Sleeping with the enemy part 2

Yesterday I attended Christmas dinner at my ambassador's residence.

As we had been talking and mingling among each other the topic of recent events came up naturally and we had been wondering what comes next in inter- Korean relations and how it may affect our lives as expatriates.

Although general public does not care at all, the government does. At some point I said that I admire their cold-blooded reaction for Cheonan sinking in March, as in the West it would probably result in war. My current boss said that the chain of avoiding responsibility and pushing decisions as high up as possible is what makes that cold-blooded reaction. I cannot repeat here all the comments and remarks for obvious reasons. Although everyone agreed that life in Korea is like sleeping with the enemy. I heard that once from Swedish colonel from the Panmunjom base. In my recent coverage for press it is confirmed by many statements from guys who had accomplished military service. The threat is there and life goes on. Thrilling and toxic in one.

A year ago one of my readers asked me what would be the path to reunification and whether I believe in it or not. And if I could describe North and South Koreans as two different nations. I ask such questions very often and I see that the attitude varies depending on the generation and on the position. Older people repeat like mantra that there are only one Koreans and that South Korea moves on behalf of North in the international scene as well. The theme of broken families appears every now and then too.

But younger generation if asked really thoroughly replies clearly that North Korea is a problem, but it should be reseolved differently and that even if the regime changes one day they do not want 20 million of hungry people to be fed at their expense. They do not want higher taxes and no longer feel any kinship. If it was me to bet what is going to happen in the future, I bet that there will be two Korean states. They will maybe merge one day but only in a federation and only if the North catches up economically.

Are they two nations? Maybe... already yes maybe not yet. But... the first layer of Korean mentality is hierarchy and kinship - this is common for both South Koreans and North Koreans. Equally important in both societies. But the core difference is in the layer which was created very recently - the attitude to consumerism and competition. The attitude to democracy and acceptance of different ideas. Despite some 50 000 North Koreans who stay hidden in China and numbers in other countries, majority is behind the iron curtain brainwashed and convinced that elsewhere are only problems, diseases, AIDS, terrorism, etc. If even some of them watch South Korean dramas in secrecy, there is a chance that their mindset is non-capable of accepting modern capitalistic competition and requires a lot to be just given - a phenomenon known as homo sovieticus. South Koreans are totally different. Accept rat's race and competition, public debates, differences in the opinions as part of the normal daily life. My answer is yes, they are on the way to split forever.

G20 aftermath

This is the first in a series of posts related to G20. I hope to provoke some discussion here, so if you read this and feel heated by my comments, use email to blow your arguments on me, it's a genuine offer.

Today my crazy Polish friend Martyna went with her Turkish equivalent to Seoul to protest against G20. As we had some issues to discuss I called her and caught her on the spot in action screaming Stop G20 and so on. I just remember that I told her to have some mercy, cause after all, these guys do also care for the world. Martyna replied "Funny said".

Hmmm, good question, asked I myself, do they?
Here in Korea everyone is so crazy about it because it helps Korean nation branding and advertises the city globally. Just like tourism increased after the FIFA WC 2002 it will boost now cause everyone would like to see COEX.

Nevertheless leaders had come to Seoul for 2 days, or say 24hrs to discuss some hot issues. Prior to this event Korea held two semi successful conference events: G20 Development Conference and Bridge20 held in recent weeks.

As part of Nation Branding Korea is trying to build it's public diplomacy by sharing her development path as the growth model for other nations. But also Korea had taken a role of advocacy of African nations and therefore their representatives had been present.

So they talked about currencies, trade inequalities, and other stuff. So they agreed on the issues about trade inequalities between developing and developed countries. As to the heated currency issue one of the journalists on Deutsche Welle had put it: "They actually talk about it, do you think it's already some advance in the process?"

As part of the Seoul statement they want to put more responsibilities on China for the global banking system, that is their solution.

Several months ago I volunteered to do the coverage for the 1st Polish Radio Channel on the event. My boss replied: "No need, they will talk a bit, smile to the camera and so it will be". Apparently he was right. Actually I feel pity for all these protesters because it's November and rather freezing outside. It all seems like barking at the wrong tree.

There are things which are not even talked on G20 meetings, and these are speculations and short term forex games which tend to do a lot of mess in the global finance world.

I messed up the 3rd session of G20 Development Conference with a very inconvenient question. Suddenly during a very sleepy panel on food crisis and sustainable development I got suddenly very awake when I heard that wheat price rise and rice price rise in 2007 - 2008 had been due to oil price rise. Well to my best knowledge no it had not. It was a result of sudden fund allocation by Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers when they got to conclusion that they actually miss some hard cash in their safe boxes which they won't get from ill-managed housing loans so why not take it from food commodities?

