Does anyone find this cartoon funny?
Naver News posted the following Seoul Shinmun cartoon (which has now been replaced) on its site, here, at 20:48 on April 17, 2007. In its rush to take a jab at the United States, the newspaper posted the cartoon before it knew that it was a Korean citizen who had done the shooting. Now that they know, I wonder if they are still snickering?
Translation:
Bang, bang, bang…
In one bang, 33 people….This reconfirms the superiority of our gun technology.
Wow, Koreans are sure fast drawers. Below is a link to more Korean cartoons taking jabs at the US because of the shootings. Again, I believe the following cartoons were also drawn before Koreans realized that it was a Korean that did the shooting.
More Korean foot-in-the-mouth cartoons
UPDATE: In the Comments Section, I predicted that the Seoul Shinmun would remove the above cartoon, which was using the shooting tragedy to take a jab at the United States, before noon today after discovering that the shooter was a Korean. It is now 9:45 a.m., and I just got up and checked the cartoon again. As I predicted, the cartoon has been removed and replaced with the following:
Translation:
The shooting suspect, Korean!?
(On the man’s shirt is written “Overseas Korean”)
I don’t know if this is meant to be funny.
I think it’s a critique of the American “culture of guns” and America’s position as a leading exporter of weapons.
It is certainly in poor taste, but i don’t think it is a particularly Korean view.
I imagine that in the next few days there will be similar cartoons from all corners of the globe.
Morrellgym,
Yes, there will probably be a debate on gun control in the days ahead, but the above cartoon came out before the bodies were even cold. It is in very poor taste, in my opinion.
The Seoul Shinmun has screwed up. In its rush to take a jab at the United States, the newspaper posted the cartoon before realizing that it was a Korean that did the shooting. Now that they know that the shooter was Korean, I predict that the cartoon will be removed from the Seoul Shinmun Web site by noon today.
Now that’s amusing. It looks like their attempt to take another potshot at the US backfired gloriously. And I agree with Gerry, it’s insensitive and in very poor taste.
As I hope you noticed, I said it was in poor taste. And to say it was in poor taste would be putting it lightly.
I think that the editorial board for the paper should be reprimanded at the very least.
My point was that Anti-American sentiment is not uniquely Korean.
Australia’s PM (one of the US’s strongest supporters) has even made comments regarding America’s “gun culture.”
While Mr. Howard’s words were not as crass as this cartoon, the timing of his remarks was certainly innappropriate.
I disagree with morrellgym.
South Korean society has a fairly long standing habit doing this kind of thing far beyond anything I have heard of outside of the Middle East.
Koreans do this kind of thing to boost national pride amongst themselves. They pretend it is something akin to striking a blow against American pride, but in reality, they don’t want Americans to see this.
They want Koreans to share in poking at a sign of American weakness.
And it is society-wide.
The only time I have seen Korean society as a whole do something about this kind of gross activity is when news of it becomes somewhat well known outside of Korea.
I can only think of 1 time when Korean society moved to stamp out this kind of thing before they saw the US was paying attention was the infamous Korea Teacher’s Union video. The conservative political party brought that issue to the forefront to strike at Roh and the KTU early on.
usinkorea
I agree with your idea.
Koreans do this kind of thing against US and Japan to boost national pride amongst themselves.
It shows superior/inferior complex of Koreans clearly.
The point is that they never do this kind of things against Russia and China.
They kneel down easily in front of totalitarian countries and behave arrogantly to friendly democratic countries.
It is the tragedy of Koreans that they don’t understand their attitude would bring unhappy future.
I have no problem with the bad taste. We all do stuff in bad taste. I don’t think we should make a negative comment about Korea because their newspaper cartoons suck.In fact, jokes in poor taste are often the kind that make us laugh hardest! (Granted, it is a pretty lame cartoon…maybe funnier in Korean?)
However, I think what IS funny is that they posted it without knowing the shooter was Korean!
It is funny that they are subtly boasting a message of superiority (”see, we are not like those wacky war-mongering Americans”) only to discover it was one of their own valued overseas ‘racial brethren’.
Hmmm, looks like that newspaper has a case of ‘foot-in-mouth” disease!
What do the other cartoons actually say? I can figure out a couple just based on the idea, but I’d be curious.
The whole “look before you leap” situation is pure comedy gold. The unfortunate shooting incident, is absolutely not.
There are faces, families, friends behind each of the victims. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if some US cartoonist drew a quick comic about how shit Korean drivers were when those two girls were run over by a vehicle (later determined to be US military) a few years ago. There would have been an absolute SHITFIGHT.
Hope the Korean press gets a bloody nose and then some from this. Absolutely tactless.
