DOES LANGUAGE DETERMINE THE WAY WE THINK?
Thought then language or language then thought?
Is the way of thinking of translators and interpreters influenced by the language they speak?
Most believe that what we say depends on what we think. However, there are many who think that how you see the world depends on the language you speak and this is known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, after Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf.
These two 20th century linguists found that the structure of a language influences how speakers of that language see the world. Hence, speakers of different languages think and behave differently. So, does a society’s language influence its culture? Is the way we translators and interpreters think influenced by the languages we speak?
If this is true, then Koreans, Americans, and Italians all have different ways of thinking, of viewing the world because their language determines that view. Each culture’s vocabulary is a collection of words that describe the world that surrounds it. In the US and South Korea there are hundreds of words that describe car models, types of vehicles, vehicle parts, maintenance, brands, etc. In North Korea, those words are not necessary because only the government elite are allowed to have cars.
Whorf carried out research on Native American languages and compared them to Western languages. For example, the idea of time in the west is reflected in the grammatical tenses: past, present and future. The Hopi language, however, has no present, past or future tense but rather an idea of the manifested domain that has a physical universe that includes the present, the immediate past and the future; and an unmanifested domain that includes the remote past, the future and the world of dreams. Nor does the Hopi language have words for minutes or days of the week, since the concept of time for them consisted of the phases of the moon and the movement of the sun.
But if a person’s language does not have a word for a concept, does it mean that person cannot understand the concept? There is a German word that means to take pleasure in someone’s unhappiness. There is no English word for that idea but it can’t be said that English speakers cannot understand the emotion.
Yet evidence that language plays a role in how we think can be seen in languages that have genders for inanimate objects. In Spanish, things that are represented by a masculine word are thought to have male characteristics such as “strong”. In German, words that are feminine, are considered “elegant” and “beautiful.” The speakers developed ideas of something being feminine or masculine, not because of the characteristics of the object but because that is how they are classified in their language.
Is there a word in your language that determines the way you think about the concept it represents and makes that thinking unique to your culture?
References
Kay, P. & Kempton, W. (1984). What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? American Anthropologist, 86(1), 65-79.
Whorf, B.L. (1952). Language, mind, and reality, ETC: A review of general semantics, 167-188.
Whorf, B.L. (1997). The relation of habitual thought and behavior to language. In Sociolinguistics (pp. 443-463). Palgrave, London.
Whorf, B.L. (2012). Language, thought, and reality: Selected writing of Benjamin Lee Whorf. MIT Press.
Interpreting at the Olympics
The ultimate test for an Interpreter in the world of sports.
It's your time to shine.
To shine under pressure.
It's a test.
You've flown across the world. You are jet-lagged but you have to hit the ground running. Go directly to the accreditation center and obtain your prized passport to the Olympic Family Hotel, the International Broadcast Center, all Olympic Sports Venues and...if you're very lucky...the Olympic Village.
Then it's time to run to your sport's venue and meet up with your colleagues so they can bring you up to speed on scheduled events, not only competitions, but IOC Session, meetings, dinners and any reunion where your boss may need you to interpret. Mark those on the venue map and wait for the first event...the IOC Session.
The pressure and stress of being an interpreter during the Olympic Games derives from the fact that you are going to be interpreting for many people aside from your direct boss. You will have volunteers, drivers, officials and guests asking you for help understanding each other and your sport's numerous staff. Unfortunately, these individuals will not be standing patiently in line waiting for you to interpret for each one in turn. Most likely, they will often need you in more than two places at a time (note: bring comfortable shoes, Olympic venues are not small). Add to this obstacle course that you will often be interpreting for people who speak very little English (or whatever your core language is), so a bit of guesswork will be required.
But now is the time to shine! Interpret a speech and make it spectacular, make the applause ring for your boss. Make that stressed out volunteer's job easier. Be the person whom others see with a sense of relief, of help is on the way. Be one of the people in the Games who brings people of different nations together.
Don't just teach English...personalize your teaching to meet your client's needs.
As a learner of the Korean language, I have booked classes online and switched teachers many times for one main reason: THEY want to choose they way I learn. THEY want me to adapt to THEIR teaching style. They ignore how much I already know, my purpose for learning Korean and my time constraints. Wait. Did I just become a child again?
Personalize. Personalize. Personalize. Personalize.
Teaching grammar rules to an executive who wants to prepare for a presentation he/she will be making in English is not going to work. He/she doesn't have the time or interest necessary for undertaking such a task. Your client knows what he/she needs, let them tell you what it is instead of trying to tell them how they will learn best.
Many years ago, a businessman hired me to teach him English. From the moment he contacted me he said, "I don't care about rules or punctuation or grammar. I just want to be able to speak English at a restaurant, at a store or in a meeting. If you try to teach me rules, I know I won't like it and I'll be bored.
I asked him what interested him. He said he loved looking through luxury watch magazines, GQ magazine, etc. Ok, that was a good place to start. He brought a pile of magazines and we started going through them. I asked questions. Which watch would you buy for yourself right now? Why? What makes a watch beautiful?
