The Korean Civilization II

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by King of Rasslin
Look on the food pyramid, duh! I don't see "insects" anywhere. If you eat heavy in carbs, and eat a small amount of fat, you will be healthy. Kangaroo meat isn't available here because we only have the best meat....

and much other uninformed nonsense besides...

I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, given that even your fellow Americans' remarks about you have hardly been kind. But yes, you really do have hidden shallows. What is 'best' about American meat? The meat processing industry in America was infamous in the past for including rather odd ingredients (including human beings)- and if you don't believe me, I suggest you do a little research into its history.

And the so=called absence of insects on the food pyramid- well you don't eat guinea pig in North America- and yet in Peru it adds much needed protein to the diet of mountain dwelling people. Similarly, insects (and by the way, Moreton Bay bugs are a species of crustacean) add trace minerals and vitamins to some diets.

You claim (on waht grounds, I know not) that diabetes is 'totally' genetic- your knowledge of medicine and genetics and disease is clearly on a par with your knowledge of history and armour and armaments. All on your own, sir, you are confirming my suspicions about the deficits in the American scholastic system.

[King of Rasslin]

"your knowledge of medicine and genetics and disease is clearly on a par with your knowledge of history and armour and armaments."

I know, I'm absolutely brilliant all around.

I doubt if that story about humans falling into the meat grinder is true. I seriously doubt if they would let humans get into hamburgers. And we have the cleaneset food available today. There are plenty of Europeans on this board that will tell you that you can trust American beef, where you might get mad cow disease with theirs. We don't even allow British beef into our country, you know?

And I have never heard of someone saying "hey, it's your fault you have diabetes because you watch TV all day." I DO hear that "diabetes affects millions of people, and you are not alone. You couldn't prevent it, but you can treat it!" I think it's too cruel to blame people about their weight. Some people will starve themeselves for weeks to lose weight, and then gain twice as much back. It really is probably genetic, the way some people simply cannot lose the fat. You need some compassion for fat people.

Bugs are for the people that cannot get real food. Is the economy really that bad in Australia? I thought they were relatively well off for a Pacific island country. But I might be mistaken, if you are eating kangaroos and bugs. Are the bugs really slimy?

[SubLimey]

The best beef comes from Argentina. No joke. It's way better than anything produced in Europe or America. So's their chicken. I know this from experience. Just because the U.S. hasn't had any major problems like mad cow disease yet, does not mean that US beef is the cleanest. Many countries ban its import because it is pumped full of steroids. Mad cow disease was a result of unnatural farming techniques adopted in order to achieve greater efficiency at lower cost. The US food industry routinely pursues just such objectives, often without doing sufficient testing to fully understand potential dangers, viz. genetically modified crops. Did you know that some of your tomatoes now have frog DNA?

FYI diabetes is not strictly a genetic disorder, it can also be aquired through an unhealthy lifestyle. Oh, and like Molly, I have the blessing of living in a very multicultural city (Toronto), where the cuisine scene has come as a great relief from the British stodge of my upbringing. Kimchee is great.

[King of Rasslin]

I live in rural GA, and the cows here aren't "pumped with steroids." Our cows eat grass and we don't have frog DNA in our tomatoes. And our grocery stores don't have bugs or Korean stuff. Just a good 'ol American southern town. Nothing better.

[Q Classic]

I live in rural GA, and the cows here aren't "pumped with steroids." Our cows eat grass and we don't have frog DNA in our tomatoes. And our grocery stores don't have bugs or Korean stuff. Just a good 'ol American southern town. Nothing better.

man, i'm telling you. just go to athens for like, what, one or two days. you're just one tiny county over.
besides, are you sure that your cows aren't modified? you are right next to UGA, and they do perform a lot of genetic and agricultural experiments...

[siredgar]

King of Rasslin, you are a hick. You need to get a decent education before you engage in a conversation like this.

I was amazed at how you were able to spew more racial stereotypes and general ignorance on the previous thread than I thought was humanly possible. Thanks for ruining a great discussion.

Anyhow, there's a reason why us "Yankees" look down on you Southerners. You're stupid and backward. That's why you lost the war.

