Earthquake!!

So, apparently there was an earthquake in Seoul here this evening. Why didn't I notice??? It happened around 6, so maybe I was in the taxi or in an elevator at the time. I've read it measured 3.3 and was centered just southwest of Seoul in Siheung, Gyeonggi province. I onlyr recently read in this not so old article that Seoul is SO not prepared for any major earthquakes. Luckily this one wasn't major.

Korea. now.

A lot seems to be happening in South Korea these days.

First the former president, Roh Moo-Hyun jumped off a cliff (for which they are no anticipating copy-cats???)

Now they have swine flu. Or, at least, the foreigners there do. Foreigners are being tested for the flu (I have some friends there who have been randomly tested), and many are being quarantined en masse. The news articles only mention 15 foreigners being quarantined, but there are a lot more than that according to those actually in the quarantine - more than 50!!! Koreans are now even more afraid of the dirty foreigners than they always seemed to be. One friend sneezed on the bus and ended up with the entire half of the bus to herself!!! Koreans are great at generalizing. One foreigner (or a few) gets the flu and they think all foreigners have it. On a positive note, maybe it will make taking a sick day a bit easier! Sometimes foreigners get sick, call in sick and are forced to work. I've been so sick I couldn't talk, with really bad tonsilitis and other infection that affected my gums and ears. I still had to work. They told me to just not talk as loud.
I guess kimchi didn't work this time around (There were claims that kimchi was the reason SARS didn't come to Korea.) ;)
OH!!! Apparently "ALL foreign teachers who enter the country after May 11, 2009 are required to do a home quarantine for 7 days before returning to school.
During the quarantine, you are required to stay home and wear a mask if leaving the house temporarily to run errands such as grocery shopping. At the end of the 7 day quarantine, you must visit a public health clinic for a final checkup." (I found this on Brian in Jeollanam-do)

And I'm missing it all!!!!!!

On a side note, Korea will soon have a bill larger than the 10,000 won note ($10ish). The new 50,000 won bill will come out June 23rd. The first 100 will be kept at the BOK (Bank of Korea) museum. Then the bills numbered up to 10000 will be auctioned off to the highest bidders. They do have 100,000 won bank checks but they are not the same as bills. Woo hoo. Something bigger than a 10 will be fantastic!

vigilanti 'paparazzi' in Korea

This is a very interesting article.

In South Korea, vigilanti 'paparazzi' patrol the streets

Reporting from Seoul -- With his dapper red scarf and orange-tinted hair, Kim Rae-in is a card-carrying member of the "paparazzi" posse, cruising across Seoul on his beat-up motorcycle on the lookout for the next "gotcha" moment.

He's not stalking starlets or pop singers. He's after the real money-making snaps: the slouching salary man lighting up in a no-smoking area, the homeowner illegally dumping trash, the corner merchant selling stale candy to kids.
The former gas station attendant isn't choosy. Even small crime pays big time -- more than $3,000 last month alone, he says. "It's good money. I'll never go back to pumping gas. I feel free now."

The skinny 34-year-old is among a new breed of candid-camera bugs across South Korea -- referred to as paparazzi, though their subjects are not the rich and famous, but low-grade lawbreakers, whose actions are caught on film that is peddled as evidence to government officials.

In recent years, officials here have enacted more than 60 civilian "reporting" programs that offer rewards ranging from as little as 50,000 won, or about $36, for the smallest infractions to 2 billion won, or $1.4 million, for reporting a large-scale corruption case involving government officials. (That one has yet to be made.)
...
[to read the rest of the article click here]

money

The Korean won is really hurting people these days. I hear about it every day. It really does suck. It's a little higher than it was a couple of weeks ago, though. I'm just hoping it doesn't go down any further. Not only that, there is too much going on in the news to do with North Korea. Not good.

South Korea braces for crisis fallout
From: The Associated Press Published: October 17, 2008

As financial turmoil spreads around the world, South Korea may prove to be one of the most vulnerable countries in Asia.

With its banks facing potential trouble, its currency and stocks reeling and consumer debt on the rise, the country's woes have stirred memories of the regional economic crisis that struck it more than a decade ago.
Now, amid criticism that officials have done too little too late, government leaders are racing to restore confidence in the country's economy.

...
Also, the country's broadest measure of trade — the current account — is expected to record an annual deficit for the first time in a decade, meaning South Korea is spending more on goods, services and investments from overseas than it sells abroad.
South Korean stocks have been no exception to the worldwide rout in equities spurred by the U.S. credit meltdown, falling 38 percent this year. They had already dropped 22 percent even before the collapse last month of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
South Korea's currency was also having a bad 2008 even before declines against the U.S. dollar accelerated amid the crisis. The won has plummeted almost 30 percent this year against the dollar and had its worst single day — a drop of 9.7 percent Thursday — since Dec. 31, 1997.
...

published

Check it out:
The East July Issue
(Look at Page 32, to be more specific)
They borrowed from my blog (with permission).
(^v^)

Korean Education falling behind?

This is kind of shocking knowing the push they have to learn and study and get educated. They start studying at a very early age, as young as only 2 (at which point some schools are teaching them to start to write etc). Only last week, my kindergarten class had to take a big test. A 1.5 hour long test!!! With reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, etc. Ridiculous!!!!
Once they hit elementary school (and often before then), they are sent to private schools after school to study more. Once they are in high school, many go to private schools and study until the wee hours of the morning. One math/etc hagwon that I used to live near had classes until 1 AM. The students then had to be up and back at school before 7:30 or 8 in the morning. They get homework from regular school as well as homework from the hagwons.
High School is often said to be the hardest as the competition to get into a good university is very tight. They base everything on which university they get into, with Seoul University being the best in the country.

Korea Near Bottom of the Class for Education
May 16, 2008
Korea ranked high among world countries in higher education achievement but near the bottom in quality.
In the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2008, published by the International Institute of Management Development in Switzerland, Korea is ranked a poor 53rd among 55 nations in terms of university education meeting the needs of a competitive economy, one of the indices that indicate quality levels.
In contrast, the country ranked fourth in the percentage of population that has attained at least tertiary education for people aged 25-34. That brought Korea's overall ranking in education competitiveness to 35th among the countries surveyed, down six notches from 29th in 2007. The country's ranking in education competitiveness has been yoyo-ing from 44th among 60 in 2004 to 40th in 2005, to 42nd among 61 in 2006 and 29th of 55 in 2007.
Competitiveness rankings were given according to compatibility with a competitive society, qualified engineers available in the labor market, and knowledge transfer between companies and universities.
Korea ranked a high fifth in scientific infrastructure, up two notches from last year, and top in patent productivity, a gauge of patents granted to residents or research and development personnel in business, fourth in business expenditure on R&D, and fifth in total expenditure on R&D out of GDP.
The country came 14th in technological infrastructure, down eight notches from 2007, due in large part to lack of sufficient technological regulations and cyber security. Korea ranked the lowest among 55 nations in the IMD survey on whether technological regulation supports business development and innovation.
(englishnews@chosun.com )

game addiction

Every now and then there comes some sort of news article to do with the results of game addiction in Korea. People can even die as a result of game addiction. This one is horrible. I can't imagine ever even considering leaving a baby at home alone!!!! It's an older article but for some reason has been viewed a lot recently.