I have smiled nicely and asked "We may face one underestimated issue here... - here I went on explaining the issue of speculation and continued - how possibly can G20 restore transparency on food commodity market, what can be done about food commodity bonds?" There was a moment of awkward silence and the speaker said " Well there is no evidence that the food commodity price rise had been a result of speculation"... in that moment I had seen movement in the ballroom, that is when everyone got really awake looking at me with this expression "Are they nuts?"

I smiled to the very end, nicely thanked the panelists for their answers and headed to the lobby for a cup of coffee. On the way Mr Cozendey from Foreign Office of Brasil, their economic expert said to me "Well, are you happy with their answers?" I denied. He replied stating as follows " And you are right, there are quantities of $ flying on food commodity speculation and it's exchange rate is linked to it in bigger extent than with anything else".

Some people may ask me why don't I come with solutions instead of critisism?
Oh I do, here they are: let ill-managed banks go bankrupt, don't bail them out. The blank space left by one business is almost immediately taken by the other one. The one which may offer something better to the market and it applies to banks just as much as to anything else. I can understand a bailout for some coal mine employing 80% of population of some area, but a bank??? Give me a break!

And I have my argument to back this up. Goldman Sachs received first bailout, and what did it do? It played on currencies in Middle and Eastern Europe almost directly causing financial and political trouble in Ukraine, Hungary, and Baltic States. They also tried to play on Zloty and our Fed made the intervention movement.

Is this what you are supposed to do with money taken straight from pockets of hardworking American commoners? Spread the financial crisis globally, spread the turmoil and smile to the photo afterwards?

These are my thoughts regarding G20.

G20

Good luck Seoul. Good luck to all the people who spent sleepless nights on all the preparations for the summit.
I will write about the event later on.
Have patience.

"Sustainable" concept of development

I think I might have written about this before, but today I had a successfull presentation about international aspect of sustainability at the University of Ajou Global Leadership for Sustainable Development International Seminar, exactly today, October 20th.

During my research I have read thousands of pages, papers, and so on, but also interviewed people, read newspapers. From common sense observation, sustainable development was put aside after the 1997 financial crisis in Korea, and it is very said because it influences not only natural environment but also national heritage - traditional Korea in terms of it's authentic non-museum non- festive manner is disappearing if not disappeared already.

Faculty are conscious about it, and they admit it as a sad fact, but not much can they do within this matter. They would have to be very close to actual policymakers in the presidential's committee to change that.
Maybe something even more is needed, such a conclusion came to my mind at the very end of my presentation. The comprehensive system of environmental awareness education is needed from the very kindergarden in schools and also in public media. Our minds are already shaped when we join academia, It's too late to learn about sustainable development or eco-friendly approach and manners of life.

How is it in Poland, one may ask. Well Poland is green because of it's historic heritage, public approach is divided, just like in Korea. Some say: grow, develop, grow, develop, build, expand, and some say: think before you act and "though shall not kill". Positivism and it's historic legacy of natural scientists who involved into early modern conservation ideas led to establishing first Natural Reserves and Natural Parks in the late 19th/early 20th Century. Later Sustainable Development was under the carpet during communist times, two professors worked on it and two of them also served as high rank UN ofiicials building framework fundamentals for global sustainability. For those really interested I recommend works and interviews of Ignacius Sachs or Stefan Kozłowski (more of Sachs in english).

Both Poland and Korea are facing modern development pressures. But both are conscious about growth limitations, and seek the way to achieve sustainability, and have ways to share the experience: Poland it's fundamental heritage for global conservation and Korea it's global stewardship for sustainable ideas.

The paper and the presentation will be published soon at my website: www.agnieszka,schibgilla.de

Have a nice day, evening, night.

Enjoy the natural world till you still can, treasure every little bit of it.
"The culture which cuts off from the wild life in nature around us and also from the wild life of our inner selves, is meant for self-destruction" Gary Snyder

Soju

Lol, what a title for a blog post, hah?
No, I am not a heavy drinker, and this is not an AA advice post.

The closer to my arrival to Asia, the more I think about stories, people, places.

If I think now about especially nice sutuations, these were always when I was asked" 어디서 오셨어요?" "where are you from?" by a bartender or waitress or the owner of some small restaurant business somewhere, I replied: "처 는 펄 란드 사람 임니다" "I am Polish" or "I come from Poland" more formal.

