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, July 9, 2010

Daily Kor for July 9, 2010

I would prefer to focus on Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's pretty hot-looking daughter visiting Seoul for a Russian-Korean friendly powwow at Koryŏ (Korea) University, but there are more pressing matters in front of us, including my mortgage payment going up.

United Nations Security Council adopts watered-down statement condemning sinking of Chonan (Yonhap, Reuters, WaPo, WSJ, MIAP, Korea Herald)

Seoul says it is satisfied with statement (Yonhap)

Seoul unexpectedly raises interest rate 25 points to 2.25 percent (WSJ, Yonhap, Bloomberg, AP via WaPo, AFP, Reuters via CNBC)

Interest-rate gain leads to continued rise of KRW (Bloomberg)
Kushibo says, "Crap!" (about the interest-rate rise, not the KRW rise)

Repeat of cyber attacks does little damage in South Korea and US (AP via WaPo)
Prosecutors raid Prime Minister's office in probe over allegations of illegal civilian surveillance (Yonhap)
North Koreans pay respects to Kim Ilsung on sixteenth anniversary of Eternal President's death (AP via WaPo)
EU parliament passes resolution asking North Korea to improve human rights (Yonhap)
South Korea opts not to prosecute woman "forced" to spy for North Korea (AFP)
ROK Unification Minister blames North Korea for icy cross-DMZ ties (Yonhap)

South Korea approves new humanitarian assistance to DPRK (Yonhap)

North Korean defectors "marooned" in Japanese consular offices in China (Asahi Shimbun)
US farmers' groups ask Congress to expedite ratification of KORUS FTA (Yonhap)
Seoul to strengthen rules against potential draft dodgers (Yonhap)
With South Korea eliminated from soccer's global championship, hundreds of thousands of Seoulites gather in City Hall Plaza to watch reruns of 2002 World Cup (Yonhap)

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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, July 9, 2010

Daily Kor for July 9, 2010

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