If I were going to make my own sick cartoon, I’d probably first show Koreans leaving Korean in droves for North America or Australia – where they can actually get an education worth something. Then of course, you’d have to explain the shooting of American professors and students as an attempt to bring the quality of education of either country into closer harmony.
Of course, that’s not funny. What’s sad is that whether Koreans laugh at those cartoons privately or publically, if they’re not decried for being the petty and banal quips that they are, that’ll speak volumes about their maturity as a civilization… again.
Luckily, as the Koreans understand, we’re not Muslims and they’re not the Jyllands-Posten.
It’s a good thing guns are illegal in Korea, or we’d all be dead.
This situation makes Korean newspapers look pretty much stupid. ( Laughing at America using deaths of over 30 people, and then turning out that the criminal was a Korean, their bretheren. )
Now, the criminal can be a Japanese, Chinese and else when another tragety happens again. So I will not accuse Korean people for that. There are some insane ones in every society.
But, I cannot tolerate newspapers making fun of other people when they are in such a sorrow. Can`t they imagine how parents of the victims and the American people will feel, when they are made fun of the next day their sons and daughters were slaughtered. Yes, Korean newspapers have the freedom of speech. But that will not be an excuse against the parents of the victims and the American people. I am truely disgusted by these Korean papers.
Phil2Musashi,
Korean papers write like that because Korean people accept them and purchase them.
In the long run, Korean people will have to take the responsibilty. If I were them I would criticise the Newspapers, but no one seems to be doing that.
But maybe this can be the cultural differences again so I would not say more.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2874574
I don’t understand this either.
You said, “Wow, Koreans are sure fast drawers.”
Well put, indeed.
Freaking hypocrites.
But not unexpected, for sure.
Koreans for a long time have been getting off being mouthy and disrespectful toward the U.S., as shown in the cartoon above and we’ve taken it.
Now, a Korean has taken his anti-American feeling (which is encouraged by the Korean press) to the extreme.
The Virginia 33 will be avenged.
The second cartoon is even worse.
It shows conclusively that Koreans have no empathy.
Zero, zip, nada.
Any decent human being would first express sympathy for the victims.
But Koreans, no.
The most important thing is “The killer was a Korean! What will the world think of us? What does this mean to us?”
Absolutely disgusting.
I wouldn’t pass judgment whether it was in bad taste or not, but the resonance of the message is true and valid, regardless of the nationality of the killer. What drove him to ‘madness’ is a complex question that will take weeks and months before we will ‘vaguely’ come to understand ‘why’, but the practical question of ‘how’ he can kill 32 people with relative ease can be answer easily. It starts with ‘g’ and end with ‘k’. No, to say that it’s a “potshot at the US backfired gloriously” really oversimplfies the matter. And yes, every gun needs that index finger to pull the trigger, but buying gun in some some states in the U.S. is no more difficult, albeit longer, than buying a six-pack, and that’s unfortunate. When is the last time you heard a gun owner successfully defending himself/herself? How often? Compare that the last time you heard of self-inflicting gun incidents and gun violence(and I’m just talking about the legal ones here) And yes, the conservatives(that’s Bush in the cartoon, no?) and their 2nd amendment crusaders are partly responsible in putting those guns in Cho’s hands. Getting rid of guns wouldn’t have stopped him, but resorting to knifes or swords would arguably prevent him from causing the kind of rampage he did. And no, not every cartoon is meant to be funny. And yes, he still the one who did it. And yes, he is a Korean. And no, Korean citizenry, Korean culture, Korean genes, Korean parents, Korean friends, Korean society, Korean education, Korean pressure, Korean racism did make him do it.
Huh, missing ‘not’ in the last sentence, stupid…
탓 돌리지 마.
Any chance of getting the other cartoons translated?
I predict in Jackie Chan’s next movie he will rescue some kids in a classroom and then make the quip:
That blows a hole in Hallyu!
kjeff
In Korean culture, is it appropriate to send a message by laughing at the victims (This time, American people, I mean.), if “the message is true and valid”? Don`t you think it insulting?
I agree with you that the nationality of the killer has nothing to do with this tragety and the guns in America is their big probrem. But they were forced to pay their debts at this slaughter. Now, do you really think it is appropriate for an outsider to make fun of Americans?
What will American people think if they saw this cartoon? Won`t it hurt the feelings of American people? Do the Korean newspapers only care about the feelings of Korean people? How about the parents of the victims? Will they only say “well said, “the message is true and valid”"?
Is it Korean culture to send messages in these ways? So sophisticated.
Shit. White House response to the shooting spree was repugnant, but that’s some horrible cartoon.
egg,
I’m not laughing, and I don’t think the cartoon meant to funny.
I don’t think it’s appropriate in any culture to laugh at the victims, but you’re oversimplifying the issue. I don’t know why really, because it’s not even their country, aside from messages of condolence, there are numerous of “It’s the gun culture in the U.S.” in editorials around the world, so the medium might be different, but the message is valid.
