TOUCH KOREA & BUZZ KOREA : An Interesting Opportunity!

I have a Korean language exam 2 days from now and here I am...enjoying TOUCH KOREA interactive site and clicking & listening to the stories about Korea on a rainy day. This project is introduced by the Korea Tourism Organization (KNTO) within I BUZZ Korea auspicies- where bloggers and social networking sites are used to share their experience, opinions and life in Korea with friends and family. TOUCH KOREA is an interactive game - register, log in and just be a part of it. One can read and virtually particpate and contest Korea's unique features, games, musical instruments and even eat Bulgogi & win a return ticket for 2 people to Korea as an Event No:2. This was indeed an intersting game, my favourties were: Green Tea, SSam, B-Boys, Hangul, E-rum (name), Gayagum, Hongdae Dance Floor, Seoraksan, Korean Currency and last but not the least Archery (the best!!! I got 49 points out of 50) :-)!!! Information about all these was precise and great! This must be a part of a course.. Introduction to Korean studies ...an an ice breaking formula for introducing Korea to foreign students...and I bet that they will fall in love with it! Maybe I will try that..once I go back home to teach about Korea in my country.

Their Event 1 is simple: register and just "BUZZ KOREA" and win an iPAD 2 or i Tunes gift card worth 25 USD. I guess, it will be more fun with more participants and one will surely know how kind Lady Luck is with them!



Procedure is extremely simple and it is always fun to be part of something...that one is passionate about!

So all you have to do is Buzz Korea and experience Korea by visiting their site at:http://www.ibuzzkorea.com/eng/lets.php

"Good News" from Pakistan?

While taking a Korean language course this summer, we all had an assignment to share a piece of "NEWS" from our country with fellow students. Project seemed easy & in 30 minutes we had to come up with the most recent news & do a presentation. As we all know that Pakistan has more than its fair share of BAD NEWS in almost all the spheres of society and economy but still I thought, I must highlight a "story of hope".

When I looked up into our major Pakistani newspapers - I realized that 'news' to them is something that must have the following key words: accussed, killed, deaths, bombs, terrorism, taliban, army, military, suicide attacks, rape, distruction, disaters, disengagement, kidnapped, ransom, harrassement, confrontaions and the list goes on...!

There was NOT a single story covered by Pakistani media that I could throw in a category of "hope, reconciliation, unity, nationhood or nationalism" - it was extremely frustrating! I looked at Pakistan's country profile on BBC News website and I found the words: domestic political upheavels and regional confrontations.

By chance a fellow classmate/friend stopped by, who is also a professor at the University of Philippines (UP) and he asked what I was working at? He offered me to help & when both of us started our search for a 'good news' which equates to something inspirational or about hope...well, we almost failed...he said that his country also has a lot of problems and so have all others but the extent to which Pakistani media is covering it & the gross pictures and filming of the event is definitely detrimental for the country per se.

There is no dearth of 'goodnews' in Pakistan but I wish that media had given it the importance, it rightly deserve. These stories are insiring but of course are not sansationalizing (media's priority). I wish I could highlight the stories of bravery of all those men, women and families who have battled catstrophic floods in Pakistan last year, which resulted in the deaths of thousands, more than 20 million people were directly hit and one fifth of the country was under water. There was no hope, no home and no answers for these people and they were quoted over and over again that their only hope is God!

Pakistan has to muddle through these tough times because there is no other way out. Doing so won't make us the first country ever....there are many other countries who have gone through rough times but their people stand united and media covered stories of hope. Media's constant coverage on issues affects our hearts and minds and in turn, impact our lives and lifestyles! In my opinion, there is a heavy responsibily on print and electronic media to do "responsible journalism". We desperately need some constructive, inspiring and moving stories that are always takng place in the midst of disasters when men and women are challenged to the core! I think that it is about time that Pakistani media should let go their obsession with 'Breaking News Phenomenon'.....it has broken the back of our nation and each and everyone of us!

By the way, I chose a story of a woman from Punjab, who has been given a small piece of land in Barani areas and highlighted how her life has changed in many ways.

