Seoul Village

Happy Seollal

2012-01-19T22:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year / 새해 복 많이 받으세요 !

According to the lunar calendar, we're about to enter the year of the black dragon on January the 23rd, which happens to be a Monday, day of the moon.

It's time to grow older and wiser, and to pay homage to our elders.

Don't forget to eat ddeokguk, and to distribute envelopes to your closest members of parliament (barely kidding - judging by the news, that tradition seems to be stickier than ddeok).

Seoul Village 2012
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A 6 Star Hotel in Gwanghwamun?

2012-01-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

If Korean Air's ambitious 7-Star 'hanokish' hotel near Anguk* remains on hold, Mirae Asset's project for a 6-Star hotel at Gwanghwamun Station seems back on tracks.

As we saw earlier, many office buildings are to be delivered over the next few months and years in this area, and across the capital, some projects are already being partly converted into hotel rooms because the boom in tourism is expected to continue as Seoul catches up with rival world magnets. No wonder Jongno-gu wanted developpers to come up with something different than the office space initially planned at this prestigious address (Gwanghwamun Naegeori or the Saemunan-ro / Sejongdae-ro intersection).

We first heard about the project last March but today, more details were released in the media: 26 floors, 316 to 348 rooms, and an inauguration scheduled for 2016. To operate the hotel, Mirae would love to deal with Four Seasons. The franchise usually settles for buildings with a long history but here, the location is loaded with culture and history : in Shinmunro, between Gwanghwamun Square and Gyeonghuigung, just opposite Cheonggyecheon, and halfway between Gyeongbokgung/Seochon and Deoksugung/City Hall**. Bonus: a relatively low competitive pressure (not far from the Koreana Hotel, but clearly in a different area than the Westin or the Plaza).

Hankyung (Korea Economic Daily) published an update of the tourist hotels under construction in Seoul (""외국인 관광객 잡아라" 서울 도심 호텔 6000실 '공사중'"): a total of 6,000 rooms, and a few other Jongno-gu projects (JW Marriot in Jongno 6-ga, Waterfront in Gwansu-dong, and Ibis Ambassador in Ikseon-dong).

I hope the sketch presented in that article as the future Gwanghwamun landmark is just a first draft.

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*"Korean Air Grounded : Seoul 7 Star Hotel Delayed"
** and don't forget Baekundongcheon ("Baekundongcheon / Gwanghwamun-gil - A River Runs Through It")!

Welfare in Korea: the debate (or lack of)

2012-01-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

In today's Korea Herald: "Should Korea adopt a welfare state?", and my take on the issue ("On welfare...", and below):

Welfare will probably be a key issue in this year's elections in Korea, and it should: particularly in these extremely challenging times, it's not only a matter of social security, but a matter of national security, about the social and financial sustainability of a nation.

If Korea is not the only country facing similar challenges in this electoral year, it must also cope with rather depressing demographic trends, and an utterly polarized political landscape. Last year, even the tragicomic budget debate in the States paled in comparison with Seoul's surreal war about free lunches at school. I can't even use the word "debate", which implies the existence of a two-way communication, for a farce that resulted in the ultimate denial of democracy: the boycott of a referendum intended to settle the case.

All parties share the blame, but the irony of it is that Oh Se-hoon lost his seat with the support of conservatives for a cause that would have been carried by the left in such welfare states as France. I supported Oh Se-hoon on this very cause because it was just, and truly progressive.

And I bet that his successor Park Won-soon, also a good person who genuinely cares for the community, will eventually realize that he'll be able to do much more if he drops the free-for-all system he fought for. Anyway, both shared a sensible vision: Korea needs to do more, and better for welfare.

"More and better" requires common sense as much as good will. Regardless of which areas and how deep it reaches, a good welfare system is a sustainable welfare system. And since it's designed to fix complex problems that constantly evolve, it must always remain fit and reactive. Thus, a good welfare system should be both transparent and fair.

Transparency? A lot of money is at stake, and the system should be closely but openly monitored. In every country, billions are lost in corruption, abuse, waste or fraud from all areas of the spectrum. They cripple the system, and even when they represent only a tiny fraction of the total, they undermine the cause.

Transparency also allows the detection of early signals, the anticipation of disruptions in the environment, the adjustment of policies ahead of troubles.

Fairness? "Universal coverage", "equal rights" or "equal access" doesn't mean everybody should pay the same. No welfare system is sustainable if the richer don't pay for the poorer.

That's not socialism but good governance, and history teaches us all too often what happens when governments fail to accept this evidence.

In Korea like everywhere, the time has come for politicians to do their job. To govern is to foresee, and politics is not about partisanship but about reaching for the best common good with ambitious but wise policies.

More common sense and less ideology in 2012? A rather long shot, judging by the US primaries.

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Wet eyes for wetlands and urban mirages

2012-01-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

Another heated debate on KBC*, this time over the environmental impact of Songdo (the new town has been mostly claimed over wetlands). My position on the issues remain unchanged:

... About Songdo:

I've already spilled more than a few comments about that monumental aerotropolis (see previous posts about Songdo), and I sincerely wish the best for the project. But clearly, this is not my idea of a dream city, and I think that when you have the chance to start from scratch, you must come up with truly original and sustainable concepts and vision. And in many ways, the masterplan remains typical of 1990s Korea. Furthermore, the ultimate network society utopia could have started in a much more stimulating way, had the approach not been exclusively "top down".

That said, Songdo is already up and running, with the potential of a great success.

I have considerably more doubts regarding another pharaonic projects on Korean shores: Saemangeum, from the beginning an economic and environmental nonsense**. Well... faith and money can move mountains, but even in Korea, they don't come in unlimited supply.

... About wetlands and sanctuaries in Korea:

Swamps and marshes have been systematically obliterated over past centuries. They're not glamour and often a nuisance, but we've realized only recently how crucial they are to the global ecosystem, not just for fauna or flora diversity, but also in the cycle of water depollution.

Even Korea caught the message, following a major conference about wetlands in Changwon (Ramsar Convention 2008 - already three years ago, how time flies). It even triggered programs for preservation and eco-tourism at the national and regional levels.

But all natural assets remain at risk because of the country's pervasive real estate speculation: the other day I discovered disheartening projects of marinas and villas along pristine seashores, and two years ago we could see how even sanctuarized greenbelts could be sacrificed to the gods of concrete and steel***.

... About New Towns and the laws of gravitation:

New cities must always be conceived with a long term vision that encompasses the past as well as the future. And one of the great tragedies in Korean urbanism is the fact that developpers prefer to build from scratch a new city instead of improving existing ones, even if it means the eventual failure of both. I understand the short term economics, but that's simply not sustainable.

That's true for both "Urban New Towns" and "Greenfield New Towns". The first expression may sound like a tautology, but that's how I define New Towns replacing partly or totally an already urbanized area. I often lament about how, in Seoul, New Towns tend to obliterate all reference to the past. There's a quantum leap between improving a city and negating it, and that's exactly what happened when whole neighborhoods vanished, replaced by over-sanitized and over-standardized blocks of tombstone "apateu". If the spirit of Seoul villages could somewhat survive in certain complexes, the city may face new challenges as the generation that ignited the baby boom passes away.

Moving on to "Greenfield New Towns", now. If you want to evaluate their impacts, don't just consider their direct environment. Take Incheon, for instance: even if you remain within Incheon territory, Songdo is only part of a gigantic scheme that involves other greenfield projects (eg Cheongna), and partial redevelopments of existing neighborhoods. But at the heart of the city, many places have regressed over the past decade, surviving in some kind of limbo. In other countries they would have been priorities for improvement, but they don't stand a chance when money talks first in urban planning. What may seem good for business in the short term may prove to be socially, politically, and economically counter-productive in the medium to long term.

In countless places across the country, some cities are already schizophrenic entities with brand new districts totally disconnected from former city centers stuck in the wrong side of the eighties, and if authorities don't invest now to fix the balance, the mess will only get worse****.

If you can try to pass the buck to the next administration, you simply can't escape demographics.

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*see comments following the article "Korea Business Central Exclusive Interview - Dick Warmington, "Uncovering Korean Potential at Chadwick School in Korea's New City of Songdo""
** see "Ari, Arirang, Ari, Ariul City"
*** see "Tighten your greenbelt"
**** Note that the winners of today may not be the winners of tomorrow considering the end of the universal "apateu" model, the relatively low cost of land downtown...

Sampoong Sutbul Galbi (Seoul)

2011-12-31T22:51:00.000-08:00

So long for new year resolutions: I'm starting 2012 with the carbon footprint of a Hummer.

Well. There are lighter ways to cure holiday excesses than marinated pork ribs on charcoal, but to add insult to injury the meat has been shipped, according to the menu's ballpark estimates, all the way from the States or Spain. I tried to check it out and to chat in Castilian with the animal, but the pulp only hissed back from the grill. Taste-wise, 'twas Korean galbi at its best.

Bonuses include bits of charcoaled ddeok, a rice or noodle dish (I tried both varieties of naengmyeon: a mean "bibim" and a pleasant "mul"), and a disarmingly kind staff.

Sampoong Sutbul Galbi can easily be reached from Yeongdeungpo-gu Office Station (Lines 2-5, exit 4, go straigth to the Gu Office, that's the last building to the left), but I took a cab. End of the statement.

Sampoong Sutbul Galbi (Restaurant Sampoong) / 삼풍 숮불갈비

91-1 Dangsan-3-ga (Moonhwa Building 1F), Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.2634.3035
(discover other restaurants)

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Happy New Year

2011-12-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

Tricky year ahead: as challenges are getting tougher at all levels (social, economical, economical, environmental...), many countries will face elections (the US, China, Korea, France, pre/post-revolution Arab countries...), or digest recent regime changes (at this stage, I wouldn't count KIM Jong-un replacing KIM Jong-il on the mound as a regime change: Junior pledged to play by the 'Army First' rules, and has been trained for strikes and curveballs).

For this helluva ride, we'll try to stay on the back of the Black Dragon, but we've got a few week to get ready for that since, according to the lunar calendar, the new year begins only on Monday, 23 January 2012.

I wish you love, peace, a good health, and lots of laughs.

A very happy new year to you / Tous mes voeux pour 2011

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Six lanes of traffic

2011-12-26T00:35:00.000-08:00

If you want to open a shop in Seoul, the three most expensive places per square meter are Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Daehangno. And if you consider neighborhoods with the highest total value for commercial space, you get the same trio, followed by Gangnam Station (Cheongdam-dong / Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu), Sillim-dong (Gwanak-gu), and Geondae (Konkuk University, Gwangjin-gu).

Perennial leader Myeong-dong became a shopping mecca under the Japanese occupation, leveraging massive foot traffic between old and new commercial or financial centers (Namdaemun, Chungmuro, Uljiro...), at the feet of the cathedral. That's where the first neon signs were displayed in Korea, where the National Theater was inaugurated in the mid thirties (it reopened a couple of years ago as Myeongdong Theater), and where students have met for generations, now joined by tourists from all horizons.

Gangnam Station is of course a much more recent hotspot. But not the 'hot' kind of hotspot, even if it is close to key neighborhoods. To start with, the name is some kind of a drag: many images come to you when you hear Apgujeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong, Nonhyeon-dong, or Sinsa-dong,but when you hear Gangnam Station, you don't even see an old-style train stationon - just a subway entrance by a highway intersection. This busy business hub has yet to develop its own soul, an identity beyond a crossroads that happen to be where the Hannam Bridge axis meets Line 2. Yes, that's also where buildings grew taller before the rest of Teheran-ro (except for the COEX), and where the first major netcos gave birth to Teheran Valley. But the first real landmark (Kukkiwon doesn't count) is very recent... and I don't know if the new Samsung headquarters can give more purpose to the area: architecturally, the place could have used more "roundness" and openness. In a nutshell: Gangnam Yeok? a good place for business.

All other members of this Top 6 are university areas, with Hongdae leading the pack, stronger than ever. The brand has gained international recognition, but commercial space is becoming prohibitive for smaller fishes, and they're sometimes driven away to nearby dongs by big franchises. Those guys tend to make all popular areas look the same, and that's not what you want for a trendsetting hotspot boasting the ultimate indie spirit. But as long as Hongik University stays here, the fabled Hongdae spirit shall survive. And traffic is not bound to slow down: Hongdae Ipgu is now connected to both airports via the AREX, new infrastructures will bring Sinchon even closer, and the whole area will get a boost from the downtown-Yongsan-Yeouido-DMC business ring.

Daehangno survived even after Seoul National University moved to the other side of the Han river. Better: the move triggered a revolution that turned the historic birthplace of Korean university* into a cultural hotspot, aspiring venues from yet another university neighborhood, Sinchon. From Sinchon to Daehangno to Hongdae...

... Next stop: Geondae? Probably not. The place probably went up in the rankings following the construction of the Star City complex, just south of the university (not in Mojin-dong but in Jayang-dong). A major real estate operation... and the perfect occasion to fill a void for shoppers in Eastern Seoul.

I'd like to finish with Sillim-dong. Neither for its prestige (as the gateway to Seoul National University, with a strong major in law studies), nor for its less glamour, night birds side of the coin (Nokdu-geori): I have a special affection for the place because of its natural landscape, or rather what's left of it. Take out all those ugly constructions and just keep Dorimcheon serpenting peacefully between the small hills at the foot of Gwanaksan, and potentially you've got one of the city's most charming sceneries. Of course, it's probably too late to save this gem: the stream is already covered with concrete, and the future Shillim New Town already destroyed Wonsi-gil... OK time for me to get off my high horse.

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* That was long before SNU - a relative newcomer -, Sungkyunkwan a.k.a. Taehak (a charming place to visit).

KIM Jong-il passes. To KIM Jong-un. Presumably.

2011-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

So as expected, KIM Jong-il died. A bit early to secure the transition with KIM Jong-un, who might be tempted to show his skills to those who doubt he's got whatever that is North Korean leaders are supposed to have.

Physically, Junior already used plastic surgery to improve his Kimilsungist looks, let's hope he won't try to sport his dad's weirdo hairdo now.

Character-wise, Jong-un is rumored to be more ill-tempered than his brothers Jong-nam and Jong-chol, respectively a Disneyland and an Eric Clapton fan. But compared to the Late Dear Leader, he's more permeated with such capitalist perversions as burgers. And it starts showing, particularly in a country where the population is maintained in a constant state of starvation.

As far as leadership is concerned, Jong-un didn't quite pass the cut last year: the young lad has been credited with the latest attack on South Korean soil but doesn't seem much of an expert, judging by the way he uses binoculars...

So we'll follow KIM Jong-il's funerals (after four weddings, Hugh can grant him that*). And eminent Pyeongyangologists will watch closely: who will keep a seat when the music stops? Isn't CHANG Sung-taek a trifle too old for musical chairs? Will Beijing-friendly people get promoted in the army**?

In South Korea, a North Korean Spring or Winter would have consequences for the 2012 elections: more tensions could become a problem for AHN Cheol-soo (commander in chief beyond cyberwars?), and boost conservatives, but not necessarily PARK Geun-hye (would Koreans vote for a woman in times of crisis, and one used to operating only behind the scenes at that?).

By the way. This week-end, LEE Myung-bak visited Japan, and devoted the bulk of his talks with Yoshihiko Noda to the issue of Japanese military sexual slavery, following Wednesday's successful demonstration (see "One Thousand Wednesdays"). But if he's consistent, the President must also reactivate the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: every country must face its own past, particularly when it expects the same from its neighbors.

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* the movie was released in 1994, the year KIM The First died

**... and the invisible 'hanschluss' continue? see "Re-engaging North Korea - A Four Party Talk", and previous posts about NK

TempleStay? Check

2011-12-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

For the best ad of the year, HomePlus / Cheil Worldwide sure made a splash with their QR code based 'virtual store' campaign in Seoul subway*, but I'll vote for this one instead:

Advertising is always somehow lying or selling what you don't have but here, the announcer is telling the truth and insisting on what it doesn't offer. TempleStay invites you to check in if you're not interested in the usual perks (bed, tv, phone, shopping, oversleep, neon sign, coffee, meat), but in a journey in search of yourself. The best loyalty program around.

If you're not aware of this successful program, Korean temples have always been welcoming but now, even families give it a try. The concept gained international momentum around the 2002 World Cup, to the point Jogye Order moved its TempleStay Info Center to brand new headquarters, right across Jogyesa (in 71 Gyeonji-dong, Jongno-gu, +82.2.2031.2000 - check their website eng/TempleStay.com, and the video below).

Note that KNTO has been promoting "Hanok Stay" along a similarly labelled path. Another way of experiencing a more traditional side of Korea.

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* remember "HomePlus virtual stores in Seoul subway : from your smartphone to Cannes festival screens"? The concept has been extended IRL ("HomePlus subway virtual store gets "real" (from click and mortar to billboard and click)"). That video was seen over 25,000 times, see if you can do better with this one from Arirang TV (about Songgwangsa in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do) -and don't worry, the film starts after a few seconds of test pattern:

One Thousand Wednesdays

2011-12-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

The young girl is sitting on a chair, a bird on her left shoulder. Her sad eyes seek an answer from the building across the street, to no avail. This time again, the Japanese Embassy remains silent. Or rather, it keeps protesting against the statue of the girl recently erected across the street as a reminder: the Korean victims of sexual slavery are still expecting justice and official apologies from the Japanese Government.

Today, the young girl was surrounded by a couple of old friends: a few surviving 'comfort women' who are now in their 80s or 90s. They live in the House of Sharing, a residence and museum in Gyeonggi-do, and come every Wednesday to protest. Not against the statue, but with it, and for justice.

Today, these halmoni were surrounded by hundreds of friends: longtime activists and supporters of the cause, or simple citizens of the World from all ages, all origins, all beliefs.

Today, December 14, 2011, marked the 1,000th Wednesday of protest since January 8, 1992, and masses met in front of the Embassy in Junghak-dong. Wiping away their tears and facing again the camera: they've overcome shame for 20 years, and since then more than ever, the shame is on Japanese leaders.

This is not about nationalism, and this is certainly not about Korea vs Japan, but about Japan vs Justice, and about Japan vs its own future. Crimes were committed and victims simply expect justice*. Japan must face history in order to face the future, and its leaders cannot hide the truth to Japanese citizens any longer.

I've said the same thing about other issues: this is also about saving Japan. And if I joined the protesters, it's also because I love Japan and because I can't accept to see a minority of die hard ultra-conservatives setting a corrupt agenda and betraying the Japanese people.

And to Korean ultra-nationalists who try to hijack this case for their own corrupt agenda, I say: clean your own mess first, and restore the Truth and Reconciliation Commission***.

Help the victims and support the cause:

House of Sharing / Nanum : houseofsharing.org / nanum.org
Join the Facebook group
NB (reminder): until Friday, the House of Sharing's International Outreach Team is organizing near Hongdae a multi-media art exhibition dealing with issues of sexual slavery, human trafficking, and violence and oppression against women, and including film projections, works from halmonies...*

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* Justice means:
1. That the Japanese government admits the compulsory drafting of Korean women as Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.
2. That an official apology will be made for this.
3. That all the atrocities will be fully disclosed.
4. That a Memorial will be built for the victims.
5. That the survivors or their bereaved families will be compensated
6. That the facts and truth about Military Sexual Slavery by Japan will be taught in Japanese history classes so that such inhumanities are not repeated.
7. Punish the war criminals.

** until Friday at Cafe Anthracite (Hapjeong-dong 357-6, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea, near Sangsu station)

*** see previous episodes, including "TRCK : families of victims demand essential follow-up", "TRCK lost in translation or lost in transition ?", "Achievements and Tasks of TRCK's Activities", "Truth and Reconciliation : which model for Korea ?"

