Harris, Former US Ambassador, "Experienced Racism in Korea... Didn't Expect to Face So Many Attacks"

Former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris revealed in his final interview before leaving Korea that he "experienced racial discrimination while serving." Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] Former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris revealed in his final interview before leaving Korea that he experienced racial discrimination during his tenure.

In an interview released on the 5th (local time) by the British Financial Times (FT), former Ambassador Harris said, "I was very surprised by the race baiting," adding, "I tried to take this issue lightly, but I did not expect to be personally attacked so much when historical conflicts between Korea and Japan flared up."

Harris, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Korea from July 2018 until last month, was born to an American father and a Japanese mother.

FT reported, "Because Harris was of Japanese descent, he became a target of some Korean media, and the anger toward him grew due to the way former President Trump treated Korea during his tenure."

Earlier, a Korean civic group performed an act of removing Harris's mustache from his photos, claiming that his mustache reminded them of the Japanese colonial governors during the occupation period. Additionally, Song Young-gil, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, targeted Harris by saying, "What kind of Joseon governor is the ambassador?"

In January last year, the American CNN broadcast analyzed, "Harris's mustache touched on Koreans' sensitive feelings about the Japanese colonial period," and "it is also related to cracks in the Korea-U.S. alliance."

When Harris's mustache became controversial, he explained, "I grew it to distinguish between my life as a soldier and as a diplomat," and in July last year, he shaved it off, saying, "It's hot when wearing a mask."

Meanwhile, in the interview with FT, Harris spoke about the June 2019 meeting at Panmunjom between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Workers' Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un, saying, "Starting from nothing and moving toward a summit was quite exciting and encouraging."

He continued, regarding North Korea-U.S. relations, "I believe the relationship is definitely in a better place than when I was in uniform."

Furthermore, he mentioned former Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo, who was his counterpart during the Korea-U.S. defense cost-sharing negotiations, saying, "We did not agree on everything, but over time, we developed a friendship."

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