Dokdo Racers Presentation
UPDATE: Their translated schedule is available here and their blog post about the event is here. GI Korea also written a post on ROK Drop with some commentary.
Yesterday was the big day for the 독도레이서스 (Dokdo Racers) to do their presentation for us in Salt Lake City. I’ve had some chances to meet with them over the past few days (more here and here). We’re the second city they’ve visited (the first being Stanford at San Fransisco), so they’re still hammering out their presentation. I can’t remember their exact schedule, but I know they’ll be visiting New York, Toronto, LA, Iowa, and Boston (in North America). One of their big locations will be the world cup in South Africa next year.
There were about 60 people total, which was more than what I and they had expected. We each got a pamphlet and some other papers about 독도 (Dokdo) along with a plate of assorted 떡 (rice cake) and a drink called 식혜 (Sikhye). I always appreciate the opportunity to eat and drink some good Korean snacks and drinks.
First off, all of the members played four types of instruments together which sounded really nice.
Next, 이한나 (Hannah Lee) sang 판소리 (Pansori, traditional Korean singing) while 정지원 (Jiwon Chung) played the barrel drum.
Next off, 배성환 (SungHwan Bae) showed off some 태권도 (Taekwondo).
After warming up the crowd, they went into the main part of their presentation about Dokdo. I didn’t take any pics or video during it, but I will post my commentary.
They started off by explaining who they were and how they created the project. They’re originally from a club at 서울대학교 (Seoul National University) which focuses on finding and facing challenges. The president of the club, 정지원 (Jiwon Chung), slept at my apartment after I helped edit their script, so I got to get to know him pretty well. We talked for about three hours about our life goals and other things. He said that one of his personal goals in doing this project is to meet people around the world to see how they tick, what values they have, what they want to accomplish, etc. He believes that through taking on this project as a challenge that he’ll learn and grow a lot. I was glad to hear another dimension other than just caring about the Dokdo issue. They weren’t originally over-zelous about Dokdo before doing this project, but they simply chose it as a challenge to face.
I told him that I represent America wherever I go and with whoever I talk with (specifically Koreans in my situation) and that both him and I have a great responsibility to represent our countries. That’s something I personally feel strongly about. When I go to Korea, I have a goal that when people meet me, they will see someone who they can respect. I don’t care if I’m in school, at a bar, with friends, with strangers, etc. I hope that the racers realize that although they are promoting Dokdo, the most important thing they will be doing is representing Korea. Although I may be forgotten after I return back to America (assuming I get to Korea…), people may forget my name and things I’ve said, but I hope they remember that they met a nice American. If I can do that, I will be successful.
After they introduced the project, they talked about the race they put on in Korea. There were over 1,000 racers who ran and gave their footprints to be added to Dokdo. They are going to hold races and give presentations around the globe and in the end they’ll take all the footprints back to Dokdo.
After all the introductions and background, they showed a video introducing the issue of Dokdo. After I saw that video on Wednesday, they actually edited it since it seemed a little too aggressive to Japan (I highly suggested that they change it). The first version introduced a extreme scenario where Japan claims that Megan Fox is Japanese and other things like that. I told them that it really seemed that people seeing this would not get it and that it would hurt the presentation. They came back with a new version on Thursday to show me with that section changed. I was really happy to see that they had made it much better. Instead of showing extreme examples of Japan claiming things as Japans, they made examples of Korea claiming things that weren’t theirs (using simple examples instead of people). To me, it just seemed a lot more classy to to that. Saying that Korea doesn’t claim things that aren’t theirs was way better than saying that Japan claims things that are completely and obviously not theirs. Although they had changed the video, they accidentally showed the original one during the presentation. They said that they were sorry for showing that version and showed the new version after the presentation was finished.