Seoul Town Hall Meeting 2011

2011-12-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

Seoul's 13th town hall meeting, probably the last to be held at Seosomun Annex before the inauguration of the new City Hall (on the other side of the avenue formerly known as Taepyeongno), was a great success.

Two month into his new job, Mayor Park Won-soon attended the whole meeting and confirmed his reputation by expressing empathy for everyone. He never intervened in English, but mentioned his experience abroad and (unlike yours truly) didn't need to use the translation device.

The audience (as usual international residents from all origins) was all ears, comfortably sitting at a table and enjoying a plate of fresh fruits - an echo to the hit drama of the year about free school lunches?

This meeting focused on education issues and particularly for multicultural households, in which kids often experience discrimination and bullying at school, and parents frustration - if not humiliation as sometimes highly educated people - on a daily basis.

I've often criticized the self-destructive trends in Korea's educational system, a system that evolved from equal-access and merit-based selection to today's abomination. If education drove Korea to success, it is now dragging it downwards and must be reformed to ensure the country's competitivity in a world where diversity and creativity must be encouraged, not anihiliated.

If this corrupt system is driving away Koreans from parenthood and even from the country, no wonder it's becoming a deterrent for foreigners. For every parent, there's a clock ticking and the closer their kids get to The Big Exam, the more they wish there were alternatives. We all know people who are considering moving abroad even if they would prefer to stay in Korea only because of this nonsense. What a waste: as elementary schools and universities are becoming more and more foreigner-friendly, everything seems to be made to ruin the rest.

Even more than new foreign schools, Korea needs to make sure its own people does not feel estranged from its own schools. Reforming the system will not only facilitate the integration of foreign and multicultural individuals, but the integration of all citizens into a sounder society.

Learning should always be stimulating and motivating, and I was pleased to hear that Seoul Metropolitan Government officials were about to promote extracurricular activities and sports at school.

Likewise, good news for pedestrians and bicycle riders: the city intends to continue its efforts in their favor, and will follow the same pattern as many Western countries, where pedestrians come first, then cyclists, then motor vehicles (as we speak, bicycles are treated as cars). Police authorities pledged to enforce more drastically the ban of motorcycles on sidewalks.

Seoul keeps improving because it's constantly taking into account all comments, complaints, or suggestions from its citizens, looking for answers and solutions, following up every issue. Seoul Global Center changed everything for foreign communities, reaching far beyond the usual affluent expats to the populations that need the most help. The staff and volunteers are doing a tremendous job, and thousands of members of the international community keep contributing every year with precious insights and feed back, but Seoul can thank the man who's been leading this change and enabling this cultural shift: Alan Timblick, the Head of SGC.

As the capital city, Seoul can show the way in the much needed overhaul of education, and it can leverage what has now become a model institution across the region. You too can have your say and contact the Seoul Global Center.

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2011 Town Hall Meeting Program:
. Opening (Hong Min-ji)
. Progress report (Alan Timblick)
. Opening remarks (Park Won-soon)
. Presentations: SMG Office of Education (Nam Mi-sook), Gwangjang Elementary School (Park Kyeong-a), Marriage Immigrant (Yamaguchi Hideko), Purun Citizen Community (Moon Jong-seok)
. Q&A, opinions (Jasmine Lee)
. Closing remarks (Park Won-soon)

You bet

2011-12-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

There was an article about lotteries in Korea in Tuesday's Korea JoongAng Daily*.
What struck me was not the boom in bets, a classic in times of crisis, but the picture illustrating the article: I've known this store in Sanggye-dong for 15 years.

It used to be a small convenience store at the Southeastern corner of Sanggye Jugong Apt 10 Danji, between Madeul and Nowon stations, at the intersection of Dong-ro (the vertical backbone East of Jungnangcheon, along subway Line 7) and Nowon-gil / Banghwa-ro. That's a major crossroads surrounded by densely populated appartment blocks (clockwise: Jugong 7, 9, 10, and a medium-sized Daelim complex), but a rather quiet place because of the local urban development model. Like Jamsil, Nowon has been redevelopped during the eighties following a basic scheme: tombstone buildings lined up along a wide highway, with shopping areas concentrated near subway stations, except for small peripheral clusters like this one.

This store also happened to sell Lotto tickets, and one day, one customer won the national grand prize. Then it happened again, and I remember how people started talking about it. The place soon gained a reputation of lucky charm, drawing players from all over the country like a magnet. And a genuine big win epidepic followed, feeding the buzz. Last time I passed by they had already claimed a dozen or so grand prize, including two almost in a row.

Over the past decade, the place has radically changed: most of the space is now reserved for lotto players, who can write down their hopefully winning combos on large tables. Non-lotto sections, reduced to the minimum, propose mostly snacks and side dishes for players.

I don't know how many gazillion wons are spent every week on tickets in this mecca of Korean lotto, but probably too much for such a not so affluent area.

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* "As economy dips, Koreans say 'You never know'" (Korea JoongAng Daily 2011106)

Yeouido Global Business Support Center

2011-12-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

It's now official: Seoul Global Center will open YGBSC on December 16th. Here's the official announcement:

New Global Business Support Center Opening in Yeouido

Seoul Global Center is opening 'Yeouido Global Business Support Center' on December 16 to assist foreign entrepreneurs through free business counseling and research. It is also offering free office space, millions of KRW worth, at the YGBSC for qualified entrepreneurs seeking to establish their business in Seoul. YGBSC's mission is to help your difficulties in doing business in Seoul and to provide a number of mentoring sessions of experienced consultants in tax, finance, patent, etc. to take you forward. Also 3 dedicated full time staffs and 3 Gu officers will be there for not only 5 selected entrepreneurs also any other business people to encourage and motivate. YGBSC is ready for those who have lack of information due to language barriers and face difficulties with the high cost of offices as well as Korean's uncertainty about doing business with foreign entrepreneurs.

Here you can find more specific services YGBSC offers.

Comprehensive consultation and support
- General counseling on business opportunities in Seoul
- Market research services on specific business topics based in demand
- Provide business information regarding Foreign Direct Investment Laws & others
- Provide information to aid settlement by addressing daily living concerns regarding housing, medical services, transportation, etc.
- Video consultations with specialists on daily living concerns
Business researching services & partner searching
- General research of information on establishing new business and investing
- Expert research on specified fields or statistics related area
- Partner searching service
Business networking in Seoul
- provides opportunities to network and build relationship among the foreign business people and Korean business individuals and groups

Incubation Office Service
- Location: Yeouido Global Business Support Center (in-house)
- Duration of lease: Up to six months (renewable lease depending on evaluation)
- Equipment provided free of charge: Office equipment including computer, internet, etc & 1:1 Business consulting

For more information about YGBSC, visit http://global.seoul.go.kr, or contact Youhwa Jang at 02-2075-4112, sgcsmbiz@gmail.com.

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Hong Bok (Seoul)

2011-12-05T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Yeonhui-dong (my "Yummy-dong"!) - Yeonnam-dong area is full of authentic and affordable Chinese restaurants, each one with its own flavors and specialities. Like some of its neighbors (e.g. "Ha Ha") Hong Bok serves authentic food from Northeastern China.

Today, we tried lamb skewers, fish mandu, and hwang mandu from Shandong and Jilin provinces.

Fish mandu? a true delicacy, boiled to perfection. Hwang mandu (pork) being filled with big chunks, each ingredient comes with a bang.

Lamb skewers taste terrific, and not too strong for Korean palates (many locals have a poor memory of lamb following a doomed promotion ages ago, and the smell of this meat can be an issue). Marinated, seasoned with herbs, and served with paprika, the dish makes you travel even further than across the Yellow Sea. Central Asia, maybe?

Don't be afraid to order the set of 14 skewers: each one is not bigger than a tiny finger, and they're fun to BBQ at your table. We started to line them like rows of table football players, but the tenants told us to hold them in packs because it's as efficient, and much less tedious to turn them in bulk. See the small dents on each corner of the stove? You use them to push the meat to the end of the sticks.

Hong Bok is on Seongmisan-ro (formerly Dongjin Market street), the first street between Donggyo-ro and Yeonhui-ro South of the railway.

Hong Bok (restaurant)
224-41 Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
(new address: Mapo-gu, Seongmisan-ro 189)
Tel +82.2.323.1698

Seoul Village 2011
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Three out of four Korean single senior households are poor

2011-12-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

SERI just issued* a distressing focus on Korean elder citizens: the relative poverty rate for single senior households, a booming segment of the population, is by far the highest among OECD members (76.6%).

An embarrassing fact for the most Confucian nation: as it experiences spectacular and rapid demographic and social changes, welfare systems are obviously not keeping pace. A lot has been done at the national and local levels, and elder citizens can enjoy a large array of free programs thanks to Seoul districts, from computer training to dance and cultural activities. Following 2008 reforms, single senior citizens with low revenues pay less for utilities, and can receive free food supplies on a daily basis, but not everybody is caught in the safety net. We've all seen elderlies collecting paper or cardboard on the streets, or poor farmers live in complete isolation in rural areas.

The challenge will grow bigger for ageing Korea. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of senior households almost doubled to 1.7 to 3 million, and the proportion of single senior households progressed from 31.4 to 34.2%. They now represent 1.02 million households or 6% of the total, a proportion expected to double by 2030. By 2050, 37% of the population will be over 65 (the equivalent to 70% of the working age population), compared to 7% in 2000 (10%). Like Japan, Korea might consider foreign or even robotic hands to cope with the task: there are only 3.3 long-term care workers per 1000 population over the age of 65 providing formal care, compared to 6.1 in average for the OECD**.

Parents used to take care of the grandparents***, but now it's often the other way round. Among new pensioners, many helped their descendants during the periods of crisis that have struck Korea since 1998, cutting into their own savings. The future doesn't look much better: we recently mentioned credit card threats (see "The Earnit Kingdom: Loan Sharks Feeding Frenzy"), but many Koreans are also eating up their pension plans just to stay afloat. Poverty is also a matter of demographics: survivors in the couple tend to be women born before the democratization of superior education, with a high proportion of former housewives with a minimum pension.

Among the potential impacts on policies cited by SERI (Single Senior Households Should Be Target Group to Reduce Poverty, Financial Management Service for Low and Middle-Income Classes, Pension Splitting for Elderly Divorcees, Increasing Survivor Pension Benefit Rate for Elderly Women), a point seems to be missing: infrastructures and particularily retirement and nursing homes. There are solutions for daytime isolation, and silver centers and even cities are on the rise, but will the people who need them most be able to afford them?

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* "Single Senior Households: Income Among the Aging Population" (SERI - December 5, 2011), data by Statistics Korea (kosis.or.kr)
** "Long-Term Care in Korea" (OECD - May 18, 2011)
*** In 1981, only 20% of people over 60 lived separately from their children, and the proportion rose to 41.7% in 1998. I don't have more recent figures but the trend must have continued

Dice are broadcast

2011-12-01T01:29:00.001-08:00

December 1, 2011: today, 5 new networks started broadcasting on Korean TV.

Licenses were awarded last year, without any surprise since the dominant (and rather conservative) daily newspaper groups claimed all the four spots granted for general channels:
. jTBC (channel 15) for JoongAng Ilbo, clearly the most ambitious 'newcomer'. The brand echoes the historic TBC channel founded by the family and disbanded under Park Chung-hee, and the group's J series (reminder: the broadcasting and magazine units have recently merged into Jcontentree). As we saw earlier, this group intends to become a multimedia powerhouse, and if it produces successful contents (eg millions spent on dramas), it can leverage existing ties with most international majors.
. MBN (channel 16) for MBN. According to what I saw today, Maeil Business Newspaper will make the most of its scenic view on Namsan and its Hanok Village, just like YTN does with its unique view on Seoul Station.
. Channel A (channel 18) for Dong-A Ilbo
. TV Chosun (channel 19) for Chosun Ilbo. The group will target an older audience than jTBC, and I hope they will aim for quality.

The fifth license was for an all-news channel, and Yonhap News Agency (News Y, channel 23) was unsurprisingly chosen to rival its former subsidiary YTN.

The market seems already saturated: the overwhelming majority of Korean households subscribe to pay TV on cable, IPTV, or satellite, receive hundreds of channels, and are heavy users for all new sorts of screens. Many players will fold, and KBS and SBS will necessarily take a hit, but the aim of the game was elswhere:
- on the defensive side: helping struggling but friendly newspaper groups as smartphones and tablets accelerate the substitution of paper
- on the offensive side: South Korea lacks global multimedia majors, and now jTBC joins CJ as a top contender.

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The Earnit Kingdom: Loan Sharks Feeding Frenzy

2011-11-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

On most Korean cable TV channels, a 90 mn movie generally stretches to over 200 mn because of ads, including a 30 mn advertising tunnel at half time. And if it's an action movie - and 99.9% of cable movies are action movies, with a 50% 'chance' of featuring Steven Seagal - every other spot goes to loan companies.

In France, where regulations try to protect consumers, the message is always cautious, never pushing. Here, it's a permanent Rio Carnival with wads of cash springing from everywhere and a recurrent message: for easy, instant money, call now and think later. No wonder household debt keeps mounting at an alarming pace. But authorities don't seem to worry about a phenomenon mirroring the 1998-2003 period, which ended with a severe credit card crisis.

A couple of months ago, I received about a hundred phone calls every day from dozens of different financial institutions: a certain Mr KIM 00 had subscribed to series of loans, leaving behind the same phony number... which happened to be mine. And "phony", in frigging deed.

For weeks I answered the best I could in my crooked Korean and English, telling them I had nothing to do with this KIM gogaeknim, storing each new number into my own spam list, and managing to stop the calls only after threatening to call the police if the harrassment continued. The volume trickled town to 10 calls a day and then one or two, then zero.

So now, I only receive the 'regular' spam calls. And because I'm on anti-spam lists, we're talking just two-four calls + four-six SMS, every day except on Sundays. All for loans. My spam list keeps growing, and companies changing their phone numbers. The mother of all spammers? Hi Capital: they play a taped message with a female voice and a music that may sound pleasant the first time, but triggers murderous pulsions around the 257th time you hear it. Now I recognize it from the first note, so I can instantly hang up.

But most of the time, there's a human being on the other end of the phone. Working in a call center is a very tough job and I don't want to be rude, but for everybody's well being and productivity, it's better to make things clear as soon as possible. So if I don't recognize the number I only answer in English.

I worked my 'hello?' to a long and melodious 'I'm a Foreigner' statement, and it works: most of the time, the caller hangs up without a word. And when there's one word, it's 95% of the time a curse, and 5% a kind 'sorry' in perfect English. Others burst into laughter. Yet others keep following the script and reading the sales pitch until I thank them for never calling again.

What a tragedy.

I'm not complaining about myself. Just witnessing a doomed collision course.

When the only way of earning money is to fool over the phone poor people into getting poorer, you know something is rotten in The Earnit Kingdom.

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Get the Dasan 120 mobile app!

2011-11-24T18:43:00.000-08:00

If you don't know Dasan Call Center yet you really miss something: you just have to dial 120 (then 9 for English - also available in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian) to enjoy all the free hotlines managed under the Seoul Global Center umbrella. A question about tourism, visa, immigration, drivers license, tax...? A complaint or a suggestion? Need a translator for your taxi? That's the place.

Reminder: SGC also operates 7 Seoul Global Village Centers to serve foreign communities at the local level, and provides free services to Foreign entrepreneurs (see "Invest in Seoul - Seoul is already investing in you!"). And it's opening a second business support center after the COEX SGBSC, in Yeouido this time.

Now the service is available on the go: Dasan 120 developped a smartphone application for Android Market and Apple App Store. To download it, look for Dasan Call or 다산콜 or 120다산콜센터.

The app may not be perfect (a few glitches need to be fixed), but it just started a few days ago. Only a hundred people have downloaded it, and SGC has an history of highly efficient collaborative dynamics. I'm pretty sure I will use it massively because it covers everything you need on a daily basis with a dong level of precision. And don't forget the other official apps, such as iTourSeoul (VisitSeoul.net) or VisitKorea (KNTO).

Dasan 120: 120.seoul.go.kr
Seoul Global Center : global.seoul.go.kr

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"Out of Place" - 2012 Anthology - Seoul Writers Workshop

2011-11-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

Mobs of wordsmiths gathered over the week-end for a literary triple play at The Orange Tree and Berlin Cafe & Lounge: Lyrically Minded + 'Out of Place' sneak peak (Saturday in Haebangchon),'Out of Place' launch party + AXIS (Sunday in Itaewon).

=> for the 3rd installment of Lyrically Minded, the mike never stopped flying from hand to hand, releasing words in all spoken forms from poetry to rap slam to storytelling to songs.

=> AXIS focuses on true stories told live without notes, and this second edition provided really great ones... featuring more than a few spectacular punchlines.

=> "Out of Place" is the title and theme of Seoul Writers Workshop's 4th annual anthology of original fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction*. Yesterday, in tune with this writing-as-a-performing-art week-end, a few contributors read their piece to a large audience, and I'm afraid I barely managed to mumble mine under a light as dim as my voice (that's okay: as always I've got the excuse of being French). But you want to buy this book to make other voices, voices that really deserve attention and care, heard : this year, proceeds from the sales go to The House of Sharing, the charity that supports the cause of comfort women, the victims of sex slavery during Japanese occupation. Contributed to this year's anthology edited by Christopher R. F. Sanders with Kathryn Whitney, Jorge Miramontes Sandoval, Ang McLaughlin, and Becky Bosshart:
- Death Metal: A Revenge Story (Sean Bienert)
- Je t’attends (Brooke Carlson)
- A Hamster Wheel (Kelly Carroll)
- Catching Butterflies (Alex Clermont)
- The Marble and I (Parag Dandgey)
- Stretch (Hamish Dee)
- Astigmatism (Dianne Despi)
- You Can Always Come Home (Ben Dowling)
- short convo (Jürgen Dünhofen)
- For Daniel Who Is 4 (Vanessa Falco)
- Speakeasy (Meriwether Falk)
- Cheap Thrills – What Price? (Pamila J. Florea)
- Dust to Dust (Grace Gallagher)
- Kodachrome (Jeff Glenn)
- I Drank from Your Hair (John Grimmett)
- Yonsei Lake (Gwee Li Sui)
- The Thirteenth Student (Aireanne Hjelle)
- Turkeys Can’t Fly (Matthew David Jenkins)
- The First Wind of the Death (Joel Killin)
- Silk on Belly (Bruce Kim)
- Cracks (Eric Lynn)
- The Beautiful People (J.C. Maxwell)
- Dawn / Daughter / Stars (Craig McGeady)
- Evening Clouds (Shaun Morris)
- Black Snow (Stephane Mot)
- The Road to Sanbuk (Valerie A. Nelson)
- Out of Place (M. Lee Nielsen)
- Date Night (Karin Roest)
- The Halmoni (Michael Solis)
- Hiking on the East Coast in October (Emily Sorrells)
- color / cockpit / the taxi driver (Ayshia Stephenson)
- Bed Solo (Jennifer Waescher)

Join Seoul Writers Workshop on Facebook, wordpress and ning.
Join AXIS on Facebook.
Join Lyrically Minded via the event page on Facebook (Lyrically Minded doesn't seem to be Webally Linked otherwise).
Support The House of Sharing and visit their museum: houseofsharing.org

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* Check for distribution updates on SWW websites (ISBN 978-1-105-16072-1). For the 3rd edition, see "Every Second Sunday").

