Coastal Asia Unrevealed

Happy Sollal Everyone !!!!!

2012-01-22T16:53:00.001-08:00

Guys I wish you a very very Happy new Lunar Year :)
All the best :) See you soon with new posts :)

The Hermit Kingdom

2011-12-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

Kim Jong-un, the heir-apparent and son of Kim Jong-il, issued his first military order just before the announcement of his father's death this week, which some sources claim is the proof of young Kim's control over the military.

Photo by AP

The North's state media reported Kim Jong-il's death Monday, two days after it occurred. Before the the news of passing was announced, Kim Jong-un ordered all military units to stop field exercises and training and return to their bases.

"This is a direct example showing Kim Jong-un's complete control over the military," the source said, adding the move also indicated that the younger Kim is poised to become the top commander of the North's 1.1 million-strong military.

And so on...

Above paragraphs are based on newest Korea Times articles about prospective difficulties of Kim Jung Un to seize power. Literally everyone around the world expects it.

If I was to guess and make a bet, I bet there won't be bigger problem with power transfer than it usually is in any hereditary system with several wings of power. Normally parents of the heir have to buy loyalty of those who could try to destroy their plans. If the loyalty cannot be bought with priviledges, then opponents have to be removed anyhow else.

Every kingdom ruling system used to be quite complex world, where a lot of things depended on how the king plays with his friends and foes and his power was never absolute and total. It is a gentle game.

Such gentle game is ahead of Kim Jung Un. My bet is there is already a dynasty of Kims in an Hermit Kingdom.

If nothing surprising happens this will just go on. Unless there is a military coup d'etat and the military modernizes country. But I would not bet on it.

And what do you think?

Kim Jong-Il Dies- what comes next

2011-12-19T03:54:00.000-08:00

Kim Jong-Il died of a heart attack on December 17th while travelling on the train. For two days, North Korea rulers kept this information secret from the state news agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade. Today, the news of the death of Dear Leader went around the whole world and made global breaking news.

Apart from the usual diplomatic messages expressing grief towards North Korea, the White House responded immediately to a message declaring that it is ready to support South Korea against potential changes in the situation on the Korean peninsula. President of South Korea raised the threat level of a cyber attack to Grade 3, the highest. South Korean authorities may, in fact, fear of attacks on their networks and servers, because this year several of them happened. The most serious attack occurred in July 2011, when hackers paralyzed SK Communications, a South Korean telecom company. The North korea was accused of attack which Pyeongyang never acknowledged.
Lee Myeong-bak also contacted the White House indicating his readiness to take all necessary steps required in that situation.

Tthe financial markets reacted immediately to the death of Kim Jong-il. South Korea's Kospi index initially fell by 4.1 percent, but then regained a bit of loss and early morning, the decrease was 3.1 percent. Japanese Nikkei has lost 1 percent. and reached 8,314.44 points. According to Victor Cha from Center of Strategic and International Studies this is a reaction similar to the stock market declines in 1994 after the death of former North Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung.

Global speculations began about the transfer of power in North Korea. Some analysts expect turbulence and potential conflict between several wings of power in North Korea, including a military coup. Director of the Institute of International Relations, Yonsei University, Professor Lee Chung-Min claims we do not yet know all the answers to many questions. Seizure of power by Kim Jung-Un who was promoted to be the next leader by deceased Kim Jong-il depends on whether he will cope with the hardline generals who are willing to use the situation to take over strings in Pyeongyang. Before Kim Jung-Un will be able to implement any of his own ideas in North Korean politics he has to consolidate power and convince the reluctant ones.

South Koreans, who are closest to all events, react calmly. There is no widespread panic, no one collects goods in case of crisis. As I wrote earlier crisis in relations with North Korea occurs so often that South Koreans are accustomed to it., even if it is the death of the leader of North Korea. Lee Yong Jun, a young engineer from Suwon says it's too early to predict what will happen - It can lead to conflict for power, as hardliners are able to use a young age of Kim Jung-Un against him. But any discussion and figuring out is in my opinion, premature. None of the analysts really knows what will happen and their panic can only reflect on our wallets more than the potential movements of North Korea. - Yong Jun highlights.

This confirms the reaction of the Ministry of Defence, which remains calm and says that there is no compelling reason to raise the DEFCON alert of South Korean armed forces. Anti North Korean surveillance alert had also not been raised. South Korean President Lee Myeong-bak canceled all his meetings and called up an extraordinary summit designed to establish rules of conduct in the situation, however pressing the need for reason and calm.

**********
Ironically we can guess whether this was a good or not good gift for President Lee-Myeong-bak's birthday which is exactly today. Photo: REUTERS

Park Geun-hye used again?

2011-12-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

"Park's role will likely begin and end as a kind of shield against cold drafts for the nominee review committee," the adviser from the Park wing predicted 2 days ago.

Recently I had written that in future conservative figures compromised with old system of kinship, connections and silver spoon will less likely be choosen in the elections as the profile of voters and their values change.

In October mayoral elections in Seoul began a star of an independent politician who had no previous connections to any political party involved in traditional Korean politics. It may be one reason why GNP decided to reach for a legend of Park Chung-hee and allowed his daughter to come forefront and lead Hannara once again in her career. But another reason may be that Park Geun-hye if unbounded with any difficult responsibilities just before the presidential elections might focus all her resources on winning and becoming the Korea's next president.. Now one false step may be used against her both by the opposition and her own conservative collegues.

But Park Geun-hye is still unknown card in a tile. It is difficult to predict what she shall do as a leader, more than just doing PR in which she is perfect (see the previeus article on Park Geun-hye). She seems to have her own visions on looking for middle way in foreign affairs and domestic politics. But her chances for applying radical social reforms whiloe representing conservatives are rather slim, with that she would be better trying her chances with the socialist opposition.

Yet, the opposition does not want her. Her own pack may not want to listen. Possibly again she will be used as a shield and PR machine, not much more.

Talmud in Korea

2011-12-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Korea is by far the only country in the world outside of Israel, where Talmud is among mandatory textbooks for kids in school.

One person who laid a vital foundation to friendly connections between Korea and Israel is a Polish Jew saved from Holocaust who now lives in Israel and is a professor of Korean Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

photo by: huji.ac.il

Dr Jaakow Cohen was rewarded for his lifetime efforts with the highest recognition in Korean science- Order of Magnolia - which he received from the president of South Korea, Lee Myeong-bak on December 7th.

Now Talmud called in Korean 탈무드 is appreciated by Korean parents as a great way to develop critical thinking. It also promotes value of education and family ties, both very important in korea.

On the sidenote: author of this blog - me - had personally met a very serious Korean who is a PhD in physics from Oxford University, and claims as seriously as he is himself, that Koreans are the lost tribe of Israel.

Funny as it sounds, miracles happen. Such claims can be easily confirmed by genetics, and they sometimes are. There are native Africans, whose skin is undoubtedly black, who are genetically Jewish, and this was confirmed by chance during genographic project. So...

Daughter rises, voters grow

2011-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

So will Park Geun-hye win the presidential elections in 2012? I would say yes. But it may be the last victory in her life. In next elections candidates may be still the same but the voters by then - will change.

"The daughter also rises" had been the title of a radio report on Park Geun-hye some years ago when she had accepted her position in hannara for the first time. Unquestionably the daughter has risen but it seems Korean society is rising too.

The daughter of president Park Chung-hee author of Korea's economic miracle, had decided to go back into politics some years ago after about 20 years of safe career in educational and cultural institutions.

For the first time she was forced to get into the political stage as the First Lady after her mother died in an attempt to kill her father in 1974. After the coup d'etat in 1979 when her father was killed by the boss of KCIA, she had withdrawn into the shadow.

Hannara used her as an electoral sausage hoping that the legend of her father may bring voters to the party. It was a good step back then. In 1997 Koreans had to adjust to painful reforms and changes in the whole economic system caused by pressure from the International Monetary Fund. Nostalgy for president Park Chung-hee who reminded them of the golden era in their country and created an unifying myth of a strong nation had skyrocketed in that moment. In 1998 Park Geun-hye was elected to the parliament and is called Queen of Elections because she keeps being elected ever since and has not lost yet. In 2004 she became the leader of Hannara and in 2006 she led successful campain that ended rules of the Kims.

She became more and more popular over the years. Last October several CATI polls had been made by JongAngIlbo and SBS Broadcast, both of them give her 45% chances to become next president of the Republic of Korea. But in 2007 she lost pre-elections in her own party loosing battle for nomination with then mayor of Seoul now president Lee Myeong-bak.

This is indeed an interesting phenomemon for a woman to lead the conservative party in Asia and also for a woman to become chief candidate for the next president. In neoconfucian society which is only superficially globalized by now, this is an achievement.

An achievement so important that a number of sociological studies had been done about so far. Among them Maria Huestenbeck had written a large work about Park's daughter: Park Geun-hye: Als Präsidententochter zur ersten Staatspräsidentin Südkoreas? where she explains Park's popularity by adopting to social expectations towards an image of an ideal confucian lady in the mass social imagination. Park, a short-cut, modest woman, who rather hides her sex than underlines it, very often speaks about her father's heritage that keeps her up to the image of the loyal, sacrificing daughter.

Chung Hee Sarah Soh mentions that woman's political success in East Asia is justified, among others, by cultural concept of yogol- a female hero who in extraordinary circumstances leads the group and deserves respect, but lives in a rather modest and ascetic way deprived of down to Earth joys of life ( like happy love for instance).

So far the image seems to be enough what it takes. The official website of Miss Park in the Accompishment box mentions... only promises and plans how it should be, but nothing on what has been done, initiated by her, watched by her or fixed by her.

In electoral polls Park Geun-hye is indeed supported by 45% of potential voters. However representative polls omit what the young generation thinks. It is interesting what they think? Do they think in Confucian way? Whether they vote for her or not?

In the survey done this year I made the attempt to test trends among the young generation of Koreans as the exploratory study for further research. Among people asked there had been 16 men and 4 women aged between 21 and 35. Only 2 (!) of them would vote for Miss Park. 17 of them can't mention any significant achievement that would justify so huge support she gets within the nation. 6 of them claim she is a bad leader ( Confucian thinking), and 16 of them clearly say that they won't vote for her because she represents the old corrupted establishment and ruling system based on family connections power concentration within clan and a lot of other issues they think should be stopped at last.

In that context it is not surprising that recent mayoral elections in Seoul had been won by an independent candidate, Park Won-soon, first ever independent candidate to win ever since Seoul holds local elections.

So will Park Geun-hye win the presidential elections in 2012? I would say yes. But it may be the last victory in her life. In next elections candidates may be still the same but the voters by then - will change.

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This article is based on the paper: Does confucianism stop women in politics? An exploratory study based on Park Geun- Hye. written for the interdisciplinary conference Women in Asia held in Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities on April 15 2011, accepted.

Korean lady won International Violin Competition

2011-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Soyoung Yoon received 30 thousand € as a main prize in 14th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition.

Soyoung Yoon, winner. Photo from www.wieniawski.com

Second Prize got also an Asian- Miki Kobayashi from Japan, and Third wento to Stefan Tarara from Germany.

International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition is the oldest and most prestigious of it's kind in the world.For the first time it was organized in 1935 and since then it is held every 5 years, always in Poland.

Jury leader, Maxim Vengerov allowed 46 competitors to the first phase of competition, 6 of whom qualified to the final phase. Before that he made personal individual rehearsals of 120 of them travelling around the world to Yokohama, Seoul, Quebec, Bergamo, Moscow, Brussels, London, Baku and Poznań.

Soyoung Yoon admitted after receiving First Prize that it was the most important reward in her career by far. In the final phase she played Violin Concerto fis-moll op. 14 by Wieniawski and Violin Concerto d-moll op.47 by Sibellius.

To listen to Soyoung Yoon outstanding performance go to: http://www.wieniawski.com/yoon_so-young.html

Congratulations to the beautiful Korean lady :)

_____________

Sidenote: this is a perfect example of public diplomacy, neglected by professional diplomats for centuries and successfully done by world class artists.

Korean Economy: end of the Golden Era?

2011-10-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to have a home. A place to stay where we secure a little bit of peace of mind and shelter from hostility of this world.

Such dreams are shared by at least two Korean generations who struggle to get to a good university, later struggle to get a good job and later get a mortgage loan to have a smaller or bigger apartment. After all, nothing bad in it, right?

Korean economy had been in a stable growth ever since President Park Chung-hee, with a small slowdown in 1997, when conglomerate welfare system had collapsed and huge reforms were ordered to be implemented by International Monetary Fund.

Recently Korean Won is getting weaker and weaker. It already lost several hundred KRW in it's value year to year, however recently stopped losing.

But Korea is facing the very same fate as other countries do. Many countries in the world had believed that state investment can be endlessly covered by issuing bonds. USA believed that too, and foreign purchase of their bonds had more than doubled since early 1990's. According to the Strategy and Finance Ministry Sunday, the country’s state debt is estimated to reach 448.2 trillion won, which is about $380 billion, next year, up 25.5 trillion won from an estimated 422.7 trillion won in 2011.

The said news for an average Korean is that about 222 trillion won of the government debt, accounting for 49.5 percent of the total, is to be repaid with taxpayer money, up from this year’s 48.5 percent to represent the highest level ever. The outstanding amount of government-guaranteed debt will likely reach a record high of 38 trillion won next year.

What an average citizen does not understand, is safe management of goods and income. Total amount of debts of all sorts cannot exceed 20% of monthly income of the household, otherwise if anything happens, they will be unpaid. Even in debt wise societies it is said that about 50% of mortgage loan holders won't be able to pay it after 15 years - half of a time of a loan.

What is not helping, is an obsession to obtain higher degrees. The country does not need everyone to be a PhD for it's growth, it needs equal treatment of Bachelor's and Master's Degree holders. In average country everyone is needed, from a toilet keeper through a cleaning lady and bus driver up till an engineer. And not everyone needs to be educated like a professor of a university.

I hope the best for Koreans, however I am afraid that we all have to reprioritise our lives globally. It is possible that there is no miracle ahead and unless new model of economy is implemented, nothing can be changed.

In these circumstances it is an interesting question, who is a likely candidate to win presidential elections in upcoming year 2012. My next post will be about it, in about 3 weeks, as I go to a hospital now.

Till then.

Happy Chusok

2011-09-12T02:36:00.001-07:00

Dear Korean friends, and readers from all over there in the internet.
I wish you a very Happy Chusok.

Korean cooking: Songpyeon

2011-09-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Chusok is coming. I have written at least 2 times about how Korean people spend their Chusok. But here I will give a glympse on what they cook.

The video above shows a detailed receipe on how to prepare rice cakes which are eaten very often in Korea, but they are especially done during Chusok.

Recipe Ingredients:

8 cups of rice flour (ssalgaru 쌀가루) this often is in the frozen section of a Korean grocery,
but if you are somewhere in the West go to your oriental shop and they will give you rice flower over there. More and more often network chains also have it, like Euroshop or Real.
2/3 tablespoons of salt
1 cup of hot water
glug of sesame oil
Sesame seed stuffing
1 cup of chamkae (roasted crushed sesame seed)
2 tablespoons of honey - if you are in Eastern Europe, you are lucky, real honey is exactly what you have not far from your home, unlike anywhere else in the world
14 tablespoons of salt

White bean stuffing - white bean paste can be served in variety of forms, but for this we need a sweet version:

1 cup of white beans (navy beans)
2 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of honey
a pinch of salt

Recipe Steps:

For the white bean stuffing, soak the white beans for 1 hr or longer and boil until it gets very tender. Strain, then crush it with a potato masher. Strain again to remove any liquid. Mix the mashed white bean with walnuts, salt and honey. Set aside.
Make the sesame seed stuffing by crushing the roasted sesame seeds and mix with salt and honey. You can put this into a blender or food processor for a short burst. Set it aside.
Slowly pour 1 cup hot water into 8 cups of rice flour and knead to make a smooth dough. Now you're ready to stuff the dough.
Pull off a small piece (about 2 tablespoons) of the rice flour dough and roll it into a small ball. Push it down in the middle to make a small cave and put a teaspoonful of stuffing mix. Press down edges to close it, and make into a half-moon shape, or whichever shape you want to make it into. You can make half sesame seed stuff and half white bean stuffing.
When you're finished stuffing, get a steamer pot ready. Fill water to reach about the half of the pot and bring to a boil. Place a damp cheese cloth on the tray of the steamer, and place the stuffed rice balls on the tray. Steam for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes.
Coat your hands with some sesame oil and then move each songpyeon (steamed rice balls) carefully to a serving dish. Serve warm or cold. It's best to eat songpyeon fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, you can store in the refrigerator (it will get hard). You'll need to resteam or microwave it to get it soft again.

Serving Size: 15
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

I will let you know how my rice cakes were soon :)

Daegu Championships

2011-09-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

World Championships in Athletics had started in Daegu, just a few days ago. They will last until Sunday.
While South Korea has been in the top 10 of the medal standings at the last two summer Olympics, winning 13 golds in Beijing, they have never won a medal of any color at a World Championships.

The strategy is to focus on small number of disciplines but do them good, which makes bigger and bugger success over the years. This year the hosts focused on being among 10 top best national teams.

Best or not, Koreans are happy to host the event, and are good at it. Also Daegu is a very beutiful city located in the middle of the country in the Geum River Valley enclypsed from the West by Nakdong. Also a city of thousands of trees and one of the greenest in Korea, which was the project realised in recent years to stop enormous overheating and smog in summer. I am not sure however if that has been stopped entirely by now - which maybe one of the reasons of reported headaches among athletes.

Above on the photo, Paweł Wojciechowski after beating world record in high jump, and also a record of Poland after nearly two decades.

World 2.0 tries to take over World 1.0

2011-08-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

....which will win?
Have you ever wondered that times we all live in are really crazy? Our life is haste and full of race for cash and pleasure, the faster the better. Our capability of waiting for something is very limited. Everything we want to get fast, cash, career, women, relationships.

Several things made me think that there is a huge change to what some of us consider normal or good coming with the speed of light.

Let's assume that I have a headache and I am at work. More often I hear "Oh you should take a pill". Maybe one person out of 10 would actually move ass and give me a pill and some hot tea. Shocking right? You would think that action means more than words especially if someone calls himself a friend. Really?!!! I meet more and more people who say "you should". My comment on that: "I know sweedy what I should, but with this you can kiss my ass as far as I know. Piss off. Or move yourself and act, because what you usually get from me is action!". But this is 1.0 person talking to 2.0 one. It can be compared to trying to convince a cow in India to move away from the road.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep ************************** cenzorship

I was advised to cut off this part. :P

How many people of 1.0 do you know and how many of 2.0? Have you encountered more examples of the world getting crazy?

I would say I know them 50/50. But it is always easier to move the boundary further. To equalize all sorts of behavior. To stop calling things good or wrong. To stop having remorse for anything, or cut all social ties and substitute them with fake ones.

____________

This post was more general, not just about Korea. But I think that these issues touch all of us, globally.
Warm regards to all of my 1.0 friends and 1.0 other users out there.

Form or content?

2011-08-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Higher Education in Korea is a very good example of social stratification. Not that Korea does not fight with inequalities, because numerous attempts are being done.

But this year, I have learnt that Seoul National University was turned into full private one. Most of Gangnam youngsters born with golden spoon in their mouth (if I am to cite my friend literally) voted for it.

It means that the tuition fee will significantly rise and so the door for smart people from less wealthy families will be closed, unless they get scholarship, or do some jobs for survival.Or something other than a "job" but what gives income.

Everyone in Korea beats to take seat at SNU, Korea Universyty or Yonsei, so called SKY. There is a notion that the top elite in the country are SKY graduates with easy path ahead in life.

In Korea however, the name matter more than the actual quality of education. Among lying challenges ahead is growing pressure for international majors made mostly in English. English language, very difficult for Koreans is used to explain matters which are enough complicated and difficult if taught in Korean.

Also big pressure for number of publications causes drop in it's quality, as not many of these poapers are cited by other scholars. Leydesdorff and Han mentioned about it in Scientometrics.

Young Koreans worry enough that they won't be able to pay for tuition fees and the situation when they do not pay for actual quality makes them frustrated even more. Professor Han, a physics scientist of Korean origin who works in USA, says that most of young Koreans did not posess basic skills of creative thinking and connecting facts when they entered PhD studies in USA.

Is the situation changing? I am not sure. Transformation of SNU into private entity is not a good sign. But I remember that I once met a girl who graduated from International Business at Ajou University in Suwon, and who was a successful investment banker at one of the better financial institutions. Being Ajou graduate, not at all top university in Korea, did not stop her from being successful.

Maybe there is some hope? I will get back to the aspects of Korean science in other posts too. Sorry for the long break.

Bin Laden and East Asia

2011-07-04T06:51:00.000-07:00

...is South Korea ready for terror?

It is 3rd August 2009, I leave the plane which just landed heading from Amsterdam to Seoul Incheon airport. After a not very thorough check up I am already in the car with my Korean friend. A nice pretty Asian lady smiles to me here and there and asks if I need anything and if I am comforted enough.

South Korea is one of the safest countries in the world. It has a unique cultural system based on the respect for rules and for the elders, where certain grey moral zone stays hidden from mass sight, and an average citizen is rather happy and confident that neither he will do anything threatening to the society nor it shall be done to him.

Although culturally explained cases of corruption influence negatively business and are a challenge, you may be quite confident that once you leave your DSLR on subway or loose a wallet, your chances to get it back are nearly 100%. Not big chances for the same in Europe, right?

In a society that trusts eachother like this everyone is nice and open. People are friendly. But after G20 summit I attended last year there have been comments that Korea is not protected enough against terror attack, due to lack of thorough security, big amount of trust given to everyone and poor intelligence among communities which may be a bigger source of a threat.

Not that a danger of terror attack is big. Korea does it's best to do business with everyone and asks very limited number of questions. Is a very non-threatening and stabilizing power of growth in many corners of the world. So far this strategy works very well.

This year in Seoul there were 3 blasts, yet unconnected to global terror networks. A very "creative" ex-convict thought to earn cash on falling stocks if he triggers panic. He invested about $45 000 ( 50 mln KRW). He did not gain much and instead was very quickly arrested. Soth Korea, and especially Seoul, has one of the most efficient networks of municipal survelllence> Cameras are almost hidden from sight, they are installed on very high buildings, but their resolution enables to take a clear facial snapshot of a suspect, or the plate numbers if needed.

Applying more strict security measures in future is rather necessary if Korea wants to play global ( and it does). Sad fact is that it shall destroy one of the most wonderful aspects of this remarkable country, enormous hospitality and trust. Luckily so far Bin Ladens of this world leave Koreans alone.

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The photo comes from securityinfowatch.com

Communicare

2011-06-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

I have just passed my exam on communication theory. Passed. Was very happy to do so. And because of that decided to write something non related to Korean affairs directly.

It is one of those exams in life a person into humanities - like me - has to take and it also touches a lot of very controversial issues.

It says, for one example, that there are male and female ways of communication. You are female in communication (even if you are a guy - discovered that in due process of studying) if you are chaotic, your thoughts unclear, and emotions most important. There are guys like that.

Before I however realized that I was afraid I might have been a guy myself. Last time I checked I was anatomically a woman, but I really grew worried when I had one by one checked male ways of communication to myself. Logical, clear, sorted out, chronological, prefers shorter sentences, etc. And very very very rarely communicates with emotions attached, but once I do, some people in my life remember it all too well.