Every answer told me something he needed to learn. I would repeat the answer in the correct form and he would repeat after me and take notes. The next class we would review what we had learned in the previous class and use the words he had learned. It turns out GQ magazine can be a great textbook!
Don't make clients fit into YOUR teaching style. Adapt to THEIR learning style.
Interpreters in Paris 2024
In the most important sports event in the world, summer will be the time to shine for Interpreters and translators in Paris and how we do our work will affect negotiations, conferences, press releases, broadcasts and more. Are you nervous yet? Read on!
Being bilingual and being bicultural will mark the difference in the performance of Interpreters and Translators.
As an editor and proofreader, I come across many sentences, expressions and even complete parragraphs that sound "off"in English, but when read in Spanish, are perfectly written. I think, "Ah! They were translating directly from Spanish to English, word for word." The problem is that : Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando, when translated as: A bird in hand is worth more than one hundred flying, although translated correctly and it can be understood, should be translated by using the English version of this proverb: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
If speaking two languages were enough to become a translator, all you would need would be rudimentary knowledge of the foreign language and a good dictionary. Good translators and interpreters translate meanings, idioms, expressions, the "feeling" words are meant to convey.
It is understandable that not every translator or intepreter is bicultural, however how can we handle these instances in which having that extra bilingual edge is vital to our work?
We begin by immersion into the culture of the foreign language, we read newspapers, blogs, magazines and add to our arsenal of expressions and idioms. We use our new expressions every time we can and in time they become part of our everyday repertoire.
You still have time before Paris! Take your notebook to the movies, to the café where you read, to reunions with foreign friends. Become start becoming bicultural!
Progress in South Korea in only 68 years
Myeongdong 1956 (photograph by Han Yeong-su)
vs Ultra-modern Myeongdong in 2023.
Introverts - vs- Extroverts
Did you know that 53.9% of Koreans are introverted? What are YOU?
Being introverted is not the same as being shy.
INTROVERTS IN KOREA
Introverts do not have an easy life in Korean society.
Statistics show that 53.9% of Koreans are introverted. So, while more than half of the population is introverted, Korean society is more suited to extroverts.
Professor Park-Sun-woong says that, "Korean society may value extroverts more because they do not understand introverts."
Introverts are subject to an environment that is designed for extroverts and, hence, they experience a phenomenon called introvert hangover, which occurs when the introvert feels fatigued after socializing beyond his limits.
Introversion is a type of personality that prefers the internal life of the mind than the life of the external world. Introverts are not shy or lonely. A party can be torture to an introvert, but they do enjoy socializing with a smaller number of people, in a quiet environment.
Introverts are energized when they are alone, and they are drained of energy in social gatherings, which is why they are often the first to abandon a party.
People often confuse introversion with shyness or social anxiety. According to the American Psychology Association, shyness is the tendency towards feeling uncomfortable during social interactions. Shy people often want to interact with others but are afraid to do so. Introverts often socialize easily, they simply prefer not to, which may make them seem arrogant, distant or socially awkward.
When people say that an introvert is shy or quiet, it can be very annoying because these traits have negative connotations. Shyness may indicate lack of self-confidence. Being quiet might insinuate a lack of anything interesting to say.
Social anxiety is the fear of being judged negatively by others. Those who are socially anxious avoid social events just like introverts, however, social anxiety is a condition that requires treatment, while introversion is not a problem.
Research has shown that the degree of introversion or extroversion of a person is the product of genetics and that these characteristics are the most strongly inherited. Even newborn babies show tendencies towars introversion or extroversion. This is why, changing is extremely difficult because one is born with a tendency towards one side of the spectrum.
I AM AN INTROVERT
I'm not shy. I can give a speech in public, be master of ceremonies at an event and be at a big party where I meet many new people.
But I prefer to read a book than go to a party. I love being alone. When I have the unexpected chance to be alone, I feel happy. When I don't have enough time to be alone, I feel stressed and tired; little things feel like huge problems and I feel frustrated with people around me. Sometimes I even feel anxious. Why?
Picture two friends, one introverted and the other extroverted. They are at a party full of people, with loud music and dozens of conversations taking place at the same time.
For the introvert, the environment is too loud, there are too many things happening at the same time, so he greets his friends and goes home to watch a movie with a friend. Paying attention to one thing and interacting with one person is just what he prefers.
There is a chemical in the brain associated with remaining calm and alert, it produces a sensation of happiness when introverts do something in which they can focus inside themselves, such as reading, painting or playing electronic games.
Extroverts tend to talk a lot and have high energy. They charge their batteries by being with others. They feel bored or anxious when they're alone for extended periods of time.
What are YOU? An Introvert or an extrovert?
Introvertidos - vs- Extrovertidos
Sabías que 53.9 por ciento de los coreanos somos introvertidos? ¿Tú qué eres?
Ser introvertido no es lo mismo que ser tímido.