Yeongcheon Market saved, Tongin Market already bukchonized

2011-11-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

Shall I start with the so-so good news or the not so good news (the good news being that there's no really bad news out there)?

The so-so good one? So be it: Yeongcheong Market has been officially recognized as a market by Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Spoiler: the other piece of news has something to do with another traditional market, Tongin Market.

I know, I know, most of you don't give a fart in a high wind and I fully understand that. But to me it's important, and If you're familiar with this excuse for a blog, you already know that I have a crush for Seoul's markets. Recently, I even mentioned these two in the same (gimbap-ddeokbokki) breath*.

So. What does the Yeongcheon Market recognition mean? This covered street is now a legal entity municipal authorities can deal with, and a priori that's good news: each member becomes stronger and forces can be pooled more easily, so this lively spot might resist more efficiently against potential redevelopments that could mean the end for one of the last remaining 'villages' in the area.

Note that the towers already planned at the Northern entrance (see "Wonjo Ddeokbokki - a.k.a. "Ddeoknimmun"") will be developped as scheduled, but the main entrance should be safe and that's essential for the future : Donuimun New Town will be erected on the other side of Euijuro**, and too many cute places will disappear in the process around Gyonam-dong.

Well. Yeongcheon Market is not exactly "cute". And even after recent improvements it's still a bit dirty. But it does have a soul. And the reason why I'm just so-so pleased by the news is that Yeongcheon Market might be too much 'sanitized' or 'gentrified' for my taste.

Of course local authorities have in mind the preservation of this small animated landmark, but they should be careful not to let it become a tourist trap.

Mind you: Tongin Market is not a tourist trap. But as I feared would happen*, its atmosphere is changing at an alarming pace. On the bright side, the place is cleaner, fresher, better lit with a high ceiling that lets daylight in, and there's much more joy and - yes - fun than ever before. Art students decorated each booth and regularly organize exhibitions (the other day about two sisters who own a shop there). Now there's even a market newspaper... Everybody is smiling, and you can still enjoy the great Hyoja Gimbap*** for only KRW 2,000 a roll (big, tasty bites with a 4 to 1 filling / rice ratio).

But.

If most members stayed, newcomers are not exactly in the same vein. They're good and nice people, and their food does look and smell great, but it's often more the kind of neat shops or eateries you'd find on a busy street. Tongin market is by no means turning into a mall of course, but it's becoming more a gallery than a market, or maybe more the Covent Garden kind of market. I don't see the old generations of merchants resist the sirens of a fat profit: more will sell as the area welcomes more tourists.

Hanoks are being restored around Tongin Market, and the first one that benefited from the renovation program sponsored by local authorities (following the protection of Seochon hanoks) lies precisely in the small vertical alley that joins Tongilsijang-gil in its middle. The feat is well advertised on the door, and the artisan from nearby Nuha-dong even made a wooden box to hold a pack of his business cards. In this alley, a few signs announce trades from another era ("ice" sold here, clothes fixed there...). I bet it won't be long until hanok stay guest houses take over.

I have a word for this : bukchonization.

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* see "Tongin market opens up to art : adaptation or yet another symptom of Seochon's "Bukchonization" ?"
** dang, I'm still not used to call this street "Tongil-ro". Tongil-ro used to start only from Eunpyeong-gu (the former frontier of Seoul city), and now it goes all the way to Seoul Station (see footnotes of "Culture Station Seoul 284").
*** Hyoja Gimbap (gimbap), Tongin Market, Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu. Tel +82.2.730.73.69

Ginza Bairin (Seoul)

2011-11-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

The best tonkatsu in town ? Probably Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, the pork cutlet master, just a short walk from Gyeongbokgung: this Ginza institution developped an incredible sense of perfection for such a common dish.

Their Katsudon is more than alright and not too salty, but don't leave this place without trying the regular tonkatsu. You decide the level of tenderness of your meat (medium or roskatsu is really ok), and enjoy a flawless texture and color, a perfect cooking and tempuration. The tonkatsu sauce is more Japanese/vinegar than Korean/sweet, but you've got to try it as it is and with just a bit of freshly squeezed lemon.

You also have to try their 'katsusand' version. 'Sand', that's short for 'sandwich', and the helluvan experience. On the menu it looks quite simple : four tonkatsu cuts wrapped in white bread. But the texture when you cut a bite with your incisives, and then when you liberate the hot and cold mix with your molars, discovering the mustardish sauce in between... wow.

The place itself, in a recent building behind Kumho gallery and the Polish embassy, was meant to be an art gallery (the small streets behind Samcheongdong-gil changed dramatically with their new galleries and shops). The atmosphere may look cold with those tall white walls and tall black furniture, but the food and the quiet music compensate largely.

Ginza Bairin
93 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK 110-190
Tel +82.2.734.9765
(for the original in Tokyo: 7-8-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Tel 03.3571.0350)

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Park Won-soon's wishes for Seoul... Village

2011-11-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

I expected Seoul's new mayor to deliver some vision for the city*, here's Park Won-soon's first shot:

Seoul + Village + happiness, I can't disagree with this program !

Well... I doubt Park can reach his 'balanced budget' pledge if he maintains the same pace as his first week (free school lunches, 2,500 contractees hired as permanent civil servants...), but at least this man shall fight for the weakest Seoulites when they most need help. And at long last, women's rights become a top issue.

Now time to deliver the goods. And not just goodies.

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* see "A new mayor for Seoul, a new landscape for 2012"

tech+ 2011 - "Technology@me"

2011-11-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

If I had received one Korean won each time the name of Steve Jobs was pronounced yesterday at the 2011 tech+ forum, I'd probably be a few million bucks richer today.

The thing is, the late Apple founder used to herald the convergence of humanities and technology, and that's precisely what this forum is all about : tech+ stands for technology, economy, culture, and human, wrapped up in / multiplied n-fold by resolute optimism (the final +).

While I'm at acronyms : the event was organized by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE). Overall, 7,000 people showed up at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Palace, an impressive cathedral overlooking the splendid campus at its autumnal best.

Day 2 featured no less than 9 keynote speakers and a final wrap-up speech, but time flew seamlessly thanks to perfectly rhythmed transitions. A refreshing change from the usual verbose introductions : dynamic animations on a giant screen launching each speaker like a rock star.

Actually, the most convincing orator happened to be an expert in music : Stanford University's Ge Wang rocked the audience with his musical demos, winning more than a few hearts with his 'Ocarina' version of Arirang. The young Chinese professor delivered the ultimate stevejobsian show : same black top, same beard stubble, same voice pitch, and same gadgets (iPhone, iPad, imCool). Even his Center for Computer Research in Music and Accoustic (Stanford's CCRMA) echoes Steve's sense of Karma. But Ge Wang is a truly original and passionate individual, with an universe of his own (inhabited by such Zorgians as Smule, ChucK, MoPho, or SLOrk*). Bonus: unlike "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named", absolutely not arrogance whatsoever ! Bonus redux: an almost Mozartian touch (short high pitched laughters very reminiscent of Milos Forman's Amadeus). In a nutshell : the inspirational leader every innovating team loves to follow.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Hyundai Motors R&D VP's presentation was almost bad PR for the company. Since I've got the charisma of an anvil on stage, I can't blame him for not being as fun as Ge, but innovation is certainly not about repeating 'convergence' like a mantra without obviously understanding the word, and stamping it on every page of the company's catalog (I'm pretty sure these guys recycle always the same slides with a different keyword depending on the flavor of the month : 'well being', 'ubiquitous', 'premium'...?). Likewise, SK Planet's presentation reminded me of countless shows I attended fifteen years ago, introducing the next deja vu netco with a complete line-up of me-too applications (this time: Sundew, musicBunk, StyleTag, DishPal, Facecard, StarCall).

OK. I'm a more than demanding audience as far as innovation is concerned, but the least you expect is people really enjoying and believing in what they do. So everybody welcomed Yon Namgoong, another man of music and member of the Stevejobsian Adventist Church, and a true model for Korean students who massively attended the event: yes, you can succeed and have an impact, even if you didn't go all the way to the university. Yes, Korea needs to make more room for creative people with diverse backgrounds and a contagious eagerness to share. Yon was clearly more relevant when he developed interesting concepts bridging music with technology than when he interpreted corporate strategies, but did he have fun playing drum on stage !

Significantly, Ge and Yon delivered the same key messages through similar quotes about the evolution of technology : Ben Shneiderman for the hairy Chinese (old computing is about what computers can do / new computing is about what people can do), and the power shift for the bald Korean (power used to come from owning the tool, now it's about how you use it). Both pitches were clearly in the strike zone for the forum's "Technology@me" agenda.

Jay Elliot's job was basically to make sure we didn't forget to mention the late Jobs, and his qualities as a true leader in innovation. From a man who worked closely with him and other giants at IBM or Intel, a rather pleasant chat by the fireplace (i.e. Ge Wang's virtual lighter app for iPhone).

Neither Richard Florida nor Zhong Qui Wang brought disruptive insights either, but it's always useful to remind Korean corporations that stress can be counterproductive, and that staff shouldn't be considered as mere cost centers (and not only in R&D units). I guess Zhong must have an even tougher time trying to convince 'nouveau riche' Chinese entrepreneurs of the virtues of frugality and other Lao Tseuities...

What else ? I wish the 'creative space' presentations had reached deeper because there's so much to say about urbanism and architecture in a 'tech+' perspective for this country, but that leaves more threads to pull for future editions.

I don't know about Steve's second coming, but I'll be back.

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* respectively the company for which he serves as CTO, a sound programming language, the Stanford Laptop Orchestra, the Mobile Phone Orchestra.

Kalguksu alley and Gamegol mandu (Namdaemun market)

2011-10-28T01:41:00.000-07:00

Say you're at Hoehyeon Station and you want to enjoy a quick, power lunch in an animated place, but you don't have time to go through all the alleys of Namdaemun Market. I suggest a couple of mandu at Gamegol to tame your hunger, and an express full course in Kalguksu alley to fill you up.

Take the entrance at exit 6 and about twenty meters to your left, you'll see Gamegol's yellow sign. There's no place to sit inside but a busy team preparing the dumplings, check this video out :

Gamegol proposes two main varieties of dumplings for pick-up : meat and spicy. I like hot stuff but the latter doesn't have anything special. On the other hand, the meat mandu, always a classic, tastes just perfect. Their medium size makes them an ideal snack on the go : king mandu are usually big and inconvenient, a challenge when you're walking across a busy market. Furthermore, with a giant dumpling, not every bite has the right skin / filling mix, and the temperature can't be even all the way (even for I, ever the voracious wolf).

Now move back a few meters towards the market gate. To your right (same side as Gamegol), a kalguksu place signals the narrow entrance to Namdaemun's famous kalguksu alley (in Korean Namdaemun Kalguksu Golmok / 남대문칼국수골목).

Like in Gwangjang Market with gimbap (see "(Gimbap) Drug Wars in Gwangjang Market"), a me-too war is raging in this short covered corridor where a dozen mini restaurants propose basically all the same menu for the same price (around KRW 4,000).

That's good marketing : competitors don't fight on price or on quality because in the end all players would lose money, and they don't make much to start with. So all noodle soups have the same ingredients, which are transparently exposed for every visitor to see. The actual battle lies at the "seobiseu" level : the "service" goodies offered in the package (here a soup, there an extra naengmyeon...). Tenants bark at you from all directions to nail you on their table. Even when all stools are occupied and a second row of customers is waiting. It's part of the game.

I opted for the furthest afield to the left, Seoul Jib. They propose a choice between different dishes, but eventually you eat all of them : a full portion for the main one, three smaller yet significant portions for all others. I majored in bori bibimbap (barley), and enjoyed the kalguksu / soup / naengmyeon combo. They call themselves "Seoul House" but the cooks are from countryside Gyeongsangdo. Simple, delicious, fulfilling food for only 3 euros / 4 bucks (KRW 4,500) !

As you can see, this short alley is relatively quiet but still busy long after rush hour (video taken around 14:15 PM):

Gamegol son wangmandu / 가메골 손 왕만두 (mandu)
Namdaemun Market - Tel +82.2.755.2569
Seoul Jib / 서울집 (kalguksu)
Namdaemun Market kalguksu alley

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(Gimbap) Drug Wars in Gwangjang Market

2011-10-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon. In this dark alley of Gwangjang Market, all shops are closed except Monyeo Gimbap.

Surprise: hundreds of people are queueing for their fabled "mayak gimbap" (this "drug gimbap" owes its name to its supposedly addictive flavor). It took us over thirty minutes to get our fix, and we're in the dead middle of the afternoon ! Check it out :

Each dose costs KRW 2,500 and comprises 8 mini-rolls (not sliced) packed in a plastic box, along with one portion of mustardish sauce and two toothpicks (to make the injections as safe as possible).

Business is good: the dealers have hardly time to chat before moving to the next junkie, and even if they restrict two doses per head, their big metal buckets are quickly emptied. The boss then rides his motorbike to the lab and comes back five minutes later.

I'm not at all an expert in drugs but frankly, this one didn't make me fly. Yet I love gimbap and this one is more than ok. I liked the way they cut the carrots, in thin julienne instead of one big stick. The 'vinaigrette' may taste exotic to Korean palates, less to a French one.

As you can notice on the above video, the atmosphere is rather grim because this part of the market doesn't work on Sundays. Monyeo Gimbap is still located in the center, but fellow merchants recently told them to move their point of sale: the JoongAng Ilbo made a paper on their 'drug', and packs of new customers arrived, congesting the whole street all day long, every day of the week.

Yet nature abhors a vacuum, and rival dealers have been proposing their own 'mayak gimbap' long before the article. I saw four or five of those, even one specialized in kids (boy are drug dealers shameless marketers !). More than a few peopled queued there too, oblivious of the fact that this was not the real stuff.

Note that another joint recommanded by JoongAng Ilbo, Sunhuinae Bindaetteok, doesn't draw as many visitors, so it didn't have to leave the bindaetteok alley of the market. Jongno Bindaetteok remains my favorite, but theirs tastes - and looks - very good too :

The heart of Gwangjang Market is open on weekends, and the food section remains one of my favorit visits. But the atmosphere cannot be compared to week days : this old market is much more lively, and all kinds of people working in the area come to feast joyfully on great pig feet, sundae, bindaetteok, pajeon, and yes gimbap.

Monyeo Gimbap (머녀 김밥)
(the authentic 'mayak gimbap' - 원조 마약 김밥)
Tel +82.2.2264.7668
Sunhuinae Bindaetteok (순희네빈대떡)
Tel +82.2.2268.3334
Gwangjang Market, Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK

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A new mayor for Seoul, a new landscape for 2012

2011-10-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

As expected, PARK Won-Soon won the 10.26 mayoral elections by a wide margin (53+/46+). Rival NA Kyung-won did close the gap following successful TV debates (see "Park-Na debate on KBS"), and she even took the lead in polls, but a scandal involving president LEE Myung-bak (suspicious conditions for land acquisition regarding his future residence and police staff) spectacularly inverted the trend, and a final push from PARK's sponsor AHN Cheol-soo buried all remaining hopes for NA, for whom PARK Geun-hye proved more a drag than a boost.

With both local candidates lacking OH Se-hoon's charisma and reach, Seoul served more than ever as a national test, the results confirming structural political divides between rich and poor districts, and between younger generations and older citizens.

At the national level, PARK Geun-hye definitely took her first major blow since the GNP leader and the founder of AhnLab are supposed to face each other for next year's presidential elections. A symbol of paleo-conservatism, PARK Chung-hee's daughter has been around for years without disclosing any sign of appetence for reform. A total newcomer in politics, AHN Cheol-soo has yet to prove his capacity to manage and reform an administration. His best card remains his Independant label : traditional parties have lost all appeal and particularly to the country's middle class and younger generations.

PARK Won-Soon won with the support of a liberal coalition but as an Independent. Focusing on the demolition of his predecessor's heritage or sterile witch huntings following the absurd battle for free lunches at school (see previous episodes) would pave the way for a noxious presidential campaign next year.

Seoul must remain on the positive path set by OH, who boosted the city's attractiveness at the global as well as at the local level : 78% of Seoulites feel they belong to the capital compared to only 65% in 2006.

The new mayor must now work on bringing all Seoulites together, confirming the city's positive evolutions, a setting an ambitious but sustainable vision for the future.

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Park-Na debate on KBS

2011-10-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

The October 26 Seoul Mayoral race (and the traditional mudslinging contest that comes with it) is raging between GNP nominee NA Kyung-won and AHN Cheol-Soo's protégé PARK Won-soon, the independent who defeated the DP favorite PARK Young-sun in the liberal primaries.

Both candidates debated yesterday on KBS, and it's hard to tell who will prevail.

NA looked definitely more ready for the job, the former lawyer exposing a clear vision and a perfect understanding of all key challenges and issues when PARK remained at the principles level, refusing to enter into any details, even regarding his strategy*. Oddly, the representant of the opposition looked on the defensive against the "incumbent", who seeked a positive approach reminiscent of OH Se-hoon's.

PARK struck exclusively the emotional chord, putting sometimes too much emphasis on his Beautiful Foundation (half of his final one-minute pitch !), and I guess he appealed better to the older segment of the audience. But frankly, from what I saw yesterday, this man doesn't seem to understand what the job is all about, what's at stake for the future of Seoul. He did enter the race quite late as a total outsider, but a minimum of preparation was expected.

PARK also exposed a suicidal stubbornness regarding the "Younghwa Bridge" episode : 30 of the 40 bn KRW needed for the renovation have already been invested, but he said he would leave it like that, just to illustrate the waste of money caused by previous administration (OH Se-hoon). PARK confirmed that yesterday, even when reminded that it would mean more hassles and traffic jams for Seoulites (if you take this bridge one of these days you understand the statu quo is not an option, and the bridge had to be renovated because it had caused many accidents in the past). Needless to say, NA pointed out his irresponsible attitude and the fact that he was, again, more into criticizing than proposing.

Still, NA remains behind in the polls. And a NA win would mean more months of cohabitation around City Hall...

Either way, let's hope Seoul will not lose its momentum.

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Hangeul exports to Indonesia subject to dumping ?

2011-10-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

From the start*, the promotion of Korea's alphabet in the Indonesian city of Bau-Bau (on a Southeastern Sulawesi island) has always looked much stronger on the "supply" side than on the "demand" side. So I'm not very surprised to learn that the people supposed to adopt hangeul are becoming more... demanding as they get closer to accepting the gift.

The Korea Times reveals that Bau-Bau mayor (Amirul Tamim) is now asking for infrastructures that never were part of the deal**. Not to the Hunminjeongeum Society, the Korean association that initiated the operation, but directly to Seoul Metropolitan Government, apparently caught into the trap after the visit of an Indonesian delegation in late 2009.

Koreans are now weighting the pros of cons of giving in to blackmail, because that's basically what it comes down to : "You showed me the letters ? Now show me the money !"

But there shouldn't be any ultimatum. And the fundamental question should be asked to Mayor Tamim : do you really want this alphabet ? The Hunminjeongeum Society desperately wants to plant a hangeul flag overseas, but if the adoption of Hangeul doesn't happen naturally, it will never happen.

I'm pretty sure King Sejong would never have wanted this beautiful alphabet forced down the throat of an Indonesian tribe. Or subject to bribery or dumping, like some vulgar kind of consumer goods.

