Here's the link to the article in the Korea Times:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2010/05/135_65561.html
2PM has a lyric that says "Don't Stop, Can't Stop". Lindsay Lohan's new song is titled "Can't Stop, Won't Stop".
---------------------------
린제이도 "Don't Stop Can't Stop"
린제이 로한이 공교롭게도 한국의 아이돌그룹 2PM과 유사한 제목의 노래를 발표한다.
2PM의 신곡은 "Don't Stop Can't Stop"이지만 린제이 노래의 제목은 "Can't Stop, Won't Stop"이다.
린제이 로한은 최근 최악의 상황에서 아이러니컬한 제목의 "멈추지 않겠다"는 신곡을 내놓아 눈길을 끌었다.
네티즌들은 그녀의 신곡에 대해 대체로 우호적이다.
"린제이가 이런 재능이 있는지 몰랐다. 의외다", "이런 재능을 갖고 있는 그녀가 안타깝다", "이 곡을 계기로 재기하면 좋겠다"는 응원의 댓글이 쏟아지기도 했다.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Voluntary exit program launched for illegal aliens
**If you want to go to another country why don't you just go legally? I've lived in South Korea before. Getting a Visa isn't a hard or long process if you are an upstanding citizen in your country. You have to send in a few documents. You need a valid reason for coming. I was teaching English so I got an E2 which is the visa for Foreign English Instructors. It was a very short process. I think I started applying in November of 2008 and I got my Visa on December 15 and I was in the country on December 18, 2008. I left before my visa expired.
Maybe the USA should do this. Tell illegal aliens that they have a window of time where they can exit without fines. After this window of time there will be consequences. Would it work in America? probably not. Nothing works like it should in America.
___________________________________
The government will launch an incentive program aimed at encouraging foreign workers who overstayed their visa to leave the country "voluntarily," the Ministry of Justice said Monday.
Under the program, those who exit will be exempt from fines and will not be regulated on a possible revisit to the country.
The authorities are aiming to reduce the number of illegal sojourners here ― estimated at 180,000 ― before the G-20 Summit slated for November.
The program will run from May 6 to September 31.
Employers who come clean with such workers will also be granted exemptions from fines and be given priority in recruiting substitute workers.
The workers will have to report to immigration offices at airports with their employer, passport and flight ticket to confirm departure.
Apart from this campaign, immigration officers and police will conduct a joint crackdown on illegal foreign workers, who have mostly entered Korea on an E-9 visa and stayed after authorization expired. Those caught will be fined and deported. Employers will be fined up to 20 million won and be restricted from hiring a replacement for three years.
According to the ministry, there are 178,163 foreigners staying here without valid visas, about 15.1 percent of the total 1,180,598 foreign residents. About half of them are Chinese, including ethnic Koreans, followed by Vietnamese, Thais, Mongolians and Filipinos among others. As of March, only 5,226 have turned themselves into the authorities, while 4,826 were caught and deported.
Maybe the USA should do this. Tell illegal aliens that they have a window of time where they can exit without fines. After this window of time there will be consequences. Would it work in America? probably not. Nothing works like it should in America.
___________________________________
The government will launch an incentive program aimed at encouraging foreign workers who overstayed their visa to leave the country "voluntarily," the Ministry of Justice said Monday.
Under the program, those who exit will be exempt from fines and will not be regulated on a possible revisit to the country.
The authorities are aiming to reduce the number of illegal sojourners here ― estimated at 180,000 ― before the G-20 Summit slated for November.
The program will run from May 6 to September 31.
Employers who come clean with such workers will also be granted exemptions from fines and be given priority in recruiting substitute workers.
The workers will have to report to immigration offices at airports with their employer, passport and flight ticket to confirm departure.
Apart from this campaign, immigration officers and police will conduct a joint crackdown on illegal foreign workers, who have mostly entered Korea on an E-9 visa and stayed after authorization expired. Those caught will be fined and deported. Employers will be fined up to 20 million won and be restricted from hiring a replacement for three years.
According to the ministry, there are 178,163 foreigners staying here without valid visas, about 15.1 percent of the total 1,180,598 foreign residents. About half of them are Chinese, including ethnic Koreans, followed by Vietnamese, Thais, Mongolians and Filipinos among others. As of March, only 5,226 have turned themselves into the authorities, while 4,826 were caught and deported.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
English Deciding Factor in Success of Office Workers
English-language skills have become the determining factor for the success of office workers, with many companies considering English test scores an important criterion for promotion and favoring conversation skills over standardized tests like the TOEIC and TOEFL.
