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Korean Gender Reader

Submitted by on

(Source)

1) How to find a good Korean man

Excellent dating advice from I’m No Picasso, although like she says, of course most of her advice would apply to any group of men anywhere!

2) 14% of Korean men subject to sexual abuse as children

To put it mildly, I’ll have to see a lot more detail about the methodology and definitions used before I accept that figure. But I do look forward to finding out more about this survey.

3) Condoms in hotels

In Chinese hotels to be precise. As Shanghai Shiok! explains:

Should hotels provide condoms in guest rooms, whether complimentary or for sale? It’s a question still debated in the hotel industry. In China, condoms in hotels are quite common (after Beijing ordered it), but some foreigners have averse reactions to the foil-wrapped rubbers in their rooms, like my dad who angrily declared the hotel condoms “an embarrassment!” before hiding them away from our eyes.

For me, whether condoms should be there or not just really… depends.

Depends on what? Find out here!

(Source)

4) Native speaker English teacher sexually assaulted in Anyang

See the details at Gusts of Popular Feeling here. Like a commenter there says, I’m amazed at the attitude of the proprietor of the yogwan (motel) where the assault occurred, who apparently didn’t so much as bat an eyelid when 3 male university students carried an unconscious woman to their room.

5) Why so few fathers take paternity leave

An excellent, comprehensive report from The JoongAng Daily, in contrast to The Chosun Ilbo one that waxes lyrical about changing attitudes and the fact that a grand total of 819 men took it last year, an increase of 63% from last year.

Note that seeing as this particular paternity leave seems to have been available since at least 2001 however, then it can’t refer to the 3 day one made available in 2008, so at the very least some clarification about the original Korean terms is required. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do any further investigating myself at the moment, but if anyone’s further interested then I recommend this, this, this, and this to get you started! (and if you clicked on any of those, then I think you’ll find this book fascinating too)

(Source)

6) Korean documentary on ajummas and ajoshis

No, really. As New Yorker in Seoul described it:

I watched this program with JS, my German-Korean friend, and she and I both had similar reactions. First, here’s how WE perceived what the program was doing:

1-First, it showed the bad perceptions of ajuma and ajoshi.
2-Then it explained how these figures are actually good members of society, thereby reaffirming these roles in society.

There was much to appreciate in the documentary–the interviews, the claymation snippets (from the Arari Show), the surveys. But the way the program was constructed entirely, at least for many Western viewers, seemed pretty cheesy. Or at least, heavy-handed in its delivering of the message of why society actually NEEDS the ajuma and ajoshi figures.

Granted, it was designed for a Korean audience. But I wonder: do any Korean viewers broach programs constructed in this way with at least a modicum of cynicism? Does such a program bear a whiff of sentimentality for Korean viewers?

7) A South Korean farm, a brother & sister, a forbidden love

Found via The Three Wise Monkeys, I confess I’m not quite sure what to make of this:

The video shoot took place on a small farm in Jeollabuk-do province, South Korea in February 2011. The storyline was conceived in response to the song lyrics which tell of an unrequited love or a longing that can’t be satisfied or consummated. We came up with the concept of a brother and sister who are twins who have grown up lived and worked together on their parents’ small farm. They are confused and disturbed by the fact that their closeness has developed into a kind of sexual longing that they know they must hide away deep inside.

8) Korean men do least housework in OECD

To play Devil’s advocate however, it’s somewhat natural considering that women do the least paid work in the OECD, as noted by The Korean Herald article.

See Sociological Images also for some more perspective and handy graphs of how various countries compare.

9) Protecting Korean women from foreign devils, circa late-1940s

I believe that most resentment towards and/or stereotyping of foreign men in Korea stems naturally from having millions stuck in unemployment or low-paid and/irregular work, and it certainly doesn’t help that – as far as I know – boys born at the peak of Korea’s phase of aborting female fetuses in the early-1990s are now becoming adults (while long since resolved, soon there’s going to be something like 116 eighteen-year old men for every 100 women).

But as this post at Gusts of Popular Feelings reveals however, neither explains the harassment some Korean women received in the late-1940s even just for working with American men.

