The Marmot’s Hole

16 Comments

1. Zonath
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

   It’s good to see that Seoul is finally getting its axis in gear.

2. Brendon Carr
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 4:46 pm | Permalink

   We’re joining the Axis. See, life really is getting better and better every day.

3. dogbertt
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

   From hub to axis.

4. gbnhj
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 5:15 pm | Permalink

   Seoul’s got culture and combined culture. So that’s two - well, three, if you count the teeming bacteria from the mop-in-the-toilet technique so often used by custodial staff.

5. ZenKimchi
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 5:24 pm | Permalink

   Well, at least there’s not a green culture axis. That would be gross.

6. snow
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 5:42 pm | Permalink

   I think they’ve run out of hubs to strive for so now they’ve moved on to axes.

7. nambangui horangi
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 6:10 pm | Permalink

   With a little luck, after reunification maybe we can join a combined cultural axis of evil.

8. hoidylovesnewts
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 8:00 pm | Permalink

   It is amazing how fast the Korean government can make changes in the overall urban plan. Soon we’ll be able to take a train from Seoul Station to Incheon airport. Why can’t New York City do that? Why do I have to take the subway out of NYC Midtown and then transfer to the “airport train”?
   Call it axis or whatever, this type of thing is a good idea - they’re trying to improve the urban environment.
   I don’t understand why there are always so many negative reactions to the Seoul government’s urban plans.
   For example, when Seoul said it would like to turn Yongsan into a NYC Central Park. Well hell, that’s a compliment! Why do so many people doubt they’ll do it? Shouldn’t Americans be flattered?
   What gives?
   Seoul has decided to develop the city based on the four quadrants. The government keeps moving in the right direction, developing the traditional city and retaining residents close to the center.

9. ihaveseoul
   Posted June 20, 2007 at 8:30 pm | Permalink

   I with ‘loves newts.’ I actually like the idea and think that the fact Korea recognized it should be promoting the ‘history’ (modern or ancient) of the country.

   So, they called it ‘axis.’ Who cares? Call it.. ‘foreigner entrapment zone’… whatever. I don’t think it matters.

10. seouldout
    Posted June 20, 2007 at 10:28 pm | Permalink

    The projects are all good. But the absurd words the “promoters” select…the ridicule is more than deserved.

11. Thirsty
    Posted June 21, 2007 at 10:00 am | Permalink

    To take the Dongdaemun axis as an example, surely it is already a place for music and fashion?

    So what they are doing is just creating new titles for places in an attempt to make them seem better, i mean “Hub of Asia”?? call it what you like boys it doesn’t make it true!

    I think better names for the 4 Axis would be Derek, Roger, Trever and George.

12. michael
    Posted June 21, 2007 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    “Axis” is a meaningless term for an aribtrary division of the city into meaningless categories. They could make Seoul attractive to tourists (and residents) by just cleaning up the garbage all over town, covering the sewers that smell like shit in the summer, enforcing some traffic laws, making Myongdong and Insadong pedestrian-only, etc etc, but this would all be too real for the government to handle. Better to make up lame “hubs” and “axes” that never happen.

13. Railwaycharm
    Posted June 21, 2007 at 3:51 pm | Permalink

    #8 Don’t hold your breath on the Central Park tripe. Too many crooked politicians have had their secret bank accounts enriched by graft. What you will see is apartment blocks shooting up out of the ground.

14. R. Elgin
    Posted June 21, 2007 at 5:24 pm | Permalink

    “hoidylovesnewts” read #12 and some of the earlier threads in this blog if you are curious as to why some might view the efforts of Seoul City to hide problems through inventing advertising concepts and jingles rather than directly addressing problems through good governance.

    Naturally, building things means that *some* people can make money, thus, for the people with influence in Seoul Government, almost anything that makes money is a good thing, even if it does not directly solve problems or improve the city, as a whole.

    You should also get to know some good Korean business people since that is a good way to understand more of what goes on in Seoul.

15. whitey
    Posted June 21, 2007 at 10:34 pm | Permalink

    #12 ““Axis” is a meaningless term for an aribtrary division of the city into meaningless categories.”

    Right on.

    Here’s another example of the kind of stuff you find here in the Hub of Ubiquitous Nonsense:

    I have a student who works at Seoul City Hall. He told me that he has been busy lately. I asked him why. His response was this:

    “The mayor gave us a project. It’s called ‘Global Zone.’ He didn’t say what he wanted though. He just gave us the title.”

    A great example of coming up with catchy Konglish title for nothing.

16. dda
    Posted June 25, 2007 at 3:30 am | Permalink

    Soon we’ll be able to take a train from Seoul Station to Incheon airport.

    And judging from the current line from IIA to Kimp’o, it’ll take forever and a day, with slow trains stopping in the middle of rice paddies at stations that are best classified under “pork barrel”. I’ll stick with so-called “Limousines”, KAL or else.