Loose change for February 7, 2012

 Economic and business news 

• South Korean companies were among the biggest buyers of Superbowl ads this year.

• Korea and Turkey are working hard to end their FTA talks early.

• The Korea Herald asks if South Korea should sign an FTA with China. Short answer: no.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• North Korea may be developing kamikaze attack drones that use US technology, and they might use them on South Korean military units.

• North Korea says don't worry about Kim Jong-un's age. It just means he's full of youth and won't die before he's done everything. 

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• A hagwon has been accused of using high-tech means to cheat on various ETS exams. 

• A makkŏlli-producing brewery is to open in Chicago.

 Americana and miscellany 

• USFK's General Sharp thinks the US should make it easier for South Korea to buy military equipment. 

• If you've been missing Payless Shoe Stores while living in South Korea, your wait will be over soon. 

... 

Loose change for October 12, 2011

 Economic and business news 

• The director of the acclaimed and wildly popular Korean War pic Taegǔkki Hwinallimyŏ (Brotherhood) is finishing up a $24 million Korean-Chinese co-production on World War II that will be shown at Cannes in May. I guess Kang Jekyu couldn't work with the Chinese on making another Korean War film: while they might have agreed on the ending, they wouldn't have agreed on the beginning.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• They hate us, they really hate us: North Korea is threatening to launch "direct fire" over anti-Pyongyang leaflets being sent northward. Having lived in Seoul off and on since I was a teenager, I got used to North Korean bluster, but after the murderous attack on Yŏnpyŏng-do late last year, I'd take it a bit more seriously. Trying to draw attention away from President Lee's visit to the US as the KORUS FTA is signed would be just the kind of thing they'd pull. 

• South Korea is going to allow 120 firms to restart building five factories in North Korea's Kaesong Industrial Park, just north of the DMZ. This is seen as a sign of easing tensions, but you'll be forgiven if you start thinking, in light of the previous news item, "Whiskey tango foxtrot?!" I know Joshua at One Free Korea does.

• Writing in the Washington Post, Victor Cha (whose name sounds like the kind of tea they would drink in a Korean-language version of 1984) talks about how denuclearization of North Korea can be achieved, with incentives for good behavior and serious consequences for bad. It is definitely worth a read but I, on the other hand, am not so optimistic, believing we are fooling ourselves into thinking we can effectively shape North Korean policy as long as China is in control and is only interested in keeping North Korea as a buffer zone. But I would love to be proven wrong on that one.

• Japanese doctors have arrived in North Korea to examine those who were affected by the atomic bombings at Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Those who have read this post may recall why there were North Koreans (formerly just Koreans from the northern part of Korea) in blast zone in the first place.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Wildly popular pop star Rain, the undisputed most influential celebrity in the world, is joining the ROK Army for his two-year stint of mandatory military service, possibly as a KATUSA. How long before the K-blog commentariat point out that the 29-year-old sensation finally got around to joining just weeks after Don't Ask, Don't Tell was lifted? 

 Americana and miscellany 

• The Washington Post notes that ROK President Lee Myungbak will be visiting while the Obama administration's nominee for US Ambassador is being held up. Sung Kim would replace Kathleen Stevens, who remains in Seoul in the meantime. Perhaps Senator Kyl of Arizona thinks that it's not a good idea to have a Korean-born Korean-American representing US interests in Korea? Asking, not saying, but it's not as if kyopo loyalty or the lack thereof has never been raised on the Interwebs before. 

... 

To tweet or not to tweet

You may have noticed that I'm trying something a little different starting today. I've decided to actually use my Twitter feed for something other than snarky remarks mocking those who tweet what they're doing 18.9 times an hour.

Now, in lieu of the Loose Change posts I haven't had time to put together lately, I've decided to take more significant articles that aren't "news" that would fit into the Daily Kor and don't necessarily warrant a full-blown post of their own, and instead tweet them. My Twitter feed is found here, I think.

In some cases, the tweeted items may get their own post later, if/when I have time. Kushibo is quite busy these days with family matters, schoolwork, and work items that pop up here and there.

