Here is some insane informtion distributed to teachers at Avalon English, a large hagwon franchise with campuses all over the country. From what I understand it is to be implemented at all campuses.
Guidelines regarding swine flu
Swine flu is a contagious influenza virus that has been spreading worldwide exceeding 12,000 different cases. Currently there have been 22 confirmed cases of swine flu in South Korea. The virus is spread from person to person though coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Here is a list of symptoms.
1. Symptoms Coughing, fever, soar throat, stuffy or runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, nausea and vomiting
2. Reporting process symptoms > report to campus director>report to the divisional director> report to the HR dept>provide guidelines
3 Guidelines * Do not travel abroad until further notice * Do not go to public areas if possible * Employees will have their body temps checked daily and results will be recorded * Wash hands 3 times a day. Teachers must wash hands before and after class * Classrooms will sanitized before and after class for safety measures * Avalon transportation vehicles will be sterilized for safety measures * Notice will be sent to parents regarding Avalon’s guidelines about the swine flu virus * All head office employees must be aware of the guidelines to prevent swine flu * Guidelines will be posted and students must be aware of the guidelines
4. Mandatory Instructions: A. Daily body temp check ups
-All Avalon employees must get a body temperature check and report the results to the HR dept. B. Instructions fro foreign teachers and staff members -anyone that comes back form their vacation after May 25th must stay at home for one week -New teachers and staff members must stay at home for two weeks in the month of May -No overseas vacation and business travel -FOREIGN TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR PASSPORT TO THEIR DIRECTOR UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
C. We fully understand the ongoing situation and taking any safety measures to ensure and protect our employees and students from swine flu. Employees should not be too concerned over this matter. Company related information should not be leaked or exchanged to a third party member.
Well, when you presume to implement reactionary, dangerous, and potentially illegal measures, you can pretty much guarantee your policies will get out.
News sites and bloggers have compiled collections of more candid photos of the late president, whose funeral was held today, though I haven't seen any that included this series:
This was originally on somebody else's site a couple of years ago, though I don't remember which one.
The Korea Herald's "Expat Living" section has a lengthy article talking to the quarantined native speaker English teachers in South Korea. Also in the Herald, Roboseyo's Rob Ouwehand has a heck of a piece about these health checks and travel regulations that are going into place with alarming regularity.
Throughout today, police will have 200 companies of riot policemen totaling around 20,000 standing by in central Seoul to maintain security. Some 360 traffic policemen will man major intersections in the vicinity. Bongha Village and the Gyeonggi area will also have a massive police presence. Police will block Gwanghwamun from noon until 2 p.m. and have advised citizens to take public transportation.
The U.S. Embassy will be closed for all routine services on Friday, May 29, 2009, due to the funeral services for former Korean President Roh Moo Hyun at nearby Gyeongbok Palace and the City Hall area. We expect extremely large crowds, severe traffic congestion and possible disruptions, and a sizable police presence in the immediate vicinity of the Embassy. Embassy staff will be available for emergency consular services only.
The Embassy has no indication that the crowds assembling for the Presidential funeral services will pose any threat to Americans. Nonetheless, we always recommend as a matter of prudence that Americans exercise proper caution if within the vicinity of any large crowds. American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. The Embassy will continue to keep the American community informed of any changes in the overall security situation.
The Heraldgives an overview of what to expect from the funeral itself:
The official funeral will start as the funeral cortege carrying Roh's coffin enters the front yard of the ancient palace.
President Lee Myung-bak is expected to attend, as are other former presidents, several ministers, lawmakers and foreign delegates, plus Roh's family and close aides.
Lee Dal-gon, minister of public administration and security, will offer a brief personal history of Roh, followed by funeral speeches by current Prime Minister Han Seung-soo and former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook.
A video showing images of Roh, such as his inaugural oath in 2003 will be screened.
Starting with President Lee, Roh's bereaved family members and other guests will offer white chrysanthemums before Roh's portrait to pay farewell.
The official funeral service will end with a volley of firings.
A limousine carrying Roh's coffin will then move to Seoul Plaza in front of the city hall for a mourning event, which will start at 1 p.m.
After the service, Roh's body will be cremated at a crematorium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on the way back to his hometown village.
His ashes will be placed at a small temple where the memorial tablets of his late parents are enshrined for 49 days, before being buried on a hill near his residence.
I came across this Facebook group this afternoon, for an American in Seoul named Matt Robinson. You may have seen Matt perform with the Seoul City Improv group, and he was teaching in Korea for three years. In short, he needs an operation on his leg or else he faces amputation or worse, and he will be evicted from Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital unless he can raise the necessary ten million won. Some excerpts from the group's FAQ, questions I asked on the wall, actually:
Matt has been battling a blood clot in his leg for several years. Recently, he had surgery on the leg, after which he got gangrene. Because of this, he now needs another surgery, which he was admitted into the hospital for 3 weeks ago but hasn't yet been scheduled for.
. . .
They haven't scheduled the surgery because Matt has no proof of payment. However, he can't leave the hospital because the IV they've had him on for the last 3 weeks is what is keeping him stable. They're only keeping him for another week to finish the medication they have him on now. After that, he gets the boot.
. . .
Since he's on tourist visa, he can't get insurance. The Korean Bureaucracy has cleverly devised a system so that tourists can't have insurance here.
Well, I don't like that last part, both the information and the tone, especially in light of a serious preexisting health condition. Nonetheless if you'd like to help out with a donation, the bank information is as follows:
We all have our times of need, and it is big of us to help out when we can, so if everyone stops by the convenience store on the way to work tomorrow and donates a little, we can make a huge difference. Additionally, does anybody have recommendation for traveller's insurance, or something that would offer coverage in a case like this? Any insurance that would work in lieu of Korea's national plan?
Update: I didn't get a chance to talk to him this evening, as I was directed by one of the Facebook group's administrators, but there are further updates in the discussion board. Some excerpts:
The reason the medical bill is so high is much more complicated than has been posted. There are basically 2 things going on. Matt initially went into the hospital about 4 weeks ago. He had a serious bacterial infection which required very invasive surgery. The doctors told him that he had about a 50/50 chance of surviving. During the surgery, they had to remove a large portion of flesh. The surgery went fine.
However, Matt has another condition called deep vein thrombosis, for which he is taking medications. Due to complications from either this condition or the medication he was taking, the doctors were unable to follow up the surgery as they should have done. They had to wait for a couple weeks. Since the initial surgery, he has been left with a rather large open sore from where the infected tissue was removed. This is much too large to heal on its own. Because of the time that has elapsed, there is a very serious threat of further infection or even gangrene.
Sometime after the initial surgery, Matt's leg began to swell up. This was probably due to deep vein thrombosis and possibly involves a blood clot in his leg. This leg now appears to be quite a serious problem as well and may require surgery.
So at the moment, he definitely needs plastic surgery to close up the open wound. There is also a strong likelihood that they may need to operate on his leg to remove a blood clot. If he has surgery promptly, he has been told, he should be out of the hospital sometime in June.
. . .