More and more firms use English for their intranet boards, meetings and reports. One 35-year-old deputy director at an IT company said, "The reality is that even divisions where English is not needed for work have to speak it. When there are restructuring plans, rumors spread that those who can't speak English are most likely to get laid off."
According to a survey by job portal Job Korea in January of 2,042 salaried workers about their regrets in the recession, 27.2 percent picked poor English skills, 25.1 percent chose lack of professional skills or licenses, and 15.3 percent answered lacking a degree from prestigious university.
Among students at English-language schools around the business district in Gangnam, Seoul, office workers have a significant presence. "The English component in reviews for promotion was changed from a TOEIC score to conversation skills. I score fairly well on the TOEIC thanks to the vocabulary I learned at university, but there is no better option to improve my English conversation skill. That's why I come here early in the morning," one said.
Lunchtime classes at a school are packed with office workers. A staffer said, "Unlike university students who tend to give up one or two months after taking classes, more than half of these employee students take classes for more than a year. That shows how desperate they are."
The English divide deepens when it comes to recruitment of fresh graduates. Average English proficiency is not enough in a generation where many have been educated abroad or gone through intensive courses from an early age, a human resources manager at Shinsegae Group said.
A 27-year-old jobseeker added, "It seems that Korea is going the same way as India, where totally different jobs are available for those who can speak English and those who can't."
More and more firms use English for their intranet boards, meetings and reports. One 35-year-old deputy director at an IT company said, "The reality is that even divisions where English is not needed for work have to speak it. When there are restructuring plans, rumors spread that those who can't speak English are most likely to get laid off."
According to a survey by job portal Job Korea in January of 2,042 salaried workers about their regrets in the recession, 27.2 percent picked poor English skills, 25.1 percent chose lack of professional skills or licenses, and 15.3 percent answered lacking a degree from prestigious university.
Among students at English-language schools around the business district in Gangnam, Seoul, office workers have a significant presence. "The English component in reviews for promotion was changed from a TOEIC score to conversation skills. I score fairly well on the TOEIC thanks to the vocabulary I learned at university, but there is no better option to improve my English conversation skill. That's why I come here early in the morning," one said.
Lunchtime classes at a school are packed with office workers. A staffer said, "Unlike university students who tend to give up one or two months after taking classes, more than half of these employee students take classes for more than a year. That shows how desperate they are."
The English divide deepens when it comes to recruitment of fresh graduates. Average English proficiency is not enough in a generation where many have been educated abroad or gone through intensive courses from an early age, a human resources manager at Shinsegae Group said.
A 27-year-old jobseeker added, "It seems that Korea is going the same way as India, where totally different jobs are available for those who can speak English and those who can't."
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Rediscover Seoul: Itaewon
There was an article on the Korea Herald English newspaper site about Itaewon.
Read the article here: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100422000439
Here are a few pictures (This isn't a very scenic place so I didn't take many!)(click on album to view)
These are my personal thoughts and memories of Itaewon:
I went to Itaewon many times. I think I only liked it because you can see tons of foreigners. There's an army base nearby so you'll see some soldiers. Its a kind of shady and dirty place (that's how most foreigners I know describe it). They have an alley called "hooker hill." One of the red light districts in Seoul. Its illegal but they turn a blind eye. You can find more English speaking Koreans in Itaewon. I never checked out 'gay hill' where the gay community is located. I did go down 'hooker hill' a few times with friends.
There are lots of restaurants with various types of food. I haven't tried any of the restaurants in the article.I wanted to visit the Hard Rock Cafe, but it never seemed to be open. I'm not even sure if its still open. I heard they were getting a Taco Bell soon.
There's a Foreign Food Market where you can buy overpriced imported food.
One thing that really made me laugh was a country bar on 'hooker hill'. I just wasn't expecting a country bar in Seoul. It seemed so out of place. The name was Grand Ole Opry. I had my first and last sip of beer at the Grand Ole Opry. I will never drink beer again. It tastes awful. Why do people like it so much?
Club Friend on 'hooker hill' stays open till 7am if you really like to party hard all night long. I'm not a party person. I was just there one night because one of my friends thought it would be awesome to stay out all night until the subway opened in the morning. Itaewaon is truly the city that never sleeps. I was still in this bar when it closed at 7am. There's another bar right nearby that stays open till 10am if you really like to party hard. Don't ask me the name because I don't know.
There's an 80's bar called "Flashdance" which I never got around to checking out. I love 80's music. I tried to go there once. There was a sign on the stairs that said 'happy hour' between 5:30 and 10:30. I went between those times and they weren't open. I never tried again.
I do recommend one place: Gecko's Terrace..but don't go on the weekends at night unless you love being crammed in there with a night club vibe. Its crowded on the weekends. They have a great cheeseburger. Its expensive, but good. The cheeseburger with fries costs $10.50.
