Recently Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a statement downplaying visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, saying, “Let me humbly urge you to think about your own place to pay homage to the war dead, Arlington National Cemetery, in the United States.” Abe claimed South Korea and China remained silent for years after convicted war criminals were enshrined there in 1978.

The Chosun Ilbo responded in an editorial on a number of different points. They stated that there was no controversy with the shrine until the 14 Class A war criminals were enshrined in 1978. Then, when the first Prime Minister visited in 1986, protests were made. The protests were so strong, that no government official visited the shrine for 16 years.

However, one of more interesting aspects of the article states that through diplomatic channels Korea and Japan had been negotiating to removed the War Criminals from the shrine. That has since been abandoned. However, it would be worth revisiting, as it could yield a middle ground and finally put the controversy to rest.

Your thoughts?

The post Chosun Ilbo Calls Out Shinzo Abe appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Yesterday, The Korea Herald released the following article: “Hansik globalization project ‘utter failure’.” The article begins with “The National Assembly Budget Office on Sunday admitted that the ‘Globalization of Hansik’ program had failed and needed major revision, dealing a blow to the pet project of former first lady Kim Yoon-ok, who dreamed that ‘all people around the globe would enjoy Korean cuisine.’” The article even went on to say the program was a “waste of time.”

Photo: Ad placed in New York times to promote Hansik.

Was the article right?

I fully agree that the program was a failure because of the many reasons listed in the article; however, the most compelling reason wasn’t listed in the article and is rarely brought up when there are discussions about marketing Korean tourism or cuisine. Koreans making these top-level decisions have no idea how to market to foreigners.

Take a look at the ad above. It was placed in the New York Times to promote Hansik. There is absolutely nothing compelling in the ad. I suspect many who were unaware of Korean food would surmise the ad’s dull and muted tones are a reflection of the cuisine. That’s hardly the case, as Korean food is some of the best and most vibrant I’ve had around the globe. So why are Korean ads so ineffective?

Korea lacks diversity

Korea is a nation boasting nearly 50 million residents. That’s a staggering number considering its small size and even more mind blowing when one takes into consideration nearly half of the population lives in and around Seoul. However, given this large populace, less than 5% of the population is non-Korean. This lack of diversity plays a major role in why Korea cannot make a compelling advertising program to the outside world – the nation simply does not have the requisite experience dealing with multicultural issues. I often liken Korea to the United States in the 1940s and 1950s when it was struggling with various Civil Rights problems. Something that may have led to the findings in this article on Korean “racism.”

As a result, many in the Korean marketing industry try to market Korea as they would domestically. Essentially taking the approach that if it works in Korea, it should work everywhere. That’s precisely what should not happen, since one of the most effective Korean marketing techniques is extolling a brand’s superiority over another. The advertising has little to do with the actual product but with the status of possessing the brand. That might be an effective way to target potential buyers of a consumer product, but when the product being sold is a nation, the underlying message becomes “Korea is better than your country.” That message is insulting and off-putting at best.

Examples

Above is the introduction to an article on the Korean Food Foundation’s website. The impression given to the reader is Korean food is better for you than western food. However, what the article actually states, is a diet consisting of natural, unprocessed foods, like that of Hansik, is healthier than a “western fast food diet.” The latter is a scientifically based statement that nearly all dietician around the globe can support. The message sent out by the KFF insinuates that Korean food is better and if you eat western food you’ll become fat and disease ridden. Hardly an effective marketing strategy.

What makes Korean food so delicious are its colors, its passion, and its underlying emotions. None of that is present in either official marketing campaigns or ones by “volunteer groups” with high profiles.

This clip is from an article that begins by stating how the Mediterranean diet is good for the body, but then segues into, as I interpret it: “But you know what? Korean food is even better for you. So you should really be eating Korean food.” The resulting “one-upmanship” approach is off-putting and pathetic. This can be seen with tourism campaigns as well.

Hangul is the most scientific language in the world – Visit Korea. Yes, hearing that one language is superior to all others is a reason to book travel and go sightseeing.

Foreigners using Taekwondo to make kimchi – Visit Korea. Ah yes, exploitative use of white foreigners in a comical ad really makes one want to come to Korea.

Last, but not least, from Korean Air: “Fly Korean Air and enjoy the grand African Savanna, the safari tour, and the indigenous people full of primitive energy.”