(Source)

10) Amber returns to f(x)

Like Dora says at SeoulBeats, it’s good that she’s back:

…the moment I set eyes on Amber, I knew I was a goner. Pardon me, but it was during an era whereby K-pop was being flooded with Barbie dolls everywhere, all right? All the Korean girl group members were armed with the typical Bambi eyes, long swishing hair and legs half the width and twice the length of my own. I was desperate for a change; my self-esteem couldn’t take any more beatings. So once Amber popped into the scene, all the other girls who felt the same way as I did went crazy. With her androgynous hotness (oh gosh, the floppy fringe that can totally rival Justin Bieber’s!), Amber has confused poor females everywhere, and became the new obsession of fangirls.

(Source)

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Filed under: Korean Gender Reader Tagged: Amber, f(x), 에프엑스, 엠버
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Destination: A tour of Boryeong (Chungcheongnam-do)

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The city of Boryeong is most widely known for the Boryeong Mud Festival – a raucous party not like the spring break at Cancun. A few other side attractions are mentioned in the brochure, but for the most part most go unvisited by a mass of foreigners. They might be forgiven for thinking this area has little to see; remember that Korea has quite a history to offer, with plentiful destinations and attractions to match.

I was recently invited on a tour of the town, as a interested party in the Pine & Tiger Association. Our numbers were small, but when combined with a group of Koreans also joining us, we filled the majority of the bus.

Our first stop was a museum dedicated to five people martyred for their faith – 갈매못 (Gal Mae Mot). During the Joseon Dynasty, French tried to use Catholicism as a pretext to gain control of the country. Saint Daveluy Antoine (a Bishop), Huin Martin Luke (a priest), Ometro Peter (a priest), Whang Seok-du Luke (a leader of the laity) and Chang Joo Ki Josep (another leity leader) were executed here on March 30, 1866 – perhaps notheworthy (or ironic?) in that it was Good Friday.

The next stop was 충청 수영성 (Chungcheong Suyeongseong), a stone-and-earth type of fortress. Originally constructed in 1509, the fortress protected Chungcheong’s navy and watched offshore movements. The only surviving gate, Manghwamun, is pictured above. The nearby port was used during the Joseon Dynasty while trading with China. While the area is undergoing renovation and excavation in some parts (as above), it’s likely to maintain its rustic charm.

One of the few buildings remaining inside is 충청 수영성 진휼청(Chungcheong Suyeong Jinhyulcheong) – used for lending and collecting crops in lean years. Since the building fell out of use, it was used as a private house until bought in 1994 and made to look original again. The fortress also holds a officials guesthouse outside (complete with several monuments) and a seperate monument to General Gyegeum of the Ming Dynasty, who defeated a Japanese invastion and moved to the Jeolla province.

After a filling seafood lunch, our next stop was a famous inkstone maker’s shop – 김진한 (Kim Jin-han). Designated Intangible Cultural Property #6 in December 1997, Mr. Kim’s shop is one part awards and one part inkstones – getting to be a master means collecting your share of plaques and certificates along the way.

Mr. Kim hard at work in his shop.

Our final destination of the day – the site of Seongjusa (temple). The site first held Ohapsa (literally Black Bird temple) during the Baekje dynasty, where prayers were offered for the souls killed in war. During the 9th century, Prince Hun asked Monk Nanghyye-hwasang (800-880 AD) to build the temple. The temple served as a school for seon (Zen) during the end of the Unified Silla period, but was destroyed during the Japanese invasions in the late 16th century. While no buildings have been reconstructed, a number of stone pagodas and a National Treasure await all the same.

A five-storied pagoda, albeit one without a sarira. The four steps below each story champion the assumption of a latter 9th century construction.

A unique arrangement in Korea – three three-story pagodas, side-by-side-by-side. No one seems to know why they were arranged this way, although each is unique and considered a treasure.

The creme da le creme – 성주사 낭혜 화상 백월보광탑 (Seongjusa Namhye Hwasang Baekwolbogwangtap Designated National Treasure #8 in 1962, the stele / tombstone is made from 오석, or obsidian. It pays tribute to Buddhist priest Nanghye Hwasang Muyeom, who is an ancestor of Joseon Dynasty King Taejong. He spent 20 years in China learning Buddhism and serving the poor and diseased. After receiving his inga (certificate signifying one’s enlightenment), he returned back to Korea in 847 A.D. and spent the next 40 years at this temple.

It’s worth noting that the area, while relatively tourist friendly, is also relatively undiscovered. Sure, most English teachers have heard of the Boryeong Mud Festival, but there’s other sights happening the other 50 weeks of the year.  Public transportation is available, but you’re better off with taxis or your own car.

