For some reason, it was very cool for the past month — especially since we should of been in full swing with summer weather.  However, it’s now “fully on” and temperatures should start to rise into the 90’s and above.  The humidity is definitely increased.  You can feel it on your skin and when you walk out of Air Conditioned rooms and offices.  

Summer is finally here in Korea!

South Koreans visit their own killing fields

original: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/21/asia/bones.php

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By Choe Sang-Hun

Published: November 21, 2007

SEOUL: Shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, Kim Man Sik, a military police sergeant, received an urgent radio message from the South Korean Army’s Counter-Intelligence Corps: Go to local police stations, take custody of scores of Communist suspects held there and execute them.

Kim complied. And what he did and saw in those days are etched permanently in his mind.

“They were all tied together with military communications wire. So when we opened fire, they all pulled at each other to try to escape,” said Kim, now 81. “The wire cut into their wrists. Blood was splattered all over their white clothes.”

That Kim’s story has emerged after half a century is due to South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body conceived in the same genre as the South African body set up in the 1990s to shed light on atrocities and injustices committed during the apartheid era. Unlike the South African agency, Korea’s commission has no power to prosecute crimes or grant immunity.

The Korean commission has begun excavating long-abandoned sites of mass summary executions. Its investigators have discovered remains of hundreds of people – including women and children – who were killed without trial more than 50 years ago. They expect to find many, many more in what the victim’s families call Korea’s killing fields.

South Korean troops are believed to have executed tens of thousands of unarmed civilians and prisoners as they retreated before the North Korean invaders during the war. The victims were often accused of being Communist sympathizers and potential collaborators.

But allegations of mass murder had never been given a full review in the official history of South Korea until the commission began its work last year with a mandate from Parliament.

Investigators have since identified 1,222 probable instances of mass killings during the Korean War, after canvassing witnesses and excavating remains. The cases include 215 incidents in which survivors say U.S. warplanes and ground troops killed unarmed refugees.

But years after the arrival of democracy, and despite the two successive liberal governments of President Roh Moo Hyun and his predecessor, Kim Dae Jung, who have made reconciliation with the Communist North a hallmark of their policy, digging into South Korea’s tumultuous recent history remains a sensitive and often painful task. Although the country is modernized and prosperous, old animosities and ideological struggles still echo.

In July, investigators began digging at 4 of 160 mass burial sites – places that were off-limits during the country’s four decades of authoritarian rule after the war ended in 1953.

They have so far unearthed the remains of 400 people, along with bullets, empty cartridges and handcuffs.

Skeletons were found stacked on each other, with bullet holes in the skulls and hands still tied by rusting steel wire.

The remains confirmed witness accounts that the police often made victims crouch at the edge of a trench, their hands tied behind their backs, before shooting them in the heads and pushing them in, according to Park Sun Joo, an anthropology professor who leads the excavation team.

“The fact that these bones have remained abandoned so long and so close to where we live means that our society is still at its barbarian stage,” said Kim Dong Choon, a standing commissioner at the investigative agency.

In a cobalt mine near Daegu, in the south of the country, investigators have so far collected the remains of 240 people. That is only a fraction of the estimated 3,500 prison inmates and Communist suspects believed to have been whisked from homes and prison cells, then executed and thrown into the mine shaft between July and September 1950.

“I still remember those poor people being dragged up the hill and waiting their turn before the firing squad,” said Park Jong Gil, 67, who witnessed similar executions near Cheongwon, central South Korea, in July 1950.

“After the shooting, they waded through the bodies and killed off those still alive, shooting at their heads.”

At Cheongwon, 110 bodies have been found so far.

“I think they killed up to 7,000 people there,” Park said. “Every day for seven or eight days, I saw four trucks in the morning and three trucks in the afternoon coming loaded with people.”

Chung Nam Sook, 80, said that in December 1950, soldiers of South Korea’s 11th Army Division stormed his village in Hampyong, in the southwest of the country, to hunt Communist guerrillas. North Korean collaborators had already fled, but the soldiers rounded up the remaining villagers in a field.