Apart from learning immediately that Korean people love Chopin, Pope and Lech Walesa I usually got free siders and Soju.

So what's that Soju?
That's in it's pure form a rice vodka. It can have from 20 to 45% and better be carefull with it. Tastes like a sweet warming almost neutral spirit and really gets into you, especially when you are an "economic drinker" lol.

For polish people, especially guys it's not much of a problem, but sometimes we can find ourselves in non-comforting business situations when we drink. And drink, And drink. And even more drink. Until everyone is under the table- that's Korean way of drinking even in official formal situations.

What then? Well, my chemist academic teacher used to say that alcohol is basically a poison after 150-200g but somehow Polish and Russians are resistant. So compared to Korean person, Polish should survive this heavy drinking and steadily walk home really well.

What if someone is, like me, an economic drinker. Well, then it's better to quickly pretend a state of total knock-off.

In our European heads (don't know many American, sorry) , as we are in our essence non-honest and false people, that raises a question. What comes next? What if someone uses the things we said or stuff we have done against us later especially in  business talks or negotiations?

No fear over here. No need to be afraid that we will be later blackmailed or manipulated. In Korea there is a one magic rule - an amnesia after drinking.

During alcohol parties surpressed emotions come out. People sometimes forget about confucian "non-burden keep-quiet about yourself and your needs" attitude. So our Korean counterparts won't use this against us as they have their dark side as well.

Back to work.

National Branding and historical politics

....variety of ideas.
Today Korea Times has informed about the newest national advert in the US.
Korean ownership of the Dokdo Island will be promoted by 100 000 hand rubber bands in the USA, just after the full page article in New York Times and Times Square billboard.

This is just one of the actions of Korean authorities to promote the country and it's interests. Korean PR and soft power has been deeply involved in promoting Korean dramas ( soap operas) in the Far East, Korean music and contemporary youth bands, even Korean fashion brands.

This has caused increased numbers of Japanese and Chinease who travel to Korea just to learn the language or watch the house or caffeteria of their favorite amants from the soap operas ( here especially girls).

That would be enough on national branding in this post.

************
There is however another interesting issue about Korean politics and foreign relations with it's neighbors.
Dokdo is an island otherwise called Takeshima by Japanese and is located in the sea south of Korean coast. There are some traces of natural resources on the island, but the whole conflict in Japan has deeper roots.

This is more about memory and historical politics. Japanese occupation has exceeded Hitler's regime in accuracy and implementation of methods and left huge traces of bad memories in both Koreas. So therefore the ownership of Dokdo is more a matter of national identity and common sense of harm which has never been excused for up till now. Historical politics in Korean education system builds many myths about nation's history as it helps to improve the identity and mobilizes human powers into any action for the common goal (whether real or imaginary).

There might be critics of such policy of the state which tells a lot of tales to Korean children, but on the other hand the same happens in Japan.

Contemporary Japan had not experience any denazification process as it was done in Germany post World War II. In the West it would not be accepted that Nazi officers are invited to tv stations where they are treated like national heroes in the 21st century in front of millions of young Japanese. This attitude is simmilar to the attitude of current Russian leaders who still try to deny the massacres of Katin ( see Katyń of Wajda if you are interested, but warning, the movie contains drastic scenes). However current Russian leaders stopped denying communist crimes, these crimes are nameless, they were done by anonymous people who "had their orders". This quote: "I had my orders" is also very often mentioned by Japanese veterans when they sometimes face more detailed quations about their actions during the war.

Tensions between Tokyo and Seoul are big and not easy to resolve. But time heals the wounds as I have mentioned before and young generation of Japanese raised on Korean Wave will show different attitude, also young generation of Koreans who have no historical burdens will be able to say: "It is past now. We will remember but we do not have to hate".

What will be with Dokdo then? I don't know, but knowing the energy of Koreans in fighting for their interests, it will be Dokdo and it will be Korean.

I am sorry if this post is not answering all as I write in haste this time.

Korea Times on Dokdo Bands:http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/04/123_63870.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1zyQ_zffM.... and this one a movie on Katin

Feelings&Emotions

Everyone feels a lot... we do love, hate, desire, dream...
But are we devided in so called "national mentalities" in such"? Are we different in mental construct depending on where do we come from?

I am not sure...but let me give some remarks on Korean feelings ( though I am not specialist and never will be).

Average perception of East Asian in the West is... emotionless, dull, always correct, with no opinions, fake smile. This is what European and American people think about people from this part of the world usually putting them in one basket called somewhere in their heads "East".

Marching and wandering through Korean streets, stopping at the bus stops, traveling through the city I saw a lot of signs of passion and character in Koreans, and that would deny such prejudices and common sense perceptions.

