Yeosu's greens.

I apologize for a lack of hard facts in this entry. When I saw a post on Dave's mention a new golf course for Yeosu I thought the accompanying picture was interesting, and I've tried to Naver around for some information as best I could.

Yeosu resident kiwiduncan brings up an easily-missed point in all this hype about Yeosu's 2012 Expo. The idea of a "green" Expo is a goal as much as it is a theme. There are some projections about greening up the area, and you can find plenty of awkward English vaguely describing some aims on the Expo website, but I've seen little evidence of a commitment to the environment.

For instance there's the City Park Resort, an 18-hole golf course set for construction. According to this Dailan.co.kr article, the 1,163,458-square-meter site will also include a clubhouse and a 52-room tourist hotel, and will cost 90 billion won. And if I'm reading that article correctly---given my poor Korean that's unlikely---Yeosu wants to build 5 or 6 golf courses in town?


Drawing of the proposed 18-hole course, stolen from here.

Golf courses can be attractive, and some folks will turn on a golf tournament just to see the landscaping. But Yeosu and that area of the country prides itself on its natural scenery, so I don't think a new golf course---or five of them---will serve any great cosmetic purpose. And in a country like South Korea where open space is scarce, access to golf courses is a luxury, and an addition that won't serve the greater good.

Based on the following photograph, some homes and forest will be sacrificed for the new course.


Future location, perhaps, stolen from here.

I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly where this will go, but a couple of articles have said 봉계동, a small administrative division northwest of Chonnam University in old Yeocheon County. There have been protests against the displacement of homes and forests, but they were evidentally ineffective.

I don't live in Yeosu, and can't attest to these numbers, but based on Naver it looks like there are two golf courses in Yeosu already. Off the top of my head I know that nearby Suncheon has three country clubs and they're working on at least one more. And one of the article mentions a protester as saying, basically, that they're already putting in the 해양관광레저단지 (Haeyang Tourist Leisure Complex, roughly) in Hwayang-myeon, Yeosu, so why make more?

I have to guess that these additions are coinciding with Yeosu getting the 2012 Expo. But other parts of Jeollanam-do are developing as well. There's the Namak New City initiative going on in Muan, the Tourism and Leisure City in Haenam, the Gwangyang FEZ, and the Formula One tracks going into Haenam and Yeongam counties. The "Tourism and Leisure City" in Haenam, though, seems like it will be self-contained: people won't be visiting Haenam, they'll be visiting the resort. Same for other lesser-known resorts and waterparks in Naju and Jangheung. In Yeosu's case, these golf courses will have to complement the over developments coming over the next half-decade if the town will really become a popular tourist attraction. I mean, as the Yeosu Expo site says,

It is also an international marine resort tourism city in the new marine era of 21st century, developing into a beautiful port of Yeosu which is venturing into the world.

So there you go. But, as everybody knows, Yeosu doesn't have any attractions save for its quote-unquote natural beauty, and so while passing out construction contracts left and right will make some folks happy, I have to wonder if these plans aren't a bit . . . fucked up.

As kiwiduncan points out on that Dave's thread, it's unusual that, despite all the muddled Engrish about blue sea this and green environment that, all the upcoming developments thus far have been about expressways, airports, light rails, and distinctive landmarks. Given South Korea's track record on environmental issues---their reforestation efforts aside---I think that trend ought not to continue.


Future look of Yeosu? Stolen from here.

The Expo's theme deals with preserving the marine environment, so that's an easy excuse to build build build on land. So long as the golf balls aren't killing dolphins, I guess we're all right. I guess the only thing that could really screw up "The Massive Economic and Culture Event for Human" that is the Yeosu Expo would be if, like, a ship full of nitric acid crashed off the coast, or some shit like that. Oh, wait . . .

Gangjin's new bus terminal!

I apologize for being late in bringing you the latest news from Gangjin county. On November 22 the new bus terminal finally opened after 7 months and 2.3 billion won. I'm very eager to see it, though unfortunately that means actually going to Gangjin.



Story here from Naver and here from the Gangjin newspaper, 강진신문.

Local Link Dump (Yeosu, Beolgyo, Lotteria, 등)

** Yeosu was awarded the 2012 World Expo a few days ago. In the first round of voting its 68 votes beat out Tangiers' (Morocco) 59 and Wroclaw's (Poland) 13. Because nobody took two-thirds of the votes, a second round was held, in which Yeosu scored 77 of the 140 votes to Tangiers' 63. According to an International Herald Tribune article, the 2012 exposition will be of the three-month variety that focuses on a particular theme. Yeosu's is "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities."

