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Opinion

Tue, September 25, 2018 | 21:03

Opinion > Blogs >

Korean mail carriers of the 19th century

In July 1895, after a hiatus of more than a decade, Korea began a domestic postal service between Seoul and Chemulpo (modern Incheon). It quickly became a success and soon mail routes were opened throughout the country.

Korean and Japanese postcards of the past - the palanquin

One of the chief modes of luxury transport in 19th century Korea was “the sedan chair” or palanquin. Early American missionaries leaving in Seoul quickly realized that they were not only a means of transport, but also a status symbol and purchased the best they could afford. Ap...

Korean and Japanese postcards of the past - Children

In her article “Staging 'Koreana' for the Tourist Gaze: Imperials Nostalgia and the Circulation of Picture Postcards”, Hyung Il Pai wrote: “It was common practice for travel photographers to post street children next to monuments. As native markers, sympathetic portraits of str...

Fashion field notes from Danang

As an ethnographer, I'm always thinking about people, the groups they see themselves as part of, and the way they define discrete cultures. As a visual sociologist, I think about our extremely visual culture in which identity and the very important economic acts of consumption ...

Multiculturalism: Korea's most obstinate 'iron cage'

I'm going to do something writers aren't supposed to do - lose the reader immediately. Well, that's not actually my goal, since I'm doing this deliberately with the goal of making a point. And the first line of this piece, along with the gob-stopping opening image, should be en...

The battle for normal and the queering of Korea

In 1991, Paris was burning. When I was a freshman in college, I could barely wrap my brain around that film - “Paris Is Burning.” I could barely process what I was seeing. I had never seen such aberrant behaviors, had no idea that it constituted a vibrant (and seemingly fun!) g...

A proposal for constitutional amendments to address American realities

The rapid shifts in American politics demand that we revise our aged constitution so that it better reflects the reality of contemporary institutions. If we fail to take such a brave step, we run the serious risk that our politics and practices will grow so completely out of tu...

'Eat food. Lose yourself'

I want to walk home rather than taking the bus these days. Every time I get on the crowded bus after work, I am forced to watch broadcasts on the television affixed just behind the driver's seat. Those broadcasts are not thoughtful discussions about Korean history, or even repo...

Four perspectives on Trump's engagement with North Korea

The loose cannon, shoot-from-the-hip approach to politics that has set Donald Trump's administration apart from any previous administration in American history has had a profound impact on American policy in East Asia. In many cases, Trump's open contempt for established diplom...

Me Cook? No, You Cook!

Years ago, I saw a birthday party ruined in spectacular fashion. An American friend, an advanced Korean language learner, was chatting with two Korean women who began ridiculing his pronunciation, repeating to each other “Mikuk” (not “Miguk,” which means American) several times...

14-year-old j.knife surprises Korean indie fans with folk-pop album 'Familiar Sounds'

When most Koreans are 14 years old, or 15 Korean age, they're studying hard in preparation for high school, and already readying themselves for the college entrance exam that will decide their entire futures. Jennifer Kim may not be much different, but she also somehow makes th...

Getting a refund in the sharing economy

Canceling a reservation and getting a refund is one of the most common problems a consumer faces. Many of us have stories of hassles encountered while trying to get our money back.

International trends in personal information control

In May 2017, Baidu announced its policy that only users with real-name accounts could use its services. This decision by Baidu, one of China's largest portal websites, has become a big topic for discussion. In fact, the company took this action to comply with the Chinese Networ...

Issue of punitive damages over BMW fiasco

Diesel-fueled BMW cars have been catching fire repeatedly in Korea this summer, and some car owners have filed damages claims against the German manufacturer and its Korean agents.

My life at a Korean law firm (part 34)

For this week’s Chuseok column, I made an impromptu list of 52 things in Korea that I see either more or less of than when I first came to Korea in July 1996. Some are perhaps symptoms of cultural change, while others are evidence simply of wider consumer options. This is not d...

My life at a Korean law firm (part 33)

In early 2004, Jimin and I returned to Korea to live. We each had new educational qualifications and were ready to put them to use. After four-and-a-bit years of life in Australia, we felt that our futures somehow lay in Seoul. One of the major motivating factors for my move to...

My life at a Korean law firm (part 32)

With the idea of possibly applying to join the Australian public service in some capacity, or perhaps even doing a future Master's program, in 2001 I enrolled at Monash University in Victoria to complete a program in Korean Studies. My original undergraduate Bachelor of Arts de...

Unseen part of North Korea [VIDEO]

Today I am going to tell you about my own experiences. First of all, what was my daily life like in North Korea?

The importance of North Korean refugees learning English

Thae Yong-ho, former deputy ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom before defecting with his family to South Korea in 2016, was the featured speaker at a Teach North Korean Refugees forum on July 22. Near the end of the forum, he praised TNKR, discussed that he had lea...

'I have arrived in South Korea. Now what?' (3)

There are some North Korean women who are tricked into going to China, but in my case, I willingly went through human trafficking. My family was starving, we were outcasts in North Korean society. I was bought by a Chinese man with mental problems. I realized that I couldn't li...

When color can be too much

I love color - sometimes too much. But there are times when color simply gets in the way of a good photograph. Bright colors can enhance, but they can distract. Often the better photograph focuses on tone and patterns. In such cases, monotone (black and white) photographs are t...

Finding your kind of street photography

If you ask serious photographers just what is “street photography,” you are likely to find many definitions. At times, street photography can resemble travel photography. But travel photography tends to be less artistic and more about personal documentation of one's experiences...

Festivals make great photos

Jongro-3ga, Lantern Parade. All photos by Tom CoynerTom CoynerWith the warming temperatures, come festivals and similar events. These colorful events are both challenging and rewarding. They can be confusing as a three-ring circus in determining what to photograph, and it can b...

Inter-Korean Summit in Pyongyang