Gyeonggi Province is planning to build the Great Train Express or GTX to link Seoul and its satellite cities. I can forgive the name (for now), since the Chosun uses the word “superfast” in their headline for the story. Regardless, the rail link addresses the over 60% increase in traffic between Seoul and the province over the last four years and plans to drastically cut the current rail/metro commute time from a number of Gyeonggi enclaves. We’re talking Samseong to Ilsan, Goyang in 22 minutes – on a train that can travel up to 200km/hour. Great idea, but someone should really veto that name. (more…)

The year 1996 is often considered important for Korean cinema, and has even been described as the beginning of a second, post-political phase of the Korean New Wave. Starting in 1988, Korean auteurs such as Park Kwang-su, Jang Sun-woo and others began what has become known as the New Korean Cinema. Taking advantage of the democratization of the country, many directors began to confront Korean society and history from a critical, left-wing perspective that had been previously repressed and kept underground by the military dictatorships of the last decades. But by 1996, much of the revolutionary spirit of the 1980s had waned, and Korean society began a much less politically committed phase that really continues until today. In this situation, a director like Hong Sang-soo seemed the perfect fit. Instead of dealing with overt politics, his films always deal on a very micro level, detailing the everyday lives of his characters, especially their sexuality and relationships. This new type of realism has been embraced by film critics both within Korea and internationally, despite the fact that Hong has never had a great deal of success at the box office. Starting his career in 1996, Hong has been perhaps the most important Korean filmmaker of the last decade. (more…)

The Daegu International Opera Festival comes to a close this weekend with it’s biggest and most promoted production of the year: Bizet’s Carmen. The opera with run for three days; This Thursday (29th) and Friday (30th) at 7:30 and twice on Saturday at 3 and 7:30. The cast of each show will be with Russian graduate of the Lenin Conservatory Egorova Ekaterina playing the lead on Thursday night and the Saturday matinee. Tickets are still available but are going fast.

Hipsters will get a chance to start your Halloween early this year with Crying Nut, No Brain, Windy City, Achime, Cheez Stereo, Third Stone and Chiva Sound at Blue Spirit in Hongdae, Seoul. Doors open at 9pm and admission in w15,000 at the door. The party goes all night.

The 17th annual KOTESOL conference, held last weekend at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, was not precisely what you might call a tourist destination. For the serious English teachers or those in a more formal academic setting, conferences such as these are great chances to socialize and meet up with other serious teachers. It’s the polar opposite of the chaotic drinking and partying of the Boryeong Mud Festival, and a great chance to meet a number of veteran expats. (more…)

There are fears this week that H1N1 is starting to spread rapidly across Korea. Thousands of new patients are being reported every day and health officials are  reporting that the hospitals designated to treat patients are already reaching a critical point.  However, the H1N1 death rate is still equal to or lower than deaths caused by the seasonal flu. The infection rate among students is getting special attention and the number of school closures are increasing around the country. While some are lining up at drugstores and clinics to get vaccinated, voters will head to polling stations for the by-elections in five constituencies across Korea. The results of these by-elections will shape the debate on key upcoming decisions, such as the four-rivers restoration and Sejong City projects, changes in labour laws, and the passing of the controversial media bill.

Branding Seoul as a world-class destination for tourists, investors, expats, and students has been the focus of numerous recent campaigns. On October 29th the 9th Seoul International Business Advisory Council brings high profile business executives from around the world to the city to discuss how Seoul can become a “global city”. Plans for the Dongdaemun Design Park intend to beautify this area of the city and when completed it will definitely help it appear more world-class. The site is not fully complete, but opened yesterday for the public to preview the areas where construction has wrapped-up. Outside of Korea, Asia’s fourth largest economy is being seen as less than world-class. Washington’s Centre for Global Development ranked Korea last out of 22 countries – for the second year in a row – in their annual Commitment to Development Index. While Korea commits less to development assistance than the UN recommended amount and imposes some of the highest trade barriers to developing-country exports, it also ranked last environmentally for  importing tropical wood and a high per-capita use of  chemicals that damage the ozone. (more…)