Time for another good old link roundup. Here's plenty on the list for this month. Interesting stuff I read about Korea in July that you might be interested in too.
It was hot this month. I remember last year summer being surprisingly short, at least the hottest part of it. This year got me back though. Been running the air non stop. Can't wait for the bill to come. And it's that super humid heat so even when you just stand around in the shade it's no different from being in the direct sun. You WILL sweat. You WILL look disgusting. You WILL have to towel yourself off when you get to work in the office bathroom. You WILL need to bring a change of shirt, or 3.
Some interesting history pieces this month.
I've rented a bike a few times here. Never once wore a helmet. I'm 100% against it. We need to separate cars from bikes, period. That alone will get more people riding bikes instead of driving. Kojects' take has it totally right.
Links from July 2018
Life and Issues in Korea
- Fourth Hangeul Idea Award to be held - Over now but could have been good chance to pitch your idea. Here was mine: a phone game where you need the water to flow from some point to another point and you lay pipe (no pun) but all the pipes are Hangul. Bonus if you end up spelling something or making a right syllable block.
- Court Rules “Robot Taekwon V” is Independent Property | Be Korea-savvy - You're damned right it is. That bastion of identity for any Korean male over age 40 is ours! I mean it's obviously copied, but in a "Samsung copied Apple" kind of way so who cares. Way more cultural capital anyway than this one:
- South Korean Webcomic Accused Of Copying From Famed Manga - Haha he done copied.
- [Feature] Congolese refugees ask Korean firm not to supply voting machines to their country - Weird story. I'm guessing they just don't want this company doing any business at all with a corrupt government. Or this was simply a good chance to get publicity support for their cause? Anyway the weirdest part is that the machines are basically ballot printers? Sounds useless to me.
- Lock screens that were popular 2 years ago - K-POP, K-FANS - Pretty funny delayed humor here. Love the Ma Dongseok having called you 500 times and now ordering you to move your f--king car.
- Seoul to Push for UNESCO Registration of “Candlelight Vigils” | Be Korea-savvy - Someone please tell Korea you can't put every single damned thing, tangible or not, on a UNESCO list. Mark my words, corn on pizza will have a legit petition to be a UNESCO World Heritage item soon. But hey at least it's truly a Korean thing.
- Seoul to receive mentions for foreign ‘honorary citizen’ - Sign me up. Though I don't live in real Seoul anymore. Hey can I get this blog put on a UNESCO list?
- Netflix to turn Korean sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' into TV series - Eh, wasn't a huge fan of Snowpiercer. It was OK, but too goofy for me.
- World’s concrete pavement experts to gather in Seoul on Oct. 16-19 : International : News : The Hankyoreh - MARK YOUR DAMN CALENDARS IF YOU ATTEND ONE EVENT THIS YEAR THIS HAS GOT TO BE IT. ROCK SOLID SPEAKERS, CONCRETE IDEAS, SET THIS DATE IN STONE!
- Jeju bungles its English website-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Oops. Wish it were still up so I could take a look at the code.
- British tenor signs Korean contract - Poor guy. I like Paul Potts, but talk about your window of fame having shut. Korea must be the only place his name still carries any weight. Well good luck to him anyway.
- [Photo] New US Ambassador to South Korea greets nation in Twitter video : International : News : The Hankyoreh - Seems like a funny dude.
- Red fire ant queen discovered for 1st time in S. Korea - Should be in the "Oh f*ck" category. They find these ants more and more it seems, and now the damn queen was here! The writing is on the wall, especially with global warming. These damn ants are going to establish here, I'm calling it, within 2 years.
- [Photo News] Meet newly crowned 2018 Miss Korea Kim Soo-min - She gets my vote.
- BAI finds little economic value in Four Rivers Project’s US$28 billion expenditure : National : News : The Hankyoreh - I'm just shocked, shocked I tell you, to see this in the Hani. Shocked.
