Anti-Americanism, or the American perception of anti-Americanism, is a topic many American teachers consider before heading overseas to go anywhere. Over the past decade they have been some candid shots of Koreans in protest of American influence and "occupation" (there are over 30,000 American troops in Korea at any given time).
Interestingly, any reports that manage to make it to mainstream media in the US or other country abroad is a short clip of something franctic - standard for most news coverage as there has to be something dramatic to report.
Anti-americanism was a worthy subject for the staff of the Korean Embassy to take up at this time when the durability of the alliance between Seoul and Washington is being intensely reviewed by political and academic circles in both countries.
The embassy was quick to point out that when the Research and Research, a leading pollster, asked the Korean who they most feared in January 2008, the Korean public said Japan was top with 37.1 percent, followed by North Korea with 28.6 percent, the United States with 18.5 percent and China with 11.9 percent. R&R's more recent poll, taken in April, found 62.2 percent of South Koreans picked the United States as the "primary country for security cooperation."
Korean Ambassador to Washington Hong Suk-hyun noted anti-Americanism is evident among South Korea's so-called "386 generation," the main actors in the current political scenes, but he finds the origin of the trend in the U.S. government's neglect on the democratization process in this country in the 1980s. The former newspaper publisher told an American audience that Washington's "acquiescence" to the bloody military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Gwangju City in May 1980 turned politically conscious young Koreans against the United States. And, their burgeoning anti-American sentiment was hardened when Chun Doo-hwan became the first foreign guest invited to the White House after the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.
As an American in Korea I have never really felt threatened or disliked because of my nationality for any reason other than perhaps dating local women. I think that sort of rivalry is often very territorial and innate and while possible mis-labelled anti-americanism, problems only ever occur when alcohol is involved.
My experience as an American in Korea has really been the opposite to anti-Americanism. I am befriended everywhere I go. Old people love to chat to me, or try, little kids pull the hairs on my legs and play with me, and I get smiles (and stares) everywhere I turn. I genuinely feel comfortable in Korea, I also often feel very embarrassed at being American at times.
Drunken fights in Itaewon, belingerant tourists or teachers who yell at taxi drivers or coworkers in English or the ugly English teacher who does something criminal. It happens. And when it does, the little community of English teachers or foreigners in this very homogenous country, wear an ugly badge together. Thankfully, this embarassment often doesn't last long. And thankfully, Koreans understand that we are not all the same.
I hope when you come to this wonderful country, you always remember that you are an ambassador. Americans on the whole have a pretty crumy reputation abroad, I hope you can help me show people that it is the few that made a bad name for most.
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