Oh Dear, thought I to myself. Such crap I have to pass? The more I read on the book and remembered the professor the more I admitted he is however right in a lot of things.

There are indeed male and female communication competencies, but successful in communication are those with mixed competencies. They are called androgynic, it is in terms of human interactions, a third sex to some sort, and there is where I fall. That is where you fall as well Dear Reader if you are a guy but women understand you and grasp your intentions well. In our childhood we grow androgynic if we have other sex siblings and proper communication with other sex parent. Some of it worked better some worse in my case but there we go- I am angrogynic because I am anatomically female, but some parts of neurons responsible for communication in me are male.

Or is it what we only agreed to call male or female? A lot of denotations of communication symbols are things what we agreed on to call them and understand them by this and not by that. but if we derive denotation from nature, these are indeed male ways of communication.

Successful communication is a key to success in our business and in our private life. What makes it successful? First comes the intention - what and why do I really communicate? Then comes the partner in the interaction- the receiver- have I secured proper conditions and circumstances to be understood well? Then the content- it has to be truthful, just, and important. Message should be kept short. Noone likes too long speeches and not because we are stupid but because we may lose the merit.

Communication is at the basis of every human interaction. It enables interpretation of codes and values, ways of conduct, and also helps to express ourselves properly. From words to a relationship of any kind there is only a short way.

Communication theory summarized by professor Mrozowski teaches that there are ways to recognize what are the chances of successful relation of any kind, be it business partnership, friendship, relationship or a bond. At first involvement into interaction has to be equal, goals the same, values simmilar and simmilar way of interpreting the reality around ( the most important in romantic interest).

But this works into any kind of relation. The basic condition is that it has to be equal and honest. And there are also means of communication accurate in every type of interaction. We use different ways in business friendship, different in private one, different to a superior in the university, different to your collegues, and different to your girlfriend. If you receive the same and in the simmilar way, extent and amount, you have big chances to grow into a bond with time, or keep a successful interaction of any type.

Unsuccessful interactions are when involvement, engagement of two parties is unequal. That quickly leads to miscommunication and in a result- confrontation. One which may be a catharsis both in positive and negative way.

So if you have doubts if you communicate well with your surroundings, get a sheet of A4 size and draw yourself in the middle. Then in each corner write: Casual Interactions (lady in the shop), Relations ( business associates, and other collegues of all sorts), Relationships (all joyful and more close interactions with people you have), Bonds (usually here are your real friends, not those who are "friends" on facebook, your closest mentally people of kin, and if you are lucky your parents, siblings and your husband, wife). Later try to group all of people you know into these categories and try to go into their shoes and see if you consider it equal. If you don't, try to judge what causes it. And talk about it! Maybe you neglect someone, maybe someone neglects you.

Also last but not least, a very important issue is that we are always received by our partners in interaction not entirely. Only part of our "self" is received properly. The rest is the set of schemes, stereotypes, codes of interpretation and prejudices of our partner. A slender dynamic brunette might be classified as potentially agressive by some and potentially energetic and friendly by others.

What about non verbal communication? This is important mostly in cross-cultural environment. There are so many misunderstandings because we feel confused by somebody's weird behavior. But you need to be very careful, people justify a lot by a very fashionable term "cultural differences".

At the core, what connects us all in the World, wether we are Polish, German, Korean or Indian or whoever else, we all want to be happy.

This simple fact makes life easier. We have the same goal. If we communicate the intentions clearly, we will be understood no matter what our cultural roots are.

Meari hits the penninsula

2011-06-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

At least 9 people were dead and 3 went missing after tropical storm Meari hit the Korean penninsula. Most of the facilities had been restored, however no immediate reports on material losses are available.

Korea is at the edge of the temperate zone with monsoon season which had just now started usually lasts for 6 weeks up to 2 months. Most of tropical storms which sometimes hit the penninsula occur from June to September, however nowadays they do not cause as much damage as they used to when the country had not been developed.

It is yet unknown how this will affect relations with North Korea, yet knowing the North regime, not much will change.

Short comments: Ban Ki Moon for 2nd term as UN chief

2011-06-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ban Ki Moon, a former South Korean minister of foreign affairs was just reassigned to run a 2nd 5 year long tern as the Secretary General of the United Nations.

A good choice. During his term we did not hear about money laundering scandals like during Koffi Annan, and UN seems to be much more active on conflict resolution and giving it's mandate for actual preventive and preemptive actions, but also peace enforcement and peace-keeping operations (like the one in Libya).

Hanok for export

2011-06-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have read somewhere that Korean traditional houses are to hit Korean Wave as new element. How very interesting concept.

Traditional Korean farmer's house is constructed in a way that it cools in summer by easy draft and cool floor and heats in winter by ondol- traditional floor heating system, concept of which did not change to modern times.

Hanok villages are to be constructed as special "green" projects in Germany and USA. This is very annoying of two reasons.

"Traditional" house, difficult to guess if it is real or not.

Firstly, being green does not mean destroy environment and then turn to the stone age, it means preserve what you have and use it optimally, and you can live in modern houses. "Green" hanoks take much more space and electricity in modern times, than any living architecture in so called West.

Secondly, how can you export something and be so proud of something, you destroy and don't give a shit about in your own country? If someone had seen Korea, one knows that it is a country with close to none respect to it's own real heritage and history. Instead this country prefers to believe in myths and reconstructs reality- here including traditional villages.

If you haven't been to Korea yet, imagine that someone is destroying and then rebuilding Piazza San Marco in Venezia, or the Tower of London for some stupid conceptual reasons. City authorities in Seoul do invest in cultural preservation, but a closer look at Bukchon or other areas can reveal that most of the houses which could be researched scientifically and repaired, are being thorn down and rebuild from the ground - this way they only pretend the originals and have small historical value. So to speak, they look kitschy.

I really ask myself when will Koreans understand that "traditional" does not mean Joson style only? That what has been built in 1920's also has a style? What is older also has a style? Korean War and destruction of that time is a mere excuse of stupid unification which kills any valuable cultural or architectonic impact.

Short comment: North Korea weird move

2011-06-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

... Lousy brother drank some alcohol and messed up again.

This is the only logical explanation of North Korea's recent move in which they revealed that South Korean leaders tried to arrange a meeting on some neutral ground, preferably Malaysia.

This way whoever rules now North Korea gave a clear signal: we won't talk to you. Because we can sink your vessel and noone reacts. Because we can shoot at your island and the world did not give a damn. Because Beijing does not seem to condemn us. Just because we can.

Will there ever be end to it?

Not until China and USA solve this between eachother.

This below is not the best movie I had ever done in my life. But it gives some insight into what people actually think (if you are a professional film maker, have some mercy here. That was my class project.) Thanks to Svajune for help, and Ewout for his camcorder.
Part1:

Part 2:

Short comments: Sung Kim to be new US Envoy to Seoul

2011-06-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

There is a new envoy nominated to hold diplomatic post to South Korea. And it is a very well qualified person, starting from his...origins.

Sung Kim is a US born Korean, there is simply no better candidate for diplomatic duties than bicultural person, and it should apply for every country not just the US.

There are already some Polish-Koreans and they, I am sure, could be good envoys. The problem is, Polish diplomacy still did not quite cut the old school.

Sung Kim used to be an envoy for 6 Party Talks about North Korea ( and with North Korea).
However I do not see any solution to North Korea via any 6 Party or even 100 Party Talks as long as both China and Russia cosider their "security" as keeping idiots in power in North Korea, which is quite popular opinion held among South Korean citizens.

Good luck Mr Kim!

Seoul less Asian?

2011-06-04T04:14:00.000-07:00

Korea Times had drawn my attention recently to the street stalls ever present in Seoul's landscape.
They sell everything starting from shoes for women through souvenirs, candies, street food snacks and so on.

People who earn money this way are usually those who had no other choice but to go on this way of living after they had received just one financial installment on leaving their jobs in the age of 55- 60 which in many cases was not enough to make retirement on installments. Having no other choice these people went on forever Asian tradition- street vending of all sorts.

It is of course present in all parts of the world, but Europe seems to surpress it due to aesthetical reasons.

In Seoul street vendor must have municipal permition to have a stand on a certain location. Recently people who had been making their living on these activities had been moved to the dark corners from the main streets. Hidden away they start to suffer losses in their income, some say up to 50%.

Previously they also did not have to pay any taxes, now the situation changed.

“It’s not just about the drop in sales. I have to pay 100,000 won in tax every month and with material costs rising, I have no way to make ends meet,” said the veteran street vendor who didn’t want his full name used.

Relocation of street stalls had infuriated street vendors. One of the ideas of the local ward office is to move street stalls from the main street in Insa Dong to the back alleys which are obviously less visible. They had organized ongoing 40 day protest in aim to change municipal decisions.

Since it is obvious that the ward office isn’t willing to reconsider its plan, the Insa-dong vendors appear to have no other choice but to continue their fight against demolition workers.

In 2009, Seoul City announced the relocation of around 600 street vendors in Jongno, central Seoul, to seven different specialized alleys connected to the main streets to make the downtown area more pedestrian-friendly.

From my observation it would be more pedestrian friendly if cars or motorbikes had been banned from getting into apparently more pedestrian streets like Insa-Dong alleys.

There is an aurgument that young people prefer department stores or convenience stores to street vendors, but it is not quite true from my observation. Of course if a department store makes huge action on sales, it attracts customers, but otherwise I had seen several floors near Ewha University simply empty and street vendors and other small shops flourishing.

Young women also prefer to save some cash and go to underground shopping centers, just like the one which was at Gangnam, but is now closed due to renovation of the station (which wasn't that old by the way). If compared luxury shops at Samsung Street where simply empty with their prices reaching 500 000 KRW for a coat or 200 000 KRW for a pair of shoes.

When I go down the streets of Warsaw I very often see how the municipal police bans people from selling on the street what they had grown in their small garden somewhere away from the city, or some other people who had no other choice but to try to make ends meet this way.

Warsaw is a city for rich people only without any offer for middle budget pocket which makes it one of the more expensive cities in Europe. With even 200 000 top richest people out of 3 mln inhabitants who can afford really high prices all the shops in the city can operate, and the invisible hand of the market seems not to work at all.

Seoul used to be a city with an idea behind it that there has to be space of living for everyone in it. Also the prices of goods had been always adjusted to the average local pocket which I had personally experienced wondering through different corners of the city.

Also...street vendoring and price negotiations are very old traditions. They should not vanish just because the government wants to make the city look more European. It is not Europe, it is Asia, however modernized, digitalized and developed, it is Asia and it's very core charm is in street vendoring.

K-Pop

2011-05-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

...bit about music, culture and what I miss.
I think I have never ever mentioned anything about Korean popular music and how important element of reality it is.

While wondering the streets of any Korean city you hear it everywhere. It gets to you from Nature Republic when you go for a nail polish, but from Paris Baguette too.

It comes from bigger and smaller shops of all sorts, with cd's, with cloths, shoes, with cosmetics, from hairdresser or Haha Coffee, it is always present outside on forever live and colorful Korean streets.

It also influenced culture a lot. Not just dramas, but also music picture very sweet and caring dimention of modern Korean relationships, when people really share a lot. Physically, mentally and emotionally.

Under the mask of forever smile, rushing somewhere for school or to the office are hidden souls. Soul which feel a lot. And even if these feelings have popcultural semi american scent, it has it's own Korean spirit in it. Korean guy or Korean girl smiling to eachother as they walk hand in hand in any street or a park.

For you now:
Park Bom: Don't cry.

Nation Branding

2011-05-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered that Arirang TV had published it's report on my blog. This is the post which I had written back in November and which had been written after shooting Today's Blog.

Enjoy!

I have already mentioned about Korean Nation Branding efforts and how they impress me. In more developed countries than Korea comprehensive nation advertising and public diplomacy took much longer time or is not that well organized.

Part of it is Korean Wave which currently hits Japan, China and other Asian countries. Korean boysbands and girlsbands, so called K-pop music to which you may find links in the video corner is just an example. Korean dramas with Winter Sonata leading among them, singer BoA and many others.

This entry on the blog will also be featured on Arirang TV soon thanks to which hospitality I can share even more stories about country's and city's promotion enterpreneurship.

This year Seoul was choosen as one of the must-visit cities by UNESCO as a result of long term action of the Metropolitan Government. Maybe it was this little creature, Haechi, which was designed as a Seoul brand based on a fictional good spirit, symbol of the city, which caused it? Who knows...

Whether Haechi himself had blessed the city with good spirits or not, he definately works as a brand developed back in 2008. Metropolitan government uses it as a symbol which helps promoting good businesses for tourists.

I was taken for a dessert to one of the restaurants in a Korean traditional house situated in a White Collar area, next to the COEX Intercontinental, the very site were G20 was held. The restaurant which name is Pulhyanggi serves all sorts of Korean food for very sophisticated set of clients who usually go there for business negotiations and incentives.

Inside the Pulhyanggi...

Btw. did I mention that my favorite Korean food is a pancake with seafood which is called haemul pajeon and I can even make it myself?

And this is how restaurants are promoted with the city brand sign:

The Haechi drawing is based on the ancient creature I have already mentioned, which looks like this:

And Seoul area is full of them standing in all sorts of places, both very modern and traditional ones.

As a city Seoul tries to catch up with modernity but also save what is the best from it's ancient spirits. For this all sorts of different things are done, one of them is Cheonggye Stream near Gwanhamun Plaza, or Design Street near Toksugung Palace. There we may find interesting things like design chairs or sculptures as below:

All fitted in traditional historic environment.

Haechi is successful in promoting business as well. An idea which had not been followed by other cities so far as I know. As a brand Hi Seoul is shared by all sorts of small companies which are given support by Seoul Metropolitan Government. The partnership is perfect for both sides: the city promotes itself even better and business gets money and stable environment to grow.

Above is one of the example of the shared brand products. We visited the exhibition with the TV crew from Arirang and were given a gift set with very useful and very nice items including a pen with a flashlight which I use a lot right now.

Haechi itself is a legendary animal representing justice and integrity. The mythical creature distinguishes good from evil and was believed to bring fortune and luck and provide safety from disaster. The creature has been believed to serve as a guardian of Seoul for a long time.

At Gwanhamun Plaza the souvenir shop opened and the top sells are Haechi dolls in all sizes. I got myself the small one... maybe it will bring me the luck?

*******
Just as I shared with viewers of Arirang I will repeat here. Despite constant threat from the North Seoul flourishes. Korea flourishes. South Koreans take steps foreward, round the clock, like a circle in a spiral... strive and persist.

Special thanks to Yoon-mi Jung and her crew who assisted me for more than 6 hrs on a freezing Friday in Seoul driving me around the city wherever I wanted. Thank you for your hospitality and patience. I love Korea!

_________________________
Links to explore:
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/news_view.php?idx=7700
http://www.idwseoul.com/interdesignen/user/bizapp/link/link_01.asp?sBBS=0501

It's all about sex...

2011-05-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

I have not written anything for about two months now, for witch I am sorry.

This one however asks itself for a comment.

Just today about 400 prostitutes and their "employers" protested against police attempt on crackdown of Korea's sex business.

Some of them loved their "job" to the extent that tried to self-burn in a protest.

In Korea, sex business is indeed a huge source of national GDP. Up to 5% of national income comes from such activities. And these are not just legal red light districts, but more often brothels nicely hidden in norebangs or "only men" pub in a coded system known to men only that such "services" are offered for their libido satisfaction.

Strangely Korea is very much divided society, into two very contrasting groups. One group is a group of girls who practice prostitution for living and they finance their college fee by doing such things. They know all very well how to use their charms and sweet innocent looks.They may approach foreign professor and admit frankly: "I will sleep with you if you give me a good grade."

Another half, on the contrary, has no idea about their spouses activities after hours. In Korea, where it is mandatory to drink with a boss it is so much easy to cheat on your wife, who either has no idea or does not dare to ask questions. And yet...even in Korea dear ladies, the working day may end by 6 on average and you'll get your loverboy home by 7 if he does not have mere excuses. "I am busy", "we have a project deadline" etc can work 4 times a year, but not constantly.

Wether they are self-cheating themselves or not, truth is they some of them are blind to ever present sex-business around them.

On historical account such diversity on "the professionals" and "honourable wives" had been ongoing for centuries. Back in early 1920's Mrs Ethel Underwood established a trust which tried to fight this phenomenon. Back then, just like today 30% of young Korean women had at least once prostitution experience and 20% remained quite active "on duty". The rest either has no idea or tries not to know.

But economic development is, after all, important. And besides, I may ironically admit that it is much more independent and profitable way of living to be a hooker than to be "sex for free" honourable spouse who until 2008 had troubles with getting any legal custody on property or kids.

"Welcome to Seoul Red Light District, your online resource for Seoul South Korea brothels. Not only will you quickly discover the hottest and most reputable brothels in Seoul here, you’ll also uncover secret traps thoughout the city which many newcomers fall prey to." the advert says.

Capitalism to it's most. "Invisible hand" of the market.
On one hand romantic dramas which contribute to the better balance of character between sexes, on the other hand dark side of Mars prevails.

I'll be more regular in my posts, after some deadlines.

Radiation precautions

2011-03-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am a kid of Chernobyl. I remember how they told us to drink certain liquid in the kindergarden, and everyone had to do it. Mothers, younger siblings, everyone. My mother took us away to the cottage for more than two weeks where we stayed indoors with supplies of water drilled from 32 meters. Luckily it was not raining...

This was the first time in history when Polish authorities which were at that time directly dependant on Moscow made decisions against orders from Cremlin, but in favor of their own citizens.

Withholding information, a process natural for non-democratic regimes, should not occur in democracies. But, as wikiLeaks reports on japanese nuclear incidents had shown, it is also a daily practice for free-elected governments.

Currently I receive signals from Korea, that my friends are worried and have no clue if there is nothing to be afraid of, or the situation is dangerous. Some foreign Samsung employees had ordered Geiger counters from abroad.

Better safe than sorry, and the fear in Korea, which is very very close to Japan is very understandable and more than justified. What can one do to minimize the possible effects:

- do not eat fruits or vegatables or mushrooms from unknown sources,
- do not drunk mass brand beer which does not have a brwery of production clearly indicated,
- do not drink unknown source bottled water,
- in case of rain, wash yourself immediately,
- avoid rain for several weeks until you make sure that whatever radiation in the clouds there was, it fell down on the Earth one way or the other
- potassium iodine is not harmful and does not give any side effects, if you have it you can take it, but if you live in Sweden, I would not exaggerate

Thanks for my civil defence classes...

In the shadow of the quake

2011-03-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Two way tourism between Japan and South Korea had for the long time been very strong pillar of the economies. Now travel agencies feel real slow down because of the disaster, they practically stopped any operations.

Two way tourism had been proving that old time tensions had slowly started to vanish. Japanese, who had occupied Korea for 35 years, are obviously not loved by a lot of Koreans who remember the old times.

Despite bad memories common distrust had slowly vanished. Together with growing Korean Wave a lot of Japanese middle class citizens have been doing weekend shopping in Seoul, crowds of them are visiting sites of their favorite soap operas.

Japan became fashionable among Koreans and is one of their favorite destinations for Lunar New Year or other holidays to go for a visit.

Finally this tragedy had shown that there is a peace between the nations, not only between the governments.

South Korean celebrities and citizens are donating money for Japan. Samsung Group had given already 100 million yen, which is 1,22 million dollars. Daum, one of the internet providers, collected so far 40 million won.

Maybe, in the shadow of the quake, stupid conflict about Dokdo Islands with some small traces of natural resources, not really worth even to be drilled out, will finally be resolved. If this moment is not used, there might be no other opportunity.

There are other, more serious, and never resolved problems between Tokyo and Seoul. Japan had never gone through full denazification and fascist veterans are still presented there as national heroes. It may be a wind of change for both nations, and time of forgiveness. Better late than later. Or never...

15th March 2011

Earthquake in Japan 3

2011-03-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

How can you help Japan?

In Japan currently there is sweet drinking water crisis.

My friend Mikina who is in Tokyo says:

"In my situation, I can get electricity. But no access to gas and water. It’s happening in the whole city I live.
Luckily we our family had eight 2litter drinking water bottles and full of bathtub.
Our city supplies water at every school but they say it takes 2hours to get water and it is limited to 10litters per family. We can’t know when we can get water from tap next. It can be tomorrow or one week after. (...)
Though things should be appreciated, when whole nation try to send things to suffered area, they are not handed to people appropriately and effectively. So I believe contribution of some money helps much more."

Donate Money for Japan - International Red Cross

Apart from this you can donate sweet bottled water supplies to your local Red Cross, or contact state aid agencies.

Street cracked after the first quake in one of areas which suffered less damage, this can rip apart any second. Photo by Mikina from Tokyo.

Earthquake in Japan 2

2011-03-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Fukushima Power Plant had been reported to have a leak which is now decreasing. Two shakes coming one after another during recent two days had damaged the concrete building of the plant but not it's metal cover, says the authorities. Just in case 20 km zone of evacuation had been created.

The death toll is rising. For now at least 649 people had been killed by the tsunami and the quakes. The water supplies and energy situation on the Japan islands is critical, help however will soon arrive from the world.

Japan quake technology is legendary efficient, but this time it was the tsunami which caused the biggest losses.
State preparations started after the quake in 1923 which was so far the most disastrous with losses and casualties. Since then the quake conscioussness among civilians had risen, the authorities had imposed a lot of solutions including the quake training simulation which every citizen has to go through on 1st September every year.

Since 1981 new building technology makes every skyscraper and building a must have special foundations which amortise the quake up till the magnitude of 9, theoretically. This technology has proved itself very efficient and really helps during such disasters.

It seems however that the only thing which actually saves from the tsunami are high altitude natural sea banks, like on the Korean penninsula, which won't protect the fish industry or boats, but will protect vast spaces of land.

Japanese people help eachother before the rescue teams arrive, a neighbour helps a neighbour with whatever possible.

It is not safe to come back to the buildings even if they seem not to be damaged. Secondary quakes will for sure weaken their cracked structures more.

Japanese economy suffered losses which noone dares to measure yet. Nikkei went down rapidly, same for the exchange rate of yen, but Japanese economy, an export based power, will eventually drag itself from the disaster.

*******

On the side: how come the Kaddafi mess causes oil index skyrocketing and Japanese disaster which may actually harm a lot of platforms and tank ships in Pacific region is causing oil price index down?
The logic of investors is black magic for me. Or may be there is no logic, just a group panic instinct?

Earthquake in Japan

2011-03-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today there was an earthquake in Japan of 8,9 magnitude. Losses are enormous, mostly in technical assets, infrastructire, businesses and others.

Circa 250 dead, 88 000 missing after strong shakes and 10 meter tsunami rushed through islands of Japan, numbers may increase with time.
Government warns about secondary shakes and prepares civilians for situation of worse than what it is already.

For such a sudden and strong event I want to congratulate Japanese people for organization and preparations for such a case. Country was shaken but it is not paralyzed. Advanced technologically and very organized, went through struggle with powers of nature not as harmed as countries affected by Indian Ocean Tsunami and earthquake in 2004, where there have been 230 000 fatalities.

Is Korea prepared for an earthquake of this magnitude? A year ago in January there was a small shake which had risen this question in the newspapers. This time, Korean Penninsula was spared.

The authorities had noticed such threats and try to catch up, but will they catch up on time?

