Teaching in Korea: North Korea

North Korean Flag

When discussing the topic of teaching in Korea, a question I often get is, “Are you teaching in North or South Korea?”

I sometimes giggle to myself what I hear that question, but then respond, “South Korea.”

What usually follows is this, “Is it safe there? Are you afraid that North Korea will attack and that there will be another war?”

The latter is a valid question, since most of my friends and contacts are from the United States and the media there blows things enormously out of proportion. Couple that with political machines that tend to keep the people in the dark and play on their fears, many don’t know the history of the Koreas or what the true state of affairs are here.

To begin with, North and South Korea are still at war. The 1950-1953 conflict never officially ended in a peace treaty, but rather an armistice or cease-fire. Since then, the United Nations and the South Korean military have been on alert and routinely practice drills that would repel any would-be invasion from the North.

From time to time, there have been exchanges of fire (aka gun fights) between the two countries in and around the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) and in the West Sea. In fact, the most recent exchange of combat related fire took place November 9, 2009. That’s right, only a few days ago (as of this writing). What happened is that a North Korea naval vessel approached and may have crossed the NLL (Norther Limit Line – the border that extends from the land into the sea and separates the two countries). South Korean forces responded and fired upon the vessel, causing damage and forcing it to retreat.

One needs to understand that the North Korean regime is somewhat unstable and tries to flex its muscle. However, the South Korean military along with its United Nations allies have better trained troops and hardware. In fact, in ever conflict since the Korean War ended, the North hasn’t scored a single victory. In fact, these skirmishes have always been short and forced the North to run away.

That being said, I feel incredibly safe in South Korea. Especially since I live near Seoul. The conflict on Monday made the news, but there was no panic or uprising. Coming to Korea to teach is still safe and I don’t see it changing at all. However, if you are someone that worries a great deal about such things, then perhaps Korea isn’t the place for you.

Two of the same…

Wednesday is Pepero day (빼빼로 대이) here in Korea. Now I spoke about it last year, but this time , I thought I’d delve more into this national treasure of Korea. For those not familiar with the treat, it is essentially a pretzel or biscuit stick dipped in chocolate. Since its inception, there have been many derivatives including strawberry and, my favorite, almond cluster.

Now here in Korea, this holiday is marketed as a major festival promoting love. Stores showcase the upcoming holiday on their windows and have displays up front and center. Some stores go the extra mile and arrange huge displays and elaborate arrangements.

The holiday is quite fun, as adults and children alike purchase the treats and exchange them between themselves. As a teacher, I also enjoy the holiday, since I get the opportunity give a few special treats to my kids. Last year, I only had three kids on Pepero Day, so I gave each one a box. This year is a little different, since I have nearly 60 students I see on Pepero Day, I’ve taken a different approach: I’m going to buy each a large stick of Pepero.

Unfortunately, this time of year also brings out the debate between Japan and Korea over which came first the Pocky or the Pepero. Then the debate turns to which one tastes better. For the record, Pocky was first sold in Japan in 1966, while Pepero was first sold in Korea in 1983. This lends many to stand up and say that Japan was the first to develop the treat. Koreans will quickly counter saying that they developed the candy first and Japan copied it. There may be some truth to that, seeing as how Glico (Pocky’s manufacturer came to be during Korea’s annexation by Japan), but it’s more likely that Lotte copied the treat and made it their own by changing it ever-so-slightly (much the same way they did with McDonald’s and Lotteria).

It’s a fun little holiday and I decided to take my camera out and record some thoughts on it… while sneaking a peak at some of the displays inside Lotte Mart:

Teaching in Korea: Grades

I often get questions regarding what kind of degree or grades one needs to teach English in Korea. I thought I’d address that today.

First, if you’re a foreigner, you need to be from a country that considers English to be the native tongue. After that, you simply need a bachelor’s degree. It doesn’t matter what field, as long as it is a bachelor’s. With the economy in the tanks abroad, there are more people looking to teach here, so overall GPA is starting to come more into play, so the better your college GPA is, the higher the probability that you’ll be selected for a job.