As it stands, his hospital bill is approximately 10 000 000 won (the cashier didn't give me the exact figures). The cost for room fee and food is about 100 000 won per day. This does not include medication, examinations, doctors, taxes? and other poking and prodding fees. Considering that he had major surgery and has been in the hospital for 4 weeks with a lot of post-op care, you can see how the bill has climbed this high.
As the hospital considers the plastic surgery to be elective, and considering the problems Matt has had paying his existing bills, they do not seem to be willing to perform it unless he pays upfront. When he asked, however, they were unable to give him a quote on how much it would cost.
. . .
Matt was not teaching illegally. He recently finished another job and had come back on a tourist visa. He was looking for a new job when he had to go to the hospital. His tourist visa expires towards the end of June.
Another teacher from the quarantine group has come down with swine flu, making her, according to the Joongang Ilbo, the 20th case reported from the 65-member CDI orientation class. The article also says a 22-year-old (19?) Korean woman returning from Texas voluntarily reported to a health center when she exhibited symptoms of the disease. The Korea Herald says a Korean-American instructor with the group also came down with the flu.
The Joongang Ilbo article continues to say the government will monitor the situation among students returning from studies abroad.
The ministry is taking “preemptive measures” before a flurry of Koreans studying abroad return home to spend summer vacation here, said Chung Eun-gyung, an official in the disease policy department at the Health Ministry, in a press briefing. She said the measures can be considered “an upgrade from existing ones.”
Measures will focus on explaining what Korean students who have been abroad - particularly those who were studying in the United States and Canada - should look for upon returning home, particularly if they become sick. She stressed that a person who either doesn’t submit quarantine forms or makes false statements will be subject to a maximum one year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won ($3,939).
The ministry will run advertisements in three Korean newspapers and commercials on one radio station for Koreans in the United States during June 1?15 to encourage them to make voluntary reports to health authorities here within seven days after returning. Four radio stations in Korea already started running similar commercials yesterday and Web portal sites will carry banners on the cautions beginning June 1.
Again, I'm not saying there's no cause for concern among that orientation group, or no reason to worry that these teachers may have passed the disease on to others. However, remember their rate of infection is so high is because they were first living together during orientation, then healthy and sick were quarantined together. The foreign teaching community isn't more susceptible to swine flu, nor are foreigners---especially suspiciously Caucasian ones---more likely to transmit the disease than others. There is no reason for a school to interrogate its native speaker about his or her whereabouts or activities, or to tell him or her not to mingle with other foreigners.
I'm pleased to post the report to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea titled "Discrimination Against Non-Citizens in the Republic of Korea in the Context of the E-2 Foreign Language Teaching Visa," compiled and filed by Professor Benjamin Wagner. It is 69 pages long, and if you click the box in the top-right corner you can expand to full-screen and read it online, print, or download it. This was released first by Gusts of Popular Feeling, which has a lengthy introduction; an excerpt:
As it became obvious there was a lot of interest from F series visa holders about the report, he decided to make the report public so people could see it for themselves, and explained this to the NHRCK. The reason for the delay was the fact that he had to combine three different reports into one 'final' report, and organize the 236 footnotes. This report has also been sent to the NHRCK and the Ministry of Justice. It should be pointed out that there continue to be documents sent back and forth, and that there is no definitive 'original text', and thus no 'final report.' This text will be updated as new research is added.
It accomplishes a couple of things for readers. First, it documents the most grievous and notable cases of the media and prominent individuals showering ignorance and hate on the heads of native speaker English teachers in Korea, whether it's a representative of the Foreign Affairs Division of the Seoul Police Department saying
American and Canadian English teachers think Korea is a land of opportunity [and a] perverted paradise [because] the majority of them find it easy to seduce Korean women and do drugs with them.
or a Ministry of Justice official saying
Drug use and other criminal activities carried out by foreign English teachers have been a social issue for some time, and have built up to dangerous levels in recent years.
or a proposed amendment to the Immigration Control Act that says
Nowadays, the number of foreigners working in Korea is increasing, but a good many have previous convictions for drug and sexual crimes or carry infectious diseases.
It lays out quite plainly and through statistics how these news reports, public statements by politicians and other figureheads, and rumors among the public are not only false, but outlandishly so. It debunks the widely-circulated beliefs that we are prone to criminal activity, drug use, sexual predation, or HIV transmission. It shows that the regulations did nothing to protect those they were ostensibly designed to protect. It says, on page 7, that
The E-2 visa policy requirements were designed to "protect children and young students," yet these protective measures are not applied to the majority of teachers who teach children (under-inclusive) and instead are often applied to teachers who do not teach children at all (over-inclusive)
and on the next page
The E-2 visa policy was never implemented to achieve any of its stated goals; rather, it was deigned as a "show" to pacify the Korean public by proving an illusion of protection through a discriminatory and extra-legal crackdown severely violating the human rights of non-citizen residents.
It not only documents these cases of ignorance and how they feuled public panic and led to new legislation, but it also, on a second front, demonstrates how the E-2 visa policy and the proposed additional changes---built as they are upon falsehoods, distortions, and statistics that do not exist---violate Korea's own laws and the human rights accords to which South Korea is proudly a party. It says, on the final page, as one of its six key recommendations to the NHRCK
Issue an immediate opinion stating the E-2 visa policy and proposed legislation constitutes discrimination and violates the fundamental human rights of non-citizens residing in the Republic of Korea.
Comments will be closely moderated here, and this space will not be used to debate or revisit any conversations already repeated on other sites. Anything off-topic or inflammatory will be removed.
Go ahead and browse the newly-minted "Swine flu in Korea" category if you missed any. Here are a few updates this morning:
* The Association for Teachers of English in Korea [ATEK] has issued a statement regarding teachers being quarantined with swine flu (HT to Hub of Sparkle); an excerpt:
Along with many Korean citizens, a number of non-citizen English language instructors have already been quarantined. It is important that everyone be treated fairly and in accordance with WHO guidelines. The WHO publishes a checklist for national authorities on how to contain the virus and offers information on handling quarantines.
We are in the process of contacting government agencies, the embassies of the countries that send teachers to Korea, and following up on all news of the teachers who have been quarantined. We are also investigating the legal right of foreigners to refuse to be tested or quarantined if they show no symptoms and have not traveled recently.
* On that point, law professor Benjamin Wagner and Roboseyo made a trip to the quarantine center. Benjamin has posted a comment about it on Gusts of Popular Feeling, so be sure to give it a read. An excerpt:
I interviewed people on whether there seemed to be any bias in the quarantine selection process, and the consensus seemed to be that there wasn't. There were Koreans who were allowed to go home, but there were also foreigners who got to go home. There were also Koreans in quarantine with the foreigners. The list I saw had at least 4 Korean names.
Some (most?) of the teachers had just arrived and the ones I talked said they didn't have homes to go back to so the facility made sense. But just as the 2 teachers who were explaining this to me finished, another teacher said, "I have a home I could've gone to!!!"
