What's in a Name?
23/9/11 19:04![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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talkpoliticshttp://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC110921-0000358/S-Korea-and-UK-spats-spread-to-Falklands
SEOUL - Irked by Britain's refusal to use South Korea's name for a sea off the east of the peninsula, Seoul is considering using an Argentine name for waters around the British-ruled Falkland Islands, a newspaper reported yesterday.
The JoongAng Ilbo said that Seoul may start calling the Falklands Sea, which is near the Falkland Islands and some 500km east of Argentina, the Malvinas Sea as well - tacitly recognising both Britain and Argentina's claims to the waters. The paper said the move appeared to be in response to Britain's resistance to use the name the East Sea.
Seoul has been trying to persuade the international community to use both East Sea and Sea of Japan to refer to the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. Most countries call it the Sea of Japan.
The Falkland Islands are a sensitive issue in London, and Britain and Argentina went to war over the islands in 1982.
I live in South Korea these days and it amazes me just how a big a deal this is. I've had high school kids stop to poll me about just what I thought that body of water was called several weeks ago. Other foreign expats have told me this question isn't uncommon for foreigners here and that the locals can sometimes get pretty pissed if you say you call it the "Sea of Japan." For the record, I told those kids just that since it was the truth.
Bad blood between Korea and Japan isn't new but this really is a milestone is just how PETTY things can get. People use their own names for things in their languages. It's just a fact of life, not a slap and the face.
But this story got me interested so I did a little more digging. I quickly was able to find this translation of a Korean government representative:
“The reason the UK clings to calling the East Sea the ‘Sea of Japan’ is because the UK and Japan are of the same ilk in being island nations.”
I wonder what the guy thinks of New Zelanders. Or the Irish.
Anyway, while I really do enjoy living in Korea it's sad to watch the place embarress itself on the world stage with such childish actions. While not as bad as the Liancourt Rocks situation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks ) it's still a really shameful display from a nation trying to prove itself as an emerging power.
SEOUL - Irked by Britain's refusal to use South Korea's name for a sea off the east of the peninsula, Seoul is considering using an Argentine name for waters around the British-ruled Falkland Islands, a newspaper reported yesterday.
The JoongAng Ilbo said that Seoul may start calling the Falklands Sea, which is near the Falkland Islands and some 500km east of Argentina, the Malvinas Sea as well - tacitly recognising both Britain and Argentina's claims to the waters. The paper said the move appeared to be in response to Britain's resistance to use the name the East Sea.
Seoul has been trying to persuade the international community to use both East Sea and Sea of Japan to refer to the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan. Most countries call it the Sea of Japan.
The Falkland Islands are a sensitive issue in London, and Britain and Argentina went to war over the islands in 1982.
I live in South Korea these days and it amazes me just how a big a deal this is. I've had high school kids stop to poll me about just what I thought that body of water was called several weeks ago. Other foreign expats have told me this question isn't uncommon for foreigners here and that the locals can sometimes get pretty pissed if you say you call it the "Sea of Japan." For the record, I told those kids just that since it was the truth.
Bad blood between Korea and Japan isn't new but this really is a milestone is just how PETTY things can get. People use their own names for things in their languages. It's just a fact of life, not a slap and the face.
But this story got me interested so I did a little more digging. I quickly was able to find this translation of a Korean government representative:
“The reason the UK clings to calling the East Sea the ‘Sea of Japan’ is because the UK and Japan are of the same ilk in being island nations.”
I wonder what the guy thinks of New Zelanders. Or the Irish.
Anyway, while I really do enjoy living in Korea it's sad to watch the place embarress itself on the world stage with such childish actions. While not as bad as the Liancourt Rocks situation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks ) it's still a really shameful display from a nation trying to prove itself as an emerging power.
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 10:40 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 10:58 (UTC)I've never been to South Korea, but from this and my friend's reaction, it does not seem hard to infer that a LOT of South Koreans hold on to a very negative perception of Japan and the Japanese. Considering what happened, it would not be hard to understand. Maybe it seems childish to us, but has the ever been any attempt to reconcile the two countries?
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:06 (UTC)Granted, the Japanese did pretty shitty stuff to Korea back then. But that was 60 years ago most of the other countries involved in WW2 have moved on. Yeah, there have been some efforts to improve relations between Korea and Japan. But they've either turned into fiascos or just whipped the hardliners into a frenzy. I think we're just going to have wait until pretty much everyone from WW2 is dead before the ball will really get rolling.
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:09 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:13 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 13:58 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 14:21 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 14:39 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 18:47 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 16:19 (UTC)But that was 60 years ago most of the other countries involved in WW2 have moved on. Yeah, there have been some efforts to improve relations between Korea and Japan. But they've either turned into fiascos or just whipped the hardliners into a frenzy. I think we're just going to have wait until pretty much everyone from WW2 is dead before the ball will really get rolling.
It's not moving on to deny any of it ever happened. That's what most people call covering up crimes and genocide denial.
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 18:08 (UTC)Of course it is. It may not be an acceptable way to move on, but it is still moving on.
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 18:12 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 18:35 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 11:42 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 13:45 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 23/9/11 14:36 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 17:48 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 23:45 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 23:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 13:59 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 17:37 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:04 (UTC)South Korean Stocks Slump 4.6% (http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/09/22/south-korean-stocks-slump-4-6/)...
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:08 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:13 (UTC)Kicks Toyota Camry's boring ass:
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:33 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 14:12 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 02:14 (UTC)That's not something I ever thought I'd say about a Huyndai. They've really started making nice cars in the last few years and still are priced well.
If they add a good sound system, I say we let them rename the Sea of Japan.
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:28 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 11:48 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 24/9/11 02:15 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 13:39 (UTC)For all intensive purposes I think it's "in the face".
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 13:49 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 14:16 (UTC)uh
Date: 23/9/11 15:50 (UTC)Re: uh
Date: 23/9/11 15:57 (UTC)--And that end bit came off as bitchy at the end, unintentionally. What I mean to say is, perhaps instead of dismissing them as petty, maybe try to be more sensitive to their context, especially considering you're living in their country.
Re: uh
Date: 23/9/11 18:36 (UTC)Re: uh
Date: 23/9/11 23:51 (UTC)And so what if there's still stuff left over from the war? That's true in every country who was involved and most people in those countries don't give a damn about some old building.
The Japanese aren't going to cop to what they did anytime soon. Accept it, move on and start making money off them like smart nations did with the people they fought in WW2.
(frozen) Re: uh
Date: 24/9/11 01:18 (UTC)(frozen) Re: uh
Date: 24/9/11 13:43 (UTC)(frozen) Re: uh
Date: 24/9/11 17:37 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 17:31 (UTC)Or Cubans...or Madagascarans (sp?)...or Sri Lankans...
Yeah. That's weird. I have to admit that the line “The reason the UK clings to calling the East Sea the ‘Sea of Japan’ is because the UK and Japan are of the same ilk in being island nations” did make me gigglesnort though.
(no subject)
Date: 25/9/11 02:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 19:49 (UTC)So why are they singling out Britain for special treatment?
(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 20:27 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 23:53 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23/9/11 23:53 (UTC)