SeoulPodcast #34: 2008 Was Something -

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Namdaemun Fire

Sungnyemun Arsonist Gets 10 Years | The Marmot’s Hole

Bird Flu

Bird flu outbreak in southwest Korea

AI Reaches Seoul

Mad Cow

FAN DEATH! It’s What’s for Dinner…

MBC and its “in-depth” reporting scares the Korean public even further about mad cow, claiming that 94-percent of Koreans have a “special” gene that makes them more susceptible to mad cow disease.

Cattle Farmer Beats His Family to Death

Korean media tries to connect it to beef imports

Branding the mad cow

Korean Beef Under Scrutiny

Korea slow to qualify itself as mad-cow-free

Matt’s (Gusts of Popular Feeling) 2005 trip to the Gwangju commemoration vs. Brian’s (Brian in Jeollanam-do) trip. Hint: a lot more pictures of American flags and cows.

PD Notebook’s bout of Yellow Journalism (The Marmot)

Turns out much of the arguments in the TV show that scared Koreans about U.S. beef were faked. But correct the errors and apologize? Are you nuts?

Korean Supermarkets Won’t Sell US Beef. Time To Be a Dick.

Well, I Guess This Was Only a Matter of Time…

Protesters mock the police by going on “Chicken Cage Tours”

Bomb English discusses the topic

Beef, Wonderful Beef (Marmot)

The government has asked the United States to ban the export of beef from cows over 30 months of age. The beef deal will be put on hold until the United States responds. Money Today notes that should the United States respond with an extended middle finger, the restart of beef imports could be delayed for a long time, creating a good old-fashioned trade dispute.
Yonhap reports that that the government is asking people to avoid calling the current situation a “renegotiation.” US trade journal “Inside US Trade,” however, reportedly reported yesterday that USTR has been “negotiating” with the Korean government for the last several days.
US beef producers said they would temporarily label the age of meat exported to Korea.

Costco to the rescue (Fencerider)

From Jeju to Paju… (Gusts of Popular Feeling)

The Beef Is Almost Done… (Metropolitician)

Mike says the protests are hitting their peak, and it’ll all be over in 4-6 weeks

BBC and Lee Sae-jin Bring Truth to US Beef Issue (ROK Drop)

Group Alleges MacDonalds Uses Beef from 30 Month or Older Cows Later Retracts Allegation

Candle Teen (Korea Beat)

Combat police and sickness (Gusts of Popular Feeling)

NYT: Beef Agreement Near, No Beef Over 30 Mos.

Attendance at Protests Plummets (died quickly)

Anti-US Groups Linked to Beef Protests (ROK Drop)

Bowring: A potent, troubling nationalism – International Herald Tribune

They Even Ambushed DMC With Mad Cow!

Homever Store in Hot Water for Labeling US Beef as Australian

“PD Notebook” Facing Legal Action

The Associated Press: South Korean opposition to end boycott

Popularity of US Beef In Korea Grows

Candlegirl Dance and Stuff

CNN Talks about PD Diary

Restaurateurs Confused and Frustrated over Beef Origin Rules

Some have solved it by removing beef items from their menus

Anti-American ‘Beef’ Protests Continue (Gypsy Scholar)

Candlelight Vigils to Greet Bush Visit (KB)

Korean Government Spends Fortune Promoting US Beef (KB)

Good example of how the Korean media depends on only one source for all its information and reports it as fact.

Unfortunate Protest Sign of the Day (KB)

Thousands are now suing ‘PD Diary’ – INSIDE JoongAng Daily

That’s one way to handle protestors. (the stabbing)

US Beef Accounts for Nearly Half of Beef Imports

Korean Negotiator: FTA Renegotiation Would Harm Confidence in US

Candle-Light Vigil Organizers Arrested

Canada & South Korea Begin Beef Import Talks

Meet Your New Nation of Origin Designs!

Parliament Funkadelic

Seoul Snow Storm . . . Ho, Ho, Ho!

We Love Melamine!