- [Photo] Electric scooter accidents on the rise : National : News : The Hankyoreh - I see these goofballs doing all kinds of reckless driving around. Saw a guy on one of those dumb uni-wheel things the other day zigzagging through people on the sidewalk, pissing everyone off. He didn't care. Earbuds in, sunglasses on, rotary lights shining on his wheel thing. Really wanted to go tip him over.
- The Secrets to Success for Marvel Movies in South KoreaThe Peninsula - Hint: throw Korea a bone.
- Soju by Hite Jinro is best-selling spirit in the world-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Not surprising. *Clink*
- Actor Cho Jin-woong to join US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Chicken farmers will have to use bigger cages-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Good. Healthy chickens taste better. Fact.
- South Korea's constitutional court rules in favor of banning private detective agencies - for commoners. I'm sure higher ups will still employ people to get dirt.
- 'Nude' pension operator acquitted - Love how 'nude' is in quotes here, because of course guests were just showing up and disrobing. Not his fault. Classic.
- [KH Explains] Tragic end to sex abuse scandal? - Weird and sad quasi-ending to this brutal "he said, she said." I'll be honest, a buddy in the office somehow got hold of those portrait studio pics. They were... graphic. But, how can I say this?... obviously in "poor taste." Her expression, the angels, the shots, everything just screamed "we are all amateurs who have no idea what we're doing but this is hot and she's getting paid so let's keep going." You know when you see something meant to be sexy and nude but you end up going "oh, honey..." That was these pics.
- [Eye Plus] Indulging in books near the border - Neat.
- Cars from abroad find place in the sun on Jeju-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
- Spending rainy days with kids in Seoul - some suggestions for you expat parents out there.
- FiLite Fresh / FiLite Blue – New Korean Beer for 2018 – Modern Seoul - Haven't tried it yet. Too busy getting those 4/10k원 imported boys.
- [From the Scene] ‘We exist’: Korean queers seek visibility through pride parade
- USFK to drastically lay off Korean employees
- 52-hour workweek feared to impede new product development - HAHAHAHA.
- Confiscated narcotics soar in H1: customs data - Yikes. Hope the drug problem doesn't keep growing. I like Korea's strict drug laws. You ever walk around certain parts of US rust belt cities? Meth is something I'm very glad is taken seriously here.
- Seoul allows use of marijuana-based drugs for incurable diseases - Korea Biomedical Review - Now this is a drug use I can get behind.
- Gusts Of Popular Feeling: The Anti-Refugee Protests: The dark side of candlelight protests
- G.U., Uniqlo’s sister brand, coming to Korea-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Huh, neat. One for the fashion shoppers. I got a lot of you as readers, right?
- Delta Air Lines fires crew for ‘speaking Korean’: report - Sounds like more to this story than just that headline detail.
- [Korea by scooter] Anarchy in the DMZ - Travel blog entry from some guy. Made me nostalgic for the days when people posted blogs like this. You can still find this kind of content on Naver Blogs. Seems most Westerners stopped when they moved to Facebook and SnapInstaWhatever. I miss those days.
- [Photo] South Korean football star renews contract with Tottenham : Arts & Entertainment : News : The Hankyoreh
- SME owners see a grim future ahead-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Not good. Especially for me.
- Beware: Dongdaemun station to shut transfer passageway to Line 5 - FYI subway users.
- Sex offenders against children to be banned from teaching - No complaint here.
- Consumers protest changes in liquor taxes
- ‘Chimmelier’ test crowns a new crop of chicken gurus-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Awkward. This really gets this months' "Piece of Koreana" award.
- English kindergartens more expensive than ordinary college in Korea - Well sure, by college the competition is done.
- Radical feminists in sick competition of cruelty - Wack jobs but nice to see that internet losers come in all genders.
