I created a more appropriate URL for this blog about a year ago, and have since been too lazy to move it over. Sometime in the next week, probably tonight, I'm finally going to actually do that. Probably. I don't really plan on deleting the stuff at this address, at the moment; I'm just done posting at it.

I had originally intended on posting some stuff that I have written, but didn't really feel like sharing while I was still in Korea. Things like:

• Good and bad experiences teaching private lessons. The bad was not that bad, but certainly less than great. Given that teaching private lessons is illegal, I got what was coming to me and stopped taking that risk after the unexplained experience.
• That time I punched an ajoshi in the face. Ridiculous. While he certainly had it coming, this is never a particularly great idea if you're a woman in Korea. It's probably not such a hot idea for men, either.
• All of the fun end-of-contract bullshit that I went through with both of my employers. In hindsight, it wasn't really that bad. I mean, I got paid out in full, which is more or less a success as far as Korea goes. So, yay me.

I may or may not post those on the other blog. Frankly, at this exact moment, I don't feel like writing about Korea on the web any more. It's over, I'm gone, and I'm currently seeking employment in Japan and the Middle East. 

I inadvertently talked one of my CELTA classmates out of going to teach in Korea. This was never my intent. Quite the opposite, really. I honestly do think that South Korea is a great place for somebody who has never taught ESL to start. I would gladly recommend either of my former positions (E Bo Young Talking Club, YBM) to a friend; I was blessed with great support staff and kind directors at both.

For those who enjoy the culture and can wind up in a university job, at an international school, or something like that, it's not a bad place to stay. It just wasn't for me, and I've never been anything but honest about that point. I went to Korea to pay off some bills, further my education, acquire some teaching experience, learn about a different culture, make some new friends, and give myself the opportunity to explore this world even further. On all counts I consider the venture a success.

Photo credit: BuzzPlay

With the rise of the beer market in Korea, several well-known brands of foreign beer will soon be appearing in Korean supermarkets. Pabst Blue Ribbon, Natural Light, and Milwaukee's Best have began plans to export their beverages to compete with the Korean beers.

A spokesperson for Cass expressed concern. "We've been the low-end beer of choice for years, but we're confident that we'll continue to be the beverage people choose. We will be upgrading our marketing to prove that we're the best low-end beer in Korea." An OB representative declined to comment, citing a need for further research before commenting. "It's part of our policy to taste other crappy beers to see how they compare to our own," a Hite spokesperson stated.

Edward Smith, a 27-year-old English teacher in Korea, was ectastic upon hearing the announcement. "I can get trashed on Natty Light just like I did in college! Hopefully the price is still pretty cheap like it was during happy hour." While no indications have been made on prices, Pabst announced that their pricing would be "competitive" when compared to local beers. "Just because it's being imported doesn't mean it's better or more expensive," a Pabst spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Although Cass, Hite, and Max drafts will continue to dominate the Korean market, the imports intend to gain market share at convenience stores. A Milwaukee's Best spokesperson revealed part of their strategy: "We plan on offering taste tests of our product in front of every 7-11 and GS-25. If the customer doesn't spit it out upon tasting, they get a coupon for a free beer."

In some other alcohol-related news, Popov vodka was also rumored to be on its way to Korea. Sometimes called the cheapest or harshest vodka on the planet, they cancelled their plans after they learned what soju was. A statement released by Popov was translated by this reporter: "We had no idea about the competition in the Korean market. While we could compete with soju, we've decided to focus our efforts on markets that don't already have a cheap strong alcohol."

A spokesperson for Jinro, the world's largest producer of soju, stated they have "every intention in remaining the cheapest and harshest source of alcohol that is considered drinkable by humans."

This is satire. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, these beers will not be coming to Korea to my knowledge. Life is too short - don't drink bad beer. That is all.

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.

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I’m now in full skeptic mode about the Cheonan sinking. A commenter on the Diane Rehm Show board, ohmyeconomics, sent me a link to this “Letter to Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State“, in response to a query for information on alternative theories about the sinking of ROKS Cheonan. I was really interested in the part about US naval intelligence, but this is enough for me right now to consider.

I am S.C. Shin, a civil investigator recommended by Korean National Assembly for the sinking of Cheonan and I’m writing this letter to let you know the truth exactly here in Korea.

…I didn’t agree with the conclusion of the Korean military administration and now sued for libel by them. Can you imagine this situaton? I was the only person stood on the opposite position. That’s the only reason I am sued. I cannot understand how this happens in a democratic country in the world.

…The Military Administration made a conclusion that Cheonan had torn in two and sunken by the ‘Explosion of Torpedo’. But my oppinion is quite different from it because I could not find even a slight sign of ‘Explosion’ but could find so many evidences of grounding in/out of the vessel. I want to ask you fully understood that a tiny voice for the truth may prevent unexpected disaster and assure the safety of 70 million people in Korean Peninsula.

Well, I’m going to tell you about the circumstances which Baengnyeong-do is located in and especially about the geometric background with natural environment, critical for vessels sailing this area.

Shin – who, according to this commenter, is Shin Sang-cheol, goes on to make his case, with photographs and maps. Looking through the comments board on the Seoprise site, I found Matt Ceighton’s blog at American Everyman. Creighton makes his case against the official version.

So lets take a look at all the “overwhelming” and “irrefutable” evidence. 1. Someone wrote “number 1.” on one single piece of the salvaged torpedo… 2. they claim the torpedo remains are a “perfect match” of a North Korean type of weapon, a “CHT-02D” torpedo. This conclusion was reached via an international research team from US, the UK, Australia, and Sweden. Here is their May 20th, 2010 report. In the report, they make the following conclusion;

The torpedo parts recovered at the site of the explosion by a dredging ship on May 15th, which include the 5×5 bladed contra-rotating propellers, propulsion motor and a steering section, perfectly match the schematics of the CHT-02D torpedo included in introductory brochures provided to foreign countries by North Korea for export purposes. The markings in Hangul, which reads “1번(or No. 1 in English)”, found inside the end of the propulsion section, is consistent with the marking of a previously obtained North Korean torpedo.

…Based on all such relevant facts and classified analysis, we have reached the clear conclusion that ROKS ”Cheonan” was sunk as the result of an external underwater explosion caused by a torpedo made in North Korea. The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine. There is no other plausible explanation. Investigation on the Sinking of the Cheonan

That’s it. That’s all their “evidence” that the international investigators presented in their UNSIGNED report. That’s right, no one knows who the “investigators” were since they didn’t take the time to sign their work.

Creighton;s site led me to Democratic Underground, which lists twelve reasons for skepticism.

And then, I discovered that Robert Neff had scooped me, with some subtle character assassination of Creighton and a Don Kirk editorial with a tepid, straw man argument tossed to skeptics. Overall, Neff treats it all like a circus freak show. But, even Reuters and Germany’s Der Spiegel know a rotten fish when they see it.

Read all the data for yourself, and decide.