Infant Daughter Dies as Parents Play Online Game
June 14th, 2005 Chosun Ilbo
A thoughtless couple in their 20s who left their four-month old daughter at home while they played Internet computer games at a nearby PC café have been booked by police after the child died.
According to Incheon Police Station on Tuesday, a 29-year-old man husband identified by his family name of Yu and his wife put their four-month daughter in the bedroom of their home and went to a neighborhood PC café at around 4:00 p.m. on May 24 to play the online game "World of Warcraft.
Time flew by as the couple lost themselves in the game, and when they returned home at 9:00 p.m., their daughter was lying on her stomach, dead of suffication.
The couple told police, "We were thinking of playing for just an hour or two and returning home like usual, but the game took longer that day."
Police said an investigation turned up that the couple, who wed last year, used to play "World of Warcraft" whenever they had time.
Police said, "It's unfortunate, because the tragedy could have been averted if the couple had just left their daughter with Yu's mother-in-law, who lived upstairs from them... We booked the pair on criminal charges, judging that when you consider the situation, they were responsible for their daughter's death."
Major U.S. online game producer Blizzard, which grew famous with the game "Starcraft", produced the game to which Yu and his wife were addicted, "World of Warcraft." The game allows multiple players to form teams to fight battles and enjoy various adventures.
(Lee Yong-su, hejsue@chosun.com )

ummm.

Scary?

N Korea 'will turn South to ash'
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008 Al Jazeera
North Korea has threatened to turn its southern neighbour to "ashes" after South Korea's military chief said he would conduct a pre-emptive strike if the North tried to carry out a nuclear attack.
The warning is the latest outburst in an escalating war of words since South Korea's new president took office last month pledging a tougher line on relations with the North.
An unidentified military commentator was quoted as saying in the North's official Korean Central News Agency: "Our military will not sit idle until warmongers launch a pre-emptive strike.
"Everything will be in ashes, not just a sea of fire, once our advanced pre-emptive strike begins."
The warning comes as a South Korean newspaper said on Monday that North Korean fighter jets had been testing South Korean nerves by flying close to southern air space.
The report in the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said South Korean fighters had been scrambled at least 10 times in the past month in response to near incursions.
Last week, Kim Tae-young, the chairman of South Korea's joint chiefs of staff, told a parliamentary hearing that the military would strike a suspected North Korean nuclear weapons site if it believed the North was about to launch a nuclear attack.
In reports on state television on Monday North Korea's military said Kim's remarks would be seen as "tantamount to a declaration of war" if Seoul did not apologise.
North Korea has become increasingly angry over the tougher line taken by Lee Myung-bak, the South Korean president, since assuming office last month.
Lee's predecessors had sent billions of dollars in aid to the North, getting little in return, according to critics.
But the new president has said that if Pyongyang wants to keep receiving aid, it should improve its human rights record, abide by an international nuclear disarmament deal and start returning the more than 1,000 South Koreans captured or held since the 1950-53 Korean war.
The war ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two sides still technically at war.
Its latest comments come just before parliamentary elections next week in South Korea that could strengthen Lee's hand if conservative allies win control of the legislature.
The North has made similar statements in the past, usually in response to joint South Korean-US military drills. In 1994, a North Korean official threatened to turn Seoul into a "sea of fire".
Its comments also came ahead of a visit to South Korea by the chief US negotiator in stalled North Korean nuclear disarmament talks.
Christopher Hill was due to arrive in Seoul on Tuesday to speak at a forum and talk with South Korean officials.
On Thursday North Korea expelled South Koreans working at a joint factory park in the North after South Korea said it would hold off expanding the joint industrial zone until the dispute over Pyongyang's nuclear programmes was resolved.
The Kaeson industrial park, located on North Korean territory, had been hailed as a model of economic co-operation,
South Korea's defence ministry has said it will consider whether to send a response to the North over its demand for a retraction of Kim's pre-emptive strike statement.
A senior officer at the defence ministry said officials were working "to ensure the public would not worry about" the North's recent actions and statements, but did not elaborate.

and

North Korea warn of pre-emptive nuclear strike against neighbour
Leo Lewis In Tokyo March 31, 2008
An escalating war of words across the world’s last Cold War, nuclear-armed border spiraled dramatically yesterday when North Korea threatened to wreak total destruction on its neighbour to the south.
“Our military will not sit idle until warmongers launch a pre-emptive strike,” the official news agency in Pyongyang reported a senior military commander as saing, “everything will be in ashes, not just a sea of fire, if our advanced pre-emptive strike once begins.”
The threat was among the most direct and bellicose statements from Pyongyang since North Korea test-fired an atomic device in late 2006. International efforts since then to persuade the country’s enigmatic dictator, Kim Jong il, to abandon his weapons programme have repeatedly stalled.
The threat also marked a fourth day of rapidly deteriorating relations on the Korean peninsula, which remains technically still at war despite more than 50 years of often uncomfortable armistice.
The two countries – the prosperous, modern South and the unpredictable Stalinist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) – continue to glare at one another across the world’s most heavily armed border.
A note sent by a North Korean military delegation to its South Korean counterpart on Saturday, said that “these outbursts are the gravest challenge ever in the history of the inter-Korean relations and a reckless provocation little short of a war declaration against the DPRK.”
Sunday’s warning followed remarks in Seoul earlier in the weekend in which the head of South Korea’s military vowed to conduct a pre-emptive strike on the suspected North Korean nuclear weapons site if Pyongyang tried to attack with atomic weapons.
The office of the chairman of the South’s joint chiefs of staff later explained that it was a statement of general principles, rather than a hint that the South was planning any unprovoked attack on the North. Pyongyang said that it would suspend all cross-border dialogue unless the remarks were withdrawn and an apology issued.
Although the communist regime of Kim Jong Il has regularly used this form of extreme language in the past, long-term North Korea experts said that its renewed appearance of the past few days should be treated with some caution.
The row, which has already seen 11 South Korean officials expelled from a joint economic “friendship” zone by the North, is thought to be a test by Pyongyang of the mettle of the new president in Seoul.
On Friday the DPRK test-fired a salvo of short-range missiles, reprising an act that has traditionally provoked outrage in Seoul and placed South Korean leaderships under immense domestic strain.
Lee Myung Bak was elected to the South Korean presidency in December last year on promises of a stronger economy. But he made little secret that his view towards North Korea and Kim Jong il would be far less conciliatory than his predecessor’s.
His response to the current escalation of tensions will be closely scrutinised on both sides of the demilitarized zone that splits the peninsula.
In addition to the deeper conflict over Pyongyang’s atomic weapons programme, the most recent row has ignited an argument over a line in the Yellow Sea that has never been recognised by North Korea: officials in Pyongyang said on Friday that “armed conflict may break out at any moment” over the boundary.