Any suggestions from my readers are most welcome. I'm still putting out feelers about how to put Twitter and Facebook to good use, the latter of which provides me a bunch of hits but which I have come to loathe for how they insinuate themselves into our lives and shatter our privacy.

Loose change for August 10, 2010

• The US Navy grows a pair and decides to send an aircraft carrier to the military exercises off the Korean west coast after all. It's called the Yellow Sea, baby, 'cuz the Norks have seen the USS George Washington and are now pissing their pants. 

• No more leaving on a JET plane? Some people in Japan are trying to save the Japan English Teaching programme, saying it has been a great source of positive exchange.

• The GOP senate candidate from Colorado calls birthers "dumbasses," while dumbass Glenn Beck refers to the Obama White House as "like the damn planet of the apes." 

[source]

• Kanye West was in Yangyang. West in Yang•yang... Am I the only one who thinks that sounds amusing? Okay, maybe. 

• Online games will generate $2 billion in Korea next year.

• Mount your iPad on your refrigerator. You know you want to.

Loose change for April 27, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The writer doesn't get into the details, but Seoul will offer "free office space" to foreign nationals seeking to start a business in Korea.
• Samsung is considering setting up a "Google TV" that runs on Android.
• The ROK government will tighten inspections of eco-friendly farm products.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• A lawmaker from the ruling Hannara Party says "affirmative action" is needed for North Korean refugees. 
• This article talks about stereotypes of North Korean refugees.
• The Los Angeles Times has a piece on the "James Bond theories" surrounding the sinking of the Chonan.
• And the Christian Post talks about the "pinpicks of truth" making their way into North Korea.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• The bill to allow ROK citizens to hold another country's citizenship as long as they don't assert their rights as a foreign national while in South Korea is expected to go into effect in January.
• Kim Yuna is setting up her own management company, with her mother as CEO (since that worked so well for every other child star in the world).
• South Korea's Culture Minister is in a bit of a controversy for using an iPad at a photo-op — it's not yet approved for wireless networking in the ROK.
• Could Buddhism help your golf game? Could Buddhism be the secret to Koreans' success in golf?
• South Korean golfers are boycotting the OneAsia circuit. Must be Catholic.
• Three thousand teaching interns will be hired under a new intern program.

 Americana and miscellany 

• A Russian scientist says the Arctic may be colder, not warmer. 

Loose change for April 24, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The ROK government is set to increase the amount of money it spends to buy unsold homes.
• The Wall Street Journal has an article on the US's attempts to "outfox the counterfeiters" with the high-tech $100 bill I highlighted yesterday.
• And we have reports that fake $100 bills are flooding the PRC-DPRK border region.
• Japan has confirmed its first case of foot-and-mouth disease in a decade. In response, South Korea has banned imports of Japanese meat from cloven animals.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• UPI has an article on the "growing suspicion" that North Korea is responsible for the Chonan's sinking.
• The Blue House is considering the creation of a position of "Special Secretary for National Security" who would deal with emergency situations like the sinking of the Chonan.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Goo Hara (really? Goo? Did you run that by anyone?) of pop group Kara gets a mention in the Orange County Register over her confessions of plastic surgery.
• McDonald's Korea employee Hur Jin won second place in the "Voice of McDonald's" singing contest. Brian has been following this carefully, so go read about it there (see here and here).
• The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to test its "TOEIC killer." Frankly, as a long-time critic of ETS and their protected monopoly that allows them to foist onto the public overpriced tests that often don't measure what they're purported to measure, I hope they succeed and I hope others follow.
• In an article asking why there are so many oil spills, the Christian Science Monitor notes that South Korea has had thirty-two such incidents since 1960.

 Americana and miscellany 

• Like their South Korean counterparts, US students are also addicted to the Internet.

