The Koreas
- Very interesting read of historical examples of why expats complain about Korea.
- I knew the Korean suicide rate was high but even this number surprised me. It was be interesting to see what the reasons for such a high suicide rate is.
- An arsonist has killed seven people in Yongin.
- Obama’s comments on North Korea and the rest of the story.
- Here are some good links for those preparing to test on Korean proficiency.
- Here is an hilarious example of why you should do your research before moving to Korea.
- Seoul Searcher offers some advice on what to wear for anyone taking a future Kumgangsan Tour.
- The Worker’s Paradise has a new plane, I wonder which appeasement funds paid for that?
- Can you imagine what would happen if Japanese tourists tried to do this on Dokdo?
- Korean social etiquette 101
Japan
- If you are into driving scooters then these have to be the coolest scooters ever.
- You can always count on Japan for a good underwear thief story.
- Good posting about the differences in coverage between Japan and Korea in regards to the Dokdo issue.
- Japan’s guerrilla gardeners are very similar to what I have seen people in Korea grow plants as well.
- Here is a list of 20 things Japanese find wrong with Japan.
China
- It looks like the new craze for Chinese women is pole dancing.
- Despite all the economic development it appears most Chinese are not happy with their personal lives.
- It looks like Bill Gates has possibly bought himself some posh real estate in Beijing to live in while watching the Olympic Games.
- A Chinese professor explains the “truth” about conditions in Tibet.
- It looks like reporters from Beijing News will be punished for simply publishing a picture.
- Another example that being a journalist in China is not an easy job.







11:51 am on July 27th, 2008 1
[...] Comments ROK Drop Weekly Link… on Japanese and South Korean edit…James Kim on Seoul’s choice: Busan or…Jordan [...]
9:03 pm on July 27th, 2008 2
Some brilliant historical research by “Gusts”.
Funny how times change, but things stay the same.
Quotes from the turn of the century:
“An Englishman was once heard to say that the dirtiest man he ever saw was a clean Corean”
Dirty!
“Deeply impressed with their poverty, dirt, love of drink, and degradation”
Drunkards!
“magine mud-walled hovels with thatched or tiled roofs so low that the eaves are within six feet of the ground, all built with their backs to the street, and with their chimneys pouring out their smoke just on a level with your nose ; the privies, built so that they overhang the ditch at the side of the street, only used by the women, the men and children commonly using the street itself, which is without sidewalks, and is practically but an open sewer, fortunately washed out annually by good Dame Nature at the time of the rainy season. If you can imagine these things, then you have before you a picture of the average street in the capital city of the Hermit Nation.”
Filthy Seoul!
“Coreans are the emptiest-headed, most childlike, and most generally foolish people”
Foolish Korean!
“The silliness of mind, the almost hopeless and incurable credulity and absolute absence of sound judgement which characterizes, with exceedingly few exceptions”
Simple people!
“There is no such thing as cause and effect in Korea[...] The Korean might well be placarded the Unconscious Human. Just now round about him are gathering shadows and mutterings, the full import of which he seems to hear not; at any rate which he certainly understands not.”
Korean logic!
http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2008/07/century-old-expat-complaints.html
Its a good read. Most of the same thigns were said by Hendrik Hammel in 1666, and said today by any average perons who goes to korea.
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