Korea Newspaper: Shinzo Abe’s wife loves Korea
While I was looking at this racial caricature-tastic comic over at the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, I noticed that the most popular article today is entitled “Japan’s First Lady-to-Be an Avid Korean Wave Fan.” It was actually pretty interesting, so here’s the meat of it:
She reportedly enjoyed the drama “Winter Sonata” that kicked off the Korean Wave, and her husband has said many times in public and private that his wife is a big fan of its stars Bae Yong-joon and Park Yong-ha. When Bae was in Tokyo, she reportedly asked her husband to book into the same hotel where the winsome Korean actor was staying so that she might be able to see Bae in person. In September 2004, when the couple visited Korea, they met Park Yong-ha and received a signed album as a gift. Japan’s future first lady is taking Korean classes once a week and reportedly make simple conversation.
Think of her as the friendly “I love Korea” counterpart to her husband’s “I won’t go out of my way to please Korea” policies. As the major conservative paper in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo is also quick to point out that she has taken an active role in the abductee issue, something that anti-Roh South Koreans probably see as a positive attribute.
I can’t really say why this story is the most viewed today, but it might have something to do with the irony of an “anti-Korean” Japanese politician’s wife embracing the Korean wave. Or maybe Korean netizens like to read about foreign countries praising their culture? It’s not quite the same as the Korean book that claims Abe Shinzo is actually Korean, but it could be seen as something along the same lines.
[Props to the Marmot's Hole for providing the link to the comic strip.]
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Does anyone else here think Bae Yong-joon looks really really gay? Doesn’t he just scream mama’s boy closet homosexual elite? He’s always wearing super gay style turtle necks.
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“Or maybe Korean netizens like to read about foreign countries praising their culture?”
what a cheap and unfounded statement. In the effort to make “korean netizens ” seem petty, you’ve accomplished to lower yourself there.
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Unfounded? Suggesting that Korean netizens might like to read about foreign countries praising their culture when an article that did just that was the most-viewed article on the newspaper’s site that day.
Wow, this is something beyond my understanding between Korea and Japan.
Very very interesting article.
Obviously, I believe it shows a positive side of Japanese toward Korea.
Maybe it shows cultural dynamics of Japanese.
I am curious to know what Abe and his wife are talking about Korea in private without worrying about any political career…
The current relation between Japna and Korea is one of most unique in history, isn’t it?
I hope the relation gets better and better…
I am sure one day Japan, Korea, China will be the power house in the world taking care of the big international issues!!!
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