LOS INTROVERTIDOS EN COREA
Los introvertidos no tienen una vida fácil en la sociedad coreana.
Las estadísticas muestran que 53.9% de los coreanos son introvertidos. Así que, mientras que más de la mitad de la población es introvertida, la sociedad coreana es más apropiada para los extrovertidos.
El Profesor Park Sun-woong dice que, "La sociedad coreana posiblemente valore más a los extrovertidos porque no comprende lo que es ser introvertido."
A los introvertidos se les somete a un medio que está diseñado para los extrovertidos y, por esta razón, experimentan un fenómeno llamado cruda introvertida, la cual ocurre cuando el introvertido se siente fatigado cuando socializa más allá de sus límites.
La introversión es un tipo de personalidad que prefiere la vida interna de la mente que la vida del mundo exterior. Los introvertidos no son tímidos ni solitarios. Una fiesta puede ser tortura para los introvertidos, pero sí disfrutan de socializar con pocas personas en ambientes tranquilos.
Los introvertidos cargan energía cuando están solos, mientras pierden energía en reuniones sociales, por lo que a menudo son los primeros en abandonar una fiesta.
Con frecuencia la gente confunde la introversión con la timidez o la ansiedad social. De acuerdo a la Asociación Americana de Psicología, la timidez es la tendencia a sentirse incómodo en interacciones sociales. Los tímidos a menudo desean interactuar con los demás pero temen hacerlo. Los introvetidos muchas veces socializan con facilidad, sencillamente prefieren no hacerlo, lo cual los hacen parecer arrogantes, distantes o socialmente ineptos.
Cuando la gente dice que un introvertido es tímido o callado, es muy molesto porque estas características tienen connotaciones negativas. La timidez puede insinuar falta de confianza en sí mismo. Ser callado puede connotar no tener algo interesant qué decir.
La ansiedad social es el temor a ser juzgado negativamente por los demás. Los socialmente ansiosos evitan los eventos sociales al igual que los introvertidos, sin embargo, la ansiedad social es una condición que requiere tratamiento, mientras que la introversión no es un problema.
Estudios han comprobado que el grado de introversión o extroversión de una persona es producto de la genética, y que estas características son de las más fuertemente heredadas. Inclusive los bebés recién nacidos muestran tendencias hacia la introversión o extroversión. Por esta razón, es difícil cambiar la introversión o extroversión, puesto que uno nace con la tendencia hacia un extremo u otro del espectro.
YO SOY INTROVERTIDA
No soy tímida. Puedo dar un discurso en público, ser maestra de ceremonias en un evento y estar en una fiesta donde voy a conocer a mucha gente nueva.
Pero, prefiero leer un libro que ir a una fiesta. Me fascina estar sola. Cuando inesperadamente tengo oportunidad de estar sola, me siento feliz. Cuando no tengo suficiente tiempo para estar sola, me siento estresada y fatigada; las pequeñas molestias de la vida se sienten enormes y me siento frustrada con la gente que me rodea, inclusive en ocasiones siento ansiedad. ¿Por qué?
Imagina que dos amigos, uno introvertido y el otro extrovertido, están en una fiesta repleta de gente, con música a todo volúmen. Docenas de conversaciones están llevándose a cabo al mismo tiempo.
Para el introvertido el ambiente es demasiado ruidoso, hay demasiadas cosas sucediendo al mismo tiempo, así que saluda a sus amigos y se va a casa a ver una película con un amigo. Poner atención a una sola cosa e interactuar con una sola persona es justo lo que le gusta.
Un neurotransmisor llamado acetilcolina que está relacionado con habilidad para permanecer tranquilo y alerta, es un químico que produce una sensación de felicidad cuando los introvertidos hacen algo en lo que se pueden enfocar hacia adentro, como leer, pintar o participar en juegos electrónicos.
Los extrovertidos suelen hablar mucho y tener mucha energía. Ellos recargan sus baterías estando con otras personas. Se sienten aburridos o ansiosos cuando están solos durante mucho tiempo.
¿Tú qué eres? ¿Introvertido o extrovertido?
Pansori: el Sonido del Han
Si HAN es el sentimiento Coreano de profundo resentimiento, tristeza, sentido de injusticia y deseo de venganza, PANSORI es el sonido del HAN.
Pansori...un cuento, una canción, un lamento, una celebración
En 2008, Pansori fue inscrito en UNESCO como Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad.
Qué es Pansori?
Es un tipo de canto creado en el siglo 17. Participan un(a) cantante que narra cuentos acompañado/a de un percusionista. Un canto puede durar hasta 8 horas, por lo que el/la cantante debe tener fuerza física, vocal y respiratoria, además de sabe cómo expresar los sentimientos que narra en sus historias con solo su voz y gestos.
La pequeña probadita de Pansori que aparece en el video fue creada por el gobierno coreano para promover la cultura de Corea en todo el mundo.