After the video they talked about the issue some more and showed some proof about Dokdo referencing Japanese maps and a statement by the government before 1905. Their tone was generally positive, explaining that normal Japanese citizens don’t even know about Dokdo and are innocent (I suggested that they really push that point). They gave an example that although France was occupied by Germany, they currently consider Germany their most intimate neighbor. They said that they hope Korea and Japan can follow that example, noting that many Koreans hate Japanese people because of Dokdo even though the Japanese people have nothing to do with it. They did say that it can’t happen until Dokdo is recognized as Korea’s island. Will it ever happen? Who knows, it’s been 50 years since the issue was raised so I wouldn’t hold my breath. I personally hope that Dokdo officially becomes recognized as Korea’s territory in the international community sooner rather than later.
At the end, they got a couple of questions. One was about how they got their funding. They received money and support from the government, some businesses, and had to pay the rest of the bill on their own (it was actually a pretty big chunk they had to pay for).
Finally, we all went to the back where we added our footprint to two flags (one which we kept and one they’ll take back to Dokdo).
Here’s me with mine:
After everything was finished, I was invited back to their apartment to eat with them to celebrate before they headed off. We had some Korean food (삼겹살, 닭도리탕) and some drinks. That was the first time I ever had 소주 (Soju) , which was fairly strong (although not as strong as I had imagined), and wine. I still prefer a nice, cold Dr. Pepper though. After we finished eating and drinking, the guys went to another apartment where we continued to drink and talk a little more before calling it quits around 2 AM.
Anyways, I’ve had a great time meeting and helping them for the past few days. It was definitely an opportunity I’m glad I had. They really seemed like great individuals and I wish them the best of luck in their journey around the world~
You can find them at:
Its sad to see how you can help them lie. Have you no shame?
@loser
I would love to see any proof that what they said was wrong. Oh wait, you haven’t given any! But really, name calling isn’t going to get anyone anywhere.
u get that kind of stuff a lot of Wikipedia, which is the reason why I left that site and joined Citizendium.
http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Talk:Dokdo/Draft#for_ppl_.40_wikipedia
There are plenty of western studies that support Korea’s case on Dokdo but absolutely none that support Japan’s claim.
Here’s a pro-Korean case made by a Japanese scholar:
To presume that the existence of Takeshima ~ Tokdo was not known to those people who lived and engaged in farming on Ullungdo for several hundred years is caused by a prejudice regarding Koreans as half-witted. …the Japanese government confirmed Takeshima/Ullungdo as Korean’s inherent territory in 1696, and took the measure of prohibiting completely Japanese from making voyage there. The word “voyage” (or crossing sea) means voyage to a foreign country (since a permit is not needed for going to a domestic island), and the fact that the Japanese/government issued a permit of voyage to Matsushima means that the Japanese government did not regard it as a Japanese territory… During the heated anti-foreign campaign between 1952 and 1954 the notion that “Takeshima ~ Tokdo is Japan’s inherent territory penetrated into the Japanese for the first time. This campaign was also utilized clearly as a means to push for Japan’s military rearmament.
I am happy to see you had the balls to post my message.
Try this blog.
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/
By the way, that quote that chunbum posted comes from Hideki Kajimura. He is just an academic version of Norimitsu Onishi. I am sure you are clueless as to who that is.
Sup ironically-named troll? How are the tubes these days?
I’m partial to 사물놀이. I can play the 장구 (the one that requires two arms) pretty well for someone who only took weekly classes for a semester but I just don’t think the drums sound all that great when played in a traditional fashion. But I did see a killer performance live once, and the 장구 played was nuts. He made me want to learn to play the 장구. lol
Also you thought soju was strong? What other alcohols have you had? Was the soju chilled? It tastes similar to water when it’s cold enough.
@qklilx
Well, I thought it was strong relative to beer (which has a lower percentage here in Utah). I’ve never heard the thing about it changing when it’s cold, I have so much to learn lol.
@qklilx
Soju in the US is OK. It is just watered down vodka. It is slightly diffeent the the crud they sell in Koera. In korea to get that sweet bitter after flaver they add stevioside. Stevioside can’t be mixed with alchol in the US, and thank god for that, because it is toxic. But in Korea where they are trying to show the world their “unique food culture”, they can and do add it.