International Rock Festival (Busan, South Korea)

12th Busan International Rock Festival will kick off on August 5th(Friday). The venue is Samnak Riverside Park. Their slogan is: Samnak (Music + People + Nature) which is to be organizied by the Committee for Busan Culture & Tourism Festival & the sponsors are Busan Metropolitan City. The festival will continue for 3 days with an eventful closing ceremony on August 7th.

This festival started in the year 2000 and a lot of countries besides Korea have participated in it such as, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Britain, USA, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Russia, China, Poland, Norway, Canada and Italy.

The lineups accumulate acts of various genres such as rock, metal and indie. Busan Rock Festival has a FREE admission policy. This festival enjoyed a total crowd of 100,000 two years ago...and the number is fast increasing!

Update: Minimum Wage to Rise 6% in 2012

Government, labor and management representatives have agreed to set the country’s hourly minimum wage at 4,580 won ($4.3) in 2012, up 260 won, or 6 percent, from this year, reported Korea Times.

The agreement came after many months of wrangling.

Earlier, I wrote about it here!

Pet Sitting in Seoul and Animal Qurantine for Bringing Pets in South Korea

PET SITTING IN KOREA:

A friends' friend was very worried because she was leaving for Europe for a month's long vacation and had to find somebody to take care of her "really shy" cat. I was contacted because I have a keen interest in anything related to cats and dogs such as: rescuing animals, feeding stray animals, taking chained dogs by permission of their owners and taking them for walks, helping people to find homes for their pets while on vacation, arranging pet sitters (usually amongst student community that is willing to pet-sit) and even finding friends or acquiantances to transport cats/dogs to the US or Canada where I myself frequently visit.  All these services are free of cost.

I remember that many of my friends who wanted to bring in or move out of Korea with pets have suffered due to the lack of information in English. I was very lucky that during my rescue efforts and then search for a vet - led me to a very kind hearted vet, who has great passion for stray animals. Dr. Seo is exceptionally good in his job and in speaking English too. I have known him since 2007 and many times he did not even charged me for treating these abondoned/rescued animals.



So anyways, besides contacting me, you can leave your request at forums of Craiglist, Seoul Global Center, Korea4Expats and Work and Play in Korea. I have observed that the interests in cats in Korea has been coniniously increasing at a fast pace. In 2002, it was NOT easy to find cat related products easily but it has changed. I think that people like Lee Hyori (singer/actress)and a few others have played an important role in that and also in awareness towards adopting abondoned animals.

Long story short, now that we have vacations in Korea - some of the forums that I will highly recommend where you can find a pet sitter include Animal Rescue Korea and the Seoul Craiglist. These forums have been an excellent source of exchange of information on issues covering animals in general and pets in particular.

Issues such as where to find a right vet clinic with English speaking staff, Quarantine Policy of Korea on animals, clinics providing travelling documents for pets as well as finding homes for the abondoned animals, people volunteering at the shelters in and around Seoul, Asan and Daejon etc.go to the websites I mentioned.

Some of the important sites for pet owners are:

National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS).

South Korea's Policy on Bringing Pets and Qurantine Rules

One extremely important thing that is happening in Korea is the "new rules" that will come into effect from December 1st, 2011: which include microchip indentification to be implanted in animals' body & rabies shots (it has always been mandatory), number of animals without prior report is 4 or less and one day at of stay at the quarantine clinic of the Incheon Airport for tests etc. :-(

Note: Microchip should be an internationally standardized product such as ISO 117874/11785.

For more information call NVRQS at:82-31-467-1700

Prevention of Animal Mistreatment report at their hotine 1797

Basics of Having a Pet by Shannon Heit

Free Concert in Seoul

"An Encounter with the Sounds of Korea and Russia" will be organized by Korea Foundation on July 21, 2011 (Thursday) at 7:00 p.m.
Admission is free with prior registration by email or phone between July 13 - July 18th, 2011.
Email: kfcenter@kf.or.kr
Phone: 02- 2151-6520
Website:www.kf.or.kr

HEAVY RAINS in CHUNGCHEONG-NAM DO & ELSEWHERE

I heard on radio that in the morning Chungcheong-nam do had 500mm of rain follwed by another 300mm in the afternoon. The city is flooded and the situation is alarming. Green houses are under water. One farmer said that they have lost all their crop!