Not once I saw two guys quarelling and shouting at each other on the subway. I have also seen people expressing their feelings so passionately that a "dull" German or Dutch would look startled at signs of affection of that kind.

Many times when I met Youna, she would grab my hand eagerly and walk this way admitting that Korean girlfriends do that if they are really close to eachother. We are close, so we marched this way down the streets or the malls...

I have to mention the entire storm of critisism and emotional discussion over my research project with the members of my lab, when I was attacked and cornered by remarks with almost agressive temper.

If Koreans conceal their inner feelings, those would be attached with other traits than opinions about topics.

When they really get passionate is if their national identity, history, achievements and other stuff is in the spotlight. They really can quarrel with others, oh yes they do...

Soju helps to open oneself and behave quite differently from official work hours attitude. If a huesaouon gets too drunk, noone remembers the next day his behavior. If he is drunk, everyone will let him sit on the subway and does not complain for as long as he does not become agressive.

I sometimes wonder what is really concealed? Which part of your soul if you are a Korean is the part where the light does not reach, the part which stays covered no matter the circumstances?


So I got philosophical a bit :)

Poland - Korea 20 years passed...

On November 2nd 20 years have passed since Poland and Korea established officially bilateral ties. In Poland there is a special Korean cultural year celebrated, a lot of trade fairs and exhibitions have been opened as well. One of the most fruitful in enterprise followed was Korean Product Show held in Warsaw in June.

Here in Seoul with the occasion both sides have exchanged traditional diplomatic chit chat letters saying how wonderful it has been so far and how they intend it to be. Indeed they do not have to go too far to visit each other as Polish Embassy in Seoul is situated in the most prestigious spot - near the Special Presidential Area, next to Gyeokbongguk Palace ( if I spelled that right).

So far Korean companies like Samsung, Ssangyoung, and LG have invested more than 1.7 bln $ in Poland creating design and development centers and employing lots of people.
However diplomatic chit chat is one and reality is another. There is an anonymous unconfirmed rumour that all Korean industries are withdrawing from Poland within next year due to the special tax abolition period will have expired by then. Yet due to my current information this proves to be not true so far. We'll see what the officials from Poland tell me and when.

It is a good occasion to try to summarize similarities and differences between our two nations. Koreans are very intelligent, patriotic and conscious people. They like to drink a lot, too. They are not afraid to be loud in the evening at some bar or restaurant. And they know who Walesa was ( it's very good that they don't know who Walesa is today as they probably would be confused a bit).

Polish people... are lucky. Oh yes, they are hardworking too, when it is really needed, but they are mostly lucky. Like with that special spirit in the air watching over them for centuries and always sparing just from under the hammer of fate. Current state of polish economy is a little bit of both of that. After we joined EU most of young labor force not competitive on polish market fled abroad and started sending money home. And more money and more money. Sustainable central government policy towards state bonds management and transparent fiscal and bank legal system spared Poland from "financial crisis" inferno. Even after huge panic and mass foreign capital withdrawal and some hocus pocus of Goldman Sachs last year economy merely slowed down a bit by 2 to 3%.

Ill - considered currency hedges have hit some firms, some "end of the chain" companies suffered impact from old EU collapsing economy, but nevertheless 60% of big ones plan new investments this year.

How these circumstances are being used, that's different. If Poland learns - and I think that has learnd a lot by now - that wind of change never blows twice - then a little bit of hard work applied and success gonna last.

Looks like this is visible now by polish businessmen. They often complain about bailout plans and other stability magic techniques giving remark like Jozef Przyblwa, a hotelier in one of the Silesian towns, stating that the crisis has weeded out the "weak and reckless".
Polish central government despite of wishes or more brutal orders from old EU states like France or Germany which consistently try to impose "shut up and obey" policy towards Poland, keeps minding it's own business using whatever it takes to built the state of the future.

This is very similar to Korea as well. One of the most important factors which makes this country successful is good foreign affairs management and very determined strategy of economic patriotism within the global village of these days. With growing Japanese agressive attitude and constant threat from China is like modern Poland eclypsed between two non-friendly states trying not just to survive, but succeed.

Are there differences...? Oh yes. Polish people are veeeery individualistic. They do not obey much and must see own interest in any action taken. Where two Polish meet, there are 5 opinions - a common sense tells. Koreans are very collectivist and will always obey to the orders.
Despite of the differences, simmilarity of fate and history and some traits of mentality makes it all the way possible to cooperate.

This is all for now. Next post is coming soon.