America Gets Melamine, Too

Melamine Scandal Kills Pepero Day

Olympics

Oh, Those Wacky Chinese Demonstrators

YouTube – Chinese Violence to Tibet People in Seoul

The Olympic Rock Throwing Competition Winner: China

Videos of Chinese Protesters” Violence in Seoul

Korean Government to Deport Violent Chinese Protesters

Korea To Tighten Visa Regs for Chinese Students

The Return of Dokdo

And I Thought We Weren’t Going to See Much of Dokdo This Year (Marmot)

Top Story on Chosun Ilbo Website Today? (KB)

Protesters marched on the Japanese embassy

Yes, But Really, Who Among Us Hasn’t Beaten a Pheasant to Death with a Hammer and Flung It at the Japanese Embassy?

Oh, the irony. They’re killing “Korean Pheasants.”

South Korean government to build hotel on Liancourt Rocks. (B in J)

[NEWS ANALYSIS] Making Dokdo more ‘habitable’?

Koreans are protesting in Tsushima right now

Ingenious Dokdo promotion.

No Banknote Would Be Complete Without Dokdo

What’s That Smell?

“Dokdo Breeze” cologne from Demeter

Quote-unquote Dokdo quote-unquote documentary coming out.

Let’s Protesting!

How Not to Protest the Military (Korea Beat)

HAHAHAHA! Holy fuck! (B in J)

Social activist Kang We-suck was detained by police Wednesday for running naked into the 60th Armed Forces Day anniversary parade.

Chinese Fishing Boats

Chinese Fishing Boat Took Four Coast Guard Officers Hostage!
Chinese Crew to be Charged
Blow Them Out of the Water
North Koreans Showing How It’s Done

Buhkan Breakdown

South Korean tourist shot dead by North soldier – Yahoo! News

North Korea Demands Apology After Killing South Korean Civilian (ROK Drop)

Seoul may halt Gaeseong tours

Koreans in Spa-a-a-ace!

The professional Korean journalists trying to make a fool of Yi So-yeon

Too much cramming of Korean culture in one space mission?

Yi So-yeon is back in Korea

Economy?

Ouch: The Falling Won (American in Geoje)

Hey Korea, You May Miss Being a “Developing” Country…

The Incredible Shrinking Won…

I Guess It Really Is a Crisis – Gov’t Bitches About Foreign Press

The Business of Korea is Corruption Business

[BREAKING NEWS] Lone Star NOT GUILTY

Hyundai Chairman “pays” for his Crimes

Expected, but amusing (Marmot)

I do not think it’s been mentioned here, but one of the chairmen of the Seoul City Council was arrested for bribery recently. I do not think that many would blame me for passing my glazed eyes over the scandal. However the story did give cause for coffee to erupt out of my nose this morning. First is former-chairman Kim Gui-Hwan’s Clintonian defense:

“I just gave them gifts in accordance with habitual practice,” Kim said. “I did not break election laws.”

Fraudulent North Korean Defectors to be Expelled From UK (KB)

Three Kidnapped in Mexico Actually Korean-Chinese (Marmot)

That they have to demonstrate they’re not recycling side dishes is not comforting.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism Accusations Over Han River Islands Design Winner

Controversy Brews Over Forged Artwork

The painting that the back of the 1,000 won bill is based on is a forgery.

Stop Stealing Foreign Movie Posters. Thanks. (Marmot)

Crackdown on Korean Designers Ripping Off Foreign Designers

I Guess She Got an “A” in Plagiarism

Technology

Ebay Korea gets hacked – the worst hacking ever
60% (10 million) of users’ information stolen, including credit card numbers

Foreigners Can Use Korean-Only Sites Now?

American Hacker Attacks Korean Bank

Seuma’il, Sshipal Balgaengi! (Smile, F*cking Commie!) : gordsellar.com

Guess who’s trolling all the CyWorld homepees?

IT Regulation Prevents Korean Access to iPhone

Korean Wii Sucks because of what Koreans did to the DS?

