1stopKorea - Korea Writings

Writings on Korea



*Journey into Kimland* - my trip to the DPRK (Scott) In an age where you can get Starbucks on Thai islands, Baskin-Robbins in Saigon, Coke and McDonalds just about everywhere it's nice to finally visit a place lacking even the knowledge of such things. The most . . . more		Kim Il-song's North Korea




1. Getting Ready	2. Arrival in Pyongyang
3. Monuments of Kimland	4. Yanggakdo Hotel
5. Arirang Festival	6. DMZ
7. Traditional Kaesong	8. Pyongyang Circus
9. Mt. Myohyang	10. Kim's Birthplace
11. Departure

Download Journey into Kimland as a single pdf. (opens in a new window)							Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag White Badge: A Novel of Korea


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*My Knee Operation in Korea* (reader submission) I was walking up the hill to my class 11 days ago and twisted my knee. It was fine up until Sunday, when it started to swell. It dawned on me that it wasn't getting better . . . more




*Last Day in Korea* (reader submission) Well my departure from Korea was entirely fitting to my four year experience there. In fact it summed it up marvelously. After spending the previous day eating dog soup, . . . more




*Korea Aids Katrina Victims?* (reader submission) My wife and I left New Orleans at 1:30am Sunday before the hurricane hit Monday. Originally we planned on going to the town where I went to college, but since . . . more




*What Should I Bring to Korea?* (reader submission) There are several things that you should consider bringing with you, and some things you should not. If you forget, and you probably will, you can find almost anything . . . more




*Korean Gov't Launches Website Ban* - reader submission In a surprising move for a country that prides itself on being a leader in all things Internet, the South Korean government recently banned a large number of foreign and domestic . . . more




*Panmunjom: Visiting the Korean DMZ* (Scott) Having written about a visit to the DMZ and Panmunjom from the North I figured it was time to try writing something about the far more popular visits from the South. There are already numerous resources on the Net . . . more





*Shark Dive* (Scott) A shark longer than I am tall sticks its nose so close to my chest a deep breath would have drawn contact. Other sharks cruise slowly overhead. Grouper and . . . more




*Seoul Club Scene* - reader submission Do Korean men have the ability to hook up in a bar setting? The first time that I went to a club in Seoul, it was called a “Booking Club.” I didn’t know what that meant . . . more




*US Military Moving Out of Seoul* - reader submission The US government announced that they are relocating their forces outside of Seoul. They have been talking about this for years now and finally it has come to pass, but who really wants this? Korean citizens have een protesting outside US . . . more
							To Dream of Pigs: Travels in South and North Korea




*Business Practices* - reader submission In South Korea, what goes better together than kimchi chigae and rice? Business and bribes. If you want to add another then I would say sex, business and bribes. That’s the way that business is done in Asia, especially in South Korea. I moved . . . more






*Rainy Day Blues* - reader submission Well, sunny California has turned into a rain drenched San Francisco morning commute. I went to bed about 01:45 and I happened to notice as I looked for the stars, wondering if the same constellations were shining down on my . . . more





*Date Rape Drug in Seoul Club Scene* - reader submission We were at Cargo for Aphrodite, having a great time (big ups Sickboy) on a Friday night. A very good female friend was with us but left suddenly without telling us, which is unlike her. She had stopped dancing . . . more





*Panmunjom: Visiting the Korean DMZ* (Scott) Having written about a visit to the DMZ and Panmunjom from the North I figured it was time to try writing something about the far more popular visits from the South. There are . . . more




Zofona.com - in Dutch and English Website maintained by two Dutch expats working in Seoul. They have an interesting and growing collection of stories on life and travel in both North and South Korea.




*Biker Trip to Kangnung* - reader submission With a successfully completed PADI Scuba Instructor training course under my belt, it was time to head out to Korea’s East Coast to scout out possible training sites for my future students. I was looking forward to combining two of . . . more





*Korea Motorcycle Trip, June 2003* - reader submission “So, Ron, why are you not married?” Aha! I had been anticipating the question. I guess the reason it had taken Suk-hyun this long into our conversation to ask it was . . . more




*'E-Korea' - Myth versus Reality* (Scott) Anyone visiting the peninsula recently through Inchon Airport has undoubtedly seen the advertisements for ‘e-Korea’ lining the walls and playing on the video screens while you wait to clear Immigration. The videos especially tout Korea . . more





*Kalbi Conundrum* - reader submission ”Let’s go for a barbeque!” My Korean host Mr. Park suggested. “A barbeque!” I exclaimed “But it’s minus ten!!!” “No!” Mr. Park scowled, as if . . . more




*Bong Won Sa* (Bong Won Temple) - reader submission "Ah, shut up and drink," said the holy man as he poured me another bowl of makkoli (a milky rice wine). "You foreigners talk too much anyway." I slammed my bowl . . . more




Motorcycling in Korea (Scott) Whenever Western expats and tourists are polled about some of the things they dislike most about living and driving in Korea, near the top of the list are almost always the country's motorcycle drivers. 'We' are seen as dangerous . . . more





Befriending a Prostitute (reader submission) You don't have to look hard to find these foreign "hostess" girls in Korea. They are in Seoul, Pusan, and Ulsan, and perhaps other places in Korea. I am a well-traveled . . . more




*Beijing Memories* (reader submission) Love, Luck, and Duck in the Middle Kingdom - When I first came to Korea a few years ago there were several countries I was dying to visit. So during my first Chusok holiday (Korean Thanksgiving) I made reservations . . . more





*Roosters and Car Horns* (Scott) Some of my stories about life in Korea through the eyes of someone new to the country. Also has a few helpful tips on dealing with recruiters of English teachers.




*Resounding Silence* (reader submission) "What do you think about Korea?" These words are one of the common threads that bind together foreigners living in Korea. Most foreigners receive . . . more





*Seoul - Springboard to the World* (reader submission) After getting my paper degree at York University in Toronto, I decided to take a risk and travel overseas and work for a foreign company. I chose Korea, the land of . . . more





*Last Trip to Korea* (reader submission) Since immigrating to the "Great White North" with my parents about 18 years ago I had only visited Korea once before. The most recent trip I took was . . . more


Seoul Survivor - A Day in the Life (reader submission) "Beep, Beep, Beep" I slowly reach over and switch off the wailing alarm clock. I open my eyes to be confronted with an angry, red "5:30" staring me in the face. I sigh and . . . more





Seoul Survivor - Foreign Friends (reader submission) These days it seems every Korean person I know wants to have a foreign friend. Foreign friends are chic now. And it's been popularly decided that . . . more




Seoul Survivor - Cable TV (reader submission) It was with a sigh of relief that I welcomed the cable guy into my house. For about two and a half weeks I had been making appointments and waiting around my home . . . more




Seoul Survivor - Dining with Kids (reader submission) A few nights ago I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Seoul. I won't mention precisely which one, but suffice to say it was a moderately priced, sit down, Western . . . more




*Of Moses, Mud and Fireflies* (reader submission) I must be pretty special! KNTO prints up brochures about many different festivals in Korea -- in English -- just for ME. That's certainly how I feel sometimes when I . . . more




*Tasty Spots of Korea* (reader submissions) Our restaurant column on great places here in Korea. Open to any reader with something to say about a restaurant or dining experience here in Korea.




*Dive Korea* (Scott) Information, links and a brief story on scuba diving off Korea's Cheju Island in the summer of 2000.



Interviews Read interviews with business leaders and entertainment figures residing in or visiting Korea.



*A Day in the Life of a Korean Customs Official* (Scott) Read our interview with an airport customs official and learn some do's and don'ts of Korean customs.



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