Just another reason why you should only drink bottled water in Korea:

Tempers flared as about 100 Hannam Village housing residents unloaded frustrations with mercury-tainted drinking water during an emergency town hall meeting Sunday.

Yongsan Garrison commander Col. Ronald Stephens hosted a 90-minute meeting to discuss Friday’s announcement that drinking water samples showed higher-than-tolerated levels of mercury at Hannam and the nearby Army Corps of Engineers Far East District Compound.

Residents were warned Friday not to drink the water — or use it for cooking — until additional tests taken Friday could be evaluated Tuesday. On Saturday, the military confirmed the samples were taken on April 6 — nearly a month before they learned about the mercury.

This also another reason why the USFK plan to close down Yongsan and relocate to Camp Humphreys is needed, so families do not have to live in the Hannam ghetto anymore. 

The Korean netizens are at again criticizing the depicting of bridge in a recent episode of the television drama LOST:

A rather poor substitute for Korea’s historic Hangang Grand Bridge shown in the American television series "Lost" has provoked intense feelings among some Korean watchers.

In the 18th episode of the third season of "Lost" which aired a week ago, a bridge labeled as the Hangang Grand Bridge appears briefly in the background of one scene.

(…)

Some Koreans discussing the episode on Internet message boards called the production sloppy and criticized the show makers for their apparent ignorance of Korea.

"It was so absurd I couldn’t even laugh," wrote somebody called "ion***" on the Naver portal. "How could they film a scene like that? What does the U.S. think of Korea?"

Another poster wrote, "The producers of Lost have gone too far. They don’t have to know everything about Korea, but this is ridiculous."

This is really idiotic criticism because the show is filmed in Hawaii where the bridge depicted is located at.  I’m sure the shows creators added the Korean lettering to the bridge thinking it would give the scene more of a Korean atmosphere since they were filming in Hawaii, but the childish Korean netizens are once again using this as to create a perception of Americans slapping Koreans in the face once again. 

You would think they would have learned their lesson when they criticized LOST during season one because the two Korean characters were initially portrayed negatively in the series.  However, as the story line progressed these two characters became some of the main heroes in the series and it became clear why the characters acted the way they did at the beginning of the series. 

The LOST series has done more for Korea actors and film industry than any others movie or series in the US.  Yet the netizens think it is anti-Korean because the producer won’t pay to fly the entire cast and crew to Seoul to film a brief scene of Kim Yun-jin walking across a bridge.  I’m sure they wouldn’t have been complaining if in the background of the same scene there was a USFK soldier dumping toxic waste into the river.  These netizens really need to get a life. 

You can read more on this over at Lost Nomad and the Marmot’s Hole.

The new Korean drama is winning over viewers and making cultural waves in Korea:

A new TV soap opera is gaining popularity in South Korea with the tear-jerking tale of an eight-year-old girl infected by the virus that causes AIDS – a disease that still invites more ostracism than sympathy here.

The MBC network show "Thank You" has been winning top ratings in its time slot with the story of a young HIV carrier – a rare topic for South Korean dramas that typically focus on forbidden love or secret love affairs.

Here are some stats on HIV in Korea:

South Korea has a relatively low number of people living with HIV – 3,891 as of March, according to government statistics. But experts say the actual number could be at least three or four times higher – some 13,000 by a U.N. estimate – with many reluctant to take HIV tests due to the social stigma of the disease.

The number of new infections is on the rise, reaching a record 751 last year – more than double the figure recorded in 2001 when 327 new cases were found.

I would say the rise in HIV numbers has probably more to do with increased awareness of the virus and more people getting treated for it compared to in the past than because of any new epidemic.  Hopefuly this drama can continue the increase awareness of HIV and help those stigamatized by it.

I don’t smoke and think dipping is pretty disgusting but I do think it is a slippery slope when I read about bans like this that the Air Force is contemplating:

Air Force officials said Thursday that a widespread ban on tobacco products is possible, but not imminent. 

Specialists are working on such policies and they appear to be a likely option in the not-so-distant future, according to Lt. Col. Steven Pflanz, chairman of the Air Force’s Integrated Delivery System, an arm of the service’s Community Action Information Board. The board, which meets quarterly, is designed to identify and resolve concerns from a variety of sources throughout the Air Force.

