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Foreigners accuse Daegu of scapegoating them for virus spread

People line up to buy face masks in front of a drug store amid the rise in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Daegu, Tuesday. ReutersBy Jung Min-hoForeigners are up in arms for the Daegu city government's “racist” Facebook post.The controversy emerged after the Daegu Metropolitan Government's official English-language Facebook page said Monday that organizers of the 2020 Daegu Lantern Festival will “restrict foreigners' admission due to prevention for COVID-19 spreading.”The comment comes as the government struggles to contain the virus, which has killed 33 people and infected more than 5,700 across Korea. Daegu is among the nation's worst-hit areas.“If a city wants to focus on scapegoating a particular group at a time when the rest of the world is trying to stop linking this virus to particular nationalities or origins, then this place is a national embarrassment” Michael Hurt, an American photographer and lecturer in cultural theory at Korean National University of Arts, told The Korea Times Wednesday.Another long-time American

Mar 4, 2020By Jung Min-ho

Foreigners accuse Daegu of scapegoating them for virus spread

Undocumented foreigners return home as coronavirus flourishes

Undocumented foreigners stand outside the Jeju Immigration Office. The ever-expanding coronavirus epidemic here has triggered an exodus. Yonhap By Park Si-soo An exodus of undocumented foreigners here has begun as the coronavirus epidemic continues. Hundreds of illegal sojourners come to the immigration office on Jeju Island each day asking for quick deportation, according to Yonhap News Agency. On Tuesday alone, nearly 200 people gave themselves up to Jeju Immigration Office ― nearly as many as the 230 who surrendered throughout last month. Most were Chinese.“The virus is spreading so fast,” Yonhap quoted an undocumented Chinese working at a restaurant on Jeju as saying. “My family in China worries about me so much, so I decided to return home.” Another Chinese, who has lived on Jeju for a year working at a construction site, said he found “no reason to stay” because the epidemic had closed his job site. “On top of this, I feel that my Korean peers are uncomfortable with working with Chinese,” he said. Jeju has one of the biggest

Mar 3, 2020

Undocumented foreigners return home as coronavirus flourishes

Murder Mystery events intrigue at Vineworks

A group listens to Ian Ashworth discuss wine. Courtesy of Hallie BradleyBy Hallie BradleyVineworks, a casual wine bar in Sangsu, Seoul, is offering excitement and intrigue with its murder mystery events. Owner Ian Ashworth tells guests to expect “A full-blown, character-driven whodunit,” where participants arrive “ready to carry out objectives that lead to an eventual unveiling of the murderer.”Similar to the board game Clue where players compete to solve a murder, in a Murder Mystery, guests can take on a character by adorning costumes and even accents. In advance, participants are emailed complete character descriptions that include everything from personality traits to style tips before the event begins so they can dress to impress and prepare for the mystery and intrigue. They are also given secret missions they must complete throughout the event which will ultimately assist them in finding the murderer amongst them. “We have plenty of games to choose from,” Ashworth continued, “usually themed on times like the 1980s or 1920s, or location

Mar 3, 2020

Murder Mystery events intrigue at Vineworks

When Korea pioneered synth-pop

An ad that ran in The Korea Times in the 1970s/2020-02-27(코리아타임스)By Matt VanVolkenburgOne of the hallmarks of 1980s pop music was the sounds of the synthesizer. According to Wikipedia, synth-pop “arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the…late 1970s.” While it lists a number of artists throughout the world, particularly those playing art rock or psychedelia, who used synthesizers to make “proto” synth-pop, no mention is made of any Korean musicians, despite the fact that the first hit synth-pop song was arguably made here. This fact has become forgotten trivia, unfortunately, because while Korean music can influence ears worldwide today, the same was not true in the past.In East Asia during the Cold War, cultural influence vis-a-vis the “free world” tended to run in one direction only. The U.S. military presence in Korea introduced Korean audiences to American music via both AFKN radio and the “Eighth Army stage” where Korean musicians played for U.S. troops.It took some time for Korean audiences to develop

Mar 3, 2020

Statement Daegu needs more doctors, nurses

 Fellow doctors and nurses. Please come to screening clinics, Daegu Medical Center, hospitals treating coronavirus patients in isolation rooms and ERs immediately.Health authorities are racing against time to secure as many medical experts as possible to treat ever increasing coronavirus patients.If you are done for the day, please make your way toward the aforementioned facilities.There are so many things that need to be done. Please call me and Daegu Medical Association and express your intention to join the combat against coronavirus. Let's save people without thinking of any future compensation or a word of compliment. Let's save people with our blood, sweat and tears. Let's save Daegu together.Fellow doctors and nurses. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Your help in these tough times will shine brighter than anything else.Please call and come.I will put myself on the line first. The most dangerous and difficult things will be mine. Fellow doctors and nurses. We look forward to having your calls and participation.Phone: 053-953-0033 / 0034 / 0035Fax: 053-956-3273 or 053-9

Feb 27, 2020

[Statement] Daegu needs more doctors, nurses

Samsung, Hyundai, SK, LG ramping up coronavirus aid efforts

Korean-American wins 'Oscars of teaching'

