Man v. Machine, Garry v. Gary

Today, LEE Se-dol lost to Google DeepMind's AlphaGo the first game of their man-vs-machine series held at the Four Seasons Seoul. Even the background color was Deep Blue (sorry Garry Kasparov for rubbing it in).

AlphaGo (white stones) Lee Sedol (black stones) live on @YouTube (rolling stones)
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/707440795146690560
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-un is pushing his grey stone on the board game
twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/707458086634700800

As far as victories go, this one was much more predictable than the one of Bernie Sanders in Michigan. And as far as go victories go, AlphaGo already defeated a master last January. Even if Korea sent her most creative and disruptive player, singularity is still not for tomorrow (see on my innovation blog ""Fourth Industrial Revolution" passed Go, but singularity not yet a stone's throw away"). For the moment, to paraphrase Gary Linecker, "go is a simple game: men and machines chase stones for a few hours and at the end, Google always win".

So just to be on the safe side, don't forget to check every now and then your Google and Facebook settings.


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OH Se-hoon returns... but did he ever leave?

Wondering what OH Se-hoon's face is doing on a giant ad towering over Seochon (here seen from Gwanghwamun)?

Fun to see former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon run in Jongno-gu, and his ad in Seochon (20160215 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/698941061637533696)

ICYMI, the former Seoul mayor is running for a seat in Jongno-gu. Of course, OH eyes the other end of Gyeongbokgung, Cheong Wa Dae, and the presidential elections he thought were tailored for him, back in 2010, when he got reelected in spite of his party's defeat across the capital.
 
Winning in 2017 may be a bit early, but conservatives lack a clear leader: CHUNG Mong-joon had a rough year, Kim Moo-sung is too divisive a figure, and if BAN Ki-moon renounces, OH stands a chance.

For his return, picking a left-leaning district sounds like a rather risky bet, but what a symbol: in the heart of Sadaemun, in the Seochon where his administration got hundreds of traditional houses preserved (remember: OH didn't start as a hanok hugger, thank Peter Bartholomew and friends for that bitter lesson*)...

A face off with PARK Won-soon in 2017 could be fun watching. While his successor reluctantly inaugurated his three architectural follies (new city hall, DDP, Some Sevit), and took the helm of ICLEI, OH was on a world tour, first at the Kings College in London, then advising for the Koica (Korea International Cooperation Agency) two emerging capitals for 6 month each: Kigali, Rwanda, and Lima, Peru. He published two diary books about these experiences when he returned to Seoul last year.

Looking back at these five years, OH's spell in the wilderness seems like a nice marketing plan: an exile to beef up the global / human / compassionate leader side, with interviews every six month or so to keep in touch with voters...

If you're kind enough to follow Seoul Village on Twitter (that's @THEseoulvillage), you haven't skipped a beat. Here are a few of my tweets mentioning OH (sorry for the recurring expression 'former Seoul mayor', these tweets usually don't appear next to each other):

OH Se-hoon eventually picks Jongno-gu for his return to Korea politics ("Former Seoul mayor announces bid for parliamentary election" - Yonhap News 20160117). Failure would doom his 2017 dreams. (20160117 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/688672052467773440)

Former mayor OH Se-hoon won't run again for Seoul (itw w Korea JoongAng Daily), but Korea? To "fulfill political and social responsibility" (20150225 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/570373874262544384)

Interview of former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon, now advisor to another capital city: Kigali, Rwanda: "Oh Se-hoon reflects on battle of parties’ welfare policies" (20141119 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/534851138252595201)

Former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon pleads guilty. Failed referendum did offer capital city to rivals. Planning a comeback? (20140628 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/482682493133258752)

Former Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon sharing his experience with Lima, Peru. also on his legacy, welfare, PARK Won-soon: "Since leaving City Hall, Oh’s career has been going places" (20131204 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/408019959344672768)

Ex Seoul mayor OH Se-hoon plans an international studies tour: China (Northeast Asian security), Stanford (NAFTA), Europe (20120208 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/167189481462562816)

PS: If you haven't much read from me on these lines lately, that's because I've also been out of town, in Europe and Africa. Don't worry, Seoul remains on my mind, and I'll be back in a few weeks, but I won't run.


