanciful journey to discover why exactly these sweet little fans are harbingers of death.

To understand fan death is to understand that there are several different theories as to why four small moving blades equal certain death. The more scientific sounding, the more convincing. Also, consider the fact that Korean homes are, in general, smaller than Western homes. Also, it gets crazy hot in Korea. But, enough about me (puns are just rolling today) let’s talk about the theories. But keep in mind, I’m way late in posting this. These comedic claims have long been the fascination by foreigners. Here’s an article from 1997.

One such theory involves hyperthermia. Fan blows on person, person gets hot, fan blows recirculated hot air over person, person gets more hot. Repeat. But don’t get sold on the theory because another theory claims the exactly opposite: hypothermia. Fan blows on person, person gets cold, fan blows recirculated cold air over person, person gets more cold. Repeat.

Soak that in.

Another involves carbon dioxide buildup if left directly facing a person’s body for a prolonged period of time. This hits home for me. Tangent: All of the men of my family have this “bad” habit of sleeping with like a half dozen or so electric fans on at night. Even in the winter. It’s true. I always have a few fans on in the room when I sleep. I like the wind, the white noise from the fan, the circulation – so much so that I have trouble sleeping at night if I don’t have at least one fan facing me. Even in the winter. So, to my future wife, here’s a heads-up – sorry to be a little weird about fans. Bundle up, honey.

There’s also some pretty outrageous beliefs which I think have all but disappeared – only to be replaced with more experts professing the true reason why you’re going to die in the quiet comfort of your own bedroom. Some of these older theories include the fan blades cutting and mincing oxygen particles leaving nothing to be inhaled but fragments of air. Think sloppy seconds for your lungs. Another goofball theory is that the fan death rumor was created by the government in a scheme to reduce consumer electricity demands. My personal favorite is the vortex theory: the fan creates a partial vacuum in the room causing you to suffocate.

Sure, it’s pretty ridiculous. Conservation of matter demands a much stronger machine in order to effect change to the surrounding air pressure. Translation? An oscillating floor fan is not powerful enough to create a vortex.

So, by and large, sorry to disappoint, but fan death is fake. Rest assured (haha, get it?) you will not die in your sleep from that little plastic round guy that makes your voice sound awesome when you talk really close to it.

But I can see the connection. Honestly. News: A man is found dead in his apartment. The cause of death is not readily available. Neighbors get curious and see the paramedics working. Neighbors ask what happened are are met with “We’re not sure at the moment” but the wise old neighbor down the hall confidently proclaims “Must have been the fan”, which, as it turns out, is still running. *Dun Dun Duuun* Now, two independent events (mysterious death and fan running) are linked. But for this story to work, you would have to conclude without any real logic or method. Or just be an idiot.

Remember the Simpsons episode where Homer wanted to buy Lisa’s rock? The one that keep tigers away? In it, Homer proclaimed that because of the Bear Patrol and no bear in sight, the Bear Patrol must have been working like a charm. Lisa applies the same logic to conclude that a random rock keeps tigers away (after all, there were no tigers). Sure, I butcher the comedic timing, but this comparison is not unlike fan death and reinforcement over decades. A mysterious death in the summer results in media hysteria and “experts” claiming to watch out for the warning signs of fan death. The vicious cycle continues.

It’s comical but also kind of real in a small margin. So long as a certain number of factors are played in. For example, the EPA recommends not to use an electric fan in an enclosed room without outside ventilation during warm weather. This makes sense, as the warm air being circulated essentially acts like a turbo oven pushing ever-increasingly warmer air across your body which could possibly result in either asphyxiation or hyperthermia. It’s a stretch but an understandable concern. I’d like to think that the person trapped in the room wouldn’t be held against their will – just open a window. But to be fair, this argument for the validity of fan death has already been made and is one of the best written articles on the subject. But I wonder when will the debate be truly solved?

I have the utmost confidence that Korea will continue to make strides in the area of scientific research and development. Others are seeing hope, too. And far be it for me to criticize Korea or any other country for its false claims on anything. It’s easy to be convinced by anything if one hears about it enough in the news – be it ridiculous claims about English teachers or vengeful electronic fans. I believe that any group of peoples are influenced by not only their own beliefs but also reinforced by their own media, too. Before Americans get too quick to judge Korea for some backwards-thinking theory on common household appliances, I would like to just say one thing:

Y2K.

Thoughts?

Laughing.

Ah, a universal form of communication. Laughter. How could anyone possibly screw this one up? I mean, it must be the same everywhere you go, right?