The forecast is that the rain will continue until Wednesday. So far, 12 people have died and many more have been injured.

Amost all of Korea is under heavy rains - tomorrow, 250mm of rain is expected in Seoul and surrounding areas, temperature has fallen to 19 degree Celcius.

BORYEONG MUD FESTIVAL (保寧머드祝祭 )

The Boryeong Mud Festival 보령머드축제 is an annual festival which takes place during the summer in Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do - around 200 km south of Seoul, South Korea. The first Mud Festival was staged in 1998 and now this festival attracts about 2.5 million visitors to Boryeong. Boryeong mud is rich in minerals and good for one’s skin. The high quality sea mud is famous enough to make mud cosmetic products such as mud packs, mud soaps, etc.
When you go to the festival, don’t forget to bring a spare set of clothes and your bath toiletries. Once you get there, it will be hard not to get muddy. The top attraction is the mud sliding, full of fun and thrills, where you are covered completely in mud. You may romp around with your friends in the mud tub, which is good for your skin.
If you are interested in buying quality mud cosmetic products, they are available at the mud cosmetic exhibition for a reasonable price.




This year the festival dates are: July 16 - 24, 2011

Admission/Participation Fees: Free

Festival Website!

Photo Exhibition of our Friend...

.... he really has a keen eye - Mr. Kim Ou Seon!
His one day exhibition took place yesterday - uncovering the secrets of our campus!
Beautiful pictures!

South Sudan: A New Country

Sudan is divided into two countries, North Sudan with its capital Khartoum and South Sudan - a new addition in the list of countries - has Juba as its capital. South Sudan is the 193 rd country recognized by the UN. The best part is, Northern Sudan is the first country to accept its new neighbor. The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north in which some 1.5 million people died.

Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on independence, which was favoured by more than 99% of voters.

The new country is rich in oil, but one of the least developed countries in the world, where one in seven children dies before the age of five.

Unresolved disputes between the north and south, particularly over the new border, have also raised the possibility of renewed conflicts. A new law passed by the National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all southerners.

The UN refugee agency (UNCHR), has urged both governments to prevent statelessness.

This event has made afresh the division of India and then, the division of Pakistan. All three of us - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are doing O.K...actually, Pakistan must work a bit hard - to restore peace with itself. We must find a common cause to work for and with other entities within Pakistan. We have to pull ourself out of the labels such as: the most dangerous; corrupt; unstable and ....bla, bla, bla....in the world!

Last but not the least: Congratulation South Sudan and South Sudanese citizens on this special / historic occassion - wish you prosperity, progress and peace!

For details read here at NYT.

LOMOGRAPHY: What is this?

While doing my posting on Seoul 16th Photo Contest, I thought I should do a post on Lomography. While talking to a few friends from Japan - I got to know about Lomography - because they were my first source to it!

Lomography is the commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services catering to the Global Modern art community of Lomographic photography. The name is inspired by the former state-run optics manufacturer LOMO PLC of Saint Petersburg, Russia.

In 1991, the Austrian founders of Lomography discovered the Lomo LC-A and bought the exclusive rights from this Soviet company. As the company states, they were "charmed by the unique, colorful, and sometimes blurry" images that the camera produced. Their motto is: Don't think, just shoot!

According to Lomograpgy dot com:

You might be at a garage, in the woods, on an Airbus, in the Hammam, at work, on the Fujiyama, or in bed with breakfast when it hits you. Your trigger finger start trembling, your eyes become hungry, your soul is burning for images. You grab your LOMO LC-A, click, ahhhh, click, now it's better, click. Then it happens; the unstoppable Lomographic desire to document your surroundings overwhelms you and won't let go. And nor will you: you're feeling Lomography and life starts pulsating.

