Ruminations in Korea

Comment by Ziggy Freud

16 December 2005 @ 8:33 am

Careful there, cowboy.

The second you say a negative word or express even a bit of doubt about the good doctor’s research you’ve stepped into anti-Korean racist territory. At least in Seoul. Not sure how things are down there in Pusan [Busan, Fusan, whatever] but here in the metropolis, Hwang is a “wang”. Make negative remarks at your own risk, or at the risk of losing your job and having your investigative reporting TV show cancelled.

Truth be damned. What’s important here is national image. Get on the bandwagon before it’s too late.

This is all just another vast conspiracy of western scientists [who can’t even use chopsticks] to steal glory from the Korean people.

Just like they did with movable type printing presses, ice cream, and of course, oxygen.

An evil white man [but aren’t we all, really?] at the University of Pittsburg wants all the credit for himself.

And here we are, right back to the “shrimp among whales” theme again, and it’s only been what 24 hours since the last “wo is me” crisis with the defense contractors and AWACS procurement.

Comment by Ziggyman

18 December 2005 @ 12:13 am

Ziggy, it was the Korean scientists and the Korean media that brought the accusations. It was the Korean scientist in Pittsburg who spilled the beans. It was a Korean scientist colleague of Hwang who said he heard Hwang admit it was all a fake. MBC’s ratings have shot up straight to the moon after the fiasco, as the station is now being hailed as speakers of truth. There was public disblief of MBC reports at first, but that’s not the case anymore. So now it’s understandable there is confusion. I just don’t see where the Koreans are blaming the foreigners for this.

Comment by Ziggy Freud

19 December 2005 @ 1:08 pm

I just don’t see where the Koreans are blaming the foreigners for this.

That’s encouraging. Perhaps you and I have been speaking with a different set of Koreans.

Over the past week alone I have heard [no joke] eight different college-educated Korean adults [including one attorney and two school teachers] tell me with a straight face that this whole fiasco is a plot started by western scientists to cast doubt on Korea and Koreans and steal glory that is not rightfully their’s to steal.

Go figger. I guess the Koreans I’m working and hanging out with are more prone to paranoia and conspiracy theories than the Koreans you know.

Of course these are the same people who still think there was a secret American plot to steal Olympic gold from worthy Korean speed skating and gymnastics athletes using those sneaky foreign judges.

Comment by jodi

20 December 2005 @ 5:43 pm

I heard a devout Catholic tell me that she thought none of this would have happened if Schatten hadn’t cast doubts earlier about the ethics involved and that it was due to jealousy over the fact that Hwang succeeded which prompted Schatten to stir things up in the first place causing others to follow.

That is an example of a Korean blaming Hwang’s downfall on a foreigner and I found it odd that she supported Hwang’s work as you would think her faith would have been against it.

Comment by Jeff in Korea

20 December 2005 @ 11:45 pm

That is a prime example of Korean first, Catholic second.

Comment by Ziggy Freud

21 December 2005 @ 8:51 am

none of this would have happened if Schatten hadn’t cast doubts earlier about the ethics involved and that it was due to jealousy over the fact that Hwang succeeded which prompted Schatten to stir things up in the first place causing others to follow.

That’s pretty typical of what I’m still hearing in Seoul as well.

The true evil here is not that Hwang and his team lied and faked their research, but that a foreignor tattled on them.

I seriously doubt that Schatten has clean hands in this affair. He’s as dubious as the rest of them, but he didn’t do [fake] the research. He merely lent his “good” name to the paper and of course took his cut of the money. Still, it will all somehow wind up being totally his fault…at least in the minds of Seoulites.

Stay tuned.

Comment by PD

23 December 2005 @ 8:23 am

“Still, it will all somehow wind up being totally his fault…at least in the minds of Seoulites.”

Jeesus, talk about victimization complex…

Most of the finger pointing is Hwang. Shatten’s name doesn’t even come close, and yet, this is turning into another Expatriots stuck on themselves. Inferiority complex at its best.

Comment by Fasial

25 December 2005 @ 5:31 pm

Almost every Korean I know says that Shatten is a Jew and wants to ’steal korean money’ from some kind of riches that Korea is supposed to get. I have no idea about that, but I was suprised that there was so much suspician about Jewish people in Korea.

It seems to me that there are not many Korean Jews, but Koreans could use some kind of religious sensitivy training.

Comment by Ziggy Freud

28 December 2005 @ 9:24 am

Shatten’s name doesn’t even come close, and yet, this is turning into another Expatriots stuck on themselves. Inferiority complex at its best.

Are you on crack? SNU announced at a press conference that it has already hired attorneys in the states to sue Schatten and the University of Pittsburg for committing fraud against Korean scientists. That’s been in the news for days. Where have you been?

As for the expats stuck on themselves wisecrack, well, it doesn’t even merit a response.

The adults are trying to have a conversation here. Please stop interrupting.

Comment by Matthew

14 February 2006 @ 7:04 am

Accusation that Shatten is trying to steal Hwang’s patent is based on the verifiable fact that Shatten has filed for a patent on human stem cell.

US Patent Application Number: 20040268422

Published Date: December 30, 2004, based on US application 10/821200, filed on April 9, 2004

Inventor: Gerald P. Schatten. You can go to the USPTO.gov to verify this yourself.

Yeah yeah yeah. Sure, Koreans are stupid and suffers from inferiority complex. That’s what you want to say, right? Well, since you are so smart and know it all, perhaps you can answer my question.

Why would a smart guy like you need to get a job (is it even a job?) teaching English in Korea if you are not a lazy pothead unfit to get a job anywhere in the US?

Faisal’s friend, Matthew

Long Live Faisal, the Just Sword!!!!

Comment by Jeff in Korea

14 February 2006 @ 10:54 am

Matthew,

Was that comment directed at me or at one of the commentors?

Comment by Ziggy Freud

14 February 2006 @ 2:24 pm

Why would a smart guy like you need to get a job (is it even a job?) teaching English in Korea if you are not a lazy pothead unfit to get a job anywhere in the US?

That’s pretty funny.

Who here teaches English? Who even said anything about teaching English? Are you posting on the wrong thread? This thread is about the incomprehensible shenanigans of Dr. Hwang and his irrational supporters, not about English teachers in Korea, or anywhere else for that matter.

Not exactly sure what you’re getting at with that wisecrack, but I imagine you thought yourself quite clever for coming up with such an original thought.

However, just to humor you a bit, is it your opinion that English teachers are otherwise unemployable scum, and therefore should shut up and say only nice things about Korea like how tasty the kimchi is and how friendly the people are? What exactly were you trying to say?

Could you please tell us in advance next time which opinions we are allowed to express in your presence?

Do you also have a little cardboard placard you wear around your neck like a good Muslim woman proclaiming that “freedom of speech is a form of western terrorism”?

How quaint.

Comment by Alcoholic

14 February 2006 @ 3:11 pm

Matthew, when I first read your comment I thought you were just another angry teenager but then I saw your name is linked to a law firm where it appears you are employed.

I always thought lawyers were eloquent debaters who could usually convince people to agree with them on a certain issue so I’m kind of surprised you presented such a weak argument because if anything, based on what you wrote, you are the last person I’d consider taking seriously.

If that’s all it takes to be a lawyer, then I guess I’m in the wrong profession (and FYI, I am not an English teacher although I know many who are and who can write more convincingly than you.)

Anyway, sorry if this seemed off topic. It’s 3 p.m. Time to hit the bottle. The flask in my desk drawer needs a refill. And after reading your comment Matthew, I could really use a strong drink now. Make that two, actually.