Korean government mulling over scraping WIPI altogether (Web 2.0 Asia)

Stafford’s rant on what’s wrong with the Korean Internet
Korea Times article that is the fodder for Stafford’s ire

LG’s and Samsung’s Cell Phone Monopoly to End… iPhones and Blackberrys on their way to Korea

Korea Plans Hacking Competition

Local Telecom Companies Expect Flood of Foreign Phones

Criminal Adultery

Constitutional Court to Review Criminal Adultery

Celebrity scandal tests South Korean adultery law – International Herald Tribune

Ok So-ri Avoids Jail

Sex and the City

The Boobi Boobi Bus

Remember – Just Because You’re a Guy Who Likes To Have Sex With Teenage Boys Doesn’t Make You Gay (Marmot)

Government: Homosexuality Causing Prostitution (KB)

Well, Alrighty Then…

A few years ago the Ilyo Shinmun chose this image to accompany an article about anal sex. The author speculates that westerners enjoy anal sex more than Koreans do because Korean mens’ extra-hard penises are not well-suited for rear entry, but still sets out some basic rules for enjoying it, and of course, how to be safe while doing so.

War on Prostitution Goes National (Marmot)

Jangan-dong Pimps: “We Hate Renters’ Associations” (KB)

14 Trillion Won

Money spent on whoring in 2007: 14.952 trillion won ROK defense budget for 2008: 26.7 trillion won

Porn… It’s Bad for You

Jangan-dong Prostitution Crackdown Produces Suicides

What Do Korean Tourists Do In Uzbekistan?

Sex offender bracelets not really working

Sex offender at it again.
Well, That Was Fast

Korean Baseball Star Arrested for Seduction

‘Kophinos’ Causing Korea International Shame

“The love children of the Korean Wave”

Adultery “Popular” in Korea

More stellar reporting from our friend, ABC News’s Joohee Cho

Foreigners and Crime

So, Six Pot-Smoking English Teachers, a Korean Drug Dealer and an Illegal African Alien Walk into a Bar…

More and More Foreigners Falsely Charged: Report

Foreigners Arrested With Yaba

Russians Arrested for Dealing Marijuana in Busan

It’s whitey season again in Daejeon. (B in J)

Immigration crackdown ends (or “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”)

Police have arrested 8,035 violators of the Immigration Law during a 70-day crackdown started April 1. They have detained 148 and booked 7,887 without physical detention, the National Police Agency said Monday.

Chinese nationals made up the largest portion of the foreigners arrested, totaling 2,744. The most common offence was illegal marriage to obtain Korean citizenship, which made up 45 percent of the total cases.

Other major illegal activities include document forgery for visa application, which accounted for 14.5 percent. Unqualified native English and Chinese-speakers made up 8.3 percent. Most of them entered Korea on tourism or student visas, which do not allow them to work here.

“Due to the English education fever here, a lot of foreigners, especially from English-speaking countries, are often found working illegally here without the proper visa,” a police official said.

Brian in Jeollanam-do: English teachers, actors, other foreigners busted for drug smuggling.

Crime and… Punishment?

Man beats up elementary school student in the elevator . . .on tape.

Police Hardly Bat an Eye When 9-year-old Girl Attacked

Korean Cops: “Raped? Not Our Job”

How Not to Deal With a Problem

On the 16th the Suncheon Police Department in Jeollanam-do applied for an arrest warrant for a 42-year old Mr. Jeong on suspicion of going to a police station and shouting at a female police officer whom he held a grudge against for arresting him. He did this while wearing only his underwear.

According to police, at approximately 3:10 PM on the 15th Mr. Jeong went to the south entrance of the station and threatened the officer, A, saying, “I was in prison because of you. I’m going to kill you,” for 90 minutes while wearing only underwear.

In July of last year Mr. Jeong was arrested for doing the same while drunk and naked, and was recently released from prison.

Young guy smacks around old woman selling kimbap at a rally, caught on tape.

Korean Cops Not Taken Seriously By All

Police Beat Down Disabled Man

The “negotiations” fell through, so it’s being investigated.

Seoul Police Failing to Uncover Child Sexual Abuse

Hub of Suspended Sentences (the incest rape case where the girl was given back to the rapists)

Parents of Teen Rapist Ruled Responsible

Just Too Weird

OK, You Don’t Read Crimes Like This Everyday

Police in Cheonju have asked for an arrest warrant for a 50-year-old man they believe tried to rape his mother-in-law while in drag.