Soon more details.

Back on track

2011-02-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

To all my readers,
there was a break on the blog.

This silence I'll stop very soon. I have just wrapped up another long term stay in Korea.
I will be back profesionally every now and then to this beautiful country,
expct soon posts on Korea...just after I clean tones of mess and get back to normal in Poland.

2011-02-06T23:29:00.000-08:00

Just checked that two people are able to carry an irregular box of 20 kg for a distance of 300m. I love Ajou Campus, this is how far was my post office.

And I love Korea Post, have I mentioned it? I have no idea how come 20kg of stuff costs an equivalent of 40€ to be sent to Poland by surface. If I wanted to do the same from Poland I would pay at least 250€ for the same amount of stuff, and I could not be sure that I get it later. Wages of people are simmilar, much higher in Korea actually, and how come the post is so cheap I have no idea. Maybe it is a good topic for some IB student?

And if I think what fascinating journey will my parcel make: to Pusan and later around all China, India, Medditerranean and to Rotterdam, from there by DHL via Deutsche Bahn to Warsaw Central, I really wish I could send myself off this way :) A fascinating journey around the whole world for 50 000 KRW. Yeah, everyone needs dreams.

Winter Sonata. ''Romantic” trip to Chuncheon Part 2

2011-01-27T03:53:00.000-08:00

In the morning we woke up later than planned. It was so quiet in the apartment of our host. Such quiet I have not experienced on the long run up till now. What was scary in the evening when we got here suddenly appeared to be so bright and full of sun.

That settlement had been 30 years old up till now as our host explained. Indeed he had what people in Korea hardly have any longer. Keys to his apartment. A set of small metal thingies which give a feeling of a real home.

This morning it was even colder. -23 according to weather forecast. We were laughing our cold off all the time. After all two women on the go is always lots of fun, once they start joking it never ends.

The plan for today was seeing islands on the lakes. Several of them had been also pictured in Winter Sonata. It had been a one chance in a million to see what Korean people consider romantic.

We headed towards Jungdo Island on the lake near city center. This time we had been from Europe and from India for the purpose of taxi driver curiosity. Freezing cold got even inside the cab. 15 minutes after leaving the apartment we could not feel our feet any longer. Ajoshi wasn't much talkative either. He had been watching tv on his car and probably cursed the fate of his job. Blue morning sky was totally clear, whiteness of the snow unreal for the city's vincinity, looked like taken straight from Queen of Snow fary tale. Would anyone through a piece of ice into my eye this day? Or would I meet someone who would melt it away?

On a ferry to Jungdo Island it seemed that only foreigners can be crazy enough to do any outdoor sightseeing in this weather. Just us and the captain of the floating device. A thought crossed my head, what if something happens to this boat in freezing cold like this. Sun reflected on the icy water. By this time Yukti was hungry but we were still stubbornly on the go. Weird are these foreigners.

- Call us 5' before you want to go back. - worried captain told us.

Apparently he was not sure if we get lost on the island or not. It was the nicest ever approach in my life, private ferry services for not that expensive price of 5000KRW. We got off at the bank and we saw the island. Not a desert island though, a bunch of Koreans headed desparately to the ferry from the freezing cold outside. And us...headed exactly there.

We saw a plastic orange tent serving as a waiting room for a ferry. Somebody resourceful had also made a live fire in the metal barrel exactly like for homeless people somewhere around dark corners of NY or any other city. . In such circumstances the very fact that there is a roof waiting somewhere makes one happy. Very happy. Even if the aircon is noisy washrooms are not private and the nightwatch sees all of your actions.

After 200m of a walk Yukti asked:
-    Can you stand this?
-    No I can't Yukti, it's over. Let's get somewhere under the roof and try to figure out what's here.
-    Ok.

We got inside the local equivalent of something between a kiosk a convenience store and a restaurant. In the middle of it coal heater was settled under traditional huge pot boiling water for whatever reason. Ajoshi behind the counter merely glanced at us and got back to reading Chosun Ilpo. Frozen, we slowly let ourselves relax near the warmth. Feeling of desparation appeared on Yukti's face when we bought onion chips just not to annoy the owner of our shelter too much.

- All this way from Suwon and we bought chips. We sit and we eat chips. This is something we can do at home.

Burst of sarcastic laugh on my side had put a period to this statement. No matter how motivated I am, -23 degrees is not a temperature for me to handle. My camera would also give up soon.

We headed for a walk towards the pension where they pictured Winter Sonata. It crossed my mind that I understand what is it what Korean public considers romantic. The camp site combined of some 30 small wooden cabins which can fit a family was situated at the lakeside. Away from the city noise, away from civilization. Remote, and underdeveloped for a Korean standard at least. In a country of constant homogenous constructions and no diversity such places can indeed be called romantic. They touch this gentle part of soul in a person.

- Can you imagine walking hand in hand with a beloved one on crunching snow like this in freezing cold? - asked Yukti.
- Yes Yukti, oh yes, I can.

Same thought apparently crossed our heads in the very same moment. Indeed, this would be nice.

Sarcastic humour left us soon as we headed to a homeless barrel. It had been surrounded by a lot of ajummas and girls on sightseeing. Finally we were not only two desperados. They shared with us whatever they had, it touched my heart not for the first time how they share whatever limited resources they have. These were some sticky cookies and pieces of baguette. Filled our stomaches for the time being. Because you are a guest and because you are welcome. Such is Korean heart. Such is the part of it which I genuinely love.

Back in downtown we asked for anything to eat and proud locals had recommended us Dalgalbi of course.

- Apero hagu uenchok and you are there. Straight and on the left.

I looked ahead and thought that no, Dalgalbi can wait until I visit Chuncheon anytime in my life again. Maybe that time it will be different? Somehow, I don't remember when, we ended up at E-Mart because it was warm. Finally warm.

Such was the trip to a city of Chuncheon. It left me with the impression that what humans perceive as romantic is what touches the primeaval part of human consciousness which is connected to nature. It brings me up the words of Gary Snyder, converted buddhist and poet: ''Culture which cuts off from natural and wild life around us and which denies the wild life inside us drives to very dangerous phenomena which will probably destroy humanity one day”.

Chuncheon 16^th January 2011

The Big Chill

2011-01-22T04:05:00.000-08:00

...or what Caucasian expats do after hours and why I like it.

Grace, Mona, Iri... saranheyo...Nikolai is missing here...

I usually write here about Korea and Koreans, language, cuisine, people, places. But this post will be different.

My cross-cultural couch told me once that an expat always hangs among vacum space and has to learn how to live with it. Has to learn how to recognize symptoms of unfitting and overcome an expatriate crisis.

Away from the natural environment of family and friends everyone encounters difficult moments. Body language, communication patterns, hierarchy, and all sorts of non-verbal signals are sometimes too different to create genuine connection with anyone. Especially if you are an expatriate Caucasian female in the world.

An expatriate success is when you fit in. Not in terms of replacing your own culture with another but in terms of getting bi-cultural skills. People are not born with this, it is not easy to acquire such competencies, even if you are the most socially successful person in the world.

However once in a while everyone needs to feel the air of his own environment and his own kind of sense of humor and entertainment. This is what The Big Chill in Suwon crreated for me. A not- so -huge and not-so-small place with pool and darts and bar and couches is perfect. A friend behind the bar who recognizes me immediately after entering, repeating pattern of faces, even if I don't know them, makes me feel home. Home between individuals whoose communication code is the same. When they make the appointment, it's fixed. When they say a compliment, they don't expect too much out of it. And if I am upset I can have a drink at the bar... all so very Western. It's only a bar, you'd say. Yes, but it's my bar. It's my refuge. A place where my friends meet.

*******
Location: Once in Suwon say to the taxi driver: Nammun. And later have a look.

Guinsa Temple Part 3

2011-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

After short rest we headed on the routine. This was the time when I felt the power of writing a book about a country and it's people. Hyondok Sunim had brought us off the typical routine of bows and meditation but instead decided to show the space of work, whatever possible in that freezing cold Christmas Day. The sky was so blue on that day.

We were brought into the ladies work space. Like in CatholicChurch or any other traditional patriarchal system women take care for guys stuff, they make cloths, sew them, iron, wash, cook, whatever to deliver ready for the monks.

I was shown their work space where they prepare buddhist religious outfit. Several ladies where sitting in rather small room with the entrance straight from the cold. One of them was cutting pieces. Another one was steam ironing them so it would be easier to sew them. One of them was making trousers only, another one tops. It was visible that they like it. Their way of life, daily work routine. Among giggles and laughs they kept asking questions about our countries, religion, opinions. Every now and then they bursted with laugh after Sunim told stories on our difficult adjustment to the rythm of life in the temple.

An important holiday was approaching. For the celebration purposes, the entire Temple site had been decorated with lanterns which looked like chickens but supposed to be dragons. Temple itself is quite new and very nicely decorated in the mixture of patterns and fresquos with green, gold and red as dominant colors. People headed around us on their routine. Pilgrims arrived and departured. For them it is an equivalent of Lourdes or Fatima, or even Częstochowa. A pilgrimage place where quantities of people head for a moment of refreshment and try just to stop in their haste of life. Maybe pray for their children's successes, their lost love, maybe for better health?

What is strikingly common to see is the fact that Buddism as a religion is a female issue in Korea. There have been quantities of ajummas in a scope of age starting from 40 and up, crowded on narrow spaces and hardly any men present. Maybe 5 of them among hundreds of women? Common phenomenon for the whole world.

It reminds me of, what I thought was a nasty antifeministic comment at the time, words spoken by the local parish priest in Warsaw: "When a woman prays it's normal. A matter of fact. Her soul is emotional, tempts to mysticism. But when cold logic driven male brain prays it is precious. More valued than female prayer." I still remember how angry I was, but when I look at it, I must admit that it is so true. Men are stronger in driving for their goals, never blaim extra factors for their failures or successes and are hardly ever emotional. But this is what makes them successful, after all.

At the lunch time there was time for the truth. Sleeping routine at the Temple was not for me. I cannot go to sleep at 8 pm for 2 hrs and later at 4:30 am for 2 hours. I was grey on my face and very very tired.

I will be back to Guinsa, Hyondok Sunim. Maybe I will be more tough?

The last part of the day was tea ceremony with a monk. He could not speak english, but I think he understood. He had driven our attention to the fact that Avatar movie had a lot of buddhist elements in it. My journalist self overcame a diplomat inside me when I asked:

- How is buddism related to Korean mindset and modern development? You said that everything is interconnected and hence we should be responsible for nature. But in this case why are Korean people so detached from it? Temple Sites are protected because it is cultural heritage, but if there is no cultural heritage but there is a mount which is home to rare species, it would be blown up with no hesitation? Centuries of buddhist belief did not leave a trace in Korean mindset?

Sunim, an ex journalist, responded:

- I am not smart enough to speak about politics.

Hmm. Indead. That was not a political question I think...

- But maybe he is? - and I show our host. The response from the monk in translation was:

- There are challenges in modern world, but you need to practise. If you practise it will be allright.

If you practise it will be allright...

Perfect solution which every religion makes for a believer. But maybe there is something in it?

I must admit that the meditation in the small Dharma Hall brought me in peace of mind which I had not experienced in more than a month before Christmas. Despite on the faith and religion, or lack of it, if you stop and ask yourself: Quo Vadis? Quo Vadis Humanae? Where do you go? Who are you? What are your dreams? What are your sins? What makes the sense of your life? it is only beneficial for a human being. Guinsa Temple had given me that.

On the icy cold evening with snow crunching under our feet and millions of stars on the sky we headed home. There are no stars in Seoul. Lights of civilization had taken over too long ago.

Hyondok Sunim, I will be back.

Guinsa Temple, Christmas 2010

"Romantic" City of Chuncheon Part 1

2011-01-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

- Ah, so you can't have coffee with me because you go to Chuncheon. Right. Make sure you take lots of cloths because it will be very cold. Have fun. - my good Russian friend stated philosophically.

I never care much for weather forecast in Korea, because it is hardly reliable and because in winter supposed to be cold. Frost, snow and blue sky are what makes a good winter.

Sometimes it makes that winter too good. We met at 9 am on a very chilly Saturday morning and bought tickets to Chuncheon which is north-east from Seoul area. The bus was warm and comfortably brought us to the destination, however on the way we passed a lot of smaller and bigger places which the further we went the more they looked like some middle of nowhere.

More and more in the middle of nowhere...

After getting off the bus we headed to downtown area which for some reason is called Myeong-Dong. Taxi driver, very happy for the given weather conditions smiled at us and asks:

- Juoyo? Cold?

- Aju juoyo... after that Yukti says something I could not understand quite well. Taxi drivers have two different favorite sports here. If I go on taxi with a girl, they ask where we are from and they usually start from guessing that we are from USA.

- Where are you from?

- France. - says Yukti with a joking spark in her eyes – and she is from USA.

Our ajoshi seemed to be more than happy that I was from USA and Yukti was from France for the purpose of this short ride to the city center. Another favorite hobby they have is asking a man in the cab if I am his wife or not and if he is going to kiss me or not. This is at least as much as I understood once when I was with a guy on the cab in the evening. But this time I was with Yukti, my amazing Indian friend who always smiles and the hobby version was much less annoying.

Once in downtown we had seen that the center was called Myeong-Dong for a reason. It apparently attempted to be a copy of Myeong-Dong in Seoul even with Myeong-Dong shoes for a tourist who would go to this city for shoes.

Well, we got here for sightseeing, not for shoes. Myeong-Dong shoes can wait, they are available in Seoul. Or not? Maybe not?

Soon after however we got to the street marked with a very nice chicken on it's pavement. It was Dalgalbi street. We wanted to eat at last and try something new.

One of the attractions in ''romantic city of Chuncheon” is the local food, Dalgalbi. It is chicken on the grill with cabbage and tok – rice cake. However every restaurant was so full that we thought it must be some festival going on. The only empty one happened to be a place reserved for bigger groups. At last we just got to any given restaurant.

Dalgalbi was very nice but very spicy ( yes, I learnt to like spicy food!).

Even Yukti despite being a vegatarian had a bit of Dalgalbi. While we were assisted by a very helpful and elegant ajumma, some ajoshi hooked us asking Korean favorite question:

- Where are you from?

After few introductions he admitted that he knows parts of India quite well and that he had been to Warsaw. We were very impressed by the gentleman's language skills, the conversation went on smoothly with him repeating every now and then who he is what had he done so far and how is he smart. And that he knows India and Poland and traveled in business there, of which he seemed to be very proud. He seemed to be proud of himself too. But wait, is this just Korean or is it simply male?

His daughter, a fresh lancet beauty, knew him obviously better than us and said:

- Never mind him, he likes to know everything best.

Culturally shocking attitude here. I have seen some young boys carrying around their girls' handbags after they watched some soap operas, but I had not seen a daughter to be so equal in relations to any father here in Korea so far. Later we learnt that the man works for Hyundai and this is the reason why he knew our countries quite well before. As a modern Korean financial aristocrat seems to be excused from cultural norms and does not care for them much. He, his daughter and her boyfriend had seated for a sophisticated Dalgalbi luncheon on my 1.

- Look at these individuals over there. - said Yukti.

Meanwhile on my 3 I had a nice picture of guys with black uniforms, longer hair in pony tails, 3 out of whom looked apparently Japanese. They had something on their necks which looked like rosary with a small penis attached. My neighbors looked at us every now and then and I kept looking at them. One moment I was tempted too much and I asked for a photo permission. This is how I have a photo with this gentleman. Obviously I asked what this small penis meant.

- It is religious symbol for first son. First baby – ajumma politically corrected herself.

Was it a baby or was it a penis? I don't know yet. Nevertheless the individuals seemed to be just as interested in us as we had been in them. In the background crowd of people had been patiently waiting for their turn, others were eating and drinking, some were sitting normally, some on the heated floor. The Dalgalbi luncheon fiesta was at it's most!

Was it a baby or was it a penis? I don't know. Dalgalbi fiesta went on.

After lunch it was time to decide what to do. Sitting in Cold Stone we had studied a map. Our host whom I found on couchsurfing lived in the eastern part of the city, hence we decided to see what that area offered to us and cover the rest on Sunday.

Not for the first time it had been a real struggle to go out into -17 degrees outside. Blue sky was not helping much anymore. But, Dear Reader, it would be rather pathetic to end up eating only local food, wouldn't it?

Why -17 in Chuncheon? Time to answer this question now. It supposed to be my destination for Chusok, but hell, it wasn't. Don't ask me why, ask the sky. Part of it was weather.

-17 happens to be a number on the termometer outside of the window, and the red liquid inside does not wanna move any bit higher, no matter how hard I pray for that. Now I have time for travelling, so I need to stand merciless – 17.

Yes, but this is not an answer to the question, why was it my destination. Part of it is the city's size. It is small, compact, surrounded with the lakes, settled among mountains rising straight from the water, it is a misty resemblance of Norway to unfamiliar ones. Another reason is that they had pictured South Korean most famous drama here, Winter Sonata. I have not seen any piece of it, but I was curious which surroundings and views Koreans would consider especially good for a romance scenery.

Therefore we headed to the famous Soyang Dam by the local bus. The ride had taken us very high above the water level. Sceneries were absolutely beautiful. Slightly blue mountains covered here and there with snow and the steel blue lake far down below us which water had not been frozen yet and a blue sky. Absolutely astonishing.

Steel blue waters of the lake, blue sky and freezing wind. Winter Sonata.

If it only wasn't so windy! Our ''romantic trip” to Winter Sonata site had started more than chilly and it was my very self who had done this to us. Apparently I have some masochistic traits.

The wind had taken away all our warmth. Resourceful Korean overcommercialized capitalists whom I curse so often this time had been so resourceful and placed a building on top of the dam. It was reasonably warm in there.

After visiting the dam we decided to see the Museum in Chuncheon, but as a nice lady in the tourist info said, it was closed as of today. Therefore we headed to the Ethiopian War Memorial.

-Yuk shi closed. - said the watchdog downstairs with apparent attempt to shut the door in front of our faces.

- But it is 5:55 – said Yukti, who is more than resourceful when needed.

This was how we made it inside the memorial for the Ethiopian war efforts which also shows a lot of culture. Items presented inside are really taken from Ethiopia or inspired by it's ancient culture remembering King Salomon and Queen Saba. The fresquos on the roofs are worth a glympse. They feature Ethiopian early churches from 3^rd and 4^th Century A.D. and the daily life of the villagers. Some everyday usage items and other artifacts are on display. It was the quickest sightseeing in my life, in 10' we were done with the Memorial Hall.

It was dark. Temperature fell to 23 in the negative. Hardly ever I could feel my skin being slowly frozen, despite my thickest possible outfit. It happens when it is below -20.

Happy masochist who is the owner of this blog.

Nolens volens we went for the Ethiopian Espresso since we were next to this place. Inside the coffee house I had seen many artifacts taken from Africa which were very real, neither of them had been made in China.

We sat by the window slowly defreezing ourselves. We both knew it was enough for today. Last issue to solve was to find our host from couchsurfing. Before that however we enjoyed taste of real African coffee which I know so well. It won't be modest to admit it, but Ethiopian coffee is welcome on my table ever since I know Krzysztof, a fellow traveller, who married a girl from Ethiopia. Twice a year or so he arrives with huge quantities of coffee in Warsaw, some of which gets safely delivered to my address.

Sometimes we were only silent...

Among the aroma of the seeds we enjoyed conversation about common female topics, at moments only sitting quietly. Outside of the window moon reflected in the iced water which even from inside seemed to crunch and whisper. What did it want to tell...?

We were on the way out when the owner took a chance to explain us the history of his coffee house. A word ''book” worked magic again. Jung Dae Cha is a second generation of owners who manages this coffee business. He says that it is the oldest coffee house in the entire South Korea. It started as soon as the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie visited Chuncheon in 1968 and had put his tent in the very spot where the coffee house is. The Memorial was opened to keep the memory of Ethiopian troops who participated bravely in the bloody times of Korean Civil War.

One hour later we finally reached the destination. Our host welcomed us with his warm house. Himself being very sick made this effort despite of any circumstances because commitment to a once given word matters. We spent the evening having interesting conversation about ancient medicine and Judaic belief.

Two hours later Yukti was sleeping and I was laying in total darkness wondering what the next day might bring...

To be continued...

Chuncheon, 15^th January 2011

Korea...Poland, some comparisons

2011-01-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today "International" Committee for Aviation Crash Investigation (MAK in Russian) with general Anodina on it's lead had published "report" on Smolensk crash which occured on April 10th near Smolensk in Russia. In this catastrophe the President of Poland with his wife and 94 other leaders, congressmen, intellectuals together with whole crew were died.

Initially it supposed to be a turning point in Polish-Russian relations. Two days before "Katyn" was allowed to be shown only on Russia Today which is an english language TV station with popularity not exceeding 2% of the society. After the crash "breakthrough" step allowed a movie to be shown on other Russian TV stations.

In Poland a stream of dezinformation, different opinions, attitudes followed with PM blind belief in new modern Russia which will stand up to the call of modern western investigation with solid and transparent standards in it's base.

So we had been waiting for the outcome and as predicted MAK accused the Air Force Chief general Blasik for being drunk and for shouting on pilots in the cocpit.

In the meanwhile Dmitrij Medvedev, president of Russia visited Poland. Journalists were covering this visit emphasising with genuine pride how secured is this visit, how many choppers, secret service agents and panzer cars are there so noone would know in which of them president Medvedev really is.

It is difficult to reach bigger contrast. Back in Smolensk there was just one Secret Service agent without any gun covering security of the ambassador Bahr more than the president of Poland, airport, airfield remembering of sheep-run more than of modern sophisticated airport. That all surrounded by woods and city's dumpster mount and a barrack which certainly would use some renovation pretending to be control tower. In that "control tower" there were 3 guys all of whom had never been taken for interrogation by Polish prosecutors.
If I was told that these are the conditions offered for a visit of a foreign head of the state, several years ago I would not believe.
This resemble some long term submissive prejudice residing in brains of old generation in power in Poland. Generation in media and in politics. They consider such circumstances as normal and a matter of fact because Russia is bigger and their president deserves better treatment. I can imagine what would Russian media say if we told president Medvedev to land on a sheep-run.

Do I suspect a foul play? Yes I do, at least in a way the "investigation" is being done. Pieces of the aircraft are still to be found near the site. The wreckage was not even covered with anything and money from bank accounts of the victims had been stolen using their bank cards, this is how well the site was secured.

Was it an assasination? Who knows. I personally favor carelessness of the "control tower". What if really drunken guys were sitting there and reacted too slowly? But on the contrary I must admit that the control tower leader Plusin suggested to redirect the flight into the spare airport. From the transcript of the control tower talks at some point he says "Fuck, for now they insist to bring the plane down". Who is "they"? This should be clearly stated in the MAK report and it isn't. MAK report totally ignores the control tower transcript of all communication, not only with the plane but also with other people on the phone and those present in the building.

Also straight after the catastrophe my blog had been viewed by a very weird Moscow based business in the control of internet activity, market research. They are apparently not interested in Korean issues because they stopped watching my blog just after I stopped mentioning the crash.

How is it all related to Korea? I remember Cheonan sinking this year. Immediate international investigation, rushed legal proceedings and quick and clear results which happen to be accurate. If South Korean Air Force One crashed on the Russian territory, the investigation would be immediately Korean. They would not even ask anyone if they can or cannot. They would do, what they usually do, act first and worry later.