If you’re of Korean descent and living abroad, you might be eligible to come to Korea on an F-class visa. This enables you to pretty much get any kind of job. However, to teach, you’ll still need that bachelor’s degree. The better your English skills are (i.e., bilingual and without an accent), the more likely you’ll get a good teaching job, regardless of your GPA.

The Su-neung (수능): Korea’s University Entrance Exam

Filmmaker Richard Lucchesi, a Kyung Hee University English Professor wanted to know more about the Su-neung (수능), a test that everyone in Korea knows about, and that virtually all high school students have taken since 1993. It’s a university entrance exam, and is still the most common way to enter university in Korea.  Offered once a year in November, as many as 600,000 high school seniors students sit for the exam each year. They traveled the streets of Seoul speaking to its residents about their experiences. This film is dedicated to the millions of people who have studied for and taken the Su-neung (수능) university entrance exam in Korea, and for those who have yet to do so.

An outing!

Admiral Yi

One of the things I never understand about some who come to Korea to teach is why they don’t ever take the time to discover the cultural wonders that are in their own back yards. This week, I had the pleasure of meeting two new English Teachers to Dongtan and they were excited to come out and explore a little of Seoul with me. While my adventure was nothing special, it did show these two newbies some of the wonders that await in their 12 months to come.

King Sejeon

What I had wanted to do was check out Gwanghwamun (광화문) Plaza, since so much time and effort was taken to build the plaza while reconstruction of the gate is being carried out. What once was 18 lanes of traffic, is now 12, with the center island a beautiful park with statues devoted to Admiral Yi and King Sejong. In fact, underneath the statue of King Sejong is an elaborate museum dedicated to Korea’s greatest ruler.

Since Gwanghwamun (광화문) Plaza serves as the southern entrance to Gyeongbokgung (경복궁), I decided to take these two lovely teachers into the palace to let them experience a little of Korea’s history. It was a lovely fall day, and while it was overcast, the colors came out and provided some great sights.

Hyangwonjeong (향원정)

I especially enjoyed coming back here, since it gave me a few new ideas for some future videos about the palace once the gate opens in 2010. It was also fun revisiting the palace, as there’s always something new to learn and see. I especially enjoyed seeing fall colors reflected in the lakes.

I can’t wait to return here with Jo. She has a passion for exploring these places as well, and the next time we go, I’ll have more information to share with her as well as a better plan on how to get there quickly so we can take advantage of the Korean National Folk Museum that is adjacent to the property and Blue House.

The trip was also a good way for Brook and Tonita (the new teachers) to get used to traveling in Seoul. We took an express bus into Seoul and then transferred to a City bus to get to our destination. On the way home we took a cab, train, subway, and city bus. It provided a great learning experience on how anyone can get anywhere without a car here. Plus it also showed them a lot of Dontan, Gangnam, and Seoul.

I hope your Saturday was a fun-filled as mine. Tomorrow, I’ll be putting the final touches on the documentary I’ve been working on and hope to have it live on YouTube in two weeks. Until then, i’ll leave you with this:

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Remember, remember… The fifth of November…

The classic 80's Series

Remember, remember the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot, I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.

… so the film V For Vendetta begins. I find it very interesting that around the same time this year, ABC has launched a retooled version of the V(isitor) franchise.

When I first learned that the network was going to re-imagine the series, I was a little concerned. In many cases, these attempts do not come off well. Let’s look at the history:  The Incredible Hulk was a huge failure. Mission Impossible destroyed what I loved most about the television series. When NBC tried to bring back the Bionic Woman… well, let’s just say that I couldn’t even make through 15 minutes of the pilot. Then there was last year’s Knight Rider…

Only a few times have these projects really come together. The most successful of which was Sci-Fi’s Battlestar Galactica. It was the story that we all wanted to see. A great military drama set in space with real issues to deal with. V comes at the show from this angle, and while only one episode has aired, I’m giving it a thumbs up. I’m really looking forward to see where the series goes. Unfortunately, I do remember so much of the old show, so I could quickly identify where all the old characters were going. If only I hadn’t seen it before… oh well, it should present itself with some fun entertainment in the months to come.