Se dice que si el sentimiento de Han que abarca desde la amargura, la angustia y la perseverancia, hasta el deseo de venganza, fuese un sonido, sería el sonido del Pansori.
¿Tú qué sientes cuando escuchas Pansori?
El Significado de la Bandera de Corea
La bandera coreana llamada taegeukgi (se pronuncia te-guk-ki), fue creada en 1882.
La bandera representa los tres componentes de una nación: la tierra (el fondo blanco), el pueblo (el círculo rojo y azul) y el gobierno (los cuatro grupos de barras negras o trigramas).
Los elementos de la bandera simbolizan las fuerzas duales de la naturaleza. El círculo rojo y azul se llama taegeuk (tai chi en chino), que literalmente significa "el círculo supremo". La parte roja representa las fuerzas de yang y la azul las fuerzas de um (yin en chino). El yang y um juntos forman el to (tao en chino), que representa las perpetuamente cambiantes fuerzas opuestas pero complementarias de todos los aspectos de la vida: luz y oscuridad, bien y mal, activo y pasivo, masculino y femenino. La parte redonda y más gruesa de cada "coma" representa el principio de todas las cosas y la "cola" representa el fin, de manera que donde comienza el yang, desaparece el um y viceversa.
Los cuatro trigramas también simbolizan el dualismo del cosmos. El cielo está representado por las tres líneas sin espacios; el grupo de tres líneas con espacios representa la tierra. Las dos líneas con una línea con espacio entre ellas significa fuego y las dos líneas con un espacio y una línea completa en medio es agua. Juntos, los cuatro trigramas simbolizan las estaciones y los puntos cardinales.
Los trigramas en la bandera coreana son cuatro de ocho trigramas encontrados en el I-Ching o Libro de los Cambios, uno de los clásicos Confucianos más antiguos acerca de la cosmología china.
The Korean flag, called taegeukgi (pronounced te-guk-ki), was created in 1882.
The flag represents the three components of a nation: the land (the white background), the people (the red and blue circle), and the government (the four groups of black bars or trigrams).
The elements of the flag symbolize the dual forces of nature. The red and blue circle is called taegeuk (tai chi in Chinese), which literally means "the supreme circle." The red part represents the forces of yang and the blue the forces of um (yin in Chinese). Yang and um together form to (tao in Chinese), which represents the perpetually changing opposing but complementary forces of all aspects of life: light and darkness, good and evil, active and passive, masculine and feminine. The round, thicker part of each "comma" represents the beginning of all things and the "tail" represents the end, so that where the yang begins, the um disappears and vice versa.
The four trigrams also symbolize the dualism of the cosmos. The sky is represented by the three lines without spaces; The group of three lines with spaces represents the earth. The two lines with a line with a space between them means fire and the two lines with a space and a full line in between is water. Together, the four trigrams symbolize the seasons and cardinal points.
The trigrams on the Korean flag are four of eight trigrams found in the I-Ching or Book of Changes, one of the oldest Confucian classics on Chinese cosmology.
Korean Tourism
Exporting the Most Powerful Product in the Country
The Economic Impact of One Movie
Seventy years ago, South Korea was a third-world country recovering from a devastating war. There were few exports and no pop culture to speak of. Today, from the movie Parasite to the band BTS, South Korea’s cultural exports have burst onto the world stage in recent years.
It wasn’t an accident. Some people trace the origins of this cultural boom to 1994 and the movie “Jurassic Park”. A South Korean government report found that producing just one hit movie could be worth as much as selling 1.5 million cars. The report concluded that South Korea should be investing more in cultural exports, including blockbuster movies.
The government began pouring resources into “soft” exports like pop music, movies, cosmetics, food, and clothing. In South Korea, there is a culture of big conglomerate or chaebol companies: Samsung was founded as a grocery store in 1938 and has also made textiles, ships, and chemicals in its history. Other chaebol companies include Daewoo, Hyundai, and LG. One side effect of this business culture is the value of coordination among products and brands.
Jin, of BTS in an ad for Samsung
Now the country’s chaebol are applying a similar formula to pop culture. K-pop bands endorse popular Korean cosmetics; the two reinforce each other. If a Korean movie studio releases a film, a music label in the same conglomerate produces an original soundtrack; another branch of the company produces a live-action show to go with it. An in-house PR agency can promote it all.
The result is a wave of Korean culture sweeping the world. The movie “Parasite” was the first non-English film to win the Oscar for Best Picture and three other Academy Awards. It made $266 million on a budget of just $11 million. The film had an entirely Korean cast and it was the first Korean film ever to be recognized at the Academy Awards. Since then, Netflix has bought the rights to 41 other Korean movies. But K-Drama includes TV series as well, including the hits “Descendants of the Sun” and “Crash Landing on You.” Both now on Netflix.
The band BTS is the first band since the Beatles to have three number-one Billboard 200 albums in a year. They made a splash with coordinated looks (no doubt enhanced by Korean cosmetics) on the red carpet at the 2020 Grammys, where they performed.
