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International culture coming to Jeonju

Written by Barun Wednesday, 01 February 2012 00:12

High profile cultural performances are branching out to locations outside of the popular venues in Seoul to regional culture strongholds, including Jeonju. I Musici, the Roman chamber orchestra performing Baroque pieces will arrive in late June. July will bring Korea's most famous ballerina, Sue-Jin Kang of Germany's Stuttgart Ballet, to grace the stage while pianist Dong-Hyek Lim will host recitals. All the performances will be held at the Sori Arts Center, where traditional Korean gukak and pansori will also be featured. Courtesy, The Korea Times.

Spotlight on Jeollabuk province

Written by Barun Tuesday, 31 January 2012 03:39

The Year of the Black Dragon, 2012, is "Visit North Jeolla [Jeollabuk] Province Year," so The Korea Times has provided a well-outlined walkthrough of the most popular local tourist sites. Startng from Jeonju's Hanok Village to makgeolli town, Seonun Temple in Gochang, Gochang Fortress and finally the picturesque Byeonsan Peninsula near Buan. A rundown of the most popular local dishes as well as a full list of tourist-friendly hotels within the province are provided. A great read for relatives or friends coming in for a visit! Courtesy, The Korea Times.

Crowds turning to Korean discount airliners

Written by Barun Sunday, 29 January 2012 17:29

The Transport Ministry reported that although total air travel rose only 4.8% in 2011, jetsetters flying via Korean discount airliners increased to 10 million, 32.5% increase. The five budget airliners hold a 41.4% combined market share while controlling over 50 percent of three routes, one of them being Gunsan to Jeju. Flights are as cheap as 19,000 won one-way from Seoul to Jeju in off-peak seasons. The Transport Ministry expects patronage to continue to rise throughout 2012 for the discount flight companies. Courtesy, The China Post.

Guilt-ridden expatriate murderer returns

Written by Barun Wednesday, 25 January 2012 14:26

A 38-year-old Canadian expatriate returned to Korea and confessed last Saturday to the murder of his Korean ex-girlfriend in 2009 after failing to reprieve his guilt through religious penance. The former North Jeolla province university instructor drowned the 21-year-old in Seoul's Han River March 23rd 2009 and left for Canada two days later after telling the police she had drowned while trying to retrieve a tennis ball. He now claims he suffered paranoia that she planned to kill him after she refused to marry him and religious differences, though they had only been dating for two months at the time. Courtesy, The Korea Herald/The Chosunilbo.

Holiday special: Seollal in Korea

Written by Barun Monday, 23 January 2012 13:46

Lunar New Year or "Seollal" in Hangeul is more commonly (albeit slightly ignorantly) known as 'Chinese New Year' on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. So what do Koreans do for this holiday? Take a look at Korea Tourism Organization's brief but informative explanation of the holiday. Also, how to say "Happy New Year" in Korean: 새해 복 많이 받으세요 (sae-hae-boke mah-nee bah-dew-say-yo)! Courtesy, Korea Tourism Organization.

Farmer under investigation for cattle deaths

Written by Barun Monday, 23 January 2012 03:53

A farmer in North Jeolla province is under investigation over controversy of how 40 of his cattle died from starvation. Dong-Yeon Moon claims he could not afford to feed the cows due to soaring feed costs, however animal activist groups point out Moon refused feed provided by the government to avert the disaster. Moon's defence is it would have only been a temporary measure, not an ultimate solution. Critics are roaring that Moon chose to 'murder' the cows in the interests of protesting against the government. Moon's 40 surviving cows are now dying from starvation. The provincial farmers' association is outraged by the government's decision to investigate Moon. Courtesy, The Korea Times.

Ssireum tournament in Gunsan

Written by Barun Saturday, 21 January 2012 15:57

Gunsan is heating up over the Lunar New Year Holidays with a ssireum tournament. SSireum is traditional Korean wrestling, where the participants attempt to bring their opponent down while clutching sashes wrapped around the thigh and waist. The weight classes in the tournament will range from 80 to 160 kilogram. Courtesy, The Korea Times. Editor's note: At 군산 월명 체육관 (Gunsan Wolmyeong Chaeyookgwan), 7-10 min from the bus terminal by taxi. Free admission and starts at 11am.

Local temples open doors to stays

Written by Barun Saturday, 21 January 2012 02:06

Geumsan Temple of Gimje and Seonun Temple of Gochang, both within Jeollabuk province, are among the 17 temples to recently open their doors all year-round for temple stays. On January 10th 2012, they signed an agreement with the Jogye Order’s Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism to welcome the public in experiencing the lives of Buddhist monks in Korea. The program is meant to guide participants through a spiritually calming experience while demonstrating Korean Buddhism. Courtesy, Korea IT Times.

Jeonju legislator takes on big competition

Written by Barun Wednesday, 18 January 2012 19:43

Legislator Dong-Yong Chung of the official opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) will surrender his veteran post in Deokjin district of Jeonju to pursue his ambitions as a presidential hopeful. New DUP leadership has strategized to have senior legislators run in the ruling Grand National Party's (GNP) strongholds. Chung expects to follow this by claiming candidacy in either Yeongdo of Busan, where he was key in mediating a labour strike earlier this year, or in southern Seoul. Courtesy, The Korea Times.

