Korea Blog Aggregator
Just a feed of some of my favorite (mostly) Korea-related blogs.
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Chris Backe – AKA Chris in South Korea » Destination: Hwaam Cave (Jeongseong, Gangwon-do)
Author's note: A version of this article appeared in February 2010's Groove Magazine.To say Hwaam Cave (화암동굴) is out of the way is an understatement. While few natural subterranean structures are located near subway stations or major bus terminals, this one seemed seriously out of the way. Once we arrived and got to appreciate the area, however, the trip was well worth the time.Buy an admission ticket, then decide whether you want to ride the monorail to the entrance of … [Link]
ROK Drop » North Korean Military Command Center Located On Mt. Baekdu
Here is what a Hong Kong think tank is reporting about a secret North Korean military facility on Mt. Baekdu: The North Korean leadership is believed to have established a temporary command center near the Chinese border, apparently to prepare for a military emergency, a think tank in Hong Kong has reported.The Kanwa Information Center said its analysis was based on satellite photos and informed sources. It also said more than 10 helicopters, likely for use in evacuation, are stored … [Link]
Soju and Sake – by Kathreb » Kim Jong il comedy club
Last night on BBC Four they showed Kim Jong-il Comedy Club. This documentary is about a very tall Danish man called Mads and two Korean adoptees, Jacob and Simon, who travel to North Korea to put on a small comedy sketch. However, the ulterior motive is more to check out North Korea and to play a bit of a joke on them by sending these two very amateur guys to go on stage in North Korea. What makes this documentary … [Link]
» Funeral of Lotte Catcher
In 2000, Lotte catcher Lim Soo-hyuk collapsed after running from first to second base during a game versus the LG Twins. He fell into a coma and never came out of it – dying at Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital in Seoul on Feb. 7. I hate to use a death or a funeral to make what I think is an interesting point about Korean culture, but media coverage of funerals here has always interested me. Lim had a heart condition … [Link]
AMPONTAN » Love Boat on the Korea Strait
WHAT IS IT with those folks in Fukuoka and Busan anyway? They keep confounding the people whose misconceptions masquerade as conventional wisdom and overturn every tired old cliche of Japanese-Korean relations. Now they’re at it again. The accompanying photo depicting a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony was taken during the filming of a television drama in the Kushida Shinto shrine in Fukuoka City. The filming, which occurred on the 6th, is for a program being produced by MBC-TV in South Korea. … [Link]
Rachael Goes to Korea » Student-teacher relationships
Last night, just before midnight, I was startled by the text message alert on my phone. From: Taylor student Any teacher in the USA public school system would be alarmed if they received a text message from their student in the middle of the night. Teachers and students are not supposed to have a relationship outside of school and it is frowned upon for a teacher to have favorites. But in Korea, it’s the thing to do. Homeroom teachers in … [Link]
Monster Island (actually a peninsula)* » XLIV versus 4077th
Well, yesterday's Superbowl in Miami, where I accurately predicted a Saints win over the Colts, and by a score that was off by only one digit (yeah, I'm going to ride those laurels for a while), has become the most watched television event in American history. And that means it defeated the previous record holder, the 1983 finale of M*A*S*H. Which means that finally I have discovered this year's Korea tie-in to NFL championship. [above: Upon hearing news of the ... [Link]
ComingAnarchy.com » Facebook for COIN
I was thinking about a reverse Facebook, an unFacebook . The key difference is that this is not a social network that is populated by willing participants, but populated with people by information gatherers. For example, I meet you, and unbeknownst to you, I add you to my unFacebook. I meet another person and add them. Later I find out that you and he are business partners. I then “friend” you to him on my unFacebook. I give access to … [Link]
ROK Sojourn » Happiness Phantom!