According to the “2021 Content Industry Survey” released by the Ministry of Culture, K-Content exports reached USD 12.45 billion. This figure far surpasses the exports of Korea's representative home appliances, which stood at 8.6 billion won as of 2021.
According to a report by the Export-Import Bank of Korea titled "The Economic Effect of K-Content Exports," it is estimated that for every USD 100 million in K-Content exports, a ripple effect five times that amount—USD 510 million—is generated.
Cosmetics are a big part of South Korea’s cultural exports. The Korean beauty industry with its cute, colorful packaging, exports products that can be found in worldwide chains like Sephora.
One of the great things about a strong pop culture is that it has a good multiplier effect. It’s a way of introducing a country to the world. The way South Korea sees it, pop culture won’t be dominant forever. But it will have a “halo effect,” where it leaves a positive impression of South Korea in the minds of people everywhere, and that halo effect will carry over to other industries, whether they are in entertainment or not.
South Korea may be benefiting from this halo effect sooner than they imagined. The Korean Baseball League is now being broadcast in English on ESPN early in the morning in the United States.
EnterTourment is a travel approach that combines concerts , tourism, shopping, food, and cultural experiences. The concept of "EnterTourment," such as the "BTS Tour" and the "BLACKPINK Tour," is experiencing a meteoric rise. This June, the 10th-anniversary "BTS Festa" drew a crowd of 400,000, with foreign fans making up over 120,000 attendees.
Notably, these fans extended their stay in Korea for about a month, enriching their experience with BTS-related events nationwide, including visits to locations frequented by the members.
For instance, a BTS concert in Seoul in 2019 attracted 130,000 audiences. At the time, the number of foreign audiences was about 23,000, but as they visited Korea with their friends and families, the total number of visitors swelled to 187,000, generating an estimated economic impact approaching 1 trillion won.
For K-tourism, an important factor is that South Korea is an extremely safe country, 21 on the 2022 safety index, ahead of Singapore and Finland.
French cultural critic Guy Sorman identifies the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, and Korea are the five nations that have successfully exported both goods and culture.
"Ram-Don— a noodle recipe cooking Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodles together—featured in the film Parasite" is a prime example of K-Food within K-Content. The movie's depiction of characters enjoying ramyeon has ignited a global craze for K-Ramyeon.
Meanwhile, "Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen," the dish enjoyed by BTS's V in the entertainment show Jinny's Kitchen, was also warmly received by local Mexican diners and called the "Fire Noodles."
The current surge in K-Content is not only revitalizing the content industry but is also generating ripple effects across various sectors, significantly enhancing Korea's national image in the process. Therefore, it is imperative now to channel efforts into steering this burgeoning industry towards sustainability. While the K-Content sector has largely grown through private initiatives, an extensive strategy involving governmental participation is crucial for its consistent evolution.
Invasión a la Inversa:
Corea conquista al mundo
Corea es una nación que ha sido invadida por Japón, La Unión Soviética, EE.UU.
Ahora nos toca a nosotros invadir...
Arriba, Actor Lee Dong-wook representando a Chanel en Corea
¿Qué pasó con nuestros antepasados y sus descendientes que vivían en Corea del Norte cuando el país fue dividido en 1945?
Cuando al finalizar la Guerra de Corea, Estados Unidos ocupó Corea del Sur y la Unión Soviética ocupó Corea del Norte, dividiendo la península a la mitad, miles de familias quedaron separadas. Puesto que nadie imaginaba que el país quedaría dividido indefinidamente, las familias que querían huir de la guerra buscaron distintas estrategias. Algunas huyeron a Manchuria y otras cruzaron el paralelo 38. Otras más fueron separadas cuando parientes fueron arrestados como prisioneros de guerra y nunca devueltos a su país de origen o fueron secuestrados como rehenes civiles y llevados a Corea del Norte.
¿Cómo viven nuestros parientes perdidos en Corea del Norte?
Cuando el país fue dividido, en el Norte quedaron las instalaciones industriales y en el Sur quedó la canasta de pan del país. Los vientos que soplan de Siberia contribuyen a hacer una tierra menos apropiada para la agricultura en Corea del Norte. Además, las provocaciones y repetidas amenazas nucleares en el escenario internacional han tenido como resultado sanciones de las Naciones Unidas, incluyendo restricciones a la asistencia humanitaria para Corea del Norte.
Este país es uno de los más pobres del mundo. Un reporte del Instituto Coreano para la Unificación calculó en 2013 que aproximadamente la mitad de los 24 millones de habitantes de Corea del Norte vive en "extrema pobreza". La mayoría de los trabajadores gana entre $2 y $3 dólares mensuales.
De una población actual de unos 25 millones de habitantes, 18.4 millones viven in acceso a electricidad.
El país tiene una de las tasas de mortalidad más altas del mundo, así como enorme una falta de médicos y equipo. En 2011, había 2.78 médicos y 13.2 camas de hospital por cada mil personas.