I was also concerned about how careful the health care pros were in following proper quarantine protocol so that individuals weren't put at a higher risk than if they'd been able to stay home. The WHO has good info on the swine flu here: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/
But according to the teachers this wasn't out of any lack of concern for the teachers as foreigners, just plain old fashion negligence.
* On TuesdayRatemyhagwon suggested collecting books, magazines, newspapers, and other items to help keep the spirts of those quarantined up. They are, after all, mostly new teachers and first-timers in Korea. They're keeping the drive going, and for information about how you can mail or hand-deliver items to be passed along, visit the latest update. A few of their suggestions for items you can donate:
Used paperbacks, Korean language study aids, DVDs, magazines, coffee or herbal tea bags, canned drinks, packaged snacks, pastries, junk food, W1000 face packs, hallmark cards (they already celebrated a birthday in quarantine!), Korean / English dictionary, disposable cameras, and [anything else you can think of]
* That's why Roboseyo and Benjamin Wagner visited yesterday, to pass along the first collection. Rob has written it up on Hub of Sparkle. An excerpt:
All my worst fears were alleviated, frankly: while the quarantine got off to a rocky start, they said that every day, people have gotten better at communicating, more on the ball, and more helpful. They reported that they have everything they need, and they’re pretty satisfied with their treatment.
They’re sad about the situation, and sorry if their situation is drawing heat on other foreign English teachers, but you know, it can’t be helped.
On the other hand, they seriously, sincerely, deeply appreciate the help and concern the expat community (and yeah, I’m using the c-word. The expat community) has offered up to them.
* And, one of those on the inside wrote a little about the visit:
Seriously, it’s indescribable how uplifting outside contact with the world is. Thanks again! You fine folks are the reason why the expat community in Korea keeps us coming back to this funny little peninsula.
* On a post I put up last night I asked if any teachers have been asked questions or have been taken to the doctor on account of the swine flu scare. Please post your accounts there; ATEK is also asking you email them.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration said it found potentially harmful germs and high levels of bacteria in iced coffees and ice at 11 well-known chains, including Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.
The recent investigation, conducted jointly with the National Council of the Green Consumers Network in Korea, involved 153 coffee and fast-food franchise locations nationwide.
Officials discovered that 18 of the locations investigated served drinks or used ice containing either harmful germs or levels of bacteria deemed risky to human health.
The food administration said it found, for instance, that the Hyperion Starbucks in eastern Seoul used ice contaminated with staphylococcus aureus, which is known to cause food poisoning. The ice also contained 12 times the maximum number of a certain type of bacteria allowable by law.
SEOUL (AFP) — North Korea said it was abandoning the truce that ended the Korean war and warned it could launch a military attack on the South, two days after testing an atomic bomb for the second time.
The announcement came amid reports the secretive North, which outraged the international community with its bomb test Monday, was also restarting nuclear fuel work that could make plutonium for an atomic weapon.
Defying international condemnation, the regime of Kim Jong-Il said it could no longer guarantee the safety of US and South Korean ships off its west coast and that the Korean peninsula was veering back towards a state of war.
. . .
"Any tiny hostile acts against our republic, including the stopping and searching of our peaceful vessels... will face an immediate and strong military strike in response," the North Korean statement said.
It said its military would "no longer be bound" by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean war -- in which the United States fought on the side of the South -- because Washington had drawn Seoul into the PSI.
I was going to check out the KCNA site myself, but it's blocked here. Sure sabre-rattling goes on a lot here, and indeed most Koreans I've run into, who are presumably more used to this rhetoric than I am, let on that they're more upset about Roh Moo-hyun's suicide (or "suicide") than about North Korea, but nonetheless I don't want to be too flippant about these developments. The best source for news and updates on North Korea is and will be One Free Korea.
A movie about Kimchi is filming by a Korean director, which will be released in Hollywood and in Korea at the end of the year, according to news reports.
"Kimchikhan" is a documentary, which introduces the history and benefits of Kimchi as a health food.
Shin Heung-sik, director of "Kimchikhan," said on May 26 that "The movie is intended to reveal to the world the superiority of Korean Kimchi, surrounded by fast food and junk food." He continued, "The movie is filming in Korea, the United States, and Japan as main stages and about 70 percent of the movie is completed."
Shin added that "Kimchikhan" is going to play in approximately a hundred theaters in the United States. The director is currently staying in Korea, filming scenes taking place in the country.
The director had originally planned to make a comedy movie about Kimchi. "Initially, the plan was to make a movie about an American cook who became Kimchi master in Korea," Shin was quoted as saying.
He said he decided to alter the genre of the movie from comedy to documentary to present the delicate flavor and health benefits of Kimchi.
An excerpt from his press release earlier in the month:
A fascinating story of health and the quest for longevity, the story transports us on an eye-opening trip to South Korea in hopes to change the basis of the food essentials we consume everyday. In the United States, the food the average American consumes is fast and satisfying to taste, but rarely gives the nutrients the body needs for a healthy lifestyle.
The food that all human beings need is one that is satisfying and tasty but also keeps our mind and body healthy.
Through this journey, the main chef in the story creates a groundbreaking new menu with an entirely different preparation and process for an ultimate green and healthy cooking culture to discover the 6th taste bud that is beyond the salty, sweet, spicy, sour and even greasy tastes. The story reveals the secret to the health effects of kimchi (a spicy cabbage dish) as well as many other Korean foods - which is fermentation.
The idea behind it is a “slow food” philosophy, which takes a long time to prepare and has an equally long positive effect on the body. These slow foods are known to revive the body and have powerful healing effects. The story takes us on an adventure, explaining the process through interviews and discoveries with renowned chefs, professors as well as restaurants in the United States, Korea and Japan.
The movie's homepage is here. I'm not going to deny that kimchi is healthy---today I was told it's the best medicine against swine flu---nor will I deny that Americans eat like fucking pigs. But I will bring up this excerpt of an article about the health benefits of kimchi:
Understandably, perhaps, dissenters on the topic of its healing power are circumspect.
"I'm sorry. I can't talk about the health risks of kimchi in the media. Kimchi is our national food," said a researcher at Seoul National University, who begged not to be quoted by name.
Among the papers not to be found in the vast library of the kimchi museum is one published in June 2005 in the Beijing-based World Journal of Gastroenterology titled "Kimchi and Soybean Pastes Are Risk Factors of Gastric Cancer."
The researchers, all South Korean, report that kimchi and other spicy and fermented foods could be linked to gastric cancer, the most common cancer among Koreans. Rates of gastric cancer among Koreans and Japanese are 10 times higher than in the United States.
I've seen different numbers for how many memorials havce been set up around Korea for Roh Moo-hyun, though this government page says 197. It has 18 in Jeollanam-do, though because local papers only update once a week or so, I won't have pictures until later. OhMyNews has a nice gallery of photographs taken at the makeshift Roh Moo-hyun memorial outside of Choeun Plaza in Suncheon's Yeonhyang-dong. Turns out that actually one of my coworkers took them, as he's a regular contributor over there. Click on the slideshow there to see more. The article says 1,200 people signed in at the memorial on the 25th.
