Stories about South Korea from July, 2011
South Korea: Controversies on the Return of Korean Royal Books
Koreans celebrated in May 2011 the return of a collection of Korean Royal books, looted by French troops in 1866. As it was later found out that the return was a de facto 'rent' of the treasure, many people have expressed resentment toward the French and Korean governments for failing to fulfill their long awaited wish.
South Korea: 35 Million Users’ Information Leaked in Cyber Attack
Thirty-five million Koreans’ information stored in the South Korean portal site Nate and Cyworld, was hacked in cyber attack from China. One net user from Daum Agora website blamed [ko] Nate's default setting in checking emails- reading the emails without preview function- for involuntarily opening doors to mass hacker attacks.
South Korea: 41 Dead in Torrential Flooding and Landslides
Torrential rain has battered South Korea for several consecutive days, causing landslides, flooding and power cuts. At least 41 people have been killed and 12 people are still missing. Throughout the disaster, South Koreans have shared updated stories, photos and useful tips for those affected via Twitter.
South Korea: Tweet Photos of Downpour
Heavy downpour battered South Korea yesterday, causing flooding and property damage even in one of the wealthiest parts of Seoul. Wiki Tree consolidated photos of downpour Twitterers have sent.
Inside the Mind of the Norwegian Terrorist
Thoma Roche of Techyum blog posted an analysis entitled ‘Inside the Mind of the Norwegian Terrorist’. The fact that the terrorist pinpointed Japan and South Korea as clear examples of countries that consistently and directly dismissed multiculturalism has drawn various responses in South Korea.
South Korea: Women-Only Subway Car Meets Strong Opposition
As the subway sexual harassment is on the rise, especially during rush hours and late nights, Seoul city government has decided to launch women-only subway compartment to cut down the crime rate. However, the move has prompted fierce debate amongst South Korean netizens.
South Korean Twitterers Mobilized As East Sea(Sea of Japan) Conflict Intensifies
The ongoing territorial dispute over the Dokdo(Takeshima) island has flared up as the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructed a boycott against Korean Air for hovering over the island located in the disputed water. Korean Twitterers have set up a special website, IssueTok [ko], to plan a mass tweet-protest in several languages.
North Korean Defectors Living in South Korea
Robert Neff of Marmot's Hole blog wrote about the International Crisis Group's report about North Korean defectors living in South Korea (PDF). The report covers practical problems defectors face in education and health care and discrimination issues.
South Korea: Class Action Lawsuit Against Apple Draws About 20 Thousands
Around 20 thousand South Koreans have joined a class-action lawsuit against Apple via Sue Apple Korea [ko] website. Apple faces allegations that it violated local laws by tracking and storing iPhone user's location information without consent.
South Korea Aims to Regulate Bloggers Getting Paid by Companies
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has decided to regulate incentives given to influential bloggers who write favorable reviews for companies. Francis Tan of the Next Web site commented on the purpose of the regulation and its possible side effects.
North Korea Wants to Share 2018 Olympics with South Korea
North Korea expressed that it would like to share some Olympic events with South Korea. Local news reports predicted that co-hosting with North is unlikely for political and logistical reasons. Kushibo from Monster Island blog explored the prospect of co-hosting 2018 Winter Olympic Games South Korean city of Pyeongchang won...
South Korea: Skin Problems Occurred by Tear Gas Solution
More than seven thousand protesters clashed with the police on July 10 in a rally against unfair layoffs at Hanjin Heavy Industries. The Wiki Tree site consolidated photos of protesters who reported skin problems after exposure to tear gas solution the police fired at them.
South Korea: Marine's Shooting Spree Reveals Collective Bullying Tradition
In South Korea on June 4, 2011, a marine opened fire at several of his fellow soldiers, killing four and injuring two. As the days have passed, accusations have begun to fall on the leadership of the Marine Corps camp involved, where a tradition of collective bullying is believed to have contributed to several deaths.
North Korea Behind Cyber Attacks, Computer Security Firm Said
U.S. computer security firm McAfee said that North Korea or parties closely related to the country were behind the cyber attacks on March 2011 which disrupted several major South Korean websites, wrote Martyn Williams from the North Korea Tech blog.
South Korea:Hanjin Labor Workers’ Struggle Intensifies
As clashes between Hanjin Heavy Industries and its labor workers have continue to intensify, more net users have joined online protests by posting and retweeting photos of violent clampdowns. Jae Hee consolidated tweets and news reports about the struggle in his Storify story.
Social Media T-shirt in South Korea
South Korea's citizen/blogger news, Wiki Tree site posted samples of the social media T-shirts.
Texting in North Korea
The Japan Probe site made a commentary on Asahi TV's recent report on North Korea. An Asahi TV reporter filmed mobile devices and comfortable lives enjoyed by North Korea’s small elite group and luxuries offered to foreign tourists.