Solutions

If the Korean government is serious about increasing the nation’s profile, then its advertising model needs to change. Kimchi Chronicles has done more to promote and enthrall the world about Korean food than the government ever has. Bloggers and vloggers create more interesting and compelling content than official agencies. If the government and other national brands refuse to implement strategies that effectively convey their messages to target audiences, then Korea will be doomed to stay stagnant and buried behind China and Japan. However, if Korea embraces opinions from content and market experts, the wold will see Korea as I do: a diamond in the rough.

The post OP-ED: Why Korea Sucks At Marketing Itself appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Summer is here and that means some fun in the sun. What better place to do that in Korea, than Everland! Until recently, the best way to get to Everland from Dongtan meant traveling to Suwon Station and then taking the charter bus. This was not only time consuming, but expensive. Sure you could take buss #66, but it’s a long ride.

The Everline

Completed in 2010, the Yongin Everline LRT has sat dormant for nearly three years. That was until April 26, 2013, when it was finally opened to the public. This Subway addition connects Yongin City to Everland and drastically cuts travel time.

The line starts at Giheung Station on the Bundang (Yellow Line). Trains run between 2 and 8 minutes apart and the total travel time from Giheung Station to Everland is about 20-30 minutes (official time is 30 minutes, but on my trial run I did it in 20). The trains run from 5:30am to 11:30pm and use T-money cards.

Going to Everland

From the Dongtan/Yeongtong/Suwon area, make your way to  Mangpo Station (Bundang Line). As the Bundang line extends there will be more options. Buses that service this station include 900, 13-5, 15, 15-2, 200, 200-1, 303, 310, 5, 5-1, 51, 62-1, 7, 7-1, and 92. There are others that drop you off within walking distance. Get on the Bundang line headed for Seoul.

At Giheung Station, get off the Bundang line, head towards Exit 4 (follow the signs). Exit the subway station and make  your way to the adjacent Giheung LRT Station. It will take about 10 minutes to get from Mangpo Station to Giheung Station.

Board the train and you’re off. The Everline lets passengers off close to the Everland car park and shuttle bus depot.

From here you can catch a ride to either Everland or Caribbean Bay. Total travel time from Mangpo Station to the Everland car park will vary but be around 40-45 minutes (give or take transfer time).

To learn more about the Everline and LRTs, please read my article on The Korea Blog.

The post Dongtan to Everland – The Easiest and Fastest Way appeared first on QiRanger.com.

If you’re like me, nothing says summer more than a good hike. Strapping on some good boots, or in this past weekend’s case, my wonderful Teva sport shoes. While we were out shooting this last weekend for June’s Korea Blog series, we unexpectedly decided to go hiking. I welcomed it, since it had been way too long since my feet have hit the trail.

We opted for a short hike and made it into a video that will be showcased next month. One of the best things about hiking in Korea is the safety precautions put in place. On many trails throughout the nation, one will come across markers like the one shown above. Not only are the trails marked in the traditional sense, but these markers go above and beyond giving directions.

Each one is carefully marked and positioned within cell tower coverage zones. Therefore, should an emergency arise, hikers can call on their mobile phones and give a precise position to first responders.

While in larger countries and parks, placing cell phone towers may not be possible – placing markers such as these should become the standard. Should an emergency arise, hikers can direct help to the desired location faster.

Do they have markers like this in your area?

The post Korean Hiking Markers appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Took this yesterday while out filming. Having a great time in Gyeongju! I will confess, this really was my first time doing a shot like this in the world- and as soon as I did, others started as well. Great fun!

What have you been doing this weekend?

The post PHOTO: Cheomseongdae Fun appeared first on QiRanger.com.

This week, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said in a statement, “When bullets are flying like rain and wind, the soldiers are running around at the risk of losing their lives. If you want them to have a rest in such a situation, a comfort women system is necessary. Anyone can understand that.”

You can read more about the comments from the Chosun Ilbo, Huffington Post,and BBC. There are a ton of other links out there. The statement brought condemnation from South Korea from within Japan.

I reached out to Osaka City to see how they felt about the current situation.

What do you think?

The post Osaka and Hashimoto’s Comfort Women Statement appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Recently I put it out to the interwebs that if anyone had a question about teaching in Korea, I’d be happy to field their question. Here’s what came in:

Hi Steve! Thanks for fielding questions on this topic. I’m currently teaching at a juku here in Japan (basically the equivalent of a Hagwon in Korea). I’ve been here just about two years and I’m thinking of transitioning to Korea. I know, as an American, I need to get everything apostilled and a background check from the FBI. Whats the best way of going about getting started there being stationed here in Japan? I need fingerprinting, apostilles and it’s all a bit daunting. Sorry for the novel and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- Jason B.

