Koreans

Many friends of mine have considered me as a Korean nationalist with strong nationalism. Politically speaking, of course, I don't consider me as a nationalist but I know that nationalism rooted deeply in myself often provokes me. Those readings explained why a person called "me" gets provoked and becomes nationalist. mobilization during the 2002 world cup was shown as a good example of Korean nationalism. It was also compared to mobilization during the democratization movement in 1980s. I believe that Korean history itself accumulates as factors and reasons, leading Korean people to mobilize easier. War taught Koreans how to go out to fulfil their purpose, and democratization movement showed people how to appeal to the power. These lessons and experiences formed as a Korean identity, which in turn impacted on forming Korean nationalism.

When do Koreans feel nationalism? despite total personal opinions, I think our Koreans feel nationalism whenever we feel inferiority. Readings provided key influences forming Korean nationalism such as war, colonialism, and imperialism, and so on. Koreans have victimized themselves and seemed to overcome inferior complexity through superior complexity, which was made artificially. The superior complexity plays as nationalism.

The Korean-American football star, who never looks like Korean, is Korean who can present "Korean superiority". The Korean -American golf star is also Korean (hanguk in) to Koreans, not Korean-American (hangukgye). There are countless examples, showing Koreans' tendency.

In this context, I think globalization would not affect Koreans' unique nationalism or Korean identity too much. Koreans will categorize Koreans abroad or Korean ethnics or mixed Koreans based on their success.