I hope this one western trend that some Koreans will not think is cool to take up:
On June 26, a vending machine inside the Express Bus Terminal Station on subway line No. 3 was found defaced with graffiti. [SEOUL METRO]Graffiti has been spotted in at least 20 subway stations over the past two weeks. Unlike the elaborate work of graffiti artists – with a distinct aesthetic or message – the recent graffiti were mere scribbles done in less than a minute.
Stations with graffiti problems include Jamsil, Gangnam, Konkuk University, Hapjeong, and Sangsu.
There’s a history to Korea’s subway graffiti problem. In May 2016, a subway car idled in a garage in Incheon was found with two drawings spraypainted on it.
In May 2015, a Latvian graffiti artist and three others were arrested for defacing Seoul Metro subway cars. In February 2015, a group of four Australians fled Korea after covering subway cars in Wangsimni, Anam, and Sinnonhyeon stations in graffiti.
The Korea Railway Police feared that foreign graffiti artists were targeting its cars – and circulating information on how to penetrate certain stations with lax security.
Current law states that graffiti corresponds to property damage described in Article 336 of the criminal code. Guilty parties can be imprisoned for a maximum of three years or fined up to 7 million won ($6,290).
Additional punishment is possible if multiple people were involved, according to the Law on Punishment of Violent Acts.
However, it is not easy to track down graffiti aficionados, since they work stealthily.
“We have found through CCTV footage that there was one culprit involved, but it is difficult to detect the identity of the suspect,” said a police official in charge of a recent graffiti case at Jamsil Station on subway line No. 2. “The person in question committed the crime and fled within a minute. Obscure scribbles 30 cm (1 foot) wide and 50 cm (1.6 feet) tall were written in marker on the walls of a passageway.
“Foreign culprits are more difficult to arrest since many have left the nation when investigations have started,” said Kim Hyeon-mo, an investigator of the Korea Railway Police. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
What a horrible tragedy in Busan. If this guy has such a bad neurological disorder why was he even allowed to drive?:
A Peugeot crashes into cars at the intersection of Haeundae Cultural Center in Haeundae District, Busan, on Sunday. The accident, which involved seven cars in total, killed three and injured 14, including the driver. [BLACK BOX SCREEN CAPTURE]A Peugeot traveling at more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour ignored traffic lights at a crossroad in Haeundae District in Busan on Sunday and crashed into six other cars, killing three and injuring 14, including the driver.The driver, a 53-year-old man surnamed Kim, was traveling between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour and allegedly did not hit the brakes even when he neared the crosswalk at the intersection of Haeundae Cultural Center, according to police.
The Peugeot hit a Hyundai Accent waiting at a red light, skidded and hit four people crossing the street, including a woman in her 40s, her teenage son and a middle school student. The mother and her 18-year-old son were visiting Busan on a family vacation. All three died. The Peugeot hit five more cars that were passing the intersection before stopping. The accident occurred at 5:18 p.m. Sunday.
Police said Kim was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. “I don’t remember why the accident happened,” Kim reportedly told police. “I woke up and I was at the hospital.”
Kim testified to police that he is suffering from a neurological disorder and did not take his medication on the day of the accident. Kim’s doctor in Ulsan told police that Kim was diagnosed with epilepsy last September, and that he was on medication from November. The doctor said patients suffering epilepsy can lose consciousness sporadically if they stop taking medication, even for a day. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but this wasn’t his first accident caused by his condition according to the article.
The American monk believed that as a foreigner he was just a decoration for the Jogye order:
A well-known monk from the United States said Friday that he will cut ties with Korean Buddhism which he said is dominated by “bad monks” who pursue money and discriminate against foreign monks.
On his Facebook account, Monk Hyun Gak wrote, “I am deeply disappointed with Korean Buddhism. August will be my last visit to Korea.”
Hyun Gak currently serves as chief monk at Hyeongjeong Temple in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. He is now staying in Germany.
Born in New Jersey, the monk became a member of the Jogye Order in 1992. He became a Korean citizen in 2008.
He was inspired by Seungsahn, the master of the Jogye Order and a founder of the International Kwan Um School of Zen. The two met at a lecture in the U.S. Seongsahn died in 2004, and Hyun Gak took over the Zen school as director.
The monk cited the authoritarian culture, hierarchical system, discrimination against nationality and gender, and the pursuit of money within the Jogye Order as reasons for his departure. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but to be fair the Jogye order isn’t much different than many other religious sects that seem to prioritize raising money over teaching their religious beliefs.
It looks like Korean trains are getting increasingly packed due to the Rail-ro pass program:
At Seoul Station, Kang Yea-na, a 22-year-old student, boarded a Mugunghwa train bound for Gyeongju, a popular destination on the southeastern coast. She did not have a normal ticket.
