The Korea Times

All Koreans look the same?

By David Tizzard I had not long put down my copy of Daniel Tudor and James Pearson's insightful “North Korea Confidential” with its many explorations of life above the 38, notably the descriptions of rebellious citizens in Chongjin defying state-dictated sartorial codes and wearing things such as black skirts, blue jeans and stockings (though not all at the same time, I don't think) when I then came across Alek Sigley's detailed and contemporary accounts of DPRK fashion on social media. As many of us now know, it's not all green “jamba” suits in the style of Kim Jong-il but a rather more Westernized and slightly modern ― though still rather uniform and drab ― collection of suits and trends for the modern Pyongyangite. Articles on these outfits will likely be added to as the next U.S.-DPRK summit approaches and people pore over photos of Chairman Kim, his wife Ri Sol-ju and his sister Kim Yo-jong looking for clues into the North Korean life. Only last month eagle-eyed analysts were bringing to light the leader's current smokes of choice, the type of ashtra

Feb 23, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Wales, snails, and date rape

By David Tizzard A rather peculiar report appeared last week in the BBC claiming that whelks ― a type of sea-snail and known here in Korea as golbaengi ― were being shipped en masse from the coast of Wales and arriving here in Korea where they served a rather idiosyncratic purpose. While those native to the United Kingdom don't eat them any great degree ― I can vaguely remember a 'cockles and whelks' man coming round the country pub gardens as a young boy ― the article said that in South Korea they were more than just a delicacy. They were a lifestyle. A “South Korean aphrodisiac” the article claimed of these aqueous invertebrate. Puzzling initially, but at first glance not entirely surprising as an evening drinking in the company of some seasoned ajjoshis will leave most people believing that all sorts of foods and consumables are good for one's (ahem) stamina. There was however a rather more sinister turn to this story than initially met the eye. It soon became apparent that something was amiss with the article's later claims that for “the eligible South Kore

Feb 17, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Can North Korea exist in international society?

By David Tizzard International society is, historically at least, a rather British concept. It was first put forward by the scholar Martin Wight during a series of lectures at the London School of Economics in the 1950s.The basic premise being that when states interact with each other over time, there evolves a series of behaviors and practices. These are socialized effects in that they are produced by states who react to their own domestic conditions as well as being directed by leaders and statesmen with personalities and moral codes. Other states then observe these particular actions and react accordingly to their own idiosyncratic situations. As these behaviors continue over time, rules and codes are produced. Adherence to these practices and traditions generally results in acceptance to the society while failure to do so results in either refusal or expulsion. International society is said by the proponents of the English School of IR Theory to have evolved from Christendom in Europe. As it slowly became secularized so as to have survived the various religious and ideologic

Feb 11, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Can North Korea exist in international society?

Opinion

Embrace the earth pig inside

By David Tizzard  My original article for this week was a defense of boy band BTS, which has recently been charged by the writers of the Korea Expose and online feminists with promoting misogyny. After realizing I didn't want to start my new year likely angering both of these groups, I deleted all of the topical content and left just the moral pontificating that surrounded it. Nevertheless, I await your further criticisms of what follows. Education provides an antidote to self-importance, self-pity and selfies. It enables us to break free from the notion that our world, the zeitgeist, is the culmination of everything. It reminds us that the next Trump tweet, the next inter-Korean summit, the next yearbook photo or iPhone release will not necessarily result in either unprecedented prosperity or unparalleled catastrophe. We do not stand on the precipice of a yawning chasm waiting to either swallow humanity whole or embrace us in a heavenly swathe. It is important for us to escape such narrow and provincial self-aggrandizing ways of thinking. And the cure, as always, is perspective

Feb 6, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Can you speak Korean?

By David Tizzard It's a relevant question because last week reports came out that the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) will finally include a speaking section ― from 2023. But full implementation is unlikely to be in place until 2027.This is important news because it will surely give a more comprehensive and realistic assessment of a test that currently only judges people on listening, reading and writing. However, the National Institute for International Education is certainly not moving quickly on this and instead preferring to move slowly through what are no doubt huge bureaucratic circles with lots of heavily invested pockets of influence.There are even plans to move the TOPIK test to an internet-based assessment and finally embrace the 21st century. The domestic programmers of Internet Explorer, ActiveX and AhnLab are no doubt already rubbing their hands with glee at such news. Nevertheless, it gives many of us here four years until the speaking test becomes available for the first time. That's 1460 days, 1/6th of Hwasa's life, or what feels like an eternity of a Trump

Jan 26, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Edgy Memes Only in Korea