- Seoul celebrates queer parade, draws protesters [PHOTOS] - Uh, what's up with that Raelians booth there? "Mom, I lied and went to the gay pride parade, and, well, I have something to tell you: I'm the result of an alien life seeding experiment. We all are mom. Get used to it."
- Fire Truck Sirens About to Get Louder | Be Korea-savvy - Maybe cars will actually move over now.
- [Newsmaker] Poet Ko Un files 1 billion-won suit against #MeToo accuser - I liked this guy's work. Not sure what to think about all this. I don't want to believe it but at the same time I can totally believe it.
- Fake Divorces Emerge as a Way to Buy an Apartment on the Cheap | Be Korea-savvy - Clever.
- Police probe fake nude photo of President Moon on radical feminist website - Oh my. Is it weird that I expected more nudity?
- 'Mission: Impossible' ruined by glitches at Lotte Cinema - Looks like showing Mission Impossible became an impossible mission. YEEEAAAAAHHHHHH.
- Chinese Cosmetic Brand 'Sulansoo' Found Guilty of Copying Korea's 'Sulwhasoo' - Well duh.
- Korail pulls plug on airport KTX service-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Huh, I thought this would have been popular. Catch a KTX straight from the airport to Busan? Why not? I'm surprised people prefer the (cheaper) AREX. Isn't it more convenient and worth a few extra bucks? Guess not. Never tried it so can't comment.
- Gov’t warns BMW owners not to risk driving them-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Oops. My personal feeling: good. F*ck those rich assholes. Makes bumping along in my 5 year old Ssangyong feel way better now.
- Korea through the lens: winners' views [PHOTOS] - Nice pics.
- Choo Shin-soo becomes 3rd Korean MLB All-Star - Congrats. Can't not mention this one too though:
- Does Rockies reliever Seunghwan Oh's jersey number contain hidden profanity? | MLB | Sporting News - Haha, nice.
- Interpreter Grossly Distorted Asylum Seekers' Stories - The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea - National/Politics > National - Yikes. Did he just not know, or had an agenda?
Tech and Business stuff
- Dyson, LG Electronics butt heads for 4th time-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
- Why No HTTPS? The Most Popular Websites in Korea, Republic of Still Loaded Insecurely
- KT launches AI voice service with English support in Seoul hotel | ZDNet - Neat. Curious to hear how well the English speech and recognition is.
- How BIG is SoftBank? (They Own Boston Dynamics & 99% of Smartphone Chips) - YouTube
- 네이비즘 서버시간 - Site that shows the server times for various popular websites. Useful for making sure you log-in to purchase or reserve at EXACTLY the right moment. Give yourself the edge. Total Korean thing haha.
- Korea’s Macrogen, Bigster to create blockchain-based medical data platform
- IT firms dive into audiobook market
- AI스피커 진화...네이버, 키즈·한류영상 탑재 - 지디넷코리아 - Google has started coming out with their "Smart Displays" (i.e. a Google Home smart speaker with a screen) and Naver is doing the same with "Clova Desk."
- Transportation Ministry Rules Car Sharing App “ChaCha” Illegal | Be Korea-savvy
- Scammers cashing in on fake Kakao ICO - Wow, be weary of where you click. The site looks legit too.
- "카카오 사칭 블록체인 피싱 사이트 조심하세요" - 지디넷코리아 - more on above.
- Spy-cam footage of teenage girls traded via Tumblr - I'm sorry but who the hell is getting off on these "thigh and leg" type shots? It means that the pure act of the photo having been a "creeper" shot is what arouses these weirdos. And you've got guys out there paying for this stuff? If your life ever reaches a point where you think making a few extra bucks by silent-cam photographing middle school girls on the bus and selling them online is a good idea, just off yourself.
- Apple Opens App Store Search Ads for Japan, South Korea - Along with New Voice Search Interface - Run your own ads in the app store in Korea.
- Naver Smartspeaker meets Minions - VentureSquare World - Another cute smaller Naver smart speaker.