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* see "Am I My Hanok's Keeper? Peter E. Bartholomew's Defense and Illustration of Korean Architecture"

Seun Sangga back on the (road)map

Last August, I didn't feel very optimistic about Seun Sangga's regeneration plans. KIM Swoo-geun's cruise liner of a landmark didn't look like a priority for Seoul authorities, who seemed to focus exclusively on the more controversial Seoul Station 7017 project*.

The competition for Seun Sangga had been won a few weeks earlier by a local team (Architect KIM Taek-bin, Pr. CHANG Yong Soon from Hongik University, Pr. LEE Sang-koo from Gyeonggi University) with a 'Modern Vernacular' concept that included boxes along the deck, and a slope on the Jongmyo side.

After many discussions with local citizens and stakeholders, the city modified a few things, and announced late last month that the 2017 timeline would be respected.

Seun Sangga "reestablished" by 2017: Seoul confirms timeline (20160130 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/693369251080638464)

Regardless of the project selected, this will be a tricky process, and a challenge not only for urban planners but for Seoul Housing to preserve social diversity. This beloved neighborhood will probably not remain the same, but let's hope that its core dynamics will survive.

And let's see how this 3D map of the Seun Sangga area (probably the work of one of the competitors) evolves.

Love it. A giant 3d SeunSangga neighborhood map at Seoul FabLab (20160106 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/684614335654572032)

The map's hanging on the walls of Seoul FabLab, a paradise for young 'makers', and I can't dream of a better symbol for this unique ecosystem and its future.

• See all posts related to Seun Sangga, including "Revamping Seun Sangga - If Possible Without Vampirizing The Area"
• Check out Seoul FabLab: fablab-seoul.org

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* In "Seoul Station 7017: Forget 2017?":

"Personally, I wouldn't have bet on this very risky SS7017 as my main option for a landmark. For instance, solving the Seun Sangga conundrum was also very tricky (starting with safety issues), but much more important for Seoul's balance and urban regeneration.
Still time to reassess priorities, I guess." 

2016 Under The Carpet

What a transition to the new year!

• As feared (see "Miracle?!?"), the December 28 deal between Japan and Korea was just a compromise to end the diplomatic impasse, and didn't resolve the 'Comfort Women' issue. The last survivors won't see justice, Shinzo ABE goes away with his classic elusive smokescreen, like last August*, and PARK Geun-hye with yet another journey into damage control mode. Obviously, the grandson of the war criminal in charge of forced labor and the daughter of the dictator who organized mass prostitution around UN/US army bases to collect foreign currencies** decided to sweep the sexual slavery issue under the rug, along with a hatchet that won't require such heavy tools to unearth.
• The most hawkish clique of North Korea's "Juche Line" celebrated the mysterious death of "Sunshine Line" KIM Yang-gon with special fireworks: a new nuclear test that produced, according to KIM Jong-un himself, "the thrilling sound of a H-bomb explosion" - a bit far(t)-fetched, but even without adding to Beijing pollution, that underground blip was meant to infuriate the "Beijing Line".
• When you think South Korea's opposition has reached the bottom, they keep digging their fingernails out: as MOON Jae-in and AHN Cheol-soo replay their old Burton-Taylor routine, PARK Won-soon ignores vetoes to start his risky landmark Seoul Station 7017 project. But presidential-candidate-wise, ruling party Saenuri must also cope with KIM Moo-sung, a man who confirmed he could collect embarrassing trumpisms.
  
  

As for me, I keep digging my own internet tomb with these clumsy lines. Seoul Village starts its 10th year, a spinoff of my even older 'blogules' for everything related to Seoul and Korea. 

Thank you, Dear Readers, for sticking to this inedible bibim of mine, that mixes non-edited posts*** about topics I fancy, ranging from "urbanism" to "culture" or "politics", with a touch of "business / techno" (the innovation side landing more often on my 'mot-bile' blog).

I know I should pull the plug, and I must confess I regularly toy with the idea for all of my blogs (and already did for most of them). Even more so following the actual H-bomb announcement of this turn of the year: the end of Robert Koehler's The Marmot's Hole.

Now that's pure class: say stop when you're at the top of the game, and even close the entrance to the comfort zone to resist the temptation to return to it. Hats off to you Robert!

Now that the Marmot's gone, will Robert Koehler the photographer bring new colors to rjkoehler.com?

