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!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Korea news links for October 30, 2009: I spy for the KJI

There are those of us who think — and really, there's no paranoia here — that Pyongyang does actively support a fifth column of infiltrators in academia, progressive movements, maybe even some conservative groups, etc., aimed at undermining support for... well, everything that Pyongyang doesn't like. And today we have Exhibit A, with the arrest of one "Professor Lee." Now it's not clear that Professor Lee was indoctrinating his students, but he is accused of passing military secrets to the North. Think how badly it would suck to find out your prof was a spy. You'd have to go back and re-examine a lot of what you learned, that's for sure.

South Korean lecturer named Lee arrested and charged with spying for North Korea after passing military secrets (BBC, AFP)
Despite informal meetings between US diplomats and North Korean envoy Ri Gun, US State Department says no plans have emerged for high-level bilateral talks (Reuters); Daily Yomiuri claims US envoy Stephen Bosworth will probably visit Pyongyang in November (Bloomberg, Korea Herald)
Education Ministry says local officials will decide whether to close schools in response to H1N1 outbreaks (Joongang Daily)
IMF revises outlook for Korean economy from 1% contraction to 1% growth in 2009 (Joongang Daily)
ROK Constitutional Court says media reform bills railroaded through by ruling Hannara Party are valid despite procedural violations (Yonhap, Korea Herald, Joongang Daily); court also says hagwon curfew rule is constitutional (Korea Times)
ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myunghwan calls on National Assembly leaders to support Afghan aid package (Xinhua); Defense Minister warns South Korean troops may have to fight Taliban (Yonhap)
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say speedy medical treatment is key in fighting H1N1 infection (Yonhap)
South Korea's humanitarian aid offering this week was only one-tenth what Pyongyang had asked for (AFP)
Chinese President Hu Jintao invites North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to visit Beijing (Reuters via WaPo, Yonhap)
DPRK newspapers call for improving inter-Korean relations (Xinhua)
Samsung Engineering wins $1.2 billion contract to build fertilizer plant in United Arab Emirates (Reuters)
Citing new intepretations of Sharia law, religious leaders in Waziristan order the deportation of all gay donkeys (Reuters)

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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.

Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Friday, October 30, 2009

Korea news links for October 30, 2009: I spy for the KJI

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