That is both the result of, and the reason for, some massive development in the region. In October the merger of Suncheon, Yeosu, and Gwangyang was announced, and the 2010 union will result in a city of over 720,000 people. In 2011 the KTX high-speed rail will reach Yeosu, making the city a roughly three-hour ride from the capital. I'm no economist, so the potential economic effects of the Expo are over my head, but according to Jeong Hak-geun of the Yeosu Exhibition Bidding Committee:

"The World Expo can bring about 11 billion dollars’ worth of production effects and over 4.3 billion dollars in added value, as well as 90 thousand more jobs. The World Expo can generate just as much economic benefit as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup. By hosting the World Expo, Korea can take its economy to another level. Also the city of Yeosu can take the opportunity to upgrade the city’s infrastructure and emerge as the coastal city of the future. Not only that, the entire southern coast region could undergo extensive development, which would encourage regional development and revive the local economy."

A guy on Dave's said that Yeosu airport might take some international flights (sort of a little confirmed here), and another guy said that the city will revamp the area around Dolsan Bridge and Jungang-dong, so you can put as much faith in those statements as you would any other thing on Dave's. I'd personally love to see them build a nice boardwalk on the waterfront that arches from the west end of Dolsan Bridge, around Janggun-do island, past the ferry terminal and Jinnamgwan, and nearly to Odong-do island. Now, walking from that side of the bridge to the nice little pedestrian area on Jungang-no in Jungang-dong involves a 30-minute trek past unsightly shipyards, markets, unoccupied buildings, and more markets. The markets add character, and ferries are important, so I'm not in favor of sweeping them under the rug. However, that could be such a pretty, vibrant area, with a view worth making the trip for.

If they do go ahead with the merger, I'd like to see them put in a light-rail that connects the bus terminals and/or the main points in each city. I'm talking out my ass a little, because I have no idea how much intercity travel currently occurs, or how much (if any) demand there is for more efficient transportation. Moreover, given the sprawl that characterizes both Gwangyang and Yeosu, and given that the new city will be larger than Busan and Ulsan combined, I suspect it would be difficult to build a new public transit system to meet everyone's needs. I do know, though, that I've never made the 21.4-mile trip from the Suncheon Intercity Bus Terminal to the Yeosu Express Bus Terminal in under 45 minutes. A light-rail would remind me of a subway, and since I like subways, I'm unilaterally deciding to go ahead with my plan.

They are working, though, on tons of expressways that will increase connectivity between Yeosu and Gwangyang, Suncheon, Jeonju, and Gyeongsangnam-do throughout the next eight years. But since I hate driving, and hate the traffic caused by other people driving, I am not throwing my support behind these projects.

It looks like they will also build a big, distinctive landmark, similar to the Eiffel Tower I guess, in celebration. I'm all for distinctive architecture and for actually having a building taller than the blocks and blocks and blocksandblocksandblocks of apartments.

There's no shortage of hyperbole and melodrama in the papers. From the Chosun Ilbo:

The earnest hopes of the residents of Yeosu, with a population of less than 300,000, ended up moving the world. Overcoming the pain of defeat, Yeosu was chosen as the host of the World Expo 2012.

From the Korea Times:

It was a rare good news at the crack of the dawn. Yeosu's successful bidding for the 2012 World Expo was further encouraging as it, albeit temporarily, outcast the relatively gloomy atmosphere due chiefly to the stagnant presidential campaigns replete with seemingly less qualified candidates. Signs of an economic slowdown originating from the mortgage crisis in the United States have been depressing the nation and its stock market. We believe it was a result of ``total diplomacy'' with the government, businesses and the Yeosu citizens having combined forces over the past 500 days. They deserve acclaim.

I like to roll my eyes at slogans and Konglishy public relations, and part of me does find it kind of silly that little ol' Yeosu aspires to be an international city. Good for Yeosu, though, and I don't want to piss on their parade. I really don't expect to be here in 2012, but when I read about the exposition in the papers it will be a nice reminder of my time here. I expect, if I do stay a little while, to see a lot of exciting changes and developments. (I'm really just pulling for a light rail, a boardwalk, and a Burger King, though).