I went to an American Diner-Richard Copycats. They served breakfast all day long. It doesn't even compare to Dennys, but its okay. I probably wouldn't go back.
There's a nice hair salon, "The Green Turtle". They have English speakers and know how to style 'western hair'. I got a haircut there once. I think it was about $25.
Its hard to find "big size" clothes in South Korea so I used to go to Itaewon. You have to look for signs that say "big size" or there will be people sitting outside the door who will mention their store to you. There are at least 4 or 5 stores that have 'big size' clothing. Its a little pricey and not stylish. I found one dress that was cute. I didn't really like the other things I purchased, but I got it because I needed something to wear.
Itaewon is a big shopping area, but I never bought anything (except souveniers). They were cheap. $3 bucks for a nice keychain. Maybe there was a reason they were cheap. They were poorly made and 2 of them broke shortly after returning to the USA. I didn't buy anything else because I was trying not to accumulate items that would have to be stuffed into my suitcase when I had to pack up and leave.
Read the article here: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100422000439
Here are a few pictures (This isn't a very scenic place so I didn't take many!)(click on album to view)
 |
| Itaewon |
These are my personal thoughts and memories of Itaewon:
I went to Itaewon many times. I think I only liked it because you can see tons of foreigners. There's an army base nearby so you'll see some soldiers. Its a kind of shady and dirty place (that's how most foreigners I know describe it). They have an alley called "hooker hill." One of the red light districts in Seoul. Its illegal but they turn a blind eye. You can find more English speaking Koreans in Itaewon. I never checked out 'gay hill' where the gay community is located. I did go down 'hooker hill' a few times with friends.
There are lots of restaurants with various types of food. I haven't tried any of the restaurants in the article.I wanted to visit the Hard Rock Cafe, but it never seemed to be open. I'm not even sure if its still open. I heard they were getting a Taco Bell soon.
There's a Foreign Food Market where you can buy overpriced imported food.
One thing that really made me laugh was a country bar on 'hooker hill'. I just wasn't expecting a country bar in Seoul. It seemed so out of place. The name was Grand Ole Opry. I had my first and last sip of beer at the Grand Ole Opry. I will never drink beer again. It tastes awful. Why do people like it so much?
Club Friend on 'hooker hill' stays open till 7am if you really like to party hard all night long. I'm not a party person. I was just there one night because one of my friends thought it would be awesome to stay out all night until the subway opened in the morning. Itaewaon is truly the city that never sleeps. I was still in this bar when it closed at 7am. There's another bar right nearby that stays open till 10am if you really like to party hard. Don't ask me the name because I don't know.
There's an 80's bar called "Flashdance" which I never got around to checking out. I love 80's music. I tried to go there once. There was a sign on the stairs that said 'happy hour' between 5:30 and 10:30. I went between those times and they weren't open. I never tried again.
I do recommend one place: Gecko's Terrace..but don't go on the weekends at night unless you love being crammed in there with a night club vibe. Its crowded on the weekends. They have a great cheeseburger. Its expensive, but good. The cheeseburger with fries costs $10.50.
I went to an American Diner-Richard Copycats. They served breakfast all day long. It doesn't even compare to Dennys, but its okay. I probably wouldn't go back.
There's a nice hair salon, "The Green Turtle". They have English speakers and know how to style 'western hair'. I got a haircut there once. I think it was about $25.
Its hard to find "big size" clothes in South Korea so I used to go to Itaewon. You have to look for signs that say "big size" or there will be people sitting outside the door who will mention their store to you. There are at least 4 or 5 stores that have 'big size' clothing. Its a little pricey and not stylish. I found one dress that was cute. I didn't really like the other things I purchased, but I got it because I needed something to wear.
Itaewon is a big shopping area, but I never bought anything (except souveniers). They were cheap. $3 bucks for a nice keychain. Maybe there was a reason they were cheap. They were poorly made and 2 of them broke shortly after returning to the USA. I didn't buy anything else because I was trying not to accumulate items that would have to be stuffed into my suitcase when I had to pack up and leave.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Twitter ― Refuge for Korean Porn Sites
Note: Porn is illegal in South Korea. I've heard that Porn sites are blocked.
____________________________________
Twitter (www.twitter.com)appears to be bringing old websites back to life.
In 2004, police shut down Soranet, a porn site. They had more than 600,000 subscribers and 60 people were caught for being involved with the site's operation.
Six years later, the site has gained popularity through micro-blogging.
The new Twitter-armed Soranet is clearly more elusive than the older version, and seems to be creating a following just as impressive.