If you try to remember this one thing, I'm sure it will improve your life greatly:

"Just because you don't see it, hear it, or smell it, doesn't mean it's not there. It could just be that you're blind, deaf, or lost your sense of smell, you dumb animal."-- S.E.

I hope I phrased it simple enough for your kind of folk to understand.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by King of Rasslin
I live in rural GA, and the cows here aren't "pumped with steroids." Our cows eat grass and we don't have frog DNA in our tomatoes. And our grocery stores don't have bugs or Korean stuff. Just a good 'ol American southern town. Nothing better.

I think (at the risk of seeming xenophobic) this explains a lot...

Do they have a decent library in your town, or do you get your facts from the T.V. Guide at the Wal-Mart outlet?

Bovine somatotropin is regularly used in American meat farming, for instance:

http://www.purefood.org/ge/badspud.cfm

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rbghlink.html


As for diabetes being 'totally genetic'- what, some genetic trigger only kicked in, in Aboriginals/Koori and Pacific Islanders, when Europeans turned up to colonize?

http://www.diabetes.org/

Check the site out- it's American, so presumably in your eyes, more trustworthy.

As for the American meatpacking scandals-

http://www.organicconsumers.org/toxic/brutalmeat.cfm

http://www.gctelegram.com/news/2001/...ngevolves.html


it would seem that a new Upton Sinclair is called for.

I don't know why you associate kangaroo flesh and emu meat with poverty- ignorance, I imagine.

[King of Rasslin]

I'm not ignorant! On my grandparent's old farm we didn't use steroids in the cows! We didn't use pesticide or herbicide. It's just the same people around here, and they would never mess up their cows with UGA chemicals.

And you Yankees are asking for it if you say we are ignorant. We feed you, you know that? Yeah, that sausage you are eating right know comes from us. Another year or two on the civil war would have starved you out, but you guys had more than a little luck on your sides. Hey, a spearman can beat a tank, so I guess you guys could have beaten us! Besides, the best US soldiers today are southern guys, not the idiots that watch "The Real World" and think they own the world. I can beat up any one of you. If NY wasn't here, then people would have a better view of America and stop sending airplanes at us!

[King of Rasslin]

And, by the way, Q Cubed, I was just wondering... Do you eat dogs in Korea? I heard that authentic Asian food often involves animals very unfamiliar to us or animals that we do not consume. Horses, dogs, squid, etc.

What does dog taste like? And what is chop suey? I'm getting hungry now, so I could eat anything.

Maybe I'l go to McDonalds.

[sabrewolf]

Originally posted by King of Rasslin
And, by the way, Q Cubed, I was just wondering... Do you eat dogs in Korea? I heard that authentic Asian food often involves animals very unfamiliar to us or animals that we do not consume. Horses, dogs, squid, etc.

horses are also eaten in europe... and in the states. not as common as pork or beef, but still.

[molly bloom]

"I'm not ignorant! "- K. o. R.

Best laugh of the day!

Of course, what K.o R. fails to realize is that food consumption all over the world is hemmed in and restricted by customary usage, religious taboo and misplaced sentiment. My mther-in-law won't eat wallaby or kangaroo (for sentimental reasons) and yet won't apply the same sentiment to the woolly ball of bouncing fluff, that used to be sweet fleshed Welsh lamb, and is now a rack of lamb on a roasting tray.

Similarly if you are an observant Muslim or Jew, you won't eat pig flesh, or certain kinds of fish or crustacean, or some ruminant animals. I haven't tasted dog yet, but I don't believe we have the right to determine what Koreans eat or don't eat, simply because of misplaced Western sentiment towards dogs. And I certainly don't believe in belittling other people's diets out of some strange notion that my diet is superior.