I was at the train station in town getting back from a trip to Seoul and passed by this fun poster. Maybe I am clueless here, but I always saw Phantom of the Opera as a tragedy? Or maybe even a little scary… "Happiness" does not pop into my mind when I hear "Phantom!" But, hey! It's Korea! I would totally pay to see this production. [Link]
The Western Confucian » Uni String Ensemble Perform Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor
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The Western Confucian » Two Degrees of Separation With Henrietta Lacks
Through the graduate students I tutor, who, today, like biologists the world over, experiment using the cells of the woman "who died of cervical cancer in 1951, [and who] is the source of the HeLa cell line, the first human cells able to reproduce on their own in the laboratory" — Henrietta Lacks' 'Immortal' roots. From the article:By the time of her death, researchers at Johns Hopkins University had been trying for years to find cells with such reproductive properties. … [Link]
The Western Confucian » Nope, It All Started With King John
"Americans' distrust of government has deep roots," says Gregory Rodriguez, who begins by suggesting that "Americans' profound distrust of government is neurotic — irrational, defensive and born of emotional trauma" — It started with King George III. "No way, José!" I say.It all began with King John, who usurped the both ancient Anglo-Saxon and Catholic liberties, a situation corrected when the tyrant was forced to sign the Magna Carta, whose first article guarantees "that the English Church shall be free, … [Link]
The Western Confucian » More "Chinese Century" Skepticism
Joshua Kurlantzick counters "some of the most important foreign policy thinkers [who] have chronicled America’s decline, and argued that Asia is rising to preeminence," — Dazzled by Asia. Rather, the author argues, "predictions of America’s decline are vastly overstated" and "Asia is indeed increasing its economic footprint in the world, but it still lags far behind the United States in military might, political and diplomatic influence, and even most measures of economic stability."China's "$2.4 trillion of reserves is a bubble … [Link]
The Western Confucian » Three Minutes to Impact
After reading, "as a courtesy to the next passenger, consider leaving your copy of this guide in the seat-back pocket" — How to Fall 35,000 Feet—And Survive. There's a lot of water between Korea and California, where my folks now live, so these excerpts are the ones I need to keep in mind:Contrary to popular belief, water is an awful choice. Like concrete, liquid doesn’t compress. Hitting the ocean is essentially the same as colliding with a sidewalk, Hamilton explains, … [Link]
The Western Confucian » Macy Gray Sings "I Try"
"It's a rough day for a journalism major when he learns he was grammatically bested by Macy Gray," confesses this anonymous writer, referring to the first item on his list — 11 Little-Known Grammatical Errors That Will Shock and Horrify You. I've known most of these for a long time, but it serves as an excuse to post one of the few popular songs in recent decades to have caught my ear. Subscribe in a reader [Link]
Taki’s Magazine » Death to Terrorists
‘He is plainly some crazed moral retard’. That stuck it to him. Or not. Yet on the night of 9/11, as I sat in a BBC Radio studio helping to dissect the bleak events of that day, it was the only response I could summon to the Al-Qa’eda ‘representative’ the Corporation had thoughtfully allowed on air. Make no mistake, I loathe such extremists. And such extremists had been around and preparing for a very long time. On that same radio … [Link]
Monster Island (actually a peninsula)* » Rogge warrior
[above: The camera, spikes Lee.] It seems that IOC head honcho Jacques Rogge thinks there's nothing wrong with former Samsung head honcho — who was convicted of tax evasion and then pardoned — regaining his seat on the IOC board. So says CTV: Jacques Rogge on Monday defended the controversial reinstatement of former Samsung chief Lee Kun-Hee to the IOC, saying his amnesty by the Korean president on tax evasion charges meant he was cleared of wrongdoing. The billionaire buisnessman, … [Link]
Monster Island (actually a peninsula)* » Hold the phone! Comrade Kim promises to denuclearize the peninsula!
And this is the how-many-times-th time? Anyway, this is from Reuters: While Kim Jong-il has made, and broken, similar pledges before, analysts said pressure has been mounting through U.N. sanctions imposed after its nuclear test last year, as well as a botched currency reform that the South said sparked inflation and rare civil unrest. China's Xinhua news agency said Kim reiterated his country's "persistent stance to realize the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" during a meeting Monday with senior Chinese … [Link]
ROK Drop » Robert Park Returns to the US After North Korean Misadventure
It will be interesting to see what Robert Park has to say in the coming days, but for someone just released from North Korea he sure looks quite grim: n American missionary who strode illegally into North Korea on Christmas Day and was detained there for 43 days was welcomed back to the United States on Saturday evening in an emotional reunion with family members at the Los Angeles International Airport. Robert Park was greeted by his parents and brother … [Link]
Asian Correspondent: Korea Beat » Othello scam uncovered
Man. It seems you just can't trust anyone these days – hidden cameras with earphones were used to scam othello players out of their money in Busan…. [Link]
Chris Backe – AKA Chris in South Korea » A modest proposal for visa reform
If there's anything that Kang Shin Who's recent pieces have demonstrated, it's that the market forces of supply and demand trumps the law, whether well-intentioned or not. Whether illegal or not, there are more than enough bootleg DVD sellers to satisfy one's need for the latest movie. Whether illegal or not, people will seek out any edge they can to be better than the competition. The same goes for English lessons – whether illegal or not, people will seek out … [Link]
Sound of a Dog Eating Grass » Beautiful! Franz Marc: Füchse [Foxes], 1913
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ROK Drop » Thailand Concerned About North Korean Retaliation?