Directions to Boryeong: a couple of dozen Saemaeul (2nd-class) and Mugunghwa (3rd-class) trains arrive at Daecheon station every day. Once there, a bus stop is out front, and a taxi stand is along a main road.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks): How do I rate destinations?
Ease to arrive:
Foreigner-friendly:
Convenience facilities:
Worth the visit:

Creative Commons License © Chris Backe – 2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.

The city of Boryeong is most widely known for the Boryeong Mud

Festival – a raucous party not like the spring break at Cancun. A few

other side attractions are mentioned in the brochure, but for the most

part most go unvisited by a mass of foreigners. They might be

forgiven for thinking this area has little to see; remember that Korea

has quite a history to offer, with plentiful destinations and attractions

to match.

I was recently invited on a tour of the town, as a interested party in

the Pine & Tiger Association. Our numbers were small, but when

combined with a group of Koreans also joining us, we filled the

majority of the bus.

Our first stop was a museum dedicated to five people martyred for

their faith – 갈매못 (Gal Mae Mot). During the Joseon Dynasty,

French tried to use Catholicism as a pretext to gain control of the

country. Saint Daveluy Antoine (a Bishop), Huin Martin Luke (a

priest), Ometro Peter (a priest), Whang Seok-du Luke (a leader of the

laity) and Chang Joo Ki Josep (another leity leader) were executed

here on March 30, 1866 – perhaps notheworthy (or ironic?) in that it

was Good Friday.

The next stop was 충청 수영성 (Chungcheong Suyeongseong), a stone

-and-earth type of fortress. Originally constructed in 1509, the

fortress protected Chungcheong’s navy and watched offshore

movements. The only surviving gate, Manghwamun, is pictured

above. The nearby port was used during the Joseon Dynasty while

trading with China. While the area is undergoing renovation and

excavation in some parts (as above), it’s likely to maintain its rustic

charm.

One of the few buildings remaining inside is 충청 수영성

진휼청(Chungcheong Suyeong Jinhyulcheong) – used for lending and

collecting crops in lean years. Since the building fell out of use, it was

used as a private house until bought in 1994 and made to look

original again. The fortress also holds a officials guesthouse outside

(complete with several monuments) and a seperate monument to

General Gyegeum of the Ming Dynasty, who defeated a Japanese

invastion and moved to the Jeolla province.

After a filling seafood lunch, our next stop was a famous inkstone

maker’s shop – 김진한 (Kim Jin-han). Designated Intangible Cultural

Property #6 in December 1997, Mr. Kim’s shop is one part awards

and one part inkstones – getting to be a master means collecting your

share of plaques and certificates along the way.

Mr. Kim hard at work in his shop.

Our final destination of the day – the site of Seongjusa (temple). The

site first held Ohapsa (literally Black Bird temple) during the Baekje

dynasty, where prayers were offered for the souls killed in war.

During the 9th century, Prince Hun asked Monk Nanghyye-hwasang

(800-880 AD) to build the temple. The temple served as a school for

seon (Zen) during the end of the Unified Silla period, but was

destroyed during the Japanese invasions in the late 16th century.

While no buildings have been reconstructed, a number of stone

pagodas and a National Treasure await all the same.

A five-storied pagoda, albeit one without a sarira. The four steps

below each story champion the assumption of a latter 9th century

construction.

A unique arrangement in Korea – three three-story pagodas, side-by-

side-by-side. No one seems to know why they were arranged this way,

although each is unique and considered a treasure.

The creme da le creme – 성주사 낭혜 화상 백월보광탑 (Seongjusa

Namhye Hwasang Baekwolbogwangtap Designated National

Treasure #8 in 1962, the stele / tombstone is made from 오석, or

obsidian. It pays tribute to Buddhist priest Nanghye Hwasang

Muyeom, who is an ancestor of Joseon Dynasty King Taejong. He

spent 20 years in China learning Buddhism and serving the poor and

diseased. After receiving his inga (certificate signifying one’s

enlightenment), he returned back to Korea in 847 A.D. and spent the

next 40 years at this temple.

It’s worth noting that the area, while relatively tourist friendly, is

also relatively undiscovered. Sure, most English teachers have heard

of the Boryeong Mud Festival, but there’s other sights happening the

other 50 weeks of the year.  Public transportation is available, but

you’re better off with taxis or your own car.

Directions to Boryeong: a couple of dozen Saemaeul (2nd-class) and

Mugunghwa (3rd-class) trains arrive at Daecheon station every day.

Once there, a bus stop is out front, and a taxi stand is along a main

road.

