In Praise of Korean Apologies By Yitzchok Adlerstein Despite initial apprehensions, Korean-Americans were not victimized in reaction to the Virginia Tech massacre. But this tragedy seems to have brought out the best in most Americans. Koreans initially took the news hard. Lee Tae-sik, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, suggested that Koreans in the U.S. fast for 32 days, one day for each victim. President Roh Moo-hyun devoted a press conference to the story; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs felt compelled to issue a statement. Cardinal Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk said, ``As a South Korean, I can't help feeling apologetic about how a Korean man caused such a shocking incident.'' Many in the United States followed with apologies of their own. Not everyone found this outpouring of apologies so admirable. One Los Angeles talk show host accused Korean-Americans of using the tragedy to stimulate sympathy for their community through a display of exaggerated contrition. He accused them of ``playing the race card.'' Now look who's stereotyping? An online Korean news source offered its own retort. ``It's an overreaction. It's doubtful whether the South Korean reaction will really help anyone.'' Perhaps it's now time to reflect on what it was that disconcerted Korean-Americans in the first place? If it was only fear of reprisals by other Americans, they were remarkably off-base. Their fellow Americans saw no more reason to target Korean-Americans than to go after gun shop operators or college administrators and hold them responsible for the shootings. Equally unfounded were any fears that the horrific crime would somehow impact the special status Korea enjoys in the United States, with more foreign students hailing from Korea than any other country, including China and India. Our country isn't that kind of place. Even more inappropriate were any pangs of guilt, a feeling that often defies understanding. Several times a year I get cold-calls from Germany, with someone on the other end seeking catharsis for guilt feelings about the Holocaust. Inevitably, the caller was born after the war, and was in no manner or form involved in the extermination of Jews. I do my best to assure the other party that one cannot be guilty for something that one did not do. Premature fear and unfounded guilt do not account for the extent of the Korean reaction. Apologies come with a price - a large price of losing face - in Asian cultures. (Witness the continuing outrage generated over ``comfort women'' appropriated for the pleasure of Japanese soldiers in World War II, and the tentative and strained form of the very delayed apology.) So there must be something of greater substance to elicit such profuse announcements of regret in the Korean community. Guilt has a first cousin, less anxiety-laden, and often a tool for positive action. A few weeks ago, six German teens visited a Jewish high school in Los Angeles. The Germans had all been involved in the translation of a book about a Jewish family during the Holocaust. They entertained questions. ``Do you feel guilty?'' one YULA student asked the guests. ``No. But I do feel greatly ashamed,'' the German teen responded. We feel shame for the actions of others only when we identify with those others so much that we have made room for them in our own identities. We do this often enough, in ways that are neutral (rooting for our favorite sports team) or negative (shunning outsiders, when we are tribal or jingoistic.) It is not surprising at all for people to feel so much for the larger group that all of its emotional charge the defeats and embarrassments as well as the victories redounds to each member. But strongly identifying with a larger group can be a wonderful tool for social responsibility and change. Good intentions often become nothing more than slogans when they are not transformed into action. Deciding where to act was much more intuitive before the world became a global village, where the efforts of any individual are dwarfed by the enormity of each problem. Groups that can take responsibility for whatever they perceive as ``their own'' have an advantage over people for whom all beneficiaries are equally attractive. Having too many places to park one's compassion and largesse is often the equivalent of having no place at all. Koreans sometimes see themselves as of a ``single blood'' or ethnicity, with a long memory of oppression at the hands of two much stronger peoples (the Chinese and Japanese) that took turns at invading them. Koreans may have had good reason to develop a strong sense of the collective. (More of that sense ought to be made available to a feckless Korean government in its non-activity on behalf of tens of thousands of relatives trapped for decades north of the 38thh Parallel. Cho Seung-Hui was the quintessential loner. He felt for no one, and connected with no one. The Korean reaction of bonding and responsibility was the polar opposite of the life-style that Cho practiced. It was an appropriate and humane reaction, not to be scorned but applauded and maybe at the right time, emulated. Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is the director of Inter-faith Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and holds the Sydney M. Irmas Adjunct Chair in Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law School. -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/opi_view.asp?newsIdx=2446&categoryCode=162