This is why I love Korea. One of the many many reasons.

******

On the side. Crashes like that are very popular movie topics, also it is possible to get Pulitzer if a journalist touches such topic. But up to date noone is asking any inconvenient questions about how the MAK investigation was done.

Meanwhile president Medvedev walks on the red carpet in Warsaw. He will probably eat cavior in the presidential palace and smile to a few photos.

Guinsa Temple Part 2

2011-01-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

After the dinner we were located in the pilgrims praying room in one of the floors in the main Dharma Hall building Our sunim had brought cloths for praying and walking around the complex, so those of us who did not feel warm enough, had put them on. Well, in the Temple or not, I do not fancy wearing something which covers me too much so I had the pants on only for the night.

The hall was full of women singing louder or more quiet main mantra of the Temple...or sutra...Byang Seum Bo Sal and so on like this on and on and on again. They were sitting in the lotus position or not, but as 2, 3 day pilgrims some of them, especially children, had given up on their buddhist duties and gradually fell asleep. To be frank, I made it up to 1 am on the prayers. Later we tried to get a nap, just like other ladies around us.

At 03:20 sharp we were told to appear in front of Dharma Hall. As we went out of our hot sleeping/praying place I saw millions of stars. Total silence surrounded us. Tree tops glisened in the misty light of stars and snow crunched under our feet. We followed monks inside the Temple...in the middle of the night voices of the lama started...what did they sing, what did they speak that I don't know yet. Not for me to comprehend with my limited Korean skills. Not yet.

After the celebration we went out. Our name cards remained inside on our seats. Someone prayed for us. Maybe for fortune or maybe for wisdom. Insight into the right steps. Who knows.

It was then under the stars of the provinsial Korean sky when I realised what I am actually doing. Why am I here and not on a couch in Warsaw. Why am I always on the go.

When I was a kid I read stories of a writer who created my favorite book character, so alive that I still can see how he looks like in front of my eyes. He was a young guy with special curiosity about the world. With his father and friends travelled across the globe to gather animals for Hagenbeck Zoo in Berlin. In one of the stories he goes to Tibet via Himalaya to rescue a friend and in search of gold. Snowblinded ends up in Lhasa Temple where lamas in the buddhist-lamaistic shrine take care of him. Soon after he joins their daily routine out of curiosity....

And it was me Tomek or Tomek me who joined lamas on the morning walk with their praying rosaries in hands. It was me Tomek or Tomek me who walked around the temple. The bells and the gongs made it even more magic. Was it Tibet 100 years ago or was it Guinsa in 21st century? I no longer knew. I knew that I was born to do just the same. Travel. Experience. Gather reality around me and share it with people. If I ever cried with relief it was then.

In an hour we were back in our hot sleeping place. Ladies in trans did not disturb me any longer. I have regained my curiosity of who they are and why they do what they do.

I have regained curiosity of what they do and why they do it...

Breakfast had given an answer to my questions regarding sunim. She shared the story of her life with us at that time. Used to be a tv and radio journalist in her previous life and a catholic converted into a buddhist at some point in her path. Found her sense and the meaning in serving the community. She may wear grey jacket and modest uniform but her energy of a reporter is still there. Once we have it we have it forever. That was the reason why I felt connection and why I knew instantly we would stay in touch.

To be continued....

DMZ Lotte World

2011-01-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

I did not do a single one productive thing for the whole day so at least I decided to write this entry. South Korean overdone consumerism has always driven me a little bit nuts. Especially that it is very homogenous consumerism and that I am a part of it each time I go to Starbucks. Each time I go anywhere else. Or each time I just go out of my industrialized prison camp at Ajou.

The place where it is especially felt is DMZ - Demilitarized Zone. I have written a bit about this one here or there. But this time it is really an unforgettable advert.

photo by Justinas Simanavici

''Thirsty? Try a DMZ water, fresh from the purity of intact land", says an advert of one of the brands which apparently found the way how to earn cash on the lasting Korean conflict. Crowds of tourists dragged by curiosity each year come to learn something about the situation in the penninsula. Mistery of last hermit non globalized country in the world is what brings them here. They want to feel that, experience that, how does it taste to be in clear and present danger.

South Korean soldier stands still protecting tourists from North Koreans...propaganda? Photo by Nathan Price
Typical program of the tour to DMZ is to see Panmunjom where Joint Security Area is located, watch North and South Korean soldiers who stand like salt statues half starring at each other. After that one is taken into a very well equipped tunnel which, as US soldiers in the role of guides say, had been digged for the purpose of infiltration. After portion of movies showing hope for reunification one is taken to a souvenir shop. Well, souvenir shop sells a tourist what reminds him about a visit to any tourist attraction later. But is it really a good idea?

Good or not, organizers will not let you get lost, they made sure to indicate which way is North Korea and which way is the toilet ( very needed sometimes ) and which way you may go to buy a souvenir T-shirt after you defected successfully.

photo by Nathan Price
Cheap souvenirs, cups, magnets, t-shirts and gadjets of all sorts with DMZ written on it contrast very sharply with dangerous communist buildings on the other side and soldiers ready to fire a gun in a blink of an eye.

There are even better things. A plastic worm just next to Korean warfare reminds you that it is only a tourist trip. When you are bored with all that talking about conflict, reunification, etc, you may also drop by amusement park nearby. And when you are thirsty, drink DMZ water.

photo by Justinas Simanavici

This all represents the reality of two different countries of both sides. After all, South Korea is a capitalistic democracy and has right to do cash on anything it wants. But it poses a question, what happens to DMZ if ever it stops being the most hostile border in the world? Will it be changed into a National Park because it has intact ecosystem, or will be changed into another land of skyscrappers and Starbucks? That is the question.

***********
Thanks to Justinas Simanavici and Nathan Price for these photos above.
You can visit Nathan's blog here: http://bigbadboonis.blogspot.com/, it is full of satiric eye comments, some of them sharply described impressions from DMZ

Reading on: The Koreans

2011-01-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

Michael Breen is an author I recommend for decent insight into contemporary Korean affairs.

"The Koreans. Who they are, what they want, where their future lies" is a book that had been published several times already and gives a brief and light encounter into Koreas mindset and sketches history. This really helps in understanding what makes a present day Korean.

However I would argue that Breen is wrong in several opinions he forms in the book. In the chapter titled "Two ways to be Korean" he states leaving safe rhethoric question mark, that Koreans could have prevented their division. There were too many leaders with far too many opinions and ideas.

Domestic freedom movement inclueded moderate nationalists who, similarly to Poland during positivism, decided to develop educated elites to be able to take over later on. This did not really succeed, mostly because the outbreak of war with China changed the course previously imposed by Japanese governor Satamoto. Satamoto gave room for limited Korean activities in terms of language and culture, decided to establish Korean press, the oldest of which, Chosun Ilbo, had just celebrated it's 90th anniversary last year.

In such circumstances moderate independence movement was created and had been growing. Until the outbreak of 2nd World War in the Far East, when Japanese authorities had shown the most horryfying face not just to the Koreans but also to other nations in Asia. All previously allowed activities had been banned. Development forced by Japanese war machine created as well many opportunities of jobs which had tempting wages. During that time most of the Independence Movement leaders lost credibility as they either collaborated or were broken by merciless investigations. Those who would later create modern Korean states were born abroad or returned from exile: Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee, who is described in one of the previous posts. Syngman Rhee for sure holds responsibility for rival attitude to his political counterparts but so would be anyone holding his position.

Modern Iraqis and Kurdish face the same problem, they have obviously too many voices and too many leaders. I will use this example as parallel. Although they have too many leaders, they depend on foreign stronger powers in as to who actually would hold the position of the president. Initially the first leader was Allawi, the closest friend of USA, however maybe not the most popular among Iraqis themselves, but accepted by foreign powers.

It was the same situation in Korea. Foreign powers decided to play for a piece of cake. Literally Soviet Russia decided to establish communism on the Korean penninsula and USA had secured the Southern part up to 38th parallel. But they designated Syngman Rhee as a first leader of Korea simply because he spent there most of his life and they knew him. They had no idea about any other leaders even if they would be better for the country. At second in a game between two ideologies there was no room for unified leadership. I contradict Michael Breen on his argument. My answer is no, they could not have prevented their own division. And rightly so, at least citizens of the South can strive for building their own future with increasing citizens participation.

*********
On side from the main argument I must admit that however stupid and short sighted may US foreign policy be, bravery of her field troops saved a lot of dreams in the world and had stopped numerous genocides up till now. Unjustified and non-needed action in Iraq had changed American course for many years and caused her withdrawal from president Wilson's commitment, that every nation has right to self representation and democratic development.

Multi-culti Ansan City

2011-01-02T00:58:00.000-08:00

...in other words just cool story.

The plan was to go to Oido just because there supposed to be a seaside over there.
But as I was at Sadang Station in Seoul, subway was heading for Ansan and the plan got naturally amended on the spot. Destination Ansan.

What is there interesting in Ansan? People say that birdwatching is possible. Somewhere around the city scholars from SNU had even made a documentary about night birds, like owl. The documentary was shown on BBC a year ago.

Just as I got off at Ansan Station I immediately got involved into my favorite one: peoplewatching. Indeed spectrum of cultures and different faces is enormous. Languages spoken differ among mongolian, vietnamese, indonesian and others.

...so many different faces

All of them starred at me top-down screening with curiosity or some dirty thoughts in case of male. Indeed a European dressed in red hiking set is a rare view over there. These immigrant inhabitants of the city are not the richest obviously. Their skin is not radiant, eyes are tired. Some of them try to rest under thick blankets while trading something.

...they are tired

I didn't quit hopes to find that birdwatching site and was wondering among the streets until in some park I heard so common sound:

-Natasha! Natasha! Kuda Ty? Natasha, where are you? - some people looking like Asians were calling someone.

- Izvinite, Wy govorite pa angliyskiy? Do you speak english?
-Niet, ne horosho. Sorry, no.
- Mnie nada posmotriet' ptitsy, Wy znaete gde ya mogu naiti ptitsnyj rezervat? I want to find some birds for birdwatching, do you know where is it possible?
- I am sorry no. Wy gavarite po russkiy otschen' hortosho, Wy otkuda? Kakaya u Was yest kamyera? - a gentleman asked me about my camera, as apparently he was a photo freak as well. Also said that I speak russian well. I don't but nevertheless it was already another time my russian skills where very useful in Korea.

- Sony Alpha 100, eto gavno yest - I critisized my camera in non exactly most classy russian expression.
-Potshemu gavno? Moshna dyelat horosho. It's not that bad after all.- replied my new friend.

Eventually I learned that the gentleman was from Tashkent in Uzbekistan working in Korea. He kept asking where was I from.

- Ya iz Polshy. I come from Poland. - said I.

...cyrylic and hangul, happened every 500m

- Ach z Polski, w Uzbekistanie moim szefem był Polak. Back in Uzbekistan my boss was Polish.. We are both Koreans born there during Stalin times. Many Polish were also dragged by Stalin and this is how I learnt your language a little bit.

At this point I quit attempts to find birds and instead enjoyed people. Ended up having Polish-Korean-Uzbekh dinner and after I headed home.I must admit that I did not expect finding a Polish speaking Korean from Uzbekistan somewhere in Ansan which is not the biggest city at all.

Guinsa Temple Part 1

2011-01-01T03:54:00.000-08:00

This Christmas happened to be spent at Guinsa Temple, where I decided to go in the very aim to perform perpetual state of motion, hence go.

When 3 people travel, their personalities differ and they have to compose a society in it's mini scope for a given number of days or hours. It is a perfect school of tolerance and friendship. 3 of us, Polish, German... and not Russian ( like would be in that joke from past) but Lithuanian on the go. Louisa, not the fastest person in the world, but one of the smartest, Svajune, haste on going and punctual, and me, rather quiet on the journey, prepared trekker, and taking a lot of brain shortcuts which can have consequences at times. And it had during our preparations when I didn't tell Svajune beforehand that we are actually supposed to be ready for survival in terms of dressing and equipment. But, nevertheless Svajune is tough and made it in her own outfit. And even made a profit out of it, but let the story go as it goes...

We got off the bus in Korean equivalent of the middle of nowhere. Something simmilar Wild Wild West city in US countryside where both high tech and total bronze age meets in one spot. The bus ticket booth being both the kiosk for whatever needed with the ajoshi inside who looked at us like on the aliens. Prepared to speak my limited Korean I asked: Guinsa odiye isoyo. He looked at me again with bored sight of a man who had seen so many people and faces that I don't matter at all and shown the direction up and right.

Darkness around and reflections of street lights sparkling on the icy pavement up. By that time I got questions if we are at the right place and if we shouldn't go back to the bigger city and remarks that adventures in negative temperatures are not the best solution. Ignored them all: - Go. - said I. And headed upwards in the night full of stars.

I wish it was a longer walk. Surprisingly close I saw the complex of traditional roofs and new we are at the place. Svajune entered the office of the temple to ask... for two nights. Yes. Two nights.

An A4 size modest piece of paper at the door said in printed capitals: "For english speaking service please ask inside". In a moment cheering face of Svajune appeared back and said to us: - Wait 5 minutes
and an english speaking person will come to us.

It was a first time to get off my trekking shoes and not the last one. Inside there was a counter behind which I saw something like a combination of a theater closet and an office, just like a night watch would have his computer for whatever job. We waited on a heated floor.

- Welcome to Guinsa Temple! - a cry of energy greeted us from the right- I am Hyondok Synim and I shall be your guide from now on. Let's do the formalities.

We went through all sorts of questions from where we were and how we got there. Svajune brought her attention to Lithuania... - There was a man here, Justas, helped to make kimchi. He was from Lithuania too. Somehow I could not imagine my decadente friend Justinas making kimchi with ajummas, but an image of him with a cigar between his teeth and a blink above the pot of kimchi persecuted me in my brain and I bursted with laugh. Girls too. Mind reading?

Our nun was 50, fluent english speaker, with a height of mine and dark hair put in a tight not on the neck. Dark grey uniform, dark grey long coat and she would be alike thousand others if not for this amazing energy inside her which was glowing around the person. The way she moved and talked. The way she looked.

- Merry Christmas. Please feel welcome at our Temple and enjoy pace of time with us. There is only one God and only one good. Baby Jesus was born today and I want you to feel the athmosphere of Christmas even
when you are at buddist temple. - that came after asking us about religion. However tensed and complicated is my relation with God I don't deny Him so I admitted to be Roman Catholic. Not for the first time I was wondering what story does "our" Hyondok Sunim carry on through her life. The very moment I met her I knew she was not an usual person.

- You are very lucky. You arrived during the preparations for Buddha anniversary. There is also an ongoing month meditation going in our monastery, some of these people I will show you because of your book.
We followed her to the Dharma Hall passing all the impressive buildings. All of them full of concrete and Joson dynasty style assemblies in it's final touch. "Is Korean architecture really that homogenous and it does not differ from the corner to the corner?" again question in my brain. The answer to this question is one of the main purposes of my stay in Korea.

Nun brought us to the cafeteria looking like any other cafeteria. Full of women with children, and only 5 men. Gradually it went empty and we stayed alone. This is when she brought some friends with her. A young
one, and old one and a middle one. She put the cake in the middle and said. - You were brave during the meal (it was adressed to Louisa) so you deserve something sweet now. My young friend here has her
birthday. This is her mother. And this is my other friend - said she indicating at the old small lady with white hair. So silver that she must have been 90 by that time. Peace in her smiling eyes told that she has been through so much that she already aquired this absolute tolerance and acceptance for all phenomena in human beings. We went on chatting and asking questions. Now I think that the old lady was a guide for the young one in spiritual development. Her presence had not been merely of social manner.

To be continued...

******************
Practical information: bus to Guinsa goes from Dong Seoul terminal every hour or so.
Once in temple you aren't supposed to leave any food you are given.

Enjoy :)

Pati isoyo

2010-12-31T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's just me. Work. Write, travel, do photos, write. Read. Sometimes talk.
Until it is some 1st May, 3rd May, 15th August or Silvester like now. And I end up having nothing to do because I never plan anything like that if I have too much work.

On a haste we decided to have common dinner. My Iranian friend Mona is an excellent cook and I really felt good with her companionship for the day.

At some point there was an idea to go to the Big Chill, our favorite bar in Suwon, where the fate had placed us to live at the moment. "Aga, are you coming? It's 11 pm? " a desparate sms from my Georgian friend Irina. Yes, sure I do, but first we need to get taxi. We went down to an ajoshi who is our watchdog and makes sure we don't get wasted in the dorm.

"Taxi obsoyo, no taxi, busy" our watchdog told us in broken english. My broken Korean was able to comprehend what he wanted to say.

In this case we left our industrialized prison camp and headed to the main street. Or so we thought that we ought to head to the main street. "Let's hitchhike" thought I seeing a guy next to the car at the lot. I stopped him and said "Happy New Year whoever you are and whatever are your plans. We are women as you see and if you wanna have a ride with two good looking ladies please take us to Nammun. Chinguryl mannayo" said I hoping that he was gentleman. To be frank I have no idea how did he look like, only that he was taller than me. Maybe Mona does. Maybe not. It was dark.

Does it sound spooky? Two foreign women stopped the car and abused a Korean young man? Well, he seemed to more than enjoy to drive us to Nammun where my friends where more than happy to see us.

Nate, thanks for the pool game. One of the most unequal in my life, but companion matters, not winning. Irina, thanks for dragging me out. Mona, thanks for the dinner. Nick, for being a DJ. All of you, just for being.

To my anonymous friend in the big sexy Hyundai: thank you for being as well. Thanks to you I could wear my summer shoes. You are our:

yes exactly. You are our pride of dorm. If you were not Korean it would not happen. So this is why I love Korea too.

Happy New Year people :)

Yeah, forgot to mention that I got wasted a bit so the tradition was fulfilled. And the taxi way back was just there the moment we went out of the bar. I like it. You may also like it on FB. :P

Ya. Tak. Yes. Whatever.

Happy New Year 2011

2010-12-31T02:40:00.001-08:00

To all my readers - Happy New Year 2011.
My all your decent wishes come true and indecent be forgotten :)

Sleeping with the enemy part 2

2010-12-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attended Christmas dinner at my ambassador's residence, that's Poland in case noone knows, and that's somewhere next to Germany in case noone knows what it is.

As we had been talking and mingling among each other the topic of recent events came up naturally and we had been wondering what comes next in inter- Korean relations and how it may affect our lives as expatriates.

Although general public does not care at all, the government does. At some point I said that I admire their cold-blooded reaction for Cheonan sinking in March, as in the West it would probably result in war. My current boss said that the chain of avoiding responsibility and pushing decisions as high up as possible is what makes that cold-blooded reaction. I cannot repeat here all the comments and remarks for obvious reasons. Although everyone agreed that life in Korea is like sleeping with the enemy. I heard that once from Swedish colonel from the Panmunjom base. In my recent coverage for press it is confirmed by many statements from guys who had accomplished military service. The threat is there and life goes on. Thrilling and toxic in one.

A year ago one of my readers asked me what would be the path to reunification and whether I believe in it or not. And if I could describe North and South Koreans as two different nations. I ask such questions very often and I see that the attitude varies depending on the generation and on the position. Older people repeat like mantra that there are only one Koreans and that South Korea moves on behalf of North in the international scene as well. The theme of broken families appears every now and then too.

But younger generation if asked really thoroughly replies clearly that North Korea is a problem, but it should be reseolved differently and that even if the regime changes one day they do not want 20 million of hungry people to be fed at their expense. They do not want higher taxes and no longer feel any kinship. If it was me to bet what is going to happen in the future, I bet that there will be two Korean states. They will maybe merge one day but only in a federation and only if the North catches up economically.

Are they two nations? Maybe... already yes maybe not yet. But... the first layer of Korean mentality is hierarchy and kinship - this is common for both South Koreans and North Koreans. Equally important in both societies. But the core difference is in the layer which was created very recently - the attitude to consumerism and competition. The attitude to democracy and acceptance of different ideas. Despite some 50 000 North Koreans who stay hidden in China and numbers in other countries, majority is behind the iron curtain brainwashed and convinced that elsewhere are only problems, diseases, AIDS, terrorism, etc. If even some of them watch South Korean dramas in secrecy, there is a chance that their mindset is non-capable of accepting modern capitalistic competition and requires a lot to be just given - a phenomenon known as homo sovieticus. South Koreans are totally different. Accept rat's race and competition, public debates, differences in the opinions as part of the normal daily life. My answer is yes, they are on the way to split forever.

Roots of conflict

2010-12-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

Popular prejudice in the world perceives South Korea as democratic and liberal society which opposed totalitarian North. In reality the picture is a little bit more complicated than that. Let me introduce you to Syngman Rhee, the first president of South Korea, and the first one of subsequent South Korean dictators.

When Syngman Rhee had taken power as the first president of the Republic of Korea, he faced the reality of a post-war, post-occupation country with a society striving for survival.

In 1945 when the American presence on the Korean panninsula began, the country's economy was totally devastated. Although infrastructure had been spared from larger destruction, anything of economic value had been exploited to the fullest by Japanese military needs during the war.

More over South was the agricultural part of the penninsula with not more than 1/4^th of the heavy industry, but in return, a food supplier for 65% of Korea.

Growing tensions with North under the communist regime did not make it any easier either. It is said that between 1945 and 1950 US overseas aid and UNRA donations saved lots of Korean lives, because hunger and starvation occured a lot.

Syngman Rhee was a Korean aristocrat born to a Yangban family. Under Japanese occupation had been involved in resistance movement and because of that was forced to leave the country. In exile he spent most of his life in USA where he gained university education but also continuously campaigned for Korean independence. He was also a member of Shanghai based Korean Provisional Government, however most of the time he stayed in USA.

His time in Korea came when it became apparent that short-term lived war alliance between US and Soviet Union will no longer be continued. Any attempts to discuss the future of the Korea by joint US-Soviet commision had failed and so the armistice line was settled on the 38^th parallel. In such circumstances Rhee had started his term in the presidential office. The country urgently needed constitution and it was prepared. It secured a lot of civil rights which general Hodge had previously secured and was largely copied from the constitution of USA but with ready and effective escape clauses that guaranteed the right to impose martial law with direct presidential executive order if any danger arising from foreign relations should occur (Art 57).

Such solution seemed inevitable. Even before establishing the Republic, communist guerillas from the North had initiated a lot of unrest and uprisings. Authorities had been attacked on various occasions, the biggest uprising occured on Jeju-do and started to expand all over the country which faced already starvation and other problems.

These rebelions had been reason which led to the open surpression of civil liberties and excused why the first president of Korea had to act agressively on society by establishing the National Security Law.

By that time (1948) occupation forces withdrew from the penninsula and Kim Il Sung started to prepare for war which eventually broke out on June 25^th 1950. The struggle led to a loss of 1 million lives and had been the direct challenge for the UN Chartter. 95% of the territory had been taken over by North Korean communists, some 0,5 mln Koreans were forcely dragged into Soviet lagers or for starvation in the middle of nowhere in vast Uzbekh and Kazakh territories. Seoul had been torn down to debris.

By the time the armistice was eatablished in 1953 Rhee became a ruthless authocrat. Although he bravely opposed the invasion he also used it as an excuse to strengthen his legitimacy and get rid of the opposition. He amended the constitution twice expanding the power of the president and to be elected by public vote. By the end of his term Rhee reminded more of the king surrounded by aristocrats than of a modern democratic leader.