—

 

Busan e-FM Week 22: Crime in Korea

Submitted by on

About 'Open Mike in Busan'

Introduction

Today I’m going to talk about crime in Korea, and as I’ve mentioned before crime is a big problem in England, so it’s often on my mind.

England versus Korea

Crime in England is much worse than in Korea according to statistics. The robbery rate for England is 188.7 per 100,000 people – that’s worse than the United States at 146.4, and Busan which is only 24.7.

Korean policing – apart from at protests – seems almost apologetic. I think my father-in-law, who is a retired police officer, feels that the job got a lot more difficult after South Korea became democratic... But there certainly seems to be a fear of violent crime here; when I first came here I was surprised to see all the bars on the windows at low levels, and the steel apartment doors - a steel door is a hallmark of a criminal property in England. Of course though, there is a lot of non-violent crime here like counterfeiting, piracy and corporate crime.

Normally as a foreigner you might expect to be at a higher risk of falling victim to a violent crime in another country, but despite that I actually feel safer here than in England. It’s relatively safe to walk the streets at night – at least as a foreign man, it’s perhaps not so much the case for foreign women, which is a different issue [and if the racial roles had been reversed in this care, I can't see the Korea Times limiting themselves to a brief 8-line piece about it].

In Korea, you can walk around with expensive gadgets like smartphones and cameras, or use your tablet computer on the subway, so you can really benefit from the personal technology revolution in a way that’s harder to do in England, which is great. When I first came here I was really nervous about taking photos with my $250 digital camera because back then you would have had to be careful doing that sort of thing in the streets of my city [now that a digital camera can cost $30 maybe not as much, but then some people in my city would rob you for less, for fun in fact]. I’ve got used to taking photos here now, but it’s a bit of a problem when I go back home, because it’s easy to slip into the Korean way of thinking and forget to watch your back.

Witnessing crimes

I haven’t really experienced any crime in Korea directly, but I have see quite a bit. For example, in one incident we witnessed sexual harassment taking place on the subway. A man had his hand under a woman’s leg – it was summer and she was wearing a short skirt. His hand was moving further beneath her and some touching was going on. It looked suspicious at the time but we couldn’t be sure that they weren’t together – the woman was fairly expressionless even though she must have known what was happening. My wife said that if the woman moved that would prove it, and sure enough she got up and moved to another seat further down.

This kind of thing doesn’t really happen in England – certainly not in the middle of the day in a busy train. But I’ve read that 21% of women have experienced sexual harassment on the subway in Korea – so unfortunately it appears that it isn’t uncommon. Personal crime is more serious of course, but still, I was surprised when the public phone box near us was smashed – it made me think Korea was becoming like England. [I forgot to mention the fights I've seen].

It was the drink what made me do it, officer

One thing that has surprised me here is the way alcohol is used as an excuse – and defence – by people who commit crimes, especially sex crimes. And it often works too, with more lenient sentencing.

Alcohol is blamed for a lot of crime in England, where ‘binge drinking’ in large groups is a huge problem, but it’s not a legitimate excuse in court. Here it does seem more accepted, and I find there’s a hypocrisy in that – you know, that the drugs you drink here are so socially acceptable whereas the drugs you smoke - apart from tobacco - are totally not. And yet, speaking to my Korean family, I gathered that historically there was quite a lot of smoking of ‘agricultural substances’ going on in the countryside in Korea – whereas now it’s usually foreigners, especially foreign English teachers, who are blamed for being drug users here.

Native English teachers are molesting students and spreading HIV/AIDS

So how about the portrayal of foreign crime in Korea? Sometimes there are high-profile cases here. In 2007, several newspapers carried reports that foreign teachers were molesting their students and (deliberately) spreading HIV and AIDS. The reports were ‘never substantiated’, which is a polite way of saying that these newspapers had no proof and they were deliberately printing racially inflammatory here-say and lies. But what came out of these fantasy ‘facts’ that were printed by these liars was the political move for all native English teachers to be subject to mandatory HIV/AIDS testing. But ethnic Koreans were apparently exempted - even if they were born and raised in America [because apparently a Korean is not a molestation/HIV/AIDS risk whatever their background - whereas non-Koreans obviously are. A Korean once told me that 'Koreans don't get AIDS' though, so there you go].

