Stories about South Korea from March, 2011
Tensions Between Korea and Japan Intensified Over Territorial Conflict
South Koreans have expressed deep regret over the Japanese government’s decision to endorse middle school textbooks that defined Dokdo island as part of its territory. Reflecting people's anger, Korea's power Twitterer and bestselling novelist, Lee Oi-soo (@oisoo) harshly condemned [ko] Japanese government for approving the new textbooks.
South Korea: Application for Radiation Levels Checkup
As minuscule amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium have been detected in South Korean atmosphere, intensifying the already heightened fear over Japan's nuclear crisis, South Korean web developers debuted an Android application enabling citizen to check updated information on radiation levels in the country. Wiki Tree posted [ko] screenshot images...
South Korea: Controversial Memoir Mixes Art, Sex and Politics
An art curator who shocked South Korea with her fake Yale diploma and government connections released a memoir on March 22, 2011, rocking the nation once again with her revelations. Called the 'art world Cinderella', Shin Jeong-ah's alleged relationships with high-profile political and social figures have made her something of a celebrity.
Japan: Hoarding Water in Wake of Radiation Fears
South Korea's blogger/citizen news site, Wikitree posted a photo sent by a Japanese net user which shows people hoarding bottled water in big supermarket chains in Tokyo, reflecting heightened fears of radiation contamination.
South Korea: Special Parking Lot for Pregnant Women
In South Korea, a local district office had received rare compliments from net users with their women-friendly policy. The Yeongi country office had created a special parking lot saved for pregnant women. (See Wiki Tree‘s photo here. It is marked with pink lane)
South Korea: Students Arrested for Breaking Security Law
Three members of a college study group were taken into police custody for violating the National Security Law. While the student claimed the group a purely academic one, the police asserted that the organization has ‘praised and aligned with the national enemy- North Korea’. Twitterer @againthedayz posted photos of the...
South Korea: Real-time Checkup on Nuclear Radiation Levels
A South Korea's IT company has set up a special web page [ko] which gives real-time data on nuclear radiation levels. The website enlists major cities’ radiation levels by coalescing data gathered from Japanese Ministry of Science and Technology and the IERNet (Integrated Environmental Radiation Monitoring Network). (read more about...
South Korea: Old Feuds Forgotten as Koreans React to Japan Quake
Forgetting old feuds between the two countries, South Korean bloggers and tweeps have expressed both deep concern and support for Japan in its time of crisis. Harsh criticisms meanwhile have been leveled at Korean media for aggravating the already grave situation.
Old Feud Lost During Disaster, Korean Responses to Japan Quake
Korean's old feud against Japanese colonization rule has momentarily lost, as more reports came out revealing the aftermath of Japan's disastrous earthquake, @pebmedia tweeted the link [en] that aggregated Korean responses to Japan's earthquake.
Photos of Quake in Japan, by Tweeps
South Korea’s citizen media, Wiki Tree posted photos [ko] of quake in Japan, sent by Tweeters.
South Korea: Blurred Photos of Diplomatic Officials who Fell for Chinese Spy Woman
A spy scandal in Shanghai has rocked South Korean Twitosphere. Two Korean diplomatic officials have been involved in a three way sexual relationship with a Chinese woman spy. Net users criticized how most conservative newspapers used the image. They have blurred out the officials’ faces, while leaving the woman's face...
South Korea: Suicide Actress's Memoirs Claim Sex Exploitation
South Korean netizens are busy discussing deceased actress Ja-Yeon Jang's memoirs, which contain claims that she was a victim of career-related sexual exploitation. The struggling 26-year-old actress who committed suicide in March 2009, left about 50 letters listing the names of 31 people who she alleged exploited and abused her.
South Korea: Jang's Sexual Service List Brought Up Again
Korean net users are buzzing angry as the so-called Jang Ja-yeon's list has resurfaced. Actress Ja-yeon Jang, before committing suicide in 2009, left letters revealing the identities of 31 powerful people who are believed to have been involved in the sexual exploitation rampant in the show biz industry. Korea's citizen media...
South Korea: Battling Against Foreign Finance's Encroachment
Korea Exchange Bank employees and civil rights activists have taken to the streets of Seoul to protest against the encroachment of foreign finance on Korean financial turf. Korean net users have joined their move by retweeting and spreading KEB employees's postings.
South Korea: Tweet Petitions Filed to Defend Trade Unionist at Risk of Being Deported
The Amnesty International Korea bureau has filed tweet petitions against the Korean Justice department's decision to deport Michel Catuira, the president of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU). (Read more in English) Amnesty Korea encouraged South Korean net users to sent a tweet petition[ko] to the Minister of Justice with...
South Korea: Dating App Developer Convicted of Privacy Violation
The web developer of a controversial mobile application which tracks down the current location of one’s boy/girlfriend, has been indicted without detention by police in South Korea for violating the country's telecommunication law. South Korean net users have criticized the authorities and media of misunderstanding the application.
South Korea: Mapping Burial Grounds
South Korean net users have created a Google map listing where the culled cattle were buried. South Korean government dumped about a quarter of its herd on numerous spots throughout the country to slow down its worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. And worries grow that the animal blood and carcasses have already started polluting nearby ground water.
