Community building in Korea Sudden changes in political leadership create a new political vocabulary. The election of Park Won-soon as mayor of Seoul at the end of October this year has given new meaning to ``citizen," ``community" and ``participation," to name but a few. Con..
Koreas translation problem The similarities and difference between Korea and Japan remain an endless source of fascination.
A sea-change election The results of the by-election for mayor of Seoul marked a sharp departure from previous elections.
Sustainable equality Koreans like to follow international rankings that show where Korea stands in relation to other countries.
On Hangeul Day Google has added Hangeul Day to the list of holidays and memorable dates that it honors with creative logos.
Wonderful subway and annoyances A few weeks ago, the Korean media noticed a music video about the Seoul subway that had become a hit on YouTube.
A Korean model for city life Ann Arbor, a quintessential college town in the state of Michigan, rarely makes the news. This year, the demise of Borders, one of the largest bookstore chains in the U.S., put Ann Arbor in the news because the company was founded there and had its..
A summer of Korean art In the era of ``hyperwork," summer vacation is a disappearing luxury. I got lucky this year and was able to visit Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., and Ann Arbor, Michigan, my hometown. I have not visited any of those places in at least fifteen y..
Freedom Trail for Seoul? Summer is a time for travel, and my travels took me to Boston, one of the most important cultural centers in the United States.
Model for urban revival Ask a native of Daegu about things to see in the city and most struggle to come up with an answer. Among large regional cities, Daegu is uncharted territory when it comes to tourism. Busan has beaches and a major film festival, Incheon has a Chinat..
Rethinking hanok preservation Traditional-style Korean houses, or ``hanok," have made the news as the latest Korean wave export.
Kibitzing with a taxi driver One of the best ways to take the pulse of the national mood in Korea is to chat with a taxi driver. Many have a sharp eye because they spend their days seeing and hearing what is going on in a society. I was lucky enough to have an informative conv..
English educating approach A few weeks ago, a controversy erupted in Seochon, the neighborhood between Gyeongbok Palace and Mt. Inwang. The Jongno-gu Office had proposed to build an ``English Children's Library" near the spot where King Sejong was born and not everyone agree..
Praising 2nd cities and 3rd places In April 2011, Japan had a number of local elections for governors, mayors and local legislators.
Rethinking medical tourism Some of the large back-lit posters in major subway stations in Seoul are interesting. A poster promoting Gangnam as a tourist destination caught my eye on a recent visit to Euljiro 1-ga Station.
University globalization and its limits Since 2008, Korean universities have been pursuing globalization at breakneck speed. Foreign professors have been hired in large numbers across a wide range of academic fields. The number of classes taught in English has increased rapidly to the p..
Korea and earthquake in Japan The massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011 left 10,800 dead as of the latest count. Another 16,240 are missing, thousands are injured, and a quarter million are in temporary shelters.