“They told us to light our cigarettes. Then they began shooting their rifles and machine guns,” Chung said. “After a while, an officer called out, ‘Any of you who are still alive can stand up and go home now.’ Those who did were shot again.”

Despite seven bullet wounds, Chung survived by pretending to be dead under the heap of bodies. In July, the truth commission called the killings at Hampyong a “crime against humanity” and told the government to apologize and build a monument for the victims.

Both sides in the war were accused of killing large numbers of unarmed civilians and of using terror to force people into compliance as villages across the country fell and were retaken.

For instance, South Korean police officers disguised as a North Korean unit entered villages at Naju, near Hampyong, in July 1950, and when people welcomed them with Communist flags, killed 97, the commission said.

As their town changed hands between the rival armies, villagers who had lost family members were quick to settle scores. More than 50 years later, families still hold grudges.

Although atrocities against civilians were committed by both sides, those who suffered attacks from rightist forces aligned with the United States were forced into silence during the subsequent decades of military rule. Many were subject to police surveillance, viewed as potential threats in the harsh Cold War environment.

In the staunchly anti-communist South, children of leftist parents found themselves stigmatized in schools and the workplace.

Victims felt freer to speak out under the liberal Roh government. Nonetheless, when Parliament created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the bill was watered down to ensure that the agency had no power to prosecute. Its mandate is to uncover the truth for the record, recommend corrections to textbooks and other records and aid reconciliation through compensation or memorial services for the victims.

Unlike Kim, the former military police sergeant, few veterans have volunteered to testify before the commission. Meanwhile, old villagers fear that if they testify, it may rekindle old animosities between neighbors or backfire on them should the conservatives retake power in the presidential election next month.

For Ja Yong Soo, whose father was among 218 people executed by the police and marines on the southern island of Jeju in July and August 1950, justice is long overdue.

After being repeatedly ignored by previous governments, Ja and other victims’ relatives were rewarded on Monday when the commission finally ruled the killings unlawful, although those perpetrators of the crime still alive can probably never be brought to account.

“Many of those human butchers and their children are now rich and powerful,” said Ja, 65, referring to those who killed his father.

“What am I going to say when I die and meet my father in the heaven and he asks, ‘My son, what have you done to restore my honor?’ “

An emotional Ja confronted Kim during the ex-soldier’s recent testimony at the truth commission.

“If you are repentant, why don’t you give up your military medals?” he said.

Kim admitted that he was in charge of executing 170 people at Hoengseong and Wonju around June 28, 1950.

He said some of those killed, the “Class A” group of active Communists, were “enemies” who attacked police stations. “But those categorized as Class B and C were innocent peasants who were lured by the Communist promise to give them free land,” Kim said.

“Till today, I feel guilty for killing them. I bow my head in contrition.”

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Not sure if this applies to foreigners, but it’s still looking more favorably on sending money out in general….

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200711/200711090019.html

Starting next year, the limit for overseas remittance will be increased to US$50,000 a year for individuals. The ceiling on investment in overseas properties, which is $3 million currently, will be scrapped. The Ministry of Finance and Economy said Thursday the measures aim to reduce inconvenience in dealing with overseas remittance and investment and will go into effect next year.

Under the new regulations, Koreans can send up to $50,000 abroad per year without documents from next January. Businesses with an annual trade volume of more than $50 million will be able to send any amount overseas without documents. Before the revision, parents with Korean nationality were not permitted to send money directly to children with foreign permanent residency or citizenship studying in foreign countries, but that will now also be possible from next month.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

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One thing some foreigners have a hard time getting used to is the fact their units sometimes don’t come with a dryer. In the states, we ALWAYS had a dryer next to our washer. However, in many Korean households, they ONLY have a washer. It’s because they like to “hang dry.” On many balconies in Korean apartments and even in the villas or officetels, you will find the clothing of many Koreans hanging out to dry. It’s accepted. It’s common.

