'It's Not the Mustache, It's the Attitude Toward Korea That Matters'

Foreign Media Criticize Ambassador Harris's Mustache Remark
Issue Points to Undermining Korean Policy and President Moon's Efforts

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Harry Harris, the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, who has been controversial for his coercive attitude toward the host country Korea, is drawing criticism from foreign media for his remarks about his mustache. It is diagnosed as a statement lacking understanding of the fundamental reasons why Koreans express dissatisfaction with his mustache.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At a foreign press briefing held in Seoul on the 16th, even before he mentioned his mustache, Ambassador Harris raised the issue of his mustache in an interview with a domestic media outlet late last year.

At that time, he also attempted to explain the connection between his mustache and Japan. Although the issue spread worldwide through this recent foreign press briefing, the fact that he has been deliberately explaining about his mustache indicates that he is aware of the perceptions surrounding him.

In the interview, Ambassador Harris said, "I am being criticized in the media, especially on social media, because of my ethnic background, particularly that I am Japanese American," and explained that he grew the mustache as a commemorative gesture when he left the military and began his diplomatic career. Photos from his younger days, including his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, show an even more East Asian appearance than now.

The controversy over his mustache began when he was appointed to Korea. Unlike during his military service, he arrived in Korea as the U.S. Ambassador in July 2018 with a mustache, which foreshadowed the issue.

At the time, there were criticisms that it was to conceal his Japanese heritage, but over time, the mustache came to symbolize Japanese-style authoritarianism.

However, he has not addressed the fundamental reasons why his mustache is being highlighted. The general diplomatic assessment is that he focuses on straightforward, military-style diplomacy relying solely on instructions and orders from his home country rather than winning the hearts of the host nation's people. Some say that Ambassador Harris’s political-military style is also felt in his performance as ambassador.

Foreign media have made similar criticisms. BBC stated, "Ambassador Harris previously created tension by demanding that South Korea pay more for the stationing of U.S. troops, but he says the criticism stems from his heritage."

There is even criticism of Harris himself for bringing up his Japanese heritage. CNN diagnosed that "Ambassador Harris’s mustache highlighted Korean sentiments about the Japanese occupation period and the possibility of cracks in the U.S.-South Korea alliance amid defense cost-sharing negotiations."

After President Moon Jae-in directly mentioned plans for inter-Korean cooperation such as individual tours to North Korea at his New Year’s press conference on the 14th, Ambassador Harris stated at the foreign press briefing that the U.S. should be consulted first when pursuing inter-Korean cooperation projects. This excessive remark toward the host country’s president led to an unusual rebuttal from the Blue House.

Kevin Gray, a professor at the University of Sussex in the UK, pointed out that Ambassador Harris misinterpreted the reasons for the dissatisfaction directed at him. On his Twitter, he explained, "The problem is Ambassador Harris’s imperialistic behavior and his attempts to belittle President Moon Jae-in and the policies of the Republic of Korea government."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.