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!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Daily Kor for December 18, 2009: Feeling a little spacey

I'm on a plane in a few hours, but I managed to get this out while it's still daylight in Seoul. Frigid Seoul. Anyway, the big news is about space: cyberspace where hackers, possibly from North Korea, have found out how ROK and US forces would defend South Korea in the event of an attack; and subspace, where a South Korean company plans to take tourists in the near future. Enjoy!

Computer hackers, possibly from North Korea, gain access to secret US-ROK military plans for defending the Korean Peninsula, known as Operation Plan 5027 (VOA, Guardian, AP via WaPo)
US President Barack Obama reportedly offered to establish a permanent diplomatic presence in North Korea, in letter carried to Pyongyang by envoy Stephen Bosworth (VOA, Reuters via WaPo)

White House denies reports of office being set up next year (Yonhap)
North Korea acknowledges receipt of President Obama's letter (Fox News, Yonhap)
Bosworth spoke with North Korea about prospects of a peace treaty (Chosun Ilbo)

Former Prime Minister Han Myungsook arrested in relation to alleged corruption case (UPI)
Seoul to host 2012 climate summit (ABC Australia)
Thailand reportedly "forced down" plane allegedly carrying weapons from North Korea (Chosun Ilbo)

New Zealander who set up the company that leased the plane used for the shipment says he was unaware of the weapons (WSJ)

South Korea restarts humanitarian aid to the north with batch of medicine to combat H1N1 "swine flu" outbreak (Reuters, AP via WaPo)

North Korea offers rare expression of gratitude for medicine (AP via WaPo)

XCOR Aerospace of Mojave, California, to lease planned suborbital space plane to South Korea's Yecheon Astro Space Center (WSJ)

ROK company plans to conduct space tourism (MSNBC)

North Korea has "unofficially" contacted former coach of Japanese team to lead DPRK team in World Cup next year (ESPN)
Nine more pig farms affected by "swine flu" (Yonhap)
Anglophone online pundits in Chŏlla region in fierce gun battle over newly opened blogging turf; I can write anything I want to here, because it's down at the bottom and no one is reading, except Park Jaebum, because he's out of a job and he has a lot of free time (Korea Times)

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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)*

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Daily Kor for December 18, 2009: Feeling a little spacey

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