I visited myself after school on Monday, and snapped a few pictures. Out of respect, and because a photographer had his camera pointed at me the whole time, I didn't take any pictures up close, so I'll refer you to the OhMyNews gallery. Here's a few, mostly of the signage:
This includes monitoring personnel, especially foreign nationals and others who have entered from abroad recently. Symptoms of H1N1 are acute infectious respiratory conditions, including a fever of over 37 degrees Celsius accompanied by nasal mucous, congestion, sore throat, or cough.
Teaching personnel exhibiting the above conditions are to be prohibited from carrying out their teaching duties and must be reported to the district public health center for treatment.
Entrants into Korea from areas with a relatively high incidence of H1N1 (namely, Mexico, USA, Canada, UK, Spain, Japan) are prohibited from reporting to their workplace (in this case, _____________________) for seven days after entry, until the H1N1 incubation period has passed.
These MEST directives are in effect until further notice, and the list of affected countries is subject to change. This will effect those planning to travel outside of Korea during the summer vacation period.
Instructors are expected to be here to perform their scheduled teaching duties and attend the August 28 Teachers Workshop, so travel plans must be adjusted accordingly. Already approved vacation time will remain as originally approved.
We realize that these MEST directives may cause inconvenience, but these are not normal times. Special situations call for special measures. We hope you are understanding.
Sincerely.
[Names withheld]
While I would love about a week to do nothing but eat take-out and blog right about now, I'm a little worried right now that the swine flu scare will interfere with my plans to visit Japan and the United States this summer before returning to Korea in September. Too bad there's no way to get the quarantine out of the way before traveling. That was a joke.
Yesterday I mentioned that the Junior Herald, an English paper produced by Herald Media and aimed at teens learning English, had an article titled "Intoxicated native English teachers" with an excerpt:
...disgruntled 12-year-old student who requested *anonymity said, “I can’t believe my parents are working hard to send me to an English hagwon where a teacher could possibly be a drug user.” Another student said that she wishes the government would do a thorough background check on native English teachers prior to granting employment.
Today a reader has passed along the full text of the article. Direct your complaints to the writer, Yoo Bo-lam at bolamyoo@heraldm.com, or the editor at jherald@heraldm.com.
On May 8, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (μμΈκ²½μ°°μ²) announced that they have *arrested a 38-year-old Nigerian English teacher on charges of supplying illegal drugs to teachers. On top of that, six other native English teachers were charged with *habitual illegal drug consumption.
Of the six teachers, three were Canadians, two were Americans, and one was a New Zealander.
The teachers have been teaching English at elementary schools or famous English hagwons in Seoul.
According to the police, the Nigerian teacher sold *hashish since the end of last year. The six teachers are suspected of having smoked hashish five to nine times at home and bars in Itaewon. Shockingly, some of them took drugs late at night and went to work and taught classes while they were intoxicated.
A *disgruntled 12-year-old student who requested *anonymity said, “I can’t believe my parents are working hard to send me to an English hagwon where a teacher could possibly be a drug user.”
Another student said that she wishes the government would do a thorough background check on native English teachers prior to granting employment.
The police believe that there could be more drug users among native English teachers in Korea. So they will continue to *probe the case.
The words with an asterisk are ones accompanied by a Korean translation.
David, and quite a few other teachers commenting here and on Dave's ESL Cafe, has been approached by his school ostensibly with parents' concerns over the foreign staff having swine flu. His paraphrase of his head teacher's remarks:
‘…because of this, we’re asking you not to interact and meet with any other foreigners for the unforeseeable future as they could be carriers of the disease…”
Found via Ruby Ramblings, a blog that's become famous because the author is currently quarantined, but looks to be pretty good in its own right.
Today, if I correctly assume the article posted yesterday evening refers to Tuesday, some folks from UNESCO will decide if Jeollanam-do's Shinan county will become a protected biosphere reserve. In Korean here, from the Jeonnam Ilbo. I've always said that if I get a block of spare time---and I might later this year---I'd like to visit some of the more remote islands off the coast of Jeollanam-do, and those in Shinan county certainly qualify. With some Googling and Navering you'll find more about Heuksan-do, Hong-do, and Bigeum-do, the latter a favorite among foreigners in Mokpo.
Since we're here, I'll add this article, which I meant to post a few weeks ago but I was in a bad mood so I didn't.
The government will allow the construction of hotels and other tourist accommodations at seashores and on islands inside national parks from next year, the Ministry of Environment said Monday.
Parks that are popular holiday destinations such as Hallyeohaesang in South Gyeongsang Province, Byeonsanbando in North Jeolla Province, Taeanhaean in South Chugncheong Province and Daedohaesang in South Jeolla Province will thus be able to attract more tourists, it said.
The announcement follows public complaints that there were insufficient places for people to stay after visiting the parks.
People willing to set up lodging facilities will be required to file for an environmental inspection by the local administrative office.
I guess the scare accomodations on these outlying islands in Jeollanam-do could be prohibitive, but you just have to make do. Not everything needs to be a goddamn resort.
The Education Ministry yesterday ordered every education office to provide information on the number of foreign teachers who entered Korea after May 11 and report by 5 p.m. if anyone is currently showing flu symptoms. The ministry also made it mandatory for teachers who have just come from Mexico, the epicenter of the flu outbreak, and the United States to not start work until after seven days of arrival. Those affected include teachers at private language institutes as well as those who teach at public elementary, middle and high schools and universities
As of Saturday, the number of confirmed domestic infections totaled 10, including six teachers from the language institute. On Sunday, health officials confirmed that another 11 patients - including eight foreigners from the language institute and three Korean children from New York - had caught the new strain of flu. One more infection from the institute, a 24-year-old American male, was confirmed yesterday, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A 28-year-old female who departed from New York and arrived at Incheon International Airport yesterday morning via Japan was classified as a “presumed patient” and was under further testing as of yesterday afternoon. She and the 18 newly confirmed patients were hospitalized.
Chungdahm Learning, a Kosdaq-listed firm that runs two private English-language franchises, recently recruited some 70 new teachers from eight countries including the United States and Canada.
The new recruits stayed at the same residence in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, during a training period from May 16 to 22. They were supposed to be dispatched to the company’s branches nationwide after the training.
I'm not going to write that it's outrageous or unfair to be looking at recently-arrived foreign English teachers as potential carriers of the disease. Nor do I think it's necessarily a "panic" to quarantine this group of teachers. After all, we just saw that some turned up with it, so people are right to be concerned about this orientation group and the people who came in contact with it. However, I hope the focus doesn't point exclusively at foreign teachers, or only at those who arrive at the US, since these newest cases are likely from passing through Japan. I can only imagine the number of exchanges between native speaker English teachers and Korean co-teachers like this one from Foreign/er will increase:
Her: "Joy! Do you have the H1?" Me: "What are you talking about?" Her: "The pig virus, do you have any symptoms?" Me: "No." (serious and confused look) Me: "Why?" Her: "Somebody is asking, there are some cases." And she proceeded to tell them something on the phone and then we continued class.
