I've been reading a book titled Korean Attitudes Toward the United States, which is a very interesting collection of essays from a bunch of specialists on U.S.-Korean relations and on Korean history. One thing I was surprised to learn is how broad and how deep anti-Americanism is in Korea. I know it exists, I have seen protests and have heard about the feelings. But I personally have never experienced anything but unbelievably friendliness and solicitness (aside from having little old ladies shove me out of the way when they want to get ahead of him on the line for the bus or at the supermarket. That is age rank, not anti-Americanism).

But last night, talking my folks around on a walking tour, some guy made a point of aggressively bumping into me on the street and then trying to start a fight. All was resolved after much bowing and scraping on my part in response to his insults, but there was no real explanation for it besides some kind of anti-foreignism at least.

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