- Unity partners PUBG on server hosting
- Naver criticized for flip-flopping on content biz
- LG to launch super-premium $1,800 Signature V35: Report | ZDNet - Lol who is buying a luxury LG phone? Can I get one to go with my diamond-encrusted BYC friend chicken and my gold-plated RedFace jacket?
- Health Ministry denies crackdown on ‘meokbang’ - well thank God for that.
- Are overseas initial coin offerings beyond Korean law?
- [EQUITIES] ‘Kakao’s fintech momentum to be highlighted’
- Naver forges alliance with S. Korean wheel maker to produce robot cart - Thought this was dumb at first but more I read up on this more useful and practical and highly marketable this seems. Good strategy here to essentially make a whole market from scratch. Can think of a million ways this cart, and it's tech, would be utilized in near future.
- Naver, Kakao expand AI music platforms
- 네이버 다이어리 : 네이버 블로그 - For anyone using the Naver app widget, say goodbye. Android system changes prevent it.
- 새로운 뮤직 앱 VIBE를 소개합니다. - YouTube - Naver's version of Spotify is out. "VIBE"
- 지도 Open API 사용 가이드 - | 카카오맵 X 다음지도 - Want to embed KakaoMaps in your app or site? Check instructions here.
- Kakao Friends gets new name Kakao IX after takeover - No, it's not Kakao 9. It's Kakao "eye-ex". What on earth was wrong with Kakao Friends?
- Raonsecure opens service for ethical hacker training
- Government project envisions smart city with no cars, medical drones, and free electricity : National : News : The Hankyoreh
- Korea announces blueprint for 2 smart cities
- [Photo] “Anti-wandering” detectors to be distributed among Alzheimer’s patients : National : News : The Hankyoreh
- TmaxOS unveils own operating system - Come on guys. Nobody wanted Tizen which had the best shot of all. Give it a rest already.
- [TmaxOS] FAQ - More on above.
- Naver to Provide Cloud Service to Mirae Asset Daewoo | Be Korea-savvy
- Seoul to launch to its own mobile payment platform: Report | ZDNet - Neat. No fees for merchants.
- Incheon Airport Introduces “AIRSTAR,” Passenger Aiding Robot | Be Korea-savvy - Saw some of things roaming the observation deck at Terminal 2 the other month. They were super dumb haha. Gimmicky annoyance to me but some little kids seemed to love harassing them.
- 네이버 웨일 : 네이버 블로그 - Neat. Naver's Whale browser can grab text from inside images and translate it. Could be very useful for foreigners befuddled by Korean websites where all the text is written inside the images. Stop that practice and use actual text so foreigners can Google Translate it? Nah. Keep doing it but make an app, OUR app, that they can use to translate it? *Drake pointing and being happy*.
- Success depends on having one great idea-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Profile of guy who made Azar, Korea's current #1 app for horny teens and college students to get their rocks off. Just another Chatroulette clone so not sure where his one great idea is.
- Kakao to acquire 2 entertainment agencies - Kakao continues spreading its arms into a lifestyle brand.
- Naver's AI assistant capable of controlling Xiaomi's connected appliances - I've said it before, I'll say it again. Naver will not take on Google directly. They will eat away the chances Google *could* have by partnering up with others who don't want to see Google come in and dominate. Joining Xiaomi is a good move.
- Portals raided in blogger case-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Another Druking thing.
- Naver to Release Speech Synthesis Program | Be Korea-savvy
- AI speakers get to work outside of the home-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
- LG embarrasses with OLED burn-in at SID tradeshow | ZDNet - Oops
- KT unveils ICT-based emergency rescue platform - Neat
- KakaoTalk links producers with consumers
- LINE, Key to Naver’s Future Growth - 비즈니스코리아 - BusinessKorea
- 이스트시큐리티, NHN엔터서 30억 전략적 투자 유치 - NHN Entertainment made a huge stock buy of ESTsecurity. Hmm. Wonder if we'll eventually see their security products more ingrained in the Naver ecosystem.