This definitely makes me think if this is the camera I want or I just stop deleting my blurr photos.. :-)

For details visit: http://www.lomography.com/

photocredits@ lomography.com/munich

16th Seoul Photo Contest 2011

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold the 16th Tour Seoul Photo Contest to procure outstanding new photos of the Korean capital.

The Tour Seoul Photo Contest has been held annually since 1996 to promote the image of Seoul as an attractive tourism destination.

In order to encourage participation by people from all walks of life, including ordinary citizens and professionals, the event comprises two categories, i.e., general and special fields. Applications will be accepted from July 7 to August 26.
Notably, to discover characteristic images unique to Seoul and to encourage participation by Koreans and foreign participants, Lomography will organize the special field category of the contest.

This year exceptionally generous prizes will be presented to the winners of the contest, as more than 40 million won (40,000 USD) will be awarded to 20 winners under various themes in the general field. This represents a significant increase from the prizes given in the 15th Tour Seoul Photo Contest. The grand prize has been increased to 5 million won (5,000 USD), compared with 3 million won (3,000 USD) last year, while the gold prize has been increased to 3 million won (3,000 USD) compared with 1 million won (1,000 USD) last year, so as to provide more generous incentives. In the special field, a Lomography camera will be presented as a supplementary prize, and the winning photos will be published in the Lomography City Guide Seoul booklet, among other perks and benefits.

For more information on Tour Seoul Photo Contest visit this Website: http://photo.visitseoul.net

Lomography Website: http://www.lomography.co.kr/

Inquiries

General Field: Staff in charge of the photo contest, Seoul Tourism Organization at Tel: 82-2-3788-0852,
- email: mjkim@seoulwelcome.com

Special Field: Staff in charge of the photo contest,
Lomography Korea at Tel: +82-2-326-0255,
-email: magazine@lomography.co.kr

2018 Winter Olympics to be held in South Korea

Pyeong Chang is chosen to host the 23rd Winter Olympics in 2018 beating two European rivals Wednesday in a landslide vote - Munich (Germany) and Annecy (France) - in the first round of a secret ballot of the International Olympic Committee. Needing 48 votes for victory, Pyeongchang received 63 of the 95 votes cast. Munich received 25 and Annecy seven.

"Koreans have been waiting for 10 years to host the Winter Games," bid leader Cho Yang-ho said. "Now we have finally achieved our dream."

Pyeongchang will be the first city in Asia outside Japan to host the Winter Games. Japan held the games in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.




The lucky charm for Korea was the Star figure-skater and World Champion: Yuna Kim. Since her presentation at IOC ... she was all over the news - getting praise for her presentation - which is a contributing factor for bringing Olympics to South Korea(besides other factors & the politics involved).

Congratulations PYEONG CHANG (평장)!!



photocredits@ESPN

School in Mastung Area in Baluchistan

Adult Literacy Center at Mastung



I watched a documentry today on BBC about a Girls School and College in Mastung, Baluchistan. It highlighted how having have a road now...has made a difference all round. When I googled about Mastung, I could not find much about this place on the internet. Mastung district is located in the north western part of Baluchistan and prior to 1991, it was a part of Kalat District - situated between Quetta and Kalat at an elevation of 6,000 feet (1,800 meters). It has a population of 180,349 people as of 2005.. The valley of Mastung is famous for its irrigated crops of potatoes, onions, tobacco, spices, melons, vegetables, almonds, apricots, peaches, plums, grapes and apples.

According to the BBC report, roads and education system has improved a lot over the past few years, now there is a girls high school there. The principal said that their main problem is 'non availability' of transport for girls. They only have one school bus that makes 3 trips to pick students from all the different areas & in winters the girls get back home by sunset. Parents can not afford to hire private transport and hence, girls just can not attend school. However, the students who are lucky to join this school are excited about it and were keenly learning the basics of how to use a computer besides other subjects - when asked if any of them have a computer at home, the answer was in negative. It was indeed great to hear that at least they get a chance to work with and know about computers at school.

