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Opinion

Fri, April 3, 2020 | 08:36

Blogs

The Yangban: the ignoble noble

The Korean yangban (aristocrat) was a popular subject to write about for Westerners living in Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Often these accounts were filled with humorous anecdotes pointing out how stubborn or idle the noblemen were - some even painted the no...

The Yangban: a nuisance in the streets

In the late 19th century, traveling the streets of Seoul was an adventure. The streets were filled with savage Korean ponies biting and kicking at any who drew too close, oxen rambling about with loads of timber and brush, brash young boys peddling street food and coolies (labo...

Royal deaths, power struggles: Empress Gi and the forgotten memorial of Haengju

The park surrounding Haengju Mountain Fortress is basically a monument to General Kwon Yul and his decisive victory over the Japanese forces in 1593. But there is also a smaller and relatively unknown monument that deserves some recognition.

Modern to hypermodern: The theater as a fantastic space

I've just finished the final stage of a book with professor of sociology Ikki Kim that compares Beijing and Seoul at different stages of their development, titled, “Beijing to Seoul, Modern to Hypermodern,” which visually documents the former city's journey through modernity, a...

On the importance of space and social empathy

I'm in the middle of the final crunch leading up to the publishing of a book with Professor of Sociology Ikki Kim that compares Beijing and Seoul at different stages of their development, with the former as an example of that city's journey through Modernity and the latter as a...

Flashed flesh, 'pay models' and entrepreneurial femininity in the creative economy of Korean Instagram

The more I do work as a visual sociologist and ethnographer in Korea, the more I am fascinated by the many rabbit holes I am pulled down. The hypermodern Korea I live in - and Korea's hypermodernity has permeated through society to differing extents and in different ways - is m...

Note found in a bottle in the age of COVID-19

I found this message scrawled on a single sheet of paper and crammed in a bottle that washed up on the coast. I present it to you for your reference exactly as I found it. “Thanks for nothing, you citizens of that country formally known as the United States. Have a good life be...

The coronavirus scare in Seoul: How viral hysteria kills science and policy

I thought for a moment that I had entered an operating room when I stepped aboard a Korean Air flight bound for Seoul this week. The entire crew wore spanking-new white masks on their clean faces. They did their best to be welcoming despite the impression of catastrophe that th...

Korea's solution to the Middle East crisis: Go for zero

The request from the Trump administration that South Korea join a new naval mission to the Strait of Hormuz, at precisely the moment the entire region is on fire, places Seoul in a difficult position. Not only is the push for military conflict with Iran, which is making Secreta...

Underground music and urbanism - Jon Dunbar

Me Cook? No, You Cook!

Years ago, I saw a birthday party ruined in spectacular fashion. An American friend, an advanced Korean language learner, was chatting with two Korean women who began ridiculing his pronunciation, repeating to each other “Mikuk” (not “Miguk,” which means American) several times...

14-year-old j.knife surprises Korean indie fans with folk-pop album 'Familiar Sounds'

When most Koreans are 14 years old, or 15 Korean age, they're studying hard in preparation for high school, and already readying themselves for the college entrance exam that will decide their entire futures. Jennifer Kim may not be much different, but she also somehow makes th...

New Technologies & The Law - Tech & Comms team

Is it copyright Infringement if you introduce a movie on YouTube?

'Boramtube', which has 17 million subscribers on YouTube, is a hot topic these days. The six-year-old creator's advertising revenue is comparable to MBC, one of the top three Korean broadcast networks. The development of broadband internet and cheap video camera enabled anyone ...

'Crunch mode' for overtime in games industry

Since Moon Jae-in was elected President in 2017, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the Ministry of Employment and Labor have enacted and amended many labor laws. Accordingly, a lot of labor issues have arisen in various industries, and their biggest impact was felt by th...

There is such a thing as Bitcoin

Once there was a boy who learned that there was a dragon living in his house. He told his mother, “Mom, there's a dragon in the house!” But his mother told him “Son, there's no such thing as dragons.” Little by little the dragon got bigger and bigger until it took up half of th...

Part 52: The big C

In March 2012, while working at the Dragon Hill Lodge's Discover Seoul Desk I took a bathroom break. It required much more effort and strain to relieve myself than normal. Having heard that a reduced stream could be caused by a prostate problem, I resolved to see a urologist as...

Part 51: Too many bosses spoil the tourism business

If it was difficult working for three companies at once, it was downright confusing and stressful to have three direct bosses every day, often singing from different hymn sheets, and sometimes working at odds with each other. It could have been worse, I suppose. Thankfully Mr. ...

My life at a Korean law firm (part 50)

Recently, while going through old papers at home, I came across a document that I received at the beginning of my stint at the Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel. I had not looked at it for at least six years. It was a three-page list in Korean of all the things that I was responsible for...

Voices from the North - Casey Lartigue Jr.

North Korean refugee's unification wish: 'I have a dream'

Since the North-South Korea summit was held in Panmunjom in the spring of 2018, a peaceful atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula has been created. According to the research done by Seoul National University in 2018, the people's perception of unification was improved.

Why North Korean defectors learn English (8)

When I was in North Korea, I learned English for one reason: to curse American soldiers as they were dying after I had shot them. When I went to the USA, it felt so strange because I had been taught to hate Americans, but they seemed normal, gentle, even strangers smile at you.

North Korean defectors: 'Please, don't ask me about…' (Part 2)

I don't want to talk about North Korea. When people ask, I just avoid answering. South Koreans see North Koreans as poor, starving, beggars. That makes me feel sad, then when I hear South Koreans talk about North Korea like that, then I don't want to reveal that I am from there.

When color can be too much

I love color - sometimes too much. But there are times when color simply gets in the way of a good photograph. Bright colors can enhance, but they can distract. Often the better photograph focuses on tone and patterns. In such cases, monotone (black and white) photographs are t...

Finding your kind of street photography

If you ask serious photographers just what is “street photography,” you are likely to find many definitions. At times, street photography can resemble travel photography. But travel photography tends to be less artistic and more about personal documentation of one's experiences...

Festivals make great photos

Jongro-3ga, Lantern Parade. All photos by Tom CoynerTom CoynerWith the warming temperatures, come festivals and similar events. These colorful events are both challenging and rewarding. They can be confusing as a three-ring circus in determining what to photograph, and it can b...

Coronavirus: Empty streets across the globe

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