South Korea

Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 02:00pm

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (Dec. 2, 2009) - Col. Thomas Deale taxies his A-10 for the last time during his 'fini flight' here. After serving as the 51st Fighter Wing commander for 14 months, Col. Deale will move on to an assignment at the Pentagon. ( U.S. Air Force photo/MSgt Marlin Zimmerman) PACOM Photostream via Kimchi GI.

Tags: Picture of the Day, U, S, Air Force, Osan

Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 10:08am

The North Korean regime has found a new way to raise capital, by robbing their own citizens: North Korea has shocked its entire population with a sudden announcement that it will replace its currency with new notes that drop two zeroes from the denominations. The new North Korean currency’s official exchange rates will increase by a hundredfold. The move is causing widespread outrage, panic[...]

Tags: North Korea

Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 06:52am

Is anyone surprised at all by this news?: Iran has imported piles of North Korean-made conventional weapons, the Washington Post reported Thursday, even though both countries are under UN sanctions over their nuclear programs. Weapons also went to two Palestinian militant organizations, the Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Islamist Hamas, the paper said. To avoid international pursuit, the North Kor[...]

Tags: North Korea, Iran

Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 02:32am

Here is the latest press release from ATEK for those who are still following the AIDS and Anti-English Spectrum issues: The Association for Teachers of English in Korea (ATEK) would like to show it’s appreciation for a recent series of articles that show foreign teachers in Korean in a fair and positive light, while also giving fair representation to our own organization. The November 30[...]

Tags: Korea, Ex-pat Files, foreigners, HIV, ATEK, Hankyoreh

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 09:26pm

More details about the deployment of ROK forces to Afghanistan have been released: Korea has narrowed down the number of civilian aid workers to be sent to Afghanistan to less than 100, while the troop number will be set at slightly above 300, a senior Foreign Ministry official said yesterday. “The number of civilian workers of the Provincial Reconstruction Team will be set at 75, while[...]

Tags: ROK Army, Afghanistan

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 02:00pm

A 16-year-old girl who was buried alive 1,500 years ago during the Gaya Dynasty has been restored into statue form based on her skeletal remains retrieved from a tomb in Changnyeong County, S. Gyeongsang Province. The Gaya Nat'l Research Institute of Cultural Heritage unveiled the statue Wednesday at the Nat'l Palace Museum of Korea. (Yonhap News)

Tags: Picture of the Day, Gaya

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 08:02am

The Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University is pleased to announce the third Kyujanggak International Symposium on Korean Studies, to be held August 27-28, 2010. The conference theme is “The Japanese Annexation of Korea, 100 Years After: Looking back at 1910 – 강제병합, 100년 전을 뒤돌아 본다.” 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the force[...]

Tags: Conferences

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 07:57am

The Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomes applications for postdoctoral study at the University of Illinois funded by the Korea Foundation's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Applicants will apply simultaneously to the Korea Foundation and the University of Illinois; selection by the University of Illinois does not guarantee Korea Fou[...]

Tags: Scholarships and grants

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 05:27am

A1C Reed Shane spent a year at Osan and shared his photos with us. He stated, I was there from May 1965 thru July 1966.” Reed lamented that he made A1c in two years and then didn’t have any chance for E-5. Musing on it, he said, he might have stayed in if there was a bonus, but there was nothing. This was just before the Vietnam War years when stripes were handed out like candy[...]

Tags: U, S, Korean History, Air Force

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 04:53am

The Korean government may have a point with this because the perception of being a war zone may not appeal to all travelers: Time magazine listed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as one of the top experiences one can have in Asia in its latest issue, but South Korean officials and marketing consultants question whether it spoils the country’s image. From South Korea’s perspective, the [...]

Tags: Korea, DMZ

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 04:58pm

The Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California Postdoctoral fellows, 2010-2011   Funded by an institutional grant from the Academy of Korean Studies, the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California is accepting applications for its 2010-2011 postdoctoral fellows program. Up to 2 postdoctoral fellowships will [...]

Tags: Scholarships and grants

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 02:00pm

An official of the Salvation Army Korea Territory is organizing the equipment that will be used for annual holiday fund-raising efforts, including its Red Kettle Campaign, at a church in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. The church will begin fund-raising activities starting December 10th. (Yonhap News)

Tags: Picture of the Day, Salvation Army

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 06:08am

Terry Fisher wrote in August 2009: “I was part of the 6123d AC&W unit that was transfered to K8 in the spring of 1959. I also did one of the four man train guard details from K8 to Inchon, sleeping on the bombs and trading C ration cigarettes for canned beer at Iri and Tajon. My kidneys were screwed up for days. I don’t know if Syngman Rhee was at K8 in 1957 or not, but I d[...]

Tags: Uncategorized

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 03:53am

PRELUDE TO TRAGEDY There has been many controversial airplane crashes over the years that have gotten much media attention about the cause of the crash such as EgyptAir Flight 990 ([i] NTSB, 2002) and especially TWA Flight 800 ([ii] CNN, 2006).  However, a crash that was more deadly than both of these prior incidents and at the same time much more controversial was Arrow Air Flight 1285.&nbsp[...]