Update on Bill Kapoun

Unfortunately, Bill Kapoun wasn't able to overcome his injuries and passed away Saturday. So sad. Of course, the medical bills incurred still have to be paid.

Foreign Teacher Dies of Injuries From Fire
By Kang Shin-who Staff Report 03-09-2008
William Kapoun, 26, an American teacher who sustained severe burn injuries in a fire at his apartment, passed away Saturday.
He had been in intensive care at Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, since Feb. 24.
The young American’s parents asked for repeated cardiopulmonary resuscitation after concurrent cardiac arrests to be stopped.
His father Dan Kapoun, a retired soldier, plans to hold a memorial service at the U.S. Army Base in Yongsan as soon as his son’s body is conveyed to the family from the hospital after the settlement of treatment fees, estimated at 77 million won (about $80,000) in total.
Donators and supporters extended their helping hand to the Kapoun family through the blog site www.billkapoun.com. They also made direct donations to a bank account that was opened here under the name of Warren Franklin William Fund. The donations have reached about $60,000 in total, according to his friends.
"Thank you all of you, from our entire family for your support and good wishes. The Korean people have been very kind to us," Judy Kapoun, his mother told The Korea Times. His parents will return to the United States after the memorial service here.
On top of donations from various people around the world, his family found that part of treatment costs would be covered by South Korea’s National Health Insurance Corp. following a retroactive payment. About 30 million won was covered by the insurance.
His death has alerted other foreign teachers here about their working conditions and safety. "The unfortunate tragedy awoke me to the fact that foreign teachers should make plans for their own safety. They must make sure that they are covered by insurance," said Michale John Bodnar, one of William’s friends.
Meanwhile, police said it appears the fire was "accidental." But they said they have yet to officially determine the exact cause of the fire that killed Kapoun and his girlfriend.
"We have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire. But it appears the fire broke out accidentally and chances of arson are low," a police official said.
Kapoun, a graduate of Indiana University, had been teaching students English as a part-time teacher at Bulam Elementary School in Northern Seoul. The fire at his apartment left him with third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body.

Help Bill Kapoun

A week or so ago, a foreign English teacher here in Seoul suffered severe burns fire tore throught his home. He suffered third degree burns to more than 70% of his body! He is now in the hospital here in Korea. Unfortunately, he doesn't have health insurance here in Korea as it was not offered in his contract. His family and friends are trying to raise money to cover his medical costs here and to pay for his transfer to the Cook County Burn Center in Chicago which has offered free medical care as long as it takes to get him better.

I would hope that if anything ever happened to me, people would be so helpful. I do have National Healthcare here, though it still doesn't cover everything. Koreans all have two kinds of health insurance. National health insurance and some sort of private health insurance that covers emergencies and such.

There is a Facebook group for Bill Kapoun and a blog, Save Bill Kapoun, as well. They have set up several ways for people to make donations. IF you want to help him, check out Bill Kapoun's Burn Fund.

Family fights to save burn victim
Before third-degree burns on half his body turned his life upside down, Will Kapoun was not just any English teacher - he was a born natural.
"He has three younger brothers that just idolize him and being a teacher is something he really enjoyed. When he would come home from traveling, he would give them projects to do: research and presentations to the family on countries he visited," his mother, Judy Kapoun, said in an interview.
"He was just a born teacher," she added.
On Monday, Feb. 25, a fire tore through his Haebangchon, central Seoul, apartment. Details are still sketchy, but it is suspected the fire started inside the front entrance of his apartment from "a flammable liquid." No other apartments in his building were damaged and no one else was injured.
"We're concentrating on survival, we're not even close to thinking recovery," his mother said.
In his apartment itself, one bedroom was untouched by the fire as the door was shut, Judy told The Korea Herald. "But Will's bedroom and the living room are all totally charred and blistered. The fire and the heat must have been so incredibly intense."
Will, 26, is now in critical condition in an intensive care burn ward at a hospital in Seoul. "He has third-degree burns on over 64 percent of his body. His arms, chest, back, legs - basically the only thing not burned is his thighs," said his mother. "He is still extremely critical; as a matter of fact he took a turn for the worse (Wednesday)."
Will has been undergoing skin graft surgery since last week and had more work done on Monday. But his mother said that he doesn't have enough of his own skin left for more grafts. "He doesn't have enough of his own flesh left to transplant it, so they have to grow flesh in a Petri dish. We had to agree to the cost of that yesterday just to get them started on that."
Cost is another serious issue for the Kapouns. While Will was retroactively added to the Korean National Health Insurance program this week, it is only expected to offset a fraction of the total costs as it does not cover skin grafts. Each operation costs around $15,000. Treatment costs could reach around 145 million won ($150,000) or higher for injuries as bad as Will's.
A Medivac to a hospital in the United States will cost another $170,000. Judy said that Quick County Hospital in Chicago has agreed to take Will in and treat him at no cost to the family - but that they would be responsible for the $170,000 Medivac.
But at this point, said Judy, he is still fighting for his life, and will not be able to be transported for months.
Will is the oldest of five children - his youngest brother is just 12. A family friend in the United States, Abby Cox, explained: "The boys are at home in Alexandria, Indiana, with their grandmother, who is also undergoing cancer treatments."
"(Costs) keep mounting. He had to go on dialysis today and at one point we were given a figure of $150,000, but I think it's going to surpass that greatly because of complications," Judy said.
Will had been working at Bulam Elementary School as a part-time English instructor and was working under 15 hours a week. Under Korean law, employers are not on the hook for health insurance for part-time employees. "Part-time employees are not covered by mandatory health insurance," Brendan Carr, a foreign legal consultant with Hwang Mok Park law firm in Seoul.
Carr also said anyone legally residing in Korea is permitted to retroactively join Korea's national health insurance plan, but that they are liable to costs from the date of eligibility. "If you enroll late, be aware that the insured is required to ante up for all unpaid premiums as from the date of eligibility for cover - i.e., date of arrival. You don't get to buy insurance just when you need it."
So far, national health insurance has covered about 40 percent of the costs. "At this point right now, only about $20,000 of $55,000" has been made up by the insurance, noted Judy.
Responding fast to the family's plight, friends in both the United States and Korea have established financial support channels.
Laura, 22, Will's younger sister, is spearheading awareness and fundraising in the United States from her university in Bloomington, Indiana. With the help of friends, she set up www.billkapoun.com, where online donations are being accepted from people in the United States.
"I needed a way to clearly state what happened to my brother and how people could help. The website has been able to do this," she said. So far, the website has raised about $19,000.
Kin Jin-uk, a family friend, told The Korea Herald a bank account has been established and is now taking donations from people residing in Korea. He noted that the Kookmin Bank account is for direct deposit donations. The account number is 794002-04-03-1635 and the holder name is "Warren Franklin-William Fund."
A blog has also been set up to provide regular updates on Will's condition: www.savebillkapoun.blogspot.com. Fundraising events in Seoul are being planned and will be posted on the blog.
As the money slowly comes in, the Kapouns continue to fight alongside their son. Immediately after the devastating fire, his mother and father came to Korea to be at his side for as long as it takes.
"Will and I have always been really close. I am simply doing everything that I can to make sure that my brother is able to receive everything he needs to recover from this. I hope that people are able to see the human in this story and open their hearts to that," said Laura.
By Matthew Lamers 2008.03.07

