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Korea remains harsh country for asylum seekers

Members of civic groups supporting refugees hold a rally in central Seoul, May 4, calling on the new government to come up with better measures for asylum seekers. NewsisRefugee acceptance rate stands at 1 percentBy Lee Hyo-jin Koita Boh Saran, a 26-year-old woman from Guinea, West Africa, was just 17 years old when she was forced to marry a 45-year-old man, becoming his fourth wife in the process. She is among the many underage girls who are coerced into early marriages in the country where child marriage is quite a common phenomenon.She had no choice but to marry the man as her family threatened to assault her if she refused. A few months into the unhappy marriage, Koita fled to Korea and applied for refugee status in December 2015. “My friend's father told me that Korea is a safe country for women and that I would be able to begin a new life here,” she told The Korea Times, speaking in fluent Korean.However, entering Korea was just the beginning of her hardship. She was not aware that Korea is one of the strictest countries for asylum seekers. Over the past six years,

Jun 20, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea remains harsh country for asylum seekers

BIPOC drag artists to celebrate Juneteenth in Seoul

Sh'Needza Woman / Courtesy of Warda @wardiwardszBy Chantal TerblancheDrag and queer culture is deeply rooted in African American communities, and although many people do not know this, Black queer and trans people have led the charge for gay rights since the beginning, according to Sh'Needza Woman, a drag performer based in Seoul. Crash Landed Seoul, a queer community organization producing drag events, will host a Juneteenth Drag Brunch, showcasing some of the diversity and richness of the Black, Indigenous and people of color within the Seoul drag community. There are no white performers, as the organizers decided it didn't feel appropriate to give the stage to white performers on Juneteenth. "Our drag brunch will be taking place on Sunday, June 19, a holiday known as Juneteenth, " Sh'Needza Woman told The Korea Times. “This is a very special day in Black history and is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It's a day of freedom and a day celebrated across America but also in several other countries, to recognize the end

Jun 15, 2022By Jon Dunbar

BIPOC drag artists to celebrate Juneteenth in Seoul

French rock band brings renegade sound to Korea

Bandit Bandit / Courtesy of Bandit BanditBy Jon DunbarFor anyone who listens to live music, it's been a long couple of years during the pandemic, with prohibitive, costly, sometimes irrational restrictions on concerts, and no international bands touring to Korea. Now that the doors are open, we can look forward to visits from overseas musicians once again. One of the first in through the recently opened door is Bandit Bandit, a band that marries the Anglo-Saxon rock of the last 20 years with the French pop of the 1960s. The band's songs are sensuous, exhibiting a feeling of urgency to live. They're known for their intense shows, during which they seek “a total release, a true communion with the public,” according to singer Maeva Nicolas. The band is fronted by Nicolas and her partner, guitarist Hugo Herleman who used to front the band Kursed. And while the couple takes up the spotlight, they're also backed by a bassist and drummer, who will be joining them on the tour this weekend. “It is only like that that our music can really exist,” Nicolas said.Before the

Jun 14, 2022By Jon Dunbar

French rock band brings renegade sound to Korea

Temple Adventures Gyeongju's Mount Nam holds many treasures

Three-story stone pagoda in Yongjangsagok Valley / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington By Dale QuarringtonIn total, Mount Nam is home to 122 temples and temple sites, 53 stone statues, 64 pagodas, 16 stone lanterns, 36 monuments, royal tombs and even a fortress. In fact, and alongside Bulguk Temple and Seokguram Hermitage in 1995, Mount Nam was included as part of the Gyeongju Historic Areas entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Geographically, Mount Nam can be subdivided into four sections that are home to some of its better-known treasures. In the northwest corner, you'll find Samneung Valley. Making the long and sometimes steep hike up the Samneung Valley trail, you'll find half a dozen historical Buddhist artifacts. One of the more prominent features of the valley is the “Stone Seated Buddha in Samneunggye Valley.” This Unified Silla-era (668-935) statue is perched atop a mountain plateau. And the image appears to be Seokgamoni-bul (Historical Buddha). Somet

Jun 14, 2022By Jon Dunbar

[Temple Adventures] Gyeongju's Mount Nam holds many treasures

Korea needs higher-level gov't agency for immigration policies: experts

Participants of a forum on migrant policy pose during the event held at Seoul National University Asia Center in Seoul, Wednesday. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Justice and the Migration Research and Training Center, the forum gathered immigration experts to discuss migrant policy recommendations for the government. Korea Times photo by Lee Hyo-jinGovernment urged to focus on social integration of migrantsBy Lee Hyo-jin Upgrading the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) to a higher-level government agency split off from the Ministry of Justice could be a viable option for the government to launch a new entity encompassing migrant-related policies, experts said, Wednesday. Discussions on the possible launch of a new immigration agency have gained momentum in Korea after newly appointed Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said in his appointment speech in May that he will review installing an agency dedicated to migrant-related issues to better deal with the rising number of immigrants. Various immigration experts discussed specific ways for the government to realize its plan at a forum on migran

Jun 8, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea needs higher-level gov't agency for immigration policies: experts