It's worth pointing out, too, that the numbers with the disease will seem a bit inflated because, well, they quarantined healthy teachers with those who were sick, thus guaranteeing the number of infected would increase.
I still think people need to be taking basic procedures to prevent the spread of the flu, because even though the papers have talked about hygeine, and have done so regularly, and even though the Joongang Ilbo has pieces that say stuff like
Washing one’s hands was regarded as a holy act of meeting with God and it was strictly abided by. Meanwhile, commoners in the Middle Ages didn’t pay much attention to washing. There was even a joke that if money was hidden under the soap, they would still never find it.
The new influenza outbreak that started in Mexico has spread to many countries but Koreans have thus far evaded infection. Perhaps this is because we, too, take our hygiene seriously. Nonetheless, we must not let down our guard. Germs and viruses reach far and fast with air travel these days, and nobody knows when a pandemic will break out. It is reassuring to know that today, as in the Middle Ages, we can help prevent another outbreak by washing our hands.
everyone is still coughing all over everyone else, still not washing their hands, and still going to work if they're sick. While I don't think it's wrong to look at new arrivals for the flu, from what I've read from inside the quarantine, and from what hygenic procedures we know take place here, it all has looked very thrown together, little more than panicking and rounding up foreigners with little idea of what to actually do. Even the Health Minister said a nine-day quarantine might not be effective:
Previously, Health Minister Jeon Jae-hee said her ministry will do all it can to strengthen inspections at airports since the disease is known to be carried in from overseas.
But she also admitted that the system may not be perfect because those within the incubation period of nine days may not be detected since they may have no high fever. ``All we can do at this point is to encourage people to make early reports and take medication and appropriate measures as swiftly as possible,'' she said.
I'm concerned for what this means for the teaching community as a whole, of course, for a community prone to frequent panics and accusations, but I also have personal concerns because I plan to visit both Japan and the United States this summer before returning to Korea.
Arirang TV makes me want to scream, smash the television set, chop my head off and then poke my eyes out, so as to ensure I never have to suffer the experience of seeing it ever again.
A female student took her own life after receiving corporal punishment from her teacher.
According to police in Gwangju, the 13-year-old middle school student hanged herself and was found last Thursday in her room by family members.
The unidentified girl was ordered by her teacher to repeatedly crouch down and stand up as punishment because she did not read some assigned books.
Police say the teacher claimed that the level of discipline was far from harsh and there was no corporal punishment harsh enough to drive her into committing suicide.
The article goes on to reference the Gwangju student who killed himself earlier this month after getting hit 110 times across the feet for skipping study hall. But, while I have no doubt that a teacher is willing and able to give out excessive corporal punishment---we've all seen it ourselves---it's probably too hasty to lay the blame solely on the beating, seeing how, well, how regularly people chose suicide.
So Otto Silver passed this along to me. There's a piece in the latest Junior Herald titled "Intoxicated native English teachers." It's pay-per-view, but he forwarded the following excerpt:
...disgruntled 12-year-old student who requested *anonymity said, “I can’t believe my parents are working hard to send me to an English hagwon where a teacher could possibly be a drug user.” Another student said that she wishes the government would do a thorough background check on native English teachers prior to granting employment.
Nice. I can't believe I worked hard in college to go work in an English hagwon where a student could possibly be a little shit head. If anyone has an account, or has the print version, would you mind passing along the rest? Here's a photo they've run:
And beneath it in the "Teen Life" section, this photo:
There have been a couple new bits of information out about those English teachers quarantined in South Korea after some of these new arrivals tested positive for swine flu.
* A commentor on my post---a Dave's regular and a frequent visitor here as of late---said he's also one of the quarantined. He's got himself a blog, too. In a subsequent comment on my site, he passes along some interesting info:
The bullshit thing is that, while there are some Koreans among us, most of the Koreans with whom we had contact are quarantined-in-place (at home.) It seems fairly xenophobic as Koreans have been getting infected just as easily as the foreigners. We didn't bring the flu from the US, it's likely (according to the epidemiologists) that we contracted this while transiting Narita. I for one, was in the transit area of that airport the same day that the Korean case (#5) was passing through there.
* One cause of concern with some commentors on my original post was that the teachers were permitted to hang out with each other, even though some may not have been infected yet. Looks like now they'll be isolated. Looks like now, too, anyone in contact with the potentially-infected teachers are being quarantined. That's how commentor Brian Dear got hooked.
A friend of mine who works for EPIK got an email this afternoon saying:
"This is to let you know that ALL foreign teachers who enter the country after May 11, 2009 are required to do a home quarantine for 7 days before returning to school.
During the quarantine, you are required to stay home and wear a mask if leaving the house temporarily to run errands such as grocery shopping. At the end of the 7 day quarantine, you must visit a public health clinic for a final checkup."
* Rumor on the street is that CDI, a big chain of hagwon in Seoul, have closed for the week due to the threat of swine flu. Others have apparently closed as well, and teachers who attended a particular workshop in Yongin last Wednesday are being called in. [UPDATE: Here's some more information out of CDI, thanks to commentor Micromegas.
A new teacher came in for training at Chungdahm. Training doesn't happen at the school you're assigned to. Everyone who trains goes to the same place, a main office in Seoul.
Now, this new teacher apparently had swine flu. They didn't find out until after he started work at his CDI Branch.
When they found out, they decided to cancel all classes at all CDI locations. Until June 3rd. Meaning, I'm technically on vacation for over a week.
* Another thought that came up in the comments here is that the authorities might try and keep these bloggers isolated from the rest of the world, keep them off the internet. That would be a real shame because, after all, we wouldn't have heard hardly anything about this were it not for these bloggers.
* Is there some xenophobia shaping up? Another panic against foreign English teachers? Certainly swine flu is something to be worried about, but is this yet another reason we can't be trusted around children?
According to the outlets and the blogs, North Korea tested a nuclear device, for the second time, and launched a short-range missile. An excerpt from Reuters:
North Korea fired a short-range missile on Monday just hours after it said it had conducted a nuclear test, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a diplomatic source as saying.
South Korean officials were checking into the Yonhap report that the North fired a surface-to-air missile with a range of about 130 km (80 miles) from its coast Musudan-ri missile range, from which it fired a long-range rocket in April.
Gwangju Together Day, also known as GIC Day, will be held on May 31st. Contrary to what's written on the latest Gwangju News, it will take place at Chonnam University's Main Stadium. It is put on by the Gwangju International Center and will, as you'll see in the poster above, have a variety of activities, though one of the bigger draws is the foreign food. Check it out if your girlfriend won't let you go to the car show if you'd like to meet foreigners in Jeollanam-do who aren't English teachers. An Acorn in the Dog's Food has more about Seoul's Together Day held last Wednesday.
This morning I posted that an American English teacher with swine flu was under quarantine, and this evening The Marmot's Hole wrote that a six others have it. Basically it was a group of thirty or so hagwon teachers undergoing orientation, the disease spread among them, and now they're under quarantine. The blog is pretty entertaining, and has grown out of a unique situation I'd say, so give it a look. If this post is to be believed, it doesn't look like the US Embassy is too interested.
