Wiesenthal Center’s Associate Dean to Speak on Anti-Semitic Korean Comic at Seoul Grand Hyatt Tomorrow

[Update:   The AP has more.  The end result may be to show just how much anti-Semitism there really is in Korea  (see this and this, with  its updated  “traditional European” inspiration).  I will concede that before this epsode, I perceived it to be relatively rare.  I don’t think so anymore.  I also think that for now, it’s pretty shallow, and mostly a biproduct of anti-Americanism, which is not shallow.  Racism in its broader sense  is pretty much on open display in Korea, of course.  Note also, per the Marmot, that these comics’ author, Rhie Won-Bok,  affirmed his anti-Semitic views right to Rabbi Cooper’s face, and  still has a weekly column in the Samsung-owned and controlled Joongang Ilbo.  You might want to think about that before you buy anything Samsung makes as a Bar-Mitzvah gift.]

Thanks to the  Wiesenthal Center for sending:

WHAT: WIESENTHAL CENTER BRIEFING ON ANTISEMITIC COMIC BOOK CONTROVERSYWHEN: Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM

WHERE: GRAND HYATT SEOUL, 747 7 Hannam Dong Yongsan Ku, Seoul 140-738

On Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will give a briefing about a volume of the popular Monnara Iunnara (Distant Countries and Neighboring Countries) series that recycles Jewish conspiracy theories that “echo classic Nazi canards” The briefing follows a meeting earlier with Eu-ju Park, the CEO OF Gimm-Young Publishers, who released the series. In a letter last month, Rabbi Cooper urged Ms. Park to “carefully review the slanders in this book that historically have led to antisemitic violence and genocide. and instead “consider providing facts about the Jewish people, our religion and values to young Koreans.

On Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 4:30 PM at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will give a briefing about a volume of the popular series that recycles Jewish conspiracy theories that “echo classic Nazi canards” The briefing follows a meeting earlier with Eu-ju Park, the CEO OF Gimm-Young Publishers, who released the series. In a letter last month, Rabbi Cooper urged Ms. Park to “carefully review the slanders in this book that historically have led to antisemitic violence and genocide. and instead “consider providing facts about the Jewish people, our religion and values to young Koreans.

You will recall that Rhie Won-Bok’s response to this was to allege that his Jew-baiting propaganda was “based on fact and ‘commonly believed.'”  Judging by the comments on some Korean Web sites, there’s a sizeable constituency for that view in Korea.