South Korea - The Korea Times

RAS Korea Remembering Korea's freedom fighters

The Grand Hall of the Nation in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Steven L. ShieldsBy Steven L. ShieldsNestled in a beautiful valley not far from the city of Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province, the Independence Hall of Korea bears enduring witness to the Korean people's struggle against Japanese colonialism in the early half of the 20th century. The memorial was officially opened on Aug. 15, 1987, having been delayed by an accidental fire during construction.Entering the grounds, visitors are met with the skyward swooping Monument to the Nation. The towering wings remind one of a soaring bird or a phoenix rising from the ashes. On one side is the “taegeuk” symbol, and on the other, the mugunghwa (rose of Sharon). Monument to the Nation at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province / Courtesy of Steven L. ShieldsThe broad avenue leads to the Grand Hall of the Nation, a massive traditional-style open pavilion that houses the heart-stirring Statue of Indomitable Koreans. The sculpture is a massive representation of the many patri

Feb 28, 2023

[RAS Korea] Remembering Korea's freedom fighters

Rights watchdog recommends recognizing transgender soldier's case as 'on-duty death'

This undated file photo shows Byun Hee-soo, a transgender solider, who was found dead in 2021 after being forcibly discharged from the Army the previous year. YonhapThe National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) on Thursday recommended recognizing a transgender soldier, who died in an apparent suicide after forcible discharge from service, as having died in the line of duty.The Army earlier decided to classify the death of the soldier, Byun Hee-soo, as a "general death." Byun died in 2021 after being forcibly discharged the previous year. Currently, deaths of men serving in the military are divided into three categories: death in action, death on duty and general death.The state human rights watchdog called for a defense minister to reevaluate Byun's case as an on-duty death, saying her death had significant causal connection with the forcible discharge from the Army."The victim suffered mental and financial difficulties due to reasons such as the illegal discharge order, which eventually led to death," the rights watchdog said, adding the death was largely due to negligence o

Feb 23, 2023

Rights watchdog recommends recognizing transgender soldier's case as 'on-duty death'

Bulgasari celebrates 20 years of experimental music in Seoul

Tyler Brown, left, performs with Eric Scott Nelson during Bulgasari in 2016. / Courtesy of Lee Han-jooBy Jon DunbarIt's been almost 20 years since the monster that is Bulgasari rose from the muck of the gentrifying neighborhood around Hongik University. Movie fans may be thinking about the 1985 North Korean film directed by the abducted Shin Sang-ok, or even the earlier 1962 film of the same name, but this Bulgasari is an entirely different beast.This Bulgasari was originally a monthly showcase of experimental music, avant-garde art collaborations and improvisational performances. It was created originally by members of the Korean-Japanese band Gopchangjeongol. Band member Sato Yukie, who moved to Korea in the 1990s, spoke about how much he enjoyed working with improvisational artists, so with his friend Lee Han-joo he started the event series.Sato Yukie performs with the band Moyu at The Studio HBC, Dec. 17. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBulgasari first landed on Feb. 23, 2003, in Rush, a music venue near Sinchon Rotary where Sato had a gig DJing. The show was originally known as

Feb 21, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Bulgasari celebrates 20 years of experimental music in Seoul

Multilingual Danuri Helpline assists migrants in Korea

Human rights volunteer Lee Sabel stands at the YMCA in Gwangju, Feb. 17. / Courtesy of Arlo MatiszBy Arlo MatiszFor migrants coming to live in South Korea, life can be full of challenges, both expected and unexpected. The barriers are numerous and at times enormous; language, family expectations and work culture are all high walls to scale for new arrivals to the country. One of the most difficult things to do in life is to ask for help, and with such barriers present, it is not any easier. Who can one call when they face difficulties at home with their spouse or at work with their employer? Who will care and who will listen? Who will help?Danuri will.Danuri offers a portal available in 13 languages at liveinkorea.kr, and a hotline at 1577-1366.“The first title of Danuri was Migrant Women Emergency Call Center in 2006,” Lee Sabel, a Danuri human rights volunteer for Korean/Filipino families, tells The Korea Times. “It was a kind of call center having interpreters with different nationalities. Because of Korean language difficulties, cultural misunderstandings result

Feb 21, 2023

Multilingual Danuri Helpline assists migrants in Korea

Vegan & Beyond takes ethical food to the next level

The interior of Vegan & Beyond / Courtesy of Vegan & BeyondBy Chantal TerblancheQuinn Phan, the owner of Vegan & Beyond, doesn't just talk the talk but walks the walk too. Her real life echoes the ethos reflected in her business. Her aim with her restaurant and shop is to share delicious vegan food and products with both vegans and non-vegans alike.Phan is Vietnamese American and has lived in five countries, the longest places being Vietnam for 14 years, the U.S. for nine years and Korea for eight and a half years and counting. She has always loved baking, but at the beginning of 2020, while living in Korea, she decided to expand this passion into a business as she saw market demand for a vegan bakery.Her first store, which opened in June 2020, was mainly a bakery and was only 7 pyeong (23 square meters). The first event she hosted was a potluck with 13 attendees. It was a tight squeeze but highly successful and Phan knew she was on the right track.When Phan started at her first location she wasn't vegan. But as she learned more about veganism she started implementing man