At last, there is some evolution on the city website since 2009 (beyond the URL, now baubaukota.go.id) :

Thanks to small icons in the upper right corner, visitors now have a choice of language between Indonesian and Korean or, to be more accurate, between "Indonesia" in bahasa Indonesia and "Korean" in English. Unfortunately, baubaukota.go.id/kr leads to this blank page with the message "Website will be back soon" :

I haven't checked the site since 2009, so I can't tell if the said website has ever existed. But since the message is written in English, I wouldn't bet a buck on it.

To be continued (?).

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* see "Hangeul lands in Bau-Bau, Indonesia... to save the Cia !" and "Hangeul, take a Bau-Bau"
** see "Hangeul education on Cia Cia stalled"

FC Seoul Expats Day

2011-09-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

A perfect weather, a friendly atmosphere, a lively game with five goals... total success for this second edition of the FC Seoul's Expats Day !

Thousands of expats were invited by the club, Seoul Global Center, and 10 Magazine for an afternoon of animation and a K-League clash between FC Seoul and Daejeon Citizens at the Seoul World Cup Stadium (a very special place for me : I attended its inaugural game, the 2002 FIFA World Cup opener - a stunning but well deserved victory of Senegal over France -, or the last confrontation between ROK and PRK) :

Gathering all communities for a festive moment, there's no better way of promoting the club, the league, and the game. The club hosted the event wonderfully, from the organizers backstage to the fans in the tribunes to the players on the field.

Beyond Seoul's own trio of Expats Dejan Damjanovic (three goals for the Montenegrin), Adilson (impressive coverage by the Brazilian), and Mauricio Molina (even in a mediocre day, the Columbian managed to score the final goal), the whole team delivered a very convincing game, leveraging on a strong defense, a swift midfield, and diversified attacks. Daejeon players too felt in a giving mood, offering a few gifts, starting only a few minutes after the kick off with an assist to Damjanovic for his first goal. Park Sung-ho could have played a bit faster to bring more danger, but the Citizens never gave up. Even a little tension at the end of the game didn't spoil the mood : the referee promptly exposed a few cards matching his yellow jersey, and after all, the game itself was not supposed to be friendly.

4-1. This glorious day brings FC Seoul closer to the play-offs (preferably with a ticket for next AFC Champions League - and another K-League title ?), and to a more than ever international audience.

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PS : thanks to Korea4Expats for the tickets !

Medical Tourism

2011-09-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

These guys defying gravity look like they could be the next customers of the building they're cleaning.

But paradoxically, they risk much less than pedestrians walking at the feet of this Samsung Gangbuk Hospital : I've already mentioned this tricky crossroads where Donuimun will be restored*.

In a city remarkably equipped for physically challenged people, the direct surroundings of medical institutions can be surprisingly dangerous. Of course, you always have to be careful for customers walking in the hospital's PJs, sometimes even hundreds of yards away with their IV poles, but it's also a matter of accessibility, at times poor, or of parking lots that are not really accident-proof.

Each time I ride my bicycle to Yonsei University, I have to be extra careful when I pass in front of Dongseo Oriental Hospital. Not just because of the patients : traffic at the entrance is at best messy and generally dangerous.

Those exceptions shouldn't last too long in a city where medical tourism keeps booming, particularly in Gangnam-gu, which advertises massively about its state of the art infrastructures.

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* "Donuimun Restoration and Sadaemun Resurrection" - I took this picture on my way to Gyeonggyojang (soon to reopen).

KTX coast to coast Incheon-Gangneung

2011-09-21T18:35:00.001-07:00

It was part of the Pyeongchang 2018 bid but now that's official: the KTX Incheon airport line will be prolonged all the way to Gangneung by 2015, connecting key entry points (ICN, Seoul) to the future olympic venues and the East Sea. A major milestone for a national network in permanent development for conventional as well as high speed lines.

Historically, Korean railways followed the Seoul-Busan axis: the Gyeongbu Line and Jungang Line are basically Nortwest-Southeast parallels, the former starting from Seoul Station and the latter from Cheongnyangni (two multimodal hubs about to be more closely connected in the future).

The KTX dramatically shrunk distances, and now Daejeon competes with Daegu as the main hub between the capital and Busan because it lies at the intersection of the KTX Gyeongbu Line (Seoul-Busan 2h10)and the Honam Line (Seoul-Mokpo 1h46). Initially planned for 2014, Seoul-Gangneung is expected to take 1h39, largely within the goal set by railway authorities for all intra-korean lines (two hours maximum).

The Incheon Airport KTX line (not to be confused with the AREX - "AREX on time for Seoul - Gimpo - Incheon" - even if it shares the infrastructure) reaches Wonju West station in Gangwon-do, with 5 stops in between:
- Susaek (Gyeongui Line, close to the DMC and Subway Line 6) in Susaek-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul
- Yongsan (other KTX lines, Jungang Line, and Subway Line 1) in Hangangno 3-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
- Cheongnyangni (Jungang Line, Gyeongwon Line) in Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
- Mangu (Gyeongchun Line, Jungang Line, Subway Line 1) in Sangbong-dong, Jungnang-gu, Seoul
- Yongmun (Jungang Line) in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do

The old Wonju Station being also on Jungang Line, this is basically an AREX-Jungang combo.

The Wonju-Gangneung extension will connect the two cities that gave their name to the Gangwon-do province when it was founded in 1395 (GANGneung + WONju = GANGWON). Wonju remained the capital for centuries but now Chuncheon rules: it claims 1.4 mn souls compared to 310,000 for Wonju and 230,000 for Gangneung.

Only two stops are scheduled between WON and GANG: Pyeongchang and Daegwallyeong, both in Pyeongchang-gun. Daegwallyeong is famous for the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm, but two major olympic venues are located in this myeon: Alpensia and Yongpyong resorts.

When I think that driving to Yongpyong took us 6 hours back in 1992, if we were smart enough to leave Seoul before 6 AM to avoid the traffic on the old road... infrastructures have so much improved over the past two decades!

Well. Not all infrastructures proved successful. This new KTX line looks like another nail in Yangyang International Airport's coffin: that's by far the closest one to Pyeongchang as the crow flies, and it's quite ok (yours truly used it back in 2002), but it's a commercial flop and totally desert except for the occasional charter flight.

Even on steroids, a crow cannot beat a KTX.

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For Line 1, take the Seoul Museum of History

2011-09-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

Over 4,000 representations of the rock musical "Line 1" were given between 1994 and 2008 in Daehangno's Hakchon Theater.

The play was adapted from "Linie 1" (GRIPS-Theater in Berlin) by Kim Min-gi, a liberal icon whose songs became anthems for democracy movements thirty years ago. The collection of artifacts from the musical was donated to the Seoul Museum of History, where they're on display until October 5.

The exhibition is as usual the pretext to recreate a particular atmosphere of Seoul - here, the mid nineties, and a ride between Seoul Station and Cheongnyangni Station (Seoul subway line 1) as the alibi to meet fictional as well as real fellow Seoulites.

This museum is headed by a man who loves his city and mankind, and I like the way the permanent collections for recent history (1970s-1990s) have been rearranged. That's on the second floor, next to the 3D map of Seoul : there's more room for photography, and in one corner, a genuine shanty workshop to remind all visitors that the Miracle on the Han River was not a walk in the park. My heart sank because I saw exactly the same installation two years ago in real life, behind Seoul Station, not far from Kim Gi-chan's favorite neighborhoods, in an area about to be redevelopped, and where illegal migrant workers remained until the end in dire conditions...

Donated Collection of Rock Musical 'Line 1'
2011-09-08 to 2011-10-05
Seoul Museum of History : museum.seoul.kr
50 Saemunan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea 110-062 (Tel : Dasan 120)

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Deoksugung or Gyeongungung ?

2011-09-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

According to the JoongAng Ilbo ("Deoksu's name might be changed"), the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea considers restoring the previous name of Deoksugung to Gyeongungung or Gyeongun palace (경운궁). Technically, the last change didn't occur under official Japanese rule (1910-1945), but under Japanese pressure and after Emperor Gojong's abdication in 1907, almost ironically celebrating the long and honorable life (德壽 / Deok-su) of Korea's first and last emperor. Gojong eventually died there in 1919.

The CHA would like to know what citizens think of this potential change, and personally I wouldn't favor abandoning the Deoksugung appellation.

If Japanese occupation left too many open wounds that still require proper treatments, this one is clearly not one of them. Every major city has monuments and names associated with troubled times, but which have, over time, lost all negative meanings and now positively belong to the city's landscape and history.

The city of Seoul, itself, logically changed its own name right after the Japanese occupation (during which "Keijo" or "Gyeongseong" were used), but Deoksugung's name was obviously not a major issue, and changing names wouldn't make much sense anymore, now that Deoksugung is associated with peace time and a pleasant stroll at the heart of the Korean republic's capital. To me, the restoration of Deoksugung-gil was much more important than the restoration of the palace's (not even) original name.

Furthermore, dropping the name Deoksugung would be meaningless without destroying the Deoksugung museum and other parts built during the occupation. We'd rather accept this monument as it is : built by Koreans, altered by the Japanese, now devoted to culture and overall, a major and consistent cultural asset of Seoul that tells a lot about its past, present, and future.

I strongly approved the destruction of the Japanese Government-General Building that deliberately destroyed the very soul of the city, and the restoration of Gyeongbokgung makes perfect sense. But I'm also glad that the new City Hall maintains part of the old Japanese structure. And I militate in favor of the protection of colonial times assets in Incheon. So to respect post-war peace as well as Seoul's full cultural heritage, I oppose the obliteration of the Deoksugung name.

Degrading Deoksugung as the official name would be like erasing sixty years of peaceful history. And please, please, let's not bring down this lovely place to the same arena as Dokdo.

I'm not saying that the Gyeongungung name should be obliterated for good. I simply mean that both appellations are correct (unlike in that other Seoul palace, Changdeokgung, where Huwon is wrongly known as Biwon by most people), but that one belongs only to a long gone past, and certainly neither to the present nor to the future. We shouldn't oppose them nor develop any risk of confusion, which would inevitably lead to stupid word fights were people calling the palace "Deoksu" would be dubbed "collaborators" by the self-proclaimed "patriots" who call it "Gyeongung".

To me, Deoksugung has been meaning something important for decades : the long and honorable life of Korea as an independent nation with a great past, but also a great future, precisely because it overcame sufferings to embrace peace and mutual respect.

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ADDENDUM 20110923

This column was published today in Korea JoongAng Ilbo under the same title.

Korean blitz : all bases loaded

2011-09-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

The major blackout Korea just experienced may be the consequence of a hacking of KEPCO earlier this year. It also could be due to a simple bug.

I can't help but believe in the first scenario, which would cast yet another unsettling cloud over the country and its security.

Over the past few months, Korea has proven embarrassing vulnerabilities in strategic areas :
- conventional warfare : military / organizational fiascos following North Korean attacks (ie Yeonpyeong)
- hackings / suspicious blackouts at the core of vital networks : financial (ie banks), media / internet, air traffic, and now electricity...

So regardless of who is responsible here (incompetence) or there (most fingers pointing at North Korea or China), a malicious organization could completely incapacitate Korea within minutes without using any conventional weapon. Even if the aim is not an invasion per se (nor even a diversion preceding an invasion of say North Korea), this would definitely damage the reputation of Korea as an economic powerhouse.

With its drive, infrastructures and talents, Korea should be ahead of Israel in national security. KISA (Korea Information Security Agency) significantly improved its visibility, but the national culture remains focused on hardware.

Samsung has eventually understood it needed to evolve and change business models, but it took series of obvious wake up calls (ie Google wolfing down Motorola). The government will probably follow suit. And if spurs are needed, the potential candidacy of Ahn Cheol-soo at the 2012 presidential elections might help : the founder of antivirus specialist AhnLab has some credentials in the area.

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D-Cube City and Korean Food Street (Byeokgyesu)

2011-09-17T04:36:00.001-07:00

If the recently inaugurated D-Cube City has quickly gained a solid reputation among local food lovers, it is well deserved.

Though less spectacular than Seoul Times Square (in nearby Yeongdeungpo-gu) architecturally speaking, the complex devoted more space for the comfort of its visitors, and developed a really original and consistent concept in the food department, with a clear editorial line around three major "verticals" : a trip back to 1920s Shanghai at "China Feng", a "World Street Food" with mouthwatering menus for Japanese food fans, and an already cult "Korean Food Street".

All three are located in the department store section (respectively 6F, B1, and B2), which also includes more classic restaurants and chains, and even a cute Pororo Theme Park. Beyond the dept store / mall : the D-Cube Arts Center, a D-Cube Park, the Sheraton Seoul D-Cube City (I took this view over Shindorim station and Guro-gu from their lobby - spectacular panorama on 41F), an outdoor park, offices and apartments... a major and ambitious project, but not a completely disruptive business model.

Now the food is really something you can't find elsewhere... The originality lies in the fact that it's really the original stuff. Cooks and dishes have been carefully sourced across the country and beyond. For instance, Michelin-starred Mist, the noodle expert, came from Tokyo. And even for such trivial stuff as ddeokbokki, the Chosen One is no other than Mimime : Hongdae's institution even closed shop there to open here - nothing changed regarding the queue, except that you don't have to wait outdoors anymore, and that you can do many other things while waiting for your food.

But the jewel of the crown is the Korean Street Food / Korean Food Street : a whole village full of life and terrific food. If the National Folk Museum of Korea were to propose a live show of Korean specialities, that would be it. The full course at Byeokgyesu costs only KRW 11,000 for lunch, and KRW 17,000 for dinner. It may look classic from a distance, but every single banchan has a unique story to tell and an incredible taste to reveal.

It's huge and seats hundreds, but very pleasant - you don't feel in some big food factory, rather in a festive village gathering. Everybody is smiling, simply enjoying the moment, sharing the experience.

D3 City (D-Cube City)
662 Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul 152-887 (360-51 Sindorim-dong)
website (nb: badly needs an update): dcubecity.com
Tel +82.2.2211.1000
D-Cube Korean Street Food / Korean Food Street (디큐브 한식 저잣 거리) : B2
Tel +82.2.2211.0730
. Byeokgyesu / 벽계수 (Korean Dining)
. Bandal / 반달 (Korean Pub)
. Yetsan / 옛산 (Korean Barbecue)
. Jatnamubae / 잣나무배 (Korean Snack)
. Dongjitdal / 동짓달 (Cafe)

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ADDENDUM 20110924
I found the business card I thought I'd lost, so I could detail the names of the different parts of the Korean Food Street, in particular the full course restaurant (벽계수).

Ray Banned

2011-09-16T00:59:00.000-07:00

It had to happen.

For the first time I tasted some Korean food I really disliked. I was warned before, but gave it a shot nonetheless.

Fermented skate (홍어) has a tough reputation, but each bite is supposed to pass more peacefully with a bit of pork, gimchi, and gochujang, wrapped in the traditional lettuce leaf. Ever the tastebuds daredevil, I tried it bare to enjoy its flavor to the fullest (foulest ?).

Big mistake.

I simply can't describe the experience, and as I try to recall it, I can see my fingers trembling over the keyboard - an early sign of severe PTSD if I ever saw one.

Nothing weird about the look or the texture, but the smell could come from an over-expired if not maggot-infested camembert cheese, and as the thing explodes into your mouth, you almost wish you had ordered rotten skunk sashimi instead. The pungent aftertaste wouldn't be silenced by three coffees, and I bet even beondegi toothpaste wouldn't have succeeded.

A perfect near-death experience before visiting Yongmiri Cemetery, as peaceful as ever (see above picture - that's in Yongmi-ri, Gwangtan-myeon, Paju).

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PS: fellow Korean food lovers, pass this dish and go straight to the nearest Korean restaurant to enjoy this overwhelmingly fantastic cuisine.

Return to Seoul Station

2011-09-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

Strange feeling, yesterday, as I roamed the inaugural exhibitions at the brand new old Seoul Station ("Countdown" and YIPPA 2011 - see "Culture Station Seoul 284").

To start with, the light was special, and with that Latino group performing in a distance it almost felt like a summer evening in Spain before a storm. But the air was dry, and the rain wasn't announced before Friday. Yet every color was enhanced, every person on the street an actor on stage. Brighter than ever, the orange of Seoul Square. Saddening as always, the scattered army of the homeless guarding the old Seoul Station.

Even from a closer range, it's hard to believe this landmark has been completely renovated. And as you enter, you realize how small it was : a provincial station at most, and except for the two of us, only a handful of people inside, including the staff.

We started with the Yonhap photo expo, which certainly didn't lift our moods : UN Millennium Development Goals are about tackling every dimensions of human misery, and in "Share the Moment, Share the Future", photographers from all horizons are precisely pointing their fingers where it hurts. Tough images, utter despair, with just the occasional glimmer of hope...

We then moved to "countdown", which doesn't exactly lifts art to new levels, but provided the perfect alibi for a visit to ole Seoul Yeok. Restoration it is, and in its most basic form : each room recovers its initial aspect, and sans furniture ni human traffic, the old train station has the green, gloomy atmosphere of an abandoned hospital. Even the "VIP rooms" feel like the Kubrick's version of King's Overlook hotel. But guess what, that's exactly what I expected and hoped for : unpretentious, not overdone, and respectful of an original architecture that includes charming staircases and cute alcoves as much as dull corridors.

Imperfections are welcome, even if the green wooden windows didn't have to be that respectful of the old days : as you can see on this picture (sorry for the quality, I'm all thumbs with picturephones), they are not weatherproof.

The second floor offers a much brighter face with its 240 degree view on Hangangno, Namdaemun, the Toegyero overpass, Dongja-dong, Galwon-dong, and (for how long ?) Inwangsan and Huam-dong. The former barber shop has been converted into a permanent exhibition about the restoration : judging by the initial state of the building, they had to do more than just scratch the surface of the walls, but considering Korean construction standards in 1925, the Japanese did a pretty decent job in the first place.

This is only the beginning for the "New Old Seoul Station" - again, a more official inauguration is scheduled for March 2011 -, but as expected, it is already a very promising venue for cultural events, and a key asset in a middle of a neighborhood about to experience major redevelopments.

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NB: I wasn't allowed to take a full picture of the main hall because of the works on display. The first photo above, a partial one, was taken from an angle that reminded me of Orsay Museum. I don't remember the stained glass on the ceiling but then again, I was not a frequent user of the old station.

Agony and Ecstasy - Pinault collection in Seoul

2011-09-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

What a cultural year for France in Korea ! We've seen French musea send key works to Seoul and Daejeon (respectively Musee d'Orsay and Musee d'Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne*), the nation return Oegyujanggak books to their homeland**, and now our top private collector display some of his goods to the Korean public.

Francois Pinault is quite a figure in France, and his rivalry with fellow billionaire Bernard Arnault considerably added to the legend. Both are tough predators and acute businessmen who transformed their fathers companies into global conglomerates, and they've often been fighting on the same turf, starting on the internet with Kertel and Libertysurf, before the masstige carnage between PPR-Gucci and LVMH. But they are diametrically different characters : while the short and rough Pinault claims his earthy roots, cultivates a powerful network of fellow Bretons, and often attends the games of his Rennes Football Club ("his" at the affectionate as well as financial levels), the tall, polished, and distant Arnault positions himself in quasi-royalry circles and points out the piano as its main hobby.

Their rivalry has shifted into the art arena. And if Arnault had more opportunities in his youth, Pinault started his collection much earlier, gaining a strong reputation in contemporary art circles. France totally lost face when he dropped his project in Boulogne Billancourt : initially, his foundation was to land on Ile Seguin, the site of Renault's historic factory on the Seine river (a dramatic landmark signed Tadao Ando), but local authorities erred... and a once in a lifetime opportunity popped up in Venice, where the billionaire snatched Palazzo Grassi before taking over Punta della Dogana (re-enter Ando), dwarfing the Biennale di Venezia from across the Canal Grande. LVMH eventually opted for Bois de Boulogne and serial museum designer Franck Gehry.