Leave it to Korea to make things backwards. Other than the standard laugh that occurs when something funny happens, Koreans (to include other Asians) might also laugh when embarrassed or nervous. But here’s the thing, it looks like it’s funny…but it’s not.

Scenario: A foreign businessperson approaches his secretary and asks why the report he asked for is late. She responds by quietly laughing. She just remembered that he asked for it yesterday. So, in embarrassment, she does the one thing that will surely make him upset. She has grin on her face. He looks like he’s ready to punch the wall.

In the Western sense, it almost sets up the offended party to retort with “Oh, so you think it’s funny?” thus escalating the issue. But when viewed in respect to saving face, this makes total sense.

It reminds me of Ralph on the Simpsons when he sees that drunk Krusty the Clown impersonator. “He’s still funny just not ha ha funny”. In the scenario, the secretary is laughing at the embarrassment of being irresponsible. But the exec takes it as she was laughing at him. Or perhaps he’s just a little perturbed that instead of an apology or a quick reaction to fix the situation, her initial instinct ws to do something seemingly inappropriate and unprofessional. Even if she were laughing with him, it would still be a little out of place in the Western work environment.

It’s comforting to know that typically when trying to save face, the nervous party is not laughing at you. It’s just that when pushed into a corner, sometimes the only thing to avoid losing face is to grin like an idiot. Like a “I’m laughing at myself” type of laugh.

In conclusion, if you find yourself getting laughed at, take a quick step back and discover why someone might be laughing. If your coworker is smiling like he just finally figured out where the beef went, maybe it’s because you set him up for it. So cool down, analyze the situation, and move past this situation as quickly as possible.
For someone working with Koreans and find themselves puzzled by other such curious situations, I offer this book.

To that, I leave you with this. Laugh away. Or cringe. Whatever. And if that doesn’t do anything for you, just watch this. I like to talk over the footage with my own voices…that’s something we can all laugh at together.

Thoughts?

The Presidents of the Republic of Korea. 대통령.

This can be a hot topic because people of different backgrounds and age groups differ heavily on how each president is remembered. Moreso, with each new president, former presidents are remembered somewhat differently. For that matter, there are criteria for judging presidents.

Korea has a relatively short democratic history and an even shorter “real” democratic background. In just sixty years, there have been over 200 major political parties come and go. Also, one of the obstacles democracy faces in Asia stems from long-standing authoritarian tradition. Add to the mix Korea’s not-that-far-behind agrarian and colonized history and you’ve got a recipe for political instability. But, far from impossible, many politicians have been up to the task. According to Kim, democratic Presidents have three fundamental, sequential tasks while in office. The third can’t successfully be obtained without the second, and the second can’t exist without the first:

• national security (internal, external war)
• economic welfare (infrastructure development, public services)
• political development (freedom, individual rights)

Keeping these tasks in mind, I want to refrain from placing myself on either standpoint but I do want to try to at least give a brief overview of this important office and why you should care nowadays. Also, in an effort to be impartial, I will make an effort to provide equal amounts of criticisms and achievements. Keeping the mudslinging to a minimum, let’s take a look.

이승만 – 1948-1960

Syngman Rhee held a provisional post before the creation of what we today know as South Korea. Although he succeeded the popular and tragic political figure 김구, Rhee was quite accomplished in his own right and was an obvious candidate for the newly created Republic of Korea. As a young politician, he was a political prisoner for seven years before being released. He is best known as the first president of Korea and for carrying the country during the Korean War. His fresh new ideas and staunch anti-communist platform came at a crucial time in Korea. His relationship with the United States was vital to American involvement in the war. In addition, his academic career was equally impressive. Graduating from both Princetown and Harvard is not a bad thing to add to one’s résumé. Although he was democratically elected, he altered the constitution to remain in office quite a bit longer than the usual seven year term (now five year single term). In addition, after successfully leading South Korea before, during, and after the war, his politics soon fell out of favor was eventually forced to step down by a sweeping majority and subsequent student uprising. He lived the rest of his life in exile and died in Hawaii five years later.