Government comments on 2012

Written by Barun Saturday, 14 January 2012 12:26

This past week saw Arirang News interviewing Do-Youp Kwon, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. Kwon shared the government's outlook on 2012 in regards to the economic situation, real estate, environmental factors and upcoming events, namely the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea. Reportedly, highways are under construction to ensure municipalities are easily connected to Yeosu, including the highway from Jeonju to Gwangyang set to be completed this upcoming April. Courtesy, Arirang News.

Licensing now includes mopeds

Written by Barun Friday, 13 January 2012 00:29

Starting in 2012, even vehicles less than 50cc will be required by law to display a license plate and be insured. Previously, vehicles less than 50cc in power were exempt. A violation could result in a fine of 50,000 won. Courtesy, Korea JoongAng Daily.

Jeonju has "one of the best events": CNNGo

Written by Barun Friday, 13 January 2012 00:00

CNN's travel website has outlined a Jeonju festival as "one of the best events of the year" in South Korea. To parallel Korea's "Visit Korea Year 2010-2012" promotion, CNNGo has outlined all the reasons why people should visit The Republic of Korea. One of the reasons is 40 foods not to be missed, all of which can be found at Jeonju's Korea Food Festival, which CNNGo tips their hat as being "one of the best events of the year." Courtesy, CNNGo.

A Western view on expatriate failure

Written by Barun Wednesday, 11 January 2012 21:58

Expatriates often grumble about being discriminated against in Korea, about disparities in fairness and not getting their dues. Sometimes accurately so. However, Troy Media provides a personal viewpoint of how expatriates can be at blame for the negative feedback they attract. Have a read and decide for yourself, including the comments. Courtesy, Troy Media.

Dishonour and corruption in Korean law

Written by Barun Wednesday, 11 January 2012 01:20

Iksan law professor Daniel Fiedler explains the concept of "Jeon-Kwan-Ye-Woo," where former judges currently serving as lawyers receive special treatment.Several problems in the judicial system our outlined, including how judges in Korea are often appointed directly after graduation, current judges blatantly disregard expatriates in the legal system and the commonplace of bribes. Courtesy, The Korea Herald.

Beef prices drop, farmers suffer

Written by Barun Monday, 09 January 2012 22:51

Farmers of hanwoo (Korean beef) are losing their fortunes as international grain prices raise feed costs while the selling price of cattle has nosedived. This is largely due to the supply of hanwoo cattle reaching 3.3 million, despite the optimum supply to match demand being 2.6 million cows. Male veal calves are sold for merely 10,000 per head, yet are still hard to sell. However, distribution costs inflate the price 40 percent between the farm and the restaurant, leaving both the farmer and the consumer at a loss. In the face of farmer protests, the government has pledged to only serve Korean beef to soldiers and provide incentives for the slaughter of female cows. Courtesy, The Korea Herald.

Cram schools to close earlier

Written by Barun Sunday, 08 January 2012 23:38

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is currently revising legislation to regulate and enforce earlier closing hours of cram schools or 'crammers.' The change should see the after school academies to shut their doors no later than 10:00pm in all regions across Korea, including North Jeolla province. Pressure from parents and teachers' groups have initiated the change over concerns of chronic sleep deprivation and the safety of students returning home as late as midnight, as the current system allows. Courtesy, The Chosunilbo.

Police act out against prosecutors

Written by Barun Friday, 06 January 2012 23:17

Police forces in the major cities, including Jeonju, are rejecting orders from prosecutors in protest of revised investigation policies that took effect January 1st. Although prosecutors had previously supervised formal police investigations, the revision now allows prosecutors to supervise preliminary probes as well. This means police now must get permission to conduct raids, trace information trails and gather intelligence. Several officers have resigned while others have surrendered their handcuffs in protest of the change. Courtesy, The Korea Times. 

Snow hits the Korean midwest hard

Written by Barun Wednesday, 04 January 2012 13:42

Jeonju saw snow all day on January 3rd, waking up to an accumulation of five centimeters on the 4th. However, this measure pales in comparison when travelling further west, as Gunsan took on 9.5cm, while Boryeong, site of the summer's mud festival, received a heaping 13.5cm. Residents are being advised to budget extra time to their commutes to avoid rushing on the slick streets. Temperatures are also expected to drop. Courtesy, Arirang News.

Free Seoul-to-Jeonju bus extended

Written by Barun Wednesday, 04 January 2012 00:51

The free Seoul to Jeonju and Seoul to Busan shuttle bus service established for the Visit Korea campaign throughout 2011 has officially been extended. It will continue to run throughout 2012. The Jeonju bus has even had seating capacity increased in anticipation of higher ridership for the Visit Jeonbuk Year promotion. On the other hand, the Seoul to Gyeongju bus has been cancelled. Courtesy, The Korea Herald.

Slander laws in Korea: explained

Written by Barun Monday, 02 January 2012 21:36

Ever wondered why people have to tiptoe around giving unfavourable yet honest reviews of private academies? What happened to free speech, right? Daniel Fiedler of Wonkwang University in Iksan provides a clear cut explanation of Korean slander laws in his column. Courtesy, The Korea Herald.