Here is an update on the North Korean arms shipment that was detained in Thailand: Nearly two months after the seizure here of a charter plane carrying 35 tons of weapons shipped from North Korea, the mystery remains as to where the rockets and other armaments were headed. Iran, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates were reportedly listed on the flight plan; the former Soviet republic of Georgia was cited as the charter company’s operations base; and the captain … [Link]
ComingAnarchy.com » Be Like Reagan
Be Like Reagan, says Kaplan. More specifically: Iran is the new Eastern Europe during the last phase of the Cold War. Like Poland during the heady days of Solidarity in the early 1980s, the protestors in the streets of Iranian cities are not crazed ethnics demonstrating on behalf of some illiberal blood-and-soil nationalism, but enlightened, technologically savvy multitudes crying out for universal values of democracy and human rights. As such, they have captured the imagination of liberal intellectuals in the … [Link]
ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal » New Blog: A Frog in the Kitchen
I’m always on the look out for new Korean food blogs, especially ones with unique angles. A Frog in the Kitchen takes a French approach to Korean cuisine. Written by French expat Tiffany Bernard in both English and Korean, the blog tackles a good bit of lifehacking (my new catchall word these days) by making French foods with Korean ingredients and then some. She even makes a mold out of a Korean butter package so she can stack ratatouille in … [Link]
Korea Pop Wars » AVATAR Drops Out of First — But Still Eyeing the Record
AVATAR finally slipped out of first place in Korea last weekend (coincidentally the same weekend it dropped out of first in the United States, too). It dropped all the way to third, behind two Korean titles, SECRET REUNION (Uihyeongje) and HARMONY. But AVATAR is hardly out of gas. It still pulled in over 365,000 admissions, or nearly 4 billion won. That brings James Cameron's blockbuster up to 11.9 million admissions in Korea. Could it make it to 13 million admissions, … [Link]
Monster Island (actually a peninsula)* » Loose change for February 9, 2009
Economic news The Wall Street Journal notes that the sins of the past (i.e., 1997 and 1998) have guided Asian banks to a safer place right now. The Washington Post has an op-ed saying it's time to get going on the FTAs with South Korea and elsewhere. Samsung and Sharp have reached a cross-licensing deal to end their LDC panel patent dispute. One in three South Korean workers surveyed say they're workaholics. The other two were too drunk to respond. … [Link]
hanpig2000님의 블로그 » 천주교김해 장유대청성당
천주교김해 장유대청성당(2006) 위치: 경상남도 김해시 장유면 삼문리 583-4 용도: 종교시설 대지면적: 795.82평 연면적: 568.06평 규모: 지하1층,지상3층 구조: 철근 콘크리트조외부마감: 드라이비트 건축주; 천주교 부산교구 유지……. [Link]
Asian Correspondent: Korea Beat » Do you know schnitzel?
I like to imagine that's what German president Horst Kohler said to Lee Myung-bak at their recent meeting in the Blue House. Hm, let's make this a caption contest. You've got my entry – come up with something better. … [Link]
One Free Korea » 8 February 2010: I’m Sure It Depends on How You Define “Deal.”