- IT Sector Struggles to Achieve Work-Life Balance | Be Korea-savvy - Yup. Case in point: me haha.
- Emart to install EV charging stations at stores-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
- Foreigners find Kakao map better than Naver's - well I'm a foreigner and I do too so can't argue there.
Android Auto and Kakao Navi in Korea
- 10원 Tips: Google's "Android Auto" to use Kakao Navi in Korea - yours truly broke this story in English first. Put me on that damn UNESCO list.
- Google finally brings Android Auto to Korea with Kakao, Hyundai Motor
- Google Launches Android Auto in Korea - 비즈니스코리아 - BusinessKorea
- 카카오내비 - 카카오내비 | kakao 고객센터 - (Korean) support site for setting up you Android Auto with Kakao Navi.
WTF, Bizarre
- 국민재난안전포털 - Creepy calendar of major disasters and tragedies. Like Facebook's "On this day..." memories, but for death and disorder. Fun in a sick way. And yes, Sewolho is there.
- Restaurant trashed: Drunken man faces staggering 70th conviction - Conviction is exactly what he possesses.
- 'Devil ordered me to kill parents' says suspect - Oh well then that's fine.
- Man with knife raids National Assembly 'to teach lawmakers a lesson' - He has my full support.
- Police to return money thrown on the street by woman in Daegu - To copy every netizen comment on this story on every portal: why couldn't she have driven by my neighborhood?
- Seoul verdict in favor of fired policeman engaging in lewd acts - He was showing off his thin blue line.
- Neighbors Volunteer to Rid Area of Loud Bullfrogs | Be Korea-savvy
- Woman gets jail term for stoning abusive husband to death - Yikes, you can understand where she's coming from.
- Large fire burns through sweet potato packing factory - Remarket products as "fresh baked potatoes."군고구마 are big here anyway. You're welcome.
- Three-year-old dies in hot car after busy grandparent ‘forgets’ about the child - Tragic. Poor kid.
- Convicted felon escapes from Gwangju psychiatric ward
- Convicted killer on the loose captured by police
- Lightning kills migrant mother in rice paddy - Geez.
- Free fish: Shoals of anchovies wash ashore [PHOTOS] - Weird.
- Man sleeping on road run over and killed - I've been plenty drunk in my life, but never decided the road was a good place to sleep. A doorway, sure. The hallway, OK. But the road? Yikes.
- Dunkin’ gets adventurous, dunks donuts in tteokbokki-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - DD just went Disgusting.
- Suspect shot 20,000 motel videos over 4 years-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Dedication.
- Thousands of Chickens Perished Instantly: One Poultry Farm’s Fight Against Scorching Heat | Be Korea-savvy - Again, remarketing opportunity. "Freshly baked chicken."
- Father calls for stricter punishment in ‘pencil assault’ incident - Oh God... prank gone terribly wrong. Kids put pencil upright on friend's chair... friend sits down... does NOT end cute or funny. Poor kid.
- Principal found dead after teacher revealed raping disabled students -
- [Photo] Coast guard on the lookout for drunk boating : National : News : The Hankyoreh
- iKON's 'Love Scenario' banned in some elementary schools
- 3cm beetle larva found in Haagen-Dazs ice cream
- Petition calls for 'execution' of YouTuber embroiled in sex abuse probe - more on this messy situation.
- Elementary school teacher commits suicide in own classroom - Good Lord, he *hanged* himself and kids walked in to find him.
- “Korean Washroom” Vandalized in Turkey Four Days After Opening to Public | Be Korea-savvy - so basically they turned it from a pristine hygienic bathroom into... an average Korean bathroom.
- SK E&C detected faults in dam in Laos before collapse but failed to repair amid torrential rains : International : News : The Hankyoreh
- Woman found dead after sleeping inside coffin in ‘spiritual ritual’ - Hey, if you're going to die, inside a coffin is a pretty convenient way to go.
