The Korea Times

I'm a racist cult member

By David Tizzard Well for the record, I’m not really. But there’s a point to the title if you’ll bear with me for three minutes. Essentially, it boils down to the fact that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has seemingly highlighted and exacerbated many people’s existing prejudices and negative thoughts. It’s magnifying the pessimism and ill-feeling our minds already harbor.Rather than encouraging people to stand together, to stand in support of those that they would not normally recognize, the disease is seemingly doing the opposite.It’s widening the social cleavages and tearing people apart. At least online where a lot of people are being forced to spend their time.It’s a bit like the moment in one of the Avengers movies where all the good guys in tights are on the Helicarrier examining the tesseract but then start turning on each other. They start arguing, blaming, criticizing, shouting, pointing fingers and swearing.Well actually there’s no swearing because it’s a kids’ film, but you get the point. They start attackin

Mar 7, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Old man watches BTS video

By David Tizzard  It shouldn't really be news but a simple glance at YouTube will show you just how hot “reaction” videos are right now. Whether it's pop, toys, games, or Star Wars, people go online and lose their proverbial pants over the web's latest visual and audio offerings. Few, if any of the reaction videos, however, seem to be negative. Whether it's classical musicians gushing over Mike Patton's vocals in Faith No More or ballet dancers vibing on choreography in a hip-hop video, everything seems to be about telling people just how god-damn amazing something is. I wonder if these videos are so popular because they help impressionable people make up their minds about things and then give them phrases and soundbites that they can drop in conversation elsewhere: “The chorus is heavier than anything I've ever heard.” “It simply insists on itself.”Normally said when watching a pop song. Lol. The latest video to get the “reaction” treatment has been BTS' music video “On”. The near-6 minute video has broken a slew of re

Mar 1, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Transgender Korea: The body as a battleground

By David Tizzard and Han JeongmunHan Jeongmun and David TizzardDr. Kim Seok-kwan is a name that many might not know, but he is a revolutionary figure for some in South Korean society.The doctor pioneered sex-change surgery in the traditionally conservative country, doing so as far back as 1986 when South Korea was still under the authoritarian rule of former army general President Chun Do-hwan.Following a series of repeated requests for operations, Dr. Kim left Korea and studied the field and related procedures at the University of California, Davis in the United States. He did so despite the vehement objections of his wife, Presbyterian minister, and his colleagues in the medical field.When he returned, motivated by a desire to comfort and heal those suffering from gender dysphoria, Dr. Kim kept the prices of the operations relatively low so as to make them available to those in need.Perhaps his most famous client was Harisu ― the country's first ever transgender idol. Harisu signed with TTM Entertainment, featured in a 2001 television commercial for DoDo cosmetics, and even reached

Feb 16, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Transgender Korea: The body as a battleground

Opinion

K-pop, politics, North Korea and sex

By David Tizzard  I believe twitter and social media are a force for good. I believe that they are a boon for political and cultural discourse in Korean society.I believe those who use the platform regularly, particularly the people who constantly to find faults in others, are of the highest ethical standing and have few, if any problems, of their own.I believe that all the politicians set to contest the National Assembly election in April do so with the best interests of the country at heart and not their own careers. I believe that despite over 30% of them having criminal convictions, the citizens of South Korea have nothing to worry about in terms of corruption or the abuse of power.I believe that the local Conservative party, with all their head-shaving and fasting, are doing the right thing to win the hearts and minds of the population and ultimately succeed in the next presidential election.I believe K-Pop is not only revolutionary, it is the very future of music. I believe that it is the height of creativity, self-expression, and the most profound manifestation of mu

Feb 10, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Choose Korea: 2020

By David Tizzard It has been said by Viktor Frankl and Friedrich Nietzsche among others that if man has a “why” to live for, he can endure almost any “how”.So as South Korea enters the second decade of the 21st century, it is worth posing the question to the Korean people, “What is the “why” for which you are living?”From a materialist perspective, South Korea is a rip-roaring success. Yes, it might be struggling somewhat economically of late but more broadly the last half century has seen a remarkable transformation in the people’s monetary fortunes.No longer is a casual greeting, “Have you eaten?” Now, houses are generally warmed, fridges are stocked, and the Wi-Fi runs freely and quickly.Moreover, people no longer fear the police or the authorities. The government is not a figure of totalitarian tendencies and torture to be avoided lest one be dragged to Namsan.Instead, policies are now being debated for the welfare and prosperity of the citizens. Of course the decisions and policies do not please everyone &nda

Jan 29, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

K-pop and marriage: why not?

