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Cityscapes Saying farewell to Yongsan Pochachon…again

Children play in the alley of Yongsan Pochachon, a food tent village built on unused land in front of Yongsan Station, in April 13, 2013. / Courtesy of Ron BandunBy Ron BandunThe Yongsan area has been home to some large-scale changes over the years, but between the construction fences and excavation pits there have been spots where human-scale communities have taken root, at least temporarily. The area east of Yongsan Station used to house a red-light district. Around 2009, demolition started on the low-rise buildings there. The area was razed, and sat in limbo for years while the mega project for the area was stalled and eventually canceled. In 2013 when the Yongsan International Business District project on the other side of the station collapsed, so did this one, apparently. A cluster of colorful tents, old Yongsan Pochachon, occupy unused land in front of Yongsan Station, seen from above on April 13, 2013. / Courtesy of Ron BandunAs the land sat empty and unused, merchants started moving back in, setting up red-striped tents and serving a variety of foods. There were street food

Feb 19, 2019

[Cityscapes] Saying farewell to Yongsan Pochachon…again

Cityscapes Celebrating Christmas in Seoul's underground river

Local punk band introduces big plans for 10th anniversary

The four members of melodic punk band ...Whatever That Means / Courtesy of ...Whatever That MeansBy Jon DunbarThis year marks the 10th anniversary not just of Jeff Moses and Trash Yang Moses' marriage, but also of their punk band, …Whatever That Means. And they have big plans, including an anniversary show, a new full-length album and a free music festival on a Korean island that is sure to make Fyre Festival look like a bad memory.It was almost 10 years ago, on Feb. 28, 2009, that a punk wedding united Jeff Moses and Trash Yang. For their afterparty, Jeff put together a show at Hongdae's now-defunct Club Spot, and formed a one-off band, which ended up on the poster as “Jeff … Whatever That Means.” “We really didn't have any idea what we were doing when we started,” Jeff told The Korea Times. “I had never been the songwriter for a band. We've all learned a lot about songwriting and arranging over the years. We're all older and have made life decisions, probably bad ones, to make sure that we still have time to play shows regularly and tour

Feb 19, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Local punk band introduces big plans for 10th anniversary

Beach punk festival takes over Muui Island

INTERVIEW Korean visa policies: 'Opaque, erratic'?

Korean immigration specialist Jang Man-ik operates a one-person consulting agency, VISA in KOREA, in Seocho-gu, Seoul. It is dedicated to migrant workers in the country. Courtesy of VISA in KOREA'Immigration specialist' from VISA in KOREA criticizes Korean visa policiesBy Ko Dong-hwanKorean visa policies change too often and confuse migrant workers, Korean “licensed immigration specialist” Jang Man-ik said. He operates a one-person consulting agency, VISA in KOREA, in Seoul's southern Seocho district. He regularly chats with workers and foreigners interested in the matter on the firm's Facebook page or texts them. Jang outlines a problem with the rule change. Workers do not get a proper grace period before revised conditions to acquire certain visas kick in. It particularly affects those who have been preparing to switch visas, mostly to a better type with fewer legal restrictions and more security, he said. But in the worst cases, the problem derails applicants whose eligibility for the visa switch was based on previous standards.Many of the workers, mostly from the Sou

Feb 15, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan

[INTERVIEW] Korean visa policies: 'Opaque, erratic'?

Facebook a platform for loan sharks to prey on alien workers: report

A Facebook page that encourages foreign workers to borrow money. Capture from SBSBy Dong Sun-hwaFacebook serves as a platform for loan sharks preying on alien workers in Korea, some of them charging an incredible 180 percent interest rate, according to network television SBS news. The private lenders are thriving because financial institutions are reluctant to serve the workers despite regulations against foreigner discrimination. For instance, when searching on Facebook for “loan in Korea” in Cambodian, several pages pop up, some luring customers with an enticing advertisement, “You can safely borrow money from us in 10 minutes.”Once alien registration certificates and copies of their passports are provided, the loans are made. But according to the report, the annual interest rate can be as high as 180 percent, many times legal limits.The exorbitant interest is only one of the traps facing the workers. Some also seem to fall victim to identity theft after using the loan service on social media. A Cambodian had 1.8 million won ($1,600) of his severance pay con

Feb 14, 2019By Dong Sun-hwa

Facebook a platform for loan sharks to prey on alien workers: report

Rushing through 1970 Seoul's music scene

The cover of a vinyl record shows members of the Seoul-based band Rush in the early 1970s. / Courtesy of Bill Krause By Bill KrauseKorea….what an adventure! In some respects it feels like yesterday, yet in reality it was a lifetime ago. I feel uniquely blessed to have spent the formative years of my childhood in the Land of the Morning Calm. I met life-long friends there, I met my wife Betty there and I got to be a rock star in the band Rush (ed.: no relation to Geddy Lee's band).I joined Rush in 1970 and by 1971 we were performing all over Seoul at numerous events, clubs and charity fundraisers. The lineup at the time was Dean Brown on lead guitar, Rob Cass on bass, Jim Leaper on drums and I played rhythm guitar. Jim and Rob left in early 71 and Jeff Mehiel and Chris Lakas joined us, Jeff on drums and Chris playing bass. This was the core band that played in Myeong-dong from 1971 to 1972, with the addition of Dean's younger sister Robin, a talented vocalist at age

Feb 12, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Rushing through 1970 Seoul's music scene

