The Korea Times messed up big time! Russia is very upset with the South Korean News Agency. Upset enough that some people are calling for a boycott on all South Korea goods…
While most of the world responded to the terrorist attacks in the Moscow subway with sincere sympathy and compassion, in South Korea the press has outrageous caricatures of their cynicism.
The famous South Korean newspaper The Korea Times, an English-language paper, printed immediately after the attacks, a series of cartoons that can not be described except being low life and inhumane.
The first cartoon was published on March 30th, on her engine is painted a skull instead of the cab. On the forehead of skull – a black armband with the likeness of inscriptions in Arabic. As cars tend figurines passengers, among whom is the Grim Reaper with his scythe.
The second picture accompanies an article which appeared on April 1 about “Freedom of the Chechen fight for independence, who fought against the imperial state, which oppresses them.” It depicts a subway car with a blown up bodies near which are scattered bloodied figurines. And above him is a huge sobbing bear in a fur hat, something reminiscent of the Russian premier.
Need to note that the incident occurred right on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Just April 2nd in Moscow, began a grand festival of Korean culture…
However, the cartoon’s demure did not go without consequences – On April 5, it was announced that The Korea Times publisher asked the newspaper executives to resign.
Park Moo-jong said that his publication did not want to offend Russia. The newspaper stressed that the cartoons were published without any malice.
I can say from living here in Russia that Russians buy a lot of stuff made in South Korea. The call for boycott is growing and South Korea can ill afford such a boycott. This was a politically very bad move…