So it seems that, even now that a couple of hostages have been released, the (recently somewhat muted) negative sentiments felt by netizens in Korea towards Protestant fanatics (which I wrote about here) still have not ebbed away.
Comments on the subject among netizens seem to suggest a continued negative feeling. One of the harshest I’ve heard so far, related to me by Lime, was when someone commented, “We should go to the airport on the day they get back… and bring eggs.”
A couple of things seem certain:
- The hostages who do get released aren’t going to come home to a big national welcome; I’d imagine negative attention that makes that Dog Poop Girl incident looks like nothing at all.
- This whole new zeitgeist by which nonreligious (or non-Protestant) Koreans have, en masse, decided they’re bloody sick of the worst that many Protestant Koreans seem to represent, doesn’t look like it will ebb away quickly or easily.
- The mode of expression of these sentiments is probably more vicious because it’s online (and the personal attitudes of people do seem to be softening a little), but I’m still very curious to see what form the sentiments take over the coming year or two… especially when such a vocal protestant Christian is likely to be in the next race for President.
For the record, I don’t think egging them is compassionate or humane. But then, so much of typically visible Protestant behaviour here isn’t compassionate or humane, so it’s not like I’m going to cry for them if they did get egged. I wish I knew more about laws governing media harassment here. I have a feeling I’ll be learning more as I keep watching this situation.