After being converted to contemporary art, Pinault became as passionate as Pompidou. The magnate is not just letting his staff signing checks and piling up names in wharehouses the Citizen Kane way*** : he is involved in every purchase, befriending artists, following their progresses... and of course contributing to their own successes (BTW : there is no accounting for taste but personally, I would rather pick Bourgeois, Bacon, and Kiefer than Warhol, Koons, and Twombly).

For the first time, parts of Pinault's treasures are exposed in Seoul : at SongEun ArtSpace until November 19. "Agony and Ecstasy", the classic thanatos / eros thema, is served by the usual bling bling suspects : Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, and Cindy Sherman. Why SongEun ArtSpace ? Maybe Pinault felt some sympathy for the late founder Yoo Sung Yeon, an art lover who made his fortune in less glamorous industries.

You want more contemporary art from France ? 80 Jean-Michel Othoniel works will be exhibited at galerie Plateau starting this Thursday. First of its kind, this comprehensive retrospective is also organized by Centre Pompidou, with the benediction of The Institut Francais de Coree du Sud, another eminent resident of this Sungnyemun neighborhood (OK, the IFC is comfy, the Cafe des Arts yummy, and Sungnyemun about to reopen as a fantastic landmark, but I surely miss the old Centre Culturel Francais next to Gyeongbokgung !).

I remember Othoniel's monumental glass necklace, but the artist has obviously investigated many different media, sometimes at a more intimate level. To the point lust is supposed to be dripping from "My Way". If the former Rodin Gallery permanently hosts one of the Gates of Hell, I guess Othoniel aims at inferno's second circle.

"Agony and Ecstasy" - Francois Pinault collection
2011/09/03-11/19
SongEun ArtSpace
Cheongdam-dong 118-2, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea 135-100
Tel +82.2.3448.0100
songeunartspace.org

"My Way" - Jean-Michel Othoniel
2011/09/08-11/27
Galerie Pleateau
Samsung Life Insurance Building 1F, Taepyeongno-2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea 100-716
Fax +82.2.2259.7799
plateau.or.kr

Institut Francais de Coree du Sud
Woori Building 18F, 10 Bongnae-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea 100-161
Tel +82.2.317.8500
france.or.kr

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* see "Musee d'Orsay in Seoul", "http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2011/05/monet-to-warhol-saint-etienne-daejeon.html"...
** see "Oegyujanggak books returned"
*** or more Isabella Stewart Gardner than Henry Clay Frick, to compare Pinault with turn of the (other) century opulent collectors

Sajik Heights and micro-hanokization

2011-09-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

My previous post* reminds me I forgot to mention an interesting development over Sajik Tunnel : this new hanok overlooking the traffic.

I waited to have the photo opportunity as a car passenger to show the impact from Sajikno. Of course, what strikes you first is the very ugly Yangeuimun Church, a towering white monster under wraps these days (maybe to transform into a towering colorful monster). The red bar to its right is the Korea Social Science Data Archive (KOSSDA or 한국 사회과학자료원). Further to the right is the Jongno Culture and Sports Center, where I used to go swimming twice a week or so**. And to reach this place from Gwanghwamun Space Bon, I had to pass in front of that hanok spot so I know pretty well every inch along the way.

I could write stories about the alleyway leading up to what I call Sajik Heights from Sajikno, the pawprints left by a dog on the rough concrete staircase, the passage over Sajik Tunnel (now covered with a deck), and the poor white dog who broke my heart each time I passed by her tiny place : either leashed or in her small cage, the poor bitch ruled over a 10 square feet staircase (she managed to get babies once but didn't keep them for long).

Now about this new hanok. There's a bigger one behind, and the owner used to grow an amazing variety veggetables in front of his place, including where this small new extension stands, by the ruins of a house partly serving as a parking lot.

This is a truly minor change, and there are many other hanoks nearby, and more than a few nice "jutaek" on the way to Sajik-dan and Seochon, but this tiny detail could have a lot of significance for the local urban landscape because of its visibility for outsiders at a key location.

I'm not talking about something very spectacular like the restoration of a whole traditional village, but about a small protuberance that catches the corner of your eye and suddenly connects you to a neighborhood, help you reconcile with your city. So many places disappeared over the years, and particularly along major avenues, that it's hard to get a notion of what's been lost without venturing deeper into vernacular Seoul. But from time to time, hope shyly shows its head.

Of course, preserving existing landmarks remains preferable to artificially creating new ones. And right on the other side of the tunnel (in Haengchon-dong, 1-88 beonji), there's an amazing jewel on the verge of collapse : not far from a magnificent gingko tree, this 1923 red brick house is not abandoned but - to say the least - poorly tended. Named Dilkusha ('my heart is happy' in Hindi), it used to be the residence of Albert Taylor, the press correspondant who was jailed for 6 months in Seodaemun Prison - at the 2009 exhibition "Three Foreigners' Reminiscence of Seoul" at Seoul Museum of History two years ago, they mentioned how his wife Mary could see him, from their house, walk the prisoners walk.

At the time of its construction, the view over the valley must have been breathtaking but now, villas almost completely occult it. I hope it can be saved the way a smaller red brick landmark was, just one block away : it is now a mini-museum at the corner of the park recently created at the top of the future Gyonam / Dongnimmun New Town.

We also owe Taylor the fantastic panorama exhibited on the museum's ground floor (curators had the brilliant idea to match this 90 year old marvel with a contemporary view of downtown Seoul).

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* "Junggye's "Baeksa Village" shall survive"
** or picknicking higher on Inwangsan (follow the trail on "Inwangsan's Great Wall and Seoul's Royal "T" Time")

Junggye's "Baeksa Village" shall survive

2011-09-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite Seoul villages. If you take a Nowon-gu map, it's easily recognizable as the only area with a crooked shape in an ocean of neat appartment blocks. That's actually how I spotted it for the first time, and I wasn't disapointed by the place, one of Seoul's last typical "moon villages" ("달동") with a soul of its own and an almost rural lifestyle. I took this picture* of kids playing there exactly seven years ago, and I remember the red peppers drying up on the streets, or the old people inviting us for a chat on their mat at a fork in the road.

Located on the Western slopes of Buramsan, "백사 마을" (Baeksa Maeul or Baeksa Village) doesn't owe its name to the fact that it hosts the 104-san beonji of Junggye-bun-dong (also spelled "baeksa"), but to a legendary "white snake" ("baeksa"). And "White Snake Village"'s serpentine main "street" leads you to the edge of a forest that didn't exist back in 1967, when the area first drew the attention of the media (and when Park Chung-hee's reforestation program hadn't turned Seoul's bald red hills into green lungs yet).

Last time I visited the place back in 2004, there were already talks of redevelopment. You could see many "budongsan" opening shop at the feet of the village, and in those new town crazy years, I wouldn't have bet any buck on a survival for this forsaken place.

Baeksa Maeul again made the (local) headlines not so long ago, when LH Corporation's new town plans were made public. Not very original, but at least we were spared the usual tombstone giants.

Today, the village makes national headlines because all plans have been dropped (in financial turmoil, LH has cancelled many programs over the past year), and local authorities have opted for a softer "remodelling" that partially preserves the shape, the streets, and hopefully the spirit of this very cute place. Among other sources, I recommend this KBS video ("마지막 달동네 ‘백사마을’, 마을 한켠에 보존") where you can enjoy many different views on Baeksa Village, including films from 1967 :

I'm really happy. Not only because White Snake Village has a chance to survive without losing its soul, but because all this noise shall boost preservation for the other few surviving gems and moon villages still clinging to the city's mountain slopes.

More likely, speculators will rush here and there to snatch cheap land and build big mansions before local authorities manage to secure the areas. Not far from there in Sanggye, I could see that happen in Danggogae's former slums years ago.

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* a picture also recycled, among other "Seoul crumbs", in dragedies.

---
UPDATE 20110906 : added a snapshot from the KBS video showing the village before/after remodelling.

Gyeonggi Business & Culture Networking Day

2011-09-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Following the success of Seoul Global Business Support Center networking events*, KBC (Korea Business Central) organizes with Gyeonggi Province, and the GAFIC (Gyeonggi Association of Foreign Invested Companies) the first Gyeonggi Business & Culture Networking Day.

It was only a matter of when and where for Steven S. Bammel : KBC's founder is an FDI Advisor to Gyeonggi-do and a consultant to GAFIC :
- the when ? Saturday, October 8, 2011, starting at 2 PM for the cultural experience.
- the where ? The prestigious Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounding the old city of Suwon.

A very impressive venue, and a great opportunity to meet with key members of the province's thriving business ecosystem.

For all details and online registration (only KRW 10,000 for early birds !), connect to KBC's website. Also :
- Gyeonggi Province : gg.go.kr
- KBC : KoreaBusinessCentral.com
- GAFIC : gafic.or.kr

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* see "SGBSC + KBC : small business & big party", "Seoul Global Business Networking Event 2011"

Wireless Korea

2011-09-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

All Seoulites are used to this kind of bibimmyeon packs of wires floating over their heads in every street. They're part of the cityscape (I took this picture, titled 'Wireless Korea', back in 2003 near Hongdae), but also messy and potentially dangerous : electricity, FTTH, or cable TV run through them, and magpies often build their nests at key intersections, provoking the occasional fire or network collapse.

At long last, the city has decided to do something about it and to bury them underground, starting with Jangchung-dong (a hilly neighborhood hosting the circular indoor Jangchung Gymnasium at the feet of Shilla Hotel), and Dongjak-gu.

This 'software' approach could prolong the community-based 'human town concept'*, where pavements and green spaces tend to multiply, and closed walls to disappear.

Way to go... but considering Korea's unfathomable multilayer plug-ins / upgrades tradition, authorities would better make their brand new cable-ways easily accessible.

Speaking of local authorities : AhnLab founder Ahn Cheol-Soo declared his potential bid as an independent candidate for Seoul mayorship, instantly claiming the top spot in the polls (39.5%). I guess he'd have to beef up his V3 antivirus software against rampant corruption.

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* see "OH Se-hoon launches the "Seoul Human Town" concept"

Kwak's "gros couac"

2011-08-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

The ultimate loser in last week's school lunch referendum* may not necessarily be OH Se-hoon.

The man who fought him on the issue, Seoul Education Superintendent KWAK No-hyun, will probably have to resign as well... but for a much less honorable reason : bribery. If corruption is unfortunately pandemic in Korean politics, the role of the corruptor even less glamourous.

KWAK admitted to giving KRW 200 M to a rival following last year's elections, but out of pity because the man was suicidal. Prosecutors believe it was the price for his withdrawal from the race.

Even before the elections, KWAK was criticized for blaming foreign schools and sending his kid to one at the same time. And I've already made my case* against his free lunch program, which is already very much contested as schools face the financial consequences of its implementation. But he promoted a very positive reform : making physical punishment illegal in Seoul schools.

This embarrassing case surfaced on August 24, the very day of the referendum, but only became public the next day : evidences arrived too late, and the risk to change unfairly the outcome of the vote was too big.

OH Se-hoon would have probably mobilized enough voters to pass the referendum. Now he's licking his wounds and looking for a new home, preferably in Gangbuk. Maybe he'll end up renting a hanok, who knows ?

After allowing the destruction of too many hanoks or such assets as Pimatgol, OH embraced preservation (ie for Seochon). And as expected, Seoulites start to realize the importance of this Mayor's legacy, particularly in the transformation of Seoul from a hard city to a soft city (ie neighborhood parks, human towns, redistribution of budgets from rich to poor districts, pedestrian areas, Gwanghwamun Square, art and design centers, global centers...).

As expected too, some of OH's more controversial pet projects will not survive his resignation : the three floating islands are already completed, but some parts of Hangnang Renaissance shall be abandoned, as well as his dream of a highway for tourist boats...

His successor will be elected on October 26, and a few candidates have already declared themselves. Han Myeong-sook (DP), who lost by a thin margin last time, was not among them but she leads the polls... even if she herself is being investigated for corruption. A duel with Na Kyung-won (GDP) would ensure a first female Mayor for the Korean capital.

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* see "In memoriam OH Se-hoon", "Seoul free school lunch referendum (continued)"...
** see "Seoul-Incheon canal"

In memoriam OH Se-hoon

2011-08-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

As Yogi said, it ain't over till it's over. But figures don't look that good for Seoul Mayor OH Se-hoon.

For this doomed school meal referendum*, he needs not only a 50+% majority, but a turnout stronger than 33.3%. Polls confirm a majority of Seoulites agree with him but we're in the middle of the summer and the opposition party called for a boycott of the referendum...

Unsurprisingly, the 33.3% target seems very very unlikely. At 4 PM, participation reached only 19.6% compared to 44.5% for last year's mayoral elections, and 24.2% for the last local elections in April (Jung-gu Commissioner). Final participation for the first ballot was 53.9% (poll stations closed at 6 PM), and 31.4% for the second (open until 8 PM, like today). Worse, the gap is widening between the August 24 and the April 27 ballots : +0.5 at 8 AM, -0.7 at 11 AM, -3.0 at 2 PM, and now -4.6 at 4 PM... The 33.3% target is not even reached yet in GNP strongholds : Seocho-gu and Gangnam-gu barely cross the 25% threshold with respectively 27.6% and 26.9%. A score between 25 and 30% would be honorable but unsufficient.

OH put his job in the balance, and confirmed he wouldn't run for the Presidential elections next year. The man reminds me of ROH Moo-hyun : basically a good person and a potential great president, but not the kind of predators that can rule over Korean politicians.

Miracles can happen, but time is running late.

And whatever happens, OH will bee a free man tonight.

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--- UPDATE 18:00 : participation "jumped" to 22.1%, Seocho and Gangnam now claim 30%+... and with office workers flocking to the polls, is a surprise like last year's last minute victory still possible ? ---

--- UPDATE 20:40 : final score ? Honorable (25.5%) but too low. If OH made some mistakes and compromises, he put Seoul on the world map and on the right track. I wish him well, and I hope for Seoul his successor can keep the same positive trend. ---

* see previous episodes, including "Seoul free school lunch referendum (continued)"

Yeongeon Samgyetang (Seoul)

2011-08-24T00:44:00.000-07:00

At long last, sun is back over Seoul. Why not a good samgyetang to celebrate summer ?

In the Southwestern backstage of Daehangno, Yeongeon Samgyetang usually exhibits a queue stretching over one block but today, we're next in line (beating by a minute a pack of young Seoul University Hospital wolves) and five minutes later, seated in front of a steaming chicken and a egg-size glass of spirit ("seobiseu").

The bird can look small, but the portion is more than enough, and tastier than most rivals. Their rice, glutinous, mixes ideally with the stew. A satisfying victory over what's left of summer.

Yeongeon Samgyetang / 연건삼계탕 (restaurant)
86 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel : +82.2.762.5084

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Attractiveness of Seoul - participate to the survey

2011-08-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

What makes Seoul so attractive ? You have the answer.

Until August 24, you can participate to a special survey for Seoul Metropolitan Government / Seoul Global Center :

My own picks are not very original :
- Sejongno and its Gwanghwamun-Bukhansan panorama (with the cultural venues around)
- Street food (particularly in the city's lively markets)
- Seoul mountains (its lungs and precious natural assets)

I had to make a tough choice, but they somehow follow three key verticals of this miserable blog : cityscape, food, and environment.

Have your say !

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Culture Station Seoul 284

2011-08-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

After two years of renovation, the Old Seoul Station has just been reinaugurated as "Culture Station Seoul 284" (문화역서울 284), a name that echoes the status of this 111 year-old building (Korean Historic Site No. 284), as well as its new purpose.

Note that this red brick landmark already hosted ASYAAF 2008, and that the following year, the old Defense Security Command welcomed the memorable 2009 edition before experiencing itself a similar metamorphosis*.

The Former Seoul Station Building's metamorphosis is limited (the outer shell and the first two floors have been preserved) and progressive : a first exhibition starts today and will last until February 11, 2012, the official opening. In March 2012, all facilities will be fully functional.

So the countdown has started, and "Countdown" is precisely the name of the inaugural exhibition, where 20 Korean artists present their works or perform live.

Also starting today at the new venue : YIPPA 2011. Yonhap International Press Photo Awards 2011 are on display in 9 cities including NYC and Seoul. This year's thema, "Share the Moment, Share the Future", was a tribute to the UN Millennium Development Goals, and the Grand Prize went to AP's Emilio Morenatti for 'Cholera victims' :

Even if Cultural Station Seoul 284 (an echo to Paris 104 ?) seems less ambitious than the future MOCA, it fills a cultural void at a major gateway and shall welcome many visitors, including people in transit in this multimodal transportation hub.

What a decade for Seoul ! After the 2004-2005 wave (Leeum, Seoul Museum of History, new National Museum of Korea...), another batch of cultural venues is on its way : beyond this "284" and Seoul MOCA, let's not forget the future "National Museum of Contemporary History"**.

Culture Station Seoul 284" / 문화역서울 284 :
112 Bongnae-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea
Dongja-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
1 Tongil-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-162***
seoulstation.org
YIPPA 2011 : yippa.net

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* a future key cultural asset, see "http://seoulvillage.blogspot.com/2010/02/moca-defense-security-command-continued.html"
** construction started soon after our focus (see "A National Museum of Korean Contemporary History ???").
*** They write "1 Dongil-ro" but the actual spelling is 1 Tongil-ro. Eastern Seoul's main axis (it follows subway line 3), Tongil-ro continues beyond Gupabal and Seoul city limits, but the axis used to be called Uiju-ro between Seoul Station and Hongeun Sageori. Yet another change for this Old Seoul Station Museum : the station's official address used to be 112 Bongnae-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, but some people mentioned Dongja-dong in Yongsan-gu.

---
20110907 UPDATE - now all documentations from this new cultural venue agree on the label "Culture Station Seoul 284" (good bye weird "cultural" then)

More room(s) for Seoul students

2011-08-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

City officials have decided to recycle part of their real estate for students : Seoul will build residences with a focus on sites near universities (within a 1 km radius), preferably stretching over 700 square meters. 20,000 units are planned.

Typically, 142 rooms will be created at Yonsei University's North Gate, facing existing Yeonhui-dong facilities. Note that Yonsei itself has recently renovated parts of its residences and launched new projects, including a cancer treatment center for its Severance Hospital.

A great portion of the 'one-room' market is provided by individuals who sometimes split their own homes into tiny cells, cramming as many as possible. Raising the standards is good for the image of a country where, as we saw earlier, the number of Foreign students has been multiplied by 30 over the past decade.

Speaking of education and budget issues : scheduled for August 24, the 'free meal' referendum is, as expected (see "Seoul free school lunch referendum (continued)"), getting trickier by the day :
- polls show a large majority against the populist "free for all" system, but overruling the council vote would result in a technical delay that makes the choice less clear : one one hand, free lunches for all elementary school students from 2011 and all middle school students from 2012 (according to the council vote), and on the other, a system focused on low revenue households to be implemented step-by-step by 2014.
- the recent tragic summer floods (see "Climate Change in Korea") logically caught all the spotlights and put more pressure on the administration

To be continued...

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Climate Change in Korea

2011-07-31T00:54:00.000-07:00

After a two day break, monsoon is back. But the monsoon season is supposed to be over, and those record breaking downpours that are drowning Korea and killing dozens raise again the issue of climate change.

