University English teacher fired because he questioned South Korean claims to disputed territory on the internet…

Back in November, I posted about how Korea blogger and University English Teacher Gerry Bevers had been asked by his employers to stop posting about the Dokdo/Takeshima territorial dispute after angry Korean netizens called up his school complaining about his internet postings. It just so happened that Gerry’s contract was also under review for a renewal. Here is the e-mail Gerry received from his department head shortly before Christmas [Bold and color added for emphasis]:

게리 선생님께

어제 교무처장에게 다시 전화해서 선생님과의 계약문제를 빨리 결정해달라고 재촉했습니다. 오늘 아침 총장, 처장들이 참석하는 회의에서 선생님과의 계약문제를 의논한 결과 다시 계약하지 않는 것으로 결정을 냈다고 합니다. 제가 교무처장으로부터 연락을 받은 것이 오전 11시 쯤인데, 그때 제가 학회참석 때문에 대전행 기차안에 있어서 바로 연락 못드렸습니다. 조금 전에야 집에 도착해서 연락드립니다. 제 생각에는 아무래도 독도 문제로 인해 학교에서 이런 결정을 내린 것 같습니다. 이런 소식 전하게 되어서 저도 마음이 좋지 않습니다.

Teacher Gerry,

Yesterday, I called again to the Dean of Academic Affairs and urged him to quickly make a decision on your contract problem. This morning, at a meeting attended by the president and the deans of the school, your contract problem was discussed, and it was decided that your contract would not be renewed. I was informed by the Dean of Academic Affairs at about 11 a.m. At the time I was on a train to Daejeon to attend an academic meeting, so I could not contact you right away. I am contacting you now after having arrived home just a little while ago. I think there is little doubt that the school made this decision because of the Dokdo problem. It also hurts me to have to relay this news.

Gerry Bevers had taught English at that university for 6 years and didn’t preach his views about Dokdo and Korean history in his classes. Since his job was also what gave him a visa to stay in Korea, immigration has informed him that he has until the end of January to leave the country. This situation is pretty disgusting, but one his employer had been informed of his “anti-Korean” political leanings, it was only a matter of time before they sacked him. I think Marmot’s Hole commenter somevillageidiot summed up the situation pretty well:

If my son’s kindergarten is any indication, where students are encouraged to produce Dokdo-themed artwork – complete with deformed looking Japanese pirates being slaughtered on their ships and Japan engulfed in flames – none of this should come as a surprise.

My guess is that Gerry is aware (and has been aware for years) as to how people might/would react to opinions that go against the official Dokdo line. It is neither accurate nor fair, but Koreans tend to look at such views in the same light as most of us would regard holocaust revisionism.

Nobody seems to have touched on it, but getting fired by email after six years of employment is a classy touch don’t you think? I guess that happens outside of Korea too, but it is an extra little “Fuck You” for the road.

This should probably be a lesson to bloggers who write in countries where ultra-nationalism is strong: don’t use your real name when posting criticism of widely held beliefs in those nations….

I wish you the best of luck in your future employment, Gerry! I hope this horribly unfair experience does not cause you to stop your thought-provoking research on this territorial dispute!

Update:
Gerry Bever’s former employers are attempting to pay him severance pay based on only 2 years of employment, rather than the 6 years he is likely entitled to under Korean law.

Update 2:The firing of Gerry Bevers continues to be a major topic of discussion at The Marmot’s Hole. It looks like Gerry might be planning to fight his school’s decision in court. Many commenters are condemning the actions of Gerry’s school, but a few commenters seem to think his firing in justified, equating it to the case of a Florida professor who was fired for raising money for terrorist organizations: ridiculous. Anyway, here’s another great comment:

I’d like to make one more comment that depends on two premises.

1) It’s my understanding that Dokdo/Takeshima is purely a territorial dispute; that is, the Japanese claim is not accompanied by any threats against the lives, habitations, or commerce of Koreans. Is this correct?

2) If you are a small country in a territorial dispute, it behooves you to persuade as many third parties as possible of the justice of your position.

Now in general, when you don’t have the time or background to judge the merits of a case, are you influenced by the demeanor and behavior of the claimants? I am. For example, if one party in a dispute screams insults, and shouts down those who have a contrary opinion (even taking steps to injure them unjustly), I am likely to think that that party is in the wrong and — at least subconsciously — knows he is in the wrong.

I might sometimes be mistaken, of course, but that is how I would tend to think. Is this not reasonable?

The conclusion is obvious, but I’ll spell it out. I don’t care who owns the rocks. In this, surely, I am like most people outside Korea and Japan. But the Koreans’ extreme sensitivity and active suppression of discussion have persuaded me that the Japanese probably have the better claim.

Refer to point 2). -Gray Hat

You mean sending spam e-mails isn’t enough to convince the rest of the world, you also have to allow freedom of speech in your country? Geez…