Repressive measures towards society and growing infiltration, control and surpression of human rights using the anticommunism as an excuse had led to clash with American diplomacy. US Secretary of State delivered note stating that Rhee's style of ruling was ''unsuited for free democracy”. Although during this time anti – Americanism has been also growing because the American army had never openly critisized Rhee, all whatsoever critique had been done behind closed doors.

After 12 years in power facing massive growing protests president Syngman Rhee resigned from the office of the president and went into exile to USA.

Some may say that it is not an easy task to run a democratic society which permanently faces danger of war but also internal infiltration and provocations. Indeed history of the world shows that during transition from feudal state into modern democracy some form of autocratic rule often occurs.

Although critiques may say that president Rhee abused power to get rid of the opposition and exagerated threat from the North. In my own point of view both reasons occured. Also as a representative of Yangban family he belonged to the cast which very often had temptation to abuse power. And indeed he had opposition to get rid of.

The number of rival leaders is a very interesting issue itself. Could Koreans have prevented their own division? This question is not to be asked directly and is not answered.

Nevertheless for more than 20 years of it's existence Korean Provisional Government was not recognized by many countries. Too many rival organizations and voices called for the legitimate right to represent the interests of Koreans. A consistent unified voice would maybe change a lot. Syngman Rhee failed to think bigger than his own personal interest both during times of Japanese occupation and also later as president. Rhee took an occasion to became a dictator, just as an occasion makes one a thief. Although he had done one very honourable thing – he knew when to step down. And this was the end of the ROK First Repiblic.

Nation branding

2010-11-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

I have already mentioned about Korean Nation Branding efforts and how they impress me. In more developed countries than Korea comprehensive nation advertising and public diplomacy took much longer time or is not that well organized.

Part of it is Korean Wave which currently hits Japan, China and other Asian countries. Korean boysbands and girlsbands, so called K-pop music to which you may find links in the video corner is just an example. Korean dramas with Winter Sonata leading among them, singer BoA and many others.

This entry on the blog will also be featured on Arirang TV soon thanks to which hospitality I can share even more stories about country's and city's promotion enterpreneurship.

This year Seoul was choosen as one of the must-visit cities by UNESCO as a result of long term action of the Metropolitan Government. Maybe it was this little creature, Haechi, which was designed as a Seoul brand based on a fictional good spirit, symbol of the city, which caused it? Who knows...

Whether Haechi himself had blessed the city with good spirits or not, he definately works as a brand developed back in 2008. Metropolitan government uses it as a symbol which helps promoting good businesses for tourists.

I was taken for a dessert to one of the restaurants in a Korean traditional house situated in a White Collar area, next to the COEX Intercontinental, the very site were G20 was held. The restaurant which name is Pulhyanggi serves all sorts of Korean food for very sophisticated set of clients who usually go there for business negotiations and incentives.

Inside the Pulhyanggi...

Btw. did I mention that my favorite Korean food is a pancake with seafood which is called haemul pajeon and I can even make it myself?

And this is how restaurants are promoted with the city brand sign:

The Haechi drawing is based on the ancient creature I have already mentioned, which looks like this:

Sleeping with the enemy - DMZ

2010-11-23T01:07:00.000-08:00

Several recent posts supposed to be about G20 related stuff and the economy. But sometimes more important things pop up and nothing can be done about that.

Today North Korea shot 200 shells at the South Korean Yeongpyeong island injuring 13 people and killing one and putting several dozens homes on fire.

Apart from sinking the Cheonan fregate that was the most important incident since the Korean War. Rising tensions in the region are caused by current power shift in North Korea where supposedly ill Kim Jong Il is trying to put his youngest son as a heir to the regime.

Last Monday I talked to colonel Ulf Persson who works at the Swedish base at Pammunjom. As we exchanged several diplomatic remarks as on such banquet occasions is normal, the colonel joked: "We are sleeping with the enemy".

Although for an average tourist DMZ is nothing special. The possibility of war apparently was so misty that South Korean business invented DMZ brand. Gadjets with DMZ, DMZ cola, DMZ t-shirts sell out very well among tourists who go for a trip to Panmunjom.

Despite that, chaos in the North is apparent. For many years status quo relied on simple exchange: we don't hurt you and you feed us in reward. North Korea was blackmailing doing something small from time to time and receiving economic aid as part of Sunshine Policy of the South government. So on one hand everyone earns money on anything they can and on the other those who have to be aware are aware and the silent tension of warzone is present in the air.

Now it is no longer that sure whether the game has still the same rules. It seems like there is some chaos in the North related to power shift. It is enough that small thing happens between fighting fractions and the war is ready.

The irony of fate is that DMZ is the only genuine ecosystem habitat in the entire penninsula. If the North and South is ever reunited this area might be one of the biggest National Parks in the world, and one of the only in this particular area, where development had paved everything in concrete across hundreds of kilometers. Typical irony of fate shows that where people can't boost, nature does, taking advantage of human hostilities.

Gwanaksan

2010-11-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Changes in life sometimes come in shock and haste and can create some mess in one's brain. Each time I want to purify myself, restructure my internal logic and gain some energy, I hike.

The more challenging hike is, the better. Last year I lived at the bottom of Mount Gwanak which embraces with her northern slope Seoul National University Campus. Her view was tempting me every single day, but when I actually tried I had to quit. First because of lack of proper hiking shoes. Secondly because of not overcome fear of space after I spent 45' hanging over 500m steep in a blizzard in Tatra Mountains some 3 years ago. I still remember the moment I had to back off and how terrified I was. I owe it to a very close French friend of mine who carried me down. As simple as that.

This time I live away from SNU but Gwanak like a queen of Gyeonggi Do still reaches her arms towards me each time I see her from the bus. This time I haven't been waiting for anything, I just went. As I created the event on such a haste, noone joined me and maybe even for better?

Something told me to get off at Nakseongdae to pass by the dorm and campus of SNU. Visiting place I used to live before...

the kid's playground on which I swinged away my "moodie" times...

the building in the family dorm I used to live in. So many memories accumulated over time. Irritation, boredom, disgust, fear, hope. Overally good time if I compare it to living in any kind of dorm for singles.

I walked all of my usual path down passing the language institute and the crown of the stadium where I saw the subject of my work at SNU, a magpie, pica sericea, asian type of what we know in Europe as a magpie. The bird which used to be a symbol of Korea and still hangs on the walls of all sorts Korean embassies globally. However is no longer a symbol because people started complaining for something about this bird, what, that I did not understand when SangIm, my professor's wife, was explaining me the issues.

Strongly tempted to drop by the institute resisted and went to the SNU gate to start a hike. It was about 10:30 when I stopped being lazy and made it in my dynamic pace just going foreward gradually higher and higher. Based on my instinct decided to get to the main range and turn left which should drag me to the place I had to surrender beforehand. And there it was... Gwanak range in late autumn sun appeared in front of my eyes and I had a rest for a while.

I was hiking at my own tempo stopping once a while to take a photo. What struck me was that all these legendar crowds vanished somewhere again and in the middle of 25mln city area there was just me and silence. The smog in Seoul makes anything practically invisible from the peak so the feeling of being away from civilization was enormous.

At some point I had to gradually overcome my fears because the trail became difficult in various places. I passed by some ajoshi in his mid-50's asking me:
- Odiso ishyossoyo? Where are you from?
- I come from Poland.
- Are you hiking that alone? Where are your friends? - such typical collective question, genuine and soft.
- Well... so it happened. Alone. - replied I taking hair away from my face.
- You are pretty woman. You should have a boyfriend. - ajoshi made my day with a smile.
- What can I do, I don't.
- Be careful, here is dangerous. Man should be for a woman. - and so he helped me to jump over some steepy break in the trail with some 150m of straight down space under my feet.

The sun was slowly caressing southern slopes of the mount. People were going up and down, having lunch, laughing together, exchanging thoughts. Joking about some plenty of issues which I could not understand fully but what I got was sun, light, and joy in their voices. So often they greeted me with their joy: we love you cause you love hiking. I was patiently getting through rocks which seemed to be neverending up and down up and down until the moment when I saw it. I saw the peak. It was approximately 3 pm when I reached the bunch of electric cables near KBS tower on the top of Gwanak. At one point some Koreans stopped me asking in fluent english:
- Hello, you almost made it. Wanna eat? - I was reluctant for a while but would never abuse hospitality. I was fed by a very resourceful wife of my host who prepared seaweed, rice, kimchi, and dried fish. How did it taste at this time!
- Aju mashissoyo, Hanguk aju juoaheyo - spoken I in my broken Korean.
My hosts started asking what is my name and where am I from and other questions. I asked them where they are from too. Apperently it was a Korean professors couple on holidays from USA. Their hospitality was something which brought back my faith in human species as such.
- My name is Aga.
- Aga... - burst with laugh - oh how funny. It is actually a small baby in Korean. Indeed you have a young face.
- I'm not that young anymore. Then I said my age.
- Impossible! - so nice reaction of them made my day with genuine smile.
- But you should not hike alone! It's not healthy! - yeah, tell me about it. What to do when there is no other option?

Yeah... supported with fresh strength I kept on going until the trail for Gwacheon detached. It was time to go down despite the fact that I skipped reaching the observatory point which was still several hundred of meters away. On this side of the mount though every trail was easy and comfortable paved with steps so indeed crowds of hikers headed for the Gwanak Observatory point. I gradually went down...

As I was walking down and people were passing I saw a girl without shoes or say with shoes in her hands. That is not someone who would make it before getting dark. On haste I decided to pack her shoes to my backpack and get her down somehow. I would have carried her down on my back, but Yujin as was her name, was too scared of that. I experienced real gratitude which I must admit tastes nice. Nevertheless I would never leave her behind as my long term hiking experience says that mountains are not a terrain for any kind of competition between people. In a result of this I gained a a new friend and finished the day full of good emotions.

_____________
Practical information:
Gwanak is a mount in South of Seoul built of old granites. It's relevant difference in altitude towards the bottom makes her a reasonable goal for an average hiker with good shoes and with no fear of altitude and space. Height: 629m a.s.l. In Korean mountains it's good to have your lunch and drinks with you and also pick up the trush.

Time: if you want to make it leisure and take photos etc from SNU Main Gate through the pass until the summit and down to Sadang or Gwachon - 7hrs.

The Currency Issue - G20 aftermath

2010-11-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Summit, summit, and after summit. G20 is over.

I promise this time not to make any typo which irritated so much one of my friend faculties ( sorry about that).

The hottest issue discussed during the summit was the apparent currency war between China and USA. One might actually think that it is some new issue suddenly on the global media agenda.

It is not. Indeed it roots from the very times of Deng Xiao- Ping as China's head of state. It was him who told to the nation "Socialism does not mean being poor. Get rich by all means you can. It is not important if a cat is black or white, the important part is that he hunts for mice". With more or less these words Deng "encouraged" the nation with centralized carefully planned vision of economic growth. He started from getting hands on Hong Kong area and it's finnacial businesses and opening it's shores to foreign investment in simple-assembly electronic sector.

USA with raising wages in it's blue collar sector was very happy with this solution. Together with another stage of multilateral talks in WTO rounds, that was a strategy which supposed to be both successful for american businesses relocating their factories and for long-term democratization agenda which USA had actually never given up.

As I often say, West plans for 4 years term in office, East, including Korea, Japan, and especially China, plans on tens of years ahead. This is one of the factors totally ignored during any sort of economic actions and negotiations done by the Western powers.

China gradually accumulated and invested capital inflow since the very 80's. Hong Kong live action educated financial tycoons advised and still do advise central government on what to do when and how to get richer and to checkmate USA on the global political and economic map.

Weak renminbi means long term exports of goods which conquer 25%-30% of the Western customers pockets with their affordable price. This as such has been a long term basis of Chinese growth. Only recently China invests in own R&D and focuses on own high-tech era in development.

So China secured lots of $ simply buying them off the forex market, investing in US treasury bonds or securing them out of trade. The first crisis encountered in 1998 when USA woke up and started insisting on Beijing to make the Yuan more real in value so the Chinese goods would no longer be that cheap.

The second crisis encountered in 2007 when during subprime mess $ got dramatically weaker and some China critics in Congress started advocating that stronger Yuan will bring blue-collar jobs back to USA and so on.

Third one is happening just now and is related to current $ situation in general.

By common sense economically it's nonsense to say that stronger yuan will change anything. China is no longer cheap labor market. And although manufactured good are decreasing as % of USGDP the high-skill and talent added value ones are still it's comparative advantage.

Current situation is a strong effect of superficially liberal full of mess lacking working transparent regulations American economy. And the American attitude to prosperity - if I can no longer afford Cherokkee 4x4 each year it means there is a crisis.

Finally in terms of politics Washington realized that it cannot insist on Beijing about anything, whether this be freedom press, transparency, human rights, etc., simply because it's time to be afraid of what actually China can do with $ and it can do a lot.

As in 2007 one of the Chinese scholars had put it very clear:" If Yuan gets appreciated dramatically we will be forced to sell our $ assets into the market. As long as the exchange rate is stable it's ok."

In both countries politics plays a major role and now it's the middle of struggle for dominance in the world between an emerging Asian dragon and mature, slow, but neverthelessly still strong American grizzly.

Maybe after all Deutsche Welle journalist was right on Friday when he said: "regarding currency issue, is it an advance in process if they talk?"

From my point of view, maybe it is. But the conversation can be pictured as above on the illustration.

*********

Have a nice day or night, wherever you are.
Even if you are worried about the economy or politics or future of the world as such, don't forget to show love, appreciate your friends and folks. After all that is what makes it all fuzz worth living.

********
Illustration comes from safeheaven.com

G20 aftermath

2010-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of posts related to G20. I hope to provoke some discussion here, so if you read this and feel heated by my comments, use email to blow your arguments on me, it's a genuine offer.

Today my crazy Polish friend Martyna went with her Turkish equivalent to Seoul to protest against G20. As we had some issues to discuss I called her and caught her on the spot in action screaming Stop G20 and so on. I just remember that I told her to have some mercy, cause after all, these guys do also care for the world. Martyna replied "Funny said".

Hmmm, good question, asked I myself, do they?
Here in Korea everyone is so crazy about it because it helps Korean nation branding and advertises the city globally. Just like tourism increased after the FIFA WC 2002 it will boost now cause everyone would like to see COEX.

Nevertheless leaders had come to Seoul for 2 days, or say 24hrs to discuss some hot issues. Prior to this event Korea held two semi successful conference events: G20 Development Conference and Bridge20 held in recent weeks.

As part of Nation Branding Korea is trying to build it's public diplomacy by sharing her development path as the growth model for other nations. But also Korea had taken a role of advocacy of African nations and therefore their representatives had been present.

So they talked about currencies, trade inequalities, and other stuff. So they agreed on the issues about trade inequalities between developing and developed countries. As to the heated currency issue one of the journalists on Deutsche Welle had put it: "They actually talk about it, do you think it's already some advance in the process?"

As part of the Seoul statement they want to put more responsibilities on China for the global banking system, that is their solution.

Several months ago I volunteered to do the coverage for the 1st Polish Radio Channel on the event. My boss replied: "No need, they will talk a bit, smile to the camera and so it will be". Apparently he was right. Actually I feel pity for all these protesters because it's November and rather freezing outside. It all seems like barking at the wrong tree.

There are things which are not even talked on G20 meetings, and these are speculation movement and short term forex games which tend to do a lot of mess in the global finance world if done fiercely.

I messed up the 3rd session of G20 Development Conference with a very inconvenient question. Suddenly during a very sleepy panel on food crisis and sustainable development I got suddenly very awake when I heard that wheat price rise and rice price rise in 2007 - 2008 had been due to oil price rise. Well to my best knowledge no it had not. It was a result of sudden fund allocation by Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers when they got to conclusion that they actually miss some hard cash in their safe boxes which they won't get from ill-managed housing loans so why not take it from food commodities?

I have smiled nicely and asked "We may face one underestimated issue here... - here I went on explaining the issue of speculation and continued - how possibly can G20 restore transparency on food commodity market, what can be done about food commodity bonds?" There was a moment of awkward silence and the speaker said " Well there is no evidence that the food commodity price rise had been a result of speculation"... in that moment I had seen movement in the ballroom, that is when everyone got really awake looking at me with this expression "Are they nuts?"

I smiled to the very end, nicely thanked the panelists for their answeres and headed to the lobby for a cup of coffee. On the way Mr Cozendey from Foreign Office of Brasil, their economic expert said to me "Well, are you happy with their answers?" I denied. He replied stating as follows " And you are right, there are quantities of $ flying on food commodity speculation and it's exchange rate is linked to it in bigger extent than with anything else".

Some people may ask me why don't I come with solutions instead of critisism?
Oh I do, here they are: let ill-managed banks go bankrupt, don't bail them out. The blank space left by one business is almost immediately taken by the other one on an instant. The one which may offer something better to the market and it applies to banks just as much as to anything else. I can understand a bailout for some coal mine employing 80% of population of some area, but a bank??? Give me a break!

And I have my argument to back this up. Goldman Sachs received first bailout, and what did it do? It played on currencies in Middle and Eastern Europe almost directly causing financial and political trouble in Ukraine, Hungary, and Baltic States. They also tried to play on Zloty and our Fed made the intervention movement.

Is this what you are supposed to do with money taken straight from pockets of hardworking American commoners? Spread the financial crisis globally, spread the turmoil and smile to the photo afterwards?

******
Last but not least. Do leaders who came to Seoul have basic knowledge of cross cultural differences when they offer China more global responsibility for banking system? China plans for 100 years ahead and it's every move on the stage is carefully calculated. USA plans as far as 4 years in the White House. Is it taken into account? China is not needed to establish transparent banking system.

Other G20 reports and analysis in the next days:
- The currency issue, how did it start and what to do with it?
- Trade imbalances, big fuzz about nothing?
- Development model, what issues are missing?
- Korea's model of growth, a right one?
- How to avoid ill-managed banking - eye on Poland.
- Y20 as an emerging leaders world, and it's difficulties.

Stay updated for fresh eye from Seoul.

G20

2010-11-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

Good luck Seoul. Good luck to all the people who spent sleepless nights on all the preparations for the summit.
I will write about the event later on.
Have patience.

Seoroksan

2010-11-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

A refuge.

We made it to the park early evening on Saturday. Louisa and me. We saw mountains. Dah, kind of usual sight in Korea, one may think.

Seoroksan is not an usual sight. It's sharp white peaks arising straight from the sea level leaving just a minor space for Sokcho city to hug in between leave a newcomer with a sight curved into the head forever.

The National Park is said to be a very center of Korean hiking tourism, is also said to have crowds of people on every trail. Apparently we were lucky.

As we went uphill along a V shaped rocky valley with a creek in it's bed we gradually avoided human beings. Those who we met were of it's special kind, the kind which makes it to the mountains for a prayer, for a reunion with Creator, reunion with Mother Nature. Buddist monks with their bells and catholic nuns with their rosaries, and middle aged Korean hikers, families, friends in groups by 2, 3 or 4.

The sky was blue and the air seemed chilly and sharp with it's touch of mountain freshness. Wind blew steadily and leaves were falling down the trees in all sorts of autumn colors. Despite the wind there was also this silence, this point on the way which forces naughty human being to stop, to slow down, to reflect.

A range itself is an amazing example of precambrian - paleozoic geological structure. Rocks forming the penninsula are very old of all sorts: ingenous and sedimentary as well marbles and other methamorphic ones. Grey paleozoic limestone has been eroded away by water giving space to steepy walls of more resistant gneisses which especially in Seoroksan have their stripe structure visible everywhere. Apart from gneisses, also porphyry and ryolites, limestones and slates are everywhere.

Huge stones in river beds may surprise a visitor. Does water really have that much power? It has, during sudden downpours it can move huge rocks on it's way.

A hiker goes and cherishes his eyes with these wonders of nature, so old and majestic. The average altitude is not bigger than 1700 m above sea level but the bottom of the mountains is at sea level so it gives altogether 1700 m of relative altitude difference.

People bewitched with it's beauty will become calm and friendly. Silently help eachother or show their enthusiasm by wholeheartedly greeting a stranger. Just as we did with Darren and Jo. Sudden hiker you meet on the way and start talking and spend nice time with connected by common challenges and spirits is the best part of mountain hiking.

The only thing which may spoil the taste of nature is unfriendliness of hut managers. Korean extreme capitalism had reached even here. Everything is traded for high price everywhere. Maybe their unfriendliness is also a part of the social spirit and structure? As mountain rescue officers they are the bosses and they are on top of the hierarchy which may excuse their unapprochable attitude. It is seen in front of the hut when Korean hikers are using their own gas to boil the water instead of having it done by the rescue man if he is around in his hut. He eventually gave us a bit of hot water to our thermal bottle - but - as a result of huge quarrel which really spoiled our moods for a while. We have experience with hot water given for free everywhere in every mountain shelter. Because it is just hot water and because it may save your life.

But this small bitter taste did not spoil our overall impression, which we still have. We still see the stones, hear the mountain creek and feel the silence of nature.

Good morning or good evening wherever you are
Aga

__________________________________
Practical information:
To Seoroksan: Take a bus to Sokcho City and decide which park gate you wanna take later
There are two bus terminals, one directly on the way to the main gate another one more away from it.
Bus ride from Seoul is 25000 KRW approximately.
Motel stay is 50000KRW for a room approximately.
To the gates of the park there are buses leaving from the other terminal close to the Fish Market.
Important: get some reasonable maps from somewhere else than the information center. All what you get there is oversimplified idiot's version. The times given are for really sportive hikers who just run. If you want leisure time, reasonable pleasure with views and some photoshooting multiply the times by 1.5 at least. If you want to have a hot dinner, better take field cooking device with you. Ok, that's all of my preeching for this time lol :)

CNN Poland Korea - Global Connections

2010-10-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

Last tuesday a lady from CNN asked me if I agreed to show on Global Connections as they have a Poland -Korea week ongoing.

It prooves imagination and high IQ actually to spot the simmilarities and connections between the two countries, cause they are there and many of them.

In OECD ranking Polish and Koreans work the longest hours in developed countries outscoring demonized USA by 7 places.

Unlike other rather cool and hush down East Asians, the Koreans are hot-tempered and one has impression that they tend to blow up even in business, and this happens to Polish as well. We do quarrel and blow up a lot, enough if I mention my dad who is like a volcano.

On Global Connections website people had been putting thoughts which popped up in their minds on the topic.

From very accurate like simmilarities in folk cuisine - cabbage (sourkraut) and dumplings, to very absurd and idiotic like paper cut and caligraphy paper.

Here I come to the very core of my point. Making superficial remarks by American who doesn't speak proper Polish anymore and had maybe one Polish grandfather does not make much sense here, does it? Yet it very often happens. So, according to some Polish-American Polish culture is all about "wy -chee - naan - kee" how he had written it in the website.

Never again mention paper-cut as something core important in Polish culture if you don't actually know it and have never been there. Polish folk culture differs a lot and when you drive 30 km the folk traditional dress maybe already the whole different. Paper cuts were peasants solution for cheap wall decorations in a region which is much smaller than Warsaw nowadays and it was ... more than 100 years ago, so it has now a museum value and is not a living culture at all. Therefore attaching it as something called "Polish culture" may be strongly insulting.

