May
10
Strange Job Ad
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Hmmm… I wonder what the going rate is for having your white hairs plucked out. Found at the Sports Chosun boards.
May
9
Throwing Strikes in Korea and Japan
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One Sports Chosun writer decided to take a look at why Daniel Rios, the former top foreign pitcher in Korea, has been struggling in Japan, where he is currently 1-4 with a bloated 5.09 ERA.
When in Korea Rios’ main weapon was a heavy, 150-kilometer an hour fastball, and a slider rated as having the best speed and movement. His ample self-confidence and effective pitching were enough. That’s how he was able to rack up 90 wins in his Korean career. But at the end of last year, when Rios announced his departure to Japan, most experts took a dim view of his prospects. The sophisticated Japanese batters have quick eyes and his breaking pitches would not fool them. They said that without a big breaking pitch like a forkball or curve he wouldn’t fit in the first year. His WHIP — batters allowed per inning — would be 1.72, his batting average against .317.
A while ago Samsung manager Seon Dong-yeol said, “Rios doesn’t have a strong breaking pitch, so I don’t think he’ll be very successful. In Korea he was the greatest pitcher around, but the Japanese scouts weren’t so sure, and that’s why his contract didn’t wind up being so expensive.”
The Japanese strike zone is broader from top to bottom than the Korean strike zone, but is thinner from left to right. That could be trouble for Rios, throwing that nice crooked slider. His darting changeup lets him change speeds and should let him throw a different look, but it’s not enough to befuddle the hitters. Because of all this he may find a difficult path to the strike zone.
Also, Japan has specific rules about balks. If the pitcher’s foot doesn’t face the batter once lifted, if he doesn’t clearly face the baserunner, if he stops his pitching motion after setting his position — a judgment of a balk will inevitably come down. In spring training games and the start of the regular season Rios was called for two balks. On the 1st of last month against Yokohama, and again on the 6th against Chunichi. It may appear that his balance is being thrown off by his worries over being called for a balk.
Except for the game he threw against Yokohama on the 6th, Rios has pitched in a different ballpark in each outing. He has not pitched more than once in his home stadium, Jingu Stadium. Every game has been in a new ballpark and it seems to have been difficult for him, a fine pitcher, to pitch well when constantly in new surroudings. It was thought that he might pitch well for the first time that day as it was his second time in Yokohama.
The problem looks to continue. He had his breaking pitches, like his forkball and curve, but did not seem able to adjust his pitching form to the liking of the Japanese umpires. In the end his speed and mental attitude are the keys to his revival.
May
9
Caption Contest!
Filed Under Sports, Photos | 13 Comments
The last one produced some funny entries so let’s do this again. The funniest caption, as chosen by me, will win everlasting internet fame (good for approximately 3:27). So take a look at this photo of… something… that happened at a recent LG Twins game.
May
8
Hines Ward Makes Cameo Appearance
Filed Under Entertainment, Foreigners | 1 Comment
I didn’t even realize that Hines Ward has been in Korea for quite a while now. If you’re a fan of Korean TV you can catch his appearances on a few of them this month.
American football player Hines Ward (32) will make a cameo appearance on SBS’ Wednesday-Thursday drama “On Air”.
Ward plans to appear in the 21st and final episode of the series and though his role has not yet been decided it has been announced that it will be important. The show will be recorded on the 7th and broadcast on the 15th.
Having participated in President Lee Myung-bak’s inauguration ceremonies in February Ward will continue to stay in Korea until the 14th and has been having diverse experiences.
Besides the “On Air” cameo Ward will appear on the KBS2 program “남희석 최은경의 여유만만” and the KBS1 program “체험 삶의 현장”. He also plans to participate in a charity event for cross-cultural families and teens to be held at the Banpo Sports Complex in Seoul.
Update: The Chosun Ilbo has a few photos of the “On Air” episode.
May
8
Students Protest American Beef
Filed Under Society | 11 Comments
Many news reports recently have remarked on the fact that a large number of those protesting the re-introduction of American beef imports have been middle and high school students. One Joongang Ilbo reporter attended last night’s vigil.
