Park Yong-ha, Why Add To The Sad Statistics?

It's a sad thing when I'm not so much shocked as just startled to hear about Park Yong-ha's apparent suicide.  This hasn't been the first time I've heard about suicides by Koreans, whether they were celebrities or ordinary people. After reading about the suicides of  Kim Kwang Seok, Choi Jin-shil and Choi Jin -yeong, Reverend Munsu and the part-time lecturer, and President  Roh Moo-hyun, I'm wondering if this social trend is getting worse.

Rest in peace, Park Yong-ha

The topic has been covered already by notable bloggers but it's worth revisiting time and again especially in the light of recent studies and statistics - South Korea has the highest number of suicides among the countries in the OECD; an average of 24 people out of 100,000 in ROK kill themselves each year ( in contrast to 21 per 100,000 in Hungary and 19 per 100,000 in Japan).

Other statistics gleaned from a KBS World Radio discussion indicate that it didn't use to be like this. Thirty years ago, the suicide rate was only 6.8, comparable to the figures of countries like Spain and Italy but now suicide is the fourth most common cause of death in the country.  Click here for the link to the video interview ( you need to click on the TV icon for the segment ) dated 9th April, 2010 entitled " Rising Suicide Rate in Korea and Methods of Prevention".

The findings from actress Park Jin-hee 's Masters thesis entitled "Studies on Depression and Suicidal Urges Among Actors" are also alarming. After interviewing 260 actors, she concluded that  "four out of every 10 actors here have been suffering from depression and have had suicidal urges from time to time....About 20 percent have actually purchased toxic agents or "devices" for suicide."

The usual suspects blamed for this disturbing trend  include:

• too much stress in an overly-competitive and achievement-oriented society
• the breakdown of family ties
• the over-reliance on anti-depressants to cope with one's mental illness instead of getting treatment from professional psychologists or psychiatrists
• the shortage of professional counsellors trained and employed in schools, colleges, civil and private institutions

 There's also the fear that there may be something like donor fatigue developing to the extent that this problem is ignored. One becomes so used to hearing such sorry tales that we lose our ability to be shocked enough and then we stop addressing  the problem. It's not just a problem for people in one country but it's particularly marked in this one so I'm interested to know how the trend can be reversed.

Some may think the initiative rests with the government but surely different parties and even individuals can do something as well. Couldn't English language teachers in Korea who come from cultures which are more open about depression consider this topic for discussion in class? Is not possible for  church groups or those in the Buddhist temples and mosques in the country to offer some kind of avenue to discuss these issues?

 The media can do a lot more;  for instance, one Australian paper which carried the report of Park's death put up  a helpline number for those who were suffering depression and feeling suicidal) so why can't the Korean media do the same?  Bloggers and even Twitterers can also open up discussions, not so much idle speculation about why Park chose to take his own life but what can be done to discourage similar actions in the future.

That's why I applaud Rain who dared to talk in public about his own struggle with depression . ( I didn't really see the interview but only read about it in another blog, though). We need more celebrities and ordinary people sharing their stories so that the stigma attached to depression can be removed.

sources:
1. http://www.allkpop.com/2010/04/park-jin-hees-suicide-thesis-paper-generates-interest
2. http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100630000044
3. http://popseoul.com/2010/06/30/park-yong-ha-found-dead/
4. http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/06/park-yong-ha-discovered-dead-at-home/
5. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1066628/1/.html
6. http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_focus.htm?lang=e¤t_page=2
7. http://k-popped.com/2010/04/rains-depression-story.html
8. http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/04/24/coping-with-depression-and-mental-illness/
9. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1847437,00.htm
10.  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/04/117_64133.html
11. http://2sao.vietnamnet.vn/p1001c1011n20090804140117052/park-yong-ha-ky-niem-5-nam-hoat-dong-nghe-thuat-tai-nhat-ban.vnn
12. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/asia-stunned-as-south-korean-tv-star-and-singer-park-yong-ha-kills-himself/story-e6frg6so-1225886591214

Remembering Park Chan Wook's JSA on the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War

Park Chan Wook's 2000 movie, Joint Security Area, was the first film I saw,  that drove home the tragedy of a divided country. The video clip here features the last scene of the movie and its significance will be lost on those who haven't seen the film. But the combination of the camera work, and the director's great choice of music for the soundtrack ( a Russian folk melody, named "The Rush Light" or "Those Who Are Forgotten" was used for this scene) create a memorable movie moment.