However, it means you have to be patient for at least a day so it can dry. Also, there better be plenty of backup clothing in case you do use up all your underwear. Whereas back home (in the U.S.), we are only a good 2 hours (1 hr in the washer & 1 in the dryer) away from a virgin clean (or close to it) pair of underwear or pair of socks. In Korea, you have to wait at least a 1/2 a day or so.

Well, I’ve gotten used to it & it does require a bit more management of my clothes inventory, but who knows…maybe this is Korea’s part (for now) in saving the environment of the world. Rather, at least they’re not consuming that much more electricity on their dryers.

At the same time, it is becoming more commonplace to see washer & dryer combinations where the same machine does perform the drying function. I’d argue it never gets it “snuggly” dry as it did back home. If you do miss your dryer here in Korea, make sure you get an officetel until to satisfy this need. ^^

So, the costs of calling back home (the U.S.A.) and also the hassle of getting calling cards basically disallowed the right hand side of my brain to put out the extra effort to call…rather, I was so busy that it was tough.  However, with the new job and all, I have to make calls constantly abroad and elsewhere.  Thus, I found a few means to actually make it cheaper…actually free in many cases.  Thus, I’ve made a blog at http://almostfreephone.com where Jumi, a friend from college and I will be writing about all our experiences and advice on how to save truckloads of money by using all the new VOIP services that are offering all sorts of free stuff to compete with the likes of Skype and other services. 

Just saw advertisements today in the newspaper for this place that looks to be new in Busan.  I’m not 100% sure what it’s called, but the website is http://thepark.co.kr  It looks like a man made effort to replicate wildlife or the African safari.  I’ll try to make an effort to visit & report back after one weekend there.  The pictures looked impressive, but like I said, I haven’t been there yet.

Also, while taking the subway to work this morning, I also noticed an advertisement for a park dedicated to the Shilla Dynasty, I believe.  It looked sort of like the shows you would see at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas, but instead with Shilla Dynasty like costumes and other stuff from back then.  The link was http://smpark.co.kr, I believe…

I just had one of the best weekends I have ever had here in South Korea. My company had a retreat for the Korean speaking staff out to this place I’m not 100% sure still where it was. I believe it was north of Pohang and the name of the area I believe is either Yeon-duk or Yong dok. It was about 3 hours north of Busan via Bus — the trip was 4 hours with traffic…on a Sunday night.

The views from where we stayed were very California-esque in appearance and relatively less developed than I’ve seen most coasts or beach like areas of South Korea. You still had your areas where too many businesses cannibalize each other, but the place we stayed … which I’ll try to post the Korean/Hangul and English versions of it here eventually … had amazing Northwest like modern wooden cottages to sleept in with a large building that reminded me of a lot of main buildings of lodges or clubs back in Seattle. It was about as large as most club houses in country clubs. It was almost as new with Karoke rooms and a Karoke stage and the whole shebang in the local area including a little mini golf driving range.

We also went fishing where the water wasn’t that bad. It may have been cleaner than the Puget Sound before I decided to let see if I could lure the fishies with my own batch of human moonshine for the aquatic forms of life. Actually, it worked — after my deposit to the sea, we doubled our number of fish caught in the last 40 minutes we fished. I caught a big whopping ZERO fishies and I’m pleading the “bad lure” excuse as to why I failed this fine beautiful September day. The boat ride to and fro was amazing…it was one of the best things I could ask for especially given all the stress to my heart these days.

To boot, we had more seafood than I’ve wanted to eat in a lifetime here in Korea…I will not being eating sushi via my choice any time soon…not that I ever did here in Korea minus a few times in Ulsan.  The bus ride back home was your typical scream as loud as you can karaoke singing sessions for 4 hours where after 2 hours of failed napping, I decided to join them, since I couldn’t beat them by trying to drown them out with toilet paper in my ears.  Oh, I forgot, but I got molested by 2 of the older guys on the trip claiming they “loved me” — I haven’t been more scared in my life.