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. _ For ethnic Koreans, hearing that the Virginia Tech killer was also a Korean was shocking in an almost physical way. Although I can speak only for myself, I feel a primeval sense of horror that someone connected to me by ethnicity could commit such a foul act against everything we hold sacred and decent in our common humanity. Of course this was an act of a lone, disturbed individual who could have been from any race or ethnicity, but I cannot deny that his being ethnically Korean somehow brands me with a mental Scarlet Letter that is visible only to me but nevertheless seethes painfully against the screen of my self-identity as a Korean. While being an ethnic Korean neither automatically qualifies nor obligates me to speak to this horrible heartbreak any more than any one else, there is a terrible connection here that is inexplicable yet all too easy to feel. Judging by the outpouring of anger, condolences, and grief from Koreans everywhere, I am apparently not alone in feeling a terrible connection to this tragedy. However, I was surprised at the angry resentment that many Koreans, while sympathetic to the victims, feel at this terrible connection forced upon all Koreans by the killer's ethnic identity. This resentment could be felt in the reactions at Ambassador Lee's words at an emotional gathering the day in which the world found out that the killer was a Korean. His use of the word, ``apology,'' elicited a heated public debate. Many felt that, given his position, it was inappropriate. Some felt that he actually put Koreans in danger by somehow painting all of us with collective guilt. Still others felt just angry that he would apologize for something that we Koreans had absolutely nothing to do with. All these criticism are valid. Perhaps Ambassador Lee did go overboard in his choice of words. However, we must consider the context. This was the evening of the day in which we found out that the perpetrator of the worst mass killing in the U.S. history was a Korean student, and Ambassador Lee was speaking as the representative of all Koreans living in America. You would be lying if you, as a Korean, did not feel a certain sense of dread and fear upon hearing the news. You would be lying if you, as a Korean, did not recall the violence of LA riots 15 years ago or the fear of Brooklyn boycotts. You would be lying if you, as a Korean, did not feel more vulnerable and targeted than just a moment before. Of course, you have every right to feel resentful over having to feel more vulnerable just because a crazy killer happened to be a Korean. No one likes to feel powerless. But that does not change the fact that you do feel more vulnerable. As a Korean American who emigrated to the United States in the third grade _ exactly like the perpetrator _ I certainly felt all these and more in the hour that I heard the news of the killer's identity. I felt the fear because I know how racially divided American society can be just underneath the surface. Just because it's unfair for a group to be collectively labeled by the actions of an individual, it does happen all too easily _ for example, just examine how we Koreans generally think about African Americans to realize how powerful and widespread racial prejudice can be. I felt the dread because I know how the perpetrator's ethnic identity could lead, in the irrational emotions of the moment, to wrongs against those Koreans who had nothing do to with this horrible incident. We know that racial prejudice can be powerfully harmful and subject innocent people to unfair treatment. There are always those who will seek to confuse and divide us by using such tragedies as a podium for their hate and prejudice. And there are always who listen to the hate. This is why my first thoughts went to my parents working at a small drycleaners in a New York suburb and how scared they might feel listening to the news. Not because there were any specific threats. Not because the neighborhood has been nothing less than safe and welcoming for them. But because hate and prejudice will seize upon any excuse to do violence. I know that Ambassador Lee does not technically represent me since I am a naturalized citizen of the U.S. But I also know that someone looking for an excuse for his anger will not be checking my citizenship papers. In a pluralistic society, it's our appearance that defines us first. We, as Koreans, are connected to this tragedy through the identity of the killer, whether we like it or not. And this leaves us feeling more vulnerable, even if only in our own minds. Therefore, I thank you, Ambassador Lee, for your apology. While you may have gone overboard in your choice of words, I know that you spoke out of your concern for the safety of all Koreans living here in the U.S. I know that you sought to show mainstream America that we Koreans were as devastated by the tragedy at Virginia Tech as anyone else and, thereby, prevent Koreans from being singled out by the inevitability of racial profiling of today's American society. I thank you because I know your words made a difference. Jason Lim is a graduate student at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Administration. -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/opi_view.asp?newsIdx=2075&categoryCode=168
