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!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Daily Kor for February 14, 2010: Happy Valentine's Day and 새해 복 많이 많이 받으십시오!

I snagged this photo, taken in Kangjin-gun County in Chŏllanam-do, from the Donga Ilbo. I thought it summed up the holiday nicely. What else sums up the holiday nicely? All the major news agencies in Korea — except Yonhap — going on hiatus. But this being a three-day weekend and all in the US (it's Presidents' Day!), there's not much going on with Western news agencies, either.

Happy year of the tiger! (And you thought that was last year.)

North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency says 100,000 gathered in Kim Ilsung Square in support of Kim Jong-il (Channel News Asia)

Kushibo thinks that seriously smells like desperation

UN envoy Lynn Pascoe says time will be needed to persuade North Korea to return to six-party denuclearization talks (AP via MSNBC)

Pascoe says Pyongyang wants improved ties with Seoul (Yonhap)
North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator returns to Pyongyang following Beijing visit (Yonhap)

President Lee Myungbak calls for end to political disputes over Sejong City (Yonhap, Joongang Daily, Donga Ilbo)
Whirpool of the US loses in its bid to ban imported refrigerators made by LG (Bloomberg)
South Korean apartment prices up for fifth straight week (Reuters via CNBC)
North Korea watchers alarmed to discover that Dracula has joined Kim Jong-il's entourage (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)*

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Daily Kor for February 14, 2010: Happy Valentine's Day and 새해 복 많이 많이 받으십시오!

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