Apart from the above mentioned situation another problem that Mastung is facing according to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is the convertion of land into dunes. Since irrigation water is not adequate for the entire cultivable land, some of it must remain idle for as long as 4 or 5 years, during which time livestock is allowed to graze on the spontaneous weed-growth, and woody shrubs are up-rooted to provide fuel which in turn exposes the topsoil and the rest of the damage is done because of wind erosion during the dry summer season. Over 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) of the valley's productive land has, in this manner, already been turned into unproductive mobile dunes, whose presence threatens roads and neighboring fields, and reduces yields by the abrasive action of the drifting sands. FAO with local organizations has come up with some indeginious projects to minimize the damage. BBC's report credits the current Cheif Mininter of Baluchistan for the improvements that Mastung is seeing lately.




I really wish and hope that we have a Cheif Mininter, Prime Minister or President from every town in Pakistan for a while - because this is the only way to develop these cities (constituencies), having have proper schools and basic amneties of life otherwise...education, healthcare, sanitation will remain a distant cry for most of the Pakistanies!

Volunteer Activities in Korea

I have met many people who are interested in using their spare time to benefit others by joining hands with organizations - doing volunteering in Seoul and different parts of Korea. When I moved to Seoul, the first organization I joined was Yheesan. Yheesan is dedicated to volunteering at orphanages (Korea-wide) and I used to go to Nooryoungjin Orphanage in Yongsan gu, Seoul - twice a week. They can be reached at http://yheesun.com/
Volunteering involves spending one afternoon a week at an orphanage or signing up for more activities according to your schedule. Anybody can join through their website above.

CCAP: Cross-Cultural Awareness Program is another organization that I'm still associated with. Here students in particular and anybody in general can register at the CCAP program run by UNESCO. One has to give a lecture to a group of students at Korean Public Schools about their culture. Registeration is possible at their website http://ccap.unesco.or.kr/

Global Village Centers associated with Seoul Global Center ( I have written about it in one of the posts) offers monthly volunteer activities at the center for the disabled, Welfare Centers for Senior Citizens or orphanages etc. One such activity is run by Itaewon Global village Center and can be reached by contacting: pthussey@citizens.seoul.kr or visiting: http://global.seoul.go.kr/itaewon

Animal Shelter Volunteers are needed to play with abandoned pets in shelters. There's a group that goes every weekend to a shelter near Seoul. For more information visit ARK website.
To volunteer to join a weekend group, contact one of the following: tim.vasudeva@gmail.com, goesslry@gmail.com, ansauvage@yahoo.ca.
Some local cat shelters also need volunteers.

BEAN is an active networking, volunteering and social group for young professionals in Seoul. BEAN seeks to connect busy people, both Korean and expats, with professional backgrounds through Leadership, Friendship, and Service. They organize regular visits to orphanages to play with children and teach them English, as well as other monthly volunteer and social events. Contact person is: jurica@gmail.com

Seoul Global Center need volunteers on regular basis as mentioned above so don't forget to visit this website.

Back to Korean Language Classes!

Well, last time I took Korean language was in 2009 and since then, I had a long break - from actually studying Korean. At the time, I finished level 5 but unfortunately, have not been using the language as often as I should hence, I've forgotten quite a bit - particularly grammar, vocab and spellings [so what is left behind? ;-)]....but most important of all, I was a bit nervous to physically go and take classes since the last time I did something like this was almost two years ago.
I'm sitting with Level 4 students and have learned many new thing - not that I absorbed a lot but it was refreshing and any change is good. We are following Korea University's Language Book No: 4. Have a vocab test as well as homework. This is a 2 month program (intensive course) with 5 and a half hours of class every day from 9:00 a.m to 3:30p.m. with an hours' lunch break in between. I'm planning to take TOPIK 3/4 by this year - I mean September, so let us see!
Today's topic was "Housekeeping=집안의일상"

The new vocab for today - which made many of us felt like desperate housekeeping vocab learners - must know the following vocab by heart...gosh:

