Stories about South Korea from August, 2011
South Korea: Anger Erupted over Video of Afro-American Man Assaulting Elderly Couple
A video of an African American man mocking, cursing and assaulting a defenseless elderly Korean couple was spread online, prompting public anger. Police is investigating the case and it is believed that he took violent action after misunderstanding a Korean sentence which simply meant “You should sit over here” as...
South Korea: Journalist Taking Pictures of Women Without Consent
South Korean photo journalists are infamous for their disregard for individual's portrait rights. One citizen journalist from the Wiki Tree site posted photos [ko] of three foreign women in their bathing suits which a journalist took without their consent.
South Korea: Pop Music Censorship Meets with Strong Opposition
More than 2,600 South Korean pop songs have been censored in the past two years for their "hazardous" lyrics. One entertainment agency, however, filed a lawsuit against the government that deemed its singer’s album as ‘inappropriate for youths’ and won the case. The decision was widely welcomed by Korean public.
North Korea Got Talent? Video of North Korean Singing Contest on Chinese Site
A short, edited video of the North Korean singing contest was posted on Youku, a video hosting service based in China.
North Korea Kicked out South Korean Workers in Joint Resort Facilities
North Korea kicked out South Korean workers from joint mountain resort in North on August 23, 2011. Robert Neff from the Marmot's Hole blog commented on the existing worries on such outcomes and an analysis on what prompted North to take a drastic action.
Lessons Gaddafi Should Have Learnt from North Korea
Joshua from One Free Korea, in comparing the North Korean situation with the fall of Gaddafi, explains about the importance of the nuclear deterrent in sustaining the North Korean regime and its dictator, Kim Jong-il.
North Korea: Speculation Looms over Kim Jong-il's Visit to Russia
Net user 100gf from Politics and Computers blog posted a brief summary on North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's visit to Russia, a rare official visit for the first time in nine years. As Kim is expected to hold talks with President Dmitry Medvedev regarding energy and denuclearization issues, speculations have...
Online Gaming Hackers, North Korea's Next Major Income Source.
Edward Castronova from the Terra Nova commented on allegations that North Korean army of online gaming hackers have breached the servers of popular South Korean online gaming sites to raise badly needed cash.
South Korea: Blood Type Personality Theory, How It Works
The blood type personality theory claims that people's blood type is predictive of their personality and compatibility with others. Nowhere is this belief more popular than in South Korea and Japan. Yoo Eun Lee delves deeper into the theory's history.
Google Logos Celebrate Indian and Korean Independence Days
BuzzInTech posted about Google's celebrations of South Korean and Indian independence days on August 15 by using its special logos in their countries’ Google main search page.
Colombia: The FTA With the United States From the Blogosphere
With the pact signed in Washington to increase the debt ceiling, the United States Congressional leaders returned to the topic of the free trade agreement (FTA) with Panama, South Korea and Colombia. Since this is precisely a topic that has been in discussion for years, the free trade agreement one has attracted more critics than sympathizers in the Colombian blogosphere.
Is North Korea Planning to Kill South Korean Defense Minister?
Robert Neff from the Marmot's Hole blog commented on several news reports on a team of North Korean agents allegedly dispatched to assassinate the South Korean defense minister.
South Korea: Severe Rains and Storms, Evidence of Climate Change?
Steven Borowiec from the Asia Sentinel suggested the recent weeks’ torrential rains and storms in South Korea could be evidence that the climate is changing and commented that the country must adjust to a hotter, wetter, more volatile weather.
South Korea: Extremist Grandpas Attack Labor Activists
The Korea Parents Federation, an extreme right-wing group made up exclusively of elderly Korean men has been involved in clashes with protestors demonstrating against massive layoffs in Busan, South Korea's largest port city, on July 31, 2011. Are the group conservative extremists or rather victims political manipulation?
South Korea: Web App Controversy Reignites Net Neutrality Debate
The threat of a government clampdown on a free smart phone messenger app, has reignited the net neutrality debate in South Korea. This core principle of Internet governance is fast becoming one of the country's most debated issues.
South Korea: Several Thousands Protested against Massive Layoffs
The “Hope Bus” protest took a place in Busan, the nation's largest port city, on July 31. About 3,5oo people from all over the country, including civic activists and labor groups, demonstrated against massive layoffs by Hanjin Heavy Industries. One of influential citizen journalists, MediaMongu tweeted [ko] photos of minor...
South Korea: Volunteers out to Clean up Flood Damage
Several days after the onset of one of the worst flooding and landslides in South Korean history, efforts to aid those affected continue. Twitter user Sayqueen tweeted a photo of volunteers gathered to clean up water damage.
