October 26, 2006 – 1:36 pm
Was reading this story over at Lost Nomad when I came to this line:
Defense lawyer Capt. Deanna Daly of Yokota Air Base argued that a bad-conduct discharge wasn’t warranted.
She said Neal had been known in his squadron as an especially good airman but he became ensnared with women and other “off base” diversions.
Next time, he [...]
October 26, 2006 – 1:05 pm
WARNING: If you have anything around you that might damage your computer screen if thrown at it, I suggest you remove it before reading on.
Anyway, Yonhap reports that Lee Sang-woo has completed work on his film on the Nogeun-ri incident. Want to learn more? OK:
After many news reports and documentaries about Nogeun-ri came out, director [...]
October 26, 2006 – 11:49 am
Rolf Potts writes about the Pusan International Film Festival in Slate, giving particular attention to Korean-born director Wonsuk Chin’s screenplay “Expats” (in pre-production), which deals oddly enough with expat life in Korea.
Anyway, the piece is a good read, especially for those of us living in Korea. Among other things, Chin pointed out that Korea hasn’t [...]
October 26, 2006 – 8:52 am
I take it this is not the kind of Korean Wave the Ministry of Culture is counting on.
(HT to reader)
October 25, 2006 – 2:05 pm
A couple of our favorite sports dailies (OK, Yonhap ain’t a sports paper) have picked up on half-honkie, half-Korean actress Moon Bloodgood, who will be appearing in the ABC series “Day Break.”
The Chosun Ilbo, of course, regales us with tales of her hardworking mother (Korean version—along the a cute pic and a first paragraph reference [...]
October 25, 2006 – 1:26 pm
The complaints about the foreign teacher employment system continue, this time from the Seoul Shinmun.
Seizing on the recent drug arrests of several Korean English teachers deported from the United States for gang-related activities, the paper notes that because schools that illegally employ unqualified English teachers are hardly punished, students are getting cheated. It claims [...]
October 25, 2006 – 12:08 pm
The North Korean nuke test has hardened differences between South Korea’s major political parties on Seoul economic assistance to Pyongyang, as evidenced by this piece from the JoongAng.
Compare this:
Kang Jae-up, the leading opposition Grand National Party chairman, reminded Incheon voters that Uri chairman Kim Geun-tae danced with North Korean waitresses Friday at the Kaesong Industrial [...]
October 25, 2006 – 11:14 am
The Kyunghyang Shinmun is reporting that presidential security adviser Song Min-soon has been “virtually” tabbed to replace Ban Ki-moon as foreign minister.
Yes, that is the same Song Min-soon who last week decried Korea’s “absurd” security situation and claimed the United States has “fought more wars than any other nation in the history of its establishment [...]
October 24, 2006 – 10:48 am
Anna Desmarais’ great cover photo for the Oct. / Nov. issue of ROKon Magazine.
Sporting a great cover photo of local DJ NoLeila by talented Seoul resident Anna Desmarais, ROKon Magazine hit the streets of Seoul recently. Each issue we learn and generally lurch towards being a “real” magazine.
As of the next issue, we will [...]
October 24, 2006 – 9:52 am
The South China Morning Post (via Korean-language Yonhap) is reporting that a North Korean ship suspected of being laded with military equipment was being detained in Hong Kong after being searched by Hong Kong authorities.
This would be the first such search since the UNSC slapped sanctions on Pyongyang.
The freighter entered Hong Kong harbor on Sunday [...]
October 24, 2006 – 7:00 am
Update II: In case you have not been keeping track, a fourth round of FTA talks started yesterday in Jeju. A perfect way to lure Dram Man out of his hibernation. Below are some of the recent changes, but not all. If anybody has heard different, by all means comment below.
October 23, 2006 – 8:56 pm
You have to love the annual reviews over at the National Assembly. They almost always unearth interesting tidbits.
For example, we already knew that Gaeseong workers are getting ripped off to help fund Pyongyang’s regime and keep Kim Jong-il’s cognac flowing. Now we know it is even worse than we thought:
More than half the salaries paid [...]
October 23, 2006 – 7:27 pm
This had to embarrassing:
Because she is the mother, just before I get to the turnstiles, I give her the stroller to push through the little gate (which requires the action of a guard to open), while I go through and pay my transit fee. She always just goes through, is never charged, and until yesterday [...]
October 23, 2006 – 1:40 pm
Seoul police have rounded up 12 foreign English teachers on charges of violating immigration and employment laws and habitually using drugs such as pot, coke and speed.
If you’re a hater, it’s a virtual smorgasbord of bulletin board material as the arrested include Americans, Canadians and gyopo.
The breakdown is as follows: five U.S. gyopo teachers and [...]
October 23, 2006 – 10:15 am
We have wind. We have brisk weather. We even have falling leaves.
It’s about time.
Feel free to post your own seaonal sijo in my comment section.
Newly opened North Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace
Cheong Wa Dae, seen through North Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace
Sphere: Related Content
October 23, 2006 – 9:29 am
While one may be concerned with North Korea testing nuclear weapons and the U.S. is understandably concerned with North Korea selling and smuggling nuclear materials to terrorists, there is also the concern of important people in the U.S. about the dangers of vegemite proliferation since border agents — protecting America — have had to protect [...]
October 22, 2006 – 4:58 pm
From Yonhap:
Former South Korean President Choi Kyu-hah died Sunday at the age of 88, his family and officials at a Seoul hospital said.
If you had to think for a while to remember him, you are not alone. His was a very transitional term:
Choi became acting president in October 1979 when Park [Chung-hee] was assassinated by his [...]
October 20, 2006 – 4:11 pm
The Dear Leader seems to be having second thoughts about the utility of his recent nuclear tests (AP):
Kim told the Chinese delegation that “he is sorry about the nuclear test,” the newspaper reported.
That was fast. I guess the threat of not getting any more Hennessy V.S.O.P cognac is having an effect.
Kim also gave terms for [...]
October 20, 2006 – 2:23 pm
Agence France-Presse reports that Yonsei University scientists report the successful genetic engineering of a virus that eats cancer. And, they say, only cancer. When injected into tumors 90% of the tumorous cells disappear within 60 days.
Wow. “Cure for cancer” is a punchline for impossible. If this discovery bears fruit, Korean science really will be at [...]
