Category: Korea-General Topics

The article doesn’t say, but I have to wonder what this marriage guidebook had to say about marrying an American?:

Lawmaker Kim Jin-ae of the minor Open Minjoo Party condemned the justice ministry for its lack of cultural sensitivity during the National Assembly’s audit of the ministry on Tuesday.

“Considering the content’s poor level of human rights sensitivity, it is unbelievable that it was published in 2019. It is simply discriminatory to educate people on their spouse’s culture through just one or two sentences,” Kim said. 

The guidebook describes Vietnamese as not easily admitting to wrongdoings and tending to make excuses for their mistakes rather than apologizing.

“Insulting Filipinos with high self-esteem may lead to unexpected violence. It is advisable to refrain from commenting about their skin color or curly hair since they have feelings of inferiority about their looks,” the book reads. 

“Chinese tend to perceive other neighboring ethnic groups as barbarians based on their Sinocentric mindset. Thais may lack deep thinking. They focus on getting things done quickly, without caring about quality. Cambodians are usually shy and quiet, but they change their attitude radically when they are insulted, leading to violence or shootings in some cases.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Here is the latest on the comfort woman statue controversy in Berlin:

A Berlin district office has withheld its order to remove a statue symbolizing victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery following protests from activists and citizens.

The Mitte district office said in a statement Tuesday that the order to remove “The Statue of Peace” by Wednesday was no longer applicable due to an injunction filed by local civic group Korea Verband, which brands itself as a platform for all who are interested in Korea.

“We will take time to thoroughly study the positions of all parties involved in this complex dispute, as well as our own position,” Stephan von Dassel, district mayor of Mitte, said in the statement.

“We would like to reach a compromise that reflects fairly the interests of Korea Verband and the interests of the Japanese side,” he said.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is just more of the new normal in South Korea of dealing with coronavirus outbreaks at different locations around the country; the latest area is in Busan:

More than 50 patients and workers at a nursing hospital in Busan have been diagnosed with COVID-19, municipal authorities said Wednesday, in the southern port city’s latest coronavirus cluster.

The authorities said 43 patients of the Busan nursing hospital, located in the city’s Mandeok neighborhood, and its 10 staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus. One of the infected patients has already died, they added.

The authorities also said that four other people from the same room as the deceased have died with similar symptoms.

Including the four, eight deaths have been reported in the nursing hospital over the last month.

The mass virus infections have come to light after an assistant nurse in her 50s was confirmed to be infected Tuesday, prompting the authorities to conduct the coronavirus tests for all 261 patients and staff.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Apparently the long holiday weekend which led to less testing is what may have caused this drop:

 South Korea’s new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the sixth straight day Tuesday, but the country is bracing for a possible resurgence in new infections after a long holiday, as a slew of sporadic clusters were reported. 

The country added 75 more COVID-19 cases, including 66 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,239, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

It marked a slight rise from 73 posted on Monday and 64 cases reported on Sunday.

After daily infections hit 133 on Wednesday last week, they have been in double-digit figures. The drop was in part attributed to fewer tests carried out over the five-day Chuseok holiday that ran through Sunday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I wonder how stringently this law is going to be enforced? My suspicion is that it will be selectively enforced just like traffic laws to make a point from time to time:

South Korea will impose a fine on people who fail to wear face masks in public spaces and on transportation starting Nov. 13 to better combat the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Sunday. 

The general public will be required to wear masks on public transportation and at demonstrations as well as medical and care facilities, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

If people do not wear masks in such spaces, they will face a fine of up to 100,000 won ($85.50), the KDCA said. 

However, the obligation will be exempted for people aged under 14 and those who are unable to wear masks due to medical conditions, officials said. 

The fine could also be applied to people who wear masks under their noses in such spaces, the KDCA said. 

The nation will launch a 30-day grace period for mandatory masks in such spaces starting Oct. 13. 

A scarf or certain types of masks that cannot protect others from the virus will not be allowed under the obligation, the KDCA said. 