By Kim Heung-sook ``We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness ... We will prevail...'' _ Nikki Giovanni, Virginia Tech Distinguished Professor, poet, activist. Ten days have passed since 33 members of Virginia Tech community died in a shooting spree. Though many journalists have written about the 23-year-old Cho Seung-hui and his victims, I'm adding my two cents as I can't help thinking about him. Human beings are like china made of the same clay and a few other elements. No matter how great or vulgar a person is, the common things he shares with others far outnumbers the differences he has. The similarity, so to speak, is the ocean and the differences, the sea foam. Whether it's God or genes that create them, it is apparent that too much or too little of some ingredients are put into certain men and women. For Jean-Baptiste Grenouille in Patrick Suskind's ``Perfume,'' it is human scent that he is born without and the lack of it turns him into a serial killer obsessed with perfume. For Anna in Leo Tolstoy's ``Anna Karenin,'' her dazzling beauty is the starting point of the tragedy she will live through. People's lives are usually ruled by their excessive or deficient qualities owing to the human tendency to determine who is desirable or not on the basis of the small disparities. Babies are babies, but babbling, smiling ones are loved whereas crying, autistic ones are shunned. Seung-hui seems to have had too much silence from early childhood, a trait reportedly attributable to his father. For senior Cho, his quietness may not have been a serious social hindrance in his youth because such a quality had been regarded as a male virtue in his native Korea until recent years. For the eight-year-old immigrant Seung-hui, however, his reticence must have incurred double trouble as American culture cherishes expression, particularly verbal and articulate. The pressure to talk, let alone the stress of adopting an unfamiliar language, must have been a gigantic challenge for the boy. Psychiatrists and psychologists debate whether Seung-hui could have avoided committing his crime had he lived in the country of his birth. Well, he might have been less lonely here. He could at least understand what others were saying and his mother might have spent more time with him. In the U.S. she had to work long hours outside home. He might have grown up as an incomprehensible, unnoticed man like his father. He might have fostered a home-grown discontent and destroyed himself and others but after a more time-consuming preparation due to the unavailability of guns here. While agreeing that he is a complex case of depression and derangement, the specialists continue to ask: ``Did he do that because of mournful love, or of anger for racial prejudice and/or maltreatment by his classmates, or frustration over prolonged economic difficulties?'' As a lay analyst, I don't think disasters, whether natural or man-made, come from one distinguishable cause. Time and conditions must have been ripe for Seung-hui to let out his anger, which had been brewing ever since he was side-glanced for being different. Many of us share his weakness, loneliness, frustration, anger and despair, but we can avoid being branded like him just because we have a little less of everything. Given the ever-spreading unfairness towards people who are considered different, Seung-hui may not be the last dangerous oddball to shock the global community in such a gruesome way. Tens of thousand are struggling against biased perceptions others have of them and they may turn into a second or third Seung-hi if their striving doesn't pay off. The best way to keep them among us would be to recognize how alike they and we are and celebrate the similarities together. If they have to vent their frustration, they should be helped to find better means than guns, which should be banned no matter what. We should prevail through ``our blood and tears and through all our sadness'' as Prof. Giovanni says, but we should never allow emergence of another Seung-hui in America, in Korea or anywhere else. -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/opi_view.asp?newsIdx=1872&categoryCode=169
