September 25, 2006 – 2:19 pm
The Dong-A Ilbo ran a series of pieces today on Korea’s latest export to the United States—prostitutes.
The English section was kind enough to translate one of them, but alas only one.
The most moving one—and the one that was translated, talks with 15 Koreans women locked up in a detention center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. [...]
September 25, 2006 – 12:48 pm
From the Chosun Daily (Who else?):
According to a recent report, normal Korean men age 20-40 have about 79 percent of the male hormone in their systems as the normal Western male.
That just can’t be good. For one thing, it explains the existence of Lee Jun Ki.
On the flip side, that also means that Korean men [...]
September 25, 2006 – 11:16 am
Note: Written and posted on the fly. Please excuse grammer/spelling errors and shorthand.
Can Kaesong be included in an FTA?
Kessenger - It is unprecedented and there are “other problems”, then again this FTA is unprecedented.
Will an FTA help “the Hub” plan? Help stabilize Dollar/won exchange rate?
Han - Will help, especially the changes the FTA will make [...]
September 25, 2006 – 9:56 am
Note
Post combined on Marmot’s suggestion. If you made a comment not below, please add again.
Andy Card’s Keynote
Once again, like the opening remarks, linking of Korea and the War on Terror. He has yet to say the “N” word, North Korea…Comments on how a FTA will stregthen the relationship of USROK relationship….usual yadda-yada about Democracies working [...]
September 25, 2006 – 9:00 am
Yesterday the Marmot asked me to go off to this conference and make an attempt to live blog the thing. I decided why not and I end up a conference held by the World and Northeast Asia Peace Forum.
I am here at the opening and met one of the marquee panelist, former White House Chief [...]
September 23, 2006 – 6:36 pm
Today while I was in Ulchiro I saw a sight that I never thought I would see - I saw Elvis. I was walking through Namdaemun Market, oblivious to the shopping madness around me as I savored my Starbuck’s caffeine fix, when suddenly I heard the unmistakable voice of Elvis belting out the haunting lyrics of “Love [...]
September 23, 2006 – 3:29 am
Tom Plate was underwhelmed by the Korea-U.S. summit.
My only question is, did you really expect anything more, Tom?
Like the “prevailing sentiment” in Seoul mentioned in the column, I was just happy the summit concluded without Roh saying something suicidally stupid or Rummy bitch-slapping any South Korean officials.
Prof. Plate is probably correct on a couple of [...]
September 23, 2006 – 2:05 am
OhMyNews talked with two Korean War vets with the U.S. anti-war group Veterans for Peace who plan to attend a rally in Seoul on Sunday opposing the expansion of U.S. military facilities in Pyeongtaek.
The veterans in question were Charles Atkins (78), who fought with the Army here from 1950 to 1952, and Wilson Powell (74), [...]
September 23, 2006 – 1:41 am
U.S. 7th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Garry R. Trexler has reportedly read the Seoul the riot act—”Give us an electronic weapons scoring system on Jikdo or we’re taking our toys elsewhere.” From the Korea Times:
In a forum at the office of the Kyonggi provincial government on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Garry R. Trexler, commander [...]
September 22, 2006 – 5:50 pm
As regular readers might know, I am a member of the Korean chapter of Republicans Abroad. We will be meeting this weekend at 2:00 in the lobby-floor coffee shop at the Millennium Seoul Hilton near Seoul Station in downtown Seoul.
The formal meeting will probably end around 3:00. At that time, I will be available to [...]
September 22, 2006 – 3:12 pm
From the saterical “Onion Radio News”
North Korea Tests Out Short-Range Missiles On Friends And Family First
September 22, 2006 – 4:00 am
The Foreign Ministry hopes Shinzo Abe’s ascension as prime minister will lead to improved ties across the East Sea:
The government expressed hope Wednesday that Japan’s new leader will take a sincere attitude to address the strained relations between the two countries.
Personally, I think it’s just as likely they’ll be missing Koizumi before too long. At [...]
September 22, 2006 – 3:15 am
Leave it to the Grand National Party to use yesterday’s coup in Thailand to say something either really stupid or really frightening.
During a briefing at the National Assembly on Wednesday, GNP spokesman Yoo Ki-joon warned that the Bangkok coup shouldn’t be regarded as just some other county’s business. Elaborating, he said the major cause [...]
September 22, 2006 – 1:33 am
Bukchon’s hanok homes apparently need all the help they can get.
Activist David Kilburn held a gathering Sunday at his home in Gahoe-dong that combined the creative powers of local artists with an appeal to higher powers to protect the neighborhood’s collection of traditional Korean homes from, among other things, unhelpful government policies and real estate [...]
September 22, 2006 – 12:09 am
On September 1, 1923 - just before noon - one of the most devastating earthquakes in history struck Tokyo and Yokohama. The 8.9 earthquake lasted from four to ten minutes and although its destruction was unimaginable, it paled in comparison to the firestorms that raced through the cities. Nearly 142,000 people died from [...]
September 21, 2006 – 7:23 pm
By now everyone must be well aware of the unusual conjunction of holidays and weekend(s) at the beginning of October — Gaecheon-jeol on Tuesday, October 3rd and Chuseok Thurs-Sat Oct 5~7. Nobody but putzes and drones will work or attend classes on the Wednesday “sandwich day” and many will find a way to take [...]
September 21, 2006 – 1:47 pm
Funny, but ultimately true*:
The Foreign Ministry, BTW, has warned Koreans against traveling to Thailand lest they get any ideas.
(HT to reader)
* I don’t know where I read it… perhaps it was OhMyNews… but not so long ago there was an essay on how advances in Korea’s IT infrastructure had made it much more difficult, if [...]
September 21, 2006 – 1:24 pm
The Korean government may actually shut down businesses that offer prostitution, reports the Korea Times.
Continue reading when you’re done laughing.
The authorities are also considering ways to punish Koreans who partake in prostitution outside of Korea.
And this leads us to a tragic news from yesterday. According to KBS, police rounded up some 53 men in one [...]
September 21, 2006 – 12:14 pm
Before I get into the review of Smokey’s Saloon, a little story.
When I first went to New York almost 15 years ago now, I stayed with my cousin on the upper west side. He pointed out the good eating places around, mainly those neighborhood only joints famous only in that five block radius (a [...]
September 21, 2006 – 9:29 am
Lisa Vershbow has been the target of, ahem, critical opinion by netizens regarding her activities here in Korea.