Speak of TV, I am very thankful, that I’m able to keep up with The Amazing Race. It is by far my favorite television show. I would love for Jo and I to be contestants on it. There’s something grand about traveling the world, learning new things in each place, and competing for the top prize. In this weekend’s episode, they’re returning to one of my favorite challenges: Needle in a Haystack. I remember watching the teams rolling out the hay balls looking for the clue, and how my favorite team was eliminated because after 8 hours, they couldn’t find it. It was a powerful moment in television and was a great example at how quickly things can change on the show. No wonder it is still number one.

Also on the TV front, things are heating up here in Korea with respect to cell phone ads. Those that think that the iPhone is the best phone in the world have a few things to learn about what phones can really do. Anyone who has traveled the world will tell you that Asian phones make those in the US look like crap. Even my “free” entry level phone comes with the ability to watch live TV and send and receive video calls. Something that no phone in the US does.

As a result, both Samsung and LG really make the debut of new models a big thing. This month, Samsung is going to release its latest touchscreen phone that features a 12mp camera (with optical zoom) that even records in 720p HD video. As a photog and videographer, I might just have to put down the Won to get this phone. Not to be outdone, LG has revamped its Chocolate line and is promoting that like nobody’s business. What I find most interesting, is how these companies go after singing groups to not only be their spokesmodels, but build an entire music recording suite around it. I give you two examples:

From Samsung, we have AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) featuring Son Dambi & After School.

I have to admit, since the song dropped in July, I’ve found it quite catchy and have enjoyed watching the girls perform it live on stage.

In the past month, LG countered with Chocolate Love performed by 소녀시대 (Girls Generation/SNSD).

People are really looking forward to the iPhone dropping in Korea this month, but since it doesn’t have many of the features that these phones (and no music groups backing it), I don’t think it will be a major player in Korea.

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Saturday…

The weather is warming up here in Korea, and if you’re in the Seoul area on Saturday, November 7th, I’d love to meet up with you. I’m heading out to Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbok Palace (maybe even Namsan Tower) around 1pm to spend the afternoon.

Come and join me so you can introduce yourself!

Steve

Hate Crimes

It never ceases to amaze me how some people can miss the mark so badly that it makes me wonder if they have a brain that works.

When President Barack Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, he also authorized the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Now this largely went under the radar, but has the effect of adding extra penalties to violent crimes when they are motivated by gender, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

Star Parker calls the law a “weakening and damaging our country is not something to be proud of.” Parker continues by saying, “It should be clear that hate crime law has nothing to do with improving our law but rather creating favored political classes. It is something that should be hateful to everyone who cares about a free society, and particularly hateful to those, such as blacks, who have been victimized by politicization of law.”

Hate crimes are premeditated or conducted out of intentions to be overly cruel to an individual. In many cases, the victim did nothing but be born and has been attacked for being a certain race, religion, or sexual orientation. Such crimes should not be tolerated in an evolved society and those who perpetrate them should be dealt with sternly. What I find ironic in Parker’s editorial was the justification cited:

Is it not a sign of our own pathology that we now have codified that it is worse to murder a homosexual than someone who has committed adultery, even with your husband or wife, or who has slandered or robbed? Isn’t the point murder?

No, the point is the intention and the methodology of the crime. This is why when one does face murder charges, the circumstances are factored into case. Is it pre-meditated? Was it an act of “passion?” Was it accidental? Hate is just another factor to the equation to be considered. It is simply one more tool for the legal system to utilize when sentencing.

Tears in the Darkness

A couple of months ago, Jo sent me a little care package from the US. In it was a special treat for me (and I don’t mean coffee). It was a copy of Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman’s Tears in the Darkness. Jo had told me about the book and I was looking forward to receiving it and delving into its pages. For those not familiar with the book, here a brief summary from its website:

Here, from Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman, is the story of the worst defeat in American military history, the four-month fight for the tiny peninsula of Bataan in the Philippine Islands – the first major land battle for America in World War II. On April 9, 1942, more than 76,000 men under American command surrendered to their Japanese captors, who set them walking sixty-six miles to prison camp, a notorious walk that came to be known as “The Bataan Death March.”
“Tears In the Darkness” is history written as story, thousands of sources and hundreds of interviews carefully woven into a tight narrative that recreates those dramatic days and the men – Americans, Japanese and Filipinos – who lived them.