By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter The Virginia Tech massacre by a South Korean student shocked the entire nation, including netizens. On Tuesday, netizens posted articles expressing their shock as well as paying condolences to the victims of the tragedy. On portal Web sites, special categories were made to express how sorry they feel for the victims and their survivors. Everyone said that there should never be violence that threaten other people's freedom and lives. After CNN and other reports broke the news that the suspect is Cho Seung-hui, a native Korean living in the United States with a green card, many people were astonished. ``I couldn't believe that someone like me was really involved in this brutal murder,'' a netizen (ID hahaha) said. Other people showed the same response as they said they have begun to feel more responsibility for the case when they found out that a Korean was involved. Others said that the case looked similar to some cases happening in the Korean military where young soldiers try to desert from their barracks out of love or relationship issues. There were also rising concerns over the safety of Koreans living in the U.S. According to some reports, in Centerville, where Cho has lived with his family, American students throwing bread at Korean students were reported. In Los Angeles, some students were threatened by their peers who told them to go back to their own country. ``At the moment many people are concentrating on the issue of private weapons, and there are not many people accusing Koreans. However, I assume there will be some more talking about his ethnicity, and the hatred will pour out,'' another netizen (ID: Menia) said. Some are concerned whether the case would bring a bad image to the country and work as a setback to issues the country is trying to push such as a visa waiver or hosting PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Those who are willing to visit or study in the U.S. are worried over the possibility that getting visas would become more difficult. ``Back in 2001, I remember that getting a visa was quite difficult right after the Sept. 11 tragedy and I hope it would not happen this time,'' said Koh, a 25-year-old student who is planning to study in the U.S. There are also questions raised over studying abroad at a very young age _ quite the fashion in Korea at the moment. As domestic media in the U.S. referred to Cho as a ``loner,'' people are now questioning whether sending their kids abroad for study is a good idea. There were constant reports of children feeling lonely and causing problems with drinking, doing drugs or having sex problems, but the massacre has triggered the debate on whether such studying is really needed. Cho flew to America when he was a little kid, and is said to have not made himself accustomed to the different culture. ``I think his being alone made him a loner, and made him do something horrible. And would you still say that won't happen to your child?'' a blogger grandchyren asked. The netizens plan to hold a candle vigil for the victims of the massacre at the Seoul City Hall plaza on Sunday evening. bjs@koreatimes.co.kr -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=1205&categoryCode=117
Koreans, Americans Differ Over Collective Guilt
By Kang Hyun-kyung Staff Reporter The latest Virginia massacre has shown that Koreans and Americans tend to handle cases of violence differently. Many Koreans have shown a collective guilt after the killer was found to be of Korean descent. But many Americans have said Koreans have no reason to feel guilty for the killing. ``I understand why some Koreans are feeling a collective guilt, and I think in some context it makes sense. But Korea is not the United States and what makes sense in Korea sometimes doesn't work the same way in the U.S,'' said Thomas Kim, executive director of the Korea Policy Institute (KPI) and professor of Politics & International Relations at Scripps College. In an e-mail interview, the Korean-American political scientist said, ``No white American in the U.S. felt the need to apologize because a white person _ U.S. military veteran Timothy McVeigh _ killed hundreds in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Kim also used as an example the two school girls run over by a U.S. tank in 2002, which stirred civic group activists to organize anti-American rallies in Korea. ``When the two girls were run over by a U.S. tank, Americans did not feel any collective guilt. Americans weren't even aware of it,'' he said. He and many other Korean analysts said Americans viewed it as a pure car accident, which angered Koreans at that time. The misunderstanding came out cultural differences between the two countries. The U.S. Embassy in Korea last week categorized the Virginia incident as a domestic issue for which Koreans do not need to feel any guilt. Washington has shown reluctance over Seoul's plan to dispatch a condolence mission to the United States and to have public offices fly their flags at half-mast. President Roh Moo-hyun expressed his deep condolence for the victims and the family members three times to apologize for the fact