- Eating pig eyeballs: the secret to having a beautiful son? - No, no it's not.
- Cat blamed for house fire - typical.
- Flying 80kg truck wheel kills mother, injures three - Stuff of my nightmares. Tragic. Can't stop thinking of the kids now. Shit... need to go call my mom.
HEROES
- 9-year-old drives mother’s car in Daejeon - As long as nobody is seriously hurt, I find kids driving cars hilarious.
- [Photo] Bird continues to survive and thrive with missing leg : National : News : The Hankyoreh - You go bird.
- Beware women with 'Monkey Fist' - See a girl with this on her bag = don't mess with her.
- Demolition derby: Joyriding 9, 10-year olds injure one, wreck 15 cars - Haha I shouldn't but I'm laughing.
- Dog Rewarded for Helping to Limit Fire Damage | Be Korea-savvy - Unlike the damn cat from the section above.
- American Girl Returns Pebbles to Beach | Be Korea-savvy - Aww.
- [Herald Interview] Romanian nun helps Jeju’s Yemeni asylum seekers, migrant families - Everybody running their mouths online about the refugee issue, but people like this actually are making a difference.
- Korea’s smallest preemie survivor heads home - Happy ending. Best of luck in life little one.
🔥 Heat 🔥
It was hot this month. I remember last year summer being surprisingly short, at least the hottest part of it. This year got me back though. Been running the air non stop. Can't wait for the bill to come. And it's that super humid heat so even when you just stand around in the shade it's no different from being in the direct sun. You WILL sweat. You WILL look disgusting. You WILL have to towel yourself off when you get to work in the office bathroom. You WILL need to bring a change of shirt, or 3.
- McDelivery riders protest stifling dress code
- Tuesday marks Korea's hottest day since 1907; 40.3C in southern town
- Chick hatches, latex pillow combusts -- South Korea's heat wave causes unusual moments
- Sweet Potato Plants Flower in Scorching Heat | Be Korea-savvy
- Traffic Mayhem as Roads Buckle Under Scorching Heat | Be Korea-savvy
History
Some interesting history pieces this month.
- [Weekender] Walking down the history of Euljiro
- [Weekender] Ever-changing Euljiro
- The greatest tiger hunter
- [Herald Interview] It all began with the house
- Watermelons: A forbidden pleasure in cholera-hit Korea
- Fun and fireworks: Fourth of July at the American gold mines in Korea
Helmets
I've rented a bike a few times here. Never once wore a helmet. I'm 100% against it. We need to separate cars from bikes, period. That alone will get more people riding bikes instead of driving. Kojects' take has it totally right.
- Korea to Introduce Bicycle Helmet Law – Kojects
- Seoul to offer bike helmet rentals
- 1 in 4 rented bike helmets in Seoul missing or stolen
Some K-pop stuff
- BTS and Line Friends Characters Draw Big Crowds at LA Opening of Pop-Up Store - OK so not "life in Korea" exactly but interesting that Line friends are popular enough to support this in the US. Any Americans using Line? I don't use their messenger but I found their Line Camera app very user friendly for editing photos.
- Line Friends’ LA outing proves very popular-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily
- Coca-Cola to Feature K-Pop Boy Band BTS on Cans and Bottles in South Korea
- For K-pop streamers, V Live is the place to be-INSIDE Korea JoongAng Daily - Naver's got an international hit with this app and even Papago. Love their focus on simple, do-one-thing-well apps lately.
- Facebook Messenger Is Introducing BTS-Themed Stickers
Top Recommended
- 'Presidential speeches nearly identical, except Moon's' - Read for insight into a fascinating foreigner life. Elizabeth G. Kraft led an amazing, exceptional life. Add her to your list of must-know Korea-living expats. Amazing.
And that's it for this month. Stay cool out there folks.
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