“There was general support for moving forward with a restrictive policy and evaluating carefully what that policy should be,” Pflanz said of the CAIB meeting held two weeks ago.

“There is recognition that to get anywhere near our goal, we have to try something new.”

The Air Force must obviously not have much other pressing concerns if this is what they are focusing on.  If the Army announced a ban on tobacco there would be damn near a mutiny in the ranks with the amount of people who smoke and dip which often includes senior leaders.  I don’t use tobacco which means any tobacco ban in the Army wouldn’t effect me, but I’m not for this because where do you draw the line?  If tobacco is banned than what is to stop someone from banning alcohol next?  Then what will be banned after that?  Additionally how many good airmen that do smoke are going to get in trouble under this policy if imposed that ordinarily would not?  Should the military be possibly ruining careers over someone sneaking in a smoke during lunch? 

Korea
– Has living overseas effected your English speaking ability?
– OFK reminds everyone that North Korea has now gone over 20 days in their most recent violation of a signed agreement with the international community.
– Anyone has any plans to attend the Hi Seoul Festival?
– I agree, Kim Pyong-il sure does look like his dad and probably is the reason why he is in Poland.
– Do you have a scooter?  Well here is one way to secure it.

Japan
– The Japanese have a long holiday break this weekend and many Japanese are spending it in Korea for reasons you may not expect.
– Congressman Mike Honda has now commented on comfort women in Japan for US soldiers after World War II.  To sum things up, he could care less.  I do wish Congressman Honda would answer what he thinks about the modern day Korean comfort women in China?
– Has anyone heard about the sheep poodle story in Japan?  Guess what, it is not true.
– Death penalty issue rises in Japan again with the hanging of two criminals this week.

China
– The killers of a journalist in China are actually being held accountable for the killing or are they? 
– Environmental pollution in China has been linked to infertility in China.
– I don’t like my neighbor’s dog that barks at night, but damn I would never set the dog on fire.
– Here is a good post on the riots happening in Macau that are being successfully covered up by the Chinese media censors. 

Milblogs
– The US Naval Academy is creating a whole new definition for the term an "independent contractor".
– Make sure to read the latest excellent dispatches from Michael Yon, here and here.

The Chosun has an article today that has all you would possibly ever wanted to know about the greatest pressing issue of our time, no not Dokdo, but the Sea of Japan / East Sea issue: 

The government is tense ahead of the International Hydrographic Organization conference in Monaco next Monday, which is expected to decide the official name of the body of water dividing Korea and Japan. The body is to settle whether a new edition of "Limits of Oceans and Seas," a guide book for map makers around the globe, will use both "East Sea," Korea’s name, and "Sea of Japan." In a closed-door meeting on Thursday, Korean officials reportedly stressed the need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

I find it quite interesting that the Korean government is tense over this East Sea / Sea of Japan nonsense, but could care less about 485 South Korean civilians kidnapped by the North Koreans or the many North Korean defectors trying to come to South Korea which the ROK government continues to be indifferent if not unhelpful to. 

Using the logic the Korean government is using to lobby the IHO to have the Sea of Japan permanently called the East Sea doesn’t that mean that the IHO would also have to change the name of the Korea Strait that runs between Korea and Japan? 

UPDATE: The Stars and Stripes has a follow up article on the milblog OPSEC issue which includes yours truly.  The article also has quotes from servicemembers in Korea on this issue including this one from a Public Affairs NCO in Seoul I found interesting:

“I think there does need to be some control on the blogs. It’s making our jobs harder because a lot of what is in the blogs feeds into negative press coverage, especially when a soldier is perceived as speaking for the Army. As any American, I chafe against any curtailment of freedom of speech, but as a soldier sometimes you sacrifice your freedoms for the greater good.”

I think this is an additional problem with the military, that some in the public affairs arena like this NCO, remain critical of milblogs even though the vast majority of milblogs are sending out a pro-military message much more effectively than the military public affairs offices are.  I cannot think of one big milblog that is negative against the military, while the big milblogs like Mudville, Milblogs, Blackfive, OP-FOR, etc. continue to provide accurate information about the military and push a pro-troops message to the general public. 

