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Opinion

Tue, April 24, 2018 | 21:14

Opinion > Blogs >

Koryo Mine Part 2: Appeasing the Mountain God

Mining is inherently a dangerous occupation, so it is little wonder that many miners are religious - if not superstitious. The Korean miners at the Koryo Mines were no exception. The “Mountain God” was believed to be responsible for the success or failure of a gold mine; depend...

Gold mining in South Korea: Koryo Mines (part 1)

Gold mining on the Korean Peninsula is often associated with North Korea but in the 1960s the Korean Consolidated Mining Company (KCMC) operated several mines in South Korea.

'Honey wagons' of the past: 'night soil' and its disease sting

Somewhere in Korea in 1952, an American soldier passed a small caravan of wagons laden with large barrels of foul-smelling sludge. While he was repulsed by the smell, he was equally attracted by the image and quickly snapped a picture. He had encountered a “honey wagon” and its...

Black Steel in the hour of Korean hip-hop

The colors of Korean hip-hop right now, as expressed through Korean rapper Changstarr at club Lucid Dream in Itaewon. All photos by Michael HurtMichael HurtI got a letter from a promoterThe other dayI opened and read itIt said they were hip-hopThey wanted me to take photos of w...

Seoul Fashion Week and its hypermodern youth

So-called “street fashion” is a strange and wonderful thing that is almost as oxymoronic as it is deceptively simple and self-explanatory. “Street fashion” as it is talked about in the days since the concept of the “straight-up” was introduced in i-D magazine in 1984 as straigh...

Tradition tackled: New takes on hanbok

My latest project involves taking the traditional Korean hanbok and its traditional photographic treatment from new angles, by placing it quite literally in different light, and by placing it onto different bodies - or at least bodies possessed of difference relative to the tra...

Upcoming South-North summit and its true potential

South Koreans find themselves in a period of rapid geopolitical change that is pushing them to the very limits of their ability to comprehend and to respond. The situation is made more serious by the general lethargy, and lack of creativity, in government and in industry that h...

Fukuyama on how youth should respond to current challenges

The Author interviewed political scientist Francis Fukuyama, best known for his book The End of History and the Last Man, and asked him what advice he had for young people in this age of growing uncertainty.

Focusing on Korea's true security challenges before, and after, the South-North summit

The strategy behind the South-North summit meetings cannot be progressive. We have gone too far in the rhetoric of confrontation and the literal preparations for war. Unlike previous summits, the talk cannot be focus only on reopening the Gumgang Mountain Tourist Park, or allow...

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...

Expat filmmaker calls it a wrap on spy thriller shot in Seoul

French writer, cinematographer and expat film director Will Forrester has recently finished editing his spy thriller "Eyes Wide Open" that was shot in Seoul.

South Africans embrace life in Korea

When interacting with expats on the Korean Peninsula, one nationality often leaves people with a strong sense of curiosity: South Africans.

Korea movies embrace foreign talent

Seeking work in Korea is a mixed bag. With the introduction of more short-term work-related visas, the choices of occupation are no longer limited to teaching English teaching or working for large international companies.

Why Uber is having hard time in Korea

Uber, the leading global car-sharing platform, is having hard time in Korea. The company started business here in 2013. As elsewhere, Korean taxi drivers have been resistant. Unfortunately, Uber Korea was unable to withstand this pushback.

What's all this about General Data Protection Regulations?

Recently, there has been a controversy about Facebook users' personal information being leaked. Although it has not been decided whether Facebook was neglectful, Facebook suffered discredit for failing to act responsibly to protect the personal data of its users. The data, it h...

Significant meaning in Switzerland's ICO Guidelines

On February 19, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) announced its ICO Guidelines. They have attracted attention from all over the world for two reasons.

My life at a Korean law firm (part 15)

With the North and South Korea summit to take place in just a week, it makes me think back to my observation of inter-Korean relations since I arrived. North Korea's Eternal President Kim Il Sung had died in 1994, and then-South Korean President Kim Young-sam, instead of sendin...

My life at a Korean law firm (part 14)

My first time on an American military base was an unauthorized entry. Such a trespass would have been near impossible after the events of September 11, 2001, which led to tougher security at all U.S. installations around the world. I was with five friends, and we were discussin...

My life at a Korean law firm (part 13)

Growing up in Australia, I never had any significant contact with the military in any form. Sure, there was that neighbor who had a brother or two in the Army Reserves, and there was that time when someone from the Air Force came to my school to talk about careers, and I asked ...

Defectors vs. refugees over North Korea's denuclearization

In my blog post two weeks ago, I discussed the optimism that North Korean defectors have about the possibility of change in North Korea. Since then, I have heard from a few North Korean refugees who are not convinced. It isn't 100 percent uniform, but I have noticed a general s...

Why do North Korean defectors learn English? (2)

Q: Many North Korean refugees struggle to learn English. Many refugees who drop out of college cite English as a major reason. What was the moment you realized you needed to learn English to adjust to life in South Korea?Suhyeong, female, arrived in South Korea in 2015I studied...

How much longer can North Korea survive?

At almost every discussion featuring speakers discussing North Korea, I have heard the question: How much longer can North Korea survive? The usual answer since the early 1990s has been: five to seven years. Recently, I have detected a change. Instead of five to seven years, a ...

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...

Missile attack on Syria