[NEWS] Vietnamese journalist blasts ‘Descendants of the Sun’

[Bella D'Amour]

 

Amid the growing popularity of KBS 2TV’s drama series “Descendants of the Sun†in Vietnam, a journalist there expressed woes Sunday that fans’ amicable reactions to the series might water down criticism of a series of massacres carried out by Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War.

 

Tran Quang Thi, Ho Chi Minh City-based reporter for Tuoi Tre Newspaper, said on Facebook that it would be a disgrace if “a glamorized image of the Korean Army was televised.†His post was shared by some 90,000 Facebook users as of Thursday.

 

Korean daily Hankyoreh ran an article Wednesday quoting his post.

 

The journalist argued that, during the two-decade-long warfare, innocent civilians were killed or raped and hamlets were wiped out by Korean soldiers who were deployed as part of the anticommunist coalition.

 

He added he would never imagine Koreans tolerating drama series or films that praise Japanese soldiers, considering Koreans’ persistent hostility toward Japanese colonization.

 

“In South Korea, surely no one would dare think about it. But ‘Descendants of the Sun’ (featuring Korean soldiers which once invaded our country) is to be aired in Vietnam!â€

 

 

 

 

His post came after Vietnamese fans of the series mimicked military officer Yoo Shi-jin and surgeon Kang Mo-yeon -- played by Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo -- and posted the combat uniform-clad photos online. One of the photos included wedding pictorials themed on the drama.

 

“I’m not saying people do not have the right to see the film,†he said. “But if someday a glamorized movie image of the Korean army is televised in Vietnam, the best word to describe the fact would be this: disgrace!â€

 

 

 

 

Tran also said most Koreans had fallen short of acknowledging their wrongdoings.

The Hankyoreh -- the same news organization that carried Tran’s quote -- shed light on the Korean soldiers’ massacres by publishing articles, but was met with violent protests by veterans of the conflict, including an arson attack on the paper’s office and destruction of computers and other equipment. The veterans’ advocacy group has claimed that Korean soldiers were nothing to do with the massacres and called the Hankyoreh’s reports “defamation.â€

 

The Hankyoreh planned to preside over an event involving survivors from the mass killings last year, but was deterred by veteran advocacy group’s all-out opposition.

Tran told Hankyoreh in an email interview Wednesday that the reactions from younger Vietnamese “surprised†him.

 

 

 

 

The series, being aired through KBS 2TV and Chinese online video streaming service provier iQiYi, depicts Korean soldiers’ lives and struggles while deployed in a fictional country called Uruk. Buoyed by high popularity from Korean and Chinese fans, the drama was sold to 27 nations, including Vietnam, according to a Yonhap News Agency report on March 23.

 

 

source

[WonderTwice]

what is he talking about does this guy or girl not know what they did to their own people as well what right does he have to say about korean soldiers past  

[NTS]

Same old, same old

Whenever some foreign things become famous in Vietnam, the "forgetting the root" issue most likely arise again

 

 

what is he talking about does this guy or girl not know what they did to their own people as well what right does he have to say about korean soldiers past  

 

 

They use the perspective of the war in our country in the past, Korean joined the American at some points 

[marki]

Seems like someone take this drama seriously. It's just a drama, people will forget about it after it ends. 

[Foodielove]

I'm a Vietnamese myself and I've read his post.

His post is actually reasonable and logical considering the fact that many Vietnamese DOTS fans are using this photo APP to wear the Korean soldier uniform to imitate YSJ, following the trend. It's not so appropriate when people just do it carelessly without knowing some horrific historical events caused by Korean soldiers to the Vietnamese during the War.

 

However, he went overboard by talking about nationalism and so on, which was so misleading that many Vietnamese who do not watch DOTS get angry and bash DOTS fans, calling us stupid, delulu, embarrassment to the country etc...

 

DOTS is extremely popular in Vietnam right now that it has a huge amount of followers and at the same times antis, haters... Not to forget many K-POP and K-Drama fans are steretyped as immature brainless fangirls.... 

 

That being said, the problem isnt that serious as the news might sound. One of the national channel actually bought the copyright to show DOTS on TV in 2 more weeks 

[Is there a problem?]

 Not to forget many K-POP and K-Drama fans are steretyped as immature brainless fangirls.... 

 

 

but this is true tho

[Bender Bending Rodriguez]

 

 

what is he talking about does this guy or girl not know what they did to their own people as well what right does he have to say about korean soldiers past  

The journalist is right. Do you know history? South Korea, which was awfully dictatorship and military junta fascist country during the 60s, 70s and 80s, joined Murica-led military campaign against Vietnam. Since they were one of murica's lap dogs, they did some war crimes against ordinary vietnamese during Vietnam war.

[WonderTwice]

The journalist is right. Do you know history? South Korea, which was awfully dictatorship and military junta fascist country during the 60s, 70s and 80s, joined Murica-led military campaign against Vietnam. Since they were one of murica's lap dogs, they did some war crimes against ordinary vietnamese during Vietnam war.