Loose change for April 22, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The Nano may help Tata surpass Hyundai as India's #2 automaker. I've seen the Tata Nano, and let me tell you, they're on fire!
• Lone Star is getting ready to sell off Korea Exchange Bank again.
• Most South Korean firms don't expect to be affected by the travel slowdown caused by the Iceland volcano that no one can spell or pronounce.
• South Korea's stock-investing population has reached a record high. Let's just hope the wisdom of crowds notion holds true, though I'm skeptical in this particular case.
• South Korea is the eighth most competitive in the OECD. That's average; it's putting the C in OECD.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Security has been tightened around high-level defector Hwang Jang-yop after two were arrested in a plot to assassinate him. The Chosun Ilbo reports that he lives under constant threat.
• The attempt on Mr Hwang is being linked to the succession of Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un (story also here). 
• The ROK Navy was supposedly warned of North Korean human torpedoes being used in retaliation (mildly amusing picture in the link).

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• More rules that may or may not come to pass about getting dual citizenship in Korea.
• The National Assembly, in a bid to increase security against terrorism, has voted to allow fingerprinting and photographing of suspicious foreign arrivals. 
• The Wall Street Journal has a review of the expensive Omnia II smartphone that is popular among thirtysomethings (those with jobs, anyway) who want fast email access. 
• Pusan gets its first Chosŏnjok (ethnic Korean from China) police officer.

 Americana and miscellany 

• Juan Antonio Samaranch, the IOC head who oversaw the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics coming to South Korea (and nearly to North Korea as well), has died at the age of eighty-nine.
• Eleven workers near the Gulf Coast are missing after a blast on an oil rig that was built in South Korea.
• The debate against baggy pants is flaring up (ha ha — get it? Flare!) in the US.

Loose change for April 21, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• President Lee has ordered his cabinet to look seriously into the prospect of a PRC-ROK FTA (story also here). I can't wait until there's a Seoul-Taipei agreement so I can refer to it as ROK-ROC. 

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The North Korean and South African national soccer teams will hold a friendly in Johannesburg this Thursday.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• The BBC gives its own take on Oh Eunsun and her over-8000 peaks attempt.
• Former PM Han Myungsook will declare her candidacy for the Seoul mayorship today.

 Americana and miscellany 

• The militia movement will be packing heat on the Potomac, being the first to bring guns to a demonstration at a national park. 

Loose change for April 20, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• According to this post on the economic effect of the volcanic ash cloud emanating from Iceland, South Korea is estimated to post $112 million in lost exports. KAL has cancelled a total of fifteen cargo carriers between Apri 17 and 19.
• Is Apple moving to produce its own chips for the iPhone? That wouldn't be good for Samsung.
• Strong demand for televisions has improved prospects for LCD makers.
• South Korean financial officials are saying South Korea is not particularly exposed to the Goldman Sachs fraud. 
• GM Daewoo has opened a design center in Seoul. I predict this will be good for Hyundai, Kia, and whatever automakers are left in South Korea. 

 North Korea news and stuff 

• A North Korean defector is claiming that an inside source in the DPRK has acknowledged that the Chonan was sunk as revenge for a November 2009 skirmish.
• Japanese can't tell North Koreans apart.
• North Korea to produce its own mobile phones to meet demand? How non-socialist of them!

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Transit passengers stranded at Incheon International and other airports are making do. 
• Apartment prices going down for now.
• One hundred prosecutors named in bribery scandals.

 Americana and miscellany 

• The cartoon below may look innocuous, but it's one of the most offensive yet: The black smoke from the volcano is obscuring the Pope getting a b.j. from a Nazi. That's why the airplanes are gagging. Aren't you glad I'm here to explain these things?

The big list of things I haven't had time to blog but want to(April 19, 2010 edition)

I may start doing this from time to time. This is a list of things I found interesting — most of them not exactly Korea-related — that may be of interest to some readers. The list is dozens of items long, and in no particular order, so I'm just going to include it after the jump. So CLICK HERE if you want to see it.

Loose change for April 19, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• Under a new World Bank program, state-owned investment vehicles in South Korea and a few other countries have agreed to invest $600 million in a bank-sponsored equity fund for less-developed countries. Though small, the head of the WB says it could prove important in creating a new "architecture" for the post-crisis global economy, according to the WaPo's Howard Schneider.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The Japan Times notes that neither Kim Jong-il nor Kim Jong-un showed up for the recently concluded parliamentary meet. You know your rubber-stamp assemblies a farce when the leadership doesn't even bother to attend.
• Meanwhile, the Chosun Ilbo tells us not to get excited about the visit, saying no real change in Kim Jong-il's behavior will come from it.
• A defector working as a reporter for Free North Korea Radio is believed to have been abducted and detained by the DPRK near the Amnok (Yalu) River.
• AP has a chronology of North Korean attacks on South Korea.
• Doug Bandow of the CATO Institute has a Kool-Aid-tainted regurgitation of their every-man-for-himself ideology stating that the Koreans should be left to handle the Koreas. I don't know if they'll approve my three-part, 700-word criticism (reflected largely in this post and this post).