[Q Classic]

And, by the way, Q Cubed, I was just wondering... Do you eat dogs in Korea? I heard that authentic Asian food often involves animals very unfamiliar to us or animals that we do not consume. Horses, dogs, squid, etc.

i'm fvcking sick of people asking me that, KoR. not mad at you, just very very tired of it. why? because i don't eat dog. nor do most of the people i know in korea. in fact, eating dog is pretty much a country thing, and not very popular in the urban centers-- where most koreans reside.
look: it's not just the backwater koreans that eat dogs. the chinese do too. not only that, it's a special breed of dog, one raised as livestock. but again, most koreans don't eat dog; fish is king, followed by beef, pork, and chicken; squid and other "exotic" meats like octopi, cuttlefish, and sea urchin are also favored.

koreans, as far as i know, don't eat horses.

squid is good.

What does dog taste like?

like i said, most koreans--including me-- don't eat dog, nor have ever tried it.
how the fvck should i know?

And what is chop suey?

that's a chinese dish, you pr1ck.

be careful what you say, you came dangerously close to coming off as a racist with your comment there. i'll forgive you--this time--and only because i have such a low opinion of your intellect. after all, i can't exactly hold an utterly ignorant retard responsible for every piece of sh1t that comes out of his mouth now, can i?

Maybe I'l go to McDonalds.

they have mcdonald's in korea, in case you didn't know. it's second to another fast food place, lotteria.
you could have perfectly western food if you went there.
but then, if you travel to another country, why would you?

[siredgar]

Thanks to King of Rasslin, a serious discussion on Korea's history and culture has degenerated into babbling of inane racist commentary and nonsensical innuendo: dog meat, chop suey, etc. I knew from the beginning not to engage in what appeared to be obvious trolling, but I see now that it is just an idiot. There is no need to be polite anymore, Q Cubed, and I don't think that any of you should continue a discussion with this person. I'm saddened that a good thread has turned into a complete waste of space on this forum.

[King of Rasslin]

Siredgar, what exactly have you contributed? Hey, I did know that Koreans used chop sticks! Most Asians do, but I did know one thing. I just checked out Food Lion, Ingles, and Wal-Mart and they didn't have any squid, kangaroo, or emu meat.

I'm going to try dog meat someday just to say I know more about Korean culture than any of you. Even Q Cubed hasn't tryed any yet! I'm not trying to be rude, I'm really curious as to why they eat such unfamiliar foods, however...

I did hear that horse meat is selling well in Germany because of fear of mad cow disease. It isn't just Asians that eat weird food, so it isn't being racist, ok? Chop suey is a System of a Down song, and it was played a lot on MTV a while ago. MTV doesn't show anything remotely racist, so I didn't know it was that offensive. BTW, that song owns!

Where do you buy this cultural food? I seriously haven't seen it anywhere, so I'm not alone in not knowing about it!

Thai food is really spicy, I heard, and garlic is in Italian food a lot. What's the flavor of Korean food?

[King of Rasslin]

[quote] "Chop Suey Was Invented, Fact or Fiction?
August 29, 1896
Have you ever eaten chop suey? The origin of this Chinese-American dish is a bit of a mystery. Legend has it that, while he was visiting New York City, Chinese ambassador Li Hung Chang's cooks invented the dish for his American guests at a dinner on August 29, 1896. Composed of celery, bean sprouts, and meat in a tasty sauce, the dish was supposedly created to satisfy both Chinese and American tastes. The Chinese diplomat was trying to create good relations with the U.S. And you know the old saying, "The way to a person's heart is through his or her stomach!"" [quote]

I found this at a web site. It is a Chinese dish, but Korea is awfully close to China. I didn't mean to be racist, but this is a real recipe. You didn't have to call me a pr1ck over it...

[GhengisFarb™]

I can no longer say that KOR is the only uneducated person on this thread, as several posters have displayed their ignorance:

ALL CATTLE IN EXISTENCE HAVE BEEN GENETICALY ALTERED.

While it is true many nations ban food from the US because we genetically manipulate it, all food sold in the US has to have warning labels if he has been radically altered such as the "frog" example.

Since, humans first began growing grain they have been genetically altering their crops and livestock. Genetic manipulation was one of the key catalysts that allowed human civilization to expand to the feudal ages and beyond.

When they chose the most productive plants and utilized and encouraged them over the lesser productive ones that was genetic altering. The genetically superior plants and animals were cross pollenated and bred with other genetically superior plants and animals before the Roman Empire.