A few years later,  I was able to visit one of the spots near the DMZ on a group tour. The image of  a barbed wire fence with hand-written messages tied to it remains a poignant memory.  I'm assuming the messages expressed wishes to meet long-parted relatives or the desire for reunification. The possibility of a united Korea seems even more remote these days and I'm indulging in a little despondency and wistfulness by replaying my favourite moments from Park's film.

sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Security_Area_(film)
http://www.koreanfilm.org/kfilm00.html#jsa

Wanna Win A Hotel Voucher For Seoul?

KNTO has launched an essay competition which will run until the 31st of July, 2010.  Share your experiences and photos of your holiday in Korea  to win a hotel voucher, passport holders or mobile phone charms. Click here for more information. Anyone interested? Don't know how popular this contest will be among those who aren't living in Korea - after all, one would still need to get the air ticket to claim the first prize. I once won a similar prize but never got round to enjoying the free stay in Korea because so much time had lapsed between the time the winners were announced and my visit to the country.

Credit: Pics from KNTO website.

 

source:

http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/IngEventMain.kto?func_name=freeRead&eventId=7963&jsp_name=HD/event/ena_20100621/main&lang_se=ENA&md=ena&repeat_yn=Y

North Koreans Watch World Cup, Thanks To ABU

It was interesting to read how many reporters in South Korea assumed the North Koreans were broadcasting illegally the World Cup matches when actually the free telecasts were courtesy of the Asian Broadcasting Union. It seems somewhat ironic to me that some South Korean broadcasting networks like KBS and MBC are planning to sue SBS for refusing to share broadcasting rights to the World Cup ( as apparently originally agreed upon) while those up north can watch for free.


Out of curiosity, I posed the following questions to John Barton, Sport Director of the Asian Broadcasting Union ( ABU). Many thanks once again, Mr Barton for responding so promptly!

1. Does the ABU have any idea how many N Koreans have TVs which would allow them to watch the World Cup matches?

J. Barton: "I don’t know precisely but I would imagine the penetration would be very high. Having been to Pyongyang and visited the national broadcaster KRT, I know that the vast majority of households have access to free to air television."

2. How much censorship is practised with regard to the games esp for last night's game with Portugal?

J. Barton: "Censorship is not the right word to use, though it is one that would come easily to reporters when discussing the DPRK. In contracts with major rights owners, such as Fifa and the International Olympic Committee, broadcasters are NOT told how to schedule. That is purely their own decision. So if a country wanted to run all games 24 hours later, they can. Naturally that is not a good strategy in most markets where, if you are not live, you are dead. What that means is by delaying your telecast the audience levels drop off dramatically and so, too, does revenue if you are a commercial broadcaster. In short it is very unwise to put games like these on a tape delayed basis."

3. Can you shed more light on the ABU decision to present this gift to NK?

J. Barton: "This is not a gift, as such. We have provided our signals for various events to territories free of charge for many years. Events such as the Olympics, Asian Games (15 countries will receive this year’s Asian Games free of charge), Fifa World Cup, and so on, where there is a proven inability to be able to pay for such a service. If we had to charge these countries would not get to see these events, hence the ‘gift’ as you put it. I prefer to say we are assisting in their development of television sports, and not penalising a population simply because they are poor!"

Pity,  though,  for the North Koreans that their team couldn't score against Portugal which played like a goal-making machine ( 7 -0 ) in its most recent match in South Africa. It would be interesting to hear what ordinary South Koreans think about the whole situation. I wondered if any  would be cheering for the North Korean team given the recent tensions over the Cheonan incident until I came across this article.

sources:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921629
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921302

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/16/2010061601309.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/05/26/2010052601308.html
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921954
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/16/2010061601191.html
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921964
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2010/06/136_67742.html
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-06-15-2233360639_x.htm

South Korea vs Argentina - A Case of David vs Goliath?

Whose strategy will pay off? Will there be drama, courtesy of coaches Maradona and Huh Jung-moo?

Will the action on the sidelines be half as exciting as on the pitch?

Who will be the Player of the Match? Park Ji-sung or Lionel Messi?

OR neither???  Or will the match boil down to which goalkeeper performs better?

       Given the record, can Korea play David to Argentina's Goliath?

      The suspense isn't killing me but it's enough to keep me glued to the TV today ( at least for the first half).

Predictions, anyone?