Feb 14, 2023

Vegan & Beyond takes ethical food to the next level

Navigating the minefield of dating in Korea

A handsome man and an attractive woman are spending time together, taking a coffee break and communicating. / gettyimagesbankBy Ellie GoodwinExasperation comes in tow with dating regardless of where you are in the world but, if all goes well, it can lead to a meaningful and long-lasting relationship. Unfortunately, there is also a lot that can go wrong. Dating in Korea is no exception. “I've had more than one experience where I have felt pressured,” said an American citizen who agreed to share her experience with The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. “There was little communication ― lots happened without my consent and when I did say that I felt uncomfortable I was ignored.” Another American woman, who also asked to remain anonymous, added, “I felt unsafe in my own apartment, not knowing what his retaliation may be if I was too forceful with my rebukes.” The inadequacy of sex education in Korea plays a crucial part in the presence of toxic masculinity, an observation made by a Canadian woman of color who wished to remain anonymous. “Kor

Feb 13, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Navigating the minefield of dating in Korea

Seoul city zeroes in on foreign residents' unpaid taxes

Seoul city government has recently claimed 1.6 billion won of unpaid taxes from foreigners in the city. But it is only part of the 16.3 billion won unpaid by 83,000 foreigner residents with taxes owing as of last December. Gettyimagesbank By Ko Dong-hwanSeoul Metropolitan Government has placed focus on the city's foreign residents who have not settled their taxes. The move came after the city government settled over 32,000 cases of tax delinquency through a special investigation conducted from last October to January, claiming 1.6 billion won ($1.27 million) in total.The city government said the renewed stance comes after the authority's chronic loophole which failed to track foreigners residing in the country against tax delinquency records. A particular issue was the registering of incorrect billing addresses in the city's system. The authority said they will strengthen monitoring of delinquent foreign taxpayers by slapping them with credit delinquency tags, seizi

Feb 7, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan

Seoul city zeroes in on foreign residents' unpaid taxes

Chainsaw Fest set to rip apart Club SHARP

Lee Ju-young pounds the drums for crust punk band Scumraid during the Hacking the City street festival in Sinchon's Yonsei-ro, Oct. 19, 2014. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarIt's a busy weekend in a busy month for those in Korea's overworked, underappreciated live music scene. But among all the shows happening this weekend, Chainsaw Fest at Club SHARP is worth taking a close look at. The show features 10 punk, hardcore, metal and ska bands from Korea as well as Japan. Upstairs, SHARP Ink will be hosting a tattoo flash day and flea market. Perhaps most notably, this show marks the return of Scumraid, a Korean crust punk band that used to be one of the tentpole bands of the local scene before its drummer moved away. Scumraid had its last show in Tokyo in 2019. “We've never disbanded, so it's not a reunion ― it's a forced break due to COVID-19,” drummer Lee Ju-young told The Korea Times. She moved to Japan for work, but has also been active in the scene there. “It's already been seven years since I started living in Japan. I think I'm more used to this pl

Feb 7, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Chainsaw Fest set to rip apart Club SHARP

RAS Korea Poring through RAS Korea's 'lost books'

The library section of RAS Korea's office in Daehangno, Seoul / Courtesy of Ryan BerkebileBy Steven L. ShieldsLibraries are filled with books that have become “lost” to readers and researchers. There are so many books and so little time to find them. Card cataloging systems of the past do not provide enough information about a book to indicate to a researcher whether it might have value to their work. Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea member Ryan Berkebile, a longtime urban explorer studying for a master's degree in digital humanities, is interning at the RAS office in Seoul. While RAS Korea has been working on digitalizing archival documents, books and monographs, journals, photographic images and so forth, Berkebile is helping RAS Korea set up platforms where the information can be accessed electronically. His projects include developing archival websites that will provide easy access to RAS Korea's archival documents, photographic images and library.In the few weeks since Berkebile began his internship, he's uncovered dozens of gems in our library. While the books have

Jan 31, 2023By Jon Dunbar

Holy Moly concert series brings 4 punk bands to Haebangchon

Psychedelic blues band Billy Carter / Courtesy of Kim YoungjunJamie Finn poses with a copy of Platform Magazine issue 5. / Courtesy of Jamie FinnBy Jon DunbarWhat's so holy about Holy Moly?Jamie Finn, organizer of the Holy Moly monthly concert series, admitted he was stumped when an online commenter confronted him with the question.“Well, one of the singers at our next show is called Christmas. That's pretty holy,” he told The Korea Times several days later.Christmas, that paragon of holiness, is the frontwoman of Seoul punk band 18Fevers, which will be one of the four acts playing the second-ever Holy Moly gig this Saturday at The Studio HBC.This edition of the show focuses on Seoul's punk scene, with the bill rounded out by all-girl band Rumkicks, psychedelic-blues-punk band Billy Carter and ska-punk veterans Lazybone.Finn, the chief editor of local indie publication Platform Magazine as well as promoter of last year's multi-venue Block Party festival in Seoul's Haebangchon, began the concert series last month with the aim of bringing bigger, more established acts to th