Esta emergencia humanitaria por la inseguridad alimentaria empeoró cuando el gobierno decidió aislarse durante la pandemia COVID-19 y la disponibilidad de alimento es desde entonces la peor que ha existido desde la hambruna de la década de los 1990. El régimen usó tropas armadas para impedir la entrada de personas y comercio desde enero de 2020. Puesto que no compraron suficiente papel y tinta a China para imprimir su moneda, desde 2021, han tenido que emitir cupones, lo cual ha empeorado su situación económica.
El cierre de sus fronteras no detuvo el contagio, ya que el gobierno admitió que hubo un brote importante del virus entre su población malnutrida y no vacunada. Finalmente compraron vacunas de una fuente desconocida, después de haber rechazado ofertas de vacunas de múltiples donadores. Iniciaron su campaña de vacunación en 2022, dos años después del brote de la pandemia. El virus atacó a una población inmunológicamente comprometida por el hambre y una tasa extraordinariamente alta de tuberculosis. Si China, un país bien alimentado y sano, con una tasa relativamente alta de vacunación está padeciendo los estragos del COVID, uno se puede imaginar lo que estará sucediendo en Corea del Norte.
La hambruna de los años 1990 causó entre 600,000 y 1 millón de muertes. Corea del Norte ha buscado cumplir su meta de seguridad alimenticia por medio de una política económicamente irracional de autosuficiencia. Su tierra y clima poco favorables para la agricultura han creado una dependencia en la importación, la cual es afectada por conflictos diplomáticos.
Fotografías de Corea del Norte, cortesía de http://www.earthnutshell.com/100-photos-from-north-korea-part1/
El índice que pobreza de Corea del Norte es, además, el resultado de una proporción excesiva del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) que se gasta en la defensa, el deseo de mantener control político absoluto, y el hecho de permanecer totalmente aislado de la economía global.
Un reporte del Instituto Coreano de la Defensa reportó que un tercio del PIB fue dedicado a la defensa.
Quizá lo que más daño ha hecho a la economía del país es cortar relaciones con casi todas las naciones del mundo. Actualmente, China es su único socio comercial. Corea del Sur retiró toda actividad comercial bilateral en febrero de 2016 después de que Corea del Norte llevó a cabo su cuarta prueba nuclear.
Sin embargo, el país tuvo un año que rompió récord en el lanzamiento de misiles durante la pandemia y con la amenaza de otra hambruna. Es lógico que los países busquen canalizar su asistencia humanitaria al países con otras metas políticas.
Kim Jong Il alguna vez dijo: “Uno puede vivir sin dulces, pero no sin balas.”
El contraste entre las imágenes de Corea del Norte (arriba) y Corea del Sur (las 2 fotos a la derecha) hablan por sí solas, pero cabe agregar que el Producto Interno Bruto de Corea del Norte era de $40 billones de dólares en 2015 (comparado con el de Corea del Sur de $926 billones de dólares).
En 2014, las Naciones Unidas reportó que el gobierno norcoreano gastó $645.8 millones de dólares en artículos de lujo, mientras que Kim Jong-un gasta un promedio de $300 millones anuales en artículos como autos
Mercedes-Benz y un complejo para esquí con hotel y helipuerto.
Aunado al horror del hambre y la pobreza está el tema del tráfico de humanos. Hombres, mujeres y niños son sujetos a trabajos forzados y a tráfico sexual. Corea del Norte es una fuente primaria de mano de obra para Rusia y China. Los norcoreanos están oligados a trabajar donde el gobierno lo indique, no pueden cambiar de trabajo y son castigados si tratan de escapar de los trabajos forzados.
Así viven nuestros parientes que quedaron en Corea del Norte después de 1953. Qué horror. Qué tristeza.
The Role of Confucius and the traditions, social relationships and education of our ancestors in Modern Korea
Confucius (551-479 B.C.) lived in an era of strife and constant wars between kingdoms, so he believed that the main problem in society was violence. The people suffered, died or were enslaved by the victors.
Confucius taught that one is born weak and needs parents. When we go to school, there are those who are stronger and weaker, older and younger. With friends, we have mutual responsibilities and obligations. As citizens, we are subject to government authority.
Throughout life, one is always defined in relations to others. With time, relationships change. Sometimes they revert, like when children end up taking care of their parents. But there is always mutual relationships throughout our lives.
Parents must protect and teach their children and children must learn from and obey their elders. Older siblings must set a good example for the younger siblings. Friends must depend on each other for life. Husbands must love and provide for their wives and the latter must love and obey their husbands (remember, this was 500 years B.C.).
In every relationship there is an inequality that requires the weaker person to submit to the stronger one, while the latter must protect the former. Only friends of exactly the same age, gender and social position have an equal relationship.
One person must first of all think of the needs of the family, the group or the community, and if the needs are in conflict with what is good for the group, the group should be the priority.
Children owe a debt they will never be able to repay to their parents. In Korea, the debt represents gratitude for having been given life and been cared for. Children would have died without their parents and this is a debt children will never be able to escape.