Man Fined $8,000 for Urinating Over ATM

“We would have ignored the case if he had not broken the machine. But we had no choice but to report it to police so as to get the eight million won needed to repair the ATM,” said a bank official.

How Not to Propose to Your Girlfriend (burning the yachts in Busan)

Suicidal Tendencies

Chosun Ilbo: “Suicide is Soooooo Annoying”

South Korean Suicide Rate Double OECD Average (KB)

Ugh, that’s horrible. (B in J)

A man was found ELEVEN MONTHS after hanging himself.

Celebrity Suicides

And The Prize Goes To… (CB)

Posting suicide aftermath photos?

Education Deform

Student Punished for Having Brown Hair

Elementary Teacher to Student: “Thank Me For Beating You”

Spiking English Teacher Costs, Cheap Gyopo the ‘Next Best Thing,’ and Throw the Sex-Crazed Pot Smokers Out

When Sexual Violence Prevention Education Goes Wrong

South Koreans not doing too well on English tests. (Brian in Jeollanam-do)

In Korea, 25% of International School Students Are Koreans!

“57% of Teenagers Don’t Know When Korean War Broke Out” (B in J)

New Education Secretary appointee Cheong Jean-gon in trouble, guess why? (B in J)

Daegu father goes ape-shit after son gets picked on at school (GJ)

ESL Daily: Korea: T.A.L.K. Program Reached Goal (ESL Daily)

Foreign Residents to Teacher English (KT) (They want military wives to volunteer)

Abusive elementary school teacher apologizes. (B in J)

Corporal Punishment Video Gets Teacher Fired (KB)

Well, I Can Sleep Better At Night Knowing Our Lawmakers Are Monitoring Paraguayan Textbooks (Marmot)

80% Jump in School-Related Violence (Korea Beat)

Almost Half the Korean Kids Who Go to the Ivies DROP OUT (Metropolitician)

Great… Nobel Nationalism

English Teacher Gets 10 Months in the Slammer (HA! Not a foreign English teacher.)

Singaporean Textbook Shows Korean Homeless Guy, World Stops Revolving

Korean Textbooks “Also Wrong on Dokdo”

Residency restrictions for international schools.

Hagwon Tuition Regulators Step In

EPIK essay contest: deadline November 21.

Exam Hell Is Over – for 2008

Government’s English Policy Failing to Curb Hagwon Spending

You call that a slide?

Adoption Abused for Enrollment in Schools at US Military Camp

Playboy article shows up in a Seoul National University practice test.

News to Warm an ESL Teacher’s Heart (850 hagwons busted for overcharging)

English Hagwon Lesson Fees Vary by Region

Man, TOSS English is really stickin’ it to parents to just have their kids sit in front of a DVD player.

New English Test to Debut for College Admission (modeled on Japan’s Eiken test)

Young Japanese speak better English than do young Koreans.

Fun with Seoul Tourism Folks

Seoulites, Meet Your New City Symbol

Syphillitic Haechi on Wheels

The Colors of Seoul

Lonely Planet Makes Seoul Look Bad, City Asks for Corrections

Translation and Comments on Lonely Planet Criticism (Marmot)

Hey, But At Least We’re Not as Shitty as Taiwan!

Ranked 7 our of 8 Asian nations in a poll on tourism attractiveness

Second most expensive in five-star hotel rates

Korean Slogans Comical to Foreigners

Bae Yong-jun in New Ambassador Role

Branding Korea: the REAL Recommendations

The Power of Branding « Hermit Hideaways

Grande Plannes (a.k.a., Where’s My Canal?)

The Seoul government plans to create three manmade islands

No Chinatown for You!

Hippy Drippy – Flower Power Peace Festival

Hallyuwood sounds silly but looks like it will kick ass

Grand Sale turning out to be big planning mess (JoongAng Daily)

Take It To City Hall, Umm, Before It Disappears

Gwanggyo looks awesome, cozy. (Green city?)

Entertainment

“Kickin’ It in Geumchon (Kumchon)”

New Coreana Nazi video pretty much the same as the old Coreana Nazi video.

Coreana wants the ads removed from Youtube and removes them.