I was remiminded of something I treat as a normal experience or activity on a weekly basis these days as “not so normal” back home in the U.S. Where most of the U.S.A. is relatively homophobic at least in most public arenas minus gay friendly areas of the U.S. like San Francisco, Korea and many Asian countries have very little problem with the boys hanging out naked in the hot springs or sauna. On top of that, Koreans quite regularly “exfoliate” the old or dirty skin they accumulate over time. They call it “Deh-Meehlr-ee” or 때밀이 in Hangul (Korean characters).

In order to “ex-foliate,” they usually sweat it up a little in the 48 degree Celsius hot bath or the 80-90 degree Celsius saunas or steam rooms first. Without this perspiration, your skin fails to become “ready” for a good “exfoliation.” After they do this, they get on a massage table naked and a guy (if you’re in the men’s side) naked or sometimes in a big diaper takes scrubbing gloves and literally scrubs you down a bit. In a western massage or the equivalent, the masseuse would probably be sensitive to avoid the genital areas, but let’s say the guys in these “mok-yok-tangs” or 목욕탕’s have no problems “handling your jewels” as if they were their jewels.

The first few times I did it, it was a bit uncomfortable. When I was growing up as a kid, my mom did it to me and I hated it. However, now with the fact I’m aging and that a good rub down really makes you feel “clean”, I love these. On top of the feeling of being extra hygenic, the guy usually gives you a little massage (which may be hard to get used to at first), a bit of lathering up with soap at the end.  Today, I experienced for the first time, the lathering up my hair too with some menthol laced shampoo. I know that some Koreans use some sort of menthol cream to “activate” or reduce the irritation in the scalp at hair salons — I was manipulated into buying it at the beauty salon in my building…I wished my Korean was a bit weaker that day…I should of acted like I didn’t understand. Oh, here’s the kicker: it’s costs a whopping $12 bucks or so for the 30 minutes or so. So, that’s the reason I’ll do it usually at least once a month, if not twice if I have the time…these days, I’ve been missing out and only able to get it done once every two months. I wish I had more free time.

The acting, the writing, the plot….I don’t know what it is, but after watching “Oldboy” and “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”, I’m thinking it has a lot to do with the guy who put it all together. As one review went on IMDB, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance or in Korean/Hangul, “Chinjeolhan geumjassi” had “an extremely and intelligent plot, and visually stunning cinematography.” You can find the review here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451094/

The movie isn’t for the faint hearted … let me warn you. There’s a bit of blood in the flick and many scenes that may gross you out, but like the reviewer said above, she doesn’t usually like this genre typically, but gave it one of her best reviews. I got the movie cheap at Homeplus for like 3000 won (about $3 US) and another VCD which turned out to be in Japanese with Korean subtitles…which didn’t help me appreciate that one too much. I picked this one up remembering it may be another one of Park’s movies.

Oldboy is very similar, if not better … they are both worth watching. Park was a student of Philosophy at Korea’s Sogang University in Seoul. He said, “In our lives, we have good things and bad things, happiness and pain. Life is full of pain and happiness and that’s what I wanted to show.”

It’s the editor here…so, I am a bit stumped on which one of the million topics that I could write about you want to read here or if you’re just taking advantage of the fine list of links to the right?  Well, I’m going to ask you folks — about 15 people a day or so who are reading this to please comment below this post to either tell me 1) there’s enough info here or 2) what topics you would be interested in reading about.

Finally, I’m creating another project that will help people learning not only “how to live better in Korea”, but also anything about the country in general.  South Korea has lots of entries on Wikipedia, but what if you were searching for “Buy the way”, one of the most common convenience stores in the country.  Aren’t you curious who owns them?  Is it Samsung?  Is it Mr. Kim down the corner?  Don’t you want to know where the nearest one if you found the best ramen in the world at one?  I know this is a silly example, but there are more that are not.  So, visit: http://Korpedia.info when you get a chance.  Cheers!

p.s. My request actually not to only visit it, but do a search and see if your topic doesn’t exist.  If it doesn’t, either write something about it or comment here that it doesn’t exist & I’ll make a post/article JUST for you!  Thanks again & happy living in Korea!