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• The Educational Testing Service, makers of the SAT entrance exam used by American universities, will beef up security at their test sites in South Korea and a few other countries.
• South Korea will be among fifteen countries represented at the World Cosplay Summit 2010 in Nagoya on July 31 and August 1. Mark your calendars and alert Expedia.
• The Korea Herald examines the century-and-a-quarter of Czech-Korean history.

 Americana and miscellany 

• Beijing is facing unrest in Qinghai Province following the devastating earthquake there.
• Park Chanho placed on the disabled list. Could it be excessive diarrhea? 
• The Kogi Korean BBQ truck is camped out at Coachella — or should I say Koachella? Some big musical festival going on there or something. 

Loose change for April 18, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The Wall Street Journal looks at China's equivalent of South Korea's screen quota system and how Beijing hopes to use it to make Chinese films more innovative. They should notice that South Korean films' quality and appeal took a dramatic turn upward after the screen quota was gradually reduced. 
• Subaru will begin selling its Outback crossover wagon, Forester SUV, and Legacy sedan starting next month.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Writing in the Wall Street Journal, everybody's favorite Pyongyang watcher Andrei Lankov writes that in Pyongyang it's women who wear the pants in the family. It's a subscribers-only link, but I'll try to write a post on this when I use the university connection to dig through it.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• StarCraft II gets a 18+ rating (aged eighteen or older), for violence, foul language, and depictions of drug use. It's rated for teens thirteen and up in the US, and it had been rated 15+ in Korea but the makers asked for a reevaluation. Whoops. 
• Kim Yuna has been voted as Japan's favorite Korean celebrity. Call me crazy, but I'd bet Mao Asada would fare well in a similar poll of Koreans' favorite Japanese. Itō Hirobumi, however, will always be at the problem.
• The Joongang Daily goes into the background of manned and stealth torpedos in the context of the Chonan sinking. 

 Americana and miscellany 

• The ash cloud emanating from the Iceland volcano shows no sign of letting up, which is forcing Europeans to travel by land transportation (not unlike the US right after 9/11). 
• Oh, joy. Counter-demonstrators in Los Angeles are going up against a White Supremacist rally.

Loose change for April 17, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• A bunch of countries, including South Korea, are close to reaching a deal on reducing piracy.
• South Korea is going to study the feasibility of free trade with China.
• Gasoline is hitting 1800 won per liter for the first time in almost two years.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Finally breaking silence on the sinking of the Chonan, North Korea reportedly has called the sinking a plot against the North, manipulated by the South in order to maintain tension on the peninsula. 
• The Chosun Ilbo asks why there are so many space-themed names for cell phones.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Former president Kim Daejung will posthumously receive the Hanshin Award for his role in South Korea's democratization.

 Americana and miscellany 

• "Lost" is wrapping up production this weekend, which means my chance of running into its stars at Safeway again will be dramatically reduced. The whole thing with Jorge Garcia (who plays Hugo "Hurley" Reyes) showing his favorite Lost-related places deserves an entire post on its own.
• Daryl Gates, the former Los Angeles Chief of Police who botched the response to the L.A. riots and once famously said that Blacks were dying while in choke holds because they're physiology is different from "normal" people, has died at the age of eighty-three. 

Loose change for April 13, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• Members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors (them's our leaders) are off to Korea to promote trade and economic cooperation. 
• Moody's has expressed concern over South Korea's "excessive" overseas borrrowing.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The KCNA says South Korea is wholly to blame for the derailment of the cross-border tours.
• North Korean labor bosses plan to visit South Korea to celebrate Labor Day, but Seoul isn't too hot on the idea.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• South Korean farmers are being warned against overseas trips as China may have been the source of the recent hoof-and-mouth outbreak. English teachers within a thirty-kilometer radius have been quarantined, just in case. 
• Underage gamers are getting a six-hour ban.
• The BBC reports that the Korean Grand Prix track will be ready on time, despite earlier reports.