박정희 – 1963-1979

Park Chung-Hee took power in 1961 in the form of a military coup. He held much more power than 윤보선, the figurehead president who took over after Rhee’s departure. A former general, Park ruled with an iron fist and a well-defined agenda. His anti-North Korean stance was well received; he believed that the best way to demonstrate superiority and security from North Korea was through economic strength. Thus, his main policy was economic independence through exports and heavy industry. Park is fondly remembered for his well-executed economic reform. His policies helped modernize Korea into better shape than before the war that left it in a state of poverty. Unfortunately, his presidency is equally remembered as authoritarian and heavy-handed. His censorship tactics were brutal and often inhumane. He left little room for professional criticism and democratic thought. His Yushin Constitution led Korea in a war-like state of emergency which granted Park with excessive political power. He survived two North Korean assassination attempts, one in 1968 and another in 1974. The second attempt missed the president but instead hit the first lady. His wife passed shortly thereafter. Regrettably, Park was assassinated in 1979 by the head of the Korean CIA. His legacy has often been the subject of great controversy.

전두환 – 1980-1988

Chun Doo-Hwan seized power from the former prime minister who became president after Park’s death. Like Park, Chun was a military general who ruled with a similar economic agenda as Park but with a focus on stability instead instead of growth. He also spearheaded a major advancement in research and development in the fields of technology and telecommunications. He is pleasantly remembered for his role in hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This event eventually had the support of the entire country and resulted in numerous infrastructure improvements such as the Han River Development Project and the 88 Olympic Expressway. Although not as physically imposing like his predecessor, Chun had big shoes to fill but still held his position effectively. He improved Korea-Japan international relations and repeatedly stressed that he would step down once his single-term was up. However, like Park, he was the target of an assassination plot that went sour and sadly resulted in the death of his wife and several other officials. Most unfortunately, he was among a group of politicians who were held responsible for the military’s brutal role in the Gwangju Democratization Movement (also known as the Gwangju Uprising). This event is still regarded as the most tragic lose of civilian life in Korea since the Korean War. After his term, it was discovered that Chun and his family had embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars while in office. In addition, in 1996 he was found guilty and sentenced to death for his role in suppressing the Gwangju Uprising. He was later pardoned and has since been out of the political limelight.

노태우 – 1988-1993

Roh Tae-Woo succeeded his mentor and close friend, Chun. They were both high school friends and eventually served together in an elite paramilitary force. His temperament was decidedly cooler than his predecessors. During a particularly violent student riot in June of 1987, Roh, then just a presidential candidate, addressed the nation on national television with an eight point agenda to fix the country. Almost immediately, the rioting ceased. Unfortunately, the arranged election time for the National Assembly coincided with an unfavorable time for the government and resulted in the dissident minority party gaining a majority of seats. What did this mean for Roh? His legislative goals were stopped at the National Assembly floor because they came from the other party. Ouch. Also, he was not particularly interested in the economy, a policy that the Korean people had long been expected to be maintained. However, Roh was greatly interested in improving relations with North Korea. His Nordpolitik was achieved via trade relations with Beijing and Moscow. Although he promised a lot in his campaign to a lot of different people, he reported carried a black notebook around and once quoted from it when questioned about his effectiveness “I made a total of 459 promises…of these…a total of 175 have been completed and [an additional] 273 are in the process of being worked out.” Even though Roh was the first president to usher in a peaceful democratic transfer of power since 1948, both Roh and Chun were of the same political party and the legitimacy of the handoff has long been questioned. Also, like his predecessor, he was found guilty of accumulating a 650 million dollar massively illegal slush fund and was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. He was later pardoned but his legacy was forever tarnished.

김영삼 – 1993-1998

Kim Young-Sam came into the political scene as a young and ambitious dissident. At 25 years old, he was the youngest elected assemblyman to ever serve in the National Assembly. A dynamic man, prior to becoming President, he was put under a two year house arrest and then went on a 23 day hunger strike in protest of President Chun’s policies. Stricken with 대통병 (President disease) he soon set his sights on the office of the President. He would be come the first civilian president in thirty-two years. He charged to create a new Korea although he lacked any real administrative experience. Also, his cabinet appointments were less than qualified to lead the country. If that weren’t enough, he “borrowed too many brains” by frequently reshuffling cabinet members. Stressing mass political reform, he led by example; he swore off golf, replaced fancy Blue House meals with simple dishes, and ordered the Presidential guest villa to be demolished. At the peak of his popularity, he pushed a new open and transparent banking system that relied on real names. This act resulted in over 1000 public officials throughout the country resigning from their post or forcibly sent to prison for various related illegal activities. His anti-corruption campaign spread to the military further forcing resignations from another 1000 or so officers in addition to revealing the 142 names of the secret paramilitary force 하나회. Unfortunately, for all of his crusading, he was alarmingly inexperienced in economic matters. Instead, he pursued OECD membership. His passionate demeanor sometimes worked against him as in 1994 when North/South Korea relations were at an all time low. A thick air of mistrust and possible nuclear war was on the brink until a joint North/South meeting was arranged with former American president Jimmy Carter as mediator. In fact, a historical North/South summit was set to take place July 25th 1994, but North Korean leader 김일성 died on the 9th. Regardless, Kim’s economic negligence came to an apex with the 1997 IMF Crisis. He stepped down as one of the most unpopular presidents.