And Happy New Year to all!

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* see "Decoding the Abe Statement: "why apologize for crimes Japan never committed?"" 
** see "Comfort Women': No Resolution Without Resoluteness. From Everyone, Please."
*** see "All posts"

Miracle?!?

Frankly, I didn't expect any breakthrough for this nth Japan-Korea meeting on the 'Comfort Women' issue.

It seems that this time, Japan is getting it right: the government takes responsibility, including for the payment of reparations (unlike the fund set up two decades ago).


In a nutshell:
- Japan apologizes, confirms the government and the military had a role in the Imperial Japan sexual slavery system, pay 1 bn yen in compensations
- Korea pledges to stop criticizing Japan on the issue. 
- both have made concessions to leave the political impasse and move on

Curious to read the fine print (particularly with Abe!*), and to see what forced Abe's hand, and how hardliners on both sides will try and spoil this beautiful day.

"Shinzoexpresses 'apology, repentance from heart' to 'comfort women' I need to check the wording (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/681364764052725761) "Yonhap: "(URGENT) Abe expresses 'apology, repentance from heart' to 'comfort women': Japan FM ""

I lived to see the day Nippon Kaigi member Fumio Kishida say "Japanese government acutely feels responsible"(twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/681366460363493376)
Yonhap: "(LEAD) S. Korea, Japan strike deal on 'comfort women'"

---
UPDATE20151228
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Shinzo Abe's move on 'Comfort Women' reminds me of Ariel Sharon's move on Gaza: let's see how this hardliner's 'concession' goes. (twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/681380220620771329)

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* remember his (in)famous statement last Summer: "Decoding the Abe Statement: "why apologize for crimes Japan never committed?"
"

Four More Years?

Four years after the passing of his dad KIM Jong-il, KIM Jong-un celebrates the end of his first term as DONK (Dictator Of North Korea).

So far, his reelection campaign looks much quieter, and barely less bloody, than the GOP primaries.

Breaking: Kim Jong-un declares war to Donald Trump (20150821 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/634558694936604672)

So between two rumored purges, KJU can try to improve his limited skills in international affairs, where this Dr. Evil looks more like a Mini-me.

Particularly after a year marked by face-losing moments with China: North Korean envoys getting folding chairs far from the V.I.P.s during the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, Chinese top brass deciding to not attend the Moranbong concert... So much for Pander Diplomacy: did KJU really think that sending his former girlfriend's band would buy him a ticket to Beijing? and did he have to drop that H-Bomb remark at that moment?

Exclusive: here's the technical schema of North Korea's H-Bomb (20151210 poktanju - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/674879744454725632)

2015 was also marked with further pressure from the U.N. on Human Rights issues, and a non-visit by its Secretary General. Resorting to more classic Baekdu-style diplomacy, KJU seems to have sent a formal invitation to BAN Ki-moon by sentencing Canadian pastor LIM Hyeon-soo to a life sentence.

Anyway, expect more weird messages from beyond the DMZ. Preferably not as macabre as those ghost ships drifting towards Japanese shores...


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The Ambiguous Kim Young-sam Legacy

Kim Young-sam (1927-2015)

I'm curious to see how Korea will remember KIM Young-sam, a man who always wanted to leave his mark on History, but could end up as a more controversial, transitional figure. Anyway, a very interesting character in Korean politics.

A democracy fighter turned political weather vane, an enemy of PARK Chung-hee and CHUN Doo-hwan turned nemesis of KIM Dae-jung, a bold reformer of the financial sector turned victim of the IMF crisis, KIM Young-sam almost seems to have both reached and left Cheong Wa Dae like a thief. 

By running against DJ, YS helped ROH Tae-woo make history: return to democracy, establishing relationships with Russia and China... An historic meeting with KIM Il-sung would have secured his own legacy, but the North Korean leader died on him.

Like Saemangeum, his dream project (see "Ari, Arirang, Ari, Ariul City"), KIM Young-sam's legacy is a gigantic oddity still in the making, and like himself, a consuming ambition still looking for a purpose, a place in History.

Now let's see how PARK Geun-hye presents this predecessor of hers, particularly his 'democracy fighter' side. The opposition will also have a tough job, but somehow KIM Young-sam is a mirror exposing all the beauties and flaws of this nation's complex psyche.

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