South Korea - The Korea Times

INTERVIEW Korean Forest Gump's race for Vietnam

Ven. Jino, right, runs the 2,200-kilometer charity marathon with the Buddhist association president Thich Nguyen Thanh from Thai Nguyen Province in Vietnam, front in center, the association director Thich Truc Tiep, behind on left, and other Korean and Vietnamese teammates through Cao Bang Province and the cities of Ca Mau and Da Nang in Vietnam in 2015-16. Every kilometer he ran moved donors to offer 100 won. Photos provided by Making Dreams Come TrueVen. Jino's mission ― building 108 toilets in Vietnam ― includes Manhattan as charity marathon destination in 2020By Ko Dong-hwanGUMI, North Gyeongsang ― Buddhist monk Ven. Jino is sorry for the atrocities South Korean soldiers committed against Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War. South Korea sent about 320,000 soldiers to the war, the second-most following the United States. Some murdered and raped civilians and destroyed their houses. The U.S. government paid the soldiers $236 million in appreciation of their “efforts,” which also included neutralizing part of the Viet Cong presence in southern Vietnam. More than

Sep 6, 2018

[INTERVIEW] Korean Forest Gump's race for Vietnam

INTERVIEW Marathoner monk's 5,255km US challenge cut short by COVID-19

Foreign Community brief

Open stage at Southside ParlorSouthside Parlor in Itaewon hosts Wordsmiths, an open stage event for spoken word, poetry and music. Open mic performers get five minutes, and featured performers can have up to 10 minutes or three songs or poems. The monthly event begins this Sunday at 6 p.m. Performers who need a sound check should come at 5:30 p.m. The organizers ask for any prospective performers to register in advance. “Whether you're a performer or appreciator, come join the growing community, where spoken word and live music collide!” organizers said in an online message. “We are looking forward to what you will share with all of us!”Visit fb.com/SouthsideParlor for more information about the venue.Conference for Korean adopteesNext Monday, Seoul National University hosts the Omma Poom conference, offering a day of talks on the culture surrounding “camptowns” outside U.S. military bases and international adoptions. Talks include “Camptown Mothers: The Secrecy and Stigma of Transnational Adoption” and “Camptown: Mixed Race Korea

Sep 4, 2018

Part Time Cooks drop track with Jay Park

Part-Time Cooks / Courtesy of Lim Ji-seokBy Celeste KrielSeoul-based hip-hop duo Part Time Cooks are on their way to full-time success with the release of their latest song “California Butterfly” with Korean hip-hop artist Jay Park last week. The duo have stepped up their game and are heating up the Korean music scene in this collaboration with Park, who is signed to Roc Nation in the U.S. The song is a feel-good track with tropical and South African influences that is perfect for dancing to under the summer sun, while the video is appropriately set in a colorful utopian jungle.Less than 24 hours after the music video was released via Youtube and just before performing at the South African party Jol at Cakeshop, Part Time Cooks joined The Korea Times outside a GS25 convenience store in Haebangchon where they live for an exclusive first interview after the release of California Butterfly. Winding down (or turning up) with a Guinness or two, the pair chatted candidly while being approached by fans throughout the interview. They spoke about fan reactions, collaborating with

Sep 4, 2018

Part Time Cooks drop track with Jay Park

Joseon Images Aviation history made at Yongsan

Ohtori 4 in Korea in April 1913 / Robert Neff collection courtesy of Rick Linstead By Robert NeffAt 1:30 p.m. on April 3, 1913, aviation history was made on the Japanese military base in Yongsan. Before a huge crowd of people _ including Sunjong, former emperor of the Korean Empire _ the Ohtori 4, an aircraft built by Japanese Lt. Sanji Narahara, raced down an impromptu 35-meter-long runway and soared into the air reaching the astounding height of 30 meters off the ground. For nearly 30 minutes it circled the amazed crowd who responded to the pilot's daring feat with loud applause. The plane landed safely and was refueled before it rolled out at 3:30 for its second flight.This second flight was not as successful. As the plane lifted into the air it was struck by a strong wind and the pilot momentarily lost control of the plane but regained control saving the aircraft from crashing into a nearby cycling track. The flight lasted less than 10 minutes.The plane had two

Sep 4, 2018

[Joseon Images] Aviation history made at Yongsan

Metalheads take Mullae-dong

The extreme metal band Method performs at Mullae Metal City 2017 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of heavy metal in Korea. / Courtesy of Mullae Metal CityBy Jon DunbarBy day it is filled with metalworkers in hole-in-the-wall shops, and after dusk come the metal musicians, also making a terrific racket with their own hands and creativity. Mullae Metal City (MMC) is the showcase festival of Mullae-dong, this humble working-class neighborhood in southwestern Seoul. As gentrification has forced out the live music scene in the Hongik University area, many of Korea's loudest musicians have reassembled a couple of subway stops southward. This weekend, MMC 2018 brings together 12 bands, including Frost Tears from Taiwan, Allegiance Reign from Japan and Leviathan from China, for two days of live music. “Well-developed and organized Japan metal, rapidly growing Chinese metal and well respected and recognized Taiwan metal are writing their own history as we speak. Although a relatively small festival like us has minimum compensation, they are gladly coming to meet with heavy metal m