Foreign Teachers Campaign for Colleague Injured in Fire
By Kang Shin-who Staff Reporter 03-04-2008
William Kapoun, 26, loved teaching kids. But the young, confident American will not be able to continue what he loves ― at least for a long while. About 10 days ago, a fire broke out at his apartment at dawn and left him with third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body.
The part-time teacher at Bulam Elementary School in northern Seoul is now in intensive care. He will have to endure reconstructive surgery on numerous occasions and a lengthy recovery. Despite the will to live, however, he lacks the means to fight the brutal battle.
The blaze not only altered his body and dreams but also laid bare working conditions that are void of shelters or insurance schemes against such terrible accidents. His full treatment is estimated to cost roughly $130,000.
His parents flew over immediately. They are also shocked by the staggering costs as he has no health insurance under his contract . "He lived in an unsafe apartment. There was no sprinkler system or fire alarm and he had only one exit, which was blocked by the fire," Dan Kapoun, 53, father of William, told The Korea Times at the hospital in Seoul.
The father lamented the absence of any clear insurance policy. "I think whoever hires someone should take responsibility for making sure there is insurance," he said.
He said his son was very happy when he decided to go to Korea. "My son was very adventurous. He thought it would be a very good thing to teach English here, not only for him but also his students."
Kapoun Burn Fund
Bulam Elementary School, the employer of the victim, said that the school is not obliged to provide any insurance coverage to employees working less than 15 hours a week in line with the Labor Law. The school has some 10 other part-time foreign teachers working under similar conditions.
William initially started to teach at a hagwon before transferring to the "after-school" English programs that paid him some 2.2 million won a month. He has worked here for 14 months. He holds a double-bachelors degree in history and economics from Indiana University, his home state school.
With his parents in a difficult financial situation, his friends and colleagues are joining hands to launch a campaign to raise funds via the Internet at http://www.billkapoun.com.
Calling on educational authorities to take measures to install systems to protect foreign teachers, they also lamented the absence of any organized representative body for teachers to rely on when disaster strikes.
Matthew Sellar, a part-time teacher at an elementary school in Seoul, said that the terrible situation could happen to other foreigners as well. "The fact that William was uninsured is indicative of the larger issue that many foreign English teachers do not have insurance," he said. "I wish it was easier for foreigners to report illegal activities without fear of being fired, deported, or arrested. I love Korea. I love teaching my students."
Faulty Hiring Procedures
Apart from some 4,000 full-time foreign teachers at public schools across the country, many other schools employ native-English speaking teachers for their 'after-school' programs through recruitment agencies.
In Seoul alone, there were 833 English programs after school hours. While full-time foreigners get benefits such as health insurance, pension and severance, part-time workers are not entitled to such basic packages.
Most schools hire teachers through agents and many of the part-time teachers have difficulty in communicating with their employers. That’s because agents do not care much about them once schools hire them. Some agents don’t even give contract copies to foreign teachers, William’s friends who were gathered at the hospital said.
Korea Immigration Service issues E-2 visas to foreigners as long as the employers are trustful such as public schools. Under the immigration law, holders of E-2, or working visa, are not automatically entitled to insurance coverage. There should be contracts guaranteeing insurance coverage for them to be protected by insurance.
"As far as I know E-2 visa holding foreigners are not eligible for insurance policies without contracts containing insurance coverage," said Kim Young-guen, an immigration official.
Adam Mueller, another native-English speaking teacher also asked the Korean government to give more attention to their difficulties. "The situation that our friend William is in is the ultimate nightmare for a foreigner in Korea; huge medical bills, difficulty getting information and no easy access to solutions," he said. "Teachers considering working in Korea will naturally have some concerns about their new life."
If the Korean government does more to make foreigners feel confident about their safety and access to information, Korea will be able to attract more and better English teachers, he added.
Warren Franklin, who is teaching at a university, said "If a teacher is working for an 'after-school' program and is given an E2 visa they should be entitled to insurance at least."
Meanwhile, police have yet to figure out the exact cause of the fire. They say it will take one or two more weeks to determine exact reasons.

The mountains did it.

What happened to Namdaemun?[photo from www.koreatimes.co.kr]
ONE theory, according to Jeon Hang-soo, head of Korea Oriental Topography Research Center, is that the gate was built to block the fire energy emitted from the pointy mountains around the city, and that if the gate weren't there, Gyeongbok Palace, a ways behind it, would have caught fire.

Mysterious Energy Linked to Blaze
By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter 02-11-2008 17:49
Oriental topography experts said the fire at Seoul's 600-year-old structure may have something to do with the mysterious "fire-torching" energy from a mountain in southern Seoul.
"From the perspective of Oriental topography, it is possible that the energy torched the fire," said Jeon Hang-soo, head of Korea Oriental Topography Research Center. "Basically, Seoul is more densely filled with the energy than any other cities due to the shape of mountaintops surrounding the city ― spiky and sharp. Mount Gwanak in Southern Seoul notably has the characteristic."
In Oriental topography, spiky mountaintop stands for "fire" and "hot temper."
Noting that Gyeongbok Palace, a home to kings during the Joseon Kingdom (1392~1910), Namdaemun and Mount Gwanak are topologically standing in a straight line. Kang Whan-woong, 74, a professor at Sejong University in Seoul, said "Namdaemun was constructed with the hope of blocking the 'aggressive' and 'fire-inviting' energies from sneaking into the palace."
Ancestors had installed statues of "Haetae," a tiger-shaped legendary creature, at the grand gateway in a bid to suppress the energy, he added.
If the gate had not existed, a blaze would have broke out at the palace and even the presidential office, Chung Wa Dae, the professor said.
He pointed out another two mountains in Seoul with the same characteristic as Mount Gwanak ― Mount. Bukhan in the heart of the city and Mount Dobong in Northeastern Seoul.
Some experts in Oriental topography said the number of crimes in the capital might increase in the aftermath of the gate's collapse.
"As Namdaemun, having served as a guardian restraining the 'hot-temper' and 'easy-fighting' energies from Mount Gwanak disappears, we will see the number of crimes in the capital escalating until its restoration," predicted head of the topography research center. "The restoration of Cheonggye stream has largely contributed to mixing the hostile energy with peaceful one from the manmade waterway, resulting in weakening the violent energy."
Namdaemun was given the status of "National Treasure No. 1" in 1962. The original gate was constructed in 1398, rebuilt in 1447 and has since been frequently renovated.

