`Racist` cartoon sparks debate

By Matthew Lamers



A cartoon recently published by a left-leaning Korean newspaper depicting what looks like two doped-up white males with a story about a drug bust involving people from six countries, including Korea, has some expats here up in arms.

The publication of the cartoon continues a string of reports in recent weeks of what critics call "anti-foreigner" news articles.

The problem many have with the cartoon is that it depicts two foreigners, who appear to be white, even though different nationalities and races were involved in the arrest. Others are upset that the illustrator decided to go with two foreigners at all, since 11 Korean nationals were also involved.

The cartoon depicts two people -- one backpack-laden blond and a bald man wearing baggy clothing -- smoking what appears to be a marijuana cigarette. The foreigners illustrated also have loopy eyes and dopey grins, indicating they are high.



When reached for comment, a spokesperson from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told The Korea Herald that the arrests on Oct. 23 included 12 Americans, 11 Korean nationals, two Italians, one from England, one from Russia and another from Canada.

In total, seven of the 17 foreign nationals were of Korean descent, the spokesperson said. The arrests were over illegal drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. He could not break down the charges.

The cartoonist told Expat Living that it was all a big misunderstanding, and that one of the two white people he drew is actually supposed to be a gyopo.

"Yes, I knew that both Koreans and foreigners were involved in this case. The one on the right was drawn to portray a gyopo, since many gyopo dress up like that, and the one on the left with curly hair was to portray a foreigner," he said.

Still, many are taking issue with the cartoon.

"It certainly appears to be two white people. In the illustration, the two have the exact same skin tones and dopey looking eyes," said a foreign English lecturer, who asked his name not be used in the story.

"This story has nothing to do with white people. In an article about Korean nationals and ethnic Korean students busted for drugs in Seoul, the paper chose to run a cartoon that looks like two Caucasians doing drugs.

"It reinforces the stereotypes the media, and in turn many readers, hold of white foreigners, especially English teachers," said EFL-commentator Brian Deutsch. "Though overseas Koreans were busted, and though these teenagers were students, the cartoon is something normally papers would reserve for a misbehaving English teacher."

Other media outlets that covered the arrests, including an English language daily, focused on the foreigners, not even mentioning the 11 Korean nationals that were apprehended with them.

Deutsch said the cartoon was more of the same English-teacher bashing from media here. And this time the story didn`t even involve English teachers.

"That it didn`t even save the cartoon for an actual story about foreign English teachers or even Caucasians demonstrates how eager the paper was to play to that stereotype," he added.



(mattlamers@heraldm.com)