Similarly, newspapers run scare-tactic headlines saying that the number of crimes committed by foreigners is increasing, and you know they are trying to shock and scare people. The number of crimes committed by foreigners [but are they native English teachers?] is increasing, but so is the number of foreigners [the figures are complex and there the foreign crime pro-rata crime rate does appear to be increasing - but the media likes to run simple figures that make things look worse than they are]. But let’s put it into context – in 2007 – the last year comparative figures were published, the crime rate for foreigners was 1.4%... but it was 3.4% for Koreans. So portraying foreigners as a particularly criminally-inclined group is not fair in that context.

In fact, according to the National Police Agency, rapes were up 28% last year, theft was up 25%, and murder 9%. Last year 15.8% of women said they were beaten by their husbands. Perhaps this is what the media should be focusing on rather than demanding AIDS tests for foreigners and implying that we're responsible for some kind of crime-wave.

Korea is becoming more like England

With these increasing crime figures, I fear this country is becoming more like England – and crime is changing Korea. Places I’ve visited such as Namdaemun and the gate at Beomeosa here in Busan, have been destroyed since I arrived by criminal acts. When Namdaemun happened, there was an initial report that someone thought they’d seen a foreigner running away and I was terrified. That’s the reality of being a foreigner here – I live in fear of what we might be blamed for next, and how Korean people will treat us afterwards.

Links
Busan e-FM
Inside Out Busan

Air date: 2011-03-16 @ ~19:30

--

Source: Busan Mike

—

Busanmike.blogspot.com
 
Twitter:  @BusanMike
YouTube: /BusanMikeVideo
Flickr:  /busanmike
 

The King Who Conned a Dear Leader

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Here’s a quandary: do you hate a King who conned the North Koreans, or throw the book at him? Is there a lesson to be learned here about how to “take Kim Jong-il”?

Mr [Russell] King, who is now believed to be on the lam in Bahrain, first convinced directors of small investment bank First London Plc to hand over 49% of the company to him, in return for his apparently colossal business. This done, he used First London to finance an investment in Notts County, a Midlands football club with a proud history, now plying its trade in the lower divisions.

Mr Eriksson, drawn in by the promise of shares in Swiss Commodity Holdings (SCH), a vehicle of Mr King’s, was duly installed as football director at County. He was joined there for a time by another fellow dupe, Sol Campbell, an ex-Arsenal and England star. Messrs King and Eriksson ventured to Pyongyang on SCH business, where they are reported to have made a deal with officials in the North Korean government to grant them exclusive rights to the impoverished nation’s gold mines. “I was in the palace and they were handing over to the North Korean government so-called shares”, Mr Eriksson told BBC’s investigative news programme “Panorama”. “They used my name”, he laments; there was even talk of him managing the North Korean football team.

Those who follow developments in North Korea tend to prefer casting Kim Jong Il as an evil genius—crazy like a fox—rather than as merely crazy. While there can be no doubting that he has it in him to run circles around America and China, the Dear Leader appears to be no match for a silver-tongued conman of Russell King’s stature.

It seems the North Koreans either like capitalism and charlatans equally. Or, unburdened with democracy and unpracticed with the riff-raff it can vomit up, the Dear Leader met his match. Sign up Mr. King for an ambassadorship?

Powered by ScribeFire.


Filed under: Business/Economy, Europe, Korea, Sports Tagged: kim jong il, north korea, premier league, russell king, sven-goran eriksson

open class.

Submitted by on

So, I moved to Korea and supposedly I teach children English, but where is the proof you say? My pictures are mostly of fun escapades and cute children playing around, what actual English do I teach them? How is it possible that someone like me could be a teacher?! (Let's just say if I can do, so can you)

Well, we had an open class last week where other teachers and the principal came to watch us co-teach our 5th graders. It is a grand idea in theory except for they tell you 2 weeks in advance so that we had tons of time to prepare, practice and make materials, meaning this class was much better than normal. If only we put this much effort into EVERY lesson, they might actually learn something (I kid, I kid, are lessons are usually good enough and my kids love to use their English skills with me.)

In public schools a lot of what you teach is straight from the textbook, repeating terrible dialogue by awful actors. Many days it is the bane of my existence and I would rather scratch my eyes out than watch Nami and Jinho look for her pencil under the table one more time. Other days, it is a life saver when I have been slacking and have nothing planned for class. You win some and lose some I guess. Either way it's my job and I do what I am told, I have no choice. 

