By Lee Seo-yeon
The term ``Otaku'' originally comes from Japan and refers to people with an obsessive interest in something.
It was first used as a pronoun meaning ``you'' in Japanese and it now refers to people with a wide and deep knowledge about what they are interested in.
In the Korean context, however, the word is regarded as an insulting term indicating a person over-indulged in Japanese culture.
What many people are still unaware of is that this stereotypical belief on Otaku originated from extreme nationalism.
Not all Koreans have a positive perspective on Japan because the neighboring country forcefully occupied Korean soil and ruled with an iron fist until the end of the Second World War.
Flamers ― people who severely criticize others on the Internet for their own pleasure ― have utilized the facts to place Otaku under fire. Since the Internet became a major part in our daily lives, the meaning of Otaku has been distorted to reflect negative feelings toward Japan. And people started looking down on them with prejudice.
When people see a bookshelf filled with Japanese magazines, people call the bookshelf's owner an Otaku in Japanese magazines.
A test developed here to discern Otaku shows how prejudicially Koreans see Otaku. Here are some samples for the test: (1) Did you learn Japanese through animation? (2) Do you know when the Japanese animation ``One Peace'' was made? (3) Is it more important for you to watch animation than to meet your friends?
Koreans see Otaku as an inharmonious group distancing themselves from other people in Korean society.
Detestation for Otaku is so strong that people sometimes go so far as to say that they are ``people who love nothing but Japanese things'' or even ``pigs that should be wiped out along with Japan.''
Unlike negative images of entertainers and professional gamers who disappeared years ago, however, people who actually fit into this negative impression of Otaku are only a fraction of those who like Japanese culture.
Most of them are not ``traitors'' or ``recluses'' like the general notion that is created on Korean Internet content, but ordinary people who are simply pursuing what they like. They spend their money and time enjoying Japanese culture as other people collect accessories or their favorite films.
Looking at them in a positive light shows their greater passion in specific fields is enough to make them experts, since today's society wants experts not amateurs. They may follow the same path other entertainers and professional gamers have taken.
While they are all different in separate ways, what they share in common is that they are innocent victims so there is a feeling of bitterness. Having an abhorrence of Otaku is no different. Though chasing the other culture recklessly is not very commendable, no matter how justified it seems. It will end up with bitterness unless Koreans show more understanding toward these hobbyists, and not generate another witch-hunt. Koreans should try to remove their extreme prejudice against these enthusiasts.
She is a second-grader at Daeil Foreign Language High school in Seoul.