Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched MNTV.NET, an experimental broadcast system for information about life in Seoul. Although the content is rather limited, the idea is quite novel because of the wide range of languages offered. It appears that the plan is to address not so much foreign tourists, as non-Koreans living in Seoul. That is to
say, to treat foreigners as citizens of the city. Here are the languages featured in the broadcasts:
Korean
English
Pakistani
Japanese
Chinese
Thai
Mongolian
Sinhala (Sri Lanka)
Vietnamese
Cambodian
Burmese
Uzbek
I’ve always said: people, especially Koreans, underestimate Korea.
Yes, provincial, yes, nativist, racist, yes elitist. Also socially-minded, also capable of being progressive on its own terms, also broad-minded, also charmingly inoffensive, also brazenly courageous.
This might be a half-measure, but when you add up a bunch of half-measures, you get a whole lot of full cups.
I never cease to be impressed with the so-called “narrow” society I’m living in. Seoul is looking a lot more like a major world-city contender. And this, both in spite of and *because of* the nature of Korean society.
We’re always reminded of the “inspite of”, but too seldom are we reminded of the “because of”.