** If Lee Myung-bak is elected, the Chungcheong provinces will become a hub of science and business. (Korea Times)

** Wonderful headline: "Wow, lots of guys had sex with a 15-year-old" (Sports Hankook Ilbo, translated by Korea Beat)

** While trying to find stuff about the Yosu-Suncheon Incident (여순사건), I came across this page (some unpleasant photographs) and found a picture of the area around Beolgyo's Rainbow Bridge, presumably taken in 1948. The old thatched-roof cottages really stand out against the hillside. The bridge today is, for some reason, divided into two sections: the older stone arch and the newer flat part. Apparently it was divided in the past, too, and in the picture below the "newer" section looks pretty ricketty.



Contrast that with a photo taken in October, a short distance away from the above.


** After carefully weighing all the evidence, Professor Emiritus at Yonsei University and Korea Times columnist Park Kyu-tae boldly proclaims "I think that the pros of the Internet far outweigh the cons." (Korea Times)

** In Suncheon, Lotteria restaurants outnumber McDonald's by about seven to one, and in Jeollanam-do it's 19 to 4. Many foreigners are staunchly anti-Lotteria, and I avoided the place my first two years. But, for the sake of variety, it is nice to go there once in a while, and some of the things there are pretty good. My favorite is the Hanwoo Bulgogi Burger, which is a very tasty sammich. It only has 644 calories (more than a Big Mac), so you can eat four and still be under your daily recommended dosage.

Does anyone else have such a hard time formatting their blogspot entries? I've edited this thing about five times, and the spacing and placement of pictures still isn't correct.

Local Link Dump.

Plenty of items in the news to illustrate why I hate this country sometimes. A few pieces from Jeollanam-do as well.

* 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).

Brand New Muan International Airport

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The Muan International Airport (무안국제공항, MWX) opened last week (November 8th), but will operate at a fraction of its capacity until at least the middle of next year, according to a Korea Times article. It has replaced* Mokpo Airport, will take over international flights from Gwangju International Airport next June, and is expected to have some 1.8 million passengers in 2008. This newest airport, the third-largest in the country behind Incheon and Gimpo, is slated to have 42 international flights per week and 8 domestic flights per day, but currently only 9 and 7, respectively, are working. Reasons given for the delay are the lack of restaurants and convenience stores, customs and immigration stations, and insufficient transportation from Gwangju to Muan.

The airport was apparently under construction for 8 years, and as I mentioned in an earlier post there are articles that say the airport was supposed to open as early as 2004 (I saw one that said 2003, but I can't find it now). So the current delays are face-slappingly mind-boggling. According to a Korea Times article from November 2, the highway between Gwangju and Muan isn't scheduled to open until June, 2008, and that the KTX may eventually pass through Muan. I don't understand why the transportation issue wasn't the first hammered out, instead of being among the last. All of the issues mentioned in the initial KT article I linked are pretty serious deficiencies, and I guess by "open" it is meant that airplanes are physically able to take off and land.

President Noh was there to help open the airport.

"Muan International Airport will become a new milestone in the development of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. Together with Incheon International Airport and Gimhae International Airport, it will further elevate Korea's status in the global air
logistics sector," said Roh.

The airport is a large component of the Namak New City project, which will swell the resources and population in Namak-ri, Muan county. Namak became the capital of Jeollanam-do in 2005, replacing Gwangju, and though Samhyang-myeon (삼향면, which contains Namak-ri) had a population of 8,768 in 2001, Namak is expected to have a population of 150,000 when the project is finished in 2019. Besides the airport and the new provincial office, other development thrusts include parks, cultural centers, and of course apartments. No, I haven't had any opportunity to talk to anyone over there about the New City or the airport, but the website does say

When selecting Namak-ri, Samhyang-myeon, Mooan County, Jeonnam as the place of New Provincial Office which, we think, would be the best place to be corresponded with the developing direction of 21st century Jeonnam, andthe function and the status of Jeonnam Provincial Office in the era of Local self-government., make it the turning point to develop Jeonnam, and set up the developing plan to maximize the potentiality of the regional development

so there you go.

I do have a soft spot in my heart for all these grand development initiatives taking place throughout Jeollanam-do. There's also a "Tourism and Leisure City" in Haenam, with hotels, casinos, a theme park, a convention center, and an F-1 racing track. And the Gwangyang FEZ, which I don't understand at all. I guess it's partly because the enthusiasm and activity here contrast with the failed urban renewal programs in downtown Pittsburgh. But, when an entire country is smaller than Pennsylvania, it's easier to develop in a hurry, and eventually poliiticians will make it rain on the neglected corners. And it does make me chuckle a little to note the frequency with which 신도시 gets thrown around.