Update: If you can read Korean there is also this article on the same subject, kids participating in the beef protests.
Further update: There is also this Korean-language article about student protestors, and the Marmot has a translation of what the scientist whose research is at the center of the protestors’ case really thinks of American beef.
A third candlelight vigil protesting the importation of American beef was carried off without incident. Extreme political slogans were reduced and so police estimate that 10,000 people attended the vigils held on the 2nd and 3rd.
8,500 attended the vigil at 8:15 pm on the 6th in front of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, calling for the impeachment of President Lee. Half of them were students in their middle and high school uniforms. Rally leader Kim Pyeong-gun climbed on to a 1-ton truck and asked, “we must stop mad cow. Let’s show the fear of our people through our silence.” The participants lit the candles in front of them. They sang along to Arirang from the speakers. But they did not carry pickets with political slogans.
Most of the participants said they had learned of the vigil through internet message boards or cellphone text messages. 12-year old elementary student Yun, who came from Incheon with her friends, said, “I saw it on the internet and came without my parents knowing. I eat beef every other day in school but it’s like I didn’t know the media is saying there is a danger of mad cow disease.”
13-year old middle school student Go, who came to the vigil after finishing an exam at school, said, “on the fan site for Dongbangshingi I saw a message saying let’s gather in Yeouido. I’m here because of Dongbangshingi.”
Many came because of what they read on the internet. 21-year old Myongji University student Kim Seon-ah said, “I received a message that said let’s stop mad cow disease, there is a candlelight vigil. So I came.”
Students’ distrust of repeated government messages that the beef is safe remains high. 17-year old high school student Jo pointed out, “we don’t believe everything that gets written on the internet. But if there is a danger then stopping this from the beginning is the right thing to do.” Lee Jae-myeong, a 19-year old freshman at Gyeonggi University, retorted, “there is a lot of wrong information on the internet, like saying that mad cow disease can spread through the air, so I don’t understand, but the government hasn’t released any detailed information so I don’t think a hasty agreement is ok.”
At 7 pm that night the candlelight was held at the Cheonggyecheon, organized by “Crazy Cow Dot Net” (미친소닷넷). Over 3,000 people participated. Like the vigil on the 3rd, police estimate that up to half of them were students — the “school uniform army”.
Seats not occupied by students were filled with members of 10 organizations formed to protest the importation of American beef.
Through a bullhorn the chairman said, “at the Office of Education hundreds of teachers should come and the students should go home. But the teachers don’t come. That’s the obligation of a teacher.”
On the platform citizens and students went up and raised their voices. 42-year old Kim Hae-suk, who went up with her daughter, a second-year middle school student, said, “when they were out of power these politicians were saying that American beef was dangerous, and now suddenly they’re changing their story and saying it’s safe. I don’t trust the politicians and bureacrats.”
Compared to the vigil held on the 3rd there were remarkably fewer signs and banners. “Students are crushed under the university entrance exams but came anyway,” said 20-year old Heo Geu-ru, who carried signs that said “we are not studying machines”. At around 9:30 the vigil was winding down and participants cleaned up their trash. There were no scuffles between participants and police.
May
8
Shaolin Handball
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South Korea’s Go Gyeong-su prepares to shoot in the 2008 Korea-Japan Handball Tournament.
May
7
A bus on a school trip to Hallasan has crashed, injuring 40 students and causing 3 deaths. There are some photos of the crashed bus in this gallery.
At around 1:10 pm on the 7th a tour bus carrying students on a school trip on the 1100 road near Hallasan overturned.
Over 40 people, from Hyocheon High School in Suncheon, sustained injuries and were taken the hospital. Two students including a 16-year old boy named Jeong have died as well as the driver, Mr. Park. There 38 students, one teacher, and a guide on the bus. All were injured and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Jeju City.
Some of the injured students are in critical condition.
The bus, travelling downhill over the center of the road, strayed into the foliage zone 5 meters off the road and flipped over onto the driver’s seat side.
