Category: Korea-General Topics

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.

New Taco Bell in Jongno. Self-catering system, Kimchi Quesadillas, and BEER! https://t.co/YRp1UttIj4 pic.twitter.com/yaYxl4ONbh

— J. D. McPherson (@ZenKimchi) July 29, 2016

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?

Samda market is open tonight in Shin Jeju. Check it out for food, music and shopping! #Jeju https://t.co/P9vwuBf9f1 pic.twitter.com/qH6tuVCKO1

— The Jeju Weekly (@JejuWeekly) July 29, 2016

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?

This American definitely put his life at risk to save someone who just tried to kill themselve:

An American saved a man who jumped off a bridge into a river to commit suicide in Busan Wednesday.

According to police, the American, 27, saw a man in his 60s jump from a bridge that connects Suyeong-gu and Haeundae-gu around 9:30 p.m.

He immediately jumped into the river with a life buoy and pulled the man to safety.

The man showed symptoms of hypothermia but refused to go to hospital.

Police handed him over to his family at the police station.

The man allegedly tried to commit suicide after suffering depression

The unidentified American also refused treatment and returned home. [Korea Times]

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]

You can read more at the link.

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.

https://twitter.com/pearswick/status/752439585431400448

https://twitter.com/CoolstuffKorea/status/752427947454332928