that the shooter is an ethnic Korean. In its latest edition, Time Magazine reported that South Koreans' collective sense of regret and guilt has manifested itself since the massacre at Virginia Tech. The magazine said ``The strong tendency of Koreans to perceive the tragedy in terms of Korean nationalism, in which the group trumps the individual'' is behind the unique national sentiment. Kim pointed out, ``There are innocent people who are victimized every day by young men from all different backgrounds, and what they share is having grown up in a society that glorifies violence and allows easy access to guns.'' He added it is time to shift the focus of the issue from ethnicity to finding the structural causes to prevent the reoccurrence of the tragic incident. ``Rather than focus on his race or ethnicity, we need to address why so many troubled young men in the United States feel that violence is their only outlet. Only then can we address the systemic causes of violence in the U.S,'' Kim said. Christine Ahn, fellow at the KPI, said Saturday on the MSNBC Today Show that it has been taboo for Koreans to speak publicly about mental illness. She also pointed out that it has only been in recent years that Americans have begun to discuss the issue openly. hkang@koreatimes.co.kr -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=1539&categoryCode=116
Korean Students in US Nervous Over Rumor
Korean Students in US Nervous Over Rumor By Kim Yoo-chul Staff Reporter Tensions have risen in Korean communities in Virginia as rumors and allegations of Koreans being attacked spread. Even a U.S. university sent a letter of assurance to international students after police had confirmed the university shooter was a native of South Korea. ``Friends told me some Koreans who were living Richmond, the state capital, were hit and even Korean-owned stores were robbed,'' Choi Min-jin, 27, told The Korea Times in a telephone interview yesterday from Centreville, VA. She said tensions around Centreville were high as this was where Cho Seung-hui, the shooter lived. ``I am so scared to go outside as hostility against Koreans seems high,'' she added. A student in Virginia Tech said Korean students were hesitating to go to the school's cafeteria for fear of possible retaliation. ``They gather in threes or fours when they go out for lunch or buying something. Some of my friends stayed in their dormitory all day long,'' the student, said on condition of anonymity. Indiana University also advised its international students to report inappropriate behavior on the campus or in the community if it happens, a copy of an assurance letter obtained by the Times shows. ``While we believe it is unlikely that you will experience inappropriate behavior on campus or in the community, I am writing to assure you of our continued concern for your well-being and our commitment to provide you with assistance and support during your time at Indiana University,'' Christopher J. Viers, director of the Office of International Services said in an e-mail to the students. ``The Indiana University Police Department (IUPD) will respond promptly to requests for aid in emergency situations, with officers who are courteous and sensitive to cultural and linguistic differences,'' the letter added. Park Seo-kyoung, a senior of the school said the school's security officers handed out emergency contact numbers to foreign students. yckim@koreatimes.co.kr -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=1211&categoryCode=117
Americans Show Understanding Over Koreans' Backlash Worry
By Korea Times Reporters Koreans and Americans appear to have different views on the causes of the Virginia shooting spree as the Korean fear of backlash was overcome by an American outpouring of compassion and help. Koreans, especially those living in America, are still fearful that the recent Virginia Tech tragedy would spawn an anti-Korean backlash but Americans in general have extended their hand of support to Koreans, claiming that this incident had nothing to do with race. Rather, they say, it was the case of a deeply troubled young man. Following the tragedy, readers worldwide sent dozens of letters to The Korea Times to express their views on the massacre. ``Not once has anyone blamed this on Korea, Koreans, or the fact that this troubled young man was of Korean heritage,'' American D. Rittner wrote in an e-mail to The Korea Times. ``It is important for Koreans to realize that Americans do not blame Korea or Korean people for the psychotic crimes of Cho Seung-hui, just because he happened to be Korean. What is surprising to Americans, and regrettable, is that some Koreans actually expect Americans to somehow hate Koreans because of this tragedy. Such a mob-justice `backlash' is in reality abhorrent and unthinkable to us.'' Ryan Rafferty of Burke, told The Korea Times from Virginia. He added that on a national level, most Americans view South Korea with admiration, and consider the Korean people to be close partners. He said many American families or their