분리수거:seperating garbage
다림질:ironing
구겨지다:to get wrinkled
먼지:dust
굴러다니다:to roll around
쑬다:to sweep
걸레질:mopping
어질러놓다:to make a mess
분담하다:to split up (a job)
준수하다:to be refined
깔끔을떨다:cleaning freak
정돈하다:to put in order
빗자주: broom/ cleaning brush
행주: kitchen cloth
흐트러지다:to be untidy
반듯하다:to be neat and tidy
구석구석: every nook and corner
탁탁털다:to shake off (all the dust)
널다:to to hang
가족돌보기:taking care of family
짜다:rinse
빨래집게: clips
빨랫줄:clothes line
빨래행어:clothes stand
옷걸이:hanger
세제:washing powder
얼룩:stain
표백제:stain remover (bleach)
끈적끈적하다:to be sticky
단단하다:to be hard
전담하다:to take full charge of
요구하다:to request/to demand
잔소리: nagging
경제적부담:financial burden

Seoul: 12 Things to do in 24 hours

People while taking short trips have different priorities of what/where/how to cover a whole city. When it comes to Seoul - very populous and a lot of intersting things to see that are scattered all over the place then my list goes like this:

1- Seoul City Tour Bus: By taking this tour one can cover all the major toursit spots worth seeing (such as palaces, museums) with a hop on/off option for mere 10 USD or 10,000 won...there is a night tour option- which is worth a try!



2- Namsan Tower: Special environmentally friendly buses are run by the Seoul city government for only 1$ or 1000 won a ride...from here one can have a panoramic view of entire Seoul and can dine at their revolving restaurant and visit the mini bear museum.

3- Itaewon: From Namsan - just take a bus down to Itaewon and here we have hundreds of restaurants from all the different corners of the world such as Bulgarian, Serbian, Greek, Morroccan and countless Halal Indian/Pakistani restaurants as well as the Islamic Center of Korea and the only mosque of Seoul.

4- War Memorial of Korea: A 5 minutes drive from Itaewon between Noksapyeong and Samgakchi is this amazing War Memorial!

5- Namdaemun Market: Take a taxi from war memorial and it may only cost you 3$ or 3,000 won and a 10 minutes drives to get to one of the 'Traditional Markets' of Seoul...here you can buy almost everything and much cheaper than at any other place!

6- Myeong Dong: Take a Bus from exit 5 of Namdaemun and get off at Myeong Dong - famous place for baragains and great deals ranging from fashion accessories, clothes, shoes and bags...it also has a good number of restaurants!

7- Cheonggye[chun] Stream (Gwanghwamun Area): From Myeong Dong take subway and get off at Gwanghwamun Station - exit:5...you will be in front of KT building - in and around the vicinity are the Lee Sungshin's statue and also King Sejong's statue, This is Sejongno...where we have the Duty Free shops, Sejong Arts Center, Cheongyyechun Stream, Gyeongbok Palace, major government offices as Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

9- Insadong Street/Jogyesa Temple.: This is a 'must see' spot - a small street filled with coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, art gallaries, souvenirs (the best ones in Korea). Just around the corner is Jogyesa- one of the main temples of Jogye Buddhism and its head quarter. With a few hundred years of history and right in the heart of the city- one must not miss it. This is also the main venue of "Buddah's Birthday" celebrations.

10- Bukchon: Tradional Hanoks or Korean houses are here. This neighborhood in Joseon Dynasty was the residential area for ministers or the yangban (nobles) of the time etc.

11- Gangnam/COEX: One place that one must visit is the Gangnam area..both sides of the street has very intersting shops and activities and loads of young people...just nearby, if you get off at Samsong Station and take exit 5...you will be at COEX...a lot of shopping malls, CGV theater, open air concerts and just around the corner is another temple: Bongeungsa...do visit it...this is a mellange of traditional and modern architectural site!


12- Yeouido Island/Ferry Ride: Another important site...its importance is the same as the Wall Street- New York - with Korea's Stock Exchange and the tallest building in Korea 63 Building...are the main attractions..one can also take a ferry ride from here to explore the Han River for just 7,000 won or 7$!

Minimum Wage in South Korea

In an article Prof.Bang Joon-shik, of Youngsan University Law School noted that 'Minimum Wage Council' failed to come up with a minimum wage for the year 2012. He came up with a few suggestions as to why the reform in the current system is required and the reasons why, he support a slightly different approach which is borrowed from Japan and the US. His insightful artcile can be read here in detail.
2011's minimum wage was set at 4,320 KRW (4$) per hour.
One can visit the Ministry of Labor and Employment website to get the latest updates!