Why is it used? Because it is super cheep. Korea is one of only two countries in the world to add it to booze. And they add it the most. Yuck.
The Korean FDA knows it is toxic, but they dont care, because it is cheep. By the way, Jinro adds the most. Jinro even brags about it on their website.
@mstrum
Soju generally has around 150% more alcohol than beer. But of course other alcohols have way more than that, though oddly enough I find that whiskey and vodka, which are both 80-proof, have different strengths.
@loser
I’m not finding anything that says stevioside is toxic. In fact I’m only finding sites that say it’s safe to consume. Can you link me to a reliable source that says it’s toxic?
Besides, Jinro sucks. 처음 처럼 is where it’s at. Or even better, get some Pusan soju.
Matt,
All of Korea’s historical claims on Dokdo (Liancourt Rocks) are false. Koreans had never traveled to the island until the Japanese started taking them there on Japanese fishing boats in the early 1900s. The name “Dokdo” only came into existence in the early 1900s, after the Japanese fishing boats started taking Koreans to the islets. In fact, the first Koreans to the islets used the Japanese name for them.
Korea has no old maps of Dokdo, under any name. Koreans claim that Usando (우산도) was the old Korean name for Dokdo, but Korea’s old maps show that Usando was the old name for Ulleungdo’s neighboring island of Jukdo (죽도), which is Ulleungdo’s largest neighboring island and only two kilometers off Ulleungdo’s east shore.
There are two or three references in Korean history to an unnamed island that could be seen in the distance from the mountains of Ulleungdo, but the references suggested that the island was Japanese territory.
After Korea was “liberated” at the end of World War II, President Rhee Syngman started claiming Dokdo was Korean territory, hoping to get as much territory as possible from a defeated Japan. President Rhee even claimed Tsushima (Daemado) was Korean territory, even though Korean maps of Japan throughout history showed Tsushima to be Japanese territory. However, the United States rejected Korean claims on both Tsushima and Dokdo. Concerning Dokdo, US Secretary of State Dean Rusk sent a letter to the Korean ambassador saying the following:
“As regards the island of Dokdo, otherwise known as Takeshima or Liancourt Rocks, this normally uninhabited rock formation was according to our information never treated as part of Korea and, since about 1905, has been under the jurisdiciton of the Oki Islands Branch of Shimane Prefecture of Japan. The island does not appear ever before to have been claimed by Korea….”
I would advise you not to get too involved in promoting Dokdo. I have been studying this issue for a few years and am absolutely convinced that Korea has no historical claim to Dokdo.
Thanks for the info. This is such a complicated subject lol
닭도리탕 -> 닭볶음탕 이 맞는 말입니다. 도리’는 일본말이지요.
현세계는 경제적인 것이 모든것을 좌우하죠.
경제력이 없다면
내 나라, 내 언어도 지킬 수 없는 시대이지요…
백두산 또한 중국에서 유네스코 문화유산으로 등록했다지요..
한국이 일본 식민지하에 있을적 일본정부의 앞잡이 노릇을 하던 한국인의 자손들이
지금의 한국 정치판에서 버젓이 활동하고 있습니다..다수죠..
정치적인 얘기를 하자면 끝이 없을거 같네요..
서방세계들의 보이지 않는 침탈야욕이 그것에 한몫했죠..
..
참으로 가슴아픈 일들이 한국에서 벌어지고 있습니다.
한국뿐만이 아니라 힘없는 세계곳곳의 나라에서 벌어지고 있는 일이겠지요.
.. 씁쓸하네요…
모든 이들이 행복해 하는 날은 오지 않는 걸까요..
@Gerry Bevers
Gerry may I ask you for sources on your claims if they are available somewhere? It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I like to gather bits of information on the issue every so often, and with something this sensitive people demand sources quite adamantly.