Jason, thanks for writing in!

It’s actually pretty easy to get everything done and doesn’t require a whole lot of extra legwork if you’re currently overseas. The most important thing for you to do is partner with someone back in the US to handle the “legwork.” I would recommend enlisting a family member or close friend. When I needed to get my paperwork apostilled, I asked my mother for assistance and she was able to get things done quickly and efficiently, despite not knowing what the process really was.

To teach in Korea, you need to have degrees and an FBI check apostilled. Since you’re in Japan, I’d recommend getting your fingerprints done there. US Embassies don’t provide this service, so you’ll have to find out where you can get this done. In Korea, most police stations are happy to fingerprint foreigners requesting this service for background checks. The fingerprints must be on the official FBI sheet, which can be printed from their website (or you can pick up actual cards from the Embassy). I recommend getting a few sets completed just in case something goes wrong or a print is not clear. Pay for the background check with a credit card and send it off. It’s important to request the DOJ notarize the results so you can apostille them later. Have the background check sent to your partner in the US (this can take several months to complete).

Once your partner receives the background check, have them apostille everything at once. When all this is done,  it’s finally time to apply for a job. So if you’re thinking about making the switch to Korea, you’ll need to plan about 3-4 months in advance to allow for the FBI check.

Great question. Thanks for asking it.

I’ve a good  friend who has a Korean girlfriend living in Pusan (long distance for about a year). Anyhoo my friend is about to lose his job as a partner at a big law firm in SF (partners have the luxury to know they will get canned 6 months in advance). He asked me what kind of salary can someone like him expect from teaching english in Pusan and in Seoul. In addition to being a graduate from Berkeley, he went to an Ivy League law school. Would these be plus factors at all despite him never having taught anything?

Thanks,

Simon

Thanks for the question Simon.

Currently wages in Korea are pretty much uniform around the country. New teachers with a BS or equivalent can expect to earn 2.1-2.4 million won. Those with advanced degrees can earn more, but usually salaries cap around 3 million won per month. Another truth of the market, is that many schools will market your degree like crazy if you attended an Ivy League school, but not want to pay for that background. However, it would make the candidate more sought after and make getting a job easier.

The standard raise for teachers is 100,000 won more per month for every year of service. So if contract year one is 2.1 million per month, year two is 2.2 million. While it is rare for someone without teaching experience to land a university job, having the advanced degree would enable those opportunities eventually. Pay at universities vary greatly (a combination of degrees obtained and teaching experience), but usually come with reduced teaching hours (15 hours per week) and extensive vacations (8-16 weeks).

Thanks again for sending in this question!

If you have a question, please feel free to leave it in the comment section or send it to me at questions@qiranger.com.

The post Teaching in Korea: Questions and Answers appeared first on QiRanger.com.

How many times over the past 60 years have we been watching television or listening to a radio broadcast when an announcer jumps in to relay a late breaking story? Too many to count. Sometimes these news reports are of global importance, while at others, they relay news of a scandal involving politicians or other public officials doing things they really shouldn’t. The BBC has released a list of 10 famous catch phrases associated with various scandals around the globe and I thought I’d share them to see how many you remember.

1. Hiking the Appalachian Trail
2. Discussing Uganda
3. Didn’t inhale
4. Tired and emotional
5. Final user
6. Economical with the truth
7. Wide stance
8. Mis-speak
9. Watching badgers
10. Slipping my moorings

I will admit I was able to identify seven of the ten. How many did you get? Are there any gems out there that didn’t make the list? You can get the answers here.

The post The Top 10 Scandal Catch Phrases appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Saw this today:

Brazilian notary publics must register same-sex civil unions as marriages if the couple requests it, the country’s National Council of Justice said Tuesday.

Slowly but surely, more countries are adopting broadening equal rights. It’s the right thing to do in the 21st century and a shame that it’s taken this long. You can read more here. I’ve long been a proponent of equal rights when it comes to marriage because today, it is more of a secular union than religious. Under those circumstances, denying same-sex couples the right to wed is discriminatory. It’s something that should have been abandoned 50 years ago. On the religious side of the coin, if the couple’s church approves of the marriage, then who has the right to stand in their way? Doing so would impede their religious freedom. Giving one religious arm absolute authority over what is an appropriate marriage is never a good idea.