Analyzing Jimmy Carter's failed USFK withdrawal policy

U.S. President Jimmy Carter meets with Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1979. / Korea Times fileBy Jon DunbarThe South Korea-U.S. alliance, while mostly friendly, has been a tug-of-war for decades. But the two countries often find themselves stuck together, incapable of separating. The 1970s were a time of change, as the U.S. reduced its forces on the Korean Peninsula and looked at ways to reduce more. In June 1971 Richard Nixon withdrew 20,000 troops stationed there, out of a total 61,000, aiming to make South Korea less dependent on U.S. military protection. Later that decade, the 1977-81 Jimmy Carter administration sought to withdraw even more of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), but this time it didn't go so well. Ph.D. candidate Clint Work will give a lecture for the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch on Feb. 19 on Korea-U.S. relations during Carter's administration. “Many within the U.S. foreign policy and national security bureaucracy viewed U.S. combat forces in South Korea as so deeply embedded within a wider hegemonic structure in East Asia that they could not be withdr

Feb 12, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Analyzing Jimmy Carter's failed USFK withdrawal policy

Jeju Island refugees cook up taste of Yemen at 'Wardah'

The Yemeni restaurant “Wardah” is in Jeju City on Jeju Island. Courtesy of the UNHCR KoreaBy Ko Dong-hwanYemeni asylum seekers on Korea's Jeju Island recently began cooking their home-style dishes and serving diners at a new restaurant in the tourism hotspot's Jeju City. “Wardah” is a joint venture between the Yemenis and a local restaurateur-musician, according to UNHCR Korea.The eatery, named after Yemeni for “flower,” has attracted a diverse range of visitors, including Koreans, tourists, foreign residents of the island and, of course, Yemeni migrants. Kebabs, falafel, agdah chicken, hummus and other Middle Eastern foods made and served by chefs and waiters from the war-torn Arabic nation are on the menu. “Eating the food cooked and served by the people makes me feel that I know Yemen better,” says Kim Hee-yeol, who visited Friday evening. “I was moved by the waiter who tried to take the order in Korean using a translation app. They are really trying hard to adapt to the country.”Wardah is less than four kilometers from J

Feb 12, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan

Jeju Island refugees cook up taste of Yemen at 'Wardah'

Foreign Line

Korea-U.S. alliance spotlighted at war memorialThe War Memorial of Korea has been holding a special exhibition, “The Journey of the Greater Alliance towards Peace,” since last November. Just as negotiations on defense cost sharing have ended, the exhibition is coming to an end this Sunday. On Saturday at 3 p.m., the exhibition curator Chang Hyun-seok will give a guided tour of the exhibition. It is organized by Yongsan Legacy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the memories created by the U.S. presence in the rapidly disappearing Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul.The tour is free. Visit fb.com/yongsanlegacy for more information. Seminar analyzes climate change, trends in global responseRetired U.S. Department of State diplomat Daniel Garrett will speak at an Asia Institute seminar on climate change, titled “Wildfire: Two Roads Diverging in a Woods on Fire: The spread of climate chaos and trends in global response today.”The seminar will address three questions: How can we preserve a livable environment? What new forms of governance and approaches

Feb 12, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Foreigners baffled by complex tax settlement process

National Tax Service's Jongno District Office employees check guidebooks for year-end tax settlement for salaried employees in Korea ahead of the opening of online portal for the nationwide process on Jan. 15. NewsisAt the beginning of each year, a growing number of foreign migrant workers in South Korea are confused and frustrated by the mandatory task of the year-end tax settlement.Under the regulations of the National Tax Service (NTS), all South Korean salaried employees are obliged to file a year-end tax settlement in January for their previous year's income for tax refunds or additional tax payments in February.Foreign workers are no exception to the rule, regardless of nationality and the length of stay, if they have earned income in South Korea, the NTS said Wednesday.According to NTS data, a total of 558,000 foreigners here filed year-end tax settlements for their 2017 income, which amounted to 770.7 billion won (US$698 million). Compared with the 2013 tally, the number of foreigners increased 16.2 percent, with their reported income surging 27.9 percent.Starting this year,

Jan 30, 2019

Foreigners baffled by complex tax settlement process

Foreign Line

Free screening of 'Citizen Kane'I Art Seoul, an arts, cultural and social events resource of free and low-cost things to do in Seoul, is offering a free screening of the Orson Welles classic “Citizen Kane” on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Who or what is Rosebud? And who was with newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane in his dying moments to hear him utter his last word? If you don't know the answer to these questions, you need to see this movie. The screening is free of charge, and will be in English with Korean subtitles. I Art Seoul Space is near Noksapyeong Station on Seoul Metro Line 6. Visit fb.com/iartseoul for more information. Bob Marley tribute partySka/reggae singer Bob Marley's birthday is Feb. 6, and this year he would turn 74. On Friday, Feb. 8, DJs from around the world come together in View 33 Itaewon to celebrate Marley's legacy under the theme of "One Love." The event starts at 10 p.m. Visit fb.com/view33itaewon for more information.Julien Baker hits SeoulThe American singer-songwriter Julien Baker is coming to Seoul after the Lunar New Year. Her music is best descri

Jan 29, 2019By Jon Dunbar

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Cityscapes Saying farewell to Yongsan Pochachon…again

Local punk band introduces big plans for 10th anniversary

INTERVIEW Korean visa policies: 'Opaque, erratic'?

Facebook a platform for loan sharks to prey on alien workers: report

Rushing through 1970 Seoul's music scene

Analyzing Jimmy Carter's failed USFK withdrawal policy

Jeju Island refugees cook up taste of Yemen at 'Wardah'

Foreign Line

Foreigners baffled by complex tax settlement process

Foreign Line

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