Update:
Sadly with the final score at 4-1 (with the Argentinians dominating the game and an own goal even conceded by the Koreans), it wasn't a case of David vs Goliath after all. More like, an ordinary day for Goliath or was it David on an off-day?
sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/17/2010061700397.html
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921964
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921916

German Hip-hoppers Pay Tribute To Kim Kwang Seok

Stumbled upon "Die Orsons", a German hip-hop group on youtube. In this globalised age, it shouldn't surprise me that a group of European youths would dedicate an MV to a Korean, an ocean and a generation apart but I am still filled with wonder. Sorry to "Die Orsons", but the music doesn't do much for me but the earnestness of the lyrics and the 2010 MTV directed by Stephen Richter and shot in Vienna are something else. ( please watch the whole video ).

Some Koreans may grind their teeth over the reference to the dog in the lyrics but I think they'd be missing the bigger picture. ( BTW, sorry if so many of my postings of late seem to be about suicides in Korea but it wasn't intentional. It's just that so many stories seem to be cropping up this summer.)



Thanks to chimperator for uploading the video and posting the English translation of the lyrics:

In a country
where your vita is even more important than here
and you obey your boss almost like a dog
which they eat in restaurants there

There was a singer, pretty young
who did not like to sing on the radio or on TV
but in front of the audience
Like we do right now - hello

Let's get back to the story - he sang the saddest songs in the world
when he came back from his 1000th concert
everything was silent - 'cause he killed himself.

He "Curt Cobained" himself in 1996
Enter his name on youtube and cry

We spell him for you:

K - I -M - K - W - A - N - G - S - E - O - K

You've been the Bob Dylan of Korea
you've been Korea's Kurt Kobain
Your voice sounds like eternity
like Tears - please wait


After his 1000th concert
he locked up his room
He was only 32 years old
He sang about our happiness, sadness and our holiness
But nobody understood
because he sang Korean
and there was no youtube before 1996

He sang about the little people, like us
And we listen carefully right now
How is your name spelled, Kim?

K - I -M - K - W - A - N - G - S - E - O - K

For an earlier posting on the late, great Kim Kwang-seok, please click here.




Source
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRxDuRLC8d4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSJ-IfrgNDA&feature=related

Free Rides From Seoul To Gyeongju and Jeonju

The Visit Korea Committee is certainly spoiling visitors - tourists can now enjoy free and comfy bus rides from Gwanghwamun area in downtown Seoul to Gyeongju and Jeonju.

1. Where?

• Gwanghwamun area in downtown Seoul (Donghwa Duty Free Shop),
• also free shuttle buses from Busan to Gyeongju ( from July 1)

2. When?

• Every day of the week except Monday

3. How long does this offer last?

• June 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010 ( so hurry! Make your weekend plans for day-tripping now!)

4. What times?

• Click here for details

5. How do I get it?

• Apply now at http://english.visitkoreayear.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
• "Sign up in advance through the Visit Korea Committee official home page at www.visitkoreayear.com (two tickets per person). If more than 28 people make reservations for any given day, there will be a random drawing to decide the winners of the free tickets. Winners will be announced on the homepage or individually notified by phone."
• For more details on the free tickets, please email to qhyuni130@yahoo.com.
• Inquiries: +82-2-6272-7301 (English) 

6. What are the perks beside the free round-trip ride?

• The buses are comfortable 28-seaters, equipped with Internet connection, DVD systems with personal earphones, and various tourist guidebooks.
• You also get free guidebooks of Gyeongju and Jeonju, a booklet about Korean culture and tours, a welcome-kit and a souvenir of “Visit Korea Year"

7. What are the drawbacks?

• It seems to be only for day-trips and I can't imagine squeezing all the attractions of either city into a single day.
• It's only for non-Korean nationals so if you planned going with a Korean friend, that would be tricky.
• The drop-off and pick up point for Gyeongju doesn't seem very convenient as it is at the Bomun Lake Resort (Hyundai Hotel-Hilton Hotel-Concord Hotel) which is a distance away from the main attractions of Gyeongju. You'd have to get a bus or taxi to places like the tumulis, the museum, Seokguram Grotto or Bulguksa.

sources:
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1037293
http://www.visitkoreayear.com/
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=996963
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=794336

Everland Penguins Get World Cup Fever

First , Santas and now, contenders for the World Cup. The penguins don't look like they're complaining but I'd like to know if they put up a fight when they had to be decked out in national colours for this occasion. How does one put the soccer jersey on a penguin without being pecked with that pretty sharp bill? ( Some staff  in Everland must be getting pretty adept at dressing these critters. ) At least these players won't be peeing in their pants and I don't suppose any of these bird brains would mistake a mini ball for an egg.