State Department denies deal for Park’s release; also, Larry Craig still isn’t gay. If by some miracle the truth actually leaked out, State would probably say that President Obama’s announcement — the day before North Korea announced Park’s release — that he would not to re-add North Korea to the list of state sponsors of terrorism was a mere “goodwill gesture,” or an “understanding,” but not really a quid-pro-quo. When the transcript of the State Department news conference for February … [Link]
Gypsy Scholar » Baylor University's Global Network
Brent EdwardsDirector of the Global NetworkandSpecial Projects(Image from Baylor University)A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a certain Mr. Brent Edwards, the Director of Baylor University's Global Network, who wanted to let me know that he would be spending a couple of days in Seoul between an official trip to Harbin, China and his return to Waco, Texas. Although our time as students at Baylor overlapped, I didn't recall him, nor he me, but we figured out … [Link]
Monster Island (actually a peninsula)* » Daily Kor for February 9, 2010: Now Robert Park-free! (and possibly NSFW)
Okay, so I was wrong about the American media reporting on Robert Park's stool sample once he got home to Arizona, but I was nearly right about the Superbowl winners. To recap: I picked the Saints over the Colts, 21-17, and the Saints did win, 31-17. I hereby announce my new venture, "Kushibo's Pretty Good Stock Tips." Pyongyang warns Seoul that any efforts to bring down the North Korean government would be met with "strong measures" from the DPRK military … [Link]
ROK Drop » Picture of the Day: Korean Marriage House
Marriage house for GI's in Korea, 1968 Via Neil Mishalov. [Link]
One Free Korea » North Korean Gulag Survivors Tell Their Survival Stories to Bored South Korean Soldiers
As it turns out, inviting a North Korean gulag survivor to speak to South Korean troops is a lot like inviting Elie Wiesel to speak at a Pat Buchanan rally: After speaking recently to a group of young South Korean soldiers about North Korea’s harsh labor camps, former prisoner Jung Gyoung Il — himself once a soldier in North Korea’s massive army — was stunned by the questions from the audience. One soldier asked how many days of leave North … [Link]
ParaPundit » China Outbids US For Saudi Oil
Move over and make room for China in the oil market. Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) — Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the worlds biggest crude producer, is exporting about 1 million barrels a day to China, more than to the U.S., Chief Executive Officer Khalid al-Falih said. We are already exporting more to China than to the U.S., he said today in… [Link]
One Free Korea » Will North Korea’s Failure to Control Markets Mean the End of the Regime?
Reuters has a long round-up on the failure of the Great Confiscation, with this being the bottom line: “The collapse of the market system brought about by the currency revaluation produced rare civil uprisings. But the violence appears to have been sporadic and should fade as long as the North allows market activity to return.” Marcus Noland, catching up on the latest reports for the BBC, wonders if the failure of the Great Confiscation has damaged Kim Jong-Eun’s succession prospects. … [Link]
ROK Drop » ROK Drop Movie Review: The Chaser
The hit Korean movie The Chaser was one that I haven’t seen yet and it was recommended by some readers after listing my Top 10 Korean Movies of the Decade list. So I decided to go ahead and check the movie out. The Chaser is directed by Na Hong-jin who I haven’t heard of before and when I looked him up he does have a small resume. However, despite the light resume the movie was actually pretty good. Na Hong-jin … [Link]
ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal » The Seventh Day: Chicken in Mole Poblano Tteokbokki
Today, I’m bringing tteokbokki to the new world, first stop in Mexico. Due to the labor-intensive nature of traditional Mexican mole sauces, I didn’t make this mole from scratch. The mole that Americans recognize is Mole Poblano. Wikipedia says, “Mole poblano is prepared with dried chili peppers (commonly ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle), ground nuts and/or seeds (almonds, indigenous peanuts, and/or sesame seeds), spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts), salt, and a variety of … [Link]
Ask a Korean! » What is the State of ESL Teachers in Korea?
Dear Korean,I came across this article today in the Los Angeles Times concerning the Anti-English Spectrum and English language teachers in Korea. Is this simply a homegrown, right-wing nut group, similar to what one can find in the U.S. and other countries, or are ESL teachers in Korea really this problematic?John C.Dear John,Where does the Korean begin? This issue has the potential to blow up in the Korean’s face in any number of ways, since many of AAK! readers are … [Link]
ROK Drop » Private English Tutoring Could Be Legalized In Korea
For those of you that teach English in Korea it appears that your ability to conduct private tutoring legally is at least being discussed: An immigration officer indicated that the government may consider revising the current regulations to allow foreigners to tutor legally for money. “We understand that the efficacy of the law banning private tutoring for foreigners is questionable as we don’t have sufficient manpower to root out the illegality. “However, this doesn’t mean foreigners are allowed to breach … [Link]
