ZenKimchiZenKimchiNews, commentary, entertainment, and life from the best blogs in Korea Articles
Colbert vs. Rain–Rematch
2008-04-25 02:08:00 It looks like Steven Colbert and Rain are at each other’s throats again. This time, Rain learned enough English to do a video response to Colbert’s challenge.
Line 5 is HOT!!
2008-04-23 10:34:00 Korea Beat tells us that a gay porn video is making its rounds on the Internet involving public acts on Seoul’s subway line 5. So now you know which line to avoid… or not. More About: Line
Korean Perceptions of the U.S. Military
2008-04-22 02:50:00 GI Korea at ROK Drop has posted a detailed link-heavy response with pictures to a four-part series in the Stars and Stripes about how Korean s view the U.S. military. The views in the article are predictable, but GI Korea’s responses are worth the read, pointing out details I was previously unaware of. Oh, and the Stars and Stripes article has a quote from the manager of Gecko’s saying that English teachers are now the bad guys in the bar, and the U.S. soldiers are the good guys. More About: Military , Perceptions
Yi So-yeon’s First Words Back on Earth
2008-04-20 16:37:00 Just got this in my mailbox. For anyone interested, here is video from the camera inside the capsule soon after the rescue team arrived after the rough touchdown miles from the planned landing site. Yi So-yeon speaks Russian and then some Korean in this clip, so go to the YouTube page for it to see the translation. More About: Earth , Words , Back
SeoulPodcast: Michael Hurt
2008-04-20 07:02:00 The mysteries behind Feetman Seoul are revealed as Michael Hurt joins us in a multi-part podcast. If anything, listen to it to hear Mike talk about beer coming in the mouth.
Welcome Home, Yi So-yeon!
2008-04-20 03:15:00 A little off target, a little more Gs than planned, but she’s back home okay. More About: Home
SeoulPodcast: Is There Life Outside Seoul
2008-04-13 16:53:00 The latest episode of the Seoul Podcast has been let out of its cage. This week we have Kim from Socius in Daejeon and Mike from BusanMike. We talk about living in places other than Seoul, the week’s news and controversies (Coreana, election noise, immigration stuff). More About: Life
Where to Go for Legal Help
2008-04-09 14:40:00 Brendon Carr of the Korea Law Blog has some info on a law firm that can help English teachers with labor cases. Wish I knew of them back then rather than going the public attorney route. CORRECTION: Brendon, who is a swell guy, corrected me on my information. Teaches me to type and record a podcast at the same time. Actually, Kangnam Labor Law Firm is not a “law firm” per se in that no attorneys work there. It is a nomu-sa firm, which is kind of a licensed paralegal firm with a practice area limited to labor and employment law only, and only permitted to represent clients before the labor tribunals of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). However, for most English teachers, this is exactly what they need. Since I know Mr. Bong-Soo Jung and his work, his character, and the fact that he cares enough about the English-teacher market to use the services of a native-speaker paralegal, I am glad to be able to share this information. See, Joe? I’m not so terrible. More About: Legal
Kim Tae-hee Wants to Taste Your Banana
2008-04-07 03:30:00 You know, this video has also been making the rounds. The story is that Cuteness #1 Kim Tae-hee is sans makeup in this ad, according to James at The Grand Narrative. I know. So what? I don’t know. But it’s popular on the Korean news sites. The most popular story, by the way, is the resurfacing of a 2004 bruhaha over Oprah saying that Korean women are too obsessed with looking white. Where would someone get such an idea? More About: Banana , Taste
Hitler Would Wear that Shade, Why Not You?