If that's too much for you to believe, there are other possible explanations. They've arrested a 70 year old man who admitted to carrying out arson. It is said that he is only a suspect, but from what I've read, and from his confessions, I'm pretty sure he did it.

S Korea arrests 70-year-old in landmark fire
(Agencies)Updated: 2008-02-12 10:42
SEOUL, South Korea - Police arrested a 70-year-old man suspected of setting a fire that destroyed the country's top cultural treasure, the 610-year-old Namdaemun gate in Seoul, authorities said Tuesday.
The man, identified only by his family name Chae, was arrested Monday night on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, Korean national news organizations said.
"The suspect has admitted he carried out an arson," police official Lee Man-kook said Tuesday, without giving further details.
The fire broke out Sunday night and burned down the wooden structure at the top of the Namdaemun gate, which once formed part of a wall that encircled the South Korean capital.
Police have secured a letter from the suspect, in which he complained about the compensation of his lands in Gyeonggi province near Seoul and he set the fire to draw social interest, Yonhap news agency said.
Hundreds of stunned South Koreans gathered near the charred structure Monday night.
"My heart is burning," Lee Il-soo, a 56-year-old man who runs a small business, said as he fought back tears. He said the fire had destroyed the pride of South Korea.
The two-tiered wooden structure was renovated in the 1960s, when it was declared South Korea's top national treasure. The government built a plaza around the gate, officially known as Sungnyemun, in 2005 and opened it to the public the following year for the first time in nearly a century.
The gate — carrying a plaque reading "The Gate of Exalted Ceremonies" in Chinese characters — had been off-limits to the public since Japanese colonial authorities built an electric tramway nearby in 1907. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
The Cultural Heritage Administration said it would take at least three years to fully restore the gate and it would cost some $21 million. Some 360 firefighters fought to bring the blaze under control, said Lee Sang-joon, an official with the National Emergency Management Agency.
Yonhap reported earlier that police said Chae's physical appearance and outfit matched those of a person witnesses said climbed the stairs of the gate shortly before the fire started. It added that police found a backpack and an aluminum ladder at Chae's house that witnesses claimed the man was carrying at the scene. A bottle of thinner was also found in his house, it said.
Yonhap said the man had been charged in 2006 with allegedly setting fire to the Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, which caused $4,230 in property damage. Yonhap quoted the police officer as saying Chae was only one of several suspects.
An official at a police station handling the case refused to confirm the report.
Firefighters found two disposable lighters at the spot where they believed the fire broke out, Yonhap reported earlier, citing fire official Oh Yong-kyu.
President-elect Lee Myung-bak visited the scene Monday and deplored the destruction of the landmark, the namesake of Seoul's central district.
Kim Ok-ja, a 40-year-old public servant, said she could not sleep Sunday night after hearing of the fire because her heart was broken.
"I came here immediately after finishing work because my heart aches so much," she said after offering a white flower, a traditional symbol of grieving.

Also, there is a lot of discussion as to WHY Korea didn't have more surveilance or protection for Namdaemun, their No. 1 National Treasure. 24 hour guards, more cameras or such. Who knows. I think that Korea doesn't have a lot of the vandalism problems that many countries have to deal with.

Poor Security Blamed for Gate Burnout
By Kim RahnStaff Reporter 02-11-2008 18:54
Security loopholes were detected after an overnight destruction of the nation's top treasure Sungnyemun Gate, also known as Namdaemun, in central Seoul.
Experts said that the fire that destroyed the city's landmark wooden architecture was destined to happen due to the opening of the treasure to the public without appropriate security measures. They said the seeds of the accident were sown in 2006 when the gate was open to the people with the exception of second floor of the gate.
Despite the free access to the gate, only six infrared sensors and four CCTVs were installed around it, with no monitoring inside the gate, police said.
Eight fire extinguishers were the only anti-fire equipments for Sungnyemun, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration and Jung-gu ward office. There were neither fire alarms nor sprinklers.
KT Telecop, a security services unit of KT Corp., has been in charge of security of the gate since late January. The security firm failed to spot the fire immediately and its security officials were on the scene later than firefighters.
As to the start of the fire, night lighting equipment had the possibility of short circuiting, while arson was feared as people could easily access the gate.
Three workers from the ward office guarded Namdaemun on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. when the arched gate at the center of the structure was open, and one worker on weekends.
During nighttime, however, the cultural asset was guarded by an unmanned security system of the security firm. Some pointed out that the blaze could have been brought under control at the start of the fire if a night duty worker had been stationed there.
"Three workers are posted there during the daytime, but their main job is opening and closing the gate, providing information to tourists and checking the condition of the structure. We had only an unmanned security system at night, so it was difficult to take immediate measures against fire or other damage occurring at nighttime," a Seoul City official said.
He said a state managed system should have been prepared ― for example, the government directly managing cultural properties or providing an adequate budget to local authorities in charge of management.
After the fire at Naksan Temple in Gangwon Province in April 2005, which destroyed a bronze bell, Treasure No. 479, the administration has promoted a disaster prevention project at major wooden cultural heritages, setting up fire-fighting equipment at four temples so far. Sungnyemun was included in the project, but had not been equipped with such systems.
The official also said that the law on cultural property protection focuses only on "preserving the assets in their original forms," and thus restricts installing fire-fighting equipment.
"To keep the cultural properties' in their original forms, the law allows only simple fire-fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers. Installing equipment using electricity, such as fire alarms, is restricted to prevent possible damage to them," an official of the National Emergency Management Agency said.
Lee Sung-won, deputy cultural property administrator, said Monday that the authorities will make efforts to restore Sungnyemun as it was.
Besides Namdaemun and Naksan Temple, the nation has seen several cases of fire, which resulted in damage to cultural heritage sites. In April 2006, a man set one of the buildings in Changgyeong Palace in central Seoul on fire. In May 2007, fire started by an arsonist demolished a wooden pavilion in Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, a World Cultural Heritage. Earlier this year, two middle school girls set fire to a grass field near the fortress while searching for their cell phones.

Namdaemun

A few months ago I took some pics of Namdaemun (officially Sungnaemun 숭례문) on two different occasions (mun is gate). I had planned on posting them but never got around to it.
October 26th:side view at nightthe ceiling through the gateNovember 4th:Front view with guardsUnfortunately, I was unable to go into the main structure.

