Tag: Korea

So would these same people not stand for the Chinese national anthem as well since they killed more Koreans during the Korean War than the Japanese ever did during the colonial occupation:

Etiquette is a pivotal part of sports.

By this standard, the ongoing Asian Games leave a lot to be desired.

At the kickoff of the Korea-Japan quarterfinal soccer match, few Korean fans bothered to stand up when the opposing team’s national anthem was played.

A plea was repeatedly made through the public announcement system for the fans to stand up when the anthems were played at Munhak Stadium.

The fans’ behavior reflected the bitter memories of Japan’s 36-year occupation, but it is worth thinking what effects the Korean fans’ standing up in respect could have had on their image as the hosts of the Games.

It also marked a contrast to a group of Japanese fans remaining on their feet while the Korean national anthem was played after theirs was over.

“It is disrespectful to stay seated while other countries’ anthem is played,” said Na Kyung-im, a fan from Incheon. “If some foreigners sit and do that while Korea’s anthem is being played, do you think that makes you feel good?”  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link.

This was a pretty good ploy by this guys to smuggle themselves into the country:

Immigration officers are on the hunt for 77 Indian Hindus who illegally came to Korea in July by disguising themselves as pastors of Christian churches, local media reported Monday.

Eighty two Indians reportedly arrived in Korea early July by falsely claiming that they were church leaders invited to attend the “World Religious Leaders Forum,” which was held in Busan by the International Youth Fellowship (IYF).

“We arrested and deported five of them, who were illegally working for an auto parts factory in Busan,” a spokesman for the Korea Immigration Service said.

“Seventy seven of them are still missing.”  [Korea Observer]

You can read more at the link.

I am not sure how this is considered opening the rice market when you put a 513% tariff on imports:

South Korea has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will open its rice market in January next year with a 513 percent tariff rate.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tuesday submitted to the WTO secretariat its plan to revise the country’s tariff rate on rice imports.  [KBS World]

You can read more at the link.

According to this quite detailed post over at the Marmot’s Hole the Incheon Asian Games has moved well passed just being a fiasco:

 1.Stadiums getting blackouts
2. Athlete’s lunch boxes found with salmonella
3. Volunteers asking for athletes signatures and making them late to their events – because they got 1 hour of training 1 week before the Games started.
4. 20% of interpreters quitting (because they had to pay for their own transport to and from the Games),
5. Athletes’ rooms not having fans or A/C,
6. Athletes’ rooms crammed with three beds and cramming athletes in them because they don’t have enough rooms
7. No mosquito screens for the rooms, subpar quality food for the athletes – partially caused by the fact that the majority of the cooks are college kids majoring in food science
8. Beach volleyball site doesn’t have changing rooms
9. Badminton stadium has A/C with strong wind that got the complaints of all athletes including Korean ones
10. Thailand baseball team had to practice in the dark because the lights weren’t on

You can read more about the issues the Asian Games are having at the link, but it appears the fiasco will continue all the way through the closing ceremony:

Organizers of the Incheon Asian Games face a daunting challenge ― bringing Asia’s biggest sporting event to a close in a way that makes people forget the opening ceremony many believe was the worst ever.

“We have noted the criticism we received after the opening ceremony and applied it to the direction of the closing ceremony,” Jang Jin, artistic director of the ceremony, said during a news conference at the Main Press Center in Incheon, Tuesday.

But he seems to have few options available due to his limited budget and other problems.

Jang said because of the athletic events at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium that will run until the end of the Games, “We will not be able to push through with the final rehearsal that had been scheduled for Friday. We ask for your understanding.”

According to Jang and chief organizer Im Kwon-taek, the closing ceremony will include performances by the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Gugak Center, a countdown using filmed shots of athletes’ shirt numbers and AD cards, a taekwondo performance and a concert by boy band Big Bang.

But most people remain unconvinced that the closing ceremony will be an improvement from the opening ceremony, which was likened by the public and foreign media to a hallyu (Korean wave) concert or film festival, featuring more celebrities than sports stars.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but according to the article the opening ceremony had famed Korean actress Lee Young-ae light the cauldron which is really odd considering usually famous athletes usually light it.  Now for those who attend the closing ceremony they will be subject to a Big Bang concert.

The Incheon Asian Games cost only $2 billion to put on compared to $20 billion the Chinese paid in 2010 to host them in Guangzou.  So obviously the Koreans are getting what they paid for.  I would think for the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics that the Koreans will be reaching much deeper into their pockets to put on a better event since the whole world will be watching.

This is probably the first time I have heard of Koreans unhappy with one of its national teams winning a gold medal:

The South Korean baseball team Sunday clinched the gold at the Incheon Asian Games, but a lot of people here seem to have more reasons to mock their achievement than celebrate or be proud of it.

They think players will enjoy greater benefits than they deserve — exemption from the country’s mandatory two years of military service. Ironically, their gold has also led to fierce discussion about abolishing such rewards to athletes.

“I wish they lost the game,” 29-year-old baseball fan Park Tae-yang said. “I do not understand why Korea, in the 21st century, still has to give military exemption for athletes on the grounds that they help promote the country.”

Such harsh feelings against the national team are also based on the fact that South Korea is the only country that sent professional baseball players, who appeared desperate for a military exemption, and let them compete against teams consisting mostly of amateur players.  [Korea Times]

You can read more at the link, but it does seem kind unfair to all the other males in Korea that they have to do their mandatory service obligation while these professional athletes now will get out of it because they blew out a bunch of Asian amateur baseball teams.

Wow, there is so much wrong with this story from Bucheon:

A naked Korean police couple were discovered having sex in a public park in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, local media reported Friday.

The two were reportedly found naked and having sexual intercourse on a park bench at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. The Chosun Ilbo claims that a resident reported to the police that the couple were performing an obscene act in a public place.  [Korea Observer via reader tip]

You can read more at the link, but shockingly alcohol was involved in this incident, the female officer tried to pull the “Do you know who I am” card, and then finally resulted to claiming rape.  This woman should be fired not for her sex in public escapade, but the fact she decided to claim rape to avoid responsibility for her actions.

Shown is the outdoor signboard of LG Electronics Inc. set up at Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia. LG said on Sept. 19, 2014, the 250-meter-long, 12-meter-wide structure has been approved by the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest outdoor signboard. (Yonhap)

The sentencing of these three soldiers may appear to be light but from my experience the sentences are consistent with what a Korean would have received in similar circumstances:

SEOUL, South Korea — Three 2nd Infantry Division soldiers were given suspended sentences Wednesday — essentially putting them on probation — for causing a drunken disturbance at a South Korean water park.
The division later issued a statement that said situations such as the May 31 incident at Everland theme park’s Caribbean Bay attraction undermine the volunteer work other 2ID soldiers perform in the community, from serving in soup kitchens to distributing coal and volunteering at orphanages.
“I will not allow careless acts of indiscipline to tarnish 2ID reputation and our strong relationship with our Korean neighbors,” division commander Maj. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal said in the statement.
Three Camp Casey-based soldiers — Pvt. Marcus Cobb, Pfc. Alex Wilkerson and Spc. Nicholas Myers — were sentenced to six months on convictions of obstruction of performance of official duties. (Stars and Stripes via reader tip)

You can read more at the link but the judge may have also considered the punishment the U.S. military will give to these soldiers which hopefully will include bars to reenlistment. We do not need people like this in the ranks that want to act like children instead of being the professionals they are expected to be.