By David Tizzard While most of the real-world here in South Korea was focused on air quality that seemed straight out of a dystopian movie or Fallout computer game, the internet was instead concerned with the closure of a popular local Facebook group, Only in Korea (Oink).The group itself has been viewed with equal amounts of affection and disdain and was home to a collection of people as varied as those found in the Springfield ― though perhaps with a few more Comic Book Guys and Ralphs than usual.For some, it was a source of local news, discussion, humor, and a place to communicate about issues that affected life here on the peninsula. From bus stops and fashion, to red bean foodage and inter-cultural violence in schools. For others, however, it was a cesspit of casual racism, defamation, and cyber bullying. It gave birth to characters, trolls, e-fights, paddlings, bannings, and spin-offs. With approximately 28,000 members (coincidently the same number of American troops based here in South Korea), the group was always likely to be uncontrollable.And it was that coming togethe

Jan 20, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Facebook shuts down 'OinK - Only in Korea' group

Opinion

What's the Korean for Ben Shapiro?

By David Tizzard Micro-aggressions, trigger warnings, safe spaces and unconscious racist bias training. These fill our prejudice-free echo chambers and social justice warrior-infused safe spaces of social media. If you don't know what any of those words above mean, congratulations. You are winning at life ― even if that means you are probably not very “woke.” But that's not necessarily a bad thing. You may have also missed the rise of non-mainstream media over the past couple of years: The reason why people now spend their subway journeys submerged in a smartphone screen and not in the latest edition of Caravan Digest. Joe Rogan's “The Joe Rogan Experience” gets more than 16 million downloads a month, mixing comedy with politics and science, talking with his guest for up to three hours at a time. Controversy was caused on the show last year when Tesla's Elon Musk took up Joe's offer of a joint and subsequently saw his stock price fall dramatically, wiping tens of millions of dollars off the company's value. Big figures, big guests, big consequences. But i

Jan 12, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Meditations on Hyolin's bottom

By David Tizzard Obviously a married man beginning a discussion on the posterior of a young female entertainer is fraught with danger in today's age. However, with articles in The Korea Times presenting cosplay and pictures as “social costume” projects filtered through the near incomprehensibility of post-modern language, I should be OK. Hopefully. At the 2018 KBS Drama Awards, a room full of actors looked on as K-pop star Hyolin performed three songs for the star-studded audience in Yeouido. Known for her powerful vocals and strength as a singer, the former SISTAR leader started with the song “Spring Watch.” Yet the “controversy” has arisen because of what followed. Her performance of “See Sea” and her biggest track of the year, “Dally,” saw her wearing a silver leotard as she entertained the crowd with a rotating crew of back-up dancers. The performance itself seemed effective. It was coherent, well executed, displayed a good deal of confidence and personality and combined many different thematic elements in the six m

Jan 5, 2019By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Korea Wow! Much Awesome

By David Tizzard The bad news and disasters go on the front page. The “intellectuals” write about the problems and, more importantly, how and why people should pay more attention to their solutions. And any good news is either a fluff piece or a badly veiled advertisement. Despite this tripartite function of modern print media, I am going to continue to buck the trend somewhat by providing another reason why I like Korea: The healthcare. I have spent the past week in a hospital ― a shared room with six other men of various ages, as well as their children, partners and visiting well-wishers. Extra significance was surely added because it was Christmas.This would give most foreign visitors ample ammunition to fire at a fast-changing society.It would be possible to rally against the old man that didn't hold a door for me or the woman that didn't perhaps move as quickly out of the way of my IV drip as an Englishwoman would. Yet, I have returned home more infatuated with the nation and its people than ever. The resilience and collective attitude that has seen South Korea

Dec 29, 2018By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

I won the lottery in Korea

By David Tizzard Unfortunately, despite what the title might suggest, I will not be spending this weekend gorging on ginseng and imported whisky. Instead, I will be stressing over how to best put aside the money required for my son's pre-school education.The lottery my family won was a school placement one. A system in which places at educational facilities are decided based on luck: Your very own taste of the roulette table in a country in which gambling is banned.This often takes place with a selection of orange and white plastic balls being placed in a closed box. Parents of the various children then gather nervously to attend the event.Here, they will be tasked with drawing a single ball from the box and ultimately deciding whether their child will be admitted to the kindergarten or school with their friends and peers. A typical situation might see roughly 60 balls in a box, with 30 orange ones and 30 white ones, thus giving participants a one-in-two chance, as well as a very drawn-out and stressful process.In other circumstances, families are presented with 12 balls ― only

Dec 23, 2018By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

Read more

All Koreans look the same?

Wales, snails, and date rape

Can North Korea exist in international society?

Embrace the earth pig inside

Can you speak Korean?

Edgy Memes Only in Korea

What's the Korean for Ben Shapiro?

Meditations on Hyolin's bottom

Korea Wow! Much Awesome

I won the lottery in Korea

Top 5 stories