I call this one "Stitch's cousin made a poopoo"

I don't mind the traditional haechi, but the cartoon one should be adopted by Lilo and sent to Kauai forthwith.

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Spotted in Ichon-dong: Bakersfield

I've been to Bakersfield. Trust me when I say that if there's something cooking there, it ain't bread. (as for the smell, well, maybe something else is cooking.)

Perhaps this sounded-good-on-paper marketing idea should have been run by a native English speaker from California. (Or maybe it was.)

I'm so bad. So breaking bad.

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Police to confiscate cars of repeat drunk drivers

This is one more nail (along with the advent of ubiquitous sobriety checkpoints) in the coffin of drunk driving:

Police said Thursday they are planning to confiscate vehicles from habitual drunk drivers in a desperate bid to wipe out inebriated drivers.

Announcing a comprehensive package of measures to revamp the traffic regulations, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said efforts are underway to adopt the confiscation plan as well as other measures to improve the traffic system.

Putting the eradication of drunk driving as the top priority, the police said they will step up the crackdown on those getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol.

According to the envisioned plans, drivers with repeated drunk driving offenses will have to forfeit their vehicles as part of their punishment, the police said.

The police noted they will also push to root out illegal parking, motorcycle gangs as well as drivers who cause severe traffic jams by trailing cars bumper-to-bumper to pass an intersection even after the light has turned red during busy traffic hours.

Monitoring of drink drivers in areas near popular nightlife spots and frequent accident sites will be also intensified, the police said.

This may be a good time to invest in a 대리운전 company.

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The Bank of Korea has unexpectedly lowered my mortgage

Not just mine, but million of other peoples', in a perhaps belated acknowledgement that the rest if the world ain't climbing out of this hole anytime soon.

And if that saves me W50,000/month (wild guess) I'm happy. From Yonhap:

South Korea's central bank cut the key interest rate for the first time in more than three years on Thursday, underscoring its urgency to cushion the bitter impact of the eurozone debt crisis on the local economy.

Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Kim Choong-soo and his six fellow policymakers lowered the benchmark 7-day repo rate by a quarter percentage point to 3 percent for July. It marked the first rate cut since February 2009.

The decision, which was not unanimous, came as a surprise to the market as only one out of 15 analysts predicted a rate cut for July in a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency.

The BOK slashed the key rate by 3.25 percentage points to a record low of 2 percent between October 2008 and February 2009 to fight global financial turmoil. The bank raised it by five steps between July 2010 and June 2011 to curb inflationary pressure.

Thanks, ROK BOK. You're OK in my book.

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Huh?

I don't get the ethnic part nor the ice part. At the same time I'm imagining a vague drug reference was slipped in by an evil English editor.

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Kushibo singlehandedly thwarts South Korea's whaling plans

Breaching for joy.

Or something like that.

From The Australian (a newspaper, not a person):

South Korea has confirmed it will abandon for now its plans to start a scientific whaling program after strong protests from Australia, the US and other nations.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr said his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan had told him during talks at the East Asia summit in Cambodia today of the decision.

No reasons were given for the about-face, but it's believed South Korea may have been surprised at the strength of the opposition from its main security guarantor the US and a key trading and defence partner in Australia.

Minister Carr congratulated South Korea for taking the advice of the International Whaling Commission in not proceeding with its plan to begin "scientific" whaling off its own coast.

"Korea has committed itself to green growth and is capable of becoming a global green superpower," he said.

This, of course, is in reference to the story I brought Monster Island readers a week ago, about the terrible, terrible, terrible idea for South Korea to join Japan in pushing "scientific" killing of whales as a cover for supplying whale meat to a market that really should just die, (no small reason being that it would be detrimental to Korea's national image at a time that it's rising and the world is also starting to pay attention to Korea in the run-up to the 2108 Pyongchang Olympics).

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Burmese kimchi?

With a hat tip to WK, I give you... Burmese kimchi!


The globalasianculture website describes it thus:

Mogok Rice Noodles with Stewed Chicken, topped with Shan Preserved Mustard Leaves, or 'Burmese Kimchi.'

To which WK editorialized:

NOOOOoooooo!!!!

The header for the email was "WTF?", but that's a long-running header for all sorts of things sent back and forth between several of us. (WK wasn't also fond of the idea of kimchi beer.)

I'm guessing I have less of a problem with the Burmese kimchi than WK. Y'see, folks like ZenKimchi are adeptly promoting Korean food like there's no tomorrow, and like everything else, that comes with unintended consequences. As Korean food becomes more "mainstream," I've seen more and more examples of the word kimchi being used as a descriptive stand-in for other countries' pickled vegetable dishes.