Is it appropriate for an ‘outsider’ to criticize? Well, that would be a question for most of the members of this site no?
Will the cartoon be less offensive if the words had been written in French? Ironically, I’m actually sort of glad that the cartoon was drawn before the identity of the killer was known, otherwise(well, it’d never have been printed in the first place) I think I would have condemned it as an effort to shift the blame, whatever it is, to ‘gun culture’. A little of myself, I’m adamantly pro gun-control(letters to councilmen sort of thing), gun restriction for that matter. And, I live in a city where gun violence death is in triple digits and it’s not even Spring yet(in temperature at least) so my perspective is a little different, a little selfish worry about my own behind I guess. Never hold a gun and never fire one, eventhough my dad was an avid hunter. Anyway, I may have sounded insensitive…BUT I’m not really a Korean; it reminds me of that sumimasen-I’m-Japanese-did-bad-thing in Korean program awhile back. Too bad(kidding!!!) can be used in this case. Again my 민족 did this, no two ways going around about it. I don’t know if there’s any ‘traits’, however small and insignificant, that make him more prone to commit such act, or one that make it less likely for such to be prevented; I just don’t know, but I think…definitely willing to explore it. BTW, anyone knows definitely about the status of Cho’s parents? Barring anything else unknown, my symphaty to them, and their families.
Jo Young-dal, the Dean of Seoul National University’s Law School, once again demonstrates why SNU is not a top-ranked university.
조영달 서울대 사범대 학장은 “조승희씨가 초등학교 2학년 때 도미했다면 미국에서 자아 형성과 사회화 과정을 거친 것으로 봐야 한다. 가정에서 어떤 문제가 발생해 규범과 행동 사이의 괴리를 낳았을 수도 있다”
Er no Dean Jo. The formative years for personality development are 0-4 years.
Nice try Dean Jo but you need to re-read your notes from Psych. 100.
From the link:
The behavioral style (personality) that results from the interplay of these systems is clearly in place by the kindergarten year. Preventive efforts should target preschool children with at-risk behavior profiles.
The questions the Korean media should be asking are:
Was the perp an early-onset delinquent?
What should Noh Mu-hyeon do to change the kindergarten age parenting strategies for male Koreans?
How about SNU doing a longitudinal study in Korea?
Why do Korean professors do this sort of research
instead of socially valuable research?
That’s the impression I’m left with as well. At least express SOME sympathy for the victims and their grieving families. Especially if they’re from a country that has been a staunch ally for more than half a century. Instead, they’re more concerned of being shamed and “losing face.”
Disgusting.
kjeff thank you for your reply.
I am not saying that Korean newspapers shouldn`t criticise. I am saying that they should chose the way and the timing of criticism especially when they are an outsider. Don`t they care about American people`s feelings?
No, I don`t think so. Even if it were a Japanese newspaper I will stand against it.
Honestly don`t you think that American people will get upset when they see these cartoons after such a tragety? Or do you think that American people will care nothing about these cartoons when they see them?
I cannot understand why Korean newspapers are chosing such a stimulous, insulting expression on the next day of the tragety to criticise America.
egg,
Ditto, and I will concede that the timing is terible. I think it may well be the case that the intention of the cartoonist is to criticise America, but I guess from my point of view, I perceived the criticism as pointed specifically toward 2nd Amendment crusaders such as Mr. Bush.
P.S. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. As a flawed esl speaker/writer myself, I feel rather awkward pointing out a fellow esl user’s mistake, although I do more than welcome similar gesture toward mine. I noticed that you spelled ‘tragety’ instead of ‘tragedy’. Again, thank you for your reply.
kjeff Thank you very much for pointing out my mistake. I will appreciate you very much if you told me other mistakes when you find them. It is my desire to improve my English here. A little embarassing though. But thank you again.
Matt,
Way to use the idiocy and insincerity of a handful of newspaper cartoonists to spread more generalized hate for Koreans. You just love spreading the hate don’t you? Why don’t you expose moral and logical fallibilities of other countries on your site, and then you won’t look like such a Cyber Anti-christ with a vendetta against a single nation. peace out, slut.
This manga of Hong Kong is very realistic to draw about the massacre in VT.
http://www.enjoykorea.jp/tbbs/read.php?board_id=phistory&nid=80250
Criticise me all you want, no matter how misdirected you are. However, refrain from vulgarity. I am seconds away from informing the people at Duke U of your disgusting vulgarity, and of your violating their terms of service.
I will post that. Thanks, Jion999.
Duke University? Sounds like another potential krazed korean killer.
Best to warn the authorities.
Where did the Korea-does-no-wrong crowd go?
I am half relieved to find this article. (Sorry, it was only in Japanese.)
