I wondered if my mom cared about today’s news of Colin Powell’s death since, in addition to lying our way into the Iraq War, I know him as someone invested in unifying North and South Korea. I asked her what she thought of reunification. She said she was against it.
My mom believes that, since North Koreans are accustomed to having their basic needs met under communism, they therefore wouldn’t contribute to a capitalist society. I asked her if South Koreans feel the same way. She said older people do (perhaps not accounting for the folks with living relatives across the DMZ), and younger people don’t really know enough history to feel one way or the other.
I respectfully disagreed with her, saying North Koreans would have to adjust to a lot at first but would probably find their way, and wouldn’t it be nice if they had access to more food and advanced medical care? While I’m admittedly one of the younger Koreans who could learn more about this situation, I’m glad that at least, on various levels, my mom and I can agree: fuck Colin Powell.
Regarding capitalism in South Korea: No we are not watching Squid Game. However, my mom’s favorite show is a reality program called 나는 자연인이다, which translates to, “I Am A Natural Person.” In each episode, a host visits a different hermit living in the mountains or somewhere off-grid, and the hermit shows them how they survive. Often, over a meal that they foraged together, the hermit tearfully tells the host about which crushing aspect(s) of society drove them to this lifestyle.
Today my mom suddenly broke into applause while watching this show. I asked her why she was clapping and she said, because the food on TV looks good.
Kiss the Gook 