In this country, everything moves 빨리 빨리. Even the weather. Korea has already experienced dramatic changes over the past 100 years : average temperatures have gained 1.8 degrees celcius, winters are 2 to 3 weeks shorter and summers 2 to 3 weeks longer, Jeju-do has become a semi-tropical island, and extreme years have multiplied since 1991.

Over the past 20 years, I did experience extreme episodes firsthand, mostly typhoons or flash floods transforming streets into rapids*, or the staircases of a downtown subway station into mini-Niagara falls. But I never saw the Hangang completely frozen, except on pictures from the 50s. And I've had my share of fantastic years with mild winters and pleasant summers.

We already knew Korea was at some kind of frontier, and thus more likely to major changes : if Vladivostock is not far away, its harbor is often caught in ice during the winter, unlike those of the whole peninsula (even if the North, more mountainous, usually faces tougher winters than the South). That's one of the reasons why the federation invested in the Rajin-Sonbong Economic Special Zone in North Korea (Rason / Raseon logistic hub).

Ironically, as they pressed for more food relief, Pyeongyang propagandists forged just a few days ago a photo showing floods that didn't exist... Photoshop doesn't seem that necessary now. Images from the South are also hard to believe, but they are unfortunately true : the tragic landslides in Chuncheon or Umyeongsan**, cars crushed or drowned like toys...

Water's power of destruction showed no mercy for such wealthy areas as Daechi-dong (Gangnam-gu) or Bangbae-dong (Seocho-gu), but miraculously spared Seoul's fragile "moon villages" (generally close to mountain tops). Among the Umyeong-dong victims of the landslide, the wife of Shinsegae's chairman died in her own cellar. And another mudslide hit Ihwajang, the former home of President Syngman Rhee in Hyehwa-dong. Mobile networks went down at the heart of Gangnam, home to the new Samsung HQs and Teheran-ro start ups.

The powers that be have all been humbled and forced to reconsider their scenarii, up to the plans they had updated last year. Seoul and Korea will adapt once more, and one can hope today's tragedies will foster positive changes in urbanism and environment.

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* like last Chuseok (see "Chusoaked"), or my wet dog moment in 2008 (see "open air pool")
** Seoul Arts Center was hit, but Cezanne & co ("Musee d'Orsay in Seoul") are safe, but there too, many people died.

Daegu 2011 IAAF World Championships

2011-07-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Usain Bolt and Oscar Pistorius are expected to run in Daegu Stadium this summer for the 13th World Championships in Athletics.

Since both athletes have been enjoying enhanced performances for years, let's hope Korea will be spared another Ben Johnson moment ahead of the London 2012 olympics. If anti-doping officials share their hairdos with Sarbi the mascot, the Jamaican and the South African don't risk much : this Sapsal dog sports a colorful mop that completely cover its eyes...

Let's hope competitions can be both spectacular and fair. This stadium deserves more animation than the struggling Daegu FC can provide in the K-League (BTW Korea's pro soccer league is experiencing its worst year ever, plagued by a pervasive game fixing scandal).

Except in marathon, Koreans don't have a strong tradition in athletics, but they are now a top tier power in world sports. Daegu was selected in 2007 ahead of tough competitors : Brisbane and Moscow, who will organize the 2013 edition. Note that just like in Olympics with Seoul 1988 or Pyeongchang 2018*, Korea is again the first Asian country to claim major sports events after Japan (except Formula One**, where petrodollars came first). And regarding the tie in soccer, we all remember how the 2002 FIFA World Cup was split between both rivals to prevent one tragic loss of face.

Anyway, it is very positive for Korea to put "new" cities on the global map : this country is certainly not just only about Seoul***, and Daegu or Pyeongchang reached the global sports stage even before Busan (yes, Korea's second biggest city did organize Asian Games, but that's a regional event and it was held in 2002, in the shadow of the World Cup).

Dae(hanmin)gu(k)!

13th IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011
'Sprint together for tomorrow'
20110827-0904
website : daegu2011.org.

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* Pyeongchang (pyeongchang2018.org
) won logically as the best candidate... even if the bidding team looked more than suspicious (see "Pyeongchang 2018 vs Sejong City 2010 ?").
** see last year : "Yeongam-gun braces for inaugural Formula One Grand Prix"
*** again, for such a big capital, even a G20 Summit is a non-event : "G20 Seoul Summit 2010"

Berlin Wall, Seoul Section(s)

2011-07-26T01:10:00.001-07:00

If you've passed by the Eastern / Wangsimni section of Cheonggyecheon, you've probably seen the ruins of three concrete pilars, a reminder of the ugly overpass that used to cover the stream before its restoration. But did you know that further Westwards, the remains of three sections of the Berlin Wall have been also installed outdoors a couple of years ago ?

About 2.5 m tall, the structure and its graffitis, guarded by a colorful bear sculpture, lie next to Samilgyo, the bridge where Samil-ro passes over Cheonggyecheon (Janggyo-dong, Jung-gu).

Don't start looking for a Haechi guarding Seoul fortress sections in Berlin : that's a one-way operation, and sections of the doomed wall can be found in many other cities worldwide, though seldom in the region (ie Taipei, Singapore).

Don't start looking for rich symbols either, even if somehow the installation celebrates the reconciliation of Korea's capital with itself. More trivially, the spot is now known as Berlin Plaza.

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Jinju Hoegwan (Seoul)

2011-07-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

If kongguksu is a very refreshing dish for the summer, this one almost tastes like "creme anglaise", the vanilla cream you pour on your fondant au chocolat. In other words : yummy.

Don't waste your time and money ordering the local seokeo jjigae (섞어찌게), a dull sort of budae jjigae. Jinju Hoegwan is a well known institution in this small cluster of eateries at the feet of downtown towers, at the exit 9 of City Hall station. But the place is full even on Sundays.

Jinju Hoegwan / 진주회관 (restaurant)
120-35 Seosomun-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.753.5388

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Joseph Beuys - The Multiples in Seoul (SOMA Museum of Art)

2011-07-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Seoul Olympic Art Museum welcomes a collection of "Multiples" by the late German artist Joseph Beuys : works on various media from the mid 60s to the mid 80s, and from the Bild-Kunst museum of Bonn.

Frankly, I prefer his installations, or even better : installations from Louise Bourgeois, whose story sounds a bit more sincere than the alleged wrapping (in felt and animal fat) of Beuys by Tatar nomads.

Anyway, the visit is supposed to be a walk in the park. The Olympic Park, of course.

JOSEPH BEUYS - The MultiplesJune 16 - August 28, 2011
SOMA Museum of Art (Seoul Olympic Art Museum) - somamuseum.org
88-2 Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.452.1077

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A Dream Bridge to nowhere?

2011-07-20T04:09:00.001-07:00

According to DongA Ilbo ("Building a landmark pedestrian bridge" - 20110720), Seoul authorities want to link Apgujeong with Seoul Forest via a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Han river.

Seongsu-dong (Seongdong-gu) and Apgujeong-dong (Gangnam-gu) are already connected through the Seongsu Bridge, but this doomed structure (it collapsed in 1994) was rebuilt at a time when humans and bicycles were not priorities. Hangang riversides have since grown parks and bike lanes, and prolonging the Jungnangcheon riversides to the South makes sense... but the operation looks like yet another gift from City Hall to Gangnam speculators.

Apgujeong marked the triumph of the 'apateu' model: the Park Chung-hee government partly sponsored the moving of part of the country's elite to the newly erected apartment blocks fourty years ago, and all of a sudden the general public, unaware of the trick, reconsidered apartment blocks as a symbol of success. Before, people saw them as soulless dwellings for the masses. The trick also radically changed the image of Gangnam, a land recently claimed over rice paddies that Gangbuk elites despised. After that, all 'nouveaux riches' started to migrate South, and all Seoulites to embrace the 'apateu' system.

Even now, Apgujeong-dong remains the epitome of Gangnam bling. Commoners, who already found it hard to swallow that these blocks had more or less privatized the accesses to Hangang riversides, reacted vehemently when the city authorized the replacement of this old generation of apartments with 50-story-high blocks (the only way owners could expect fat profits from the sale of their already bubble-blown properties). Now this: a KRW 100 bn bridge financed 50% by the city and 50% by the same local residents?

I don't see this "Dream Bridge" being built, unless there's a radical change in Apgujeong-dong redevelopment plans:
- covering Olympic Expressway
- opening the new and improved waterfront to bikes and pedestrians from all sides
- public infrastructures and mixed use of land instead of a high end residential ghetto

More likely, Seoul will find a compromise and ask for big concessions from land owners if they want to grow higher than 30 stories.

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ASYAAF 2011

2011-07-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I wasn't the only visitor disappointed by last year's edition of the Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival, a complete dud compared to the previous one*.

The concept remains basically the same (works from 777 young artists from Korea and the rest of Asia on display and for sale), but organizers said a couple of months ago that this year, they would be more careful for the selection. Significantly, after Sungshin Women's University, they chose a venue more symbolic of Korean promising creative talents : Hongik University.

As usual, the Asian Students and Young Artists Art Festival will be split in two periods (July 27 - August 7 / August 10 - 22), with a break in between to change all the art works. Two good occasions to visit the HOMA (Hongik Museum of Art - Hongik University Hyundai Museum of Art).

I'll keep you posted after my raids so check for updates.

ASYAAF 2011
July 27 - August 22, 2011
Hongik Museum of Art / HOMA
Pavillion Hongmungwan 1, 2F,
Hongik University, Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK 121-791

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* see "ASYAAF 2010", ASYAAF 2009.

It's raining

2011-07-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

A textbook Korean summer if I ever saw one : first the rain, then the heat... after weeks of continuous downpour, the sun is starting its merciless hitting streak, batting a steady 30°C+ for as far as forecasters can see.

But even at the driest peak of the season, soccer players will keep warning me of rain coming : "Bi onda ! Bi onda !" (비온다) is the - very - informal way of saying it's raining, but also a widespread way of alerting a teammate that opponents are coming from behind to try and steal the ball from him.

Korean language can be highly poetic under any circumstances. And very refreshing.

Seoul Village 2011
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NB: note that suspensions are still raining on Korean soccer : over 10% of all K-League players have been already involded in a massive fixed games scandal.

Tongin market opens up to art : adaptation or yet another symptom of Seochon's "Bukchonization" ?

2011-07-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

I often talk about Seoul's traditional markets as key cultural assets : the souls of Seoul villages, but tormented souls, often on the verge of extinction, and surviving only thanks to a few ageing customers and struggling producers.

If many markets keep a vibrant atmosphere, some can be quite depressing. I remember Sanggye Central Market (Sanggye Jungang Shijang) during its last years : inside, an old, dark, and mostly empty space with a low ceiling and miserable stands - but in the streets around the building, still a vibrant village atmosphere. Now instead of the large low rise hall there's a massive I-Park, and the streets look at the same time cleaner but less lively.

Even some relatively big markets look grim. Take Inwang Market, for instance : located at a major crossroads (Hongje-dong, Seodaemun-gu) and serving a relatively large population, this factory looking concrete mass, next to the derelict Yujin Arcade and the ugly Naebu Expressway, is not exactly inviting. Of course, visiting it is always an intense experience for me, beyond the nice pictures and that small place where they cook delicious handmade noodles. But the traffic is not as good as it should be, and obviously everybody struggles to make ends meet. Many people would like to come more often, but the place almost acts as a repellent even to old timers, and some go to much further traditional markets because they are more fun. Money will be invested here, and Yugin Sanga be destroyed to make room for a multiservice complex, but will Hongje modernize the market or replace it with a soulless shopping center ? This choice will be essential for the very identity of a strategic hub.

I'm not in favor of aggressive therapy to maintain markets when there's no potential, but I don't think it is right to destroy the ones that are still successful. I already mentioned Yeongcheon Market* as a potential collateral damage of urban redevelopment (its Eastern end is threatened by future towers). The traffic is good, the location great, the quality of the products much better than in most markets, and the dimensions perfect : here's a small but sustainable traditional market that enlivens the area. The buildings and its direct surroundings are in poor shape, but with a limited investment, this animated covered path can become an attraction coupled with the visit of Independence Gate, without losing its soul. Why not preserve a small triangle of real Seoul right in front of the soon to be erected Dongnimmun New Town ?

Like Yeongcheon Market, Tongin Market is basically a narrow street** whose roof and shops have been upgraded over the past few years without really revolutionizing the area. Much smaller than Yeongchan, Tongin doesn't claim as many visitors, and there's not the same feeling of abundance, but there's no other traditional market miles around except Geumcheon Market, and losing it could undermine the city's dream of saving Seochon.

Full of life and small eateries and very close to Gyeonbokkung Station, Geumcheon Market, on Geumcheon Bridge street (Geumcheondari-gil / 금천다리길, the small Chebu-dong street parallel to Sajikno), is rather an open air commercial street than a formal market. Seoul should be very careful about that one too, but Tongin Market is a real market place with a roof at the center of the soon to be revived Seochon.

I've often mentioned Seoul's plans to resuscitate this historical hotspot West of the Gyeonbokgung by protecting hanoks (see "Stop The Hanok Genocide... And Stop Revival As Reenactment") or reopening an old stream (see "Baekundongcheon / Gwanghwamun-gil - A River Runs Through It"), as well as my worries about the risks of a "Bukchonization" for Seochon : on one hand you save a hanok cluster and create a popular touristic attraction full of cute boutiques, but on the other, this is not a real Seoul village anymore, just a gentrified area for wealthy people or guest houses, where daily life is not going on as normal. Hopefully, even if Seochon has evolved dramatically recently, it remains much better 'preserved' than Bukchon at the social level.

Tongin Market has a key role to play in the future at the heart of vernacular Seochon, particularly since Baekundongcheon renovation will not go all the way up along Jahamungil (the stream's original path), but take the diagonal across Tongin-dong and Chebu-dong instead, following a minor affluent, now the charming and winding street that leads to the small triangular plaza at the Western end of the market.

Can Tongin Market be saved ? It probably has to evolve, and I often imagined it, in a "boboization"**** scenario of Seochon's Western half, as some sort of a mini Camden market : small, vintage shops, but more indy than trendy. So I was not that much surprised to see the place opening up to amateur, arty installations.

It turns out that the Tongin Market Project is sponsored by local authorities as part of a much wider scheme : an article about it in today's Korea JoongAng Daily ("Traditional markets remade in public art project") actually triggered this post.

Mercifully, this project is heralding proximity between the population and market shop owners, not turning the place into some pretentious art gallery. But change is definitely on the way.

I guess in the future most markets will have lost their original purpose, sometimes reclaiming it for an event. A market is both a meeting space and a meeting time, not necessarily permanent. Paris is sponsoring local markets so that every neighborhood can enjoy a traditional market once or twice a week on the street, and I guess that's what's coming for Seoul as well.

As for the buildings themselves, their souls, or life in Seoul villages, that's another story.

Seoul Village 2011
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* and its excellent ddeokbokki "Wonjo Ddeokbokki - a.k.a. "Ddeoknimmun" (Seoul)"
** Tonginshijang-gil, between Pilundae-gil and Jahamun-gil (now Jahamundae-ro). A strategic part of vernacular Seochon, along with the Ogin-gil diagonal.
*** don't underestimate the place, though. For instance, that's where you'll find the best kimbab in Seochon.
**** "bobo" standing for the "bourgeois bohemians" sociostyle defined by David Brooks a decade ago.

Seoul free school lunch referendum (continued)

2011-07-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Confirming a clear political divide over a more than symbolic issue, The Hankyoreh, Korea's main liberal daily newspaper, wants to "End Mayor Oh's free school lunch referendum".

I've already mentioned this debate*, but I'll make my position even clearer at a personal level :

- I think Seoul's Mayor is right to promote a welfare society over welfare populism, and that's truly what this free school lunch issue is all about. No : free lunch for all is no more sustainable than free healthcare for all. And yes : it is fair for the wealthiest to pay for the poorest. That's the way welfare states usually work, and in France, the ones favoring that concept over free school lunches are more often liberal than conservative leaning. I'm not sure the conservative groups that collected signatures for the referendum** are aware of that evidence (ditto for the liberal lobbies denouncing the motion as unjust).

- I don't think Oh Se-hoon is helping his case by pushing at the same time for more controversial projects, and I'm glad some of them didn't make the cut under the new municipal majority***.

- I'm not in favor of a referendum, but it seems the only way to make a necessary change. Very risky for OH (presidential future at stake), this vote is more the consequence of a sterile war within the City Council. I agree with The Hankyoreh about the "national governance" issue, but no debate seems possible here, and the same can be said at the national level. This is not a us-vs-them, black-and-white world, and politicians should be able to support a cause they deem just, even if it comes from the other side, or denounce a bad project even if it's the dream of a leader they respect. Beyond school systems, Korean politics need to change.

- I was pleased to see both OH Se-hoon re-elected as Seoul Mayor and KWAK No-hyun elected as Seoul Education Superintendent because both were the right people at the right place at the right moment. But I did wish for a better mutual understanding, leveraging on common ground and values across party lines****.

- The whole situation is absurd. What Korea needs is a better coverage for healthcare and a fairer educational system, challenges for which I'm sure OH and KWAK can fight on the same side. Ideally, both parties should convene and find a solution before the referendum, but if it were to be staged, people in favor of social justice, regardless of their political color, should vote against free school lunches for all.

Seoul Village 2011
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* see "Seoul-Incheon canal"
** BTW after checking, the final count of signatures appears closer to the minima required, which explains why so many where gathered in the first place (petitions are rarely reliable)
*** see "The fastuous and the furious : trimming down Seoul city's most embarrassing projects"
**** see "Oh Se-hoon 2.0"

HomePlus virtual stores in Seoul subway : from your smartphone to Cannes festival screens

2011-06-26T02:34:00.001-07:00

Cheil Worldwide won the Media Grand Prix at the 2011 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival of Creativity for its amazing HomePlus campaign in Seoul subway, three years after claiming a bronze award for an outdoor advertising campaign "Plus to your life - HomePlus" with the same customer (Samsung Tesco).

Pushing to new levels the now decade-old barcode mobile advertising concept, "Homeplus Subway Virtual Store" transforms a subway station into a replica of supermarket where commuters can register and order online with their smartphones. This is not only spectacular and smart, but efficient : the number of subscribers and the turnover skyrocketed, helping the retailer overtake Emart as the national leader in online sales :

Of course, you don't want to miss your subway and you won't fill your virtual cart through this sometimes tedious process, but you can just load the first items and quietly finish shopping on the way home.

Expect more of these. I already can see Amazon setting up his own virtual libraries near rival brick and mortar shops...

Seoul Village 2011 - initially published on mot-bile ("HomePlus subway virtual store - 2011 Cannes Lions")
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SWW @ Hapjeong Chapter 1 Page A

2011-06-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

Seoul Writers have been looking for a new lair to hold their week-end* workshops ever since Hello Beans closed on Itaewon street (a shoe shop replaced our proto literary landmark).

After hopping across Haebangchon area, we've made a quantum leap to Hapjeong and landed on Page A's** welcoming thick wood tables. On this picture, fellow Authors Anonymous working on the prompt of the day, "monsoon story" :

A timely theme : rainy season has just started in Korea, and typhoon Meari is rocking the ROK all over this week-end. Crazily enough, I decided to ride my bike and the tempest to join the party. I made it right before the maximum downpour, only half soaked but as always, happy to meet and share with more gifted colleagues.