And someday, when we start hearing about Irish kimchi, we know that usage has arrived. In the meantime, I'm guessing that ZenKimchi (judging by his comment at the recent smoothie post) would rather see pickled mustard leaves described as kimchi than Kyochon Chicken, Smoothie King, Kraze Burger, Mr Pizza, and Paris Baguette, marketed as Korean food.

Now, I am not a foodie. Simply put, I'm lethargic about trying new things but I like just about everything put in front of me, including things others don't like and things I probably shouldn't like. But I must admit that pickled mustard leaves with some egg and banana (?) and mango (?) thrown in sounds very appealing. (Hawaii has made me love mango, except during mango season, when they are literally falling off the trees and you can't give 'em away!)

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Comfort Women statues and threats of terror

Back in Seoul after an unusually long hiatus, I was eager to visit a few places I'd been reading about in the news and blogs. Among them was the Comfort Women statue (or should I say, enforced sex slaves) located right across the street from the Japanese embassy.

So last week I headed there with my Nikon D60 and my iPhone 4. I walked purposefully down the street (I'd been to the embassy a few times, once to purchase a used right-hand drive Toyota Crown back in the 1990s, so I knew where it was). Down the street, I could see several policemen in the area, which is hardly surprising since they are tasked with protecting the various foreign missions, including the embassy of the former occupiers.

But as I approached the statue and stopped in order to position my Nikon, I was told by the senior police officer there, in Korean, that I could not take any pictures of the statue. Obviously I asked why that would be, and he told me there had been threats made to the statue.

Lest someone think that my rusty-from-Hawaii's-ocean-breeze Korean skills may have yielded a comprehension FAIL!, the polite-but-stern senior police officer (who looked to be in his late forties) mentioned the English word "terror" when he reiterated the reason.

I am usually not a confrontational person, though I can be when the situation warrants. This was not one of those times, and I thought that I would try charm and reason (I am very charming when I want to be). I told the guy I am from Seoul but lately I've been studying in Hawaii where I do a Korea news blog, and I'd been reading about this poignant statue — which I support — and I was keen to get a picture. I told them I'd read about the right-wing Japanese asshat (though I didn't say asshat) who had messed with the statue and I was sure was on their minds, but they said their threat was one from the future.

He asked me what my blog was and I used the ambient wifi to quickly type www.rjkoehler.com on my iPhone to show him Monster Island. Fortunately I had something a little less ridiculous than usual as the top post and he did that pensive ajŏshi sigh to show he was going to relent.

Just one picture, he said. That, too, he reiterated.

I quickly had to decide whether I should use the Nikon or the iPhone. The latter had the advantage of instantaneous editing and, with the ambient wifi (I really need to trademark that phrase), I could send it out right away (Blogger has a function where you can send posts via an email to a specially created Blogger address) so I went with that.

I asked the senior police officer and his young juniors if they'd like to be in the picture. They declined and parted like the Red Sea. I got my lonesome picture of the lonesome girl, with a banner to An Chunggŭn in the background.

Though they didn't ask, I showed them the picture and went on my way (I was late for a meeting at a 1970s-ish tabang with a friend who works with the mayor).

Before I blogged the little incident, though, I started to wonder if this was prudent. I emailed The Marmot, Zen Kimchi, and a couple others and asked if they knew anything about a no-photos regulation. They said they didn't, mentioned it's in a public area and there should be no reason it can't be photographed, and said I should go ahead and blog about it (if the cautious Marmot says go ahead, I figure there's nothing to worry about; I hope I don't end up in some Michael Breen-esque legal matter... I'm too pretty for prison).

So this was all on my mind when I read the news, a few days later, that someone Korean asshat decided, in protest of the Japanese right-wing asshat, to drive his truck into the Japanese embassy.

Could it be that the "terror" threat they were worried about was a domestic one? And did the police momentarily mistake me for an asshat?

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Surreality television

It was a stupid and offensive idea when it was first introduced. It is a stupid and offensive idea now in its current form. No, I will not post pictures or links or whatever. It is offensive and stupid and I want to go on record as saying so while providing the most minimal possible amount of traffic toward it.

It's not just that it will likely make a whole bunch of people get smeared with really obnoxious stereotypes, but also that most "reality shows" have devolved into lowest common denominator bull$hit that infects the culture at large because it models wild and crazy behavior while sucking the oxygen out of what could be a quality medium of televised information, drama, and comedy.

Do not watch, please. It only encourages the bastards.

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Korea: smoothie operators

[source]

The Wall Street Journal thinks that smoothies and Paris Baguette may be the next ripples in the ubiquitous Korean Wave.

A South Korean cultural wave is sweeping the world, with interest surging in areas ranging from the country’s pop music to cosmetics to television dramas. Now, smoothies could be next.

