Jeong 정!

GOTCHA

  The other day I got hit by a car. It wasn't a full on collision but more like a Hybrid SUV backing up and grazing my elbow. This accident came moments after AK 47 and I were talking about how much we enjoy being in Korea. Then without fail something happened to make me question my love affair with South Korea. It is as if Korea wants you to fall in love with it by enticing you with its charm before punching you in the eye and yelling "GOT YOU BITCH!!!!!"

  The better part of me wanted to slam my 16 dollar bucket of ice cream in his face but AK 47 warned me not to waste the ice cream. For the sake of indulgence, let's say I did bash his face with the ice cream would it have been fair? I mean he did almost run me over with his SUV Hybrid car thingy.

  There are a few reason why I didn't fuck him up. Reason one being I don't wanna be deported. Reason two being I don't want to be brutally beaten by some random Korean pedestrian who decided to jump into our fight. The first reason is the least of my worries and garners no validity. The possibilities of deportation is a real threat but unless you have meaningful ties in the country you can always come back..hehehe.
  I've been in Korea for a while and have seen massive brawls between foreigners and Koreans. The fight usually starts off with one opposing force versus the other...you know...a one on one fight.  And then whether the Korean dude is winning the fight or not his fellow countrymen enter into the fray.  I should remind you that the Korean guy that jumped into the fight doesn't know the guy he is helping. I've noticed that random Korean men don't jump into a fight as enthusiastically when the altercation is between Koreans.

    Staying in the vein of reasons, I understand the reason for such fervent behavior. It's a little term called 정 Jeong. The term is hard to explain but the way that I've come to understand the word is through my unspoken communication with Black Americans. Albeit some Black Americans are unable to speak this language but most are. Yet, if you watch even the most educated black person or if you are fortunate enough to develop a lasting bond with said black person then their culture will peek through. No one can explain it but it just is.  It exist between black people partly because of our shared history and our unique experiences as people of color.

Group think - not always good

  So looking through he guise of being a black American I understand Jeong. I understand Korea's ancestors being occupied by the Mongols, Chinese, Japanese and most recently the  Americans. When one is occupied and atrocities are committed against the oppressed the need to band together is necessary. But when does that bond become willfully ignorant? Back in 2006,Shin Mun Seon, a Korean commentator, was called a traitor for simplifying stating that the call the referee made was correct. This type of group think from oppressed people both black and Korean can prove detrimental to both groups respectively. Group think from any group causes stagnation and can possibly ostracize individuals who dare to question the cultural paradigm.