Just wanted to share with family and friends at home what I do every day and show potential teachers moving to Korea how simple it is! I'm not great at it and am not claiming this is a perfect class, nor that what I am teaching is exciting (this is only 3 minutes and you'll probably be bored, just imagine my poor students, they have 40 minutes of this! Although I do supplement the textbook with fun games and videos as well.) Check out me teaching below and please don't laugh:)


—

Ellie Teacher

onedayillflyaway.com

Week #4- April, 27th, 2010- Nightime is the right time

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Week #4- April, 27th, 2010- Nightime is the right time

The winter has finally thawed out and everyone is back out in the streets again. It’s been good to get together with friends and rekindle old habits (all day wanders across Seoul ending in all night carousing).

Last week (or was it the week before, oh both) I had a great day street shooting with friends followed by a night out in Hongdae. This is Lhasa, a fucking rad outfit from down in Busan. I originally met these guys at a party at agit art space down in B-town, and had the chance to see them later in Seoul. It was a rad show.
lhasa.bandcamp.com/album/-

I had picked some 3200 Ilford months ago and was waiting for some nocturnal adventures to use it. I’m really pleased with the results.

nikon fe2
nikkor 24mm
Ilford delta 3200


Filed under: 52 weeks in seoul, Film, nikon fe2 Tagged: 3200, 52 weeks, black and white, Ilford, lhasa, live club ssam, nikkor 24mm, nikon fe2

too much education

Submitted by on

I’ve just started reading “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” (amazon, The Atlantic review).  The book is about an Adjunct professor and how the proliferation of adjunct professors harms students, the professors and the system.

The extra adjunct profs are needed because of an artificial demand for college degrees for jobs that don’t particularly need them.  They aren’t “real professors” and their work typically won’t help them become real professors either.  They are an artificial supply created to handle this artificial supply with no one but the university profiting form the arrangement.

Hereabouts, In the Herald there is an article about “people who are highly educated but economically inactive”.  I foolishly thought the article would be about highly educated housewives.  Korea is still a land where married women choose to stay at home.

No, it is about people unwilling to look for work they didn’t train for:

Presumably, many of those economically inactive people have given up the idea of actively seeking employment when jobs available to them are considered to be beneath them. They are often referred to as “discouraged” workers.

Decent jobs are not easily created at a time when colleges and universities are sending out an increasing number of graduates each year. When such jobs are not available, discouraged graduates simply give up, rendering the high level of education they have received useless.

Many Koreans overeducate themselves out of the job market, with more than 80 percent of high school graduates being admitted to colleges or universities each year. The ratio soared from 33.2 percent in 1990 to 83 percent in 2009 ― a phenomenon often referred to as “inflation in education.” 

If you read the original Herald article, there is a strange paragraph about how companies – out of the goodness of their hearts- should create jobs for these university graduates – simply because they should and apparently have the money.

Anyway, Professor X (the anonymous author of Basement) describes the expectations the university has for his students – they should be able to find work with the training he gives but also be prepared and with the skills needed to advance to graduate degrees in their fields.   The business of the US government is business and the business of professors is apparently to make more professors.

Which brings us to three articles from Nature on PhDs.

In Rethinking PhDs, Allison McCook writes:

“Most of them are not going to make it.” That was the thought that ran through Animesh Ray’s mind 15 years ago, as he watched excellent PhD students — including some at his own institution, the University of Rochester in New York — struggle to find faculty positions in academia, the only jobs they had ever been trained for. Some were destined for perpetual postdoctoral fellowships; others would leave science altogether.

Within a few years, the associate professor was in a position to do something about it. A stint in a start-up company in California had convinced him that many PhD graduates were poor at working in teams and managing shifting goals, the type of skills that industrial employers demand. So he started to develop a programme that would give students at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) in Claremont, California, these skills. “I was determined not to have to keep watching scientists struggle to find the jobs they were trained to do.”


In The PhD Factory, David Cyranoski and others write about the rising popularity of doctorates:

Scientists who attain a PhD are rightly proud — they have gained entry to an academic elite. But it is not as elite as it once was. The number of science doctorates earned each year grew by nearly 40% between 1998 and 2008, to some 34,000, in countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The growth shows no sign of slowing: most countries are building up their higher-education systems because they see educated workers as a key to economic growth (see ‘The rise of doctorates’). But in much of the world, science PhD graduates may never get a chance to take full advantage of their qualifications.

Japan’s case may relate well to Korea’s:

In the 1990s, the government set a policy to triple the number of postdocs to 10,000, and stepped up PhD recruitment to meet that goal. The policy was meant to bring Japan’s science capacity up to match that of the West — but is now much criticized because, although it quickly succeeded, it gave little thought to where all those postdocs were going to end up.