자아만족 나들이 » 황지연못
태백시내 중앙에 위치한 황지연못.. 태백시민의 작은 휴식공간입니다. 또한 매년 열리는 태백산눈축제 행사가 열리는 곳 중 하나이기도 하죠. 그보다도 이곳은 낙동강 발원지라는 점에서 더욱 의미가 있습니다. 낙동강발원지 표석.. 이곳에서 시작된 물이 강원남부, 경북, 경남을 거쳐 부산 낙동강 하류까지 흘러가게 됩니다. 태백시에는 낙동강의 발원지인 황지연못 외에 한강의 발원지인 검룡소도 위치하고 있죠. 한강, 낙동강의 발원지가 같은 지역에서 시작되는 것입니다. 황지연못.. 아름답게 꾸며진 돌다리 등 아기자기한 조형물이 꾸며져 있습니다. 눈축제기간이라서 그런지 외지 관광객들도……. [Link]
Chris Backe – AKA Chris in South Korea » 2S2 gathering – this Saturday – open invitation to anyone in Korea
If the term '2S2' is unfamiliar, it's a get-together of expats and Koreans every 2nd Saturday at 2pm started by Rob from Roboseyo. Unlike most other 'get-together' type groups, this one starts at the same place (A Twosome Place near Anguk station – line 3, exit 1), but does something different every time. This time, Rob has given my girlfriend and I the keys to the event for this month – this Saturday, it's on.We'll get started around 11:45am – … [Link]
Martin Uden » More on Sir Andrew Cahn's visit
Sir Andrew Cahn’s visit last week served to show how important the EU/Korea FTA should be for UK/Korean trade when it comes into force hopefully later this year. It was a recurrent theme in most of his meetings, but was also centre-stage at a meeting we held for representatives of British business in Korea. It’s going to affect them differently, depending on their market segment, but they are keen to hear about our plans to identify the opportunities that will … [Link]
AMPONTAN » Trying to draw a foul in international relations
LAST THURSDAY, many Japanese suspected the day would bring an end to the career of a well-known public figure. Their suspicions were justified—the career of a well-known public figure did end. It just wasn’t the one they expected. Karma has yet to have its way with scandal-plagued Democratic Party Secretary-General Ozawa Ichiro, but it did smite down with a heavy hand the preeminent sumo rikishi of his time, Asashoryu. Don't mess with Mr. D. The Mongolian-born superstar, whose real name … [Link]
Brian in Jeollanam-do » Top ten for '09, a month late.
In case you missed it, I was in the Korea Herald on January 5th with a list of ten stories I felt were among the biggest to my readers. I think I've qualified that enough. Like I said in the third paragraph:The following is a list of the stories I consider most relevant to, and among, my readers, many of whom happen to be English speakers and English teachers. I don't write "relevant to foreigners" or "among expatriates" because though … [Link]
ComingAnarchy.com » Sir Isaac Newton and the Trinity
Yet another guest post on history and theology by occasional guest contributor Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace. The story of Sir Isaac Newton stumbling upon the nature of gravity after seeing an apple fall to earth is one of the most enduring, and endearing, anecdotes of modern physics. Newton (1642-1727) was a genius with many skills. He laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, which usefully describes all macroscopic phenomena affecting our daily lives, built the first reflecting telescope, showed that white … [Link]
Roboseyo » Swinging With the 2S2 Crew
Chris in South Korea has taken on the job of planning the next 2S2 Event, on Saturday, February 13th. It's going to involve a swing dancing lesson in Sinsa (near Apkujeong), a meetup in the afternoon (usual place), and then still more swing dancing in the evening. Swing Dancing is one of the greatest ways I've found to hang out and have a good time… go as a couple, or go as a single… and guys, every single time I've … [Link]
Taki’s Magazine » Why A-Rod Can Play The Field (And Tiger Can’t)
There are some people who can carry off this having a girlfriend in every town thing: sailors for one. There’s also a number who can’t, as Tiger Woods recently found out. Being of that age when the mid-life crisis moves one from simple envy of those who can to trying to work out quite how one can lead me to investigate. A-Rod for example: I believe he’s something to do with what we English call “rounders”, a game we give … [Link]
Taki’s Magazine » Will Obama Play The War Card?
Republicans already counting the seats they will pick up this fall should keep in mind Obama has a big card yet to play. Should the president declare he has gone the last mile for a negotiated end to Iran’s nuclear program and impose the “crippling” sanctions he promised in 2008, America would be on an escalator to confrontation that could lead straight to war. And should war come, that would be the end of GOP dreams of adding three-dozen seats … [Link]
Brian in Jeollanam-do » South Korea has world's fastest internet, US 18th, says "State of the Internet Report."
From the U.S. News & World Report, passing along results from the Akimai's "State of the Internet Report" for the third quarter of 2009:What do South Koreans, Romanians, and the Swiss all have in common? On average, they enjoy faster Internet connection speeds than Americans, according to the quarterly "State of the Internet Report" issued by Akamai, a technology company in Cambridge, Mass., that sells fast data delivery to businesses and other enterprises that put content online. The company looked … [Link]
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