'A living hell' for slaves on remote South Korean islands

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

http://news.yahoo.com/living-hell-slaves-remote-south-korean-islands-055240986.html

Western media gives us a rather skewed image of South Korea, covering over its inequality and human rights violations.  For instance, this is an image from the country:

[Deus Naturae]

Most Americans have no "image" of South Korea. Ask an average person about human rights in South Korea, and they probably won't have much to say except maybe "better than in North Korea." Just like wouldn't have much to say if you asked them about human rights in Thailand or Indonesia or wherever else. That's not because there's some sort of media attempt to cover up human rights abuses in South Korea, but because most people just aren't that knowledgable about the internal affairs of random countries.

As for the story, just terrible obviously. You've got to ask...how different are the people on this island from the rest of society? Obviously in terms of their actions they are, but you've got to wonder how many people if they lived here and knew about the slave situation would just try to rationalize and/or ignore it? Scary stuff.

[Vosem]

Good thing that Hong is being sent to prison, like any criminal in a democratic society. As opposed to slaves in North Korea, who will almost certainly never see justice.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I predicted whataboutery.

[Famous Mortimer]

Snowstalker is right. Let's pull out of South Korea and start selling guns to the North.

[politicus]

It is post-dictatorial society with certain vestiges of the past and it has a weak union movement, which are often the ones to monitor such things and keep up pressure on the authorities. Patterns of exploitation can go on for a long time in remote areas if they are not broken by decisive action from central authorities.

[Oak Hills]

"Western media gives us a rather skewed image of South Korea, covering over its inequality and human rights violations," and yet the link you gave us was from the AP via Yahoo News.  Yeah, real good example there, Snowstalker.  Those two sources totally aren't among the most mainstream of Western media. 

Anyway, this story is horrifying, of course, and I'm not saying you were wrong to call attention to it.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Try as hard as you want Snowstalker, but this isn't about slaves, its about "OMG North and South are equally as bad!!!1"

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It is post-dictatorial society with certain vestiges of the past and it has a weak union movement, which are often the ones to monitor such things and keep up pressure on the authorities. Patterns of exploitation can go on for a long time in remote areas if they are not broken by decisive action from central authorities.

I think I've read in some sources that de facto chattel slavery--not even sharecropping, actual slavery--continued in certain remote parts of the Deep South up until the New Deal.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

So a private citizen and company committed some horrifying acts, and the man responsible is being tried for it and will definitely be going to prison. Yeah that definitely puts all of South Korea on the same level as a place where 1/3 of the population is imprisoned by the government in forced labor camps.

[Cory]

Try as hard as you want Snowstalker, but this isn't about slaves, its about "OMG North and South are equally as bad!!!1"

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Really, this is the equivalent of claiming that a country has a horrible record on women's rights, and as "proof" posting a story about a serial rapist there who was arrested and is about to be tried.

[Indy Texas]

Non-Western countries in general have horrific attitudes toward the mentally disabled and mentally ill.

And unfortunately, less severe versions of what the article describes have happened in the US as well.

[politicus]

Really, this is the equivalent of claiming that a country has a horrible record on women's rights, and as "proof" posting a story about a serial rapist there who was arrested and is about to be tried.

No, the equivalent would be a story about year long incarceration and repeated rape of dozens of mentally ill women conducted by a group of men in a remote area with the tolerance of the local community (including bringing escaped women back to their rapists) and elements in the local authorities and local police.

(even this would be downplaying it, because it happens on other islands as well)

There is a structural element here, and the fact that no one in local law enforcement and local authorities have been sanctioned is disturbing.

[Lief 🗽]

Wait is Snowstalker a jucheist now?

[politicus]

Wait is Snowstalker a jucheist now?

No, he is just a troll - as usual.

[Simfan34]

http://news.yahoo.com/living-hell-slaves-remote-south-korean-islands-055240986.html

Western media gives us a rather skewed image of South Korea, covering over its inequality and human rights violations.  For instance, this is an image from the country:

Because that picture is an accurate depictor of prevaling living standards in South Korea, am I right? And the economic and inquality statistics would back whatever point you're trying to make, yes? Or have the US imperialists meddled with those too, Snowstalker?

Meanwhile your story comes from the AP, the same "Western media" you apparently deem so suspect and skewed. But not skewed enough to allow you to make an (asinine) point. Curious.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Really, this is the equivalent of claiming that a country has a horrible record on women's rights, and as "proof" posting a story about a serial rapist there who was arrested and is about to be tried.

No, the equivalent would be a story about year long incarceration and repeated rape of dozens of mentally ill women conducted by a group of men in a remote area with the tolerance of the local community (including bringing escaped women back to their rapists) and elements in the local authorities and local police.

(even this would be downplaying it, because it happens on other islands as well)

There is a structural element here, and the fact that no one in local law enforcement and local authorities have been sanctioned is disturbing.

That's true yes, but the fact that the guy is being tried shows just how idiotic trying to draw any moral equivalencies to North Korea is.

And I actually have seen True Leftists on DU engage in whataboutery over Matthew Shepherd and other LGBT hate crimes as "proof" the US is no better on LGBT issues than Russia, or even Iran before.