김대중 – 1998-2003

Kim Dae-Jung did not have it easy. He was placed on house arrest several times by President Park. He was imprisoned by President Chun. He was kidnapped by the KCIA in Japan and brought back to Korea. He has been referred to as the Nelson Mandela of Asia. A life-long freedom fighter, at age seventy-three, he finally became President by a skim 1.5% margin of victory over 이희창. Kim had studied and lived in the United States, an experience that served him well as President. He cleaned up the IMF mess by insisting on 재벌 (corporate) restructuring, government reorganization, and a labor/management compromise. His DJnomics shook things up all over the country with little regard for the long-term effects. Furthermore, Kim insisted that he would help break down a long standing tradition of regionalism. Most notably, his Sunshine Policy aimed at amicable trade and cultural exchanges between North and South Korea. Emotions ran high on June 13th, 2000 as Kim flew to 평양 for a historical summit meeting which resulted in a five point agreement between the two neighboring countries. For his efforts, Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, his popularity in Korea was quickly deteriorating as juicy scandals and ineffective policies came to light. His Sunshine Policy was angering many South Koreans as it seemed one sided tilted in North Korea’s favor. In 2003, it was estimated that one out of every five families could not pay their credit card debt – a result of his short-term and short-sided economic policies. Also, his administration is widely believed to be the most corrupt in modern Korean history. He left quietly office amid serious doubts about his legacy and passed away in August of 2009.

노무현 – 2003-2008

Roh Moo-Hyun – the self-made human rights lawyer who climbed his way up the political ladder. His meager upbringing and underdog political status did not exactly pave the way for his future as President. However, he was known as a man of transparent good character and an all-around upstanding citizen. At the time of his election, the public wondered if he could be as effective in the inside as President than when he was on the outside as a dissident. Roh represented the 386 generation of Koreans and promised change and reform but soon his policies were questioned. His controversial and extravagantly expensive proposal to move the capital was not well received. Roh was also quite possibly the most Anti-American President ever – coinciding with one of the most Anti-American protest movements in recent history. Overall, his job performance wasn’t exactly regarded as effective, though it’s far to point at that the cards were stacked against him in some ways. Regardless of his politics, he tragically shocked the nation by committing suicide this past May. His passing closes a possible chapter in Korean political history – an ex-president who could achieve more out of office (arguably much like former American President Carter) or at least live out post-Presidential life in dignity. He remains an enigma.

이명박 – 2008-present

Lee Myung-Bak was the former mayor of Seoul before making his mark as President. The “bulldozer” also holds the distinction of being Korea’s youngest CEO at age 35, just eleven years after starting work for the Hyundai group. Recently, President Lee donated approximately 90% of his accumulated wealth to set up a scholarship fund. Well done. As mayor, 2MB initiated a rather controversial revival project that, $900 million dollars later, is known as 청계천. After his stint as mayor, he campaigned on his 747 economic plan which was met with hope and caution by the voting public. Even more skepticism was aimed at his Grand Korean Waterway – a project that would link 한강 (Han River in Seoul) and 낙동강 (Nakdong River in Busan) at great financial and environmental cost. Surprisingly, Lee recently dropped all plans of building the canal during his term. As if to really change things up around, his foreign policy, known as the MB Doctrine, is rising eyebrows on at least two continents. Furthermore, Lee has limited freedoms of assembly and press on more than a few occasions as well as having a rather extreme religious stance of both anti-Buddhist and borderline fanatically pro-Christian. He’s not exactly liked by the Korean gay and lesbian community, either. President Lee is controversial and conservative at best and Korea’s answer to Dubya at worst. Only less than two years into his presidency, Lee has plenty of time to make either great strides or costly mistakes.

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I know that politics can sometimes seem to be about as fun as calculus, but I can’t help but be fascinated with Korea’s history. It’s dynamic, dramatic, and riddled with broad achievements and epic failures. It shows so much promise and so much growth in such small amount of time. I’m impressed how far Korea has come politically since my grandfather’s generation (Korean War). I certainly welcome any dialogue about this subject as it is of great interest to me.

Thoughts?