Academia doesn’t want them: the number of 18-year-olds entering higher education has been dropping, so universities don’t need the staff. Neither does Japanese industry, which has traditionally preferred young, fresh bachelor’s graduates who can be trained on the job. 

Mark Taylor in Reform the PhD System or Close It Down continues the call for change:

The system of PhD education in the United States and many other countries is broken and unsustainable, and needs to be reconceived. In many fields, it creates only a cruel fantasy of future employment that promotes the self-interest of faculty members at the expense of students. The reality is that there are very few jobs for people who might have spent up to 12 years on their degrees.

Most doctoral-education programmes conform to a model defined in European universities during the Middle Ages, in which education is a process of cloning that trains students to do what their mentors do. The clones now vastly outnumber their mentors. The academic job market collapsed in the 1970s, yet universities have not adjusted their admissions policies, because they need graduate students to work in laboratories and as teaching assistants.

Teaching assistants.  They would be similar to adjunct professors, right?

The three articles do suggest ways to improve the system.  Most involve cross-disciplinary degrees and work on real-world problems.  “Provid(ing) clean water to a growing population” is a one example.  Cyranoski also suggested cross-ocean degrees (‘cross-ocean’ is my term) where students might study at an American and a British university with two advisors in two disciplines.  The fact that neither advisor was fully in charge would require the student to take more control of his work.

Rethinking PhDs and The PhD Factory are also available as PDFs at the links above.

I have worked at two universities in Korea.  The first was perhaps at the third tier and the current one is rising through the ranks rapidly (according to their own PR).  Both seem more like three- and four- year technical schools.  My students don’t learn biology, they learn bio-tech; I don’t think there is a computer science program but there is a computer game deign major…  One student in a Police Administration program told me she was interested in continuing to a PhD in Pol Admin (and she seemed smart and capable enough) and the other students looked surprised.  I had thought this technical school focus was wrong.  I have nothing against such schools but felt, from the way my university worked, twenty-something years ago, that such College style training was improper for University.  Clearly, I need to rethink this.


—

Places to Visit Nearby (Korea)

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Travellers starting in, or moving on from, Korea have an number of exciting options of where to explore next with a number of relatively nearby Asian destinations offering an interesting onward itinerary.
Travellers can choose to head for the neighbouring Asian nations of China or Japan, or opt for a complete change of culture by catching flights to Mumbai and heading off to explore India.

China and Japan – Great Onward Travel Options

Travelling from Korea, both China and Japan are natural possible choices of destinations, each offering their own unique appeal for visitors.
Head for China to explore this relatively newly accessible tourist destination. Walk the Great Wall of China or head for one of the countries amazing traditional temples. Alternatively explore the urban area of Beijing, which recently hosted the Olympic games to great acclaim.
A short hop away from Korea is the island nation of Japan, which offers some exciting sights for tourists. See snow-capped Mount Fuji, ride the bullet train or take in the hustle and bustle of the modern city of Tokyo with its busy business district and karaoke culture.

Use the Opportunity to Explore India

Holidaymakers looking for a port of call after Korea would be well advised to consider India as their next stop on the Asian exploration route. With its strong traditions, rich culture and history and amazing cuisines, not to mention stunning scenery, India remains a “jewel in the crown” for those that are lucky enough to spend time here. Popular must sees for those in India include:

  • The Taj Mahal – this mausoleum stands as a testament to one man’s love for his wife and its silhouette against the sky at sunset is an iconic Indian image that cannot be ignored. Situated outside Agra, the Taj Mahal is a must for those wanting to make some magical Indian memories.
  • Goa – this coastal region of India offer a real chance to relax and recharge in a stunning seaside setting. With spectacular stretches of white sand, and a warm local welcome, visitors to Goa can enjoy an unrivalled experience.
  • Rajasthan – The home of the Maharajas, Rajasthan is India’s Royal Country – steeped in centuries of tradition and studded with some superb sites of interest including the pink city at Jaipur and a selection of traditional temples.
  • Kashmir – a land of mountains and lakes Kashmir is an amazing destination or those looking to uncover wild India, as well as being a popular stop for those seeking to uncover the country’s culinary delights.