So, if you don't like genetically altered foods, STARVE. Cause there is very little left on this planet for you to eat.

And Mad Cow disease resulted from feeding cows, cows. When you make a grain eating animal a canibal who knows what'll happen. When the disease was discovered they started feeding the disease ridden cow carcases to healthy cows. Hmmm, what didn't we feed the dead bodies of victims of the bubonic plague to healthy humans? That had to be one of the most illogical things I've ever heard of.

And American food processing plants are far from sterile. It a great concern to the US government that it has far too few inspectors to maintain the meat processing inspection diligence it would like too.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by GhengisFarb
I can no longer say that KOR is the only uneducated person on this thread, as several posters have displayed their ignorance:

ALL CATTLE IN EXISTENCE HAVE BEEN GENETICALY ALTERED.

While it is true many nations ban food from the US because we genetically manipulate it, all food sold in the US has to have warning labels if he has been radically altered such as the "frog" example.

So, if you don't like genetically altered foods, STARVE. Cause there is very little left on this planet for you to eat.

I'd be very surprised if any civilization prior to the late twentieth century had the ability to create transgenic creatures- mice with tobacco genes, Charolais cattle with spider genes, tomatoes with frog genes, and so forth. What you're talking about is selective breeding/cross-breeding amongst the same kind of animals to produce optimal strains- not introducing alien genetic material for profit. It's a world of difference from trying to cross buffalo with zebu, with inserting algae genetic material into tadpoles.

What are the long term effects of transgenic crops and transgenic animals? Well, if Monsanto and their ilk have their way, we should be seeing the effects in a few decades- all with the dubious force of international law behind it.

I think I'll toast K. o. R.'s marvellously unintentionally funny posts, by having some unmodified chicken's feet in black bean and chilli sauce. And chase it down with some crunchy chiggers and cooties!

[Odd]

GhengisFarb, it's surprising that the american army equip it's personal with low quality gear, since there's a huge political cost on the death of troops in the recent american history. I think that the last wars that america fought were the first one in history were casualties were reported in the media without having to rounding up/down numbers. E.g. you heard that 16 soldiers have died, not 25.000


Regarding other issues, you can't blame a tomatoe of not being able to say anything intelligent, you just don't talk to him. Human imbecility is not as easy to recognize, but once recognized, it must be ignored.

[Q Classic]

I'm going to try dog meat someday just to say I know more about Korean culture than any of you. Even Q Cubed hasn't tryed any yet! I'm not trying to be rude, I'm really curious as to why they eat such unfamiliar foods, however...

... go ahead, try some. you still won't know jack sh1t about korean culture, as can be evidenced by your posts, even after many many responses for you to just flip back a few pages on the old thread.

What's the flavor of Korean food?

spicy, sweet, not too much sauce.

I found this at a web site. It is a Chinese dish, but Korea is awfully close to China. I didn't mean to be racist, but this is a real recipe. You didn't have to call me a pr1ck over it...

oh, but i did.
do you know why?
because if you'd actually read this thread, and the thread before it, you'd know that such a comment is not only racist, but absolutely ignorant. If you'd actually taken any time to read the pages, if you'd taken any time to actually do a little research, well, you wouldn't be making an arse out of yourself now, would you?
from even that bit of a news article, you should have been able to pick up a few things: 1. chop suey isn't even traditional chinese in any sense. 2. it's not korean.

[GhengisFarb™]

The US Government is cheap, they'll gladly spend $$ to design high tech missles, while they routinely cut corners on personal gear for soldiers. But American troops are creative. They tend to take substandard equipment ane MAKE it work. One of the greatest observations on the US Military was by a Russian General: the most annoying thing about the Americans is that the second they enter into a real war all regulations, procedures and prior tactics go right out the window. They simply do whatever gets the most favorable result with the least amount of effort. They don't play by their own rules and that makes it exceptionally dificult to defeat them.

On Korean food: yes, Koreans eat dog meat, but they don't eat poodles and collies, there is a specific breed of dog that is considered livestock, it is grown for food consumption just like cattle and it is a very large breed.