Me: “Hiya! I just thought the Embassy should be aware that 30+ U.S citizens have been quarantined right outside Seoul for suspicion of swine flu exposure.” Operator: “Okay, well it’s a weekend, and we’re closed. Monday’s memorial day, so could you call back on tuesday?” Me: “You…you’re serious?” Operator: “Is it an emergency? Cause if it is we have someone we can call.” Me: “Um…let’s see, there’s 30 americans in quarantine for swine flu exposure. Basically, we’re arrested. It’s totally cool, don’t worry—we’ll call on tuesday—” Operator: “Okay, thanks for calling.” Me: “No wait—”
Former President Roh Moo-hyun, who was the target of a highly-publicized corruption scandal, died by jumping off a cliff near his home. I opened my reader this morning to find this news, which I, too, thought was somebody's idea of a sick joke until I saw it repeated everywhere.
I won't be touching this myself now, but for nice round-ups of links, see Stafford on Hub of Sparkle, Matt at Gusts of Popular Feeling, and ROK Drop, as well as all over the local papers.
I will devote a little more to this later, when the local papers can take some time away from the suicide of a former president. The Calgary Herald has a little from the Gwangju mayor:
Gwangju Mayor Park Gwang-tae wasn’t shy about bragging up the city’s prospects for victory over its rivals in Edmonton and Taipei City, Taiwan during the bid process.
“Gwangju outclasses Taipei in its rich experience in hosting large-scale, international events while being better than Edmonton in the number of modern sports venues,” he told the Korea Herald, an English-language daily. “We also excel over both Taipei and Edmonton in the level of government support and the citizens’ enthusiasm toward the games.”
He told the paper that “many civilians walk 2,015 steps every day in support for the bid while more than 150,000 citizens have volunteered” to help promote the bid.
South Korean health authorities confirmed Saturday that an American living in the country has been infected with the new type-A influenza virus, in the fifth such case here, Yonhap News said. The 23-year-old American woman has been quarantined and is being examined at a local hospital but appears to be in stable condition, Seoul's health ministry said.
Earlier this month we saw the Jeonnam Ilbo make a stink about a photo spread in the English-language magazine Gwangju News about love motels with interesting facades. Basically the paper said that the Gwangju News writer had only been in Gwangju for two months, didn't understand Korean culture, and shouldn't be passing this misinformation along to other foreign readers.
As soon as the magazine came out, however, our newspapers immediately began attacking the magazine, which soon enflamed the fury of readers who felt their pride was seriously damaged. Our newspaper reports wrote: "This photo essay introduces ungrounded rumors by stating 'love motels are also a rendezvous point for extramarital affairs.'" But is it not true that love motels are a favorite place for those who are having an affair? Korean reporters also criticized the opening remarks, which began: "In Gwangju, the neon lights of a love motel are never far from view. Young couples use love motels to enjoy a romantic night away from parental scrutiny." But is that not true as well?
Nowhere in the caption was a critique of love motels, and yet it did not mitigate the Korean readers' embarrassment. Reading the photo essay, many Koreans undoubtedly became discomfited and even furious with the fact that a side of Korean society that they wanted to hide from foreigners had been exposed by a foreigner and printed in a widely circulating English magazine. "The magazine should have declined such an embarrassing photo essay," wrote one reporter, "It will surely ruin our image." That was why people's anger was aimed at the people responsible for the magazine, and at City Hall, which subsidized the magazine but not at the writer herself.
I especially like his last set of points:
Instead of pretending that there are no love motels or reacting so sensitively to foreign criticism, we should instead try to build a society where no love motels are in business. When our society cultivates a high standard of ethics and a social atmosphere that properly restrains unbridled sexual dissipation, love motels will eventually go out of business. Meanwhile, we may get some comfort from the fact that young couples and people having affairs sneak into motels to spend brief but intense moments in other countries as well.
Therefore, we really need to have the capacity to boldly show our dark side to foreigners and generously embrace criticisms from them. It would be childish if we wanted only praise and compliments. We should be open-minded and able to laugh about foreigners' insightful observations into our culture and society. When our unchecked emotional response is unleashed, the outcome is almost always to our detriment. We should not try to hide things from foreigners; they know about our flaws and weaknesses more than we think they do. What are we trying to hide anyway?
In the paper there was more talk about merging some cities. Of local interest, Muan and Mokpo, and Suncheon, Yeosu, and Gwangyang. Regarding the former combination, as I've mentioned before the Namak New City project, which is the relocation of the Jeollanam-do capital from Gwangju to a village in Namak-ri, aims to have a new city with a population of about 150,000 in ten years. Many of those people would, presumably, come from nearby Mokpo.
I first wrote about the Suncheon, Yeosu, and Gwangyang merger back in October, 2007. It would create a new city with an area larger than Busan and Ulsan combined, but with a population of only about 720,000. It was supposed to happen, and the citizens approved it, but I literally haven't heard a thing about it since then. And I've written about other realignment proposals here, including a discussion to merge Gangjin, Jangheung, and Yeongam counties. I guess you don't really need all those administrative divisions in a country as small as Korea, and it's not like these divisions aren't realigned, like, every decade anyway. But still, they're gonna have to buy all new stationary.
As reported on GFN's "City of Light" this morning, the winning bid for the 2015 Universiade will be announced at 3:00 AM Sunday (Korean time), and as Gwangju is one of the three finalists---along with Edmonton and Taipei---there will be a gathering in front of City Hall from 11:00 PM Saturday through 5:00 AM Sunday. I will not be attending, but I'm sure I will be able to find plenty of pictures of citizens crying for the camera when I return.
An Acorn in the Dog's Foodtold us that Monday, the 18th, was Coming-of-Age Day (μ±λ μλ ) in Korea. He goes on to give a little history of the holiday held on the third Monday of May, but says that it's not a very big deal, which explains why we barely heard anything about it.
It's a bigger deal in Japan, though, for their Coming-of-Age Day each January. For a little more on that see Wikipedia, and for a look at some modern celebrations see posts from Danny Choo, Tokyo Times, and Japan Probe. I bring up Japan because when I first heard Monday was Korea's Coming-of-Age Day, it reminded me of something I read in Confucius Lives Next Door, an interesting little book by an American journalist in Japan that I've quoted numerous times. I like what T.R. Reid has to say about Japan's version, which I will excerpt below. The author has described the events of the day, and it picks up after all the solemn speeches have finished.
As the dark-suited officials on the stage stepped away to make room for the massive drums and speakers to be used by Marcia's band, I sat in the back of the hall trying to remember what my community had done to mark my arrival at adulthood. I turned eighteen at a time when American teenagers were being sent to die in distant jungles, which perhaps explains why the only official recognition I received was a mimeographed postcard from the Selective Service System, the official name back then for the draft board. The card didn't bother to congratulate me on my new status in society, but warned me that I faced arrest and prosecution if I failed to register for the draft within the next thirty days. That was Seijin-shiki, American style.
