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US President mocks Korea's first Oscar-winning film

Why U.S. President Donald Trump keeps doing things, which drive South Korean people crazy? This week, the businessman-turned-politician added one more reason why citizens here cannot but hate him.

During a campaign rally, he mocked Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” which became the first non-English language film to win the best picture of this year’s Academy Awards.

The remarks came at a time when South Koreans got proud of the movie, which won the Oscars award for the first time among films made here.

“What the hell was that all about?” he said. “We’ve got enough problems with South Korea with trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year. Was it good? I don’t know.”

Last summer, the U.S. president even mimicked an Asian accent to mock South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a fund-raising event.

As soon as Trump started his four-year term in early 2017, he continued to take issue with his country’s trade deficit with South Korea, thus urging Seoul to make a series of measures.

He also pushed the Moon administration over military cost-sharing negotiations, while repeatedly forced South Korea to pony up additional money for the U.S. Forces Korea.

And all of a sudden, Trump demanded a 500-percent rise in Seoul’s contribution to $5 billion last November to generate a stir.

For most Koreans, the most humiliating thing that Trump has done would be the appointment of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris in July 2018.

First of all, Trump was very late in sending an ambassador to Seoul as the post remained vacant for one and a half years after Trump took office.

Thus far, a total of 23 American ambassadors to Seoul have served, and the longest vacancy of the significant job was 10 months in 1997. Typically, the period was less than two months.

Back then, people expressed their unease, feeling that Trump does not respect South Korea.

From the perspective of them, the belated decision of Trump could not be worse _ he picked a Japanese-American retired Navy admiral who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and an American father.

The anti-Japanese feelings are deep-rooted among South Koreans, and Trump’s decision showed how much he’s insensitive to their grievances. The question is whether he did that deliberately or by mistake, knowingly or unknowingly.

South Koreans also complained that his mustache reminded them of Japan’s brutal colonial rule over the country during 1910 and 1945, as many Japanese officers wore mustaches at the time.

It’s not just his blood or facial hair that causes resentment among many South Koreans. His behaviors have also spawned controversies several times.

Here is a suggestion for Trump. “Just appoint a Korean-American as a new ambassador to Japan.” Then, things would be fair enough for South Koreans.
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