Korea is a "hero-less" society

Why doesn't Korea have landmarks named after its great leaders and heroes/heroines? That's what Lee Chang-sup asks rhetorically before answering...

1) Individualism of Americans and that Koreans see things in terms of nations, dynasties, epochs. (Parenthetically, I think this explains things such as why Koreans are fine with a 513% tariff on imported rice.)

2) Korean's turbulent modern history. Hallelujah! This is one of the most fightingest civilized countries I am familiar with. It isn't enough for Koreans to win, the other side must lose. And opponents are never to be honored. It doesn't matter about the good things a leader may have done, the downside is to be focused on. Yes, it is the same in other countries, in the same way that terrorists chopping off heads and children stealing candy are both criminals...

3) North Korea's deification of leaders. This one is less persuasive to me. A street named after one of South Korea's dictators will conjure up memories of the Kim dictators in North Korea? Okay, not persuasive to me, but apparently so in Korea, so that Koreans will refuse to want to drive down Dictator Street.

4) Not enough history--this makes some sense. Leaders from 500 years ago are safely praised--King Sejong the Great was king, which should make him even worse than a dictator. Historical perspective may be needed before Koreans can objectively (or at least, somewhat reasonably) assess their leaders. But I wonder if there will enough time, I recently read that Koreans will become extinct by the year 2750.

5) Bias of historians... Yes, I'm always willing to believe that one...

6) Strict criteria...yes, good point... I have noted this one before, that even one flaw in a political leader (especially when it is an opponent) means the person is flawed and illegitimate, resulting in all Korean leaders as being regarded as criminals.

As another aside: 730 streets named after MLK. As Chris Rock, if you know someone on MLK, just say one word: "Run!" That's because many of those MLK street are in dangerous neighborhoods. Proving that Shakespeare (or whoever wrote it) had it right: "What's in a name?"

Park Jin welcoming remarks to FSI (and Casey Lartigue)

National Assembly member Park Jin makes the welcoming remarks at FSI's conference featuring North Korean diplomats. Park Jin | Greeting message to FSI and Casey Lartigue mention - YouTube

Back in America, 4 days and counting

I got back a few days ago, I'm still unpacking... Some of the highlights so far: * Friday morning I was in the audience for a CNN/The Root discussion about being Young and Black in America . As a veteran of so many of these Washington talking events I am less than enthusiastic about them these days. Still, I bumped into a few friends, some of whom are neither young nor black. The discussion seemed so 1980s, with the panelists trying to figure out how to politically empower young black people. I guess it was appropriate then that the head of the NAACP was there. His most irrelevant concern was about hate talk radio...or I guess Rush Limbaugh being on the air all these years explains the high level of black-on-black crime. 20 years later, how is the Stop the Violence movement working out? The highlight of this particular panel was running into old friend David Plotz, who is now editor of Salon Magazine. I don't think I've seen him since college but he recognized me. I forgot...

Still writing (Korea Times, 2023-12-19)

Still writing by Casey Lartigue Jr. The Korea Times December 19, 2023 https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2023/12/626_365284.html

2020-09-24 Still a Little Big Hero?

A former cable TV staff member dropped by TNKR's office today. This is TNKR's second office. When we first moved into our first office in 2016, he donated some items, mainly a microwave office that we still have. His gift today: A testimonial about how difficult I was for the TvN staff to deal with. Apparently everyone (other than Casey Lartigue) featured by TvN has opened up their lives and homes for the cameras. I said "no thank you." Not only that, but I didn't want them to feature me. As I said: "It would be better to highlight the organization instead of me." That was in 2016, when TNKR's future was uncertain, and needed a boost more than my ego does. They tried to convince me, but I said no. I would prefer to stick my head in a lion's mouth. I mention this because I have heard grumbling in recent years about how much I get featured in media, with some people complaining that I don't give Eunkoo or others a "chance." People w...

Michael Vick ain't got nuthin on me!!!

After football player Michael Vick admitted that he had been running a dog-fighting business I wrote that he was an idiot. If he was going to engage in such activity he should have gone to Indonesia or somewhere else. He certainly had the money to do so at that time. If he knew then what he knows now then he would have spent $10 million to run his dogfighting ring in Manila. Today I did something that probably not even Michael Vick ever did: I ate dog meat. I never expected that I would do so. It is a bit scandalous because Koreans don't just kill the dogs and eat them. Rather, they will beat them to death while they are still alive. That allegedly is to get the adrenaline flowing which allegedly makes the meat more tender which allegedly improves a man's stamina. I had told a friend that I wanted to give it a try. But as we sat down to eat I said: "I want to try this but don't give me any details until after we are finished eating." It just looked like regular me...

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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