Seoul Writers : seoulwriters.com

Seoul Village 2011
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* the 'every second sunday' dogma doesn't quite fit anymore : specific poetry workshops have been successfully initiated, and fiction workshops are now often organized on Saturdays
** Page A (413-19 Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul)

Seoul-upon-Han and Yeongguk-dong

2011-06-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Brittons will always excel in at least two areas : humor and gardening. The other evening, during a charming Garden Party at the British Embassy in Jeong-dong, I was admiring the flower beds facing the late XIXth Century residence of the Ambassador, when I noticed two almost identical signs at the feet of a young tree.

On the left one : "this tree was planted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999". On the right one : "this tree was replanted by Hong X-X, head gardener, 1986-2011". What could pass for lese majeste (a Korean commoner correcting a Queen's mistake !) is actually a very smart way of honoring the host country and Embassy staff.

Another smart citizen of the United Kingdom was Mr William George Aston, the British Consul-General who purchased in 1884 for a song but with his own money the land where the Embassy would be erected. And with less secular British powers headquartered next door (Bishop John Corfe bought the land six years later for the Anglican church), the whole neighborhood could be named Yeongguk-dong (영국동).

Technically part of Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, this lovely and peaceful spot can be reached from Taepyeongno, through a short street facing the Western side of City Hall, between Deoksugung and Seoul City Council.

The area comprises a rather few but remarkable buildings. If the Ambassador's Residence is hidden by the concrete bulk of the Embassy's main building (there had to be an architectural faux pas somewhere), the Bishop's residence exposes to the public its unique facade : three sections blending British and Korean architectures, surrounding a massive tree and facing the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, a striking display of romanesque style. As a transition between the Bishop's residence and Deoksugung walls, a large hanok, formerly part of the palace, hosts the Anglican church offices. Note that the Cathedral adds, beyond its definitely Mediterranean touch, yet another fusion element to the mix with the almost Byzantine mosaic illuminating its altar.

Few foreign communities contributed so positively to Seoul's skyline : I'd give an A to the Russian Legation (more than ever an undisputed cultural and historical asset), a D- to the US Embassy (they can't do much worse when they move to Yongsan), and a C+ to the Ambassade de France (where Korean architect Kim Chung-up erected an ambitious yet indigestible Corbusieresque hanok-bunker).

Of course, the longest lasting footprints are the ones Seoul is leaving on us.

But even there, Brits had a head start : the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (RASKB) has been promoting Korean culture since 1900.

Seoul Village 2011
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Picture : the Cathedral, inaugurated in 1926 by Reverend Mark Napier Trollope (his tomb lies in the middle of the crypt)

Seoul-Incheon canal

2011-06-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Since his reelection (see "OH Se-hoon V2.0"), the Mayor of Seoul has been constantly struggling with an opposition-dominated city council*.

The mother of all battles ? School meals : the DP voted to make them free for all elementary school students regardless of familial revenues, but OH wanted a fairer welfare system redistributing more to the poor. Note that in France, political parties opposing free meals for all are generally left leaning, but Korea is obviously a different story. Anyway, to undo the change, the Mayor collected 800,000 signatures from Seoul citizens, well over the 400,000 or so needed. Still, he's now ready to jeopardize his political future in a referendum on the issue.

But officially, OH Se-hoon is less interested in the road to Cheong Wa Dae than in the Seoul-Incheon canal, a new battlefield for which he is even willing to end his boycott of city council meetings.

Officially called Gyeongin Canal, the project connects Incheon with Gimpo, but OH wants boats to continue all the way to Yeouido, where he plans to build a port (bridges also have to be renovated in the process). In his words : the government already set the table, Seoul just has to put its own dishes to enjoy the meal.

What's on the menu ? Among other delicacies, cruise ships loaded with Chinese tourists. Increasingly hopping from hub to hub across the whole region (Incheon, Busan, Fukuoka...), they don't pay hotel rooms, but can be taxed for each night... Freight also represents a big business, and road traffic between the Port of Incheon and the Capital could be considerably reduced.

Incheon (then Jemulpo) was chosen for good reasons : it's the perfect landing spot, and not just for McArthur. If you take a map, the Han river reaches the Yellow Sea near Ganghwa island following a trickier path and furthermore, it is now the frontier with North Korea (these days, you never know who's shooting whom in this area).

You've probably already seen the Gyeongin Canal on the way from or to Incheon Airport : that's the huge construction site parallel to the highway (North). The project was stalled for years but has been revived about two years ago, when the Four Great Rivers project gained momentum. And like with the whole Sa Dae Gang project, the environmental debate is far from over.

But even if this project happens to fold, you can always ride a boat for just KRW 4,000 per hour in the recently inaugurated Seoul Marina. Or join Mangwon Hangang Park by ferry with your bike for just KRW 1,000.

Hey, Hangang Renaissance is not just hype after all.

Seoul Village 2011
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* not always for the worse - I'm glad some of his pet projects were axed : see "The fastuous and the furious : trimming down Seoul city's most embarrassing projects"

K-popping bubbles

2011-06-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Pop, that's the sound of a bubble when it bursts. Not your usual, big fat speculative bubble, no : rather the cute, ephemeral, soap edifice of a kid.

But K-pop is not much of a child's play : here, no room for innocence, chance, or unexpected wind twists. In this overformatted industry, creativity only exists in the way products are marketed, with a focus on viral and addictive gimmicks.

In a certain way, K-pop mirrors Korean society in this early IIIrd millenium, but not in its most sustainable aspects : visual and auditive over-stimulations including immediate reward systems, a dystopia founded on extreme competition and superhuman training leading to the negation of nature and systematic plastic surgery, mushrooming virtual communities offering the security of belonging without any ideology-related stress...

Yet, nothing new under the sun. As far as music is concerned, of course, but also regarding the business model : you simply have to adapt classic boy / girl bands recipes, and to progressively inject some of Hollywood majors' tricks to lead a young and docile audience along the slowest and most controled maturation process. SM Entertainment & co plan to alter their product mixes step by step, so that consumers don't churn as they grow older. Longer lasting K-pop groups have already developped embryos of proto-intellectual alibis, illusions of brainwaves because you don't want to believe your favorite singer is "a mental midget with the IQ of a fencepost"*.

Does it sell ? You betcha : as soon as the first contagion signs showed in Europe, K-pop marketers rushed to Paris with their whole Barnum.

Not exactly the kind of cultural bridge I dreamt between Asia's and Europe's heralds of cultural diversity... But I'm getting used to it : a couple of years ago, I was crucified by Uzbek or Japanese Bae Yong-joon fans because I deplored the way 'dramas' were promoted overseas, or the vacuity of Yonsamania (sorry but Korea shouldn't be summed up in that Hallyuwoodian caricature of Michael Jackson).

Hopefully, theses fads won't last. And at least, something positive can even grow from them : the most daring fans will reach deeper into Korean culture, its language, and its fantastic cuisine**.

Seoul Village 2011 - see also "La bulle K-pop" on blogules in French
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* in the musical universe, Tom Waits is probably the ultimate anti-K-pop element : an ugly fella with a rough voice and crafting incredible songs by himself (this line belongs to "The piano has been drinking (not me)", best served in the album "Bounced Checks").
** another cultural domain where the Korean government has been promoting exports a not always subtle way...

Seoul Global Business Support Center online

2011-06-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

Seoul Global Center's arm for Foreign entrepreneurs, the Seoul Global Business Support Center just opened a new ning site and twitter account.

Reminder : SGBSC provides any foreigner who seeks to open a business in Seoul with extensive services free of charge, which include integrated business and living consulting and support and business education seminars. Also : in-house incubation offices to selected small and medium foreign businesses.

To join the community :
on ning : seoulglobalbusinesssupportcenter.ning.com
on Twitter : @sgbsc

Visit Seoul Global Business Support Center

And don't forget the 2011 Seoul Global Business Networking Event !

(ADDENDUM 20110614) I just created a Business-Friendly Seoul Think Tank on SGBSC to share suggestions and discussions about how to boost Seoul's attractiveness. Join, chime in, and speak up your mind !

Seoul Village 2011
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Korea Inc. united for mobile payments

2011-06-13T19:15:00.001-07:00

Ten years ago, SK Telecom would carpet bomb Korea with 400,000 terminals ("dongles") to boost its Moneta mobile payment service. Yesterday, Korea Inc. announced 300,000 NFC-enabled Point Of Sales by the end of 2011 to put the country ahead of the pack in this very very strategic sector.

The difference ? This is not a solo act anymore. SKT alone couldn't succeed in setting the new standard in mobile payments at home and pushing the concept overseas, but this time, the whole value chain and ecosystem is following. And if it works, each player will claim a nice slice of a much bigger pie.

Under the regulator's umbrella (KCC, the herald of "NFC-based Mobile Smart Life Services"), over thirty Korean CEOs met at the Seoul Press Center to sign this decisive MOU in Near Field Communications, and if you throw in the members of the recently formed Grand NFC Korea Alliance, you've got the closest thing to a mobile payment dream team :

- all 3 Mobile Network Operators : Korea Telecom, SK Telecom, U+ (LG Telecom)
- the biggest card players around : Visa, MasterCard, Shinan Card, Kookmin Card (KB), Lotte Card, Hyundai Card, T-Money, MNO partners (Hana) SK Card and BC Card (KT)...
- key authorities and associations : KCC, ETRI, TTA, KISA (Korea Internet & Security Agency), MOIBA (Mobile Internet Business Association), RAPA (Korea Radio Promotion Association)...
- top manufacturers : Samsung, LG, Pantech...
- top enablers: UbiVelox, KEBT, MtekVision, 3ALogics Inc, KICC...
- top payment enablers / billing service providers : KSNet Inc, Mobilians, Galaxia, Danal Corp., KCP...

The only players missing on the picture are the endusers.

And as we saw before, pedagogy will be key in a country where hacking happens to be a national pastime (if you include North Korea in the package), where few people protect their handsets with a PIN code, and where distrust in smartphone security keeps spreading like wildfire.

Of course, "Near Field" meaning 10 cm and below, close encounters of the third thief will require more intimacy than via Bluetooth. Besides, many Koreans are already used to contactless micropayments thanks to T-Money (ie Seoul public transportations and taxis, thousands of convenience stores and vending machines...). Furthermore, NFC trials have been under way for quite a while : for instance KT's "Mobile Stamp" couponing system, SKT's Mobile Commerce Zone or Q Store pilots, or cross border trials between SKT's T-Cash and Japan's KDDI and SoftBank...

This MOU aims at multiplying testbeds and giving momentum to the technology, the bulk of the infrastructure being planned for Q4 2011. So where will NFC-based payments be available ? GS group plans to implement them in its convenience stores (GS25) and gas stations (GS Kaltex). Major retailers (Lotte Mart, Emart...) are joining the party. Seoul and Gyeonggi-do buses and subways, as well as many taxis will be converted. A major shopping area for tourists (particularly from Japan), Myeongdong has been identified as a strategic hotspot to feed the buzz.

Needless to say, the number of NFC-enabled handsets is another essential element in the equation. The alliance targets an ambitious 5 M units by the end of the year, leveraging on existing devices (Samsung Galaxy S II and Sky Vega Racer opened the way), and the Google-Apple war : since Android Gingerbread OS supports NFC, Cupertino had to consider it for iPhone 5.

And oh. This non-event : Samsung is expected to surpass soon Nokia as the world's top handset manufacturer.

Seoul Village 2011 - initially published on mot-bile (see all posts related to wireless in Korea).
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* sorry, not yet in English : "국내 통신사·금융(카드)사 CEO 최초로 한자리에 모여 NFC 서비스 활성화를 위한 MOU 체결"

3 subway lines projects revived ?

2011-06-13T18:11:00.001-07:00

Private developers keep lobbying in favor of three subway projects that could be delivered by 2017.

POSCO Engineering & Construction wants to revive the old project of backbone between the capital's Northern and Southern centers : this 11.47 km line between Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3) and Gangnam Station (Line 2) would pass by Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5), City Hall (Lines 1 and 2), Sinhannam Station, Nonhyeon Station (Line 7), and Sinbanpo Station (Line 9). The line would not connect with Line 6 even if, judging by the map, I would pass not far from Hangangjin Station. I guess they plan to dig much deeper under Namsan : the Sinhannam Station is down the valley, closer to Hannam Bridge and Hannam New Town. It doesn't look connected with Hannam Station (Jungang Line).

We've already mentioned* the second project. Led by Doosan Construction, it would link Yongsan with Gangnam (7.49 km), and ultimately the new Bundang Line (Sinbundang line, 18.5 km : Gangnam, Yangjae, Poi, Cheonggye, Pangyo, Jeongja). The stations would be Yongsan (Lines 1 and 4), Ichon / National Museum, Dongbingo, Sinsa (Line 3), Nonhyeon (Line 7), Sinnonhyeon (line 9), and Gangnam. But should the other project fly, a connection could be made at Sinhannam, and the connection at Sinsa could be dropped.

The third project ? Posco's Plan B would combine the Gangnam-Sinhannam section of the first project with a Gwanghwamun - Yongsan line (8 stations overall).

All projects have in common a relatively low number of new stations. The idea is more to connect major existing hubs. A Gyeongbokgung-Gangnam-Bundang axis would probably become Seoul's biggest vertical backbone, saving time but also sucking traffic from other lines, which are not operated by the same companies : Korail manages lines 1 to 4, Seoul Metro lines 5 to 8, Veolia Transport line 9. Neeless to say, promoters of the Sinbundang line, Bundang, Pangyo, or Hannam landowners, not to mention Samsung, headquartered at Gangnam Station, would love to prolong it towards the other side of Han river and the city center, mirroring the Bundang Line prolongation from Seollung towards Seongdong-gu, further to the East.

I hope these projects are not in the balance with actual priorities : all the Seoul neighborhoods that remain out of the grid. But should this Gyeongbokgung-Gangnam be built, I'd rather go for a fourth project :
- The Gyeongbokgung-Gwanghwamun-City hall axis is very relevant and actually follows the country's most defining line : Sejongdaero. Furthermore, downtown's grid lacks a vertical line West of Line 3 (which also connects lines 1 to 5 within 3 consecutive stations : Jongno-3-ga, Uljiro-3-ga, Chungmuro). So I'd keep this vital section.
- From City Hall, I would not try to reach Yongsan Station. I know the Yongsan IBD project needs to be better interfaced with the rest of the city, but if a new subway line were to cross the river, it'd better fill some gaps in the network rather than double existing lines.
- A new vertical line South of Namsan between Lines 3 and 4 makes perfect sense. But if you want to reach Gangnam, connections must be made with all the lines you cross on the way : Jungang Line (at Hannam / Sinhannam), Line 3 (at Sinsa), and Line 6.
- Preferably, new stations should be added in the process. But promoters are selling shorter connections between Gangnam and Downtown, and each stop adds an average 2 mn (not to mention significant increases in CAPEX and OPEX). My minimum scenario (straight line) : City Hall/Hangangjin/Hannam. My maximum scenario (curve) : City Hall / Huam-dong / Noksapyeong / Yongsan Park (now Yongsan Army Base, which is bound to move after 2017) / Dongbingo-dong or Bogwang-dong / Hannam.

Seoul Village 2011
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* see "Yongsan-Gangnam-Bundang subway completed in 2017"

Fete de la Musique Seoul

2011-06-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

A major success in France for 30 years, the Fete de la Musique has been exported to many countries over the past few years (as World Music Day).

Seoul will experience its 4th edition on Saturday the 18th, 2011 in its "quartier francais", Seorae Village (around Seorae-ro in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu).

The program (contact : Seorae Global Village Center, Tel +82.2.2155.8949) :
13:30-15:00 : performances, residents party... (in Montmartre Park)
14:30-15:00 : musical parade (Lycee Francais de Seoul, Gingko Park, Montmartre Park), military fanfare...
15:20-15:50 : Baekseok Arts University shows
15:50-17:30 : French songs contest featuring 10 teams of students (Montmartre Park)
17:30-18:00 : young Lycee Francais de Seoul students' perform Samulnori, Halliangmoo, and Choonghyangi wa Leedoryong
18:00-18:20 : gala kick off
18:20-20:00 : Korean performers (Crying Nut, Jo Ha-ni, Lim Hyeong-soon, Yu Yeol, Maya)
20:00-21:30 : French performers (Zaza Fournier)
21:30-21:35 : Fireworks

Seoul Village 2011
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---
UPDATE 20110614 : event poster

Ha Ha (Seoul)

2011-06-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

"Ha Ha" ? Funny name for a restaurant, but I guess pigs don't share the joke since this place specialized in Shandong cuisine serves, among other delicacies, their ears, brains, and guts (all in the same sauce and cucumber mix). Also on the menu : great hwang and tong mandus (황만두 and 통만두), light galettes (총유병), a mix of buchu and gaebul (부추 개불 볶음)...

For non-initiates : buchu means garlic chives, and if you've been to a fish market you've probably noticed gaebul (pink spoon worm) swarming in water buckets.

With its no frills decor, Ha Ha remains one of the last typical small Chinese restaurants, and one of the more numerous two storey houses in this section of Donggyo-ro lined with platanus trees. With the right weather and mood, it almost looks like a lost part of old Shanghai or Paris XIIIe Chinatown, and I hope they won't let high rise buildings ruin the magic.

If eating spoon worms or pig brains is your idea of magic, that is.

HA HA / 하하/ 哈哈
Yeonnam-dong 229-12 (Donggyo-ro), Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +822.337.0211

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Seoul International Book Fair

2011-06-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

Organized by the Korean Publishers Association, the 17th Seoul International Book Fair will start next week at the COEX, featuring over 570 companies from 23 countries, and sub-exhibitions on the Tripitaka Koreana (for its 1000th anniversary*), Korean writers of 100 years ago, pop-up books, e-books (e-Square)...

Korean literature suffers from a destructive educational system that makes reading a luxury for young minds, which explains the success or more 'operational' genres. But the country enjoys a strong tradition in poetry, and some talents are claiming international recognition (see Shin Kyung-sook's "Please Look After Mom").

And who knows ? Korea could even become a destination for foreign authors : after a recent lecture at Seoul Art Space Yeonhui, 2008 Nobel Prize for Literature JMG Le Clezio Reasons seriously considers staying in that writers residence for a future project.

SIBF - 2011 Seoul International Book Fair
When: June 15-19, 2011 (first day only for pros)
Where: COEX, 159 Samseong-dong, Seoul, KOR 135-731 (Hall A and B)
More details: sibf.or.kr

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* see "Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon" and last year's "International Archival Culture Exhibition"

---
20110610 UPDATE

Also : UN/LIMITED EDITION VOL.3, a fair devoted to independent publishing, is organised at PLATOON KUNSTHALLE (Nonhyeon-dong 97-22, Gangnam-gu), Friday, June 17 at 1:00pm - June 18 at 11:00pm). And "this year, the program will dig deeper into the creative network surrounding this culture including films, talks and music."
unlimited-edition.org

Charles Sutbul Gimbap (Seoul)

2011-06-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

A gimbap on wood charcoal and a cartoon dog as a mascot to tease the passer-by, food with character to turn him into a loyal customer if he manages to survive, that's the concept.

"Sutbul Gimbap", the fabled charcoal gimbap, costs 4,000 a roll but it's a very big and very very tasty one. Not as big as the anchovy/walnut rice ball, though (KRW 2,500 - an interesting way of revisiting a classic snack with a classic banchan).

But what literally killed me was the "cheese bul ddeokbokki", one of the meanest I've ever tasted... and I survived many times Woojeong Nakji, a.k.a. The Octopus From Hell. Luckily enough, I just had to stretch the arm to reach the water fountain, which was as steamy as I by the end of the dish.