Seoul Sungnyemun
Designation: National Treasure No. 1
Period: Joseon Dynasty 1389
Location: 29 Namdaemunno 4(sa)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
This was the main gate in the fortress wall of Seoul. It is also called Namdaemun (Great South Gate), as it is the southern gate of the capital city. It was first constructed in 1389, and was rebuilt in 1448.
The gatehouse, which measures 5 kan (a kan is the interval between the pillars) in width and 2 kan in depth, is a wooden structure built in typical style. It is the largest city gate in Korea. There are some conflicting theories about the author of the characters on the plaque hanging from the gate, but it is recorded in an old text called "Jibongyuseol" (1634) that they were written by Prince Yangnyeong.
[from the sign posted at the site]

It is just around the corner from Seoul Station. Next to it is Namdaemun Market, which is a huge outdoor/indoor market full of clothes, shoes and other such things.

Namdaemun WAS such a beautiful structure. Last night it burnt down.

The fire supposedly started at around 8:30 and lasted long through the night. At around 11pm a news article came out reporting that there was no major damage.
Arson Suspected in Namdaemun Fire
REALLY??? No major damage? From seeing live coverage on Korean news channels I could tell that it was pretty much destroyed, even at around 11 P.M.

Fire Destroys Historic Seoul Landmark
Fire destroyed perhaps Seoul’s most famous landmark on Sunday night when flames engulfed the Sungnyemun, more commonly known as Namdaemun or South Gate, the nation’s no.1 national treasure. Thirty-nine fire engines and 88 firefighters rushed to the scene at shortly before 9 p.m. on Sunday. The destruction of a six-century-old national treasure is being blamed on the misjudgment of firefighters and inept attempts to bring the fire under control at the initial stage. At 10:30 p.m., firefighters believed they had extinguished the flames, but it rekindled on the second floor and engulfed the gate. A taxi driver identified as Lee Sang-gon said he saw a man entering Namdaemun with a bag in his hand while waiting for a fare. “Several minutes later, a fire broke out on the second floor of the gate. I immediately reported it to police.”
Firefighters fought the blaze with ladders and fire hoses at 8:55 p.m. and by 10: 30 p.m. thought the fire was under control and focused on putting out smaller flames. But the blaze rekindled at 10:40 p.m. and burnt the roof out. It collapsed at 12:40 a.m. on Monday. At 12:00 a.m., firefighters belatedly tried to take the roof apart and douse the gate with water inside, but the effort failed and firefighters were reduced to watching the gate collapse while they sprinkled water around it at ground level.
[english.chosun.com]

Gate That Survived 600 Years Consumed by Fire in Hours
Seoul’s historic Sungyemun, better known as Namdaemun or South Gate, which was razed by a fire on Sunday night, had survived several wars including the Japanese invasion during the Chosun dynasty in 1592 and the Manchurian invasion of Korea in 1636. Now, due to a suspected attack by a lone arsonists, one of the oldest remaining wooden structures in Seoul is no more.
The 600-year-old gate was designated the no.1 national treasure in December 1962. The biggest remaining castle gate, construction began in the area where Mt. Namsan met the southern castle wall in 1395, after the Chosun dynasty moved the capital to Seoul. It was completed in 1398.
The gate was repaired in 1447. According to historical documents found during repair work in the early 1960s, the gate underwent another massive restoration in 1479. There was also large-scale repair work from 1961 to 1963 of damage inflicted during the Korean War. Since then, only minor repairs have been carried out. The Sungnyemun stood forlorn on a traffic island in the thick traffic of central Seoul after the Japanese destroyed the castle wall during colonial rule. But in May 2005, a new plaza was opened around the gate, which was opened to the public in March 2006 for the first time in 100 years. Sunday night’s tragedy was the first fire at Sungnyemun in 600 years.
[english.chosun.com]

How sad. :(
[photos of fire and damage from Chosun.com]

An apple a day

Makes sense. And I just bought a big bag of apples today! :)

Eat apples, bananas and oranges to boost memory
Saturday, 02 February , 2008, 19:09
New York: Regular consumption of apples, bananas and oranges can protect the brain from damage and also improve memory, suggests a new study by American and South Korean scientists.
These fruits are important sources of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Of the three, apples appeared to contain the most antioxidants, followed by bananas and oranges, the study found.
Scientists at Cornell University, New York, and their colleagues from several universities in South Korea exposed cancer cells to phenolics - a class of chemical compounds extracted from the three fruits, health portal Medical News Today reported.
The scientists then put the cells under oxidative stress - a general term used to describe the damage in a cell, tissue or organ caused by reactive oxygen species.
The researchers discovered that the chemical of the fruits had prevented a significant proportion of cells from succumbing to damage from oxidative stress, with varying degrees of success.

building a canal across Korea?

This doesn't seem like a very good idea to me. Knowing how small Korea really is, I don't think it would really save all that much time in terms of transport. It would just be a very time consuming and expensive project that will destroy much of Korea's countryside, most of which is mountains.
Canal plan divides Korea
By John Sudworth BBC News, Seoul
"South Korea's incoming President Lee Myung-bak intends to build a canal stretching the length of the country - he believes it will be an engineering marvel, others say it is lunacy."

One man's trash is another man's treasure

What an excellent idea!

Edmonton centre proves one's trash is another's treasure
Last Updated: Monday, January 14, 2008 12:52 PM ET CBC News
A warehouse in downtown Edmonton that connects people dropping off unwanted items and others picking up recycled treasures has in six months diverted 26 tonnes of waste from the city's landfill.
The Edmonton Reuse Centre, which is run by the city at 100th Street and 103A Avenue, was started last summer to encourage people to reuse items and redirect waste from landfills.
More than 5,000 people have taken advantage of the centre in six months, said Amy Baxter, the facility's co-ordinator.
Coffee cans, trophies, yarn, floor tiles and tennis balls may seem like junk to some people but teachers, arts groups and bargain hunters are snapping up the treasures.
"I think one of the things that surprised me was that we take the egg cartons and when I first started we had hundreds and hundreds of egg cartons. We were a little concerned about them going out again. But now we can't keep them in," said Martha-Jean Clarke, who helps sort donations at the centre.
It is free for people to drop off items, while customers are charged a flat rate of $2 for a load or an annual fee of $20 for unlimited loads. There are no restrictions on the size of each load.
The centre does not accept furniture, clothing or appliances and works with other agencies and charities to ensure it is not taking items that could be used by them.
Supplies for arts and crafts most popular
Erin Tempest, an art student at the University of Alberta, was shopping at the centre for the first time, looking for items for her art projects.
"Some dried flowers, some cellophane, a paisley tie," she said, sharing what she had in her basket. "Stuff with cool textures is what I'm looking for or is what is appealing to me anyway."
In the next aisle, Veronique Drouin pushed her shopping cart carefully up and down the narrow aisles, scanning the overflowing bins.
The great grandmother shops at the centre two or three times a week, looking for embroidery and fabric.
Centre eyes expansion next year
Unloading a van full of Christmas wrapping and odds and ends, it was Elaine Hunter's sixth stop at the centre before her move to Vancouver.
"I'm cleaning out the basement. After 40 years of a big house, we're downsizing," she said. "I've had people taking things out of my car. I don't even get them in [the centre]."
Business is so brisk that the centre will be looking for a bigger home once the lease expires on its current location next year.
"We think it's just going to keep on getting busier and busier," said Baxter.
"We do lots of regulars but we also have lots of people who here finding this a whole new thing that they can do, so I think that's a huge thing that we're going to get bigger and better."