Even to this day, it is rare for a young person in Korea to take an important decision without consulting with their parents and/or other members of their family. Matters such as what to study in college and who you're marrying are decisions that are taken with the advice of one's parents. This is due to the fact that both matters affect the ability of the young person to earn money and take care of his/her parents and the next generation of the family lineage.
Confucius and Korean Loyalty
The influence of confucianism in modern Korea can been seen in ties between classmates and teachers and students, loyalties that often last the rest of one's life. This means that after graduating, senior can help youngers graduates find a job and teachers and mentor former students throughout their careers.
The key component is respect and mutual responsibility, learning, and protection. In the West, we believe the "system" limits the freedom of individuals. When someone is older and occupies a position of authority, he/she feels limited by the responsibility of having to take care of those who are younger or weaker.
Breakdowns in the System
This Confucian system of relationships organized by age, social position, etc., is not perfect by any means, but it is a system common in Asia that has allowed Korea to become one of the most powerful economies in the worldwide after having been the poorest country in the world after the Korean War.
There are obviously breakdowns in the system: abusive teachers, students; corrupt politicians, etc., because, well...humans. However, Confucian teachings are mostly compatible with all religions and in Korea, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims all belong to the system.
Wouldn't it be good for the West to adopt some of this mutual respect?
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Levels of language, etiuette and protocol in Korea
Hierarchies
A strict order that must be followed when speaking to people according to their age, social status, profession, etc.
Honofirics are a part of daily life in Korea. They way you speak to a stranger on the street, your parents, your boss, a server at a restaurant or a child is very different.
PHOTO: To the left (with platinum hair) is famous singer, desigñer and artist G-Dragon. Despite the fact that he is older and his social status is higher than that of his colleagues in the musical group in front of him, he bows to them at 90 degrees out of respect and humility.
There are 7 levels of speech, between 4 and 6 are used today.
The highest level of verb endings is reserved for royalty and nobility, so you'll hear it in period dramas on television. The ending -haopsoseo (하옵소서) is used in contemporary Korean when praying. Two other formal endings –hao (하오) and –hage (하게) are seldom still used by elderly mean.
What level of speech is used in a conversation among several individuals
This is when things get interesting. When a conversation involves more than one person, you need to know if each person is above, at the same level or below your social status. Unless the person was born on the same year as you and went to school on the same year, you cannot be on the same level. Many foreigners are surprised when they are asked their age. It's not Koreans being rude, but wanting to know how to address you.
In the West, it is possible for a 7 year-old and a 90 year-old to become friendly when they meet. In Korea, speech levels impede this type of friendship from the beginning.
1. Formality
Formality does not take into consideration the relationship between the speaker and the listener, but also de situation. A TV anchor speaks using the formal respectful style Hapsyo-che (하십시오체), but after the program, will address a colleague using informal Haeche (해체).
2. Respect
One speaks respectfully to the listener if he/she is older or occupies a higher social status. One speaks informally if the listener is younger or of a similar social status.
3. Honorifics
Honorifics do not only involve the people who are speaking to each other but also the people mentioned in the conversation. If you say to your mother "Mom, my grandfather is sleeping", since you are speaking to your mother you use -yo as your verb ending, pero because you are talking about your grandfather, you use the verb "sleep" with the ending -habnida.
The 4 most common speech levels in Korean
Of the four, thefirst two are respectful language (jondanmal) and the last two are casual language (banmal).
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Formal and respectful/ verbal ending habnida/ Hasipsio-che: used by TV anchors or by people when speaking to their elders.
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Formal and casual/ verb ending handa/ Haera-che: used in reported speech (indirect style) and in written materials
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Informal and respectful/ verbal ending haeyo/ Haeyo-che: used among strangers and colleagues
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Informal and casual/ ending hae/ Hae-che (해체) or banmal: among very good friends or to address people who are very young
Examples:
How to say "Hello"
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Formal and respectful: annyeonghashibnika? annyeonghashibnika. Literally: Are you at peace? Or Be at peace.
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Informal and respectful: annyeonghaseyo? This level of speech can be used with practically anyone.
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Informal and casual: annyeong?
Shaking hands
In order to avoid offending someone, you must use both hands, the right for shaking the other person's hand and the left for lightly holding your own right wrist. The hand shake must not be firm but rather a light touch.
Bowing
Thanks to Korea.net for the images.
K-pop singerJungkook of the group BTS is performing the famous 90 degree bow. It is the deepest and, in this case, indicates his utmost repect and gratitude to his fans on his arrival at the airport. In daily life, it is reserved to show the highest respect, obedience and service.
In photo to the left we can see a more casual bow, but remember: this bow is not just of the head, it is from the waist. It's quick and used among people of all ages and levels.
Quick tips:
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Don't tip in restaurants. It is considered offensive to servers.
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In Latin America and the US, people tend to hug, kiss and touch casually...in Korea avoid physical contact and do not make small talk with strangers.