Anyway, according to the founder of the feast:

"Honam is now experiencing turbulent changes due to the emergence of China, political democratization and because it is overcoming of longstanding isolation. The changes will offer Honam new opportunities for prosperity," said
Roh.

You can have a look around the airport's official website here, although I don't put much stock in it yet. The English page, for example, redirects to the Gimhae Airport's website, as does the duty-free shopping section. I suspect the airport will have similar amenities as the Gwangju International Airport, which means you'll have plenty of opportunities to buy giant wooden tables and lewd paintings. I get a kick out of these tiny airports, and it made me smile when I drove past the little airport in Sacheon.

* I don't know if Mokpo Airport is closed yet or what. Naver encyclopedia and the Mokpo Airport's official site don't say anything about it.

Read Gwangju News online.

You can read the Gwangju News online, as well as each issue online via issuu. Published by the Gwangju International Center, if the link breaks in the future you can probably find it by poking around the organization's website.

This post originally had a different title, and was about an unpleasant error in the magazine, but since it was still turning up third in Google search rankings four years later, I wanted to replace it with something more useful and more positive for the local community. There are scores of other outlets for news and information in the area; the "Jeollanam-do resources" page lists many of them.

Local Link Dump

*Looks like the Muan International Airport is finally set to open on November 8. It will replace the rarely-used Mokpo Airport, and looks to take over the flights handled by Gwangju International Airport. At least one writer isn't happy about that. (Chosun Ilbo)

If you look at older reports---like this or this---you'll see that the airport was scheduled to open as early as 2004 (though I came across a report a few days ago that said the target was 2008, and that they were actually ahead of schedule). *cough* Anyway, the airport is part of the Namak New City initiative, which will swell the population and develop the resources of Namak-ri, a small village in a small township. At last census the township had a population of around 9,000, though that is expected to rise to 185,000 by the time the whole thing is finished in 2019. I suspect that a lot of those people will come from nearby Mokpo, though. Namak, by the way, has been the capital of Jeollanam-do since 2005, taking the job from Gwangju. I don't understand why they'd go to the trouble to build a new city, but whatever.

*A nice entry from The Marmot's Hole about a trip to Geomun-do island in Yeosu. The island is way out there, but looks worth a visit. (The Marmot's Hole)

*I hope this list of Ten Surprises of Korea isn't in order. (The Korea Times)

*"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates the number of illegal Korean residents in the U.S. is around 250,000, the Korean Embassy in the U.S. said Tuesday." (Chosun Ilbo) Remember, the US and South Korea are in talks over a visa waiver program.

*Education departments around the country are (again) making an effort (again) to verify (again) degrees (again) of teachers on E-2 visas (again). I just got asked for mine today, and I politely declined. I have shown my degree no fewer than 7 times since arriving in July, 2005. Lots of threads on Dave's about this latest moral panic: here and here.

*Ruling Party is Reviving Korean Regionalism. (Donga Ilbo)

*Here's a piece profiling some "Hanok hotels," including one in Gurye county. Pretty neat. Some of the prices are comparable to your average love motel, while othere are in pension territory. (JoongAng Ilbo)

*My students have started laughing when I ask them to "tell me" something. Turns out "Tell Me" is the name of a popular song by the Wonder Girls, a pop group with five girls, aged 15 to 19. You can watch the video here. Borderline criminal.

*Here's a 2005 New York Times article about the German Village in Namhae county, Gyeongsangnam-do. I passed through that area a few weeks ago, and it was overrun with tourists. Had I known people actually live there---I figured it was just used for dramas and summer camps---I would have taken less part in disturbing their much-deserved rest. (New York Times) Here's a picture I took of a few houses near the coast.

A lot of places in Namhae, including the house in the foreground on the left, were used as filming locations for the drama 환상의커플. The internet says that means "Fantasy Couple." Is that the best translation?

Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang to merge by 2010.

This is pretty big news for me, and I just found out about it while doing a google adventure. I guess news of the agreement broke in early September. In an effort to bolster Yeosu's chances of hosting the 2012 World Expo, these 3 neighboring cities plan to merge, creating a metropolitan area of 700,000 + in three districts. Basically, what that means for me is there will be a lot more work to do on the Galbijim Wiki, haha.

