Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Korea news links for October 13, 2009

The big news today is that North Korea decided to celebrate its positive new direction with the outside world by putting on a little fireworks display. The outside world responded with its own light show, as every single frickin' media outlet is illuminating billions of ones and zeroes talking about what the missile launch into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) means.

North Korea unexpectedly fires five missiles into the East Sea after banning ships from the area for a ten-day period (Reuters via WaPo, BBC, AP via WaPo, AFP, Korea Times, Chosun Ilbo, USA Today, WSJ, Korea Herald)
Seoul proposes talks with Pyongyang over deadly Imjin River flood (Reuters via WaPo, UPI)
President Lee Myungbak says that South Korea is considering joining international projects aimed at exploring the Moon* (Korea Times, Korea Herald)
South Korean Red Cross hints at request for talks with North Korea "on humanitarian issues" (Korea Times)
Labor Minister meets with head of militant labor union in order to foster dialogue (Korea Herald)
South Korea keeps a nervous watch on property prices (Forbes)
Finance Minister Yoon Jeunghyun says recovering global demand means South Korean economy will be stronger next year (Bloomberg)
Iran signs a $1.83 billion gas contract with GS (Reuters via CNBC)
Nearly nonagenarian Reverend Moon Sun Myung turns over the reins of the Unification Church to his sons (AP via WaPo)
Native Americans celebrate ~~Columbus Day~~ Discovery Day with national message of hope for the future delivered in traditional Plains Indian sign language (The Oklahoman)

* Too late, says Kushibo.

2 comments:

dokebiTuesday, October 13, 2009 2:25:00 PM
S. Korea doesn't seem to care too much about Iran's nuclear developments, as long as their relations is beneficial.
ReplyDelete
Replies
1994Tuesday, October 13, 2009 3:26:00 PM
I have to clear up an error you made in your post! How dare you call it the East Sea?! It is Sea of Japan!!! Why do you disregard the name!!?? Netizens...we must teach this foreigner a lesson!! He must not be allowed to disrespect us (the entire world)!!!
There is no East SEa!! Please to stop you lying here. We (the entire world) demand you say solly!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Share your thoughts, but please be kind and respectful. My mom reads this blog.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

Oh, and play nice. Please don’t make me regret this.

九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.