If you really want to know what Polish culture is about, get to know Możdżer, Chopin, Penderecki, Kilar, Polanski, Kieslowski, Kossak, and so on and so on. If you are interested in folk culture, move your ass and come before you say that "paper cut" is what defines it.

Core difference is that Korea had been a feudal state until 1910, and Poland had first form of democracy established as early as 1570. Therefore Korean culture is strongly homogenous, but even they had also had astonishingly beautiful poetry and even for them it may be insulting to be associated with cabbage and paper.

*************
Though I must admit that EXPO had been a success in terms of architecture. The EXPO -POLAND building
had been copied around whole Asia including Dubai, and within first 4 days of the show, 28000 people visited the building. Maybe those who visited will, after all, go to visit and discover even more. And especially that modern buildings in Warsaw are not made of "Wy Chee nan kee".

*************
The show on CNN was cool. It was very nice to get some recognition as a country on CNN, however so late. Global stocks, inverstors, funds, and business would not admit it but invests a lot in "Warsaw" related entities, bonds, financial instruments and others. As Jack Nicholson said" Better Late Than Later". Korea was also a veeery long time ago discovered by international business. Only media, as usual, are the latest.

I appeared on the show for brief second, and I do promise that I will never ever do it again because it is not nice and not professional to be "grey citizen" speaking for CNN. I had no make-up cause the lady was late, had forgotten the appointment and all my nice cloths, nice hairstyle and nice makeup was gone when she finally contacted me at more or less 1 am.

The photo shows Polish pavilon on EXPO. Wy -chee-naan-kee. Enjoy.

"Sustainable" concept of development

2010-10-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

I think I might have written about this before, but today I had a successfull presentation about international aspect of sustainability at the University of Ajou Global Leadership for Sustainable Development International Seminar, exactly today, October 20th.

During my research I have read thousands of pages, papers, and so on, but also interviewed people, read newspapers. From common sense observation, sustainable development was put aside after the 1997 financial crisis in Korea, and it is very said because it influences not only natural environment but also national heritage - traditional Korea in terms of it's authentic non-museum non- festive manner is disappearing if not disappeared already.

Faculty are conscious about it, and they admit it as a sad fact, but not much can they do within this matter. They would have to be very close to actual policymakers in the presidential's committee to change that.
Maybe something even more is needed, such a conclusion came to my mind at the very end of my presentation. The comprehensive system of environmental awareness education is needed from the very kindergarden in schools and also in public media. Our minds are already shaped when we join academia, It's too late to learn about sustainable development or eco-friendly approach and manners of life.

How is it in Poland, one may ask. Well Poland is green because of it's historic heritage, public approach is divided, just like in Korea. Some say: grow, develop, grow, develop, build, expand, and some say: think before you act and "though shall not kill". Positivism and it's historic legacy of natural scientists who involved into early modern conservation ideas led to establishing first Natural Reserves and Natural Parks in the late 19th/early 20th Century. Later Sustainable Development was under the carpet during communist times, two professors worked on it and two of them also served as high rank UN ofiicials building framework fundamentals for global sustainability. For those really interested I recommend works and interviews of Ignacius Sachs or Stefan Kozłowski (more of Sachs in english).

Both Poland and Korea are facing modern development pressures. But both are conscious about growth limitations, and seek the way to achieve sustainability, and have ways to share the experience: Poland it's fundamental heritage for global conservation and Korea it's global stewardship for sustainable ideas.

The paper and the presentation will be published soon at my website: www.agnieszka,schibgilla.de

Have a nice day, evening, night.

Enjoy the natural world till you still can, treasure every little bit of it.
"The culture which cuts off from the wild life in nature around us and also from the wild life of our inner selves, is meant for self-destruction" Gary Snyder

Orange

2010-10-19T00:22:00.000-07:00

... about how my faith in humanity was restored and why I love Korea.

Because I do, genuinely.

Today I went to fix my new cellphone number. I couldn't manage with it, cause apparently they have no prepaid cells available on the spot, but I had funny adventures.

I went to SK Telecom shop and heard a very well accented "Hi". A good looking bit panicked young man was watching me and waiting until I say something.

- I want to get the cheapest prepaid phone you have.

- Impossible. - oh, I already thought it was impossible because of my ARN is until Deecember only.
- Why?

Then I had seen him opening google translate, typing something in Korean and the screen had shown:
- We don't have now. Sorry.
- Onjae isoyo? When will you have ? ( less gramatically correct but he seemed to understand me well).
- Monday.
- Olmayeyo? How much?
This time it was calculator in use.
- Handy phony 29000, chargy 20 000 KRW.
- ??? - nomu pisayo. Expensive! Why that?
- Chergy 20 000.
- Arossoyo. I see.
And I start taking money from my wallet.
- Aniyo, on monday. Come. Pay.
Broken english was just enough for me to understand what he was saying. My broken Korean spared him from typing each time on the screen. One thing came to my mind though.
- How will you know it's me? Why don't you write it down somewhere?
I had written him down my landline and a word Monday on yellow sticker.
- Ah, arossoyo. Kinchanayo. - heard I in response.
- Nanyn 월요일 come. I will come on monday.
- See you on Monday.
*********
How friendly place in the world is this country. In Poland there are global policies and global solutions and here every branch of the bank and every branch of any telecom has policies adjusted to local community of customers and their needs. The closest telecom shop to Ajou makes no fuzz about anything, no formalities, even if it's staff does not speak english at all and uses google translate instaed. I think two dimensions make it prevailing the way it does. Asians do not complain that much and are not that poshy as customers. I am not that poshy as a traveller as well. In Poland some sophisticated Briton would maybe make a big fuzz about the level of the service, especially in Warsaw's white collar district. A personnel without good command of english would be fired. Here, noone cares... and I love it.

As I was walking down my local food and service street close to Ajou, walking back home, I decided to have a cup of nice coffee.

- Hojilnot isoyo? - asked I gently in haha Coffee shop.
- Anyohaseyo, oh, haizeelnoty obsoyo. Myanamnidah. We don't have hazelnut coffee now, sorry.

I saw a very nice guy in his 40's with genuine smile saying sorry to a customer with his entire self, and he ran away from the shop somewhere as I was waiting for machiato he offered to make with a discount.

My machiato was ready when I saw a guy rushing back in with a bunch of mandarines, giving me two of them said:
- Mashilke tyseyo - bon apetite.

And he said something which in my instinct translation sounded like " Have a nice day".

Not much was needed to make me even more happy today.

Now, eating my mandarine.
The photo comes from flog.pl.

North Korea: heir officially appointed

2010-10-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

North Korean dynasty seems to be well. Last Sunday on the North Korean military parade marking 65 years of reclusive state's rule the father and son, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, appeared together side to side.

It is too early to say if it's going to change anything in NK policies towards it's Southern neighbor, power shift very often brings sudden changes. Kim Jong Un has to be accepted by majority of informal leaders. If he is not, then "righteous" rebelion based on ancient confucian culture may very likely take place, just like it was in South Korea in 1979, when development dictator Park was assasinated.

Kim Jong Il had probably suffered from a stroke in 2008 and hence focused on establishing a heir. It comes to my mind in this case, what is actually a chance for a dynasty in North Korea? Maybe it sounds silly, but...

Next to it, South Korean society does not want any kind of reconciliation anymore. Reconciliation with North Korea starts to be an old granny story for plenty of young people, but relevant data I shall reveal soon. I perform research on this issue and expect some results in a month.

Up till now, nothing changed. The world turns as it turned before...

Chusok

2010-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's Chusok now.
The most important holidays in Korea. It is on the 15th of 8th lunar month, so it is either in September or in October of the Gregorian solar calendar ( means the calendar we use globally).

The encyclopedia says that it is 2000 years old harvest festival in Korea. It is also sort of thanksgiving day, though not to the God as it used to be in the West, but to the ancestors.

It is a time of enormous traffic, as most of the inhabitants of Seoul are people who live here for no longer than 50 years. Most of these modern nuclear families go to the countryside to visit their relatives and on the Chusok day pay respects at their ancestors graves.

The ancestors worship originates from primeaval Korean times, longer than confucianism, buddism taken altogether. It has it's roots in Shamanism, in times when harvest was crucial to survival of the group (clan) and ancestors were worshipped as the source of care and inherited group wisdom shared spiritually by all of the members of the tribal village. In ancient Korea there were several shamanistic influences both from the South and from the North, nevertheless with the similar characteristics in it.

Ancestor worship was digested by buddism and taken as part of the belief system, later confucianism also did not fight with this as it fell into the category of filial piety.

What is Chusok now? It is difficult for a foreigner to grasp. All we see is that buses are not that much crowded, on subway there are less people, less cars race down the streets. The lazy relaxed athmosphere is somehow in the air.

I have learnt from my Korean friends that Chusok requires lots of preparations. Ideally these are women of all generations gathering together for baking song pyun and cooking japchae. Song pyun are traditional rice cakes, very delicious, and japchae are friend brown noodles, something worth to try.

Sometimes guys help in these preparations as well, especially in the families where there are no girls. Chu Won, my ex- coworker, helps his mother a lot during Chusok and Sollal.

In the old times there used to be common gatherings and festivals in the villages, just like globally in the rural society getting together is an important thing.

Currently Koreans cook and eat, but they also play games or watch movies. Encyclopedias say that they also make their traditional dances in the evenings, but I haven't seen it in my own eyes.

Not everyone goes home though. Some troubled young people or those who quarelled with their families, go nowhere.

Chusok is a test of character for many. Together with Sollal, Chusok is also a time when couples suffer, cause no matter how much in love they are, usually both have big family assemblies. In the West, we would not invite someone casual, but a serious partner shares our family holidays. It's actually a test for the relationship, as to how serious it is. Here though, even if the relationship is serious, people are still parted for that time. I have no idea yet how is it with married couples, this is yet to discover.

************
Today I had to cheer up two guys who had to spend their holidays without their fiancees or girlfriends, they had taken heavy and drank a lot for most of the evening. I was really lucky to spent this time with That Someone :)

And dear Iris, Doe Won, I will never forget your invitation for Sollal. Time which we, foreigners, could share with you and your family at your family table on the first day of Lunar New Year.

*****
Source of a photo: http://rice-cake.info/

Climate typhoons etc

2010-09-02T02:50:00.000-07:00

Last night the typhoon hit South Korea's capital area including the city where I live, Suwon. We woke up in the middle of the night, both of us, not knowing what to do next. Things were flying in the air and trees were falling down. After 4 hrs or so it all calmed down, but the remains of fallen trees are still there. In Seoul several people were killed. Now I know what the tropical storm is, and I didn't wake up for the worst part of it, which my friend survived in a lonely nervous silence. Two weeks ago, back in Poland, I've been through worse things though ( but that's an offtopic).

Climate in Korea is warm temparate monsoon with influences of subtropical. It varies depending on the lattitude.
Winter normally is cold and dry, with not much snow, except for recent times. Autumn is beautifull, but short, characterizes in beautifull colors of leaves on the trees. It also doesn't rain a lot during the autumn, compared to the monsoon time. Spring is warm and nice with not that much rain either. In summer, when monsoon season starts, it rains a lot and it's also humid. Humidity in the air exceeds 90%, means that all you wear or touch is wet.

I survived the storm inside the building and I will take some photos of the remains and present them here.
As I was sitting in the embrace of quite safe modern building very sure that nothing will happen to me, I thought of how big progress Asian countries made over recent decades. I remember the phrase from James Clavell's Tai-Pan in which on the island of Hongkong in the end of the 19th century Tai-Pan's beloved asks the question: - Where are we going to hide, Tai-Pan?
And he replies:

- There's no refuge from typhoon My Love.

They both die in each other's embrace killed by the tropical storm.
*******
Each time I think about this I appreciate the engineering skills of construction. We survived the storm unscratched as we all live in modern buildings.

Immigration affairs

2010-08-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Every person who is not coming for tourist reasons and is staying in Korea for longer than 90 days needs to apply for the Alien Registration Card and Number in the Immigration Office.

Immigration Offices are local to your residence area, and the list of them is in the internet. Ask a Korean assistance to explain where is the nearst one for you.

In Seoul it is near Omokgyo Station, where you follow the exit indicating Seoul Immigration Office, turn right after you exit the subway and go straight until you see a triangular crossing. The Immigration Office is on your left. You will see signs bringing you there which are on the 3m height attaches to the trees or other things, though not many of them.

In Suwon, get the transport to Yeongtong Park. From Ajou University you can take the bus number 11-1 from in front of GS25 minishop near the Main Gate. Once on the bus, count 14 stops or focus until you hear Yongtong Koongwon, and you pass under the curvy bridge over the road and immediately on your left you will see the Tesco/ Home Plus Megastore.

Get off the bus. Go back until the curvy bridge. Climb the bridge. Go across the bridge. Cross the road. Go straight through the narrow road full of small businesses. Cross the road. On your right there is Suwon Immigration Office blg.

Make sure you have sufficient documents with you. Normally these are: passport, two photos, and a certificate indicating that you are a student or a faculty member or that you are anyhow else employed in Korea. If you don't have the photos, you can make them in the machine. Warning: the machine accepts only 1000 or 5000 KRW. The current fee for photos is 6000 KRW.

Once at the window, explain what you need. The clerks speak pretty good english, unlike in Seoul. You may also ask for reentry permit and ask for your card to be sent to your address later on. The waiting time is apprx two weeks. The fee is 10 000 KRW and you need to by a Revenue Stamp and give it to the clerk ( do it before you approach the window - it's faster).

When you go out of the Immigration Office, make sure you take the proper exit, it's very easy to get lost. If you are lost ask where is the Home Plus, it's your orientation point.

The bus stop which takes you back to the University, is under the bridge. You can take the bus 720-3. Focus until you hear "Ajoodehakkyo" in the name of the bus, and get off. This will be either the University Hospital, or the next stop. Both are ok to get to the campus. Good job, you made it.

So again

2010-08-27T02:22:00.000-07:00

I arrived to Korea and from now on I will cover Korean issues with doubled attention. There will be also some changes to the blog, which I will introduce later.

I wondered what to write about at first. Today we had the orientation day at Ajou University, Suwon.
We have been introduced to the stuff and the facilities and got bit more familiar with the campus life and the formalities.

At one moment there was a minute of speech about the aclimatization shock and cultural shock as well. We all come from somewhere and belong to somewhere and are afraid of what's new and unknown.

There were symptoms presented such as radical changes in behaviour. Emotional withdrawal, overreacting, stigmatization and stereotypization of the host culture, long sleep, sudden cleaning attitude and so on.

However I have been to Korea I wonder if it got on me, because I am very well sorted out and I live a healthy life this time. I have enough of sleep and I eat only healthy food and not much, on a very regular basis. And I stick to my European food habits, first meal after 1 pm. But I am much more sorted out than I was in Europe. So I simply ask myself if I have these symptoms or not?

Irritation feeling was one of those mentioned. I have that recently. I feel knocked off my balance. I hope this is only because since I arrived I don't really have time for myself. A lot happens all the time and my friends keep talking and talking to me. No chillout so far. Now I feel like my balance and energy flow on place because I type this in my room in a total silence.

There will be changes to a blog. I will group posts into simple tagged categories like: politics, society, culture, cross culture issues, anecdotes, tourist usefull, business usefull. Once a week there will be a post labeled by one or more of these tags for more clear overview. I will also relabel the old ones.

Enjoy. And please contact me with any questions you have. I'll try to answer most of them.

Aga

Break

2010-07-08T00:20:00.001-07:00

The blog is suspended until I say otherwise, likely 3 weeks or so.

Cross-cultural business perspective

2010-07-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Koreans invest a lot abroad, though I have rumours that these are also smaller companies associated under the global Korean brands to make things easier.

Once they invest, like for example here in Poland, in Development Centers (Samsung) it is more or less cool, as engineers have jobs and nice things can be done.

But there are also manufacturing businesses located like LG or others as such.

The Polish - Korean romance in global business reaches 90's as Deawoo FSO was established to help the FSO save jobs and production. But as the Deawoo collapsed in 1997 during Korean crisis, Daewoo FSO was just quit and shut down despite of good revenues and nice cars produced and sold. Shit happens. Still Llanos is considered one of the better cars with optimal relation of the price to quality.

Later more businesses opened. And people employed started their dream jobs in many corners of Poland touched by unemployment. Soon several companies like Humax and Toshen, but also LG faced criminal charges for worker's rights abuse. Mostly women were forced to work up to 15 hours a day with a very limited payment and with no possibility to use a bathroom or eat a sandwich. If they raised their rights coded in EU law up, they were either beaten or shouted at and threatened to loose their jobs.

There are cross-cultural relations in behavior, attitude and aproach to work. I often advice on cross-cultural European- East Asian misperceptions and miscommunications. But this time I have a message to our Korean counterparts: Once in Rome, do as Romans do. If you enter our culture- adjust and learn as well, this saves trouble for both sides.

If you want to make a Polish person, wether a woman or a man, work efficiently, give flexibility and payrise. Appreciate and motivate. Shouting or yealing doesn't work on us. We, generally, prefer to be jobless but proud and free, instead of any such humiliating practices.

I write this on the side from attempts to organise Korean Education Fair here in Warsaw some time sooner or later. Nothing scheduled yet, so no details here.

But it brings on my mind... when I go abroad I adjust, but if Korean Universities invite European students they need to take into account some things. We are raised in thought-provoking environment. We ask teachers questions from the moment we are 4 or 5 years old. We discuss and argue. And if we ask and the academic teacher doesn't know the answer? Well, he is loosing face in Korea. True.

But the profits from admitting "I have to yet check that out" or "This is a very interesting comment Miss Aga, thank you" are enourmous for both sides.

In the LEC of SNU where I had my Korean classes this attitude was very well presented. And it gave a common profit of fun and understanding. So I leave this post with such a message.

Football&National Planning

2010-07-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

What one has to do with the other, one may ask?

Even within quantities of work I am of course watching the games sometimes.
Yesterday we have seen a magnificent victory of Netherlands over Brasil in Port Elisabeth.

Another cool thing was watching nice games of South Korean team and their 1/8 final game with Urugway.
This game and also previous games in this WorldCup and any other since 2002 is the illustration of Korean Management and attitude. Money makes success because we will simply copy the best systems and employ the best available couches.

It happens everywhere. In any Korea's global business, any bank, any research institute. And yet, all of it stays Korean. The hell with that we actually employed and paid for success, when the flag is Korean, team is Korean, bank is Korean business is Korean. All remains Korean.

Football is a very interesting topic to study social attitudes and human creativity or else, lack of it. As a collective and team work game it requires collective mind and good group cooperation. Then good East Asian group work and technical accuracy should give good results here, shouldn't it?

And oh yeah, it does. It can exercise and exercise penalties, corner kicks, free kicks and other constant elements on the pitch. And it will exercise and exercise and will not enter any tournament if not mastered all possible regular tricks.

Yet, there is another thing to football, which is not easy to copy-paste into yourself, that's creativity and speed thinking of what can I do with this ball within this moment of time Myself without watching for others, or even more demanding, how can I imagine what pattern is there considering others.

In confucianist societies it is not easy to allow creativity. Not only there, creativity as potentially dangerous factor was also forbidden by the entire education system in communist societies until their fall in 89'. Spirit of creativity is not possible to be simply learnt from someone. That's something one is born with and later in friendly environment can only develop it even more. This is something what a couch is able to train when the team is sealed together in the training center and noone is able to see their growing spirits of individualism. That is what dutch couches taught them and what they seem to use well under their long time manager Jung -Moo Huh. But it takes time before the spirit flows and we will see if bought abroad creativity will be same as natural born football players of individualistic Western trait.

There are two football teams which combine ideally these two factors: solid team cooperation, efficiency and accuracy, and free spirit of creativity, these are Germany and Netherlands. Both of them buy some players abroad, but not many, and both are the fruit of good training system.

And Germany I support for very personal reasons. This is my winner of this mundial.

Soju

2010-07-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Lol, what a title for a blog post, hah?
No, I am not a heavy drinker, and this is not an AA advice post.

The closer to my arrival to Asia, the more I think about stories, people, places.

If I think now about especially nice sutuations, these were always when being asked" 어디서 오셨어요?" "where are you from?" by a bartender or waitress or the owner of some small restaurant business somewhere, I replied: "처 는 펄 란드 사람 임니다" "I am Polish" or "I come from Poland" more formal.

Apart from learning immediately that Korean people love Chopin, Pope and Lech Walesa I usually got free siders and Soju.

So what's that Soju?
That's in it's pure form a rice vodka. It can have from 20 tp 45% and better be carefull with it. tastes like a sweet warming almost neutral spirit and really gets into you, especially when you are an "economic drinker" lol.

For polish people, especially guys it's not much of a problem, but sometimes we can find ourselves in non-comforting business situations when we drink. And drink, And drink. And even more drink. Until everyone is under the table- that's Korean way of drinking even in official formal situations.

What then? Well, my chemist academic teacher used to say that alcohol is basically a poison after 150-200g but somehow Polish and Russians are resistant. So compared to Korean person, Polish should survive this heavy drinking and steadily walk home really well.

What if someone is, like me, an economic drinker. Well, then it's better to quickly pretend a state of total knock-off.

In our European heads (don't know many American, sorry) , as we are in our essence non-honest and false people, that raises a question. What comes next? What if someone uses the things we said or stuff we have done against us later especially in business talks or negotiations?

No fear over here. No need to be afraid that we will be later blackmailed or manipulated. In Korea there is a one magic rule - an amnesia after drinking.

During alcohol parties surpressed emotions come out. People sometimes forget about confucian "non-burden keep-quiet about yourself and your needs" attitude. So our Korean counterparts won't use this against us as they have their dark side as well.

Back to work.

Are you hungry, Aga?

2010-06-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Since I am in mood for blogging, I will blog lol:P

I remember that one of these remarkable things which surprised me, was the repeating question each time I saw a person: Are you hungry, Aga?

I usually kept kindly responding, that well, yes or no, adding some remark like :"let's go for lunch then", until I started thinking that it actually might be a local way of saying: "How are you?".

The roots of this attitude are not that long and they reach Korean War and it's aftermath. During the struggle both sides had their losses in human assets, but South Korea went weakened out of the war and civilians suffered hunger until the 60-s.

During that first several years it often happened that farmers cooked grass and pieces of tree branches to feed themselves and actually hunger deaths were popular cases.

It was then, when people asked each other with caring attitude: "Have you eaten rice yet?", as "Are you well, are you in need, how are you?".

So if you hear" Have you had your lunch yet?", you can reply "I'm fine, thanks" unless you really want to eat.

Strictly business

2010-06-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

I already thought I would have a rest from blogging for a while, at least take a break from my english blog, because I need to defend my thesis, do my finals on both study tracks, and finally think about having some rest, and oh yes, pack my stuff and leave Warsaw at last.

But I think I need to write about this one.
For recent year I got quantities of emails, skypecalls, and other messages poking me if I know some Koreans, if I am in Korea, and that there is a great opportunity to earn some extra money.

After I asked for some details, ex. legal details of a contract, salary, etc. I usually got informed about extra opportunity in spa&wellness which is called Monavie and it is amazing and so on.

In this field I do have several remarks. To the owners of Monavie: please do go to KOTRA and negotiate and sign the agreement with sillebangs, as I see no easier option to get with a new product into Korean market. Of course if you guys are a serious business with a serious money with a serious vision and with a serious marketing.

