SALTO MORTALE

‘It’s not a good time – hold back for a while.’ Humiliating diplomacy: Is the truth getting out of the cloud of lies? “It’s not a good time – hold back for a while. ( 지금은 곤란하다 – 조금만 기다려달라 .)” It may sound just part of a normal dialogue. When put in a specific context, however, – especially in a deep-rooted animosity between two neighboring countries – it could turn pretty much shameful and humiliating. Since it was first reported four years ago, this short sentence has become a trendy way of sarcasm about President Lee Myung-bak and his administration despite their repeated denial that the head of state has actually made such remarks. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, left, talks  with then-Japanese  Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda  in 2008. It goes back to July 9, 2008, when Lee sat down for talks with then-Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on the sidelines of a G8 summit in Japan. Both in their early months in office since election in 2007, the...

Behind fad of satirical comedy What made a young comedian to speak up for political and socio-economic topics Satirical comedy is enjoying a renaissance in South Korea. In the center of the latest popularity is Choi Hyo-jong, a young comedian who has made a meteoric rise to fame recently. “Gag concert,” the country’s most popular sketch-comedy show on KBS aired Sunday evening, has been boasting high viewer ratings of above 20 percent for more than a dozen consecutive weeks since last October. One of the outstanding contributors is undoubtedly Choi, who plays a leading role in the “ Samagwi Yuchiwon, ” or Mantis Kindergarten, among others. Choi Hyo-jong has emerged a star comedian recently, as a lot of ordinary people sympathized with his  satires,  mockeries  and  parodies. Seen above are video footage of  Samagwi Yuchiwon , a flagship segment of Gag Concert on KBS.   While performing a dull moneylender, the 26-year-old comedy star ...

Hullabaloos about Naggomsu What’s all this fuss about? Will it be a trial for the podcast pioneer? Images captured from the Internet homepage of a group working for the release of Chung Bong-ju, a former opposition lawmaker and one of four Naggomsu members put behind bars for criticizing President Lee Myunb-bak. Some female fans uploaded photos of themselves in bikinis on the online club and one of them created a stir in the society as the voluntary protester wrote on her breasts “I want Chung out to the point of my breasts exploding.” Later, the Naggomsu members have drawn criticism for their response, which some people described as sexually inappropriate. Podcast broadcasting has been flourishing more and more here in South Korea over the past several months. Some of the early contents on smart-mobile devices like iPhone had largely been for on-demand rerun/replay of established television and radio programs. But the podcast marketplace is now flooded with more cr...

Good job, Hongeo! Fermented skate of S. Korea wins silver in the ‘world’s most stinky foods’ competition “ Hongeo ,” which literally means “red fish” ( 紅魚 ), might not be popular even with ordinary Koreans. But it is loved by not a few maniacs for its addictive flavors. Seen in this picture is “ Hongeo samhap ,” which means harmonious trinity as the fermented stake is served with two other elements – boiled pork belly and fermented kimchi – that perfectly compliment one another. Hongeo lovers usually have sam-hap along with makgeolli, or Korean traditional wine made of rice, but there are some real epicures who enjoy the pure taste of hongeo. (Learn more about hongeo in this  Korea JoongAng Daily article ) “ Hongeo ,” or fermented skate, emerged a hot topic early this week in South Korea, as a foreign tourist information website ranked it on the second place of the world’s top five stinky foods. Source: TripAdvisor Japan Last Monday, TripAdvisor Japan mad...

Struggles for free press Restoring independence of media environment distorted under Lee Myung-bak administration Union members of the MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) including some famous anchors and producers participate in a get-together starting their strike at the lobby of the broadcasting company in Yeouido, Seoul, Jan. 30, 2012. (Source: OhmyNews ) It is the fifth time under the Lee Myung-bak administration that the union of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has decided to go on strike. During the 10-year-period of the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, there has not been a single walkout by the major broadcaster. In May 2010, MBC unionized workers staged a walkout (regrettably without any big trophies in the end) for 39 days in protest against the “unjust” appointment of Kim Jae-chul, a loyalist to President Lee Myunb-bak, as the new MBC president. Union representatives say that this time their fight would be totally different from previou...

Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Fri-Fri? Chaebol companies ruining life-and-work balance of S. Korean workers More than 1.43 million people, or about 13 percent of all South Korean laborers, were found to be working over 52 hours a week, the legal working time limit, according to a report by the daily Hankyoreh Jan. 30 . Working hours of OECD countries In fact, the laws permit a maximum of 40 hours per week for regular work (5-day workweek system; 8 hours each from Monday to Friday) and an extended overtime work of up to 12 hours. So it means not a few people are working even over weekends, sacrificing their time for a more enjoyable life. Raising concerns is the fact that such illicit overtime practices tend much more likely in workplaces of chaebol companies than those in mid- and small-sized ones. In particular, the rate of employees working over 52 hours goes beyond 50 percent in the automobile industry, dominated by one giant player - Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group. Critics ...

‘Completely remodeled?’ Voters are no fools anymore! It is an easy last resort for a failing restaurant to put up a banner outside that reads “Completely remodeled – Reopening soon.” Seldom does it succeed in luring people, however, unless the business had really gone through a genuine change – because they simply know it. South Korea’s government party is said to have opted for the ‘ Shin-jang-gae-eop ’ method in the end, a well predicted move in the run-up to this year’s two major polls – the April general elections and the December presidential election. We may have to acknowledge that it has taken rather long indeed before the Grand National Party (GNP) decided to change its official party name in 15 years – in a country where a myriad of parties have risen and fallen endlessly – though without fundamental changes – over past several decades. It goes back to 1997, just ahead of a presidential poll, when the major conservative party altered its official nam...

Happy Lunar New Year! on 26 Jan. 2012, right after the holiday...