It's been my experience that Chinese food tends to be fried more often, while Korean dishes are mostly boiled. I could be wrong, that's just my personal observations.

[Lord Merciless]

What's wrong with eating dogs? I admit that I ate dogs many years back. Let's say they taste like chickens. There was a discussion about dog-eating on the Off-Topic forum a years ago, and most posters here don't seem to mind about it. American posters usually had this attitude: "As long as it's not my dog or dog I know of, I have no problem eating it." However, opponents of dog-eaters were mostly Euros...

I personally agree with the above Americans.

[siredgar]

Originally posted by King of Rasslin
Siredgar, what exactly have you contributed?

If you had even bothered to read the previous thread, you would know that I brought in quite a bit of information into this discussion (especially regarding ancient Korean and Japanese history). Obviously, you did not.

Hey, I did know that Koreans used chop sticks! Most Asians do, but I did know one thing. I just checked out Food Lion, Ingles, and Wal-Mart and they didn't have any squid, kangaroo, or emu meat.

I'm glad you know one thing about another people besides your own. Unfortunately, it seems that you only know one very stereotypical aspect of each people in the world. I don't think you are as racist as I thought since you make equally offensive comments about Europeans, but you're still very ignorant. You should try to learn more about other cultures before you speak about them in such offensive ways. Just because people are different from you doesn't mean that they deserve to be viewed upon as freaks.

I'm going to try dog meat someday just to say I know more about Korean culture than any of you. Even Q Cubed hasn't tryed any yet! I'm not trying to be rude, I'm really curious as to why they eat such unfamiliar foods, however...

LOL, you're much more open-minded than I thought. That takes a lot of guts, but personally I also find it distasteful. I would never eat a dog, monkey, or any other animal with high intelligence if I can help it. Sometimes, I even have problems with the fact that most of us eat any forms of intelligent life at all (i.e. chickens, cows, pigs, etc.)

Anyhow, from what I understand, only a small portion of the Korean population has even ever tasted dog meat. It is supposedly a specialty dish that is served in a somewhat clandestine manner. That's because it's not illegal, but entirely legal either. The government discourages the practice, but it doesn't feel that it has a right to say what the people can or can't eat. When foreigners protest this practice, however, some Koreans who've never even tried dog meat fight back saying they shouldn't be told what to do by outsiders.

Regardless, Koreans love to eat. Even snake is considered a popular dish for some people. Most of these kinds of dishes, however, are considered exotic by most Koreans. But just so you know, these "exotic" dishes are generally prepared in a stew at a specialty restaurant, so the meat is indistinguishable from chicken or beef. It is not like the people of Seoul are roasting a dog or snake in the backyard. These restaurants tend to be located in rural areas or on the outskirts of the cities.

From my personal conversations with Korean people, I would say that less than 10% of the population has ever tried dog or snake meat. I would equate it to people in the Western United States eating bison or rattlesnake. It's not a common practice and has been blown out of proportion by the media.

I did hear that horse meat is selling well in Germany because of fear of mad cow disease. It isn't just Asians that eat weird food, so it isn't being racist, ok? Chop suey is a System of a Down song, and it was played a lot on MTV a while ago. MTV doesn't show anything remotely racist, so I didn't know it was that offensive. BTW, that song owns!

When I lived in Paris, I went to the butcher and asked for a steak. He said he was all out of steak, but offered me horse meat instead. I politely declined and never returned again. While many of you have been valiantly arguing that people all over the world should be able to eat whatever they want, I don't necessarily agree.

Chop suey is a Chinese-American dish, not really Chinese and certainly not Korean at all. It is also a term that many Americans use as a derogative term towards Asian people. You should careful when using it.

Where do you buy this cultural food? I seriously haven't seen it anywhere, so I'm not alone in not knowing about it!

King of Rasslin, I feel like taking you to a major city to expose you to something outside of your small world. I don't mean to sound patronizing, but you really need to do some travelling. Try visiting Atlanta or New York City for starters and go to a Korean restaurant, if you can. Just don't ask the server why dog meat isn't on the menu.