The post Gay Marriage in Barzil appeared first on QiRanger.com.

While reviewing news stories yesterday, I came along this one from the BBC. Faced with an 87% chance of contracting cancer, she opted for a double mastectomy to reduce her chances so she could be around for her kids.

Parents should do what ever is in their power to protect and be around for their kids – whatever the cost. So proud of Angelina… and her right leg.

The post Angelina Jolie Attempts to Beat Cancer appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Hey everyone, I hope you’re off to a great hump day! Monday’s Video Rodeo was a blast. We talked about Friday’s holiday (Buddha’s Birthday) and traditional aspects of Korean Weddings. If you didn’t catch the show, here it is!

Just what videos are we talking about?

I appear every Monday night from 6:30-7:30pm on Video Rodeo, so please join us for the live show! To learn more about the show visit Catch The Wave‘s homepage.

to learn more about Bongamsa, check out Jo’s recent post on this amazing temple.

The post Arirang Radio’s Video Rodeo – May 13, 2013 appeared first on QiRanger.com.

While surfing the news sites recently this story from the Chosun Ilbo caught my eye. The story begins like this, “Akie Abe, the wife of rightwing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, came in for a storm of criticism when she said on Facebook that she went to see a Korean musical.”

According to reports, Ms. Abe has been a fan of both Korean dramas and music for some time. To pursue her interest, she attended the Korean Musical Caffeine in Tokyo. After posting a picture of herself in front of the musical’s poster, Japanese Netizens began condemning her, saying the first lady must learn about “anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea.”

I have two problems with this story.

First, what “anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea?” Yes, there are some individuals, and even groups, that are anti-Japanese, but in no way are they the majority of the population or reflect the heart of the nation. Many in Korea object to official Japanese government policies, but encountering individuals who rally against Japanese citizens is something I’ve never encountered. I assert that the “anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea” is no more than the “anti-Korean sentiment in Japan” – it’s relegated to a few fringe groups that do not reflect the majority of society in either country.

Second, and more importantly, netizens usually make up a small portion of society. This is true in Korea as with Japan. However, in both countries their voices are loud and generate a lot of press. What I find objectionable is Ms. Abe was forced to respond to their misplaced criticism. Acknowledging fringe groups’ baseless statements gives them credibility. News organizations jumping on the bandwagon are just as culpable.

What do you think? Was Ms. Abe right to respond or should she have ignored them completely? Also, is it responsible reporting to carry such skewed criticism from a minority population?

The post Japanese Netizens Criticize Abe appeared first on QiRanger.com.

This week on The Korea Blog, I’m talking about Korea’s electron toll collection system, the Hi-pass.

It was taken back in 2007 as I was about to set out on an epic road trip and hiking excursion into the mountains of Arizona. That’s what I really enjoyed about living in Arizona. I could get out on the road and drive for a few hours and be up in the mountains. Also, since I was in the west, I could easily drive out to California and be in the beautiful Sierra Nevada range. Best of all I could do all this without paying tolls.

When I drove in other areas of the US, that wasn’t the case. I always had to stop my road trip for a few minutes and drop a couple of coins in the bin or pay the person at the window. I even remember doing this on a dive trip to Mexico. I HATED IT. Sure, I know that’s how the region collected money to fund the roads I was driving on, but I really hated having to stop so often. That’s why when I came to Korea and I saw toll booths, I shook my head… until I sailed through one while riding a bus.

It was awesome.

In Korea they collect tolls the right way. Sure many opt to still do it the analog (manual) way: stopping at a toll booth and personally handing over cash – but if you’re a driver like me and want to keep on, keeping on, then the Hi-pass is the way to go. The electronic method of collecting tolls is really the preferred method. You get a special lane at the toll plaza, you never have to slow down (well to 30kph), and you get a discount. It’s full of win (Charlie Sheen would be proud).

Overall, the system does a great job of getting people (and cars, trucks, and buses) through the gates quickly. This can especially be seen during rush hours when traffic is backed up. I’ve also seen the steady addition of more Hi-pass lanes over the years, signalling greater adoption. However, one area I think the system needs to be expanded into is the rental car market. While a few do have the system in place, I think it would significantly boost sales and use if rental cars would employ the technology as standard equipment. Then, when the vehicle is returned the driver could pay for tolls at the end with the final bill.