2008-04-07 03:10:00 Brian in Jeollanam-do posted this past week about Coreana’s ads which use Nazi imagery and even used Hitler by name to sell cosmetics. He posted the videos on YouTube, and Coreana contacted him, by means of commenting on his YouTube site, demanding he remove the videos. YouTube itself removed them. As of now, you can still see them here and here. They have since replaced the phrase “Even Hitler didn’t have the East and West” with “Nobody could have the East and West.” Yet we still kept the Nazi imagery, including a Nazi symbol on the models cap. The story made the front page of CNN.com and has also hit the German news. One Free Korea has a letter from Korea’s best friend, the Simon Wissenthal Center, subtly pointing out Coreana’s international faux pas. It’s funny and sad (isn’t there a German word for that) that Coreana’s response was to harass a lone blogger rather than, you know, GET IT, and write the ad campai... More About: Wear
SeoulPodcast: ExPat Jane and EV Boyz
2008-04-03 06:16:00 The latest episode of the SeoulPodcast is up. We talk about Seoul Fashion Week with ExPat Jane (Regina Walton). We also have one of the FIRST interviews with the EV Boyz (”Kickin’ it in Geumchon”). More About: Expat
Check Your Light Fixtures
2008-04-01 17:00:00 Joshua from An American in Geoje recently found that his bathroom light didn’t turn on. While removing the fixture to replace the bulb, the entire thing fell down to reveal the picture above. Hot electrical appliances and plastic ceiling coverings aren’t good matches. I’m sure his landlord is getting an earful. Note to all: today is check your light fixture day. More About: Check , Light , Fixtures
Government to Fund Pouting as National Treasure
2008-04-01 02:58:00 The Joshing Gnome reports that President Lee Myung Bak will create a new Ministry of Bbijim to promote the unique Korean “sense of injustice one feels when something that never should have happened, happens.” More About: Government , National , Fund , National Treasure , Treasure
Feetman Seoul Declares Andre Day
2008-03-31 17:01:00 After declaring himself “King of All New Media,” Michael Hurt announced that Feetman Seoul has pronounced April 1st International Andre Kim Appreciation Day. “I have a thing for anything spacey. We all know I’m friends with Astrogirl Lee Soyeon, who is claimed to be Korea’s first astronaut. Nonetheless, we all know that Andre Kim himself came from outer space to grace us with his wit, wisdom and STY-Y-Y-YLE on the peninsula.” To honor International Andre Kim Appreciation Day, everyone must dress up in his or her best Andre Kim spaceman uniform. It is unisex, so there should be little worries. In case the suit frightens small children, wear one with bright colors.
Not Again, ExPat Jane
2008-03-31 17:00:00 First it was the taxi driver running out for some cigarettes. Then it was the bus driver running out of the vehicle to use the bathroom. Now, again, ExPat Jane has been abandoned by the driver a vehicle, this time a jetliner on its way to L.A., as the pilot went out to get a sports beverage. “Is it me? And it must really be the off season when I’m the only one on the plane.” More About: Expat
It’s “Pablo,” not “Babo”
2008-03-12 22:12:00 A Geek in Korea has an amusing class anecdote involving Mr. Picasso. (Even though I just gave away the punchline.) More About: Pablo
A Little Light Posting Ahead
2008-03-12 21:54:00 Wow! I’m heading back to the U.S. for the first time in four years. It’ll be a quick trip, but I won’t be able to keep on top of things as I usually do. Forgive me if I’m a bit slow in approving comments from new posters, all you–new posters. More About: Light , Ahead
The Association of English Teachers in Korea
2008-03-12 04:17:00 This has been getting some legs lately. There has always been talk of creating an organization for English teachers–other than KOTESOL, which is more of a debate society. A union started in Seoul a few years back with a few teachers from Berlitz. I knew some of the founders at the time. One was talked about last year before the Global English Conference. Now it looks like it’s being picked up again. What’s funny is that knee-jerk white-collar college kid aversion to anything that reeks of union, even though unions are part of the natural checks and balances of a real free market and have brought us things we now take for granted like five-day work weeks, employer provided health care and pension systems. Anyway… I grew past that Ayn Rand superman myth stage in 12th grade. So now ATEK, the Association of English Teachers in Korea , has been formed. So, it’s not only being talked about on Ye Olde Negative Circle Jerk (it took a record 12 commen...