 Americana and miscellany 

• One Heritage Foundation scholar says that Obama's plan to "build down nukes" will lead to nuclear build-up in rogue states.

Loose change for April 12, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• If I had a Korean-Mexican fusion taco truck, I don't know if I'd want the word "viral" associated with my business. But it's a new era, and we Gen Xers are gradually turning into old fogeys as the Millennials turn our lexical traditions on their head. 
• There will be only one Korean eatery at the Shanghai expo, out of a total of ninety establishments. That is, unless Korea claims various Chinese foods as Korean. [Note: The article in question calls it Hansik, the last syllable of which, because of the lame "Revised" Romanization, looks like it should be pronounced sick instead of sheik or chic. Is that really how you want Korean food to come across? I guess Japanese food — Ilsik, which looks like ill-sick — fares even worse. Viral food indeed.]

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Pyongyang has warned Seoul to curtail the activities of civic and religious groups that send fliers into the North and engage in other "propaganda activities" the two sides had agreed to stop in 2004, saying if the ROK government does not do so, the DPRK will take "decisive measures." What decisive measures? I'm picturing Ben killing a bunny in front of Sawyer, because they can't kill anymore tourists. 
• Read the KCNA report on the freezing of South Korea's tourism assets at Kŭmgangsan.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Former Prime Minister Han Myungsook, recently acquitted of ethics charges, is lagging behind incumbent Mayor Oh Sehoon in Seoul municipal election. "No Preference" also makes a strong showing.
• The Korea Grand Prix may be cancelled if they don't get construction done in time.
• Kevin Kang writing at CNET is in Korea and has his hands on an iPad. 
• The blast that apparently sank the Chonan created a seismic wave that was detected as far away as an inland seismic observatory in Ch'ŏrwon. 
• The ROK government has launched a movement to collect recycled phones for their gold and silver. 
• The National Human Rights Commission of Korea says that one cannot be sued for defamation of the state. 

 Americana and miscellany 

• With Justice John Paul Stevens retiring, there may be pressure to nominate the Supreme Court's first Asian-American justice, such as Korean-American Harold Koh or Taiwanese-American Goodwin Liu.
• "Don't retreat, reload," Sarah Palin tells Republicans. 
• "Slogans are no substitute for governance," Kushibo tells readers.

Loose change for April 10, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• The Washington Post lists five myths about the Chinese economy, including one I didn't realize 44 percent of Americans believe in: that China already is the largest economy in the world (it's actually only a little more than one-third that of the US).

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The Chosun Ilbo talks about indications North Koreans are souring on their government.
• Gawker.com takes note of the bogusness of Koryo Tours' once-in-a-lifetime trips to North Korea. 
• AsiaNews.it notes that an obelisk at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, paid for by Christian missionaries and dedicated to Kim Ilsung, is damaging inter-Korean relations.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• North Korean soccer star Jong Taese is enthusiastically behind South Korea's bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
• The Korea Times takes a look at the factors behind some 286 ROK nationals being turned away from New Zealand over the past five years. 

 Americana and miscellany 

• There were double-digit increases in the number of visitors to the United States from Brazil, Canada, China, Australia, and of course South Korea, which recently got in the visa waiver program. No doubt some blogs will suggest many of the new visitors are part of the sex industry.
• Spirit Airlines is going to begin charging even for carry-on baggage. When it comes to nickel-and-diming the public, That's the Spirit!

Loose change for April 9, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• Tokyo says it will lift its blanket screening of South Korean vegetables for chemical residue, a move seen to benefit local farmers.
• President Lee to set up more microcredit banks. 

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The Defense Minister said it's hard to track North Korean submarines all the time.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• The leader of South Korea's largest gang has been released after two days in custody, owing to a lack of evidence.
• The Defense Minister says his people are looking into problems that might arise by Seoul taking over wartime operational control in 2012.
• At least two World Cup matches involving the South Korean soccer team will be broadcast in 3-D.