 

and so did their own country men they still dont have the right to criticize someone when they themselves have done it to

[Bender Bending Rodriguez]

 

and so did their own country men they still dont have the right to criticize someone when they themselves have done it to

They themselves have done it to whom? Do you know about Vietnam war? This was a war Murica vs Vietnam. Murica invaded Vietnam. South Korea joined Murica, so they were invaders too. I don't even understand what the fuck are you talking about? Of course vietnamese people have every right to criticize foreign invaders lol

[WonderTwice]

They themselves have done it to whom? Do you know about Vietnam war? This was a war Murica vs Vietnam. Murica invaded Vietnam. South Korea joined Murica, so they were invaders too. I don't even understand what the fuck are you talking about? Of course vietnamese people have every right to criticize foreign invaders lol

 

im talking about the war crimes north vietnam did as well 

[Bender Bending Rodriguez]

 

 

im talking about the war crimes north vietnam did as well

That's up to vietnam people to decide. It's between vietnam people. Here the reporter is talking about foreign invaders and crimes done by them. It's common sense. To any normal citizen of a given country, any foreign soldier who set foot on their land without invitation is an invader and enemy.

[WonderTwice]

That's up to vietnam people to decide. It's between vietnam people. Here the reporter is talking about foreign invaders and crimes done by them. It's common sense. To any normal citizen of a given country, any foreign soldier who set foot on their land without invitation is an invader and enemy.

 

foreign or not the journalist is talking about war crimes of south korean soldiers when the north themselves also committed war crimes thats just my opinion

[Foodielove]

 

im talking about the war crimes north vietnam did as well 

 

You are not Vietnamese. You do not understand our history in our perspective then don't talk.

 

Also, Korean netizens have similar resentment towards the Japanese even tho everything happened in the past.

 

History is the past but it's hard to forget and forgive.

[WonderTwice]

You are not Vietnamese. You do not understand our history in our perspective then don't talk.

 

Also, Korean netizens have similar resentment towards the Japanese even tho everything happened in the past.

 

History is the past but it's hard to forget and forgive.

 

you dont have to be vietnamese to learn about the past wars history give me a break 

 

of course resentment will always be there but my whole point is i think this journalist is hypocritical to talk about past war crimes when norht and south themselves did them as well once again thats my own opinion

[baiichi]

 

im talking about the war crimes north vietnam did as well 

 

 

 

 

 

True, they barely speak about Hue massacre, which leads to the deaths of innocent Vietnamese citizens and German doctors and they never apologize. We are hypocritical af. I can't blame the reporters, their mouths are practically shut by the government. My mom has a friend who is a journalist so she knows. 

 

 

 

 

However, yes, the reporter was right about the history and because he was trying to educate these people who use the app to photoshop themselves in Korean military outfit. They were ignorant indeed but like Foodielove said, his words mislead V-netizens and a lot of assholes use that to bash DOTS fan in general. 

 

I'm annoyed with all of this talk about the war. Yes, it's hard to forgive and forget but SK actually did apologize us for their war crimes in our 50th anniversary. Somebody on OH did post a thread about this before the journalist. It takes a long time, but they did it whole-heartedly.

[Bella D'Amour]

IMO, It's true that DotS is being a huge wave in Vietnam, just like in many Asian countries. So naturally some "journalist" (journalist, my a-ss) tries to gain some fame by bashing it, and which way did they choose to do it? By relate to the ever-sensitive topic of my country - war. Believe me, right now among Vietnamese people, we are going against those rubbish "articles" and hypocritical "journalists". No sensible person would agree and support that point.

 

It's the fact that many countries participated in Vietnam war, including SK. But do we blame them, still blaming them now, hating everything USA or SK-related? NO!! It was the past. And what to do to the past? Learn from it, remember it, yet let it go! It is a scar now, and we don't stab into old scars. On the contrary, we cooperate with the US, SK, Fr, Jp, etc... on so many levels, and appreciate it. Moreover, it's a matter of diplomacy between countries, a national leveled interest. Not something some uneducated and peasize-brained "journalist" can write about like that. (I truly hope they will get their a$$ kicked by the higher ups). All in all, it would have been nice if no one had ever mentioned the war topic. Such idiocy.

 

Anw, my point is, please don't take those "articles" seriously. Just ignore them if you can, please. Any country has their share of morons. I just believe most of us Vietnamese are better than that. 

[Ravie]

But the show is about nice people not nice south korean army at general or their army direction.

The drama also show how political things can intrigue their decision, they suspend their soldier because it may harm their political stance eventhough it saves lives, it also show another soldier who become arm dealer, a doctor who can't enter SK because of political agenda.

 

I understand where he came from but the show is totally not about how good military man can be but a nice guy who happen to be a spesial unit soldier.

They quiet strict with follow order-plot which suggest it's SK that people should hate, not just the army (if they need something to hate)

It produced in SK and ofc it has heavy SK sentiment when all men need to go to army.

 

This drama isn't about the past soldier that glorified the war or soldier that continue to war just because they follow an order, so wearing american war uniform also an insult then.

It's too far to blame the drama for the uniform "outbreak", isn't that about the people that wear it, that somehow forget the meaning or maybe they knew that the soldier is did like the order and the are in war states back then so they already let go.

I still don't think it's the drama fault

[Bender Bending Rodriguez]

 

 

foreign or not the journalist is talking about war crimes of south korean soldiers when the north themselves also committed war crimes thats just my opinion

kinda delusional lol