Koreanboy6's Musings

Wish I Learned My Heritage Language When I was Young Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but I feel many older adoptees have similar thoughts as me when I think I should have learned my heritage language as a child. I was extremely reluctant to learn Korean when I was a child. It is one of my greatest regrets being so resistant to learning it. I ended up decided to learn Korean when I was 15, but I’m poor with languages, so while I am between beginner and intermediate, I still struggle with it. I wish I was forced to learn Korean when I was young. Would I have hated it then? Yes, probably, but with a lot of things you are forced to do when you are young, you end up appreciate it later in life. Now that I have embraced my heritage I wish I had the fluency in Korean to go with it. Sigh, I hope others don’t make the same mistake as me and learn their heritage language while young. At the very worst, it gives you another skill for a potential career. What is the harm in that?

Importance of Culture Camps I believe culture camps are extremely important for adoptees, especially transnational adoptees. I should clarify that I mean culture camps specifically targeting adoptees. There are other culture camps such as Concordia Language Camps, Supsogui Hosu!!!!! which are great, but I’m not speaking about them in this post. Culture camps provide cultural and heritage background for the adoptees, which I believe many appreciate later on in life. I for one am appreciative from the Korean culture knowledge I gained from the camps as I grew up.  I know many older adoptees who inform me they wish they had culture camps when they were growing up. Another benefit of culture camps is for the parents. Culture camps that target adoptees usually provide support and classes for the parents to learn more about their child’s heritage and culture, but also about issues that plague parents such as their child’s identity and potential birth searches. Finally, these cam...

Here are some of the Slice of Life Anime I have watched and enjoyed in no particular order! ReLife Ready to take a second chance in life? A failure in life is given the opportunity to re-live a year of high school to gain the confidence he lost that prevents him from succeeding in life. He gladly accepts and rehabilitates, making new friends, and having adventures along the way. Usagi Drop This is a heartwarming tale of a single man taking in his young female relative who has lost her parent and raising her. Their relationships is a mix of father and daughter and brother and sister. Seeing the progression of their bond is sweet. However, do not read the manga cause it gets really weird after the anime storyline ends. It will ruin Usagi Drop for you if you read the rest of the story. Hanamaru Kindergarten ULTIMATE CUTENESS. That is how you can describe Hanamaru Kindergarten. It is the story of a new kindergarten teacher, who has one of his students madly in...

Dean Acheson’s Decisions Opened the Door for the Korean War Acheson standing. Photo Credit: Tullio Saba A major controversy during Dean Acheson’s time as Secretary of State was why South Korea was as undefended as it was when North Korea invaded. Many argue Dean Acheson’s decisions leading up to the outbreak was the reason South Korea was almost lost. His memoir surprisingly was very scant about the buildup to the Korean War and his reasoning for the actions he took during that buildup indicating implied agreement that he had the information to have deterred an invasion. Specifically the reports of undersupplying the South Korean military, the limiting of US military aid to South Korea, the assessments of both Korean forces, and his memoir support the claim Dean Acheson could have prevented the rout South Korean forces experienced at the outbreak of the war if not prevent the war from even occurring.         Dean Acheson’s memoir...

Dokdo/Takeshima Island Sovereignty Dispute Photo Credit: Bryan Dorrough Introduction         The dispute over Dokdo/Takeshima’s sovereignty between South Korea and Japan is thought of a major obstacle in current South Korean-Japanese relations. Dokdo/Takeshima is comprised of two rocky islets and thirty-two smaller outcroppings in the East Sea/Sea of Japan. (Lee, 2010, pgs. 741-742) The Dokdo/Takeshima dispute is significant because it is considered the most significant problem in South Korean-Japanese relation that prevents reconciliation and moving forward together for the two countries. (Kim, 2004, pg. 48) History         Dokdo/Takeshima (it will be referred to as Dokdo for the remainder of the paper) was first mentioned in historical texts as far back as the 12 th century. Dokdo is mentioned in the oldest still existing Korean text, Samguk Sagi, (History of the Three Kingdoms) as being conqu...

My Top 10 Korean Dramas Picture Credit: Republic of Korea This list is VERY biased. I tend to like very formulaic Romcoms, historical dramas, and dramas with very unique plots.  1. Six Flying Dragons This epic historical drama follows Kim Sejong’s father, King Taejong, also known as Yi Bang-Won from his time as a child to becoming king of Chosun. What sets this drama apart is how it experetly covers the changes Yi Bang-Won goes through from the innocent, upright child to the ruthless, cunning king, and is done in such a way that you cheer him on. I wouldn’t call him a villain, but some might. It is amazing how this drama is able to make the viewers sympathize and understand what other dramas would consider the villain. This drama is all about depth, so please give it a try. 2. Snow Queen This is sad. This drama is incredibly sad, but that’s what makes it special. It really tugs at your heartstrings despite some pretty typical and obvious Kdrama mome...