Dear editor,
Every time I read a piece by Jon Huer, I say to myself, ``what a ridiculous bunch of nonsense," but with his latest article ``Is Korean Language Scientific?" Huer has managed to outdo himself.
For the most part, Huer's lack of understanding of the Korean culture and lifestyle could be dismissed as being awfully out-of-touch. But this time he has raised his level of absurdity to the point of where one can easily conclude that Huer has no idea what he is talking about with his latest piece.
By claiming that there are two kinds of Korean language and that in order to master the so-called Chinese version, one needs to attend a prestigious university and become a so-called ``elite," Huer is insulting the majority of the so-called common people in Korea by insinuating that without attending expensive schools people may as well give up on even trying to learn the Korean that is written and spoken for professional purposes. Well, let's see Huer tell that to late president Roh Moo-hyun who managed to become a successful lawyer and later president without even attending a university.
Then Huer tells us that Korean has a certain secret code that only insiders of a ``circle" can crack. He even goes so far as to claim that an ``outsider,'' no matter how hard he tries to master the language, will never break the code. Not only do I not have the foggiest idea of what Huer is trying to say here, but it only seems to me that Huer does not have the faintest clue as to the mental processes involved in learning a language.
So if a Japanese newspaper says that Lee Seung-yeop of the Yomiuri Giants will never learn Japanese because he's an outsider who can't crack the secret Japanese code, or an English daily were to claim that Park Ji-sung, who can now answer post-game interviews in English, would never master English no matter how much he worked at it, wouldn't anybody with even a semblance of rationality consider such claims to be totally outrageous and prejudicial?
If an American or Englishman were to claim that only they have access to a hidden code of English and ``outsiders,'' no matter how hard they study, will never get it, such people would be regarded as purely insane.
Every time I read a piece by Jon Huer, the only sense I feel is that of sheer embarrassment. Why The Korea Times continues to provide space for Huer's ridiculous musings is way beyond anybody's guess.
Cheun-Heui Lee
Financial Consultant
Yongsan, Seoul