The site was blocked by the National Police Agency (NPA). The account had gained more than 100,000 followers making it the country's third most popular Twitter account. Kim Yuna and Lee Woe-soo hold the top positions.
Online Porn sites are realizing that Twitter is a good place to promote their business because users can post their real-time status.
Soranet's Twitter account was created last June and followers could find instant updates on the IP address to the blocked site.
Millions of tweets had already been sent by the time the police blocked the site.
It seems that anyone with basic Internet skills would be able to gain access to Soranet. Type "indirect access to Soranet" in Korean, and Google generates more than 900,000 search results.
"You can't expect us to track all the tweets. And since Twitter is provided by a foreign company and operated by a U.S.-based server, our options for combating these online porn services are severely limited," said an official from the Korea Communications Standards Commission, the country's censorship authority for broadcasting and Internet content.
____________________________________
Twitter (www.twitter.com)appears to be bringing old websites back to life.
In 2004, police shut down Soranet, a porn site. They had more than 600,000 subscribers and 60 people were caught for being involved with the site's operation.
Six years later, the site has gained popularity through micro-blogging.
The new Twitter-armed Soranet is clearly more elusive than the older version, and seems to be creating a following just as impressive.
The site was blocked by the National Police Agency (NPA). The account had gained more than 100,000 followers making it the country's third most popular Twitter account. Kim Yuna and Lee Woe-soo hold the top positions.
Online Porn sites are realizing that Twitter is a good place to promote their business because users can post their real-time status.
Soranet's Twitter account was created last June and followers could find instant updates on the IP address to the blocked site.
Millions of tweets had already been sent by the time the police blocked the site.
It seems that anyone with basic Internet skills would be able to gain access to Soranet. Type "indirect access to Soranet" in Korean, and Google generates more than 900,000 search results.
"You can't expect us to track all the tweets. And since Twitter is provided by a foreign company and operated by a U.S.-based server, our options for combating these online porn services are severely limited," said an official from the Korea Communications Standards Commission, the country's censorship authority for broadcasting and Internet content.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Committee Passes Bill on Fingerprinting of Foreigners
I think its a good idea. Any upstanding citizen shouldn't have a problem with it. I went to Japan for 2 days last year and I had to get fingerprinted and photographed at the airport. I think the people who would have a problem are those who know they are doing something wrong. These days there are so many technological advances and people know how to make fake passports, but now they can get caught. You can't fake fingerprints. Everyone has unique fingerprints. They can run it through the system and find you.
________________________________
Starting in August all foreigners entering Korea will be fingerprinted and photographed.
They are hoping to stop foreigners who committed crimes in the country and were deported from entering the country again on a different passport. They want to prevent foreigners from entering on forged passports.
Foreigners may be denied entry if they refuse to be fingerprinted and have their photographs taken at airport immigration.
An estimated 2,000 foreigners deported for offences including visa violations reenter Korea every year with disguised identities.
________________________________
Starting in August all foreigners entering Korea will be fingerprinted and photographed.
They are hoping to stop foreigners who committed crimes in the country and were deported from entering the country again on a different passport. They want to prevent foreigners from entering on forged passports.
Foreigners may be denied entry if they refuse to be fingerprinted and have their photographs taken at airport immigration.
An estimated 2,000 foreigners deported for offences including visa violations reenter Korea every year with disguised identities.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Korean Movie: 미스터 로빈 꼬시기
Seducing Mr. Perfect
released on December 7, 2006
I watched this movie a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it. The main actor (Daniel Henney) is a Korean American. He's very handsome! I remember seeing him in a Biotherm ad in South Korea, but I didn't know who he was until now.
I was surprised to hear so much English in the movie. I watched it with English subtitles, but I actually understood probably 50% of the movie!
Plot summary:
Min-joon (Uhm Jung-hwa) believes in true love and always very dedicated to her boyfriend. Men always end up breaking up with her. Her latest boyfriend ends the relationship on his birthday. She is distracted by the latest break-up and she bumps into a car. A man steps out. He turns out to be her new boss, Robin Heiden, played by Daniel Henney. Heiden believes that love and relationships are a game of power. Min-Joon asks Robin for dating advice because she doesn't want to get dumped again. She starts to treat men the way that Robin treats women. She realizes she prefers her own way even if it means she will get dumped again. She believes isn't about who has the power. Heiden is also dealing with his own heartbreak..He eventually falls in love with her and both get into a real relationship and a happy ending of their own.
There is something unique about this movie. Robin Heiden only speaks in English because Korean is too hard to speak. Min-Joon speaks mostly in Korean. They understand each other without needing a translation. This style was new for a Korean film and was part of the reason why the movie was so successful.
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