The post Collecting Tolls With Hi-Pass appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Greetings and salutations, my excellent friends! With spring here and summer approaching, I thought I’d take a moment to update everyone on my current release schedule. Not only are articles released on QiRanger.com, but also on the QiRanger and TheQiRangerVlog YouTube channels. Here’s what you can expect every week.

Sunday

The QiRanger Podacst arrives fresh every Sunday morning at 5am Korean time. Each episode runs about one hour. In the podcast, I share the previous week’s news from Korea, Japan, and China. I also throw in a few other stories of importance from Asia and the globe. The second half of the podcast is about Korean domestic travel. This section of the podcast is a rebroadcast of my TBS eFM weekday segment on 101.3 FM in Seoul entitled Take Me Away on the Out of bed with Travis show.

Tuesday

Since 2011, I’ve been a featured writer for The Korea Blog, the official blog of the Korean government. Every Tuesday a new video is released on my main channel with additional information available on The Korea Blog. Each video and story is part of a four-part series that ties together aspects of travel, life, and culture. An additional article is written for QiRanger.com that shares some of the behind-the-scenes activity with the video production and experiences I had while making the video and writing the story.

Wednesday

Every Monday night, I join Adrien Lee and Karen Choi on Arirang Radio’s Catch the Wave from 6:30-7:30pm. During this hour, the three of us discuss two videos related to Korean life, culture, and travel. The show is live, which means we can respond directly to listeners around the globe. On Wednesdays, I post a video version of the show that includes all the off-air segments. If you’ve ever wanted to know what happens during a life radio broadcast, then this is for you. The post also includes links to the videos we discuss on the show.

Friday

I love getting out to explore our world. Fridays I share my adventures in Korea and around the globe. Sometimes I post travel tips. Sometimes I post product reviews. The goal of Friday’s videos and posts to show the world and how I interact with it. So much of our time is spent at home, I want to know what’s around me and how I can get the most out of life’s experiences. I hope you find these videos and posts as much fun as I do.

BREAKING NEWS and VLOGS

On the remaining days of the week, I’ll share blog posts/videos related to breaking news or important stories taking place. I’ll also respond directly to your questions about life in Korea. The Vlog Channel is my personal channel, where I share my candid thoughts about what’s going on in my life. If you have a particular topic you’d like me to discuss, please message me at questions@qiranger.com.

The post The QiRanger Schedule (Spring/Summer 2013) appeared first on QiRanger.com.

***UPDATE***

In a breaking update from Yonhap, Yoon actually admitted to groping the intern during the internal Blue House investigation. You can read the full report here.

Original Op-Ed

The big story last week from the US was not President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the United States, but rather the alleged sexual indiscretion of her spokesperson. Once the sultry details of Yoon Chang-jung’s assault on an Embassy intern came to light, he quickly fled the United States and returned to Korea. Over the weekend, the media and lawmakers got to hear his side of the story. From Yonhap:

Image Credit: Yonhap News

Here are some key lines from his prepared statement:

“I apologize for causing concern to President Park and the people, and for causing harm to the accomplishments of the successful U.S. visit, but I didn’t have any intention of sexual harassing her.”

“I think there was a misunderstanding between us because of cultural differences. If I have hurt her, I ask for her understanding and offer an apology.”

-Yoon Chang-jung

The intern at the center of the controversy is a 21 year-old Korean-American that was specifically hired to work during this event. Yoon Chang-jung is a 56 year-old former journalist that during the press conference told reporters the intern was young enough to be his daughter.

As he tells the story, Yoon dressed the intern down earlier in the day and then invited her out for drinks later in the evening to boost her confidence. A statement Yoon’s driver corroborates. Then at the conclusion of the meeting, he patter her on the waist as a sign of support and good luck. The intern told police told Yoon “grabbed her buttocks without her permission.”

To make matters worse, in the middle of the night, he fled the country and returned to Korea. Two versions of how this happened are being told. One that he was urged by the President’s office and another that he voluntarily left because the investigation could be carried out in Korea.

Either way, the circumstances of his departure are shady. If the Office of the President did urge him to leave, then they’re party to allowing a person of interest to flee criminal investigators. If Yoon left on his own accord, then he’s the one that fled, knowing that he was in the wrong.

