Dear editor,
I read a July 8 op-ed article, "Inferior complex, superior complex." It is a great article. Koreans should and must not have an inferior complex to any country. My guess is that maybe the education system, media and the society in Korea are the problem that creates the complex.
People are not born with a complex. Humans are all innocent and pure when they enter this world at birth. The way we are educated, conditioned or even brainwashed are some factors behind what we become.
Koreans are known to be very nationalistic, so why should Koreans feel inferior? Korea is doing just fine. How can the United States of America be number 1? The U.S. economy is a disaster and has been a disaster for a couple of years now. There are no jobs in the U.S. and the unemployment rate is above 9 percent. The U.S. government has a huge debt to China and General Motors went bankrupt a couple of years ago as well.
Millions of Americans are driving Korean cars and watching TV on Korean television sets as well. In addition, Korean cell phones are popular as well. If one were to go to Best Buy (a leading electronics store in the U.S.), one can see Samsung and LG electronics everywhere including appliances as well.
There is no need to feel inferior to the Japanese as well. What's so great about Japan? Even though Japan is more well-known than Korea, it does not mean that the popularity of Japan will last.
Koreans just need to open up more. Koreans so very tight knit. Koreans need to loosen up and branch out more. They are too collective and group oriented. If Korea was more open, more people will know about Korea. Koreans are always comparing themselves to the Japanese. Why? Who cares about Japan?
Too many Korean immigrants in the U.S. open up Japanese restaurants and dress up in Japanese clothes. If Koreans are so nationalistic, they need to be confident in their culture and make Korean food popular. If Korean food became popular, it will really help raise their image and also help their economy as well.
The food industry is very big and if Korean food companies sold several items, Korea’s economy will become even better. Some Asian countries rely on their cuisine for their economy, but Korea’s food industry is still undeveloped or behind. Koreans need to make their cuisine popular all over the world.
Also, Koreans spend too much energy on demonstrating all the time. For example, a couple of years ago, there were problems regarding American beef. If American beef was that bad, just boycott it. Don't buy American beef. Buy Korean beef. If American beef is not purchased, they will just pull out of the Korean market and that's it.
There is no need for violent demonstrations. It’s just a waste of time and energy. Time and energy can be spent on something else such as making Korea better and cleaner. Littering is too much of a problem in South Korea. Energy and time can be spent on developing Korea in a positive way.
Paul Stevens psslckorea@gmail.com