China might move in on North Korea!??

This doesn't sound so good, but I suppose it kinda sounds like something the US has in its plans for North Korea and other such countries on their list.

China 'plans to send troops into North Korea'
By Richard Spencer in Beijing Last Updated: 2:10am GMT 10/01/2008
China is planning to send troops into North Korea to restore order and secure its nuclear arsenal in the event of the regime’s collapse.
According to a new report, Beijing would send in the People’s Liberation Army if it felt threatened by a rapid breakdown in Kim Jong-il’s rule over the country.
China would seek to win the backing of the United Nations first, but would be prepared to act unilaterally if necessary.
“If the international community did not react in a timely manner as the internal order in North Korea deteriorated rapidly, China would seek to take the initiative in restoring stability,” said the report by two Washington think-tanks.
Based on extensive interviews conducted in China, including with PLA academics, the report’s findings back up previous indications of China’s major change in attitude to Kim Jong-il after the North Korean nuclear test of October 2006, and also demonstrate its willingness to assert itself in international affairs.
Separately, Beijing today announced its ambitions in space for the coming year, including the launch of 15 rockets and 17 satellites as well as its first space walk.
According to PLA academics quoted by the report, which was written by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and the US Institute of Peace, the army has three “missions” in a failing North Korea.
One would be humanitarian — to deal with refugees or the consequences of natural disaster.
The second is peacekeeping and maintaining order, and the third requires it to deal with contamination from a military strike on North Korea’s nuclear facilities, and to secure nuclear weapons and materials to prevent them getting into the “wrong hands”.
The report said that there were disagreements among its sources as to whether China still wished to preserve its “special relationship” with North Korea, the only country with which it has a formal, mutual defence alliance.
But they agreed that Beijing would neither intervene to replace Kim Jong-il, nor to prevent him being replaced by others.
The Chinese government’s prime concern was stability, though there was thought to be no immediate danger of a breakdown.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman said she had “no knowledge” of the plan, but did not deny its existence.
Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Beijing’s People’s University, said the plan might have been drawn up when the North Korean regime was under greater pressure than now.
It was still unclear how it would react in future, though. “China, as with other powers, is a little confused about this,” he said.

a friend in Afghanistan

I don't normally follow much of the news about the troups in the Middle East, except for highlights now and then. THIS, however, is personally relevant - a friend of mine is one of the guys interviewed (the last one). I met him in Egypt in 2005. We were both taking the TEFL course in Alexandria. He actually lied to begin with because he wasn't sure what the reaction would be if it was known that he was in the army. His plan was to get a good experience in an Arab/ME country before he was to be sent there for fighting. While in Egypt, we all had such a great time, and most of us picked up a little bit of Arabic in that first month. I wonder if it helped him. Seth Robson / S&S From left: Air Force Tech Sgt. James Pilkenton, 34, of San Diego, Calif.; Army 1st Lt. Alex Sanchez, 24, of La Mirada, Calif.; and Air Force Capt. Brian Fitzpatrick, 27,of Hoosick Falls, N.Y., climbed a mountain high above the Baylough Bowl to assess security at an observation post on Saturday.

Mountain patrols are tough on U.S. troops
By Seth Robson, Stars and StripesMideast edition, Wednesday, December 19, 2007
ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Death can come by the bullet or by plummeting off a mountainside in southern Afghanistan’s Dey Chopan district.
U.S. soldiers here have shelter, of sorts, from the elements at Forward Operating Base Baylough, 8,000 feet above sea level. The base — a collection of tents, plywood structures and an ancient adobe building surrounded by razor wire and earth barriers — allows a few dozen soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment to control the surrounding valley, despite regular Taliban attacks.
On paper, 2nd Platoon — the Mustangs out of Hohenfels, Germany — are responsible for security in all of Dey Chopan district, which is home to an estimated 45,000 Pashtun tribesmen, according to platoon leader 1st Lt. Alex Sanchez, 24, of La Mirada, Calif.
But even with the help of 17 Afghan National Army soldiers and two dozen Afghan National Police officers, Sanchez’s authority is limited to the valley, which soldiers call the “Baylough Bowl.”
“The reality is we are undermanned. We have enough combat power to hold what we have and that’s all,” he said.
In five months, the Taliban have attacked Baylough about 60 times, including an all-out strike in September that overran an ANA observation post overwatching the base. There’s still a hole in Sanchez’s bedroom wall punched by a Taliban rocket fired during the attack.
Dey Chopan includes three other large, high mountain valleys and numerous smaller offshoots where locals run sheep or grow almonds in orchards watered by snow melt. Much of the land is in Taliban hands, and intelligence suggests one nearby valley is home to a Taliban training camp, Sanchez said.
“We know Baylough Bowl is ours. The Nayak Bowl [includes a road leading to another base] so we have been in there. We’ve been into Davudsay Bowl with a larger force. Larzab Bowl we have not gone into,” he said.
Patrols out of Baylough are on foot since most of the terrain is too steep for vehicles. Some of the peaks that patrols climb are almost 10,000 feet high — about as tall as the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze.
“It was hard work when we got here, and it never got easy,” Sanchez said of patrolling at altitude.
As soon as soldiers leave the valley floor they have two options — walking across shifting sands where it’s three steps forward and two back, or clambering over boulders. The soldiers often find themselves literally hanging off cliffs.
“There are times when we are climbing to an [observation post] and when you are hanging onto the rock face, you realize if you fall, you will die,” Sanchez said.
Spc. Christopher Weber, 27, of St. Louis, Mo., said climbing mountains in body armor with ammunition and weapons is hard work.
“It takes a lot of skill to climb. You have to watch every move you make because of loose rocks and steep inclines. When the Taliban start to shoot at you, it’s hard to maneuver and get good positions to advance or egress while fighting,” he said.
Pvt. Gregory Sparks, 19, of Oroville, Calif., fell seven feet on a recent patrol but was unhurt.
“I belly-flopped down into a hole with my arm under my SAW (M249 machine gun). Everybody laughed at me, and then they asked if I was OK,” he recalled.
Sparks had to jump from rock to rock on a recent patrol up a nearby peak.
“Have you seen ‘Cliffhanger’ with Sylvester Stallone? That’s us with gear and weapons,” Sparks said. “We should get a mountain tab because we go up more mountains than all those guys [in units like the 10th Mountain Division]. We are dismounted and climbing mountains and doing what mountain guys do, so we deserve a mountain tab.”

