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Back in June I wrote about Daeung Sunim, a Korean Buddhist monk who set out to ride his bike across Canada, the US and down across South America. He’s made it across Canada, and met lots of people and had great hosts, and had what looks like they could have been very odd “you must like this cause you’re Asian” moments, but it all seemed to come from a really good place of being open, gracious and friendly to a stranger with a good heart. He blogs when he can, sharing pictures of his trip. His first Canadian friend, Dave Pope, who has devoted himself to helping Sunim make his journey safely, has found some help in translating some of his blog posts. All in all, it’s been a really interesting story to follow, as more and more people came together to help Sunim, and as the people speaking for him became more educated about his sect of Buddhism, his voice, and how much being a part of the journey would mean to other people. I like the “Host’s Blog” section of his website where people who put Sunim up for a day or two, share their experiences. So now Sunim is on US soil. My hope is that the US bike/Buddhist/travelers community can do as good a job as its Northern neighbors in keeping Sunim safe along the way. He’s biking from Perry, Maine to San Diego, CA and will need support along the way. I can’t wait to hear about his impressions of the parts of the US he’ll be pedaling across. He’s avoiding most big cities, so I can imagine it’ll feel a lot like being in Canada – white people, trees, and truck stops. There are lots of ways to get involved in Sunim’s ride, even if you aren’t located near his route, or able to provide financial support. Spread the word, and follow along on his journey and maybe some magic will happen!
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South Koreans want the world to know about Dokdo, aka Takeshima, aka Liancourt Rocks. Korean soccer player, Park Jong Woo scored the biggest audience so far for the Dokdo debate when Korea beat Japan for the Olympic bronze, but lost his chance to be a part of the medal ceremony. He may not get the medal awarded at all, but he does get out of having to do compulsory military service. Before Park held up his handmade sign on the world stage, Koreans in London were handing out flyers about Dokdo to the international tourists around the city. Korea really wants us to know what’s going on, because so far, no one seems to care, no matter how hard they flash mob for the cause. Dokdo is found in Korea’s written records as early as 512, during the Shilla Dynasty. The islands show up in Japanese written records in 1693, and are eventually known in the Japanese record as Takeshima. Korea promptly sent an emissary to Japan to let them know back then that the islands were Korean territory, and Japan backed off. In 1849 a French whaling ship charted the island, and in typical European fashion, made up their own name for it, Liancourt Rocks. Japan came back again in 1876, and once more Korea protested. Japan apologized, again, and left it alone until the peninsula and all its territories were under Japanese control during 35 years of occupation. The Japanese were stoked on the prime sea lion hunting location. After liberation in 1945, Dokdo was Korean territory again. The US used the islands as a bombing range in 1952 and stationed US troops there for a short time. The islands have been more than just a pile of rocks for a very long time. They are home to good fishing grounds, untapped gas deposits, and did I mention the sea lions? So, now what’s to be done? Takeshima has become a platform for Japanese conservatives to stand their ground against outside agencies telling Japan what to do, and it’s also been a talking point for holding on to dwindling natural resources close to home. Dokdo has long been a focal point of Korean efforts to right the wrongs of a traumatic past. Dokdo was the starting point for the annexation of the Korean peninsula in 1910, and represents much more. No one is actively campaigning for the recognition of “Liancourt Rocks”, but who really cares about “rocks” anyhow? How can all parties move forward? Japan doesn’t like to apologize for war crimes, and it doesn’t like to concede. Takeshima gives steady fodder to the conservatives who influence government, education, and foreign policy. Currently airing Korean television dramas about freedom fighters during the occupation are popular and get consistently high ratings. Dokdo makes regular appearances in Korean media and has become a focal point of national pride. If the closure Koreans need hasn’t been granted (if Han allows for any closure at all) then this, and other issues will...
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Still so much post-Olympics fallout. While other countries have finished their best worst dressed lists for the international games, Korea (and others) are reacting to the “rising sun”, or Hinomaru, design featured on Japan’s gymnasts uniforms. There are a lot of pieces to this debate. The average person outside of any conflict with Japan looks at the rising sun design and thinks of the Karate Kid’s headband. No harm done. The educated Japanese know that the design is symbolic of imperialist Japan, which has a lot to answer for. The conservative and nationalist Japanese sees the rising sun with great pride, the same way some white Southerners proudly display confederate flags in the rear windows of their pick up trucks – as a nice backdrop for their gun rack. Then there are the people who see the rising sun as no different from the swastika of Nazi Germany. The United Nations banned the rising sun flag in 1945, but it hasn’t gone away, and for those who remember what it symbolized for a Japan at war, it’s a reminder of terrors, sadness and injustice. It has been used deliberately in the recent past to stand for Japanese domination, as it did in the not so recent past. Speculation about whether or not the design was an intentional political statement can go on for a long time. Without the history behind the imagery, it’s just a snazzy design for a uniform in a sport full of smiles and swirly sparkly things. The world we live in doesn’t let us off the hook so easily though. We’ll see if where it leads.
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You may have seen this throughout the net just a few days ago via an Australian newspaper. It’s pure net fodder, but at the same time, North Korea is winning medals in a world arena. Who knows what the athletes need to endure to get here, and it could very well be a great story behind the scenes, but then again, it could be horrible too. The response by North Korea: (WSJ – Naughty Korea) “bullying act little short of insulting the Olympic spirit of solidarity, friendship and progress and politicizing sports.” “cooked up the way of moneymaking, challenging the authority of a dignified state.” “media are obliged to lead the public in today’s highly-civilized world where (the) mental and cultural level of mankind is being displayed at the highest level.”
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Maybe we’re adding more attention to something people want to forget about, but let’s face it, Korea vs Japan in anything, means more than just two teams playing a match. More than baseball which is saying lot, more than basketball which neither has much of a stake in, soccer is the largest arena of sports. Hopefully, the match happens, the best team wins without controversy, and they trade jerseys. Yes, ethnicity plays a role here. (Bleacher Report – Soccer)
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