Matt, it’s no good to shrug your shoulders and conclude with “it’s complicated, lol.” I’ve seen this kind of argument from the Japanese side on many other issues.
-Comfort women? “Never coerced. They asked for it.”
-Forced labor, torture, and confiscation of lands during imperial rule? “Koreans paid less taxes, the population rose considerably after colonization, and the Japanese laid out railroads (thx so much).”
-Dokdo? “A new name in the 19th century.” (so wat? doesn’t mean anything)
-Hideki Kajimura? “Oh someone who agrees with the Korean side” (duh. wat about Yoji Hosaka? Naito Seitsu? Kazuo Hori? Soji Takasaki?)
See the records – how Japan has consistently been the side that distorts history. Explain to me, “loser” (nice try to make me look like a troll; you might as well call yourself “no one” like Odysseus) & also Gerry Bever; why is it that there have been Japanese academics who have sided with Korea regarding Dokdo, but never Koreans? Why is it that the western academics who have looked into this issue have sided with Korea but never Japan?
Can you actually make direct clash with the arguments provided by the pro-Korean side? Numberous Japanese maps that show Dokdo as Korean territory?
(Bevers will say either 1) the “Dokdo” is Jukdo b/c of its shape & distance (but Dokdo is visible from Ulleungdo and looks like 1 single island) or 2) it is an argonaut quite near the Korean coastline (which doesn’t make sense b/c the British map clearly marks Liancourt Rocks & there was confusion over the Japanese naming to begin with, since Matsushima was called Takeshima and Takeshima Matsushima))
Regardless of in what ways he cast these evidences, the only fact is that academics from the west and also Japan have not adopted Bever’s skillfully maneuvered and well-theorized assertions.
Just read this knol, Matt.
http://knol.google.com/k/byeongju-park/why-is-dokdo-a-korean-island-and/2zvfgrgyend5c/15#
The fact remains that belief that Takeshima = Japanese territory was first created during 1952 to 1954.
@Chunbum Park
Btw, if you’re not satisfied with that knol and want to read more, I can send you 20MB’s worth of PDF’s & htmls’s & doc’s by western, Korean, and Japanese scholars against Japan’s claims.
Dean Rusk was lobbied by the Japan Foreign Office with pamphlets regarding Takeshima. He wasn’t even a historian, so why should that matter?
Ah, also, Matt, you seem to be afraid to offend or alienate some of the people here. You shouldn’t. They’re the same trolls and sockpuppets from Wikipedia who succeeded in making the article name Liancourt Rocks instead of Dokdo as in Citizendium. Whether you remain neutral or not wouldn’t have made any difference cuz most people who follow your blog don’t care about this issue.
magna est veritas et praevalebit
@Chunbum Park
Well, I’m remaining neutral simply for the fact that I don’t know much about everything. Maybe if I ever sit down and try to understand both sides better I’ll be able to come to a conclusion. Until then, I don’t really care enough about it to take one side or the other.
It’s heartbreaking that Koreans have to claim their own island to other countries…
It’s sad to see “loser” acts like a loser… He/She must be really against Korea and Koreans.
It’s also sad to hear that Gerry Bever has wasted “a few years” on this issue.
I must admit that I haven’t researched for “years” on this. But, believing that the United States has all correct information and data is ridiculously funny.
I’m wondering if he really spent “a few years” studying this issue. If he did, then I really feel sorry for him.
One thing I can say to you, Gerry, is that there’s controversy about Dokdo being 우산도 even in Korea, but that’s not the whole story, which I’m not going to talk about. In short, even those Koreans who say that Ulleungdo, not Dokdo, was 우산도 have evidence that Dokdo was part of 우산국 (국 means nation/country), which was the old name for Ulleungdo.
Anyway, Matt…
Whether you believe all this or not, I must say thanks for all your interest and attention on this issue. It’s always interesting to see third persons showing ineterest in this issue.