At least that is what Standard Chartered’s private-equity unit is banking on with a $45.5 million joint investment with Korea’s National Pension Service for a 48% stake in Smoothies Korea.

The Korean fruit-blended beverage maker is trying to position itself as a healthful Starbucks-like competitor in the world of smoothies. Its 100 company-owned and franchised stores tap into the country’s café craze while offering a healthy alternative to coffee and shunning sugar as a sweetener, said Charles Huh, managing director of Standard Chartered Private Equity’s Korean arm.

The plan is to replicate the café approach in the U.S., where grab-and-go is currently the norm, he said.

As part of its new strategy, Smoothies Korea will buy out the American company behind the Korean franchises, New Orleans-based Smoothie King, which began in 1987 and has 529 stories in the U.S. Its owners have agreed to sell.

The Korean company also intends to open stores in China and Singapore, both new markets.

Smoothies Korea hopes to follow the success of other Korean food and beverage brands that have gone overseas, such as Paris Baguette, a bakery and coffee chain with branches in the U.S., China and Singapore, and Red Mango, a frozen yogurt and smoothie chain with a presence in the U.S., Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

I wonder if Smoothies Korea will entice Americans with ad campaigns like the full backside nude butts in the pre-Yuna Kim "be white" advertising campaign for Smoothie King (am I the only one who remembers that?).

And did someone say Red Mango? Tee hee.

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Park Geunhye launches presidential bid

Political analysts say Park Geunhye still needs
to work on her presidential Nazi salute.

Ah, Korea, where even those on the right are in the left:

The conservatives are in an unlikely race to claim "economic democracy" as the centerpiece of their campaign platform, trying to woo the less ideological and fiscally pragmatic urban voters who will be eyeing the candidates' visions for social equity.

Park pledged to bring greater fairness to the business environment and said that while she will continue to eliminate pointless regulations, big corporations will be called upon to do more for the greater social good.

"I will create a government that decisively implements the law so that corporations that have big influence can do all they can to meet their social responsibility," Park said.

I just hope a President Park doesn't follow in her predecessor's footsteps and try to sell off the other airports, Namsan Park, the Han River, etc., etc.

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Would Kim Jong-un becoming tabloid fodder signal a change in North Korea's global image?

Speculation like "Who's the hottie with ...?" is something we might expect of royal watchers or the tabloid press, but here it is, addressing the "mysterious" and "elegant" young woman seen with The Prodigious Progeny on at least two occasions, including a concert.

From the Associated Press, via Fox News ("we distort, you comply," tee hee):

A mysterious young woman appearing at the side of North Korea's new leader is the subject of speculation she could be Kim Jong Un's younger sister or even wife, but Pyongyang has released no details.

North Korean state TV on Sunday showed an elegant, somber young woman in a black jacket and skirt bowing with Kim at a ceremony marking the 18th anniversary of the death of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.

She is believed to be the same woman shown Saturday seated next to Kim at a concert. North Korean state broadcaster KRT showed her walking into the concert hall behind Kim, and they clapped together at the end of Friday's performance.

The North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Monday ran a photo of Kim and the woman on its website without identifying her. Her appearances with Kim were front-page news in South Korean media.

A few thoughts. First, I don't think that's his sister, but it could be and if it is, then more power to him because by all accounts (i.e., all both of them) she is smart and sharp and she might help him navigate the ship of state past all the dinosaurs and into the territory of modernity (warning: that sentence contained mixed metaphors).

Second, if it's not his sister, then I have to admire the way in which KJU and/or his handlers are reshaping the North's image in the global media (and let's hope it is accompanied by real change). It would be quite a trip if the Norks have in mind a royal wedding to rival that of Kate Middleton and what's-his-face.

Final thought: It's good to be the Kim.

UPDATE 2:
Via ROK Drop, we get news that the woman may be a once-popular vocalist named Hyon Song-wol, who disappeared from public view around the time Kim Jong-un was supposedly being groomed to take over. She is reportedly married with a kid. But would that stop a despot? Frankly, I think this only adds to the new tabloidesque nature of the regime (in a good way), and I'm more than happy to know that the dictator in control of the artillery a few dozens of miles away might be getting laid regularly.

UPDATE 1:
The reference to Kate Middleton reminded me of something I'd written in my KJI/KJU caption contests in late 2010 (see here and here) that now seems eerily prescient:

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Pixelated fire in the sky

The Marmot's "fire in the sky" post at his way cool travelog has inspired me to dig up an old video clip I took in 2007 of the most amazing technicolor sky I'd ever seen and see if I can make a pleasant (though a tad pixelated) post out of it. Go here, please.

This was taken from my 24th floor office at the time in Samgakchi with Namsan and the Hyatt Hotel in the background. That's right, I was facing east because this was sunrise.

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