Archive for March, 2010
Their website says that “Love made Han’s Deli”, and whilst we here at speakingkorea.com can not possibly verify the authenticity of that statement, we’re willing to let it fly because the food chain’s motto is “delicious food for all tastes.” I googled the topic of Han’s Deli before composing this article, and I have read [ READ MORE ]
While I am far from the flag-waving type, I must say it: these days I’m pleased to be Canadian. This is primarily because I’m in Korea. I get it all the time from the locals in varying degrees: when they see a foreigner like me they often say, “Are you American?”, or “Ah, look an [ READ MORE ]
The ‘Guus Hiddink’ Stadium in Gwangju, South Korea is the venue for one of the greatest World Cup upsets. It was here, on the 22nd of June, 2002, that the national team dumped the much-fancied Spanish out on penalty kicks in a turgid affair to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history. [ READ MORE ]
I certainly didn’t come to Korea to find Jesus. But accidentally, and perhaps ironically, I am now more aware of the guy than I ever have been in my entire life. Were I religious, I might consider myself lucky to live less than a minute’s walk away from four churches. Another three or four minutes and [ READ MORE ]
South Korea is bracing itself for one of the worst disasters in its Navy’s history after a 1,200-ton corvette sunk in the Yellow Sea, just north of the Republic’s Baengnyeong island. The patrol ship Cheonan sank west of Seoul, close to territories disputed with their communist neighbour, North Korea. Initial reports suggested that Kim Jong [ READ MORE ]
Korean cities are huge, ugly things. Building designs are generally based on practicality rather than aesthetics. Because Korea has enriched themselves so recently and so quickly compared to Europe or even North America, it has none of the historic architecture that they possess. Development is plodding, and developers are unconcerned with tradition. Apartment complexes — high-rise [ READ MORE ]
It seems that apart from Stuart’s bottle of water and the visitor tours, South Korea is planning another way to turn the Demilitarized Zone, the 248-kilometer long, 4 kilometer wide belt of land running from east to west that separates North from South Korea, into another money-making machine. The Government announced on Tuesday its intentions to [ READ MORE ]
It’s an exciting time here at speakingkorea.com. We’ve just hit 530 unique visitors for this month (and it appears likely we’ll double our previous month’s total and high — 320). And now, as if this weren’t enough euphoric news, we’re happy to announce a third contributor to the website! Enter McVanderBockheimsteinski. It’s currently McVanderBockheimsteinski’s second stop [ READ MORE ]
It may come as something of a surprise to many of our readers that the death penalty is still legal in South Korea. Korea is also the only country that I know of where a former prisoner on death row went on to win the presidency in a fair election. And it’s this link that [ READ MORE ]
Yes, I’m back with another film entry. “So soon?”, you say? I know, but you see, I’ve been sick for over a week, so I’m not capable of reflecting upon much anything of substance these days (see previous entry). However, in this case, I’ll let the film do the heavy work. I’m talking about Joint Security [ READ MORE ]