“I only told the truth and I am willing to receive legal punishment,” Yoon said. If that truly is the case, then Yoon should get on the next flight to the US and face the music. No one in the media or in Korea’s government seems to be buying his version of events.

Yoon’s statement, “If I have hurt her…,” even indicates he is not truly apologetic for his actions. That language clearly indicates that he feels his actions were appropriate and is blaming the intern for the controversy – shameful act in and of itself.

Given the level of scandal should the President insist Yoon return to the US to comply with investigators? Or will the “old boy” network prevail and Yoon will skate free on “cultural differences?”

Your thoughts?

The post Yoon Apology Falls Short For Sexual Advance appeared first on QiRanger.com.

PSY’s Gentleman drops on the charts as Little PSY faces massive online hate, how best to deal with North Korea, and sorry Internet, you don’t own your images anymore. All these stories plus travel tips on visiting Yeoju. The QiRanger Podcast starts now

Announcement: No podcast next week.

YouTube Tip: Making Annotations Twitter and Facebook

Opening Song: No Llorar by La Beltek: http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/447857/no-llorar

THE NEWS

The Koreas

• PSY’s Gentleman a failure: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/05/02/0200000000AEN20130502000300315.HTML?utm_source=feedly
• Little PSY suffering from Racism. The police are set to launch an investigation into alleged racist online attacks aimed at Hwang Min-woo, a 7-year-old singer who shot to fame after appearing in the music video for Psy’s Gangnam Style. His mother is originally from Vietnam, and until recently he lived in Gwangju, which is often attacked by internet users with strong rightwing tendencies due to the city’s connection with progressive parties and to misperceptions about historical events. Although the number of multicultural families has been on the rise since the late 1990s, such families and marriage immigrants are often subjected to prejudice. http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130502000767
• We are dreaming of a South Korean society where people are judged not by the university they attended, but by their talent.” The two of them – 29-year-old Park Sang-gyu and 28-year-old Jang Du-jin – are now taking their first steps in the advertising business were competitors on “Advertising Dreams”, South Korea’s first-ever competitive advertising TV program. http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_business/585615.html
• TV hosts, staff of major business conglomerates and elite university students are among scores of Koreans accused of cheating on standardized English-language tests. The revelations come on the heels of an investigation into alleged leaks of SAT questions that have prompted the U.S. College Board to cancel the test scheduled for this Saturday in Korea. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/05/03/2013050301160.html
• A 44-year old male was arrested in Korea after being on the run for 8 years from the USA. He is suspected of raping minors in the U.S. state of Kentucky four times between August and October 2003.  “As he has not committed any crime in South Korea, he will not be detained and soon be extradited to the U.S.,” a police officer close to the investigation said.http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130503000340
• North Korea can hit US with nuclear weapons…. One day… maybe. http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-could-eventually-reach-u-nuclear-arms-003551611.html
• North Korea said Sunday that it will not invite any U.S. figures to Pyeongang to seek the release of a jailed Korean-American, as he is not a “political bargaining chip” in any talks with Washington. Dennis Rodman asks Kim to do him a sollid. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/05/05/0200000000AEN20130505002800315.HTML?utm_source=feedly
• China’s chief nuclear envoy has told his South Korean counterpart that Beijing will not accept North Korea as a “nuclear-armed state,” a high-ranking Seoul official said Friday, adding that Seoul, Washington and Beijing reached a consensus on the stance. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/05/03/0200000000AEN20130503008400315.HTML
• South Korean spies have been caught cultivating public servants in Canberra to obtain trade secrets, with one Australian official sacked for disclosing sensitive information. Previously suppressed information released by the Federal Court reveals that South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) had sought “to obtain sensitive information” on trade negotiations between Canberra and Seoul. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/spies-caught-in-canberra-20130501-2itbu.html#ixzz2S844uf6e
• ·   “I believe the relationship with the Republic of Korea is so strong, so robust, that this will have no effect on it,” Foreign Minister Bob Carr says. http://m.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/koreans-caught-spying-in-aust-report/story-fn3dxiwe-1226633521118

• The rest of the world doesn’t care. Really it doesn’t. They don’t understand the significance and don’t want to take the time to either. Yes, Dokdo is Korean territory. But it’s a state level matter. Marketing it to the masses makes Korea appear weak. http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2013/05/06/0200000000AEN20130506008700320.HTML?utm_source=feedly
• North Korea will no longer be rewarded for provocative behaviour, US President Barack Obama has said at a joint news conference with South Korea’s leader. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22443305

