12 degrees of separation

This is my 4th presidential campaign in Korea. The posters haven't evolved much, and the animations at the crossroads still look about the same : mobile podiums blasting vibrating speeches, big screens, adjuma cheerleaders welcoming you out of your shop / subway station with fanatic songs praising a rather North Korean way their dear leaders... Christmas carols ahead of time, loud enough to cover up intense rumors of corruption...

11 candidates will try to prevent Lee Myung-bak from getting 50% of the ballots. 49M citizens will get a new leader for 3 years, and a new lame duck for 2... even if Seoul's former mayor changes the constitution to make 2 much needed changes for his successors : now that the democracy proved its sustainability, presidents should be allowed to run for a second mandate, and presidential elections should include a second round to clarify the political landscape (enough with this tradition of comical alliances and betrayals).

It's time to restore some dignity to an important function. Disapointed by ROH Moo-hyun's waste of trust (he held both the executive and legislative branches but balked in front of reforms - he did have to face a strange breed of justice, though...), netizens could decide to turn their back to the res publica and to focus on their virtual kingdoms instead.

Return to Naganeupseong

Naganeupseong, Jeollanam-do
Photo : "Naganeupseong farmer" (Copyright Stephane MOT 20070820)

Fortunately, nothing has much changed. The old halmony is over 74 now but her place remains as simple, comfortable and beautiful as it was a couple of years ago. In her (central-, not back-) yard like in most of the houses of the village, thatch is kept under ugly plastic for the yearly roof change. She's drying plants under the blazing sun and we'll have more delicious shiraegi bokkum bap this autumn. We invited her to play yutnori but she didn't know the game. Even in this beautiful spot in the middle of rice fields, you're too busy to learn this kind of trivialities.


All right, there's that big parking lot beyond the fortress, the other side of the village. And more highways have been completed in the area, destroying pristine landscapes. Plus they were shooting an MBC Drama that day - the kind with bearded tenors in lavish costumes. And another one was announced in the area (around the meta-sequoias... yet another Winter Sonata ephemeral hit for sure). Damyang-gun is definitely turning into a major touristic hub.


SM 200708

Today's news

Korean news in English:

• Yonhap News Agency: https://en.yna.co.kr 
  

• Daily newspapers:
• Korea JoongAng Daily: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/
• Chosun Daily: http://english.chosun.com/ 
• Hankyoreh: http://english.hani.co.kr/
• dongA Ilbo: https://www.donga.com/en 
• The Korea Herald: https://www.koreaherald.com/
• The Korea Times: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/

• Business news:
• The Korea Economy Daily Global Edition: https://www.kedglobal.com/
• The Pulse by Maeil Business Korea: https://pulse.mk.co.kr/  
  

 

Save Korean maemis

The other day, I saved a poor lad about to drown in Cheonggyecheon. I used my clutch to help him out of the water. He took my hand with a surprisingly strong grip and I left him rest by the stream.


The time for its wings to dry, the insect was ready for another recital.

The Korean maemi is a big fella with a chant that (scientists noticed) tends to grow louder in Seoul, where tall buildings modify its propagation.

But Korean maemis are threatened by their Chinese cousins. They've been flocking by millions recently, sometimes thousands on the same tree, claiming the country as greedily as Beijing revisionists claim Koguryo culture.

Maybe this guy was committing suicide. Could Cheonggye stream become the next Canal Saint Martin ?

SM 200708

Dog day afternoon

Shindang-dong - Jung-gu
Photo : "Dog Day Afternoon" (200406 Stephane MOT)

People selling dog meat don't like to be taken pictures of. These lads do an even less pleasant job : they raise and kill the said dogs.

You cannot see the animals. Only hear them cry and scream behind doors and walls.

Or you see them dead, as dog meat or "gaegogi". In a stew or on a counter. In a stew you cannot tell for sure (I actually had some once without knowing what it was), but on a counter there is no way of mistaking.

Photographs

Follow me on Instagram:

- @stephanemot

- @TheSeoulVillage

ADDENDUM 20230226

A few shots from my series 'The People of Seoul' will be exhibited at KOTE's Joseon Salon during the "KOTE Potluck Art Festival 2023":

 

 

20070709 - INITIAL POST

A few memories from Korea :

These pixes are in low resolution because uploading originals would overload this poor website, and in low quality because I'm a poor photographer.

You may prefer great pictures by real photographers. For the forgotten people of Seoul, I recommend KIM Gi-chan, who caught the soul of the city during the sixties and seventies, and naturally CHOI Min-sik, Korea's great master from Busan.

Seoul Village 2007

ADDENDUM 201307: YouTube and Vimeo channels

. watch Seoul Village channel on YouTube
. watch my channel on Vimeo

Also:
- Noonbit Editions (in Korean only).
- Seoul Village's pixes at my place in that other village, Snapvillage.com, but that space is about to close
- Some pictures from Seoul come as illustrations for my book "dragedies", including the one in the header : "Consommables" ("consummables").

Last Cig (2005)

Photo : "Last Cig" (2005 - Copyright Stephane MOT)

This old man, probably born and raised in the countryside, looks closer to the end than to the ground.

2007