By Han Jeongmun and David TizzardHan Jeongmun and David TizzardIn a country with one of the world's lowest birth rates, one would assume the news of a beloved celebrity announcing plans for marriage and an imminent child would be welcomed with open arms.But not in Korea. And not for a K-pop idol.Chen, a member of one of the country's most successful K-pop groups, EXO, announced in a handwritten letter posted on social media that he was doing exactly this. Yet much of the response from fans was both toxic and unpleasant. Many called on him to leave the group immediately and spoke of the betrayal that they felt. Such devil comments (“ang-pul” as they are known in Korean) should not be taken lightly as the recent suicides of K-pop stars Sulli and Goo Hara have been linked to the negative treatment they received online. Twitter was filled with hashtags retweeted in the tens of thousands wildly criticizing Chen for his perceived crimes and inconsiderate behavior. The atmosphere, as is often the case, was full of self-righteousness and a lack of humility and consideration. Thin

Jan 19, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Japanese moustaches: racism or triggers?

By Chanmi Kim and David Tizzard2020-01-05(코리아타임스)Once an unwanted nominee to Australia, Ambassador Harry Harris, now settled into Habib House in the heart of Seoul, has attracted a great deal of attention since his appointment to South Korea on June 28th last year. His comments, tweets, and appearance have been probed and prodded to a far greater degree than those of his diplomatic counterparts in other embassies.He has officially and unofficially voiced his concerns on a whole host of issues vis-a-vis Korea, including President Moon's choice to end the GSOMIA, comments on President Moon being allegedly surrounded by pro-North Korean leftists, and President Trump's demands for a fivefold funding increase for US troops stationed in South Korea.Citizens here, moreover, winced at Ambassador Harris' baffling choice to cancel a pre-scheduled meeting with the Korean Veterans Association and instead tweet about attending the grand opening of an American burger franchise, ShakeShack, last August.Over time, all this has given birth to a rather peculiar and all too familiar phenomenon, and now

Jan 5, 2020By David A. Tizzard

Japanese moustaches: racism or triggers?

Opinion

K-pop, suicide and free speech

From left, Han Jeongmun and David Tizzard.By Han Jeongmun and David Tizzard The history of social thought can be largely divided into two categories: those who wish to “tighten” social bonds and those who wish to “relax” them. These two approaches to issues are, however, complementary and interdependent. We need both of them if a society is to function correctly. Just like night and day, hot and cold, and male and female are not enemies, they are both required in an ever-shifting balance.Recently in Korean society, however, the balance has begun shifting in a noticeable direction. Online, at least.Two months ago, Daum announced that it had indefinitely removed the comments section on its entertainment pages. Despite what CP Scott claimed, comment is seemingly not free. Daum's decision was certainly influenced by the recent loss of the young female celebrity, Sulli. While assigning a single cause as to the reason for her suicide would be foolhardy, she suffered a great deal as a result of the many insulting comments made online about her.And yet before the coun

Dec 29, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Shaking hands with enemy

One of the biggest divisions in Korean politics revolves around history and the continued failure to agree on what the past represents. Korea Times fileBy Bae Sung-eun and David TizzardBae Sung-eun, left, and David TizzardSome things in life are beyond ordinary human comprehension: quantum physics, human consciousness, astronomical time and ... Korean politics.You could be forgiven for thinking it rather easy. The administration led by President Moon Jae-in are the liberals seeking peace with the North; the opposition party, led by Hwang Kyo-ahn, are the conservatives who take a hard-line stance against progress and external foes.And for some, there is only “one” policy in South Korean politics: the North Korean policy and its two variants, those favorable to Pyongyang (chin-buk-song-hyang) and those opposed to it (ban-buk-song-hyang).If only it were that simple.Admittedly, perhaps to many external observers who focus exclusively on the issue, it is. But a far more complex and nuanced battle is taking place ― and it is not too pretty.One of the more fundamental cleavages

Dec 22, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Frozen 2: No kids allowed?

By David Tizzard  This week saw reports surfacing online of a whole host of movie-goers being so annoyed by the presence of children in the cinema while watching the latest Disney box-office smash that they were demanding theatres become the latest “no-kids zone”. This is a word that Korean society has heard a fair amount of recently ― perhaps somewhat ironically as the country has the lowest birthrates in the developed world. The national statistics office reported that the country's fertility rate dropped to 0.88 between July and September, 7.9% down on last year's figures. More worryingly, or perhaps pleasingly for some, it was the nation's capital, Seoul, that recorded the nation's fewest babies. There are a variety of reasons for this: economic woes, post-materialism, the continued rise of the “hon” lifestyle, and the gender wars ― again in the news following the recent suicide of two female K-Pop idols and the imprisonment of two male musicians for abhorrent sexual crimes. So, despite a whole host of ineffective government efforts to reverse this de

Dec 2, 2019By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

Read more

I'm a racist cult member

Old man watches BTS video

Transgender Korea: The body as a battleground

K-pop, politics, North Korea and sex

Choose Korea: 2020

K-pop and marriage: why not?

Japanese moustaches: racism or triggers?

K-pop, suicide and free speech

Shaking hands with enemy

Frozen 2: No kids allowed?

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