It was a profoundly powerful book for me to read on several levels. First, I enjoy reading about history, and while I am somewhat familiar with the European side of World War II, my knowledge of the events in the Pacific is limited. However, the most important reason why this book affected me was because it is a personal conflict: My Uncle Mort was station in the Philippines and survived the “Death March.”

I was fortunate to grow up with my Uncle close-by and had the chance to talk with him on a few occasions about his time as a POW in the Philippines. Some of what I read, I knew about from his first-hand account. None-the-less, reading this book drove the point home and really made me sit back in awe as the men endured tremendous pain and suffering. I still can’t fathom war or why someone would want to inflict that kind of pain and punishment on another human soul.

One of the great things about the book, is that it weaves together a great narrative, including one-third of the book told from the Japanese perspective. I think one of the most powerful sections comes at the end of the War, when the Allies are handing out “Justice” to those accused of War Crimes. While I can’t comment on the true nature of the events, the research the authors use and depict, indicate that the US railroaded several Japanese officers in an attempt to serve “justice” to the force that handed them such a massive defeat in the Philippines. It also paints MacArthur in a less than positive light for sugar-coating the Philippines war-readiness ability and command.

Jo has already visited Bataan and Corregidor when she lived in the Philippines. When we visit there in 2010, I’m looking forward to seeing where my Uncle so bravely fought, not only for his country, but for his soul.

Five Months…

I can’t believe it. I’m sitting here on November 1st. the time has really gone quickly not that I’m back in the Land of the Morning Calm. For those not keep track of the time in-country, this marks five months teaching English in Dongtan. That’s right, I’m almost halfway through my contract.

That being said, I’m starting to look to the future and what next year will bring. I do love my job and the school. I’ve found Dongtan to be a wonderful place to live and work and really don’t want to move elsewhere. I have only one month left in my flat before I do move into a new, larger place… and I really don’t want to have to do it again.

But what will I be doing next year, or even in 2010?

I have a few ideas… some of them I will share here. First, I will continue to blog- recounting my experiences here in Korea in an effort not only to help those that wish to teach abroad, but to educate the world about what Korea really is. I will also continue to do some broadcasting from time to time for local media. Unfortunately, I can’t do it full-time, since I’m on an E-2 visa, and that prohibits me from getting a second job. I may look at trying to get another type of visa next year that would allow me to do other things.

By far the best and biggest change will take place next month. Jo will be arriving on December 3rd and then for the next 50 days, we’ll be running around to various embassies, ward offices, and immigration offices to get her visa status changed so that she can spend the remainder of my contract with me here in Korea. Each day builds the excitement. I can’t wait for her to get here and for us to start our life together in this wonderful country.

I’m not sure where our first joint trip will be (aka the honeymoon), since it looks like our school holidays will actually take place before we get married. I have a feeling we’ll jet down to Jeju or Busan for a short visit. At it turns out, it looks like we’ll take care of the final marriage documents on December 29th and then submit her paperwork to Immigration thereafter.

I’m also contemplating bringing back the QiRanger Report to YouTube in 2010, which means I’ll moste likely do some filming in Seoul for the intro to take advantage of the HD settings on the computer. I’m also thinking about migrating off the WordPress site and hosting my own blog next year. I’m not sure I really want to do that, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve found that I really do enjoy writing these days. I’ve also settled into making more and more of my videos as well.

One thing I am not happy about is the state of my eye infection. It’s been a month, and still not revolved. I’m hoping that it is done in the next two weeks, as I really miss wearing my contact lenses. But the nice thing is that I haven’t missed my sunglasses, which I lost at Bongeunsa (well, lost is such a hard word… I set them down and failed to pick them up). I should also be finishing the introduction work on the documentary work this next week, which then free up a lot of time to get back to exploring and writing about Korea. I will hold off on some locations, since I want to experience them with Jo. I think the first trip to a Korean Folk Village will be an awesome one… and I can’t wait to share that experience with Jo.