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Don't raise your voice in public transportation, public places and restaurants/cafés.
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In Korea there are very few trash cans in the street. You are expected to carry your trash home. DO NOT throw it out on the street.
Currently, the teachings of the Chinese philisopher who lived some 1,500 years ago, continue to influence Korean society. Confucius promoted harmony, compassion and empathy above the needs and desires of individuals. Korea is known as the most confucian country in the world, where people consider it important to place others before oneself. We in the West could learn a thing or two from Confucius.
Folclor y Mitos de Corea:
Dragones y Fantasmas
DRAGONES
FANTASMAS
Los dragones son el tema central de la mitología coreana. Llegaron a Corea desde China. donde los arqueólogos han descubierto estatuas de dragones en la provincia de Henan que datan de la edad de piedra. En las mitologías China, coreana y japonesa, hay reyes dragones que viven en palacios submarinos, además, en las tres culturas, los dragones son los primeros seguidores de Buda.
Antes de la aparición del budismo en China, los chinos no creían que el dragón viviera en un río, lago o mar. Además, los dragones no poseían bolas que hicieran realidad los sueños, es decir, yeujuo.
Los dragones antes de la llegada del budismo eran criaturas que creaban la lluvia, pero con la llegada de esta religión se convirtieron en Guardianes de Las tres Joyas del Budismo: el Buda, las enseñanzas del Buda y los monjes budistas. Dado que Corea se convirtió en un país budista, es lógico que los dragones se convirtieran en los Guardianes de Las tres joyas del Budismo. los dragones se convirtieron en Guardianes de Corea.
Existen cuatro tipos de fantasmas llamados gwishin 귀신, quienes son los espíritus de aquellos que no pudieron cumplir con el propósito de su vida. Están atorados en el más allá, atormentando a los seres vivos, incapaces de cruzar "al otro lado", esperando a que sus almas puedan descansar. Los orígenes de esta mitología se encuentran en el chamanismo, una religión antigua que aun tiene seguidores en Corea. Muchos rituales chamanísticos están relacionados con calmar a estos gwishin. Numerosas peliculas de horror coreana tienen como tema a mujeres pálidas en vestidos blancos, sus labios el color de sangre, quienes flotan en vez de caminar. Este tipo de fantasma es el cheonyeo-gwishin 처녀귀신.
El cheonyeo-gwishin es el más común de los cuatro tipos. Es "el fantasma de la virgen". Era muy difícil ser mujer hace siglos en Corea; la vida consistía de servir al padre, al marido y a los hijos (como sigue siendo la vida para mujeres alrededor del mundo). Si en vida no logró cumplir con sus deseos, el resentimiento lo sentiría por siempre porque su vida no habrá tenido sentido y su alma estaría atorada en nuestro mundo. El fantasma viste ropa tradicional de luto llamada sobok 소복, con el pelo suelto porque no tiene el derecho de llevarlo recogido como una mujer casada. Resiente a aquellos que le ocasionaron daño y continúa apareciendo ante ellos. "El Aro" es una película basada en un fantasma de este tipo.
El equivalente masculino del fantasma cheonyeo-gwishin es el chonggak-gwishin (총각귀신). También conocido como mongdal-gwishin (몽달귀신), un fantasma soltero. Existen rituales chamanísticos que buscan unir a estos dos tipos de fantasma para que se casen. Si el ritual tiene éxito, sus vidas se habrán completado con satisfacción, en sentido espiritual. Estando en paz, se les permite entrar en el más allá.
El fantasma de agua es un mul-gwishin (물귀신), espíritu de alguien que murió ahogado. Son espíritus muy solitarios, viviendo en el agua fría en la que murieron. Pueden jalar alguien vivo al agua, de ahí la expresión coreana mul-gwishin jakjeon (물귀신 작전), es decir alguien que te está jalando para que sufras con ellos; una forma de sabotaje.
El fantasma dalgyal-gwishin (달걀귀신) es posiblemente el más raro. Tiene la forma de un huevo, sin ojos, nariz, boca, brazos ni piernas. Si uno lo ve, es seguro que uno muere. El espíritu no tiene personalidad ni emociones u origen. Es el fantasma más mortal. Algunos dicen que vive en las montañas y que se manifiesta ante cualquier que atraviese su camino.
El gumiho (구미호) o zorro de nueve colas es ejemplo de la creencia de que los animales pueden adquirir características humanas. El zorro de nueve colas puede cambiar su forma a la de una mujer bella y atraer a cualquier hombre a su muerte, comiéndose su hígado. Si el gumiho no encuentra alguien vivo a quien devorar, buscará cuerpos frescos en los cementerios. Este ser posee un orbe (yeowoo guseul) en su boca con el cual absorbe la energía vital de las personas a través de un beso profundo. Sin embargo, si su víctima logra quitarle el yeowoo guseul y tragárselo durante el beso, esa persona vivirá eternamente y además adquirirá el conocimiento del cielo, la tierra y la gente.