There are ones in Korea who are criticising the cartoons. So, not all the Koreans are accepting them. At least that was a relief.
Though some seem to be anxious only about their reputation, but on the whole it is a good thing.
Egg,
People did not start posting criticisms of the cartoon on the Seoul Shinmun Web site until 11:16 p.m., which was after Koreans found out that the shooter was Korean. Why wasn’t there any criticisms before then?
Gerry-Bevers
Really? I didn`t know that. That is a sad thing. It might have been too early for me to be relieved.
From Chosun Online article (in Japanese):
So, again, evil Japanese make poor Korean people suffered. How dare they!
… and it seems they forgot who draw the cartoon.
Early on during this horrible incident, I received a comment saying the shooter was Chinese (from Guangdong) and was shooting people out of anger that his Chinese girlfriend had left him for a caucasion. The comment was meant to show that Chinese hate caucasions. I did not run the comment because even if true, I did not see it as a “Chinese thing,” but a “crazy evil person thing.” It is certainly troubling (but not surprising) that the Korean press wanted to pin one guy’s insanity on a people.
How absurd that the man who survived that holocoast died in this incident!
Prof Librescu was brave enough to keep hoding doors to let his students ascape with getting shot.
He is the paragon of educator. God may bless him.
On the other hand, Koreans’ behavior after that is low.
If coerced comfort women were historical truth, it is never changed by any incident.
What they postpone the resolution itself is proving that it is just a political expedient.
Public opinion of Americans is not changed by only one incident though Korean medium reported there caused some spiteful things.
http://japanese.joins.com/article/article.php?aid=86666&servcode=400&sec tcode=400
Though it is not said all Koreans are crazy, all they do now is producing contrary effect.
http://www.chosunonline.com/article/20070418000015
‘Korean students in Virginia Tech Univ held a meeting and a student said, “When we are asked nationality, there is no answer other than Chinese or Japanese.”‘
After watching this cartoon above, I remember the cartoon of Korean hero, An Jung-geun shooting a gun on the textbook for Korean children.
http://www.enjoykorea.jp/tbbs/read.php?board_id=phistory&nid=79771&st=writer_id&sw=nisiokatuyosi
Although Cho seung-hui was not raised in Korea, most of Korean Americans are affected by the nationalistic education of Korea.
Koreans admire a terrorist as a national hero.
Why don’t they understand it is abnormal to respect for a gunman/a killer/ a perpetrator?
Gerry-Bevers
I hadn`t enough time to write my ideas at 43, so I would write it properly now.
I think you will understand that I was criticising the behaviors of the Korean newspapers and the Korean people in general for accepting these newspapers.
I believed at first, kjeff ( I thought he was kind of representing Korean people. ) didn`t seem to see the probrems in the cartoons. So I argued with him. I am not saying I persuaded him or such kind but it turned out that he was seeing the probrems too.
Then I noticed that there are ones who are recognizing the probrems among the ones who are taking shoulders of Koreans.
As I was criticizing Korean people in general about accepting those papers, and noticing there are ones like Kjeff, I tried to find the Korean articles (translated in Japanese) criticizing the papers.
As LOD translated, there are parts blaiming Japan groundlessly and I was quite irritated by them. But still there were criticisms and as I criticised The Korean people in general, I thought it was my responsibility to introduce them. And I thought those criticism would make Korean people look more or less reliable.
The result was just to know they began the criticism after they knew that the killer was their bretheren. I think it is a shame for them and was quite shoked.
I still think blaiming Koreans in general for this massacre wrong but their hypocritical attitude should be criticised. (Though there might be ones who criticised the cartoons without knowing the nationality of the killer and I hope there are some.)
By the way, can you provide me the link to this “Seoul Shinmun Web site until 11:16 p.m”. I can`t read Korean but I would like to see them with my own eyes too in memorial. Thank you.
Egg,
Below is the link to the Seoul Shinmun Web page. As I explained above, the newspaper replaced the problem cartoon with a new one, but the discussion below the new cartoon was referring to the old one.
http://www.seoul.co.kr/news/cartoon.php?mode=cartoon&kind=bmh&year=2007&month=04&day=18
Gerry-Bevers
Thank you for providing me the link.
I read some of the comment through machinary translation. I don`t know why but the earliest comment I could see was “wolfst***2007-04-17 23:16:42″. Maybe the earlier ones were deleted when the cartoon was replaced.
At least the one who commented at “전*2007-04-17 23:45:26″ seems know that the killer was Korean, so the comments that I could see was written after they knew the nationality of the killer.
I wish I could see the criticism written before they knew that. I feel so sad and disapointed by them. Anyway thanks.
Gerry-Bevers
Sorry I misunderstood. I mistook AM and PM.
Please forget here.