Candice Harrington, third from left, a Korean-American math teacher at Capistrano Valley High School in Viejo, Calif., holds a prize money board after winning the Milken Educator Award early this month. The annual award is given to the finest elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States and is dubbed as “Oscars of Teaching.” Captured from Milken Family Foundation websiteBy Yi Whan-wooA Korean-American math teacher has won the Milken Educator Award given to the finest elementary and secondary school teachers in the United States.The Milken Family Foundation, the host of the annual award dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching,” by Teacher magazine, said on its website early this month that Candice Harrington was among the 40 recipients across the country.Los Angeles-born, Harrington, 40, teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB ― an entry-level college math course open for qualified students ― at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, Calif.A total of 95 percent of her students passed the exam on differential and integral calculus and receiv

Feb 26, 2020By Yi Whan-woo

Korean-American wins 'Oscars of teaching'

Volunteer and walk in Seoul's Lotus Lantern Parade

An image of the Lotus Lantern Parade in this 2012 file photo. Korea Times fileBy Hallie BradleyEach year, more than 300,000 people converge to celebrate in central Seoul with a gorgeous parade, cultural performances, activities and crafts over a three-day period. Buddha's birthday lands on April 30 this year and the festival runs from April 24 to 26. The highlight is a massive parade with more than 100,000 lanterns lit and carried from Dongdaemun to Jongak in central Seoul. Visitors can see beautiful lotus flower lanterns, a long dragon, elephants, fire-breathing peacocks and other amazing floats. The streets are blocked off to traffic and people from around the world come together to celebrate this cultural event.The parade is stunning to see, but imagine walking in it! Each year, a number of foreigners and Koreans are chosen to work together and learn more about this event which the government has designated as Important Intangible Culture Heritage No. 122. Participants, called Global Cultural Ambassadors, can apply via its Culture Us program to learn more about Korean Buddhism dur

Feb 25, 2020By Kim Ji-soo

Volunteer and walk in Seoul's Lotus Lantern Parade

Foreign community brief

'Farewell My Concubine' to be screened againAn extended version of the 1993 film “Farewell My Concubine,” which won the Palme d'Or at the 46th Cannes Film Festival will be released in theaters on April 1, according to Yonhap News Agency. The film, directed by the veteran Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, stars top Chinese stars as Fengyi Zhang, Gong Li and the late Leslie Cheung. Cheung was especially popular with Korean film fans when Chinese and Hong Kong films were all the rage in Korea in the early 1990s.Int'l female film festival open to submissionsAll participants regardless of age, gender and nationality are called upon to submit work for the Film Festival for Women's Rights 2020 or FIWOM 2020 through March 29. Everyone is welcome to apply with their films but submissions must have been created after January 2019. Work dealing with women's rights, violence against women, shedding focus on the social structure that enables the infringement of these rights and finding solutions to these problems are some of the topics filmmakers can tackle. This year's FIWOM will be held

Feb 25, 2020By Kim Ji-soo

Cityscapes 15 years investigating Korea's forbidden urban spaces

The Samil Citizens' Apartment complex stands with severe fire damage on March 2, 2005. Courtesy of Ron BandunBy Ron BandunI got my start urban exploring in Korea 15 years ago next week. I'd read up on the dangers and ethics of entering abandoned buildings and consulted experienced explorers active in other countries, but this was not something that was done here. Then Paul, a Korean American punk, showed me Korea had its own abandoned buildings hiding their own secrets.He regaled me with tales of an abandoned apartment complex along Cheonggye Overpass, at the time being disassembled to reveal Cheonggye Stream underneath.When we visited on March 2, 2005, he pointed to Lotte Castle, which replaced the Samil Citizens' Apartment complex he had seen there years earlier.The 24-building complex dates back to 1969, originally intended to rehouse occupants of a nearby shanty town in 1,243 units, as well as block the view from Cheonggye Overpass of more shanty towns. It was a showcase of Korean modernity, but the traffic noises from the overpass must have been loud for the residents. After ope

Feb 25, 2020

[Cityscapes] 15 years investigating Korea's forbidden urban spaces

Seoul to restrict international marriage visa for domestic violence offenders

As of March 2019, biracial couples accounted for 8.8 percent of all marriages registered in Korea. GETTYIMAGESBANK The Ministry of Justice said Friday that it had revised a related law in order to prevent South Korean nationals with records of domestic violence or sex crimes to invite foreigners here for the purpose of marriage.The ministry said the revision of the Enforcement Regulations of the Immigration Act would restrict marriage visas for foreigners sponsored by South Koreans with criminal records related to domestic violence, sex offenses and other violent crimes.The revised law will take effect in six months, it added.Under the new law, people sentenced to fines or heavier penalties for domestic violence or sexual offenses against children and adolescents, or imprisoned for sexual assault or other specific violent crimes, will be barred from sponsoring foreign spouses-to-be to South Korea for 10 years after the end of their sentence.The law will allow exceptions for humanitarian reasons, such as childbirth, however."The revised law is expected to help protect the human rights

Feb 22, 2020

Global Community

Global Community

Foreigners accuse Daegu of scapegoating them for virus spread

Undocumented foreigners return home as coronavirus flourishes

Murder Mystery events intrigue at Vineworks

When Korea pioneered synth-pop

Statement Daegu needs more doctors, nurses

Korean-American wins 'Oscars of teaching'

Volunteer and walk in Seoul's Lotus Lantern Parade

Foreign community brief

Cityscapes 15 years investigating Korea's forbidden urban spaces

Seoul to restrict international marriage visa for domestic violence offenders

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