Ask a Korean! Wiki: Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Recession? What recession? As long as you speak Korean (and have a few more skills,) there are jobs galore. Here are the two recent emails that the Korean received:Dear Korean,I have 10 positions of Korean Speaking Java developers in North New Jersey. Any level will do. Please connect me to a group who is looking for a job.Vikas SMarlabs IncPh: - 732 287 7800 Ext 1428Mob: - 848 248 2136Fax: - 732...

Absolutely must-read article about North Korea by Nicholas Eberstadt, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. A few highlights:As the U.S. and its allies frame plans for dealing with North Korea in the aftermath of the recent sinking of a South Korean warship, political leaders must recognize that security will depend not just upon deterring Kim Jong Il today. Northeast Asia's future security—and...

Ask a Korean! News: Interview with Kim Su-Hyeon

First, a little background. Kim Su-Hyeon is a writer of Korean dramas, and can legitimately be called the queen of Korean dramas. She started writing scripts for Korean dramas since 1972, and so far wrote for more than 45 dramas, many of them massive hits. She is essentially like Steven Spielberg -- Kim continues to churn out...

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists Series: Just Missed the Cut (Part 1)

[Series Index] Before we get into the actual rankings, here is a quick roundup of K-Pop artists who were considered. They are organized by their debut year. Part 1 is the list of the artists who debuted before 1990.All of these singers are all pretty famous, and their songs are worth listening to if you want to get the full context of the prevalent music within the genre and the era. The Korean included...

Ask a Korean! News: Get Your LiNK T-Shirts Here

Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), in addition to making a push to rescue 100 refugees starting 2010, is now offering a fashionable T-shirt whose proceeds will be donated entirely to addressing the humanitarian crisis in North Korea. Get them here.Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.c...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Streaming American Movies in Korea?

Dear Korean,I came across your blog online. My wife and I live in Korea and we are trying to find out if there is a way to stream American movies in Korea. Do you know how?Andy P.Dear Andy,The Korean does not live in Korea anymore and has no idea. Readers, any suggestions?Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.c...

Arizona decided that Asians and Latinos need to carry around a passport whenever they enter their fine sta...

Hilarious LA Times article about ajumma in Kor...

Who Are These People in Orange T-Shirts in the Streets of New York?

Dear Korean,I was practicing violin today, minding my own business, when this strange Asian college kid flung open the door to my practice room and asked if I wanted to volunteer for the Bible Crusade. Apparently this Korean pastor travels around the world holding these sermon sessions, and recruit local musicians wherever...

Ask a Korean! News: Mr. Joo Seong-Ha on ROKS Cheon-An Sinking

First, a bit of a background. On March 26, ROKS Cheon-An, a patrol ship of the Republic of Korea Navy, sank when an explosion caused by an unidentified source split the ship in two. Thirty-eight seamen were killed, most of them stuck in the rear section of the ship that sank first. Eight more are missing and presumed dead. There has been much speculation as to the cause of the sinking up to this point....

The Korean is off to his bachelor party in Vegas. Hopefully he will come back with all of his teeth intact....-EDIT 4/19/2010- The trip was a blast, and the Korean returned with all of his teeth. His dignity, well, that's a different matt...

Traditional Family Feud?

Dear Korean, What type of family feuds are there in Korea? Is there anything similar to the U.S. Hatfield-McCoy one?Cactus McHarris,Dear Cactus,Not exactly like Hatfield-McCoy, but the Korean can think of one such family rivalry -- Andong Kim versus Poong'yang Cho. And with it, we have an interesting story of royal power and...

The Korean visited a Chinese lunch buffet nearby, and they were serving "Korean cabbage" -- some unrecognizable steamed cabbage with carrots and mushrooms. Ba...

Excellent video of Dr. Jim Yong Kim, president of Dartmouth College, talking about leadership. A great quote:I said, "Dad, I'm so excited about my studies at Brown. I think I'm going to major in philosophy." So my father slowly turned the car and put it off to the side of the road, he looked back at me and said: "Hey, when you finish your residency, you can study anything you want." He said: "Look,...

Ask a Korean! News: Comparative High School Student Behavior

Absolutely fascinating article on Dong-A Ilbo, which is relaying a report from Yomiuri Shimbun of Japan:Comparing the Studying Habits of Korea, China, Japan and the U.S.          Korea              Japan          ...

50 Most Influential K-Pop Artists Series: Introduction & Brief History

[Series Index]It’s finally here – the much-anticipated 50 Most Influential K-Pop Artist Series.This series will be about the influence on pop culture that K-pop artists had, not about who is the “greatest,” “most popular,” or “most innovative.” Of course an artist can be influential by being original, but originality alone...

Interesting article in Dong-A Ilbo -- Elementary, middle and high school in Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will have increased emphasis on tests in essay format. One portion of the article was particularly interesting:Education experts agree that "The easiest misunderstanding for the students to make is that they will no longer have to memorize." In fact, there are many cases in which ...

Ask a Korean! Wiki: Can I Haz Some Solitude?

Dear Korean,Do you have any advice as to where to find solitude in a country as crowded as Korea? As new citizens of this great country we are disturbed by the lack of privacy. Our apartment building is a constant hum of activity, i.e. residents coming and going, school children going to/from school, a nosy security guard watching the strange white people's every move. We live near a mountain and...

10 Books that Influenced the Korean's View of the World

The Korean will give the podium to Mr. Ross Douthat, a columnist for the New York Times: More than a week ago, Tyler Cowen kicked off an irresistible blogospheric listing exercise: In this case, the theme is “10 books which have influenced your view of the world.” You can find Matthew Yglesias’s list here, Will Wilkinson’s...