AND

U.S., Afghan troops clash with new enemy
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Friday, December 21, 2007
ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Foreign fighters with military uniforms are attacking U.S. and Afghan government forces in Zabul province using conventional infantry tactics, soldiers report.
Capt. Pongpat Piluek, 33, of Plant City, Fla., who commands Team Apache — a company level task force based around Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment — said foreign fighters are known to be operating near Forward Operating Base Baylough, an isolated outpost 8,000 feet above sea level in the mountainous Dey Chopan district.
Intelligence suggests the foreign fighters are from Uzbekistan and the rebellious Russian territory of Chechnya, in central Asia, he said.
“The foreign fighters tend to be better trained and financed than the average Taliban. They have LBVs (load bearing vests) and canteens and sometimes black or green uniforms,” he said.
During firefights the foreigners use conventional infantry tactics like flanking, bounding and fixing targets, whereas attacks by local Pashtun Taliban are usually poorly executed, Piluek said.
Maj. Sean Fisher, 37, the Task Force Zabul deputy commander and native of Deerfield Beach, Fla., said foreign fighters use Zabul as a transit route to move between Helmand and Ghazni provinces.
Maj. Harry Bird, 44, of Charleston, S.C., who leads a team of Embedded Tactical Trainers out of FOB Lane in Arghandab District, said several Chechen and Uzbek fighters have been killed in firefights with Afghan National Army troops he works with — from 1st Candat, 2nd Battalion, 205th Corps.
Cpl. Jeffrey Treaster, 33, of Harrisburg, Pa., who fights out of Baylough with Team Apache’s 2nd Platoon, said Pashtun tribesmen in the area have reported Uzbek Taliban who ride out of the mountains on horseback.
Second Platoon leader 1st Lt. Alex Sanchez, 24, of La Mirada, Calif., said the Pashtun also report foreign Taliban coming to their villages.
“The locals will say: ‘The guys who came to the village, I didn’t know who they were and when they spoke, I didn’t understand them.’ Locals will say: ‘The Uzbeks stay in the mountains. One or two will come down with a local Taliban who translates and talks to us,’” he said.
There have been numerous attacks on FOB Baylough but some are much better planned than others, Sanchez said.
“You can tell if the enemy are well-trained,” he said. “If their attack is expertly executed, soldiers assume it is foreign fighters. When it is poorly executed, soldiers assume it is locals.”

Glow-in-the-dark cats!!???

Like a glow worm, only better!!!!

Glowing Cats in Korea Could Advance Stem Cell Treatments
Tim King Salem-News.com Dec-14-2007 09:37
(SEOUL, South Korea) - Cats that glow in the dark? That's what researchers in an animal cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, in Jinju, South Korea announced this week. As the photos demonstrate, a cat possessing red fluorescence protein, "RFP" glows in the dark when it is exposed to ultraviolet light.
The team, led by animal cloning expert Kong Il-keun, announced Wednesday that they had cloned the two RFP cats for the first time in the world. They say the advancement is significant, though South Korea's bio-engineering industry is still feeling the effects of a much-touted achievement by cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk that turned out to be a fraud.
Hwang is now banned by the Korean government from any research using human eggs, after his claims last year to have created the first human stem cells through cloning were found to be untrue. He's now on trial, facing charges of Fraud and Embezzlement.
The scientists involved in this South Korean program created the glowing cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene. It is a procedure that could eventually lead to treatments for human genetic diseases according to researchers.
They say the glow in the dark aspect is a side effect that happens when the cloned cats are exposed to ultraviolet beams.
So far, Kong Il-keun's team of a cloning experts at Gyeongsang National University have produced three cats that possess altered fluorescence protein genes, the South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology reported.
The cats were born in January and February. One was stillborn, but two grew to become adult Turkish Angoras weighing about six and a half pounds. Ministry of Science and Technology officials say "It marked the first time in the world that cats with RFP genes have been cloned."
They say the new technology can also help in the development of stem cell treatments. Cats share more than 250 kinds of genetic diseases that affect humans.
The technology may also help clone endangered animals like tigers, leopards and wildcats.

Hotel Glasses

I don't think I'll ever use a glass hotel glass again!!! Simply shocking!

Racism

Racism is one of the things that I dislike about Korea.

Why Korea Should Embrace Multi-Culturalism
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended on Aug. 17 that South Korea acknowledge it is now a multiethnic society and make laws against racial discrimination. UNCERD said unrealistic emphasis on and excessive pride in the ethnic homogeneity of Korea is no longer in the national interest. The recommendation was important news and marked a watershed in Korean society.
The Chosun Ilbo spoke via phone and e-mail to Anwar Kemal, the expert who served as country rapporteur for South Korea. He said Korea should avoid using racially discriminatory expressions like “pure blood” and “mixed blood.” The Pakistani diplomat was appointed to the four-year term of rapporteur this year.
Why did UNCERD urge Korea to legislate laws against racial discrimination several times in the report?
We recognize Korea’s efforts to eliminate racial discrimination, but more is needed. We want Korea to legislate an anti-racial discrimination law in line with the UN standard. The Korean parliament should define what racial discrimination is: that is the first thing to do to eliminate discrimination against alien workers, foreign spouses of Korean people and children from multi-ethnic families. The Korean Constitution doesn’t ban racial discrimination in detail.
How is South Korea doing compared to other countries?
Korea has achieved amazing economic growth for the past 40 years. However, it has not opened itself to foreign workers sufficiently compared to developed countries like the U.S., Germany and Britain. Among developed countries, Sweden is the country that has made the most remarkable achievement in removing racial discrimination. A female immigrant from Burundi, Nyamko Sabuni, is the minister for integration and gender equality in Sweden.
Koreans have identified themselves with the nation for a long time. In Korea, nationalism was a means for promoting social integration and resisting foreign invasions.
I know. But now Korea is an industrialized country. It is not a weak country facing threats from foreign forces. Also, nationalism in this day and age is not based on ethnic homogeneity. Take the example of Brazil and the U.S. They are multi-racial countries. But their people are very patriotic.
Why is it so important to avoid using discriminatory expressions like “pure blood” and “mixed blood”?
Many people find them insulting and those expressions are not scientific. A DNA research leader like Korea shouldn’t use such expressions. All people’s blood is the same.
Is it inevitable for Korea to become a multi-racial society?
Korea has the world’s lowest birthrate. It will see its population drastically decrease 10-20 years from now. The number of money earners will decrease, and instead the number of pension recipients and retirees will increase. Korea is already suffering from a serious shortage of manual workers. The nation’s economy will be hit hard by the lack of labor forces unless it accepts immigrant workers.
Which one is better, assimilating foreign workers for social integration or respecting their culture and accepting the coexistence of heterogeneous cultures?
All foreign workers should be encouraged to learn Korean. They also need to have an orientation about Korean culture, labor ethics and etiquette. But it is unwise to keep them from preserving their own culture. It does no harm when foreign workers preserve their culture. Rather, it can help social stability.
(englishnews@chosun.com )