Thai food is really spicy, I heard, and garlic is in Italian food a lot. What's the flavor of Korean food?

Instead of asking other people, why don't you try some for yourself. Are you still in school? You know, in some ways you are the perfect candidate for a scholarship to study in Korea. There are many available and I'm sure you will have a wonderful experience there. If you want to know more about Korean hospitality and citizenship, look at articles about the recent 2002 World Cup. All the foreigners are saying how open and friendly their Korean hosts were and how they were so orderly and picked up their own trash after rallies. This is unlike the hooligans you see throughout Europe, especially in supposedly "civilized" Britain. Who are the real barbarians?

To answer your question, Korean food has many more similarities with Japanese food than to Chinese or Southeast Asian food. Koreans and Japanese use the same kind of rice, while Chinese and Southeast Asians use a different kind of rice. In fact, it is believed that Korean farmers first introduced rice to Japan.

A typical Korean dinner consists of:

Bowl of white rice
Soup, usually made with zucchini, tofu, beef, and spices.
Grilled fish, often cod (only salted)
Kimchi, usually made with cabbage, garlic, and spices
Sauteed vegetables, generally with sesame oil
Dried strips of squid, spiced
Fresh fruit for dessert, frequently grapes, honeydew melon, or oranges

But really you should do your own research and find out for yourself. Go to do a search on Korean cuisine on the Internet.

In the mean time... about Korean people....

Check out these articles from CNN/SportsIllustrated.com:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soc...ard/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soc...into_postcard/

You'll see that in the first article, CNN reporter Pedro Pinto says how he was teased before going to Korea that he'd have to eat plenty of dog meat there and yet he finds out that practically nobody in Korea actually does that.

But really this thread should be moved to the off-topic board. In other words, I don't think a discussion of Korean civilization should be based upon us answering questions from King of Rasslin about dog meat and chop suey. I find it more inane, inaccurate, and offensive than when Europeans talk about hamburgers and Britney Spears pertaining to any discussion about America.

[King of Rasslin]

What kind of music do Koreans listen to? The biggest minority music here in the US is Latino music. It became famous after people like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias started to appear. Shakira is also popular today, and so is Jennifer Lopez. I guess we like the music as much as the sexy singers.

I almost never see Korean music or anything resembling it on tv. How is it different from Chinese or Japanese music? The Japanese have a sick love of techno music, but I only know what I see in anime. Techno isn't very popular here at all. Is rap popular in Korea?

[siredgar]

Again, you need to do your own research. Go find out for yourself instead of relying on other people for your knowledge.

Nevertheless, I feel sympathetic to your quest for a greater understanding of Korea. So here's what I know...

Koreans like all other people of the world listen to different kinds of music. It all depends on age, location, income, etc.

The older generation enjoys mostly traditional Korean music (played with old instruments such as the kayageum) and modern trot-style music (which is also very popular in Japan).

Traditional music:

http://210.95.200.104/english_versio...a0h000101.html

http://www.boranet.com/eng/korea%20culture/pansori.htm

The younger generation mostly listens to pop, rap, electronic, and house. They prefer Korean artists, but they also like American, European, Latin American, and Japanese artists, too. They're quite open-minded and even African artists have been known to become popular, too. Boy bands, both local and foreign like N-Sync for example, are very popular among girls. Guys tend to prefer rap and they like local rappers, but also foreign ones like Eminem.

Both generations like Korean pop, known as "kayo" in Korea and "K-Pop" in the U.S. In fact, Korean pop music and films are also gaining tremendous popularity throughout Asia and even parts of the U.S. and elsewhere, overtaking predominant Japanese influence.

Check out these Web sites:

http://www.annyoung.com/

http://www.kpopmusic.com/

I've never visited them before, but I found it in two seconds using Google. You should try doing your own research sometime, too.

When I went to cafes in Korea, I noticed how much they like jazz and contemporary music, too. Alternative or rock music is not as popular, but they some younger people like Linkin Park and the older generation loves Elvis.

Korea is a modern society, just like the U.S., Britain, France, or Japan. It is an industrialized nation and thus people have the access and disposable income to buy CD's from all over the world. King of Rasslin, if you travel abroad you'll realize that the world is truly becoming a global village.