RAS Korea RAS Korea celebrates 122nd anniversary

RAS Korea President Steven L. Shields, left, and Matt VanVolkenburg, one of the editors of the RAS Korea journal, hold copies of Transactions vol. 96 at the copy shop in western Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar By Steven L. ShieldsThe world's oldest Korean studies organization, Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea, welcomes everyone to celebrate its 122nd birthday at the RAS Korea office on June 11. This year is a grand reopening, and for the first time in decades, our annual summer event is open to the public, members, friends alike and newcomers. And best of all, free of charge.The past two years have not been kind to RAS Korea, as the pandemic forced us to scale back our activities. After more than two years of social distancing measures, the good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel. There have been other times in RAS Korea's 122-year history when normal activities have been disrupted. Wars and political upheaval caused great losses, but dedicate

Jun 7, 2022By Jon Dunbar

[RAS Korea] RAS Korea celebrates 122nd anniversary

Migrant artists call for fair treatment

Artists hold a press conference, May 24, calling for the government to create a safer and fairer work environment for all artists, regardless of nationality. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarKorean artists are set to benefit from a new law that will protect their rights after it goes into effect in September. But many artists are concerned that the language in the enforcement decree of the Act on the Guarantee of the Status and Rights of Artists (AGSRA) may leave out many artists in Korea ― those of foreign nationality.The Diverse Artists of Korea Association (DAKA), which includes artists representing diverse media including visual arts and performing arts, submitted a petition with signatures from over 500 individuals and organizations to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, asking for the wording of the new law to be changed to include all artists regardless of nationality. Park Kyong-ju, founder of DAKA, submitted the petition to an official in charge of the Art Policy Division at the culture ministry. She said the official assured her that foreign artists wo

Jun 2, 2022By Jon Dunbar

Foreign entertainers stand up against abuse in Korea

Camarata conductor, Studio HBC promoter wants everyone to sing

Ryan Goessl stands on the conductor's podium with members of Camarata Chorale and Orchestra at Jeonnong Methodist Church, May 21, prior to a performance of Mozart's Requiem. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar By Jon DunbarOn Friday he's running a basement show with punk and hardcore bands in Seoul's Haebangchon area, and on Saturday he's putting on a tailcoat to conduct a choir and orchestra performing Mozart's Requiem & Symphony 41.That's just how Ryan Goessl rolls. A doctor of music in choral conducting, Goessl is best known for running the four choirs and orchestra of the renowned Camarata Music. Camarata is widely recognized for its musical excellence, well-known to the government, foreign embassies in Korea, chambers of commerce and more. Camarata's Chamber Singers won the “Best of the Best” award at the 2019 Presidential Choral Competition. Goessl also represents Korea on the World Choir Council. And after all this, he's also become one of Seoul's busiest live

Jun 2, 2022By Jon Dunbar

Camarata conductor, Studio HBC promoter wants everyone to sing

Multinational hardcore band 'gets to the point'

Get to the Point play at The Studio HBC, Feb. 19. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar By Jon DunbarWhen everyone started taking their masks off at the show, the members of Seoul hardcore punk band Get to the Point called it: “I'm pretty sure we're all getting COVID after this,” they said while on stage. The punk show, held a couple of months ago, was halted for 50 minutes due to damage to the drumkit, and the owners of the venue ― who will go unnamed ― brought in an unlimited supply of free beer in penance for everyone to drink. In order to drink, the masks came down, and everyone got tipsy enough to start moving around more and sweating. The show resulted in five known COVID-19 infections: each of the five members of Get to the Point.“On the upside, the whole band got it at the same time, so we quarantined playing PUBG and resumed practice at the same time,” frontman Matt Makowski, who caught COVID-19 from the Omicron variant along with three of his bandmates, told T

Jun 2, 2022By Jon Dunbar

Multinational hardcore band 'gets to the point'

Female comedians offer all-women stand-up showcase

Kristen Pimley, left, and Andrea Tran / Courtesy of Curtis File, left, and Andrea TranBy Rory Kelly“As women in comedy, at the very least, none of us are mediocre straight white men.” This is how Kristen Pimley sells her all-women comedy showcase, Ladies' Night, happening this Saturday in Seoul, with proceeds going to help single mothers. A desire to skewer institutions and upend social norms runs through Pimley's work; she started her own satirical newspaper in college, and even attended a workshop run by the writers of The Onion, she told The Korea Times. She describes her sense of humor as “biting” and “dark,” and quips “When you're from a country with no universal healthcare, comedy is a lot cheaper than therapy.”Originally from the U.S. state of Indiana, Pimley is a mainstay of the Seoul comedy scene. She started doing stand-up in February 2020, during “a very dark place” in her life. “The best part about stand-up comedy is that it allows me to rewrite my battles in my own narrative…telling jokes is my way

May 31, 2022

Global Community

Global Community

Korea remains harsh country for asylum seekers

BIPOC drag artists to celebrate Juneteenth in Seoul

French rock band brings renegade sound to Korea

Temple Adventures Gyeongju's Mount Nam holds many treasures

Korea needs higher-level gov't agency for immigration policies: experts

RAS Korea RAS Korea celebrates 122nd anniversary

Migrant artists call for fair treatment

Camarata conductor, Studio HBC promoter wants everyone to sing

Multinational hardcore band 'gets to the point'

Female comedians offer all-women stand-up showcase

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