Police believe that the bus, going downhill towards Jeju City, came too close to the curb on the right-hand side and swerved back, flipping over onto the left-hand side.
A student said, “the accident happened after we had hiked up Hallasan and were heading back to Jeju City for lunch. Most of the students who had hiked were sleeping, and since it wasn’t a long trip most of them weren’t wearing their seatbelts and a lot of my friends were hurt.”
On the 5th over 430 students from Hyocheon High School went to Jeju for a school trip, and had planned to return on the 8th.
Anyone who has taught in a Korean public school for long enough has probably been on one of these downhill roads on a tour bus. The roads leave very little room for error with such big busses and it seems there is a crash every year. I remember riding downhill near Masan and reading signs telling the driver to go slow because there had been a fatal crash the year before.
May
7
Booted and Slammed
Filed Under Sports, Photos | 2 Comments
22 pro wrestlers from Korea, Japan, and the United States participated in the “World Pro Wrestling Champions Tournament” (세계프로레슬링 챔피언결정전) in Seoul on the 5th. Perhaps the best-known participant was the US’ Kurt Angle, defeated by Japan’s Nashimura for the heavyweight belt. There are plenty more photos in this Sports Chosun gallery.
May
7
Sports Hagwons a Growing Trend
Filed Under Business, Education and ESL, Sports | 4 Comments
As there is for seemingly every facet of Korean society, now there are hagwons to get you better results in gym class (link includes video). Gym class for heaven’s sake! When I was in school grades from gym class didn’t even count in your GPA.
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Though we nurture our children’s physical strength, physical education classes are essential. But there are fewer of them in schools compared to previous times, and sports hagwons are flourishing.
Woo Sang-ok reports on how they plan to take advantage of our children’s deteriorating physical conditions.
<Reporter>
This is the “Afterschool Sports Club” created by the Ministry of Education and Technology last year to increase the insufficient amount of exercise that students get.
With 10 billion won allocated over five years, clubs are being sponsored, plans formed and schools encouraged, but nationwide just 8% of students participate.
“Do you know about the afterschool sports club?” “No. I don’t know about it.”
“Why haven’t you signed up for the sports club and gone to play there?” “Because student life is so busy.”
Lee Min-pyo, physical education teacher at Yeouido Middle School: “Help is really needed. The students at our school don’t get any support and they just bring their bodies in and rush back out. They don’t even wear their uniforms properly.”
However sports hagwons are seeing increasing attendance.
Their good points are their plentiful exercise machines and good facilities but their increasing popularity is a reflection of expanding tests of physical fitness.
Lee Woo-jin, fourth-grade student at Haengyeon Elementary School: “I didn’t used to like jumping rope but since I came here I do.” (Has that helped you in your physical fitness tests?) “Yes.”
Kim Seol-hyang, teacher of sports at The University of Seoul: “To increase their scores on physical fitness tests, they try to get kids interested in exercise and to enjoy it, but that doesn’t seem to be enough.”
May
7
Survey: Korean Women Have Low Sex Drives
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Original article. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t come to Korea for the nookie.
4 in 10 women aged 20 to 39 in our country have been found by a survey to be suffering from low sex drive.
According to the internet survey of 504 women aged 18 to 52 conducted by a research team led by urologist Son Hwan-cheol and obstetrician Jeon Hye-won of the privately-established Boramae Hospital in Seoul, 43.1% of women over the age of 40 suffer from low sex drive.
The results of the survey were published in the current issue of the authoritative international Journal of Sexual Medicine (성의학지).
Of the women who replied that they have a low sex drive, 49.0% reported difficulty becoming aroused, 44.0% reported having no sexual desire, 37.0% reported a lack of fluid during sex, 37.0% reported being dissatisfied, and 34.6% reported experiencing pain during sex.
By age group, 44.3% of women in their 20s and 41.2% of women in their 30s experience a low sex drive. 64.8% of women in their 40s do.
The reasons that the women cited for their low sex drives included a low number of sexual experiences, depression, having experienced sexual abuse or harassment, and difficulty urinating.