[Letters] Criticism does not always have to be hard to swallow

As a regular reader of the Korea JoongAng Daily I enjoyed Lee Chul-ho’s recent column (Page 8 of the Dec. 14 edition) on the controversial wager that North Korea’s Taedonggang Beer tastes better and is of higher quality than South Korea’s Hite, Cass and OB beers. The brewing equipment in Pyeongyang was imported second-hand from Britain, Lee writes, so the British partiality for North Korean beer surely “reflects the British nationalistic view.”

Or does it?

While Lee presents many interesting excuses for the bad name that South Korean brewers have earned and also goes on to propose a solution, there is no direct answer to the question, “Which is better?” Has Lee Chul-ho, indeed, tried Taedonggang Beer, or is his column purely based on a nationalistic view? (Having tried Taedonggang myself, I must say that it is quite flavorful.)

Criticism does not always have to be hard to swallow. As a fellow writer, I have found criticism - when offered constructively - to be a prime ingredient in the blending and fermentation of ideas.

by Matthew C. Crawford Canadian resident of Seoul