# The Truth about Democratic People's Republic of Korea. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 17, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910 "2013-04-17T04:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/61 "2013-04-17T11:23:42Z")
Yours was close. I hesitate to state why it’s not spot-on because I’m waiting for the OP to attempt to post something in Korean. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/62 "2013-04-17T11:24:09Z")
In what way does Facebook use Bing? I don’t understand the question. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/63 "2013-04-17T11:26:03Z")
I noticed that it didn’t try to translate “Google”. Can that be done, maybe by translating the sounds? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/64 "2013-04-17T11:34:07Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > In what way does Facebook use Bing? I don’t understand the question. If you have any Facebook friends who post in a foreign language, such as Korean, Facebook gives you an option to click “translate” and it’ll tell you that the translation is provided by Bing. It’s almost always (and by “almost” I mean 100% of the time) translated incorrectly. My favorite mistranslation so far was when I was reading a post by a friend who was a missionary for a couple of years. In her post, the Korean word for “Serving” was translated as “blow job” in English by Bing. > [@davidm](#): > > I noticed that it didn’t try to translate “Google”. Can that be done, maybe by translating the sounds? You’re thinking of [transliteration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transliteration). Yes, transliterating Google into Korean is done: [구글](http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B5%AC%EA%B8%80) (Gu-geul). ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/65 "2013-04-17T11:58:20Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > If you have any Facebook friends who post in a foreign language, such as Korean, Facebook gives you an option to click “translate” and it’ll tell you that the translation is provided by Bing. It’s almost always (and by “almost” I mean 100% of the time) translated incorrectly. My favorite mistranslation so far was when I was reading a post by a friend who was a missionary for a couple of years. In her post, the Korean word for “Serving” was translated as “blow job” in English by Bing. Okay. That made me laugh out loud. In fact, I’m still laughing. Giving a blow job _is_ serving someone, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/66 "2013-04-17T12:05:55Z")
> [@DPRK\_Truth](#): > > DPR Korea does not sell its soul to the Western snakes through trade; that would be a violation of the self-reliance stressed in the Juche Idea. I suppose that North Koreans working at South Korean-owned factories at Kaesong wouldn’t qualify as selling souls, but it is selling their labour to allow capitalists to thrive. Unfortunately, it also means that your Delicious Leader will sell Juche spirit for less than the cost of South Korean labour. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/67 "2013-04-17T12:08:14Z")
Pfft, if he was really a friend of the country, he’d spell it Corea. Can’t let those Japanese pig dog snake elephants change the spelling so they’re first alphabetically. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/68 "2013-04-17T12:14:52Z")
Actually, I’m kind of surprised (not really) that the OP is even using the term Korea. Folks in North Korea refer to the country as Chosun. At least, they do in Korean. But since I neither believe that the OP is Korean at all nor that he’s ever set foot in North Korea, I guess that’s neither here nor there. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/69 "2013-04-17T12:27:20Z")
Wouldn’t a professional propagandist use “Korea” when addressing a western audience? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/70 "2013-04-17T12:31:04Z")
> [@DPRK\_Truth](#): > > the illegitimate pig dog controlled puppet empire “America” Yeah, we’re a little embarrassed about the true formal name for the US, but it’s too late to change it. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/71 "2013-04-17T12:36:32Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Yeah, we’re a little embarrassed about the true formal name for the US, but it’s too late to change it. And our KehNigIts too. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/72 "2013-04-17T12:47:06Z")
[America](http://piglovers.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/half_pig_half_dog.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/73 "2013-04-17T12:54:16Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Wouldn’t a professional propagandist use “Korea” when addressing a western audience? Dude (Dudette?): You obviously–just like the OP!–don’t know Koreans. Koreans not only expect, but they DEMAND (yep, in all caps), that everyone else see everything the way they see it. Now, not all Koreans, but a significant major-majority do. Any New Yorkers remember seeing the advertisements on the buses, subways, billboards, and newspapers about “Dokdo is Korean!”? Well, if you’re expecting an American audience to understand what the heck you’re talking about, it’d make sense to call them by the American name, Liancourt Rocks. The problem is, your general average Korean drum-beater just simply can’t get around the idea that “THEY’RE DOKDO DAMMIT!” (Yes, again in all caps.) Heck, if you taught English at a hagweon or public school in Korea anytime in the last decade, no doubt the first question from your students was, “Do you know Dokdo?” Like anyone actually gives a damn. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/74 "2013-04-17T12:56:40Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Actually, I’m kind of surprised (not really) that the OP is even using the term Korea. Folks in North Korea refer to the country as Chosun. At least, they do in Korean. But since I neither believe that the OP is Korean at all nor that he’s ever set foot in North Korea, I guess that’s neither here nor there. If he is a Californian of Mexican descent, is it possible our new friend is the Chosun Juan? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/75 "2013-04-17T12:58:53Z")
Sorry, OP - too obvious. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/76 "2013-04-17T12:59:55Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > If he is a Californian of Mexican descent, is it possible our new friend is the Chosun Juan? _:golf clap:_ Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/77 "2013-04-17T13:09:29Z")
**Truth** , anyone can spend time here inventing chimeras and insulting the media, but that won’t teach us about North Korea. It appears that you believe in Juche spirit. It would be much more powerful if you explained to us how Juche spirit is important to you. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/78 "2013-04-17T13:53:05Z")
You know, Juche is actually a very popular political philosophy, and it has been throughout human history. It’s just isolationism and patriotism/nationalism lumped up into one big bigoted ball. It’s a failure and the world is a better place when we realize that we all can’t be “self reliant.” What the hell is the point of spreading Juche philosophy if all it is going to do is make all the countries of the world isolationist and hate each other? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/79 "2013-04-17T13:53:47Z")
_Kim Jong-un, I’m overjoyed to meet you face to face. You’ve been getting quite a name all around the place. Building missiles, raising hell. And now you threaten total war At least, that’s what you’ve said. So, you’re Kim Jong-un, you’re the great Kim Jong-un. Prove you’re no fat little puke; fire off a bunch of nukes That’s all you need do, then I’ll know it’s all true. Come on, you king of the Juche._ ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910/80 "2013-04-17T14:09:22Z")
**Monty** to be clear, I was not perpetuating a stereotype, I just don’t often have a chance to cop a line from “Team America World Police” here on the Dope. **Capt** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-truth-about-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea/655910.md?page=5)