adopted children are of Korean descent, and the personal bonds between Koreans and people of other backgrounds in America are strong. ``Therefore, for these reasons as well, to anticipate any wide-spread enmity developing toward Korean people in the United States is as unlikely as to expect a person to develop hatred toward his own brothers and sisters,'' he said. Currently more than 90,000 Korean students are studying in America, according to the U.S. Embassy. ``The shooting is quite a tragedy, but I find it equally tragic that the Korean government, and perhaps many of the Korean people, seemingly feel somehow responsible, or connected to this tragedy,'' according to James L.R. Moody in an email to The Korea Times. He said, ``Ultimately, Cho is responsible for his actions, but the fact that he is Korean is in no way indicative of the Korean people. We as Americans can only look at ourselves and shoulder the blame for promoting violence through our movies, television, and gun culture, and our irresponsible lack of any sensible gun control laws.'' Maria Almamater said, `` While I am extremely horrified by what has happened in Virginia, with 32 senseless deaths, I wish to stand by South Korea in this time of distress.'' ``Suppose an American lunatic happens to sneak into Korea and kill someone _ should President George W. Bush apologize? Should Americans be sad? South Koreans, please don't feel sad at all.'' She added that you must find courage. ``Your ruling people need not feel sad or apologize. It is the work of a lunatic who was proven to be mentally unstable. And if at all, it is the U.S. to blame _ this boy was born in Korea, but trained in the United States. What training did he receive then?'' An American living abroad said, `` Although I am horrified by the tragedy, I am also very touched by the outpouring of sympathy and compassion by the Korean people worldwide.'' You have once again proven that Koreans are honorable and humble, he said. D. Rittner added, `` Initially I was surprised to hear that Koreans and Korean-Americans are fearful of a backlash as a result of the tragedy. Not once has anyone blamed this on Korea, Koreans, or the fact that this troubled young man was of Korean heritage.'' ``The actions and motivations of Cho are most definitely not a result of his ethnicity. It is the result of his own personality,'' he added. Americans have been slow to point their finger at Cho's nationality but they have been quick to address his disturbed mental state and the lack of gun laws in the U.S. Deryan H. MaGill, project manager of the Texas-based Dell Computer, said, ``The incident was done by an individual with an emotional disorder. ``I was very sad to find out that the boy was an immigrant but the media here I have watched have not made discriminatory remarks or made reference to terrorism,'' she said from Austin, Texas. She said, `` None of the discussion at work or in our community has been about race following the tragedy. I hope the media coverage you are seeing in Korea isn't prejudice.'' ``I am very sad for Cho's parents and for all the families affected. This is truly a tragedy. You do not owe anyone an apology. We need to pray for healing, peace and for all the families,'' she said The Korean community in America has responded warmly to Americans' outpouring of support. ``Reminded of the treatment toward Arabs in America in the wake of 9/11, I grew fearful that this incident could trigger hate crimes against Koreans in the U.S., and I stayed inside Tuesday following the story as it unfolded on television,'' Kim Se-jong, one of The Korea Times global student reporters said. ``But by watching the news and observing issues brought from this incident, I find the focus isn't much on his identity and nationality. Much of the focus is on the suspect's mental instability, gun control, poor communication between the school faculty and the students,'' she said. The former chairwoman of Virginia Tech's English Department, took Cho out of his writing class, and decided to teach him one-on-one because she was so disturbed by the content of his writings but many argue that school officials didn't do enough to address Cho's struggling mental state. They said the tragedy could have been avoided had people listened to the young man's cry for help. ``The significance of a helping hand cannot be overemphasized. When we are aware of someone who is in distress, we demonstrate compassion by extending ourselves to that person, rather than ignoring the need. And when we allow others to help us when we are in trouble, we ease our own burdens and defuse potentially devastating circumstances,'' Cornell University President David Skorton said. -- Original Source: Korea Times http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=1310&categoryCode=117
I decided to try my hand at making a high-res desktop wallpaper with a nice VT logo since i couldn't seem to find anything close to what I wanted. It's made for widescreen, but if you set it to "center" it should look great on any monitor.