Charles Sutbul Gimbap / 찰스 숯불 김밥
201-6 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel: +82.2.334.1692

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Good Morning Hanoi (Seoul)

2011-06-04T04:47:00.000-07:00

Yeonhui-dong has always been a fantastic spot for Korean and Japanese food lovers but beyond that, culinar diversity used to be limited to pizza toppings.

That's changing, and very quickly. "Change" doesn't necessarily means "for the better" : Yeonhui-dong Haejangguk, an institution, is folding. And when I learned that a Pho restaurant would replace a Japanese restaurant not far from Saruga, I expected one of the usual franchises to open shop, with a 75:25 chance of failure.

But Good Morning Hanoi is not your usual franchise : it woke up the area with a rather baroque decor (more 'Good Night Las Vegas' ?), and more significantly with a strong statement on our palates. Not only delicious but freshly and delicately crafted, with sometimes a touch of originality, like that fusion Tom Yam Lau with a soupcon of cloves. Even the fried rice and nems (spring rolls) can be praised. It didn't take long for GMH to join the crowd of Yeonhui restaurants with long waiting lines.

More pressure on the shoulders of future newcomers : every other building is under renovation in this section of Yeonhuimat-gil (now Yeonhuimat-ro), between Saruga (itself in its crysalid state) and Donggyo-ro.

Good Morning Hanoi / 하노이의 아침 (restaurant - Yeonhui branch)
Yeonhuimat-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.323.5320
other branches : Yeouido, Seorae Village, Sinchon, Inchon...

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International Restaurant Street, Itaewon-ro 27-ga-gil, or Hong Seok-cheon-dae-ro?

2011-06-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

It started over one year ago with a small 'villa', in backstage Itaewon. Then a second one got bulldozed, and finally the master plan emerged : an Westwards extension of Itaewon International Restaurant Street, one block away back then.

Now the junction has been completed, the pavement and sidewalk polished, and all houses gutted to make room for more eateries.

The extension radically transforms the perspective : the food alley behind Hamilton Hotel used to stop abruptly at the 'Joinau corner', but Le SaintEx and La Plancha are now almost at the center of a much wider and open street, and the small path leading to Itaewon main street (where Ecume restaurant completes the French cluster) has already evolved, with clothes shops somewhere between the Itaewon of yore and the trendier boutiques you can find at the Eastern end of Itaewon-ro, the Northern Garosugil.

Technically and following Korea's address system reform*, International Restaurant Street should be now known as Itaewon-ro 27-ga-gil. I highlighted this "IRS" line on Seoul Village map, but I'm adding this snapshot from Daum Map : a satellite view taken before the destruction indicating the Saint Ex (or rather "르생덱스") and My China (마이차이나) restaurant at the former end of the street :

Note that "My China", "My Thai", and "My Chelsea", all located in this short stretch, belong to the same person : blacklisted as an actor following his coming out in 2002, Hong Seok-cheon proved he was bound to succeed anyway, prolonging his first statement in Itaewon ("Our Place", now "My Ex") with series of successes as a restaurateur. And it takes more than being a celeb' to succeed here : Jackie Chan's place in this food alley folded simply because the food wasn't up to it.

Twenty years ago, and even until quite recently, the dominant local flavor was Indo-Pakistanese, but all continents are now represented and IRS symbolizes culinar diversity in Seoul.

At the top of the Montmartrian path overlooking the new crossroads, Zelen perfectly illustrates this diversity : here's a Bulgarian restaurant filled with a 'bibim' of Korean and foreign patrons... some achievement for a community boasting fewer than 50 expats.

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* see "The Great Korean Revolution : addresses with house numbers and street names", followed by "New address system in Korea : 2 more years".

Business Start Up School - Seoul Global Center

2011-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

There is still time for future expat entrepreneurs in Seoul to register for Business Start Up School's June session.

It's free, it starts on June 20th, a few days after SGBSC - KBC Seoul Global Business Networking Event (June 17), and ends on July 1st.

The program has been beefed up (among instructors: KOTRA, Seoul Development Institute, Small and Medium Business - Administration, SBA Business Support Center, Korea Development Institute...) and as we saw earlier, alumnis can apply for official credit guaranteees from Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Contact: Eva(Youngju) Seo
Phone: +82.2-2075-4139
Fax: +82.2-723-3206
Email: letsgoeva@sba.seoul.kr
Seoul Global Center : global.seoul.go.kr.

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Korea "Tighting" ?

2011-05-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

According to a recently published study, Pakistan, Malaysia, India, and Singapore would be the only 4 countries with a 'tighter' culture than Korea's ("Differences Between Tight and Loose Cultures: A 33-Nation Study", Science 27 May 2011 - study led by Michele J. Gelfand*).

In this study's summary, 'tight' countries "have many strong norms and a low tolerance of deviant behavior", a phenomenon sometimes conditioned by the environment (for instance : high population density, resource scarcity, natural disaster zone...). We could venture deeper into 'distal ecological and historical factors and societal processes', or 'proximal/contemporaneous processes', but I'm not in the mood. So why not stick to 'tight' and 'loose' ?

Note that all top 5 countries maintain death penalty, and are not exactly celebrated for heralding LGBT rights. And if it's far less prone to religious conservatism than Pakistan, Korea remains developped a unique set of rules as the most Confucian country in the world. India and Singapore could be considered structurally 'tight' for obvious yet different reasons, even if one cannot sum up India with the Calcutta or caste system cliches, or Singapore with its Orwellian lists of "don'ts and don'ts".

Should we fully trust this study then ? Researchers compiled thousands of interviews led between 2000 and 2003, which may lead to some conjunctural biases. For instance, 9/11 fueled zealotry and conservatism across Muslim Asia. And were Koreans polled in 2000, still recovering from the 1997-98 crisis, or in 2003, doped by World Cup euphoria and the Sunshine years ? Furthermore, I didn't expect Norway to come 6th (with 9.5 on the tigthness score - PAK 12.3, MLY 11.8, IND 11, KOR 10.4), or Israel 30th (with 3.1... only Hungary, Estonia, and Ukraine follow with respectively 2.9, 2.6, and 1.6)**.

This 'tightness' score mostly sounds like a good marketing gimmick to me. And more fundamentally : I tend not to trust mono-dimensional scores that are supposed to grasp complex phenomena (IQ being probably the ultimate imposture : summing up intelligence in one dimension is a criminal nonsense).

That certainly doesn't make Korea a model of 'looseness', but the country keeps evolving at a much quicker pace than its direct 'competitors', not to mention less 'tightish' countries such as Japan, particularly after 2003.

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* I haven't read it but just got wind of it thanks to the Chosun Daily : "Korean Society the Fifth 'Tightest in the World'" (Chosun Ilbo 20110530).
** FYI: UK finishes 13th with 6.9, France 18th with 6.3, the US 23rd with 5.1.

Monet to Warhol (Saint Etienne @ Daejeon)

2011-05-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

After the Musee d'Orsay in Seoul, the Musee d'Art Moderne de Saint Etienne in Daejeon : this summer, French museums are joining the increasing flock of foreign visitors to Korea (2.8 M over the first 4 months of 2011, or +3% vs the same period last year).

Ask any French citizen about Saint Etienne and you'll hear about 'Les Verts', the soccer team that ruled over French soccer decades ago, and almost made it to the top of Europe (losing the Champions' Cup final to Bayern Munchen back in '76). But 'Sainté' is also a UNESCO Creative City and City of Design, and this museum holds the second modern art collection in France after Centre Beaubourg / Georges Pompidou. I haven't visited it yet so that's another good reason to pass by Daejeon this summer.

Saint Etienne Museum of Modern Art sent 114 works by 82 artists ranging from Monet to Warhol and including Roy Lichtenstein, Picasso, Miro, Fernand Léger, Jean Dubuffet, Yves Klein, or Monumenta 2010 artist Christian Boltanski. Almost simultaneously (20110524-0703), the Daejeon Metropolitan Museum of Arts (DMMA) is also staging a Daejeon - Saint Etienne Exposition mixing artists from both cities (Saint Etienne's roster : Yves Bresson, Jean-Marc Cerino, Elzevir, Franck Lestard, Jerome Loisy, and Sylvia Marquet).

Monet to Warhol - Masterpieces from the Saint Etienne Museum of Modern Art
De Monet à Warhol - Collections du Musée d'Art Moderne de Saint-Etienne
Daejeon Museum of Art (396 Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, ROK - dmma.metro.daejeon.kr)
May 25 - August 28, 2011
monettowarhol.com / 모네에서워홀까지.com
Tel : +82.42.477.3223 - Ticketlink 1588-7890

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Musee d'Orsay in Seoul

2011-05-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hangaram Museum simultaneously proposes two exhibitions with similar titles : "Dream and reality" and "Dreams come true".

If you don't mind, I won't elaborate on the latter (devoted to "The art of Disney's classic fairy tales" - May 14 - September 25, 2011), and focus on the former : "Reve et Realite" will display for the first time in Seoul masterpieces from the Orsay Museum (June 4 - September 25, 2011).

I mean actual masterpieces, not just stuff brought up from the warehouse. If you haven't done so yet, you want to marvel at Cezanne's card players up close, and to appreciate billions of colors no screen will ever manage to catch :

Also on display this Summer in Seoul : Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Ingres, or Millet, and series of drawings.

A former train station facing the Louvre and Tuileries gardens from across the Seine river in Paris, Musee d'Orsay hosts collections from the XIXth and XXth centuries, including embarrassing series of academic art ('art pompier') but also countless treasures. I can't believe this museum will turn 25 later this year.

Reve et realite - les chefs d'oeuvre du Musee d'Orsay a Seoul / 오르세미술관전 - 고흐의 별밤과 화가들의 꿈
Where: Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center
Organizers: GNC Media
Dates: 20110604-0925
More details, closing dates : sac.or.kr - +82.2.325.1077

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Korea Foundation Summer Concert for Foreign Residents 2011

2011-05-28T02:43:00.000-07:00

A Plan B for Friday, June 17 (or a Plan A if you are not interested in Seoul Global Business Networking Event 2011) ? Korea Foundation, which turns 20 this year, organizes 'Different but the Same', a concert of "oriental and western string melodies", featuring HWANG Byung-ki (a gayageum master), and given at Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater. That's in Namsangol Hanok Village, close to Chungmuro Station (Pil-dong, Jung-gu).

The admission is free and Foreign Residents will be given priority for the application process.

Korea Foundation : kf.or.kr ("Join the KFCC events" section). Reservations and inquiries : +82.2.2151.6513 (the KF email specifies that reservations are only possible between June 8 and 14).

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China imports Hanoks, tames its North Korean "province"

2011-05-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

KIM Jong-il interrupted his third visit within one year to China after a clash with PM Wen Jiabao : NK's Dear Leader wanted a comprehensive guarantee from the Central Government for all the frontier projects, but he only got an invitation to negotiate directly with (fellow ?) regional authorities, as well as with private Chinese companies, and only for the Eastern regions.

KIM obviously lost face after more or less agreeing (for the zillionth non-binding time) to a denuclearization of the Peninsula and a return to six-party talks. But this drawback doesn't come as a surprise and simply confirms the Hanschluss of "Joseon" by China*.

Speaking of China's "Northeast Project", South Korea could be collaborating as well, but unwillingly, and at the cultural level, as it exports its hanok technology to China via a hotel and residence complex of 1,500 houses meant to boost tourism in the region.*

Korean minorities represent officially 1% of Heilongjiang's population, but there's a "Jiangnan Korean Ethnic Minority Manzu Xiang" in the Southeastern part of the state, near Ning'all and Ning'anzhen in Mudanjiang area in Ning'an (Ningan) city. Here lied Sanggyeong, a former capital of Balhae, the Korean kingdom that came after Goguryeo in the late 7th century, and covered parts of today's China and Russia. And that's precisely in Ning'an that the complex will be built...

I pinpointed the area on Seoul Village map :

View Seoul Village in a larger map

I guess we'll probably see more hanoks pop up everywhere across North East China, and the overwhelming majority of Chinese tourists will believe that this is part of their national heritage : once again, the Northeast Project of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences intends to artificially build the historic and cultural center of Koreanity within Chinese borders, and in that regard, the first encounter between Chinese masses and the Korean culture must happen on Chinese soil.

Of course, even if I would have preferred KAL's hanok hotel project in Seoul to bloom first (see "Korean Air Grounded : Seoul 7 Star Hotel Delayed"), I'm happy to see a traditional Korean know-how recognized overseas. But this is first about politics, and those enthusiastic South Korean architects are probably not aware of the big picture behind this not so innocent technology transfer.

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* see previous episodes, including "Re-engaging North Korea - A Four Party Talk" ("China-North Korea : the Great Hanschluss still the base case scenario" on blogules)
** "한옥 수출" ("Hanok exports" - Chosun Ilbo 20110526)

KAL receives its first Airbus A380

2011-05-26T01:05:00.000-07:00

Korean Air unveiled its first A380, and the initial commercial flight is scheduled for 9:10 AM on June 17, 2011, as flight KE380 between ICN and NRT (Incheon and Narita).

A dedicated website has been inaugurated (a380.koreanair.com), but there's not so much about the inside of the plane. All I know is that is will seat 407, much less than the 5 former A380 clients... which should mean special perks for the most expensive seats, and not just the "Kosmo Suites" and "Prestige Sleeper Seats" already presented :

Come on: they're hiding stuff in this movie. Where's the bar ? The jacuzzi ? The screen golf ? The noraebang ? The gimchi spa ?

Okay okay. I hope it won't be as bad as the most extravagant and tasteless plane I ever visited (back in the 80s at the Bourget fair) : an ATR42 sold to petrodollar kings with a window-to-window bed big enough to host a whole harem and golden faucets in the bathroom... sorry I need a barf bag (excellence in fright).

What strikes me most is how, instead of serving long hauls, the giant carrier will first target frequent flyers and business travelers between both capitals. Always that fierce competition for the regional hub...

So I'll have to wait for a direct Paris-Seoul on this big fat bird ripe for Thanksgiving (Emirates does flies one on the Seoul-Dubai route).

(update 201105: the commercial)

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Modern Art Pest Control

2011-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

When I first noticed those white plastic bags hanging from the trees along Deoksugung walls, I thought a few angry kids had thrown their diapers around in a sudden potty training strike... or more likely, the nearby museum of art had excreted some disruptive installation from the other side of Deoksugung-gil.

But from a closer range, one can see the tubes and syringes reaching for the feet of the trees. So the bags were just containers for pest treatments... the most spectacular so far (I'm more used to the small bottles attached to the trunks).

I've always been amazed by the sharp contrast between the cold and warm seasons and how quickly green comes back with a vengeance, along with all sorts of insects. After one of the coldest Januaries on record, we're enjoying a more decent May, and in a remarkable parallel, humans and bugs have started swarming in their respective outdoor hot spots.

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Cloudy skies over Sejong City

2011-05-19T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today's Korea JoongAng Daily exposed a rather grim situation* for Korea's ex-next-capital city : major investors and developpers as well as land owners prefer to cancel their arrival and pay the fine than to move in Sejong City. And many civil servants will leave their families home after the transfer of their administrations from Seoul.

To add insult to the injury, Samsung eventually opted for Saemangeum, a rival presidential pharaonic utopia**, for its future battery plant.

Big companies have decided to cut their losses, but smaller fish won't have a plan B. So after the political and economic failure, a social crisis seems the logical next step.

Food for thought for speculators : if you gamble on non bullet proof concepts, do it at your own risks. And if the concept itself is a Plan B, consider the Plan B's Plan B, or reconsider the value of the original Plan A.

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* see "Korea Inc abandons Sejong" (Korea JoongAng Daily 20110520), and on Seoul Village, previous posts about Sejong City : "About handovers and hangovers", "Pyeongchang 2018 vs Sejong City 2010 ?", "Sejong City and the beauty of lameduckhood", "Sejong City"...
** see "Ari, Arirang, Ari, Ariul City"

New address system in Korea : 2 more years

2011-05-18T03:21:00.000-07:00

As we saw earlier, the Korean address system will undergo a spectacular reform as of January 1, 2012 (see "The Great Korean Revolution : addresses with house numbers and street names").

The old method was to be dumped at the same date, but obviously not everyone was ready. So the Government eventually decided to postpone to 2014 the end of the "dong" / "beonji" system*, which will then cohabit two more years.

The best is to keep both addresses on your name cards for the time being (I opted for the new one followed by the old one between brackets).

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* see "새 도로명주소 전면시행 2년 연기" 관련 설명자료"

Hongdae snacks - THE Guksu, Kongbul, Maroon 51, Gilmotongi Chili Cha Cha Fingerfood Bar...

2011-05-17T04:29:00.001-07:00

Riding a bike in Hongik University area is always fun and a perfect opportunity to taste various bits of cheap but original food along the way.

Hongdae is a little bit like Itaewon : a neighborhood progressively evolving into a series of very distinct areas, each one with its own character. Very much like Haebangchon grew an identity of its own, Seogyo-dong developped distinct villages and tribes.

The center remains a typical university area full of youngsters : that's the intersection between Seogyo-ro (the W/E street leading to Hongdae's main gate) and the winding street called Geotgosipeun geori to the North (걷고싶은 거리, the tree dotted "Pedestrian Street" or "I like to walk street" in the local lingo / on the konglish signs) and Juchajang geori to the South (주차장길, the grungier "Parking Street", which actually begins as 어울마당길 or "global gathering road").

Both sides deserving their names, I opted for the North and sat by a window at Kongbul's. The name of the restaurant mixes kongnamul with bulgogi : I had the hot and spicy samgyeopsal variety - nothing revolutionary but you get the expected bang for just a few bucks.

The Southwestern part of Hongdae (near Hapjeong Station, the rectangle square drawn by Picasso Street, Parking Street, Donkmak-gil, and Yanghwaro) is definitely quieter and more residential, even if private residences progressively turn into smart offices, shops and cafes. As spring temperatures rise to the level of a decent European summer, you don't really feel in Seoul.

Even the Korean classics are revisited. For instance, "THE Guksu" ("the noodles") proposes for only KRW 4,000 a very refreshing bibim guksu with a lemony flavor and fried bits that crack under your palate. And at Gilmotongi Chili Cha Cha, a self proclamed "Fingerfood Bar" that could pass for any tteokbokki place, you can have for the same price the trio of croquettes of your choice (KRW 1,700 apiece), and I strongly recommend their basil cream croquette - like a melting risotto in a fried shell.

Gilmotongi Chili Chacha has one mini terrasse seating two, from which you can observe the local fauna. The corner of Seollae-1-gil and Noeul-gil feels like a mix of bobo Bastille and vintage Camden.

Streets are much narrower on the other side of Parking Street, a denser cluster of eateries. We parked our bikes against the fences of Maroon 51's fake lawn, a small green triangle at a fork in the road. They are still in trial period and preparing for the official opening in June 2011 : their bulgogi-rice-egg combo probably needs to develop more character, but I really liked their beef and onion sandwich.

Kongbul
Seogyo-dong 345-2, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
Tel +82.2.322.3545

THE Guksu / 더 국수 (noodle bar)
Seogyo-dong 395-7, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK 121-840
(New format : Yanghwa-ro 12-gil 26 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.2.323.4776

Gilmotongi Chili Chacha / 길모통이 칠리차차
Seogyo-dong 400-11, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
(New format : Yanghwa-ro 6-gil 79 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.2.322.8405

Maroon 51
Seogyo-dong 409-14, Mapo-gu, Seoul, ROK
(New format : Wausan-ro 15-gil 34 (Seogyo-dong))
Tel +82.70.8682.5151

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