Wiesenthal Center’s Associate Dean to Speak on Anti-Semitic Korean Comic at Seoul Grand Hyatt Tomorrow
[Update: The AP has more. The end result may be to show just how much anti-Semitism there really is in Korea (see this and this, with its updated “traditional European” inspiration). I will concede that before this epsode, I perceived it to be relatively rare. I don’t think so anymore. I also think that for now, it’s pretty shallow, and mostly a biproduct of anti-Americanism, which is not shallow. Racism in its broader sense is pretty much on open display in Korea, of course. Note also, per the Marmot, that these comics’ author, Rhie Won-Bok, affirmed his anti-Semitic views right to Rabbi Cooper’s face, and still has a weekly column in the Samsung-owned and controlled Joongang Ilbo. You might want to think about that before you buy anything Samsung makes as a Bar-Mitzvah gift.]
Thanks to the Wiesenthal Center for sending:
WHAT: WIESENTHAL CENTER BRIEFING ON ANTISEMITIC COMIC BOOK CONTROVERSYWHEN: Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM
WHERE: GRAND HYATT SEOUL, 747 7 Hannam Dong Yongsan Ku, Seoul 140-738
On Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will give a briefing about a volume of the popular Monnara Iunnara (Distant Countries and Neighboring Countries) series that recycles Jewish conspiracy theories that “echo classic Nazi canards” The briefing follows a meeting earlier with Eu-ju Park, the CEO OF Gimm-Young Publishers, who released the series. In a letter last month, Rabbi Cooper urged Ms. Park to “carefully review the slanders in this book that historically have led to antisemitic violence and genocide. and instead “consider providing facts about the Jewish people, our religion and values to young Koreans.
On Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will give a briefing about a volume of the popular series that recycles Jewish conspiracy theories that “echo classic Nazi canards” The briefing follows a meeting earlier with Eu-ju Park, the CEO OF Gimm-Young Publishers, who released the series. In a letter last month, Rabbi Cooper urged Ms. Park to “carefully review the slanders in this book that historically have led to antisemitic violence and genocide. and instead “consider providing facts about the Jewish people, our religion and values to young Koreans.
You will recall that Rhie Won-Bok’s response to this was to allege that his Jew-baiting propaganda was “based on fact and ‘commonly believed.'” Judging by the comments on some Korean Web sites, there’s a sizeable constituency for that view in Korea.