It would be romantic to the point of naivete to suggest that all the nineteen-year-olds in Japan that day came storming out of the local Seijin-shiki armed with a new determination to work hard, obey the law, and devote themselves selflessly to the overall society. But some of them probably did react that way. And all of those who attended at least were made aware that the community had expectations for them---that the society had certain values and that the values were important, important enough for the whole country to take a holiday, and for the city to hold a ceremony, and for their parents to sehll out big yen for the necessary outfits. The so-called Confucian values or Asian values on display at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony were no better than, and not much different from, the Judaeo-Christian values or Islamic values or humanistic values treasured in other parts of the world. But the Japanese, at least on January 15 every year, were doing a better job of emphasizing how much those values matter.
Korean parents have been up to all kinds of tricks---buying residency in foreign countries like Ecuador, giving birth in the US or its territories, getting their kids adopted by American military personnel---in order to get their kids into Korean international schools or schools on US army bases, although this article says changes might be on the way.
The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it will submit a bill to the National Assembly by July to ban dual-citizenship holders here from enjoying the same advantages as foreigners, including admissions to foreign schools.
The move is aimed at cracking down on dual-citizenship holders who take less legal responsibility and enjoy more privileges, the ministry said.
On the other hand, the minister of education just put forth a proposal to make it easier for Koreans to study at schools on US army bases.
Late on the 18th in Suncheon's Haeryeong-myeon---which stretches from the Yeosu border to Suncheon's new downtown---a 42-year-old woman killed her 47-year-old husband after coming he argued with and repeatedly hit her while drunk. His body was found by their 18-year-old. The wife then tried to kill herself. The article, posted by a reporter whose blog always has tons of news stories from Jeollanam-do says that were four cases of familiy-on-family murders this week, and says that on the 11th in Changwon a man killed his wife and two children before killing himself, and on the same day in Chungju a man murdered his wife. It also makes reference to the story out of Yeongam county last week, where a man murdered his wife, stepdaughter, and niece.
Korea is ranked 6th in the list of dangerous countries to drive by American business magazine Forbes.
The magazine announced the list of "Ten Dangerous Countries to Drive" on the basis of a May 19 report by the by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on road fatalities.
The OECD conducted a survey among its member countries, tracking both deaths per million individuals and deaths per million drivers in 2007.
Forbes used the result by averaging a country's ranking on each data point for a composite result.
Russia, recording 939 deaths per million cars, was selected as the most dangerous country to drive. Forbes cited Russian government's failure to regulate speed limit and loose laws against drunk drivers as major reasons.
Slovakia, Poland, Turkey, Hungary and Korea followed Russia.
. . .
Most of non-OECD member countries were not covered by the Forbes' list although developing countries like China, India and South Africa suffer the greatest number of traffic fatalities.
Forbes said that the economy in those countries is growing so fast, super-highways give people a culture shock. New vehicles appear on the road too quickly, thus increasing traffic accident rates.
On second thought I'll save the rant for another time, but I will say that Kelsey from Living Life Frame by Framegives us another reminder that you shouldn't leave Korea the day after your contract because your school might try some funny business. It's a good idea to give yourself about a week to make sure everything is straightened out and make sure you get all the money you're owed.
The Korea Timeshas a long article about how Arirang TV is struggling to compete against KBS World internationally. An excerpt:
Since its founding in 1996, Arirang Television has established itself as the country's premier international broadcasting service, providing news, entertainment, educational and documentary programs to 188 countries in seven languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic.
However, Arirang is now finding it difficult to keep up with an oversized competitor in KBS, the country's biggest national network that is pushing its own aspirations for an international presence through KBS World.
KBS World, which provides local KBS programs with English subtitles and dubbing, was originally targeted for South Korean expatriates and ``gyopos,'' or foreign nationals with Korean ethnic descent. This differed from Arirang's objectives of becoming Korea's global public relations (PR) agent, promoting positive images of the country's life, culture and economy in different corners of the planet.
However, KBS World has since expanded its coverage to nearly 20 countries since its 2003 debut and has been pushing around Arirang in major pay-T.V. markets in Asia and North America.
Arirang once reached to more than a million households in the Philippines, but that number was halved after KBS World took hold in the country's major cable networks.
Arirang has been in Cambodia since 2001, but with KBS World entering the market in 2006, it now has a miniscule presence in Phnom Penh. Hong Kong was a similar story, where KBS World won the rights to be slotted among the ``basic'' cable channels, thus securing larger exposure, which came at the expense of Arirang, available only in more expensive packages.
The day I lost Arirang TV from my cable package was a happy one, and having watched a little KBS World in Taiwan and Vietnam, I can say I'd be glad to have it on my TV here or back home. A big part of our collective disappointment with Arirang is that foreigners expect more from the lone English-language station in Korea, not simply cheerleading, dull interviews, English-education programming, or documentaries on brown people living the Korean Dream. But the article reveals, in a look at whether KBS will end up absorbing Arirang, that we were wrong to expect anything else.
Does Korea really need a fully devoted PR channel, rather than discarding the training wheels and leaving regular broadcasting corporations to provide the country's multilingual extensions?
Interestingly, the majority of policymakers, television officials and academics who spoke with The Korea Times answered with a definitive ``yes.'' Not many of the experts believe that KBS alone has a prayer of competing with the likes of the BBC and NHK in terms of financial power and the breadth and quality of programs for the global audience.
``It would be weird if countries like Britain or Japan had their own PR channels, considering the influence of the English and Japanese languages, but you really can't say that people around the world are that much interested in Korea,'' said Song Jong-gil, a mass media professor at Kyonggi University.
``Thus, a PR channel like Arirang clearly has an important role. It's similar to how companies try to sell their products overseas ― if the buyers don't come to you, you go to them.''
A KCC official, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that it would be highly unlikely for government officials to give up on the idea of having a channel to ``properly'' introduce the country to the world.
. . .
``Operating a promotional channel for the country is all about purpose-oriented programming, with the predominant focus on improving the country's image and brand value. It's more than just making subtitles or doing English voice-overs over your regular programs and sending them out, like KBS World does,'' said Arirang's Lee.
``It's similar to the difference between PR and journalism. Considering its status as a public broadcaster, KBS would be able to treat the job of promoting the country only as an `additional service,' and reluctant to invest too much money and personnel. The limitations will be very clear,'' said Lee.
It closes with a quotation from "the team leader of Arirang's innovation and policy planning division":
``We still have a lot to do, as the image of Korea is not always positive, especially in some Asian countries where people have unpleasant memories of their countrymen being treated poorly as migrant workers in Korea in the past. And countries such as China and Japan are putting in more efforts to strengthen their international channels, and we can't afford to fall behind.''
Or you could take steps to not treat foreigners poorly as migrant workers in Korea, or buy their young women as mail-order brides, or force your culture on international audiences in the same manner that you've come to resent the US doing. Is it wrong to think an international audience would be more interested in the services of a network than an extended promotional video? I know I'd rather watch news and subtitled soap operas and authentic media---and if they had movies, that'd be awesome---than kimcheerleading, but am I in the minority among foreigners in Korea? Among international viewers? Do others really care either way?