Breakin’ and Poppin’ with Alfonso
2008-03-12 01:07:00 I wanted this so badly when I was a kid. Like ice cream at Baskin Robbins, I vowed to get this when I was older and had my own money. And it comes with its own “Rap Sheet!” More About: Breakin
MySpace Korea Launched
2008-03-12 00:32:00 Web 2.0 Asia reports that the Korea n version of MySpace has come online and is not just a word-by-word translation but has features that aren’t in the American original. [MySpace Korea] More About: Myspace , Launched
Mike and Astrogirl on Ohmy News
2008-03-11 06:32:00 Mike’s interviews with Korean astronaut-to-be Yi Soyeon have been posted on Ohmy News . More About: Mike
More Klogic
2008-03-11 01:42:00 Here’s another Klogic scenario from Amanda. This time, it’s about salary payment.
The Woman is First (in Space) Afterall
2008-03-11 00:53:00 Well, it looks like the man originally chosen to be Korea’s first person in space was rejected by Russian authorities because he violated rules that gave a whiff of espionage, intended or not. I’m very happy about this. I met her in February 2007 after touring the Star Wars exhibit that was at the COEX then. She had just finished going through it with Michael Hurt after also attending a wedding together. I didn’t recognize her at first, but I shook her hand and introduced myself. Then a friend of hers came up and said she had the new Korean space program calendars, and they turned to her picture. It then struck me. “You’re the astronaut!” “Yes.” I stood up and shook her hand again. We took this picture together, and she gave me an autographed calendar. Man, that was a cool day. More About: Space , Woman
Ageist and Racist Clubs in Korea?
2008-03-10 02:00:00 PhoenixStorm at Kiss My Kimchi had an interesting night, as he was not allowed into the club by the doorman for dressing too casually–who subsequently let people in who were dressed in old Converse and t-shirts. Could it be because of–nah, not in Korea . On another note, Mark at The Korea Gig Guide relays a rumor that Bjork’s husband, artist Matthew Barney, was not allowed into Hondae’s M2 club because he looked too old. More About: Clubs , Racist
Help Bill
2008-03-03 15:47:00 Long-timer Scott Burgeson (Korea Bug) pontificates that the ex-pat community in Korea has historically been–well–apathetic. I truly hope that if this was ever true that it is changing. This past weekend, I saw a rare positive clip about foreigners on the animal show “ZooZoo Club.” Responding to an Expat Living article in The Korea Herald, they came out to the country to adopt dogs that had been abandoned. It was a good piece that put foreigners in a decent light. Now, listen. We really need to get together to help one of our own. We gotta stop with that adolescent delusion that we’re islands unconnected to the world and people around us. English teacher Bill Kapoun barely survived an apartment fire. He has third degree burns on nearly seventy percent of his body. And if that isn’t fucked up enough, his deal with his school left him without health insurance. Here are some of the details from the burn fund site: Because of William’s contr...
KMA (Now) Kicks Ass
2008-03-03 04:01:00 A year ago, when I was setting up the new version of ZenKimchi, I was looking into adding good weather features. In my research, I was highly disappointed with the Korea Meteorological Association (KMA) web site. It was clunky. It only worked in Microsoft Internet Explorer. The English section had little information beyond mission statements. In just one year, the site has greatly improved. I especially love the treasure trove of satellite images, including Asian Dust satellite images. The composite image is freaky and cool as you watch our section of the Earth move from night to daylight. It also has decent detailed city weather info. The one thing I wish they’d add is some type of syndication method for web site owners like me. I currently use AccuWeather, which is a decent set up. Its downside is that it’s not based in Korea and is limited in its information. In the meantime, I’ve added a link to the KMA site under the Yellow Dust links (under th... More About: Kicks
Gypsy Scholar’s Ozarks Trip
2008-03-02 03:00:00 I don’t know why, but I enjoy looking at other people’s travel photoblogs–especially of expats returning home. This is Gypsy Scholar and family heading to America in February. More About: Trip
The Disney of Sex Theme Parks
More articles from this author:2008-03-02 02:11:00 Cracked.com recently featured South Korea’s Love Land in its feature on “The 9 Most Baffling Theme Parks From Around the World.” Turn that crank, baby! Funny, that this is somehow absent from the Tour2Korea site. [HT to Chosun Bimbo and Lao-Ocean-Girl] More About: Disney 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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