Calling Elvis

So I was reading on the Cool Stuff Korea Blog (which is good fun, by the way - you should follow it if you aren't already) about a tour guide called Elvis Han. I love it!

I am often delighted by the English names that some Koreans choose to adopt for themselves in an effort to simplify life for us waegookin (foreigners). Singers and actors are always popular sources for Koreans that choose their own English names. It should be noted that around half of my Korean friends take English names - the rest have figured out that some non-native speakers don't butcher Korean pronunciation too much.

My favourites that I've come across in my time in Seoul are Al Pachino Cho (spelling mistake courtesy of his business card) and Harrison Lee (who makes no bones about being a huge fan of the actor). This phenomenon isn't unique to Korea but is a fun little side-effect of being a stranger in a stranger land.

For the record, my Korean name is 매튜.

Not So Good

I came out of a meeting today to learn that North Korea has fired a number of shells into Yeonpyeong-do (연평도), two islands northwest of Incheon (the location of South Korea's largest airport servicing Seoul) and close to North Korea.


My office building looks down onto the executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea's head of state) but I've just learned that he's not there at the moment. According to this report:

South Korean government officials, including President Lee Myung-bak, were meeting at an underground bunker in Seoul to discuss how to respond to the attack. Lee said he was trying to prevent a greater conflict, although his spokesman said he was still considering how to respond.

Initial reports listed a number of people injured or killed, but as of now most reports are suggesting that one Marine has been killed in the fighting and that the South is retaliating with its own artillery.

Local news is being updated minute-by-minute but some of the early shots from the island are quite dramatic. CNN is currently reporting that the North commenced hostilities by firing around 200 rounds of artillery and at least 14 have been injured. A number of homes are said to be on fire.

The central bank is conducting an emergency meeting, which is scheduled to take place within the hour following a dip in the value of the South Korean Won and local futures taking a battering.
More to come, I'm sure.

UPDATE: There has been financial fall-out across the region with the Thai SET falling in response... and the US / European futures as well.


UPDATE: President Lee Myung-bak urges a resolute response but remains focused on not escalating the situation, according to Yonhap news. As of 5.30PM local time, all 1600 residents of the island have been evacuated and government officials are on standby.


UPDATE: Businessweek is reporting that 14 Korean soldiers have been injured but civilian injuries are still unconfirmed.


UPDATE: The US, Russia and China are pushing for restraint from all parties as well, according to Fairfax media.


UPDATE: The tone on the ground here in Korea has calmed significantly since yesterday. Despite that, tensions are still high following the attack that killed two members of the South Korean armed forces, prompting general outrage both here and abroad.


US President Barack Obama has said that the US forces will join the South Koreans in military exercises currently taking place near Yeonpyeong-do. Let’s hope that’s the end of it.

... The Land Down Under

Australia has long been known as "down under" (though I wonder why this hasn't broadly been applied to South America as well), but apparently we're backwards as well. This was snapped at a prominent department store in downtown Seoul. I've no idea why they were flying the Australian flag (the Canadian one was also raised, but it was orientated correctly).

Beating the Heat

In the humble opinion of a foreigner just learning his way around Korea, one of the best ways I've found to beat the summer heat is to get stuck into a bowl of Naengmyeon (spelled 냉면 in Hangul), which is a spicy North Korean noodle dish served ice cold. Naengmyeon was traditionally a winter dish for fairly obvious reasons (in the days before refrigeration, you could only have cold noodles in winter) but is now enjoyed all year round and makes for a great lunch or dinner on a hot day.

There are a number of different types, but my favourite also happens to be one of the most common and includes buckwheat noodles, slices of Korean pear, cucumber, plenty of super-hot Korean chilli paste and a boiled egg. It's widely available and should be put on your must-try list if you visit Korea.

The buckwheat noodles are extra long and generally require a bit of chopping...

What's naengmyeon without mandu? These boiled dumplings are rumoured to have been introduced to Korea by the Mongols in the 14th century and are found throughout the former Mongol empire. They show up in Eastern Europe in the form of "pierogi", Turkish "manti", and across China and Japan as "jiaozi" and "gyoza" respectively. The Korean form can be steamed (known as jinmandu), boiled (mulmandu) or fried (gunmandu) and are a staple of the local diet. They're also delicious!