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

To stop the spread of coronavirus many South Korean cemeteries have created virtual means for families to honor deceased relatives:

Over the five-day holiday, South Korea announced, all public cemeteries would close or operate in a strictly limited capacity with reservations. Such unease seemed as if from another time. So much so that the provincial office of North Gyeongsang province noted on its social media account that historical texts dating to the 16th century showed rites had been canceled at the time because of disease outbreaks including smallpox.

For Yi Jun-jae, 46, this Chuseok would have marked the first year holding rites for his father, who passed away in January.

He is the eldest son of the eldest son, which in South Korea’s patriarchal society gives him the responsibility to uphold traditions. Growing up, he was instilled with the importance of his roots, and the fact that he exists only because of previous generations.

Even so, when he saw that Goesan National Cemetery, where his father, Yi Kang-bup, is interred, would be closed to visits during the holiday, he thought his father would understand.

“The living shouldn’t spread the virus to remember the dead,” he said. “Ancestors are important, but given the circumstances, what’s in the heart is what matters.”

He signed up for a virtual remembrance, in which the national cemetery, where his father is buried because he fought in the Korean War, would lay a flower and pay their respects in his stead and email him photos. Yi was one of hundreds to log on to the cemetery’s website to experience a new, socially distanced ritual.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link

I just love the irony of this, to stop a large gathering at Gwanghwamun, the police are instead having a large gathering:

Police stepped up their guard Saturday to prevent conservative activists from holding illegal rallies in central Seoul amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. 

Several conservative groups planned rallies on the Oct.3 National Foundation Day to protest the liberal government’s policies despite the administrations strong warnings amid a resurgence in the coronavirus pandemic. 

Officers said they set up inspection points in 90 locations connecting to central Seoul and were checking vehicles entering the area

Police buses were parked in lines on the main streets linking Gwanghwamun and City Hall in central Seoul; while subway trains were not stopping at nearby stations.

Korea Times via a reader tip

You can read more at the link.

If people think Korean sidewalks and roads can be crazy at times because of the deliverymen on motorcycles, well get ready for additional craziness with e-scooters:

Eased regulations on electric scooters, which will go into effect from December, are feared to lead to more personal mobility device (PMD) related accidents, according to three Seoul residents, one of who is an E-scooter rider herself.

In May, the National Assembly passed the revised Road Traffic Law in a bid to improve public accessibility to smart mobility. E-scooters will be categorized as personal mobility devices and riders will be subject to the same traffic regulations as bicycles. 

Anyone above the age of 13, even without a driver’s license will be allowed to ride e-scooters. It is currently only available to those over 16 years old, possessing a driver’s license, as the devices falls under the category of low engine capacity 2-wheeled vehicles. 

“It seems ridiculous to let unlicensed minors who lack fundamental knowledge about traffic rules ride on the roads. I’ve recently seen two teenagers in my neighborhood sharing one scooter and dangerously driving above the speed limit (25km/h),” said a resident in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul. 

Korea Times via a reader tip

You can read more at the link.

A Korean court now says that Korean conservatives can hold a car parade with restrictions that make it nearly worthless to hold:

 A Seoul court has approved a drive-thru rally involving less than 10 vehicles amid worries that mass gatherings could undercut South Korea’s fight against the new coronavirus.

The ruling by the Seoul Administrative Court clears the way for conservative activists to hold a small-scale drive-thru rally in Seoul this weekend.

The court allows nine people — each in their cars — to hold a rally for two hours, but they are banned from lowering their car windows or chanting slogans during the rally.

The participants are also required not to have any face-to-face meeting or contact before and after the rally in a move to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but what they will probably do is put speakers on the outside of their cars and blare slogans that way. It will be interesting to see if the Moon administration that is desperate to squash dissent will try to arrest these people if they did that.

While the Moon administration is busy trying to arrest conservatives for holding a car parade, in other news Koreans are traveling home for the Chuseok holiday packing trains, buses, and the highways.