If one of your "cooperators" pokes me asking "how is it" to live in Korea, that already sucks. If you want to do business with Koreans, learn the language and mentality, or pay the expert in social science as I am. I will teach you the etiquette and basic differences, 100€ for an hour each. Well, polish people 25€ each and it will be fine.

Also: do not look for cooperators in Korea if you have no knowledge about the immigration and labor law, don't know the beaurocracy of visas and stuff like that.

In other words: money make money. Pay and earn. And if you want to save, quit the business idea.

And last but not least: STOP POKING ME.

From the cauch in Warsaw
Me.

Elections turnout and analysis

2010-06-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

Elections turnout and analysis....

Recent elections brought several issues into spotlight.

More than 54% of voters took part and it is the highest number within 15 years. By region that number didn't differ much, with the highest on Jeju - well, not difficult isn't it?

In local provincial legislative seats GNP lost. to DEP almost everywhere. GNP won 4 out of 7 mayoral seats but was smashed by DEP in the governor's elections. In municipal legislative elections GNP won 160 seats, but DEP 154.

DEP is known as anti-American and Pro- North Korea party fed by childhood stories, that when you are nasty then American soldier will come and eat you - indeed this American soldier is a fairy tale equivalent to the evil wolf who eats the Red Hood in the West.

What does it mean for future? What does it mean now?
There is a growing fear I would say, that if we support the North then the North lets us alone and stops sinking our ships. Is it a way out? Not sure, depends on what solutions this party has. And about that- no real english sources, so please wait for the feedback from my Korean counterparts.

I generally observe the typical phenomenon of American presence somewhere. Well, USA is definately not an angel, but the presence of it's army and funds convince a lot of people worldwide that it comes for free. That we may receive the shield umbrella and revolt in one.

I would be careful if I were DEP officials. So far they treat many things as granted. Their progress is granted, democracy is granted, growing support for human rights is granted.

Well history shows that this is only granted for as long as people really want to preserve and respect these values. Any dreams of Kim Jong Il's heaven on the Earth may really harm South Koreans.

______________________
But social changes are needed on the other hand. There must be a retirement system which is somehow supported by the state, I also see the room for rehabilitation of handicapped and much more. This is the room for socialist/leftist parties as I have no illusion that conservative Friedmanists would ever achieve that.

From now on I am on holiday time, we will meet again several weeks.

Elections...

2010-06-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

Briefing on major powers and results and what it may mean for Korean policies coming soon.

Offtopicz: economy and culture

2010-05-31T07:04:00.000-07:00

I am tired. Really tired so much that I can't sleep at night sometimes. It is my multitasking personality which makes this burden and I know I do it to myself and noone else does. Studies, radio, NG, museum, exhibition, photos, social life, thesis, etc. etc.

Today I have started analyzing the faces of economy in various corners of the world, especially I mean time spent at work, financial satisfaction, and many others.

Like a lot of people in Europe I have been previously convinced that agressive face of capitalism comes from USA and that if you do not wanna work 24/7 for shitty money as a first generation immigrant better don't go there.

But it seems that according to OECD comparison this is my homeland, Poland which takes the second place in the classification. Netherlands ( I have also lived there) takes the last place. So I have seen on my own eyes, talking to people and watching stuff. Polish were in Netherlands just as hardworking as Berbers, Marrocans and others. The prize for that comes only to fresh graduates after prestigious subsidiezed studies in the West, others need to proove themselves first. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time_2004.jpg

In Netherlands most of people leave home at 7:30 and go back home at 4 or 5 unless they have specific responsibility for network maintainance or managerial jobs. On Sunday only gas stations are places where you can buy anything as most of shops are closed. In East Europe most of shops operate on Sundays at least until 4 if not longer, not to mention Tesco or other networks.

The place South Korea takes requires deeper analysis. Does that 1st place mean that these people are the richest, the most happy or the country most effective? Not so sure. The responsibility structure is so mild that you never know if the goal gets accomplished on time. Many western managers I met mentioned that 3 Europeans do more within 3 hours until lunch than most of Koreans do until 4 pm. I cannot verify myself any of that as so far I am just a grant student or a university lab worker ( apart from freelance journalism), and this world is so much different from any corporate environment. Yet I have seen both hardworking and both lazy people, so it depends. Anyway Korea always accomplishes goal on time, so maybe that is what matters?

But I wish the most that the economic growth is not at the expense of the nation which has no real state law to secure it's interest at work and regulate labour issues. But for that there are needed leaders of changes, whose message can be heard.

In most of countries in the West such things were historically shaped by a long term social clash or dialogue ( mostly dialogue) and it took a 100 years to stabilize the situation. Maybe it's too much to expect a randomized process in any other corner of the world.

_______________
It is also very nice to know that USA is still, after all, an eldorado. Of ideas.
_______________

That reminds me of a coverage done for Trójka przekracza granice somewhen in 2008, when during the election year several radio reporters travelled through the States and interviewed average people on their feelings on crisis, elections, etc. Somewhere in Arizona in a very small city a lady said: " Yes, there is a crisis, but my neighbors will help me, I will help my neighbors and we will survive. If you want to feel welcome and accepted, come to us" I remembered these words for a long time.

From the cauch on the second floor in Warsaw,
Me.

China: key player in the Korean game

2010-05-27T06:12:00.000-07:00

I have written last week about possible reactions of South Korean government to North Korea after the results of the Cheonan sinking investigation revealed last week.

One of the key roles in this situation holds China who has been North Korea's closest ally due to strategic reasons so far ( NK is a natural security layer from spreading harmful democratic ideas from SK citizens).

But recently it seems that it is changing. Any unstability is not good and maybe Beijing has come to the conclusion that North Korean leader is after all not predictable in his actions.

Today South Korean president Lee and Chinease prime minister meet and discuss possible common course towards North Korea, or at least Chinease admitting NK guilt, which would be a real breakthrough. Strong evidence presented by an international expert's commision shouldn't be ignored. There is a strong pressure on China to stop doing Public Relations and advert itself as a stabilizer and peacemaker, and finally start acting.

Meanwhile president Lee does exactly what he can do in this situation. As I have written last week, there is currently a show off with military power on the Yellow Sea, large scale maneuvers exercise the possibility of detecting NK submarines.

Last week I have mentioned as well that economy will suffer some shakes, and so it happens. But what is impressive is a decision to suspend trade, strongly against vital interests of Seoul's economy.

One thing happens normally- today all the workers in Kaeseong special economic zone went to work as usually including 650 circa of South Korean workers who daily cross the border and go to Kim Jong Il's world to work at industrial plants.

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The photography comes from Korea Times

Cheonan sinking by NK Torpedo

2010-05-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

As it was said two days ago the results of the multinational experts investigation on the sinking of the South Korean military ship are revealed to day stating with no doubt that it was a North Korean torpedo which caused the blast and death of 50 soldiers.

The joint experts commitee has worked since the end of March 2010 just after the explosion. It consists of 25 experts from ten domestic professional institutes, 22 military experts, three lawmakers from related National Assembly committees and 24 foreign experts from the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and Sweden. The group was divided into four departments: forensic science, explosive pattern analysis, hull structure and data analysis.

The results say with no doubt that it was a North Korean 250kg torpedo CHT-02D which hit the South Korean ship. Parts of the torpedo with original North military markings were found on the site of the catastrophe.

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The question is: what now? Where does it aim?
The current president of South Korea, Mr Lee is known for his much harder course towards Kim Jong Il and it is very likely that some serious measures will be conducted. But...

South Korean economy and civil prosperity, the very core of its potential is located in Seoul which is very close to DMZ. To close to risk any actions without threatening the success of two yuppie generations and their wealth - and South Koreans put a big value on their wealth. Despite their national pride and patriotism/nationalism they are not likely to risk their nice cars and homes for war with the North.

Even bigger factor are SK cheabols which founded Kaeseong Economy Zone and used to make enourmous profits on NK cheap labour power. Cheabols bosses are the SK aristocracy - the most influential in politics both domestic and overseas. They have not once tried to convince SK government on less hard treatment of NK because of potential and real profits for their companies - and for the entire economy.

Rice farmers also push on exporting their products to NK especially in times of hunger.

What will happen in such situation?
President Lee will very likely improve founds for national defence system, train more troops, and buy more weapons.

He will also push on the US - SK free trade act which will make US more friendly towards Lee even in times of Obama in the White House.

The South Korean economy will suffer some hits from panicked investors on stock exchange and the KRW exchange rate will shake a bit.

Apart from that the world will turn as it turns. The possibilities of President Lee on move on this chessboard are slight, but he will do what he can.

The question remains if there is any power to stop Kim Jong Il from such actions, external power. Kim Jong Il regularly meets with Hu Jintao and negotiates both on help in hunger relief and both on tight border security to stop escapes through mainland China. It is certain and confirmed that Hu Jintao tries to push Kim on reforms in his system, but it seems - effortlessly. China either doesn't try hard enough or more likely has no real power of influence on NK so there is a very little hope for international talks on reconciliation progress.

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PS1.
How different it is from the effortless and omiting investigation after the crash of Tu 154 near Smolensk. Two months and we have results.

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PS2. I am now in Warsaw until August so my reports and analysis come with some hours delay.

Another technical break

2010-05-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

I am very sorry, but due to severe influenza I cannot continue this blog for another week or two, as normally, unless something pops up.

Mission Impossible

2010-04-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

Sources close to Korean Government suspect direct North Korean involvement in Cheonan sinking. The chief prosecutor does not exclude the possibility of an underwater mine to be the cause of the event.

Even if tangible evidence of North Korean involvement emerges, the president’s caution and balanced behaviour will be understandable. Hot-blooded retaliation against a nuclear-armed neighbor would be a disaster for the entire region with strong possibility of foreign reaction, like China or USA, which are the main surrporters of south and north respectively.

So what's next? I had written about this on my polish blog two days ago. Nothing is next.

Next is a status quo in the situation, more South Korean aid for the North, more indoctrination in the North Korean tv, more jobs at Keseong Special Industrial Zone, more dollars flowing into NK budget.

What is possible resolution of this situation?
For as long as China directly or indirectly supports NK, there is none. United Nations will do nothing as they are paralised by China vote in the Security Council. USA will restrain and will only support SK just as it does for decades.

Google will cooperate with NK and will not publish North Korean maps on it's servers, press will be silent and so the world turns.

SK can only tighten it's security even more, though I have always been personally impressed by the discreet and efficient security system. USA can withdraw from trying to colonalise SK in economic terms and might consider selling their beef elsewhere.

NK plays the same role as Belarus in Europe. Is a border from democratic world which successfully helps stopping transformation and helps to keep control over number of processes.

In the mean time people in NK are dying of hunger and their government doesn't care.

Technical break

2010-04-21T05:06:00.001-07:00

Due to important things to settle and lack of time, I contemporary suspend writing until beginning of may, unless something very important happens or something pops up in my mind. Sorry :(

Cheonan soldiers recovered

2010-04-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

The bodies of remaining 36 missing soldiers from South Korean frigate Cheonan were recovered lately.

Two weeks ago the frigate sank from unknown reasons and only 58 of the 104 crew on board had been saved.

Cold nerves of Defence Council, president Lee and Korean People had prevented the outbreak of conflict with North Korea.

However Mr President Lee says that the investigation has to be thorough, detailed and fast to finally know the causes of the tragedy.

For all Korean people, I am sorry for your loss.

Korean Prime Minister to attend funeral of Polish President

2010-04-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mr Chung Un- Chan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea is confirmed to attend the Sunday's funeral of the late President Lech Kaczyński and Maria Kaczyńska, the First Lady. The ceremony will take place at the Cracow's Royal Cathedral in Poland.

South Korea is one of those "silent friend" states, with which the Republic of Poland had just begun to have closer relations.

I had already written somewhere about enormous nowledge of my homeland's history among Korean citizens.

I promise that I will try to interview Mr Chung Un-chan on Sunday and the interview publish here in this post.

Last minute: PM had called off his visit because of air traffic difficulties.

In memoriam

2010-04-10T03:39:00.000-07:00

This time this post will not be on Asian or Korean matters.

I made this movie about Mr President. It is my first movie, so be understanding...
President of Poland Lech Kaczynski passed away

Today at about 9 am CET the presidential plane crashed near Smolensk (Russia) at 4th attempt to land.
The president of Poland with the First Lady and 88 other top important leaders of the country are dead.

Mr President was flying to attend the 70th anniversary of Katin genocide. During the 2nd World War Soviet "Ally" in the war versus Nazi Germany gathered and killed about 22 000 of top Polish intelligentsia: military officers, official leaders, aristocrats and nobles, professors, lawyers, doctors, and priests.

Several days ago in Katin met Mr Radoslaw Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Mr Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, and Mr Vladimir Putin, cirrent Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

Despite of variety of optimistic comments in Poland, "historical breakthrough" after years of silence and denying Soviet/Russian involvement and governmental conspiracy in the Katin Massacre, it was only a tiny step on the very long road ahead. There was indeed Prime Minister of Russia in Katin, but there weren't many Russian media, there were not any news on the topic, and on the very day of the meeting pravda.ru put some concert of the secondary pop-star or her divorce as the top news of the day.

Mr President wasn't invited to Katin on the official meetings with Prime Minister Putin, because he was the person responsible for the idea of the "eastern partnership" of the European Union and spreading the idea of democracy and souvereignity to the east, slow democratisation of Belarus, and also the main inventor of the Belsat TV project which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - the Belarus satelite tv independent on the Lukashenka regime.

Now following cnn.com:
(CNN) -- There are no survivors in the crash of a plane that was carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, according to the governor of Smolensk, the Russian region where the plane crashed.
The plane was approaching the airport at Smolensk and probably hit some trees at the end of the runway, a spokesman for Poland's Foreign Ministry told CNN.

"It caught fire, the fire has now been extinguished, but the extent of the damage is such that it's unlikely anybody on board survived," Piotr Paszkowsk said.
Kaczynski was 60.
Pictures from the scene showed parts of the airplane charred and strewn through a wooded area. Some pieces, including one of the wheel wells, were upside-down.
The crash happened around 10:50 a.m. (2:50 a.m. ET) on the outskirts of the town of Pechorsk in the Smolensk region, the Investigation Committee of the Russian prosecutor's office said in a written statement on its Web site.
The Tupolev-154 was carrying a total of 132 and was landing in heavy fog, the committee said.

The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe expressed his condolences after the crash.

On the crash site the journalists from Poland are not being allowed to even come closer to the site because of "securing evidence". They are kept in total ignorance and do not know anything new.

Currently the head of the state is Mr Bronislaw Komorowski, the Spealer of the Polish Lower Chamber of the Parliament.

In the Katin woodland there were people waiting for Mr President. These were members of the families of those murdered in Katin, journalists, and priests and other public involved.

On the plane crashed were in order of the presidency:
Mr President of the Republic of Poland, Lech Kaczyński
Mrs First Lady of the Republic of Poland, Maria Kaczyńska
Mr Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last President of the Republic of Poland in exile
Mr Krzysztof Putra, vice - speaker of the Parliament

Mrs Krystyna Bochenek, vice-speaker of the Senate
Mr Jerzy Szmajdziński, vice-cpeaker of the Parliament
Mr Władysław Stasiak, the presidential Chief of Staff
Mr Aleksander Szczygło, the president of the National Security Council
Mr Paweł Wypych, Minister of Staff of the President of Poland
Mr Mariusz Handzlik, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
Mr Andrzej Kremer, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Gen. Franciszek Gągor, Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Poland
Mr Andrzej Przewoźnik, The President of the Historical Memory Council
Mr Grzegorz Dolniak, vice - leader of the Civic Platform Parliamentary Club, the Polish Congressman
Mr Przemysław Gosiewski, leader of the Law and Justice Parliamentary Club, the Polish Congressman
Mr Zbigniew Wasserman, the Polish Congressman, Mr President's Friend
Mr Janusz Kochanowski, the Ombudsman
Mr Sławomir Skrzypek, The President of the National Bank of Poland, Mr President's Friend
Mr Janusz Kurtyka, The President of the National Memory Institute, IPN
Bishop Gen. Tadeusz Płoski, The Field Chaplain of the Polish Army

And many other importand leaders and special people

Non omnis moriar

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My personal comment:
3 days ago I haven't seen any russian tv in Katin. Now they are there and it's good.
Why can't they have better planes, but only those stupid Tupolev junk?
Why like during the worst Soviet times, journalists are kept far away from the site?
Why Mr Radoslaw Sikorski did not go immediately to Russia?
**********************************

And why did they have so many stupid interpersonal conflicts which were played against them by Russia during last months?

**********************************
And again, why did they go there? Because of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1zyQ_zffM&feature=related

National Branding and historical politics

2010-04-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

....variety of ideas.
Today Korea Times has informed about the newest national advert in the US.
Korean ownership of the Dokdo Island will be promoted by 100 000 hand rubber bands in the USA, just after the full page article in New York Times and Times Square billboard.

This is just one of the actions of Korean authorities to promote the country and it's interests. Korean PR and soft power has been deeply involved in promoting Korean dramas ( soap operas) in the Far East, Korean music and contemporary youth bands, even Korean fashion brands.

This has caused increased numbers of Japanese and Chinease who travel to Korea just to learn the language or watch the house or caffeteria of their favorite amants from the soap operas ( here especially girls).

That would be enough on national branding in this post.

************
There is however another interesting issue about Korean politics and foreign relations with it's neighbors.
Dokdo is an island otherwise called Takeshima by Japanese and is located in the sea south of Korean coast. There are some traces of natural resources on the island, but the whole conflict in Japan has deeper roots.

This is more about memory and historical politics. Japanese occupation has exceeded Hitler's regime in accuracy and implementation of methods and left huge traces of bad memories in both Koreas. So therefore the ownership of Dokdo is more a matter of national identity and common sense of harm which has never been excused for up till now. Historical politics in Korean education system builds many myths about nation's history as it helps to improve the identity and mobilizes human powers into any action for the common goal (whether real or imaginary).

There might be critics of such policy of the state which tells a lot of tales to Korean children, but on the other hand the same happens in Japan.

Contemporary Japan had not experience any denazification process as it was done in Germany post World War II. In the West it would not be accepted that Nazi officers are invited to tv stations where they are treated like national heroes in the 21st century in front of millions of young Japanese. This attitude is simmilar to the attitude of current Russian leaders who still try to deny the massacres of Katin ( see Katyń of Wajda if you are interested, but warning, the movie contains drastic scenes). However current Russian leaders stopped denying communist crimes, these crimes are nameless, they were done by anonymous people who "had their orders". This quote: "I had my orders" is also very often mentioned by Japanese veterans when they sometimes face more detailed quations about their actions during the war.

Tensions between Tokyo and Seoul are big and not easy to resolve. But time heals the wounds as I have mentioned before and young generation of Japanese raised on Korean Wave will show different attitude, also young generation of Koreans who have no historical burdens will be able to say: "It is past now. We will remember but we do not have to hate".

What will be with Dokdo then? I don't know, but knowing the energy of Koreans in fighting for their interests, it will be Dokdo and it will be Korean.

I am sorry if this post is not answering all as I write in haste this time.

Korea Times on Dokdo Bands:http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/04/123_63870.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1zyQ_zffM.... and this one a movie on Katin

Kibun

2010-04-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Kibun means internal harmony, a state close to nirvana in my amatour understanding.

Kibun is in the group, in bilateral relationships, in the company, in the lab. This means an optimal harmony of everyone in the group.

Two years ago my uncle was asked to become a deputy president of one of the chebols. Prepared for the conversation according to the best Harvard school he went for two weeks long orientation program. One day there was a conversation with his would-be boss, the owner of the chebol, and my uncle proposed to fire 1/3 of the employees after detailed analysis of the company's efficiency and results.

No wonder that the owner said a very big no due to two reasons. One is "Kibun" - a company is your mother, your father, your grandma, your everything. Your employer hopes you will spend the lifetime tied up to your desk and climbing up the ledder. Firing off one third of the staff is not what you suppose to do. The other more to-the-ground reason is that kicking so many people off work would cause mass protests and strikes and such "cat's music" would injure company's image.

*********
I had a lab seminar once, when I got involved in discussion about individualism and collectivism with my labmates. I don't remember what did we have disagreement about anymore, but I remember that I bought coffee for the guy who was my biggest opponent and this way subconsciously I have set the "Kibun" back on in the lab.

This is really a pity that such devotion to common harmony and happiness is not that much respected and performed there where happiness is needed the most: nuclear small family of husband and wife. Luckily this is changing now and changing rapidly.

North South tensions: The ship sinks

2010-03-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

A South Korean ship with more than 100 soldiers is sinking by the bank of the Yellow Sea coast, not far from the border with Phoenian.

So far it is not confirmed if it was a North korean naval attack, I will keep you updated as soon as I know something accurate from my Korean sources.

The ship sank and 50 soldiers were saved. The fate of the rest is unknown so far.

It wasn't the North Korean torpedo. What was it then? I don't know, but definitely speculation is not an information.

As soon as I know something more, you will know it too.

Feelings&Emotions

2010-03-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone feels a lot... we do love, hate, desire, dream...
But are we devided in so called "national mentalities" in such"? Are we different in mental construct depending on where do we come from?

I am not sure...but let me give some remarks on Korean feelings ( though I am not specialist and never will be).

Average perception of East Asian in the West is... emotionless, dull, always correct, with no opinions, fake smile. This is what European and American people think about people from this part of the world usually putting them in one basket called somewhere in their heads "East".

Marching and wandering through Korean streets, stopping at the bus stops, traveling through the city I saw a lot of signs of passion and character in Koreans, and that would deny such prejudices and common sense perceptions.

Not once I saw two guys quarelling and shouting at each other on the subway. I have also seen people expressing their feelings so passionately that a "dull" German or Dutch would look startled at signs of affection of that kind.

Many times when I met Youna, she would grab my hand eagerly and walk this way admitting that Korean girlfriends do that if they are really close to eachother. We are close, so we marched this way down the streets or the malls...

I have to mention the entire storm of critisism and emotional discussion over my research project with the members of my lab, when I was attacked and cornered by remarks with almost agressive temper.

If Koreans conceal their inner feelings, those would be attached with other traits than opinions about topics.

When they really get passionate is if their national identity, history, achievements and other stuff is in the spotlight. They really can quarrel with others, oh yes they do...

Soju helps to open oneself and behave quite different way from official work hours attitude. If a huesaouon gets too drunk, noone remembers the next day his behavior. If he is drunk, everyone will let him sit on the subway and does not complain for as long as he does not become agressive.

I sometimes wonder what is really concealed? Which part of your soul if you are a Korean is the part where the light does not reach, the part which stays covered no matter the circumstances?

So I got philosophical a bit :)

The fear is in Washington

2010-03-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

I have just remembered the attitude of my folks to me, when I was packing my stuff for the journey to Korea.

"Ain't you scared? There will be a war soon!!! Are you crazy?!!!"

These are some of the most typical remarks. Not that someone is particularly protective about me, but yet, annoying comments were there.

When I applied for the visa, the embassy was empty. It was just after the panic raised by media after Kim Jong Il's attempted nuclear test.

The headlines screamed about rising tensions and possible outbreak of the war in Korea again after 60 years.

I ignored that, knowing that media are hardly ever right especially about far corners of the world.

After coming to Korea it has been some time before I dared to have an opinion about these issues.

Now I do have one and it is not a nice one, especially not for Reuters, AFP, AP and other agencies.