Ummm

So much has been happening over the past few months, with lots of travel, sweating in the Seoul summer heat, and -sadly- more work than play. I thought today's return to the world of blogging would be a good opportunity to unveil a new improved blog design and to share some interesting sights snapped while out and about in ever-entertaining Seoul.

These gentlemen operate an Indian restaurant in Itaewon (a spot popular with foreigners). I can't help but wonder what qualities the One True Waitress possesses.

This restaurant is foreign, but only on Tuesday afternoons. The rest of the time it's apparently local.

This was shot at an underwear shop. Translations welcomed.
For reference, the text says:

Cute as like me...

See the world as a beautiful place and it's just what I like...

Looking for the something special?

Sweet whisper, feeling scent, touch, embrace.

That is love.. That is Yes!

Cabaret - North Korean style

While in Beijing recently I had the privilege of attending a North Korean cabaret show. The Chinese keep Korean businessmen amused by bringing North Korean entertainers over the border to perform in one of a couple of bars in the city. It’s sanctioned by the North Korean government and the entertainers granted visas for the purpose.

The place I visited serves North Korean beer (and prawns and fruit plates – which I found an interesting combination) and there are a variety of shows put on through the evening. I managed to get a few photos, which you can see here. I covertly shot some video as well, but only got a little bit of footage before someone came over and shut down the camera.

The place was rather surreal but a very interesting experience.

Jang Yeong-sil

I’ve written before about King Sejong, a Chosun-dynasty ruler credited with fostering the development of the Korean alphabet. The king was also a staunch patron of technology and invested heavily in science.

Jang Yeong-sil was a scientist and inventor who served as a member of the King’s court. He is credited with a number of technological breakthroughs in Korea, including the production of Korea’s first celestial globe and iron printing press (an improvement on the Chinese designs and hundreds of years before Johann Gutenberg’s). He also created a water clock, sun dial, rain gauge and the world’s first water gauge designed to enable farmers to more effectively manage water usage.

Sadly, the end of Jang's life was not as celebrated as his time as a regal scientist. He was tasked with creating a ceremonial sedan chair, which broke while transporting the king. Jang was held responsible and was expelled from the palace and jailed. From this point there is nothing known about the rest of his life, including the date of his death – hardly a very prestigious ending to a life of scientific pursuit!

Life lesson: if you're going to do some building for a king, it's best to over-engineer.

Hope for reunification

In the middle of downtown Seoul is a small courtyard with a pair of large pieces of concrete in the centre. I'd ridden past it on my bike many times before stopping in to take a closer look. The concrete is actually a section of the Berlin Wall, which came down in 1989, reuniting East and West Germany.

Three segments of the wall and a German street light were given to the Korean government in 2005. According to a plaque near the wall, the gift “symbolises the peaceful overcoming of the division of Germany and hope for a peaceful union of the Korean peninsula.”

Hwaiting!

I've noticed something a little peculiar about Korean cheers. When I'm out mountain biking in the forests, struggling to pedal up some ridiculously steep incline, Korean hikers will often yell out "fighting!" as a term of encouragement. Likewise, it’s often called at sporting events. This is clearly a bit of a cultural quirk. In Korean, it’s written as 화이팅 – and phonetically sounds like “fighting” (it's actually "hwaiting").

Apparently it was imported by the Japanese (though the root is clearly English), but it does seem a strange term of encouragement to a Western ear. After finishing off a night ride a few weeks ago with a friend, we ducked into a corner store to grab a drink when we happened across promotional box of mixed beers. In trying to tickle the patriotic nerve, the distributors have come up with the slogan 'Korea Fighting'. Given the effect excessive amounts of beer has on people the world over, I wonder if this is designed as a cheer, or is simply a realistic commentary on one of the downsides of the amber fluid.

Spring in Seoul

I took a few photos of Seoul in the spring time and uploaded them to a gallery. After a long, cold winter, it's nice to see the flowers out.

You can see some of them here in my photo gallery.