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The songs we feature during the recap:
Yong ae and Villagers by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee
Photo of my Mind by Song Ga in
How Captain Ri is lying through his teeth about Se-ri and this is so unlike him! He’s actually doing so many things that are out of character!
How Captain Ri and Se-ri are looking at each other in a new light because of certain incidents, including the beggar boy to whom Se-ri gave food, and Se-ri’s gifts to Captain Ri and his men.
Stairway to Heaven, the K Dramas that Kim Ju Meok was watching.
How memories that are lost, that come back, or that are revealed over time are more common than we thought and are a new K Drama element!
How Captain Ri became a K Drama cliche when he kisses Yoon Se-ri in the boat hold, to maybe throw off the Coast Guard about to barge in on them.
How Captain Ri is often so aloof and confident when he’s in trouble. Could this be because of his father? Does this family relationship make him feel untouchable?
Se-ri needs Plan C to get out of North Korea and now we have Seo Dan, who’s come back from Russia and claims to be Captain Ri’s fiancee.
Gu Seung Jun is now in North Korea but it’s possible that despite his money, he may not be safe, because Lt. Commander Cho Cheol Gang threatens to turn him over to his enemies if he’s not respectful.
We get introduced to Jeong Man bok, the wiretapper who helped Cho Cheol Gang murder Ri Mu Hyeok. Now Cho Cheol Gang realizes that Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok is Ri Mu Hyeok’s brother and he wants to take down the entire family.
The Korean idea of “noonchi,” which roughly translates to social skills, and literally means eye measure. From an early age, Koreans are taught to be aware of social status and to read every situation very carefully.
References
Comment on Reddit about Photo of my Mind and connection to the Korean folk song Arirang
The song Arirang
The K drama Stairway to Heaven (2003) on Wikipedia
In the Kdrama cookbook I have, the brining is only done for 4 hours. It says to let it sit 2-3 days after you put the seasoning mixture on it. It seems to be a more simplified recipe. I have a kimchi specific book around here somewhere that may have different timing.
ReplyDeleteLaurel, did you make kimchi? Post photos on Instagram and tag us! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI made cucumber kimchi. I plan to make traditional when I can gather all the ingredients. Same with the noodle soup.
DeleteI think you might be missing the Occam’s Razor as to why Captain Ri saved Se-Ri! C
ReplyDeleteThe idea of Korean Unification is really interesting. Unfortunately, I think it’s extremely unlikely to occur anytime soon, and if it did it would likely be due to a catastrophic event such as war with North Korea which would result in thousands if not millions of lives lost. The presence and influence of China is one of the many reasons unification is unlikely to occur. China does not want a united, democratic Korea on its border. Perhaps more specifically, a US allied Korea on its border.
As you said on the podcast, sentiment for a unified Korea is waning in the South, particularly among younger people. I think that is primarily because of the huge cost that would be associated with unification, and to a lesser extent because the North has been completely cut off from the North in so many ways. South Koreans are much closer culturally to Japan (a historical rival/enemy), and even the US , than they are to North Korea.
Economically, it could be almost devastating. Estimates are that it could cost up to one trillion dollars, which is staggering when you consider South Korea’s GDP is “only” $1.7 trillion. German reunification is said to have cost $1.9 trillion over twenty years. However, West Germany had a significantly larger GDP than Korea, and perhaps more importantly, East Germany was a lot closer economically and culturally to the West than North and South Korea are.
My sense is that many South Koreans feel they should not have to sacrifice all the hard work (and we know South Koreans work hard!) they have invested in making South Korea one of the top economies in the world. (For reference South Korea is the 14th largest economy by GDP and only Canada and Australia have a higher a GDP with a smaller population than Korea).
A few interesting links:
Opinion about the pace of unification between South and North Korea from 2007 to 2023
https://www.statista.com/statistics/706399/south-korea-desirable-pace-of-korean-reunification/
North and South Korea Drift Farther Apart Every Day - July 26, 2023
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/26/opinion/north-south-korea-unification-war.html
The Economics of a Korean Unification: Thinking the Unthinkable?
https://www.aei.org/research-products/speech/the-economics-of-a-korean-unification-thinking-the-unthinkable/
Korean Unification: A Fading Prospect (if you are interested in an hour long discussion!)
https://www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-corporate-programs/item/1780-korean-unification-a-fading-prospect
Sorry for all the depressing context! I’m still really enjoying rewatching the show!
I agree, Malcolm, that especially in today's political climate with the growing tension between China and the US, China would not tolerate a unified western-allied Korea on its doorstep. I would think that if an armed conflict happened between the North and the South or if the North imploded, China would probably move in to prop up some semblance of a North Korean state to keep the buffer between it and South Korea.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as time passes and the older generations do too, there is very little memory of a unified country. Also probably less sentiment about one nation and one people. Life in South Korea is already often depicted as ultra-competitive, requiring Herculean work hours, that I can't imagine that having a huge drain on the economy by absorbing a poverty-stricken North would be welcome.
This is all very sad, especially if you think about the suffering of the North Korean people. These people are literally the family and relatives of many in the South, but they are permanently walled away and often forgotten. My father, before he died, was hoping to work on a reunification effort. He still had hope that some day it would happen.