Every day, people in Tokyo wake up to drink Colombian coffee while people in Bogota drive home from work in Japanese cars. A Parisian couple may enjoy an American movie in the theater while another couple in New York put in the latest French video they rented from Blockbuster. If you go to a market in Nairobi, you'll find Korean digital cameras, Indian spices, and British newspapers.

[siredgar]

Here are some Korean food Web sites for you:

http://1stopkorea.com/cooking.htm

http://korea.insights.co.kr/food/index.html

I hope you are actually visiting the sites people refer you to so that all of these people here are not wasting their time answering your questions.

[King of Rasslin]

http://www.korea-dpr.com/27july.htm

Check this out! Do those Koreans really think they beat us?

I thought I was very ignorant, but HOLY ****! I know more about their history then some of they do! And if the government is that stupid, imagine how bad it is for the people.

That site says it is official, but I hope it is a joke. Anyone with half a brain knows that we owned them in the Korean war. So far, South Korea looks cool to me, but North Korea looks like a communist, human rights abusing despotism. I hope they learn better someday.

[Ribannah]

It is always easier to recognize another country's propaganda than your own's.

[Q Classic]

...but North Korea looks like a communist, human rights abusing despotism.

that's because North Korea is a communist, human rights-abusing despotism.

the original leader of nkorea, kim ilsung, had the philosophy of juche, that of being entirely self-reliant on one's on nation-- meaning that they wouldn't need anyone in the outside world. he used stalinist tactics to create such a "worker's paradise", and gave his citizens free food, free healthcare, free utilities, and free housing.
in the beginning (between 1953-1960), nkorea was actually ahead of skorea's principally agrarian economy because of the virtue that it was in the north, closer to most of the natural resources-- and thus was more industrialized. this early boost, however, was later outpaced by the creation of an industrialized, export-driven economy in skorea, similar to the one that japan had created.
we see the results today: nkorea is a dirt-poor third world nation after parts of the system failed due to total lack of capital. factories no longer make things. people starve because there's no food. there's no food because they can't grow any without fertilizer. they can't make fertilizer because the factories don't work.

skorea, on the other hand, is the 11th largest economy in the world, a burgeoning first-world nation, and, alongside china, is the only pacific rim economy set to grow this year; not only that, it has become a wired nation, with broadband internet penetration at the highest level in the world (nearing half of the populace), one of the highest cellphone penetration rates in the world, and many tech companies which are strong competitors to japanese corporations, not only financially, but also technologically.

simply put, nkorea is a disaster zone.

[Q Classic]

and actually, the nkorean people no longer really believe in their government's propaganda:

"what kind of a father can't feed and clothe his own children," is the common refrain among the citizens these days; kim jongil is supposed to be the "father" of their nation, much like how kim ilsung was the "father" when he led the nation.

[King of Rasslin]

It's actually very sad that they are stuck with a leader that lies to them and controls them by force. The Korea's are a good example of how democracy is better. Ribannah, what propaganda are you talking about? We are patriotic, but we don't outright lie about history! Ironclads don't count, as ours was superior and it ended the age of sail. Otherwise, we actually see things from a neutral perspective. Don't go anti US now...

I saw a poll that asked what was the most dangerous area in the world that could erupt into war. Israel was the #1 choice, and Taiwan was #2. Out of the 6 choices, the Korean border was the last. And this was on a website that tracks these things, and the guys seemed like they knew what they were talking about. Q, is the demilitarized zone as dangerous as it is considered? We keep a lot of our guys there.

After checking my world almanac, it said that North Korea has the 4th largest army in the world. They outnumber the South Koreans 2 to 1, yet they spend less than a half on their military than South Korea. Their airforce is bigger, and they have CHINA as an ally! Why won't they attack and destroy South Korea? Korea (as a whole) should be commercial/militaristic in PtW, since Korea is historically very militaristic (they almost defeated us), but they are a huge economy too. I think that Korea in PtW would represent both North Korea and South Korea equally, so these traits would accurately represent them.