Sep 4, 2018

Yongsan Legacy Building a hot rod in 1950s Korea

The Jeep is ready to start. / Courtesy of George BreenBy George BreenAs a young man I had one passion: Cars! Fast cars!So, in 1958, when I was drafted to Korea I usually had Saturday and Sunday free. I needed something to keep myself entertained. So the natural thing for me was to build a car.I knew this would not be an easy task. Building hot rods in the military is not a normal thing to do. And of course, the only parts I had access to were military parts. No civilian cars in Korea in the 1950s.Located behind the shop I oversaw was what we called an “evac” lot. This is the military term for junkyard. This is where most of the parts for constructing this car would come from.I did most of the work building the car in my shop at night and on the weekends, while the officers and most of the higher-ranking NCOs were in the village or the NCO club having fun! Being that we were limited to using military parts, my idea for the simplest car was to begin with a jeep frame and axles because they were smaller and lighter than most military vehicles, and then install the largest en

Aug 28, 2018

[Yongsan Legacy] Building a hot rod in 1950s Korea

7 North Koreans reveal life stories for TNKR Speech Contest

Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR) English speech contest / Korea Times photo by John Dunbar North Koreans now living in South Korea participated in an English speech contest last Saturday run by Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR). At the law offices of Shin & Kim, seven participants had 10 minutes sharp to speak on the subject of “What the world does not know about being North Korean.” Guests were warned numerous times not to record or photograph the participants unless explicit permission was given. Though having slightly unfamiliar accents, all spoke eloquently on their experiences and thoughts on North Korea to a packed room, which included embassy personnel and a former South Korean vice unification minister. Their stories all depicted an isolated society with cracks starting to show, and recurring themes including increased market activities and exposure to the outside world. While often dark, their stories also gave hope that all North Koreans can someday joi

Aug 28, 2018

7 North Koreans reveal life stories for TNKR Speech Contest

Mini Print offers creative platform for artists

Courtesy of Mini PrintBy Hallie BradleyArt can bring people together. And that's exactly what Mini Print owners Samantha Blumenfeld and Albert Che are striving to do. Hoping to build community through art, the pair founded their studio specializing in independent zine publishing and small artist edition screenprints last November. Blumenfeld, who majored in printmaking and minored in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, explained, “screenprinting wasn't actually my favorite process _ I really enjoy relief and letterpress printing _ but I found myself constantly in the screenprinting studio making art or working shifts as a studio monitor. I liked how fast and accessible it was compared to other processes.” Though screenprinting wasn't Blumenfeld's first passion, she was pulled back into it in Korea after working in new media for a number of years.Blumenfeld works alongside Che who studied illustration at Pratt Institute and did a lot of social activism work, volunteering at community print shops and bike co-ops and teaching art to orphaned teens. That experience

Aug 28, 2018

Mini Print offers creative platform for artists

Foreign Line

Emu Artspace hosts rooftop party Now that the weather is cooling, The Collective hosts a Summer Rooftop Party on top of Emu Artspace, located next to Gyeonghui Palace on the edge of downtown Seoul.The Collective seeks to bring underrepresented artists from different fields together and give life to their work in a spirit of intersectional collaboration.The event features DJs Ligrye, Monika, Mike Bond and StrangeHer, as well as live performances by singer Samia XI, Machine II the Moon, Jiyo Yu and Earthling.Proceeds go toward The Collective's first main stage show, "Romeo and Juliet."The event starts at noon and entry costs 20,000 won. Visit discoverthecollective.com for more information.Punk band Machines plays final showThe local "punkish" band Machines has its final show this Saturday, as guitarist Michael Travers is moving back to Ireland. It was a short but productive run. Earlier this month the band released the six-song album "Micro," a music video for the song "Everything's Fine" and toured China. The final show is at GBN Live House in Mullae-dong, southwestern Seoul. Joining

Aug 28, 2018

Gov't tightens health insurance rules on expats

South Korea said Tuesday that foreigners should stay at least six months to be eligible for the country's health insurance program in a move to keep them from taking advantage of a loophole in the system.Currently, foreigners who stay in South Korea for more than three months can voluntarily join the National Health Insurance Service.The Ministry of Health and Welfare also said those who receive a humanitarian stay permit can join the country's health insurance program.The ministry, which oversees the health insurance program, announced the legislation to revise the rules of the health insurance program.The move comes as some foreigners join the health insurance program and receive expensive medical treatment before departing South Korea.Last year, 913,000 foreigners, including South Koreans living abroad, signed up for the state health insurance program. (Yonhap)

Aug 28, 2018

Global Community

Global Community

INTERVIEW Korean Forest Gump's race for Vietnam

Foreign Community brief

Part Time Cooks drop track with Jay Park

Joseon Images Aviation history made at Yongsan

Metalheads take Mullae-dong

Yongsan Legacy Building a hot rod in 1950s Korea

7 North Koreans reveal life stories for TNKR Speech Contest

Mini Print offers creative platform for artists

Foreign Line

Gov't tightens health insurance rules on expats

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