East Asia

• Japan, China and South Korea agreed Monday to cooperate in the fight against cross-border air pollution, despite strained relations between the neighbors because of territorial disputes. But territorial disputes with Japan still strain reations. http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/japan-china-s-korea-to-cooperate-on-air-pollution?utm_source=feedly
• The Chinese military isn’t providing any special help to the Korea People’s Army (KPA) on a regular basis, according to the U.S. Department of Defense’s deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia.  China to shut banks. http://www.nknews.org/2013/05/07/u-s-sees-no-special-help-to-north-korea-from-chinese-military/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nknewsorg+%28nknews.org+%27Daily+Update%27%29

Other News Topics

• The UK’s Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act: Allows anyone to use orphan works without attribution or compensation to the original owner. You thought the Instagram changes were bad – this is even worse! http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/29/err_act_landgrab/

To learn more about what’s going on in the region and for up-to date news, op-eds, and tips make sure you’re subscribed to the QiRanger Channel. Other news and vlogs are posted on The Vlog Channel. It’s one of the best ways to connect with me. You can also message me at questions@qiranger.com.

Now it’s time for Take Me Away. This is a weekly travel segment on TBS eFM in Seoul broadcast at about 6:12am on 101.3 FM. This time we’re talking about Yeoju.

Ladies and gentlemen, that will do it for this week’s podcast. Thank you so much for joining me this week. If you liked it, please pop on over to iTunes to rate and comment, it’s a way for the podcast to get featured. Please also share it with your friends, if you think they would find it helpful.

Remember there will be no podcast next week.

If you have any feedback, be sure to drop me a line at podcast@qiranger.com but until next time, remember to be true to yourself, and always be awesome!

Closing Song: Libertad by Lattaplat: http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/667838/libertad

The QiRanger Podcast is written and produced by Steve Miller and  licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. TMA’s theme song, Morning Blue, was written and performed by Josh Woodward.

The post TQRAP Ep 2013-06 appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Earlier this week, a leaked video showing a Namyang sales person berating and forcing a distributor to purchase extra product surfaced on the Internet. You can read the brief here. It’s the same alleged tactics that were employed by Lotte that ultimately lead the suicide of one of its managers, yet the public outcry is far different.

Why?

The same behavior was exhibited by both entities, but because of the negative stigma surrounding suicide, the Lotte story has faded into oblivion. That is a shame, because the outcome of that situation was far worse – it resulted in death. If corporate reform is really going to take place, then addressing the inflated sales numbers associated with the Namyang story is only the beginning. Allowing companies to create situations where the employee things that death is the only solution should not be allowed to persist.

The post Namyang vs Lotte: What’s The Difference? appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Back in April, I was asked to participate in a special trip to Davao (Philippines). The trip was sponsored by the Philippines Department of Tourism. Since I had never been to Mindinao, I was excited to get the opportunity to travel there with Jo. But we didn’t travel alone. We had the fortune of traveling with seven other Korean bloggers – some of the nicest people I’ve ever met while traveling. During a day at Davao’s Pearl Farm Resort, we were scheduled to go SCUBA diving. Unfortunately, Jo was having some ear issues so she wasn’t able to go with me (wait until you see her snorkeling video!). Therefore, I teamed up with blogger Jina for an afternoon dive.

Rain was starting to fall, so the surface conditions weren’t all that great; however, what was waiting for us under the water was. Using my GoPro Hero2 and QuikPod, I set out to capture the journey. It was something that I almost couldn’t do, because I was starting to have ear issues as well. On the initial descent, I had to stop at 7 meters and wait while our Dive Master and Jina continued ahead. Slowly, I was able to equalize and make the descent, but doing so cost me some significant air usage.

The post Clowns. More Fun In The Philippines. appeared first on QiRanger.com.

A question came in from YouTube about Tattoos in Korea. Here’s my answer:

Got a question for me? Please send it in: questions@qiranger.com.

The post Viewer Question: Tattoos in Korea appeared first on QiRanger.com.

If you’re a YouTube partner, you might have the ability to enable a great feature that was introduced last year. It’s called the External Annotation feature.

