tbonetylr
Watched it, liked it. As a tourism major I thought you did well.

Thanks man. I watched the tape, thought it went OK — tho i could’ve used twice as much time to blab, there were entire topics we didn’t get to…

Since you have experience working with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism I wonder if any of my students from the KNTO would know you?

Actually all my 5 years was located primarily in that KNTO Building (mostly on the 8th floor) and some work i did was directly for KNTO, so at one time i was pretty well-known among that gang. I still have a few friends there, we comiserate over lunch or sumthin once in awhile.

Also, what do you think of the transition team’s idea to do away with the word ‘Tourism’ in the ‘Ministry of Culture and Tourism’ title

If that comes true, i think it would be a huge mistake, even a crime (unless the Tourism part becomes an independant Ministry as before, but i doubt that’s their intention). Tourism-attracting efforts here need deep reform, but downgrading the govmt offices is the opposite of what they should do!

when the Central Bank just reported in the Herald more of the same…
‘Leisure travel blamed for service trade deficit’ “Korean nationals traveling abroad for leisure has been blamed for the country’s service trade deficit, which touched $20 billion last year, according to the central bank.”

They always frame that as if ’sinful’ outbound Koreans are to blame for that deficit, always have, and that’s opposite from the truth. That deficit should be narrowed by attracting more Westerners to visit here as pure tourists, and that could be achieved if they’d study and implement recommendations from ME :-)

Lawd yes, if the Japanese had tried to sever Korea’s 백두대간 Spine with a canal in the 1930s, it’d be listed as Old Crime #1 by the Korean nationalists today…

Hey, that #30 by “bawisansaram” as NOT written by “Baekdudaegan Expedition Leader Roger Shepherd” — that’s not even close to his writing-style! That’s just sarcastic bullshit by an annoymous scamster fake — Robert, please delete that and ban that guy…

More Later, after sleep.

Whaddabout Haemi. The place was swarming with devout ajummas when I was there…Or the Catholic place on the hillside in Jeonju.

And then there’s the places the oegukin go to in Seoul. At least, I assume they are pilgrimage sites, ’cause they are down there every weekend.

Baekdudaegan Expedition Leader: R Shepherd.

All in all, Korea has a pretty healthy trade balance, because the country’s manufacturing more than makes up for the services deficit.

I’m also sure that leisure on balance is good for Korea, although I don’t have numbers. Giving all the relatively wealthier city folk 5 day workweeks has, I’m sure, been good for ski hills, resorts, yogwans/minbaks, rafting tours and many small towns that now have increased weekend visitors.

‘Leisure travel blamed for service trade deficit’
“Korean nationals traveling abroad for leisure has been blamed for the country`s service trade deficit, which touched $20 billion last year, according to the central bank.”

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/N.....010042.asp

Half a century or so from now, Korea’s lost gi (from the canal cutting across the 백두대간) will be blamed on Japan, which is where 2MB was born.