To settle a minimum wage issue has always been a hot issue since it has considerable influence on the overall employment market and domestic economy. Last year, after an intense tug-of-war, the hourly minimum wage was set at 4,320 won, up about 5.1 percent rise from the previous year’s 4,110 won. Employers are calling for a 30 won raise from this year’s 4,320 won ($4) per hour and workers are demanding a 1,000 won (1$) hike. The amount applies to all workplaces hiring more than one employee. Those who pay below the minimum wage face penalties of either up to three-year imprisonment or up to 20 million won (20,000 USD) fine.

NOTE:
As of July 13, 2011 - a 6% increase in minimum wage has been finalized. For details read here.

Film Festivals in Seoul

If you are one of those who are not travelling overseas and will stay in Korea during the month of July then look out for the film festivals in and around Seoul. One such festival is the third 'CGV Multicultural Film Festival' that has already kicked off on June 30th, 2011 and will conitune though July 13, 2011. The first film that was shown was India's "3 - idiots (2009)". A total of eight films from around the world as well as four homegrown works will be screened with English and Japanese subtitles at CGV Daehangno and CGV Guro. Organizers say the films were selected by quality and popularity, mostly from Asian and European countries.
The other movies are Germany's "The Hairdresser" (2010) to be shown on July 4th; Canadian-French “Incendies” (2010) to be shown on July 5th; Other works include “Oriume” (Japan, 2002), “Sarah’s Key” (France, 2010) and “Griff the Invisible” (Australia, 2010).

Korean films include the romantic comedy “Finding Mr. Destiny” (2010), “Late Autumn” (2010), which was shown at the Berlin Film Festival this year, an action thriller “The Man from Nowhere” (2010) and “Haunters” (2010).

Ticket ranges between 8,000 KRW (8USD) on weekdays and 9,000 KRW (9 USD) on weekends! Foreigners will get a 2,000 KRW of additonal discount.

CGV Daehangno is located near exit 4 of Hyehwa Station on subway line 4.
CGV Guro is located through the exit that leads to AK Plaza of Guro Station on subway line 1. For more details visit:www.cgv.co.kr.

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) is a representative event in Bucheon, a mecca of visual culture that encompasses movies, cartoons and games. As one of the most dynamic and energetic film festivals in the nation, PiFan has, over the last 10 years or so, garnered support of the movie goers both at home and from abroad. At PiFan, visitors can watch movies of various genres and of controversial topics, and attend discussions with film directors. The opening film is a Bollywood film - again - these are fast making neiche in the North Asian market. Besides the fact that 2011 is the year of India- Korea Relations and hence, a lot of exchanges in all generes are taking place.

The most interesting film for the young audience is going to be the screeing of the film 'Pretty Boy Terror Event Series' starring the boy band Super Junior. The film, to be released July 26, will premiere on the 20th July at the festival. After the screening, director Lee Kwon and cast members will hold a talk with the audience...




SUPER JUNIOR fans...go 4 it!

Date : Jul. 14, 2011 - Jul. 24, 2011
Venue: Bucheon Citizens’ Hall and City Hall, Bucheon CGV
Transportation: Songnae Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 2.Take Bus 16 or 70, and get off at the next stop.
Contact: +82-32-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Fingerprinting to be introduced for Foreigners in Korea

Korea Times reported that from today (June 30, 2011), foreign nationals aged over 17 who enter South Korea for a stay of more than 91 days will have their fingerprints scanned at immigration offices in line with a new law, the Ministry of Justice said Thursday.

Those who have already lived here for more than three months will be required to present the biometric information to the authorities from January next year, the ministry said.

Collected fingerprints will be used to identify those involved in crimes or accidents, it said.

This is the first collection of fingerprints of long-staying foreigner nationals in nearly eight years, following its abolishment in 2003 over human rights concerns. The revised Immigration Act that justifies the collection was passed in May last year.

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