* The blogger "Metropolitician" (Michael Hurt) was arrested the other day for assault. Mr. Hurt called the police after being harassed during a photo shoot by a drunken man, but when the police arrived the man claimed Mr. Hurt had kicked him. Bloggers all over Korea have picked up the story---there are posts from the Marmot, Lost Nomad, and Gusts of Popular Feeling---and the underlying lesson to be learned is that foreigners should expect no protection from the police or the law here in Korea. In the Metropolitician's words:
That's why I don't think I've ever been more a mixture of humiliated and enraged in all my life. Because not only was I not doing anything at ALL wrong or unlawful, but I was actually just trying to play upstanding citizen, which got me arrested and charged with assault.* In the above-mentioned post by Gusts of Popular Feeling there's a link to a Pusanweb thread, which in turn contains a translation of a press release concerning the rationale behind the new E-2 visa regulations. The money shot, as quoted by GOPF:
The Korean Government will prevent illegal activities by verifying requirements of native English teacher and tighten their non-immigrant status [...] [and will] eradicate illegal activities of native English teachers who are causing social problems such as ineligible lectures, taking drugs and sex crimes. English teachers, who disturb social order during their staying in Korea such as illegal teaching, taking drugs and sex crimes, will be banned from entering South Korea.[...] [They will] prevent illegal English teaching activities and the taking of drugs and sexual harassment of English teachers, [...] teachers who disrupt the social order by taking drugs, committing sexual harassment and alcohol intoxication.Any idiot can point out the hypocracy of that memo with a few google searches, and it's not worth the effort to do it here. You know, in spite of the theme of today's post, I actually like it here, and am considering staying another year. But if these new regulations go into effect, I can't in good conscience renew my contract. I neither want the headache of having to fly to New York (on my own dime) to have my documents processed, nor can I tolerate such outright racism and xenophobia as spewed by the Korean government and its mouthpieces. I'm not sure if they're trying to lose all their teachers to China, or what.
* So the Truth and Reconciliation Committee wants the US to pay for a bombing run that killed 51 villagers in 1951, but the South Korean government maintains that North Korea should not have to apologize for actually invading the country in the first place. Nor, it seems, is it in a position to denouce the shocking human rights abuses carried out presently north of the 38th. According to the Yonhap piece,
So far, Seoul has abstained or been absent in voting on North Korea-related resolutions out of concern that criticism of Pyongyang might complicate inter-Korean relations and efforts to negotiate over the North's nuclear program.Aside from the whole government-led smear campaign against foreigners, my biggest complaint about this country is the treatment of North Korea.
* A high school student from Damyang county, Jeollanam-do, committed suicide on November 15th after being arrested for copyright violations after downloading a novel from the internet. (Naver via Korea Beat)
* No famous foreigner can step foot in Korea without wearing hanbok and playing the stooge. I was going to type something like "Maybe we should make every famous Korean in the US wear a blue Union uniform and pose for an old-timey photo at Six Flags." But that would be awesome. And there are no famous Koreans in the US. Here is Pete Sampress and some other guy, Venus Williams, Britney Spears, Nicholas Cage, Amerie, and Paris Hilton. Yes, the Naver article called Williams "Black Pearl."
* The Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju had something to say about the "Our Lady of Naju" statue, a figure of the Virgin Mary which is believed to weep blood. According to the article, those who put their faith in the veracity of the miracle are embarking on a "departure from the orthodox faith based on a false belief system." I can't find the link now, but apparently a doctor was called in a while back to test the blood, and he determined the Blessed Mother has Type B blood. A Korean doctor, obviously, who probably believes that with the recent cold spell the statue runs the risk of becoming infertile.
* Who the fuck writes this shit? As if we needed another editorial about the 2012 Expo.
* Based on Mr. Lim's body of work, I'm convinced "Harvard Korea Institute" is as related to Harvard University as Suncheon's "Benz Motel" is related to the German motorvehicle.
* And apparently this Korean English teacher of 30+ years found nothing strange about her email address (scroll to the end of the article).
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