[KS] Re: Globalization and Cultural Identity; Globalization and ever

[Junghee Lee]

Dear Ms.  Jamie Paquin:

My reaponse to the issue of foreign companys' names and 
western-language signs is like this.
I was surprised that there are so many western-language signs in 
Seoul.
In June, 1997, I took our faculty to Korea and there were only one 
store signs in western-language even in the rotary of subway station 
of Yonsei.
It was very hard, if one think of thousand of stores just in front of Ewha 
University's rotary.
We could not find the way around because signs only in Korean, we 
totally got lost.  It was very foreigner unfriendly.
But there are so many now, that it would be much easier for foreigners to 
use those shops in western-language to guide the directions.
It will certainly helps globalization.
I saw a lot of them in Seoul, Taegue, Pusan, Kwangju, etc.
I did not see many in the countryside.
I saw "Paris Bouquette" and Hi-mart or other chain 
supermarkets and the gas station with SKC sign etc. in small cities.  
That was rare.
It was sad to see the traditional culture disappears.  So it has good 
and bad.
If Koreans sell the merchandise 
more by putting up the western-language sign, they will do that even 
in countryside.
If it does not help to sell merchandise, countryside Koreans will not
spend money on western-language signs.
I think it is related to economy.

Sincerely,


Junghee Lee
Department of Art
Portland State University
Portland, OR 97207-0751
Voice: (503) 725-3347
fax: (503) 725-4541
E-mail: leeju at pdx.edu
http://odin.cc.pdx.edu/~dilj/


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