Caption from KBS World: "Jackass" penguins wearing red uniforms from South Africa are playing soccer with a mini Jabulani World Cup ball at Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province on June third. The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is slated to open on June eleventh.(Yonhap News)


source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=14950

Munsu's Suicide To Protest Against The Four-River Project

The last time I heard of a Buddhist practising self-immolation to protest against something was actually the first modern or at least the most-publicised suicide by fire committed by a Vietnamese monk protesting against the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem on 11 June, 1963. Now Venerable Munsu who died on Monday, 31st May, joins a list of those who have chosen to fight various causes, political or non-political, by setting themselves aflame. Ven. Munsu ( and here I hesitate to use a pronoun because one website identifies Munsu as female while others assume the opposite) may well be the third South Korean in modern times to do this after Jeon Tae-il in 1970 who was protesting against unfair labour laws and Heo Se-uk, more recently in 2007, who was against the Free Trade Agreement signed between South Korea and the USA.

My feelings of dismay and revulsion are mixed with curiosity. What drives a person to do such things? How would the President respond to the suicide note which apparently reads: “The Lee Myung-bak administration must stop its four rivers restoration project immediately, eradicate corruption and do its best for poor and underprivileged people instead of the rich”? What will be the long-term impact, if any, of her/his suicide?

I have typed the word "sacrifice" but have backtracked and deleted it in this text because I'm not sure if using that word connotes something positive that would glamourise self-immolation,even though some Buddhists may have a different perspective on the value of life. In a society which already has a high suicide rate, one more death is one too many, even though it's not motivated by financial woes or personal despair. Today, reading the news about Ven. Munsu, I feel diminished.

 Lee Myung-bak, a.k.a. The Bulldozer, forges ahead, deaf to the calls of the self-immolating nun/ priest to stop the Four Rivers Restoration Project.

 Rest in Peace, Ven. Munsu. I hope your death is not in vain.

sources:
http://www.ucanews.com/2010/06/01/buddhist-monk-burns-to-death-in-river-protest/
http://koreawetlands.blogspot.com/
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?No=73015&id=Dm
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2921282
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/423695.html
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/117_66840.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_self-immolations

Tripitaka Koreana Goes To Seoul

Oh, to be in Seoul now that the Tripitaka Koreana ( a.k.a. Goryeo Tripitaka or Palman Daejanggyeong ("Eighty-Thousand Tripitaka") is making a brief appearance at  the 2010 International Archival Culture Exhibition. The theme for this year's exhibition is "기록으로 만나는 세계" - "A World Re-discovered in Archives" .

Monk checking on the condition of the woodblocks for the Tripitaka Koreana in Haeinsa

What's so special about the Tripitaka Koreana, aside from the way the name trips on the tongue?

It is...

1. National Treasure No. 32
2. one of the most comprehensive and oldest examples of Buddhist scripture; "Because of the accuracy of the Tripitaka Koreana, the Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese versions of the Tripitaka are based on this Korean version." ( from wikipedia)
3. listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register
4. an artefact from Goryeo Dynasty and has survived Mongol attacks and remained well-preserved over 1000 years
5. "...not only (historically) invaluable, it is also aesthetically valuable and shows a high quality of workmanship.( from wikipedia)

An excerpt from the Chosun Ilbo shows how important the TK is:

"To make its second public debut the scriptural work was transported from Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple in South Gyeongsang Province. Monks carefully moved the treasure onto a palanquin and held a special ceremony with over 400 followers. The blocks were delicately wrapped in Korean mulberry paper and placed in a special box before starting the four-hour journey to Seoul."

In addition, you can also see some uigwe featured at this exhibition.So, hurry! IACE 2010 will be held for less than a week between the 1st and 6th of June at COEX A hall, National Archives (Nara repository). Hope some blogger in Seoul will be interested enough to cover this event.  It would help if that person can read Hanja and translate! Ok -I'm half-kidding about the translating but please take lots of pics and check out the hands-on activities.

Sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/02/2010060200791.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripitaka_Koreana
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/737
http://www.iace.or.kr/eng/exhibition/writing_invitation.html?Fnum=70&Fnum2=71