In my opinion the entire fear is created in Washington and spread around the world. No reporter actually sits in Seoul for years like it used to be in the old times, and does not cover events as he or she should.

If they had done their job properly, the world would know about South - North dialogue more, would know about reconciliation process, and would simply know about that North blackmails South each time there is a hunger or shortages. Would know about special economic zones and other things.

Where they can know about it then from? Yeah, you are right, from Wikipedia :) And from bloggers.

But I do have doubts if people can learn about it from Washington Post. Same for Frankfurter AZ, The Times and the others which would follow unsubstantiated psychosis of fear.

One thing pops up to my mind though? There are international troops in South Korea. Do they report what really happens? What do they say? To whom? How high can their reports reach? How is it interpreted?

Of course I do not claim that Kim Jong Il is not dangerous. The danger is there in the air and that is why each time North threatens South, Seoul aids them with economic goods, food and other things, especially because Korean chebols can become competitive on global markets having cheap goods in decent standard.

When will I read an up to date analysis in Western media...?

Lenin, Friedman and starvation

2010-02-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

After denomination of the currency in North Korea prices went high and people started facing hunger again. It took the North Korean government 2 months to react on the issue and in the late January Kim Jong Il held a special summit related to starvation crisis reaction.

Since that time the central government sends 5 kg of rice daily to each People's Unit and from 5 to 15kg to enterprises and businesses (if one can call them such).
That caused the relief to citizens and no new cases of starvation have been reported so far.

Officials in local authorities are said to be punished if they do not supervise the aid properly and react to the circumstances.

All of that is a surprising reaction of the government which rules ruthlessly the communist state and where citizens have no rights whatsoever.

It is possible that this time if they do not react, people of North Korea will finally revolt against the regime.

The optimal social system for people to live in has been always a subject of dispute. Obviously democracy is the God's favorite, but economic conditions are the topic on the table.

More or less 130 years ago in Great Britain two social activists have invented basics of socialism which were later applied into bloody action by Lenin himself.

If we think about contemporary China or North Korea, that all was invented in Europe as a response to abusive capitalism with no welfare and social care.

On the surface communism is not bad at all. It assumes fare share of all goods between everyone involved in the system. But what is more in human nature is competition and comparison to others. Most of times we are happy to have more than others and it is just this way in our genes. To impose ideas which are against human nature one needs strong power and system of control, that is what happens in communism.

On the other hand some time ago in USA a guy named Milton Friedman invented the idea that the market regulates itself and that all players behavior is rational and aims for the best. That is not quite true and everyone knows as much.

But such a conflict remains. Conflict between a system of chances and responsibility and system of shortages and regulated life. People prefer to have, to possess and to be happy. This is in their basic needs.

Communism itself led always to the economy of shortages. And it was exactly that which made regimes collapsed provided that they were not aided externally.

Last thought which comes on my mind is that socialism in democratic states made enourmous career and settled down in the social and economic system, placed itself forever in Germany, France or Scandinavia. State protection system which is imposed by force will sooner or later collapse. Better sooner than later.

설날 The Lunar New Year

2010-02-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Lunar New Year in Far East is one of the most important holidays. In Korea it is the family event, equivalent to the Christmas time in Western culture.

It is when every Korean meets with relatives and buys gifts. On Seollal people reattach to their families, renew relations and make new starts with quantities of issues which got previously mixed up.

Lunar New Year holidays are 3 days. This year Koreans were not lucky as the Seollal was on Sunday, it meant no additional day off. However most of people work normally on Saturdays or go to the labs to study, on this weekend exclusively Seoul got empty.

Normally during the rush hour it is so busy that travelling 1 km by taxi can get 20 minutes and it is really difficult to find space to squeeze into the subway. Not during the Lunar New Year. On Saturday Koreans went by cars, trains and buses away from the city to enjoy some quiet time, well at least those who do well with their families.

During this time one is not supposed to meet with anyone else. My Korean friend Youn Seok could not even meet his girlfriend on Sunday saying that he is stuck with his family on that time.

Knowing about this beforehand I was really afraid that it will be rather lonely weekend, one of these few moments I really feel like nothing more than just an expatriate.

I was grateful and surprised when my close friend, Iris (Doe Won), invited me and two Russian friends to spend a New Year's Day with her and her family. We had a warm welcome and a family lunch cooked by Han Ajumoni ( Mrs Han) and later went for a field trip by car driven around by Mr Han.

We had a chance to experience how Korean people respect and adore their history and heritage. In Europe most of the citizens do not care and the lasting identity is preserved by a narrow group of conscious people. Unlike in Korea where patriotism is very important.

We saw the Royal Tomb of Seojong The Great whose actions resulted in writing down the Korean language in the alphabet. We were invited into the village near Yeoju and seen the farming industry of current times.

In the evening we were back to Seoul happy with impressions. Iris gave us a feeling of being the part of the society, the kind hospitality I will never forget. Thank you dear friend.

Earthquake in Seoul

2010-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Two days ago there was an earthquake here in Seoul. A magnitude 3.0 shake occurred with its epicenter located near western Seoul on Tuesday evening. No injuries or serious property damage were reported.

The question is, how Seoul, a city of 20 million residents living in skyscrapers, is resistant to such a hazard?

Natural hazards cause loss of more than $700 million in property every year, mostly due to flooding and landslides during monsoon season. Occasionally tsunami or drought hits the peninsula adding more costs and loss to recover.

As to the risk of earthquakes, Korea is not based directly at the Pacific Hot Ring, but close enough to be called a semiseismic territory with small but present danger of an earthquake bigger than 6 Richter scale degrees.

Pacific tectonic plate meets with Eurasian one in the subduction zone through Japan and Philippines. From the west though, occasional wave of shakes may occur because of constant movement of Indian plate to the north.

Oldest chronicles note such phenomena in Korea. In 779 AD the quake killed 100 people and destroyed number of houses in Gyeongju, capital of Silla. During the Japanese occupation regular earthquake observation system was established and noted more than 320 cases of moderate magnitude.

In 1978 an earthquake of 5.0 destroyed 1128 buildings in one of the smaller cities in Korea, no casualties were reported luckily.

Before that, only public facilities, such as power plants and tunnels had any quake- resistant design. After 1978 every building taller than 6 levels has to be earthquake - resistant based on the average risk which is magnitude of 7.

If it comes to houses and apartments, this is the most vulnerable issue. Before 1988 citizens did not matter much in South Korea, or at least not their private belongings such as places to live. There was also no middle class, as middle range salary sector emerged with establishing of democracy in 1988. Since then, more attention and civil control is put to the Civil Defence.

After 1995 when severe earthquake stroke Kobe in Japan central government established special research institute which aim is to map and address the risk of quakes.

There are also a lot of agencies and offices which address the issue in terms of reaction, response and loss restoration, like Safety Management Bureau, National Safety Management Information System, National Disaster Management System, but their major problem is lack of sufficient communication systems and being understaffed ( as stated in: http://emi.pdc.org/cities/CP-Seoul-July2006.pdf).

What would be sites fragile to the quake? Squatters in some parts of the city, where rural migrants still live, as well some poor quarters of Bongcheon-dong, some sites of north Seoul, old buildings in Yongno.

What to do in case of a quake:
- don't panic
- avoid elevators
- cut off gas and electricity
- evacuate if possible

BTW. And the quake of 3.0 or similar you may as well sleep through as I did :P

Indo - Korean experience

2010-02-05T04:17:00.000-08:00

... a short insight into Indo- Korean relations.

Two weeks ago I had an honor to join my Indian friends in the Indo - Korean cultural show organized by the Indian Embassy at Sogang University here in Seoul.

So far relations between two countries have been mostly economic. Korean chebols like Samsung or LG for instance, successfully established branches in India, independently governed as seperate equities.

Between unified confucianist nation and diversed and complex people of Dekan have not been so far a lot of cultural exchange or mutual interest.

One and half an hour long performance is a good start.
In the beginning we saw traditional singers from Nagaland - that is in the very north of India, as I have learned from Subho, they sang tribal theme based song.

I mostly enjoyed Bollywood dance show by 4 Korean girls, dressed in beautiful colorful dancing gowns.

There was also a show of Yoga Dance by Korean dance group and at the very end the show of Korean music drums.

In between the public was entertained with a part of an Indian play Bhagvat Gita in Korean. I should not forget about fusion music band.

Growing balance of trade between two countries made president of South Korea Lee Myeong- Bak be invited as a chief guest for 60th anniversary of Indian Constitution.

For that occasion The Times of India interviewed Mr President, who gave nice speech on bilateral relations. Full version of the interview is here: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/all-that-matters/It-would-be-great-to-see-Indian-techies-in-South-Korea/articleshow/5493593.cms

Among many remarks Mr President made on the topic, I would adress two of them here.
I have to agree with the fact that Indian technical skills reach the level of genius combined with efficiency, hence most welcome everywhere, not only in Korea.

I would not agree though with the "green Korea" and definately with Korea as a leader in the "green growth". "Green" and "sustainable" are terms I am very familiar with.

Let's discuss sustainable heat saving architecture and efficient heating systems. Only recently I have seen any thermo protection layers put on newly built constructions. But it doesn't change the fact that hardly any door or window can stop the wind from blowing into the apartment.

Another "green" example. Lots of trush is put in the sea and in the rivers, not to mention the streets. Waste is private so noone really cares what farmers and owners of some enterprices in the countryside do with their trush.

Bigger companies do not give good example of sustainable policy as well. Posco which has the motto "Green and clean" is constantly polluting the Japanese Sea.

President Lee Myeong Bak is a man of action, transformed Seoul a lot. But it takes time before I am convinced that Korean society has any "green" or green attitude.

*********
Note: photos by Subho, thank you :)

North and South continued

2010-02-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

If the divide between the two Koreas persist, and North Korea remains a closed country for many more years, will it become a new nation, with a new set of core values?

I assume one can only speculate about that. There has hardly been such situation on the global map before 20th century, as before that political powers fought one with another with it's borders quite open for average citizens. Any sort of fiercely guarded border is quite new invention, as well as communism and the Iron Courtain.

Nevertheless North Koreans are quite different by now in their mental attitude. They live a life of zoo animals who are fed, whose life is organized and who don't have to think much and don't really have to fight in life. Don't have to build up their careers, don't have to think about their career and future in the age of 7.

There is a risk that if that regime lasts sufficiently long, this may get so deep inside their mentality that even if it collapses they will not be really able to manage their lives. Such mental construct is called Homo Sovieticus.

The very same phenomenon explains why Russia struggles with autocratic power shift with quite passive social attitude.

In parallel South Korea faces crucial cultural changes these years. Since 2007 a lot has changed in the way people dress, bahave or in their values. The breakthrough generation slowly takes over. This generation is less and less obedient and collectivist. It will still take another 50 years or so, but it happens on our eyes - South Korea is changing into the modern democratic capitalist state. The self responsibility for one's life will grow. Growing freedom imposes greater self reliance and responsibility of a person. Even now average South Korean citizen is used to minimal state aid and has to manage his own life independently.

The pace of time will add it's influence and the feeling of "oneness" will vanish. I guess there will be two separate Korean nations.

**********
Fresh news say that North Korea faces wave of food shortages again. Growing number of citizens escape abroad.

The only way for the regime to collapse is the same attitude of USA which made USSR collapse. Constant economic aid for regime is not doing to it's citizens any better, it will very likely compromize their minds. Just as it happens in other totalitarian states which entered global economy - if you obey then you're rich. If you don't obey, then you stay poor. I guess that will be the entirely new category of people.

North, South and the bomb

2010-01-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

The cold knocks me off but I can't sleep so I decided to write.

Albert recently asked me if the North Korean nuclear project is seen by South Koreans as a common Korean weapon which might be used against Japan.

I have read Huntington articles in Foreign Affairs, but I didn't get hold on his book so far. I cannot really refer in detailed way to what was written about North - South Korea relations in that book, but nevertheless I understand the idea.

There is a certain borderline between generations in Korean society. Young people in their 30's usually consider North Korea as a non-friendly state, or at least totally different country. Some of my Korean friends being asked that question give the very same answers, admitting though that despite anything they are aware that the language there is the same and people think similar as well.

But those who set the course of South Korean foreign affairs are people in their 50's and 60's. They are as well supported by their entire generation. That generation hoped for reconciliation and reunification of two countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War between USA and USSR. In both countries Japanese occupation left scars which need a lot of time to be healed. Children of people who experienced that invasion were raised with hatred in their minds and hearts.

The very same generation shares the attitude to historic Koguryeo land which is acclaimed by Poeple's Republic of China as historically chinease and which partially is situated in modern North Korea and China. Considering the possibility of reunification with the North, South Korea calls for recognition of historic Koguryeo as a part of long term foreign policy strategy. If it happens one day that the country is unified, it is better to protect interests of the northern sister.

Korea was the first state affected by Japanese colonial system, with it's economy not rich, but the closest. From Pusan to Simonoseki there is only 120 miles, when to Singapore 2800. The country's resources, labor force, agriculture and whatever else has been engaged into war machinery of occupant from the very beginning ( see more at Andrew Grajdanzev, Modern Korea, New York 1941). Korean climate was another reason for military action. It is rather friendly climate, not much struck by typhoons which very often attacked other territories conquered by Japan, with short monsoon season and large number of days with sunshine during the year.

That hatred was even bigger as the pre-occupation Choson state didn't really develop navy or merchandise. It's glory time passed away. Waclaw Sieroszewski says in his book Korea. Land and People. that the ethnic self perception of Koreans was close to none. In 1905 it was the agricultural society dominated by feudal beurocratic aparatus and the rulers either didn't want or had no possibilities to built the modern state. There wasn't any Korean marine, the trade was served by Japanese merchants and boats, and the city of Pusan was by that time divided into rich Japanese settlement and Korean poor ghetto.

That might be partially the reason why the hatred towards Japan is so big, and why the history books say both true and untrue stories about the eastern neighbor from the islands. Both North Korean and South Korean history books. Helplessness of own rulers is not an issue to consciously consider and noone would speak about it loud.

Common sense tells that time would heal every wound if only people don't stop it's influence. Current generation considers Korea on the global map with reasonable aproach. Korean wave makes quantities of Japanese people coming to Korea to study language and culture. Also in Japan, people around 30 think differently and have no Korean resentiments.

It depends on who will take over the political power in two countries within 20 years from now. There is a huge chance that at least South Korean - Japanese bilateral relations will settle down and become if not friendly than at least normal.

With recent fire exchange over the questionable coastline between two Korean states and fierce embrace of communism in the North and not welcoming attitude among the South, two Korean sister states will drift away from each other and definately will not become one within predictable time.

Blind brother parasite

2010-01-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

It happened again.
North Korea threatened to take military action Sunday, blasting the South Korean defense minister for his remarks on a preemptive strike against the North in the case of an imminent nuclear threat.

Last week, Minister Kim Tae-young said in a defense forum here that Seoul would have to undertake an immediate appropiate action if the North shows a clear sign of attacking with nuclear weapons.

In a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency that was commented as an open declaration of war

It continued that Pyongyang may take prompt and decisive military action.

The warning came two days after the North proposed having military talks to discuss telecommunication, customs and immigration issues regarding the joint Kaeseong Industrial Complex in the North.

A senior official of the South's unification ministry said, asking to remain anonymous, that the government will suggest holding the meeting after Feb. 1 when working-level inter-Korean talks over the operation of the industrial park take place. (see more @ Korea Times online).

History of a conflict between North and South Korea is long and complicated and this post is by no means attempting to be a handbook on that.

Yet the Kaeseong Industrial Complex is a good area to study relations between two Korean states.

Approximately 15 South Korean companies employ more than 40 000 workers from North Korea with perspective to employ 26 000 as soon as possible. Everything is supported from Seoul, facilities, constructions, energy and transportation system together with money to pay for wages. By 2012 the Complex is said to employ approximately 725 000 North Korean citizens and generate more than $500 million of income for North Korean Economy.

North Korea supports physical power of homo sapiens. Because in this communist heaven in the Earth nothing else exists. There are hardly any cars, electricity is only in Phoenyang and even there sometimes windows are dark in the evening.

In her "Access to evil" Ewa Ewart shows Northern Korea as described above. Guarded 24/7 by her silent security angels dared to ask why she could not see anything apart from the authorities in Phoenyang scheduled for her to see. Without any possibility to shoot by hidden camera she still saw a lot of trush hidden so eagerly under the carpet.

Will the situation between two Korean states change, will they be unified? Despite that there is a will to unify the countries shown by South Korean authorities and intellectuals, the very process of it is a long way to go and full of obstacles.

One of them is a burden which would be caused by joining undeveloped impoverished sister country to the 21st century economy. A demand for jobs, wages and social securities so typical in the fresh post communist countries would weaken South Korean economy for a long time, just like it slowed down Germany after unification 20 years ago.

Another issue is South Korean society itself and its psychological attitude. Refugees from North even now are not considered members of community and live in isolation. They are lucky if they run restaurants or other businesses, but most often they are at mercy of church communities which help to organize their escapes. But, as I have mentioned, in the society they are not very welcome.

However the Ossie and Wessie in Germany still distrust each other and tend to pay attention to the West or East German origin of a person, the individualistic trait in Western mental construct makes it easier and in the current generation this will not be important anymore.

But the community and group identification in confucianist society like South Korean will not make the adaptation of North Koreans easier, especially of those who do not have families in south from DMZ.

Another possible scenario and more likely to happen is North Korean regime growing only in power due to economic profits from such projects like special industrial zones. Foreign investment in China had only strengthened the current system which builds huge nuclear arsenal with the very same dollars earned on trading their working power for Western corporate investment. The very same scenario is equally possible in North Korea.

On the contrary Soviet State collapsed due to central planned economy of shortages, when food was difficult to get and basic goods hard to achieve, and in such condition social devotion to the Party and system gradually faded. What would happen if instead of fierce arms competition and trade embargo Ronald Reagan decided to economically support Soviet Union...?

There is a chance, yet slight, that economic improvement will empower North Koreans enough to get rid of the regime on their own. With networking, internet access and some level of economic prosperity transformation might happen, like it happens in Vietnam.

That is all for now. Next post is coming soon.

Poland- Korea Year of Chopin opened

2010-01-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, on 16th January 2010 The Year of Chopin has been officially introduced by the Polish Ministry of Culture.

Fryderyk Chopin sometimes known as Szopen, is the most famous piano composer. Born in the Russian part of Poland ( see: partitions of Poland) was composing his first waltzes in the age of 5 and by the age of 8 performed his first concert for the wife of the Tsar, Emperess Maria Fedorovna.

The Chopin Family accepted financial support from the Tsar, but young Fryderyk refused to become the official composer of the Russian Empire in the services for the Emperor.

Just before the November Uprising of 1830 Chopin left for his journey to Paris, where he spent most of his life. For many years involved in passionate and dynamic affair with scandalist Gerorge Sand, left the greatest heritage of the piano compositions resembling all his thoughts and states of mind.

It is a great phenomen in Korea, that so many young people play his music, and study for years just to enter the Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

Chopin is so popular in Korea, that Keimyung University created special department where people study only Chopin music, after graduation usually go to Poland to develop their skills at polish music academies.

Chopin touches emotions which are conceiled during the normal grey path of life. Under the perfect smile and perfect social mask emotions are. Love, pain, passion, misery, desire, all of that uncovered by his tunes leaves them crying each time they hear the characteristic piano sound....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxS_bJ0yOU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE_Vf7_MDFM&feature=related

When, that is the question?

2010-01-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

Week ago I went to the National Museum in Seoul.

Museum is very impressive from the outside. Huge building in a heavy postmodernistic style raises hope for something interesting inside.

Every foreignner gets inside for free, maybe because talking to the White Face scares to death most of Koreans, especially when White Face dares to ask: Which part of the Museum do you recommend?

It's a no answer question. That's sort of questions which should not be asked in this part of the world. The reason is that Korean people are afraid of expressing individual opinions in public. Reccomendation is an opinion, hence better avoid it.

While wandering through the historic exhibition showing the fate of Koreans, my friend blown out one moment:
- Is this really history of a nation, when it is known that initially they were under Chinease domination and then there were three kingdoms fighting with each other on this territory?

History of Korea is a very interesting issue. Traditional version says that the nation was created around 2000 B.C. and developed into advanced society with the rules and systems. Western critique to this part is somewhat justified, because later on Korean Penninsula there were 3 kingdoms competing for power. So which of these kingdoms holds the right to be the legitimate Korean state predecessor? Unified Silla just because conquered the other kingdoms? Whether that be Koguryŏ, would then hold the title of Unified Koguryo. And why Three Kingdoms of Korea, as they are named in the history books? "...of Korea" imposes the fact that there is a state - Kingdom of Sweden for one example.

I have discussed this with Youna at lunchtime last thursday. I asked since when Koreans can be considered as a nation.

- Since always. - replied Youna. I enquired more and she admitted that definitely people inhabitating the area can be distinguished from Chinease culture based on the language difference. Indeed, Korean language is more similar to Mongolian, than to Chinease, from which it differs totally in its construct. Most of linguistic experts say that it's a language group in itself, an isolated linguistic island in the world.

- But can't the nation be distinguished since the Hangul was invented? - I kept asking.

- No, because the Hangul only coded the language which already was there in use.

Yeah...right. Indeed if I remember well, cyrylic alphabet only coded east slavic group of languages, was not invention in itself. The only linguistic invention of a kind is Esperanto so far.

Youna stated as well that the very name "China" was as well a Western name given by the missionaries.

- Names were different through the history, but the culture and the language remained the same. Descendants inherited from the ancestors and so it continues until now putting new pieces into the tradition.

- Isn't it everywhere like that? - added she.

If I may express my private opinion here. Modern Korea has it's roots in the New Joseon Kingdom, which opposed both Chinease and Japanese domination through the centuries.

2010-01-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

Bit more about language and culture.

Greeting someone in Korea one is supposed to bow gently and say:

- Annyeong - hasseyo?

We hear exactly the same in return:

- Annyeong- hasseyo?

We're not supposed to shake ones hand saying: "Hi dude". If we know someone new, it's better to talk less and observe more. It might be challenging for an individualistic extrovert who doesn't always know when to listen.

In Korea, like in the whole East Asia, hierarchy matters a lot. So to someone older we would say:

-Annyeonghaszymnika? - just in case. This way it is more formal, more polite.

Does this mean that older people are respected by default in Korea? I would not bet my dollars on that.

On the Seoul subway special seats for them are provided in the back of every coach, and noone else dares to sit there. Apart from those though, there is a brutal competition, who comes first, takes it.
****

Once I have witnessed such scene: Korean student was late for the morning classes, caught the hell for being late (on SNU it is not welcome). He bowed in front of the professor and very quietly and slowly reached his place in the last row. Immediately straightened and turned on his mobile tv with funny antenna.

- What are you doing, the prof kicks you out in a second! - I told him.

- No worries, he won't. He can't see that far, that's why I sit in the last row, hehe.

Ah...sounds familiar. It happens all over Poland at every university, sometimes even the teching assistant PhD is late for morning classes after the whole night spent on FB or...elsewhere.

I am quite sure that every Western society got through this moment in between traditional obedience towards the elders along with collectivist aproach to social duties and one's own happiness and individual path in life.

Maybe Korea is going through similar transformation just now.

Time to say goodbye.

The person who leaves says in Korean:

- Annyeonghikeseyo.

Person who stays, replies:

- Annyeonghikaseyo.

There is no direct translation, it just is like that.