Rather, Kang was boarding the train on a Rail-ro pass, along with many similarly young travelers holding passes that allow them to take free or standing seats aboard trains.
The Rail-ro program, run by the Korean Rail Corporation (Korail), allows pass holders to hop on and off trains by taking standing or free seats. The program is limited to Koreans under the age of 25, and Korail releases roughly 10,000 tickets per day.
The name Rail-ro is a portmanteau of “rail,” which is also a homophone for “future” in Korean, and “ro,” which means “path.”
The program has gained popularity ever since Korail introduced the passes in 2007. Rail-ro travelers have been coined the nickname “railers,” and ridership has increased each year.
During the program’s first year, the number of railers was close to 8,000. By 2014, the number surpassed 192,000.
Korail sells Rail-ro passes only twice a year, in the summer from June to September and in the winter from November to March. Five-day passes cost 56,500 won ($50) and seven-day passes go for 62,700 won. Railers are free to board most types of trains, including the ITX-Cheongchun, ITX-Saemaeul, Saemaeul, Nuriro and Mugunghwa. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but has any ROK Heads traveled around Korea using this pass?
Here is an interesting question I saw posted over on Reddit. If you are gay and on business trip to Korea is being gay something you should disclose if asked?:
I’m a man, and I am married to another man. We’ve been together for three years. I wear a ring. I’d rather not remove it and risk losing it. It has emotional value to it.
I am traveling to Busan on a business trip for two weeks. I’m visiting the South Korea location for my US-based company. I am a senior member of management. There are no client visits; all business will be with internal teams.
The evenings and some weekend activities are being planned by our South Korean work hosts (dinner, activities, etc.).
They will see my ring, and will ask about my family as a way to get to know me and my US-based team. I don’t plan to come right out of the gate and say “I’m gay” or “I’m married to a man” but the question will likely come up in conversation about my personal life.
I have no issues with coworkers in the US regarding my marriage.
Should I lie and talk about my “wife” while I’m in South Korea, or should I be truthful? I am very proud of the accomplishments for equality in the United States; however, I realize that other cultures might not be ready. But what if it’s worse when they find out that I’m married to a guy (they will; we will be working closely for years to come) and they know that I lied? But then what if I explain and they understand my reason for lying because I was fearful of their reaction? [Reddit]
You can read the reactions to this posting at the link. Unfortunately I have no experience with this topic other than to say that older Korean males tend to be the less open minded about something like this. Are there any ROK Heads with insights to share on this topic?
It looks like Songdo is the place to go for anyone looking to fly their drone in the Seoul area:
Songdo in Incheon has become a mecca for local drone developers as it is free of regulations banning the use of drones, making it become a hot spot for drone makers.
Songdo was created by reclaiming 32.3 square kilometers (12.4 square miles) of sea in a mega-project launched in 2003. It is largely free from regulatory measures, as there are no military installations near the area, since it used to be a vast coastal region covered by seawater prior to 2003.
The absence of legal obstacles to fly drones is a boon for gadget developers, as Seoul is ridden with regulations banning the use of drones to protect important facilities such as the presidential office and the government complex building. Gyeonggi is not exempt from state regulations because of its proximity to the inter-Korea border and the presence of military installations there.
“One big advantage to testing a drone in Songdo is that it is without no-fly zones, which are common in Seoul,” said Park Sang-gook, director of the research center for the drone manufacturer We Make Drone. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
For some reason I think Lee Boo-jin can afford better lawyers than her husband which means I doubt her ex-husband will ever see the trillion won he is trying to get out of her:
The former vice president of Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Im Woo-jae, has made the highest divorce settlement claim in Korean history, demanding 1.2 trillion won ($1.04 billion) from his ex-wife, Lee Boo-jin, the Samsung heiress and CEO of Hotel Shilla.
Im reportedly filed for divorce with the Seoul Family Court on June 29. In addition to his unprecedented demand, he asked for 10 million won in alimony and custody of their 9-year-old son.
Lee Boo-jin, the eldest daughter of the bedridden Samsung chairman, Lee Kun-hee, applied for a divorce settlement and parental rights with the Suwon District Court in October 2014. She filed for divorce in the summer of 2015 after two rounds of failed settlements with Im, who refused to accept her demands, claiming he wants to keep the family together.
The court granted parental and custodial rights to Lee in January, and Im was given the right to meet with his son once a month from 2 p.m. on a Saturday until 5 p.m. the next day. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but I like how Im Woo-jae after demanding a trillion won is also trying to get alimony to support their kids. I guess a trillion won is not enough to live off of now days for the chaebol types.