The Korea Times says that foreign nannies are becoming more popular because parents realized they could teach their children foreign languages.
. . . English was the main reason why [the woman profiled] hired a non-Korean to take care of her son after school, clean her three-bedroom apartment and do some light cooking.
The program is similar to the western au pair system. An au pair is a foreign national domestic assistant, working for, and living as part of, a host family.
Kim says her son has become much more comfortable with English after interacting with the Filipino domestic help, who spends about 10 hours per day at her house.
``She speaks a little Korean, but I specifically asked her to speak in English to my son,'' said the mom, who is starting to get worried that he would experience linguistic confusion from getting exposed to too much English before learning Korean fully.
Despite some concerns that may rise, education-frenzied mothers like Kim are becoming increasingly open to hiring foreign helpers to get the best of both worlds.
``The demand is enormous,'' said Kim Seok, who runs an Internet site (www.nannyjob.co.kr) that helps connect parents and jobseekers. He explained that Filipinos are most favored because of their English fluency, but Chinese caregivers are also growing popular with moms wanting to teach their kids Chinese at an early age.
Han In-kyung, manager at Family Care, a job placement agency, added that aside from the language benefits, non-Korean workers are cheaper to hire.
Korean housekeepers typically gets paid 40,000 to 50,000 won per four-hour standard shift, but their foreign counterparts receive about 50,000 to 60,000 won for an eight-hour workday. Live-in ``au pairs'' are also less costly.
Found via Extra! Korea. The article says there are some 4,000 foreigners working as nannies here. I very much appreciate not having to take care of some rich lady's kid ten hours a day for half of what I get paid now. It sucks to see these women, who are considered second-rate alternatives to native speaker English teachers, are getting paid half as much for twice as much work. If you browse the Nannyjob website you'll see that these women are charging (or getting, hard to tell) around 10,000 won per hour, or 50,000 won per day, or 1,100,000 to 1,500,000 won per month. But in spite of the long shifts and comparatively little money, this line of work could provide a way for mail-order brides to get out of the house, an opportunity they might not have otherwise. It's just too bad they're getting low-balled for two skills so highly valued by busy, wealthy parents: housekeeping and English teaching.
Chinese nannies are sort of popular among the wealthy and snooty in the US; more on that here, here, and here, though you probably could just google it yourself.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
I think all the war metaphors in sports are in bad taste, and I think broadcasters and sports fans should quit calling an Alex Rodriguez home run an "A-bomb," especially since his teammate is Hideki Matsui. Not that atomic bombs shouldn't be offensive to everyone, it's just, dude, come on, the name's not that clever, just think of something else.
The report says 11 of Korea's 14 airports are operating at a deficit. In a country the size of Korea---smaller than Pennsylvania but with four times the population---I am surprised by the number of airports, and that new ones are being bulit to replace old ones. There are airports planned for Miryang and for Busan's Gadeok-do island, though I can't tell if it's an either-or situation, as a new airport there would serve southeastern Korea. There is also a domestic airport supposed to open in 2009 in Uljin county in Gyeongsangbuk-do; it was supposed to open in 2003, actually, but apparently nobody wants to fly there.
The one in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, is there for tourists looking to hike and ski, and replaced the one in Sokcho and, correct me if I'm wrong, Gangneung. There's also a domestic airport in the city of Wonju, Gangwon-do. Somebody wrote on Dave's:
They built this airport anticipating mass tourism in Gangwon-do, but it never materialized. While Koreans come out to Gangwon-do, it's only a 3 to 4 hour drive from Seoul and then you need the car to get around so flying to Gangwon-do makes little sense. I understand Yangyang airport used to operate flights to Tokyo, Jeju, Seoul, and Busan which would be extremely convenient for those of us teaching in Gangwon-do, but too few foreigners travel Gangwon-do to adequately support daily flights.
The airport is also there, I guess, to assist Pyeongchang county's perennial Winter Olympics bid. In case it doesn't reopen, or become privatized as the report suggested, a few months ago Brian in Gangwon-do was thinking of creative uses for that space.
There was a new international airport that opened in Jeollanam-do in 2007, Muan International Airport. Built to replace the airports in Gwangju and Mokpo, it, too, was full of face-palm moments. It was under construction for eight years, delayed for four, and when it opened it only opened in quotation marks. The highway between Gwangju and Muan didn't open until the following year, meaning people couldn't get to the new airport, which was built as part of the Namak New City plan to relocate the provincial capital from Gwangju to Namak-ri in Muan county. A lot of flights were still handled by Gwangju, which still flies to Jeju and Seoul. A Korea Times article from November, 2007, has more about Muan's "incomplete opening":
``Muan airport will lead development in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. It will also improve the nation's air logistics together with Incheon and Gimhae airports,'' President Roh Moo-hyun said at the opening ceremony of the airport.
All international flights that operated at Gwangju International Airport near Muan were supposed to operate from Muan, and Mokpo Airport was to be closed with domestic flights there being moved to Muan.
The ministry expected to run 42 international flights per week on six routes by five airlines and eight daily domestic flights on two routes once the airport opened.
However, for the time being only nine international flights per week by two Chinese carriers and seven domestic flights will operate, as the two national flag carriers _ Korean Air and Asiana Airlines _ decided to keep their operation of four weekly flights to China at Gwangju airport until next June.
The decision was made due to the ministry's inconsistent policy. The construction of a highway connecting Gwangju and Muan has not been completed and thus the difficulty in accessing the airport was evident, consequently the government allowed international operation at Gwangju airport until the end of constructions in June.
With only half of the international flights operating in Muan and the other half at Gwangju, customs and immigration facilities and cargo terminals at Muan are also unlikely to be fully operational. Moreover, the airport lacks restaurants and convenience stores as no companies have applied to do business there due to the small number of flight operations.
Suncheon is served, I guess, by Yeosu Airport, and there are shuttle buses to it throughout the day. I read an article that said Yeosu might temporarily serve as an international airport when the 2012 Expo comes to town. Gwangju is only about an hour away by bus, and there's a subway stop for the airport there, so that's just as convenient I guess, and in my opinion it makes sense for the region's largest city to maintain its own airport. However, because I often have another 24 to 36 hours of travel time between Korea and Pittsburgh, I'm happy to take buses while I'm here. They're certainly more roomy than economy class seats, and I find it much easier to take a bus to Incheon airport than mess around with domestic flights. One year my school told me I had to fly the whole way home, so I took a bus from Gangjin to Gwangju, flew from Gwangju to Gimpo, took a bus to Incheon, stayed the night in Incheon, and flew out in the morning. When you add up the transfers, the check-ins, and the waiting, to say nothing of trying to carry luggage all over the place, it ended up being about 256-times more irritating than simply taking a bus all the way to Incheon. Business travellers may have a different perspective, but I'm happy living only a short nap away from Seoul.