Loose change for April 8, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• Daewoo Motors is seeking debt restructuring. Yonhap also has the story.
• China hints at a willingness to let the yuan rise.
• Mirae says South Korea's bull market has another 20 percent to run.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• The North Korean national soccer team will train in Zimbabwe before heading to South Africa for the World Cup. AP also has the story (via USA Today)
• Tokyo and Seoul both welcome Washington's new nuclear stance as a way to pressure North Korea. Yonhap also has the story, at least the Korean side.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• China's cancellation of Bob Dylan's appearance in Shanghai and Beijing means he's not coming to Korea either.

 Americana and miscellany 

• A Humane Society video of an egg farm showing chickens in cramped cages and being slammed into bins is part of an escalating war with the food sector.  

Loose change for April 7, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• Lions Gate Entertainment has formed a group aimed at expansion into East Asian markets, including China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and the Middle East. The name of the group will be... wait for it... Tiger Gate. 
• The Korea-India FTA appears to have contributed to a jump in trade between the two countries.
• South Korea's fiscal deficit for 2009 was smaller than expected.
• The carbon capture value of South Korea's forests has been estimated as 2.3 trillion won.
• The Ministry of Sports & Culture says it will create 1700 jobs for college graduates in the fields of arts, sports, and tourism.
• Kumho Tires says its in talks to supply its product to BMW, which has raised its stock.
• Hyundai Motors is aiming to sell 730,000 units in China, a 28 percent increase from last year.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Here is the KCNA's take on Japan's claim on Tokto, the decision to block repatriation of fallen US soldiers who died in North Korea, and Japan going after the pro-North citizens group known as Chongryon. See if you can spot the hyperbole.
• The KCNA also noted the celebration in Pyongyang of the 150th anniversary of the founding of Chondo, a native faith that it claims rejects the West and Japan. Expect Chondo to enjoy a boost after reunification, as nationalists in the south join with northerners who reject Juche or realize how much the Pyongyang regime lied to them but who long for something familiar. That's a bit of a bold prediction.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, the NBA's winningest coach ever, has been recruited by South Korea to help prepare their team for this year's Asian Games in Guangzhou. 
• The New York Times has a bit on Seoul Fashion Week.

 Americana and miscellany 

• The Christian Science Monitor asks why more ships in waters vulnerable to Somali pirates don't have more private security?
• More Chinese cities reach a $10,000 per-capita GDP, with the total population of such cities reaching over 100 million.
• South Korean golfer KJ Choi will be grouped with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds of the US Masters. 

Loose change for April 6, 2010

 Economic and business news 

• India is hoping to gain a stake in North Korea's Musan iron ore mines. Anything that can help forestall China from establishing its Inner Cháoxiān Autonomous Region is fine by me.
• Toyota has finally begun recalling cars in Korea.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• North Korea is threatening to stop extorting money from the US cooperating with the US by returning remains of American soldiers killed during the Korean War. The US is calling this a humanitarian issue. Yonhap is also carrying the story.
• And speaking of North Korean threats, the North Korea-supporting website Uriminzokkiri has threatened that high-ranking defector Hwang Jang-yop, now in Japan, "will never be safe."
• Reuters has a report on how the Korean War is still raging for the five hundred or so South Koreans imprisoned in the North as POWs. 
• USA Today talks about the coach of North Korea's national soccer team and how he could be replaced — by Guus Hiddink! Expect a lot of South Koreans to be rooting for Guus Hiddink to win, as long as it's not against the South Korean team.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• Tully's Coffee has opened two outlets in Seoul. I've been there in Japan (and I've bought their coffee in the US), and while they're a skosh takai, they are pretty good. I hope they do better than Diedrich's, an Orange County-based chain that had good coffee in nice settings but couldn't stand up to Starbucks.
• Bloomberg has a mishmash of news stories related to Korea — from Kim Jong-un's ascendancy to the iPhone's takeover. 

 Americana and miscellany 

• The Christian Science Monitor on all the communities that vied to be Google's high-speed guinea pig.