Take Off for Thailand

Another alternative when heading off from Korea is to head for Thailand –a tropical paradise offering something for everyone from the frenetic pace of city life in Bangkok, to a bit of beach based relaxation in the tourist spots of Phuket or Koh Samui.
Thailand is a really affordable travel option and caters well to tourists offering a range of accommodations as well as excellent attractions.
Don’t miss the amazing full moon beach parties, or the opportunity to explore to amazing uninhabited islands.

—

Nanoomi Running and Cafe Monsieur

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Running gear in backpack... check
Refillable bottle of Arisu*... check
Supportive wife cheersquad... check

*Delicious and safe Seoul city tap water

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To run or not to run? That was the question eventually answered yes by a small slice of the Nanoomi blogging community half a moon ago.

How far did we run? Ten kilometres.
Where was the event? World Cup Stadium.
Why were we running? For a free* pair of socks and an excuse to wake up early.

*Free upon payment of the mandatory fee

IMG_3772
I myself don't mind too much paying money to someone to do what can always be done alone for free. Was that an awkward sentence? I hope not. My grammar tends to funny up a bit when blogging in evening late. But let's not digress. What you're paying for when you pay for a run is the luxury of running with others along a predetermined track guaranteed to be free of bicycles approaching in the opposite direction.

Which you can only do by leaving Seoul, or simply wiring $30 to some guy somewhere who knows how to get permission from the city council to cordon off a portion of public space for a limited period of time.

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Here's the World's Most Underappreciated Running Team, minus Keira who arrived shortly thereafter. This snap was photo'ed by my lovely wife, who hauled 2.6kg of baby all the way to World Cup Stadium just to show support. On the left is Hannah, then me, then Alice and on the right is Ed.

I like to think that we were all smiling in anticipation of this particular sentence.

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Without so much as a starter's pistol, off we ran into the sunny unknown. I'd been jogging around campus as well as running various errands for Professor Tsang in the weeks leading up to the event, so was in fairly good shape.

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Helium filled balloons are nice, although they're all destined to land as a potential traffic hazard or a miniscule component of the Pacific Trash Vortex.
What the world needs is some kind of alternative biodegradable balloon. Something that stretches, is natural, would normally be discarded, is opaque and can be filled with helium.

How about lamb stomachs?

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If you leave a camera with your pregnant wife, it's possible to determine what she was up to in your absence by inspecting the photos left behind.
Using special powers of deductive reasoning, I can surmise a few things from this photo. At some point in time she was obviously inspecting the lens of my camera while holding it up in the air, and accidentally pressed the shutter button. She also looks a bit like a bug when wearing those sunglasses.

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And from this photo I can see that she enjoyed a Vegemil A while sitting at a park bench.
Apparently she also knows how to read Korean.

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This is me crossing the finishing line. I never realised my legs were so sinewy. They don't look like that when I'm sitting in a chair.

I just checked.

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Post-race we were all feeling a little proud of ourselves, mostly for not bombing out halfway and dejectedly sauntering off to Dunkin' Donuts. Not that Nanoomites would consider such a thing. We all received a medallion for our efforts and the promise to one day partake in such an activity again.

It was a good time.

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Now we're in the Gyodae area. The lady behind that counter is Taewon Seo's wife, busily making a green tea latte' for Heather and myself. Her coffees are among the best in the northern hemisphere. I'm also fond of the wine glasses on the shelf below, featuring sequential volumetric increments of coffee beans. It probably represents the shared linearity between consumption of mutually diuretic beverages.

This is how to get to Taewon's Cafe Monsieur. For some reason I have the Sesame Street song in my head now.

"Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?"

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A few characters from Gyodae Toastmasters were also enjoying our favourite coffee retreat that day. In this photo you can see Trinity on the left, David Koch and good ol' Vronny Jentakis.

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That's cream cheese in the middle there. I tend to avoid repeating myself on the blog wherever possible, but let me say once again with utmost conviction that while Taewon's wife's coffee is the best in the northern hemisphere, Taewon's bread is the most delicious bread south of the Han River. 

And I'm not just saying that because Taewon is a nice guy.
His bread really is delicious.

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Mmm, here's our green tea latte'. Needless to say, deliciousness rarely appears in such a light shade of green. I myself prefer drinks more traditionally befitting of a masculine character, like ox blood or dragon tears, but every once in a while depart from my usual ungrantable requests.

If you're in the Gyodae area, pop over to Cafe Monsieur and order yourself a coffee and a baguette. And if you're familiar with the ever-widening sphere of Nanoomi influence, consider coming along for a 10km run sometime.

See you soon.

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