Djamilya Music Video – 자밀라 – 오빠미워 (Older Guy/Boyfriendish I hate you)

Djamilya, Sexy-mong Girls Bust Evil Foreign English Teachers

Reporter: “Expel the Foreign Jackasses” (Foreigners rushing baseball fields)

Bae Yong-joon needs a haircut

Bae Yong-joon is the face for “The Faceshop” (POPSEOUL)

Is Rokon Off? (Korea Pop Wars)

It’s Hyorish?

Dirty Japs Make Fun of Korean Hairdos! (Marmot)

A netizen at Media Daum posts that a Japanese TV morning program made fun of Korea’s now popular “mushroom hairdo.”

Move over, PopSeoul! (Roboseyo)

Her name: 혜나 or “Hye-na” in Korean, is being written on the posters in a way that could cause some, uh, confusion, if she ever goes international.

Does anybody else here spot the problem?

Anonymity fail. Moon Geun-young’s much talked about secret Santa behavior

Oh, no! This years it’s Smurf hats!

New English Radio Station in Seoul

International Relations

Expat Still Living (Gypsy Scholar) – Matt Lamers’s encounter

I’ve attracted the ire of Korean netizen bullies. (B in J)

Seoul Taxi Drivers: “Speak Korean, Dammit!”

English Teacher Sites Demean Korean Women: Chosun Ilbo

Dong-A Ilbo: Xenophobia on the Rise

Foreigner Taxis?

New Visa Regulations

Smell the Fear!

Immigration allowing more flexibility in employer choice for E-2 visas?

Piece from Adam Walsh in the Korea Times

I managed to discover that it is only E-2 and E-6 visas that require the test. When I asked why this was the case, he informed me that it was to protect the children. He then said that I could leave the country if I wanted or phone my embassy.

After Mr. Choi hung up on me, I thought some more about the fairness of the rule. The E-6 visa is for entertainers, not teachers. I don’t understand the similarities that would group both the E-2 and E-6 visas together. (Galbijim edit: Because the Russian whores who work at room salons and sleep with Korean men, are sponsored on E-6 visas.)

Diluting the urine (Dave’s)

Visa Rules Favor Gyopo Teachers Over Non-Koreans? (Marmot)

More difficulties for Canadian English teachers in Korea.
Some interesting remarks from the Canadian Embassy on the controversial VSS required for E-2s.

Gyopo to Submit Criminal Records, Drug Tests?

Americans can stay here visa-free for 90 days.

Seoul High Court: HIV Not Justifiable Reason for Deportation

Foreigner Tragedies

Bill Kapoun

Special: A Mother’s Worst Nightmare – The Tale of Michael White

Foreign English Teacher Found Dead in Apartment

Fundraiser for injured teacher in Suncheon.

Bad news out of Mokpo: South African English teacher in coma after apartment fire.

Donation information, and sad news, for injured Mokpo teacher Nerine Viljoen.

Memorable Bloggers

Big Hominid Kevin has officially left Korea

Korea Needs to Fix KoAms’ ‘Identity Problems’ for English Program to Work

emesissary

Elyse Sewell and the world of bulemic modeling roommates in Korea

Amanda Has Left Korea

As has Busan Mike

Why are Koreans Hypersensitive to Criticisms from Non-Koreans? (Roboseyo)

Why are Koreans Hyper-Sensitive to Criticisms from Non-Koreans? (And How Can I be a Good Critic?) (The Korean)

There’s a New Blog in Town

“The Hub of Sparkle” KoreaSparkle.com

RateMyHagwon

Crazy Korean Cooking

ROKetship

180,000 won Burger

#11 – Whaa (first sighting)

Who Dares to Eat This Hamburger?

In the Arts

Cute. Very Cute. (The Marmot)

A Korean blogger and online artist has created some characters to represent “the outrages committed by foreign teachers in Korea after they’ve smoked pot and drank.”

Great Moments in Korean Journalism

Who the fuck is doing the cartoons over there?

Yeah, okay, the guy was extreme, but on what planet is this Korea Times cartoon titled “Austria’s Far-Right Leader Joerg Haider Died at Car Crash” appropriate?