If you have the feature, but haven’t enabled it, you can do so by completing the process outlined in these instructions. When the process is complete and enabled, you’ll be able to link your videos to any page on your website. This is pretty cool, especially for someone like me that has additional information about the destinations I visit or articles I speak about. It’s this same process that enables one to make an annotation that points to Twitter and other sites on the web.

How to make Twitter and other Annotations

The first step is to make a new page on your website. If you know HTML, this can be done by coding directly on your server, but if you don’t now how to do that, there’s an easy solution. All you have to do is log into your blog and create a new page. In the above example, I’m creating this URL:

http://qiranger.com/omgwtfbbqthisisawesome.

Once your new page is published, you’ll need to log into your website’s control panel and find where it manages the 301 Redirects. Usually it will look like the above picture.

The final step of the process is to complete the redirect form. In the above example, I’m telling the server to redirect all incoming traffic that was sent to http://qiranger.com/omgwtfbbqthisisawesome onto http://interwebs.net. Click the button and you’re done. The redirect is now active.

With this system in place, you are really creating an external associated website annotation on your YouTube video, but once that traffic reaches your site, the web server sends it somewhere else.

The post Making Twitter and Facebook YouTube Annotations. appeared first on QiRanger.com.

In today’s vlog I I find amazement that I’ve been in Korea for almost 5 years. Where has the time gone?

What about you? Do you find that time sometimes speeds up?

The post NEW VLOG: Where does time go? appeared first on QiRanger.com.

It’s that time once more for me to share with you all the behind the scenes action from Monday’s Video Rodeo on Arirang!

The videos we discussed:

There you have it! This week’s episode was a lot of fun, even though both Adrien and I were having some voice issues. You can listen to us every Monday night live on Arirang Radio from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. Please message us and let us know what videos you’d like to have us talk about?

The post Arirang’s Catch The Wave Video Rodeo 5.6.13 appeared first on QiRanger.com.

IT World published this article stating that Google was set to announce a subscription service for YouTube. here are my thoughts.

The post YouTube To Introduce Subscription Service appeared first on QiRanger.com.

Yonhap News is reporting the following:

The Southwestern Front Command of the North Korea’s armed forces said it has directed its troops to immediately strike back in case even a single bombshell is dropped into the North’s territory from the exercise, which began on Sunday, according to Pyongyang’s official news agency, KCNA.

Amazing how times have changed. In March, a statement like that would have caused quite a stir in the international media. CNN and the BBC may have run the story with amazing graphics to show the strike capability of the DPRK’s forces. The truth of the matter is this is how North Korea operates. The media reaction was one of the reasons we had such high tensions. Actions weren’t escalating things, the news was.

During the current exercises, ROK and US forces will be on alert for any possible retaliation by North Korea, but is this something to really worry about? No. It’s situation normal.

North Korea is out of the spotlight it enjoyed in March and April and is just trying to artificially create a situation to get back the limelight. The Bae ruling didn’t quite do the job North Korea was hoping it would.

I won’t rule out any kind of missile firing or other artillery action by the DPRK, but there are no signs of such activity at the moment. So should we be worried by such statements? Absolutely not.

The post North Korea Issues Another Threat. So What? appeared first on QiRanger.com.

This month on The Korea Blog, I’m taking a look at technology in Korea. I mean, who doesn’t love technology and all the things it’s bringing us? For this first installment, I’m focusing on banks and their use of the security key.

Photo Credit: Mangus Manske

Over the years, I’ve used a number of security keys, mainly when I was working for IT companies. Personally, I found them a hassle since they were devices like the key fob above. When I wanted to log into a network, I had to press the button on the fob and wait for a password to be generated. Then I only had 2 minutes to enter the 8 digit number before my login window expired. It was a pain.

Here in Korea, most banks offer several different options for security keys. At first, I hated them. It’s true. I just wanted to be able to access my accounts with a simple password as I did in the US; however, having the extra layer of protection is quite comforting given how much data is stolen every day.

The one thing is sometimes a problem. Since the system requires not only the security key but also a Bo-ahn card (보안 카드), sometimes I can’t complete transactions when I want. This card has a series of challenge passwords that need to be entered at a certain stage during the money transfer process. If you don’t have the card (or the numbers on it), you can’t complete the transaction. If you lose the card, you need to get a new security key.

Overall I am quite pleased with how the system works and envision more and more banks around the world adopting this method of remote security in the near future. How does your bank do Internet Banking?

The post My Money is Mine: Korean Bank Security appeared first on QiRanger.com.