From the Chosun Ilbo:

The cities of Yeosu, Suncheon and Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province are to be merged into a new metropolis-level city. The new city will have an area of 1,856 sq.km, a little larger than Busan and Ulsan combined (1,820 sq.km), and a population of more than 720,000. At a debate hosted by Yeosu MBC on Wednesday, Yeosu Mayor Oh Hyun-sup, Suncheon Mayor Roh Kwan-kyu and Gwangyang Mayor Lee Sung-woong agreed to merge the three cities by 2010 to maximize the effect of investments in the region around Gwangyang Bay and create a new, more competitive city.

From the Dong-A Ilbo:

The city is reportedly planning to further integrate with Hadong and Namhae in the Gyeongnam region. That is an ambitious scheme to remove the distinction between the Yeongnam and Honam regions. The immediate objective for the integration of Yeosu, Suncheon, and Gwangyang is to be selected as the host of the World Expo. Currently, Yeosu is far smaller than its competitor cities overseas in terms of population size. The three cities intend to sign an MOU for integration before November 27 when the host will be selected. As the World Expo’s effects will equate to 10 trillion won of output growth and the employment of 80,000 people, it is an opportunity that cannot be missed. Gwangyang has POSCO’s steel mill, which is the largest in the world, while Suncheon has long been a famous education city. Therefore, once integrated, they could be an invincible team. There have been 40 cases of integration of local administrative districts. The Yeosu of today was born by merging Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon County in 1998. Suncheon is the combination of Suncheon City and Seungju County in 1995. Likewise, Gwangyang is the combination of Dong Gwangyang City and Gwangyang County in 1995.

From the Korea Times:

According to Yeosu Community Research Institute, 62.6 percent of Yeosu residents, 65.1 percent of Suncheon residents and 60.9 percent of Gwangyang residents were in favor of the merger.

Again, this is pretty surprising, and will create a very bizarre metropolis. As the Dong-A Ilbo article says, all three cities were assembled countless times by absorbing, realigning, and renaming different towns, villages, and fields. In fact, much of Jeollanam-do is this way, which is why, when you see the banner in your school describing your town's history, there are so many name changes throughout the centuries, as suchandsuch-ri was elevated to suchandsuch-myeon, which was absorbed into someother-myeon, which was divided . . . and so on, until the Japanese came and undid all that.

Anyway, when you drive through Suncheon or Yeosu (can't speak for Gwangyang), you find a lot of sprawl, and a few minute outside of either city you'll find factories, mountains, rice fields, or water. Suncheon, as we know it today, is a product of Seungju and Suncheon towns; Yeosu has three city halls from prior mergers; Gwangyang . . . is boring. So this will be messy.

70-year-old fisherman confesses to serial killings in Boseong.

* Update March 21, 2008: He was sentenced to death in February, 2008.

Original Post:

News out of Boseong county, Jeollanam-do. A 70-year-old man has confessed to killing four people in two incidents in August and September. From the Chosun Ilbo:

According to police, on the evening of Aug. 31, the fisherman identified as Oh was preparing for a fishing trip at a dock in Bosung, South Jeolla Province, when he was approached by a couple who asked for a boat ride. They were 21-year-old Kim (male) and 20-year-old Choo (female), both college students from Gwangju.

Oh took them on board and sailed for about 30 minutes into nearby waters. After fishing for about an hour, Oh threw Kim into the water in order to rape Choo. Kim struggled to climb back into the boat, but Oh beat him five times with a hook on a pole, killing him. Oh then advanced on Choo, but she fought back by grabbing Oh's waist. Finally Oh threw her into the water, too, and stopped her from climbing back into the boat with the pole, police said.

Just 25 days later, on Sept. 25, Oh was preparing for another fishing trip at the same spot when he was approached again, this time by two women who asked for a boat ride. Oh took 24-year-old Cho from Gyeonggi Province and 23-year-old Ahn from Incheon on board and returned to his fishing spot where he worked for about three hours. On the way back, Oh tried to touch one of the women. Both women fought back and all three fell into the water.

One woman was swept away by the tide and Oh climbed into the boat. When the other woman tried to climb in, Oh killed her with the same pole, fearing that she would otherwise go to police.

Read the rest here.

I was in Boseong a few days ago, and was hanging around the green tea fields on the evening of his second set of murders. I wonder how many crimes "Oh" committed before these