Tags: US Military, Arrow Air, Gander

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 02:00pm

“]Children skate with Grand Hyatt Hotel employees dressed up as Santa Claus yesterday at the open ice rink at the hotel in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. The Hyatt opened the rink on Friday, and it will be open until the end of February from noon to 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. [NEWSIS

Tags: Picture of the Day, Grand Hyatt, ice skating

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 09:58am

It's December, and you know what that means? It's time to pull out Vince Guaraldi's 'Charlie Brown Christmas' album. To me, it's one of the greatest albums off all time (in any style) and it's sad that there is only one month a year that you can listen to it in good conscience. I pulled it out earlier this evening, and I'm already on my third go around. [...]

Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 06:55pm

after watching the first few episodes of “invincible youth”. I’ve decided HyunA from 4Minute was my December “CotM”! She is toooooo cute!  

Tags: mrkpop, 4Minute, pic spam, Crush of the month, cotm, hyunA

Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 06:34pm

I wonder if the Korean government has ever thought of doing this with USFK workers?: A Japanese government working group recommended reviewing salaries of local workers on U.S. military bases as a potential cost-cutting measure, though it backed away from offering a specific proposal.Nine of the 12 panel members said Thursday evening that base workers being paid more than private company worker[...]

Tags: Japan, USFJ

Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 02:00pm

“]”]

Tags: Movies, Picture of the Day

Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 02:09am

Who knows where these pagodas are located?: Here is this year’s Korea Finder Leadersboard: Leon Laporte – 10 Mark – 9 RoK N Roll – 5 Brian – 2 Brewcrew17 – 1 Obiwan – 1 Rommel – 1 Sonagi – 1 A Listener – 1 Alex – 1 Lord of E2 – 1 Kushibo – 1 The person with the most points at the end of the year of the weekly Kore[...]

Tags: Korea Finder

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 07:26pm

I guess this is one way to make your bottled water’s name stand out: After a long run or grueling workout, U.S. servicemembers around South Korea will now be able to reach for a refreshing bottle of “DMZ” brand natural mineral water. That’s right, bottled water named after the Demilitarized Zone — one of the most dangerous places on the planet, known for its l[...]

Tags: water, DMZ

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 02:00pm

Kia Cee’d gets kudos in Germany: Kia Motors’ Cee’d, a city car released in the European market, was praised by German auto magazine Auto Gild for maintaining sound quality after being driven 100,000 kilometers. The latest test was conducted by 60 auto experts, who analyzed the Kia Cee’d with a 1.6-liter diesel engine for two years and four months. Details of the test are pr[...]

Tags: Picture of the Day

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 01:50pm

Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald sums up the last 36 hours of Tiger Woods news. The news-gathering landscape has mutated so quickly and so absolutely, at once enhanced and contaminated by the immediacy of everything from texts to Twitter to TMZ, that America’s most famous athlete this weekend went from suffering a serious injury in a car accident . . . to suffering a minor injury in a c[...]

Tags: Sports Related, Tiger Woods, Journalism Watch

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 02:39am

It appears that the conflict between Anti-English Spectrum and the Association of English Teachers in Korea (ATEC) has hit a new low: Greg Dolezal The president of the Association of English Teachers in Korea received an anonymous e-mail threatening his death and accusing him of committing sex crimes after rumors of a former member of ATEK were posted online.Members of ATEK received two e-mails, [...]

Tags: Crime &amp, Punishment, crime, ATEC, English Spectrum

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 05:56pm

Via JoeC from the ROK Drop Forums comes this Korean law update: The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that a law that penalizes men for luring women into having sex with them under the “false” promise of marriage was unconstitutional.  [Korea Times] Like many laws in Korea this law hasn’t really been enforced in the past unless someone makes a big deal about it[...]

Tags: Crime &amp, Punishment, crime, affair

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 02:00pm

A staffer makes up another during training for Christmas events at the Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. /Newsis

Tags: Picture of the Day

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 11:19am

I am really late on these this month, but here are the latest court martial results: Court-Martial Results for October 2009 At a general court-martial on 2 October 2009, Airman First Class Rashaan L. Swann, 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron (PACAF), Kunsan Air Base, United States Air Force, was acquitted of rape and forcible sodomy. At a special court-martial on 5 October 2009, Sergeant Markease[...]

Tags: Crime &amp, Punishment, court martial

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 07:00am

So will this North Korean cash cow get restarted or not?: There are differences in opinion in the government over whether package tours to the Mt. Kumgang resort in North Korea, a cash cow Pyongyang wants to revive, fall under UN sanctions. Asked about these concerns on Thursday, one ranking official said, “The matter is relevant to UN Security Council resolution 1874.” The re[...]

Tags: North Korea

Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 12:36am

So who knows in what city this large crab is located?: Here is this year’s Korea Finder Leadersboard: Mark – 9 Leon Laporte – 9 RoK N Roll – 5 Brian – 2 Brewcrew17 – 1 Obiwan – 1 Rommel – 1 Sonagi – 1 A Listener – 1 Alex – 1 Lord of E2 – 1 Kushibo – 1 The person with the most points at the end of the year of the weekl[...]

Tags: Korea Finder

Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 09:46am

Partially in response to my claim that I needed to attempt to start doing more exciting things again, I decided to head out to a little-known spot south of Seoul. Oido, or 오이도 (which, to my disappointment does NOT translate to cucumber island), is a peaceful escape from the madness that is everyday Seoul. And only about an hour away from Sandang Station on Line #4 (the light blue line), it[...]