The Army justafiably has a concern about OPSEC that is addressed with the updated policy, but the solution that this public affairs NCO is suggesting will only surrender the information war that the military is already badly losing.

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I have received a number of e-mails today from people asking me how the new regulation on soldier blogs effects my blog after a lot of hysteria was created by this Wired magazine article claiming that the Pentagon is trying to shut down military bloggers due to concerns about operation security (OPSEC) reasons.  To figure out exactly what all the concern is about it is always best to look at the regulations themselves.  Here are some passages from the updated Chapter 2 of Army Regulation AR530-1, Operational Security that deals with military blogs:

Here is what the Army is defining sensitive information to be:

Okay I see no problems here with any of this.  Now this next passage is where I think a lot of the controversy is coming from:

This passage in the regulation doesn’t make sense when you think about it.  According to this passage every time you send out an e-mail much less update your blog you are supposed to get a OPSEC officer to review it?  Commanders and OPSEC officers do not have time to check Private Tentpeg’s every single e-mail and stopping Private Tentpeg from sending e-mails to mom and dad is quick way to get a Congressional Inquiry opened on you. 

Fortunately the Army is issuing a correction on this and clarifying what they meant by this regulation.  Here are the highlights from  the clarification:

• In no way will every blog post/update a Soldier makes on his or her blog need to be monitored or first approved by an immediate supervisor and Operations Security (OPSEC) officer. After receiving guidance and awareness training from the appointed OPSEC officer, that Soldier blogger is entrusted to practice OPSEC when posting in a public forum.

(…)

• Soldiers do not have to seek permission from a supervisor to send personal E-mails. Personal E-mails are considered private communication. However, AR 530-1 does mention if someone later posts an E-mail in a public forum containing information sensitive to OPSEC considerations, an issue may then arise.

I have had plenty of OPSEC training before and have always used to the rule of thumb to blog only about open source material from sites like Stars and Stripes, Chosun Ilbo, 2ID webpage, etc.  I could make this blog a whole lot more interesting if I blogged about FOUO or classified information, but there is no reason for anyone reading this blog to know about these things from me first.  If the Army wants to let the public know about these things then they will issue a press release to the media.  It is not my responsibility to determine what information needs to be released to the public and if all military bloggers remember that, there shouldn’t be any OPSEC problems.  Now back to blogging as usual.

You can read more about this issue at these sites:
Stars and Stripes
Blackfive
Milblogs
Michelle Malkin
OP-FOR

Who can name where and what this building is?:

Here are this year’s current Korea Finder Leader’s Board:

Mark – 8

James – 2

Sonagi – 2

Peekstr – 1

HumKor – 1 

Note that who ever totals the most points at the end of the year, I will purchase for them a Korea related book or DVD of their choice using the proceeds I have accumulated by people purchasing books from Amazon.com on my website.

For soldiers stationed in the Camp Casey area, a day trip I highly recommend is a visit to the Museum for Freedom and Peacekeeping. The museum is fairly new because it opened only three years ago and admission is free for soldiers. The museum provides a number of good displays show casing the history of the Korean War along with other displays highlighting the various peacekeeping missions the Korean Army has or is currently participating in.

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8th Army Commander General Valcourt answered a number of questions during a recent question and answer period during an AFAP conference held at the Dragon Hill Lodge in Yongsan.  You know it must be Yongsan when soldiers are asking him questions like this:

Issue: The use of umbrellas while in uniform in garrison.

Suggestion: Re-evaluate the regulation forbidding the use of umbrellas in uniform.

Valcourt: Laughed, saying there was a lot of pride in being able to get rained on and still accomplish the mission.

You don’t need an umbrella, that is what your rain jacket is for.  Fortunately General Valcourt was given some more pertinent questions such as this:

Issue: Family members are not given priority employment preference on base, resulting in financial hardships for military families.

Suggestion: Re-evaluate the USFK regulations and SOFA agreement to see if changes are possible.

Valcourt: Called this issue another contentious one, but stressed it isn’t impossible to address.

I have to assume the person asking this question probably already knew the answer, but to give family members more jobs on post would mean less jobs for Koreans and that is what makes it contentious.  I really don’t see much change coming on this issue especially with Koreans already losing jobs due to camp closures and funding cuts.