White girls *heart* the Brown Eyed Girls’ Abracadabra

Thanks to the awesome http://koreannewsfeeds.com/ site, I stumbled upon this video. She says that she didn’t practice very much, and that she’s nervous about her performance, so be kind, people.

Don’t worry, Miss, you’re just as good at “sexy dances” as most Korean girls. That includes Goo Ha-ra (of Kara, one of Brian’s favorites, though it was Rainbow that made me laugh till I cried).

Fast forward to 3:54 (and especially 4:13) of the video to see her mad dance skillz. (Hat Tip)

And here is a young lady singing the song with English lyrics that she wrote with help from this video. She has but one humble request:

Anyway, since this song is hard to sing, BE NICE! You can make fun of my lyrics, but don’t make fun of my singing because it makes me feel bad. And try not to be a jerk or mean for no reason and don’t be racist either! I only like nice and happy comments. ^^

Sounds reasonable to me.

Notice how both girls used Asian poses. Members of these sites will probably be very happy.

Edit/Update:

If you want to want to learn the dance (since it’s so difficult ), there’s a tutorial on YouTube:

Hmm, within hours of my posting, somebody took down all of the Goo Ha-ra videos. Looks like someone is trying to hide the embarrassing footage. Oh, well, they succeeded, as least temporarily, though someone might find it again later.

Over 26% of Koreans Plan to Buy Imported Cars

According to this article, over 26% of Koreans plan to buy imported cars. This is a far cry from when I first arrived in Korea. Back then, anyone who bought a non-Korean car was regarded as a national traitor. Such back-stabbers could expect to receive a vindictive tax audit (not to mention many “accidental” scratches).

The highest percentage of those surveyed, some 22 percent, said safety was the most important factor that figured into their purchase of a car, followed by design and fuel efficiency.

This is good news for Toyota, who plan to sell more cars in Korea.

Update on Na-young’s recovery

A couple of days ago, I wrote this post about the ongoing recovery of Na-young, the little girl whose violent rape shocked the entire nation.
Now Korea Beat has translated an article, which looks very similar to the one that I posted about, which isn’t surprising, considering that it’s from the Korean-language version of the Joongang Ilbo. Here are a couple of excerpts, though, that were not included in the article I originally posted about:

After her story was reported on October 31st, the nation reached out to her. A medical equipment business adapted an adult colostomy bag to her child’s body. Prof. Han Seok-ju of Severance Children’s Hospital offered to perform surgery to restore her anus. If it works she can discard the colostomy bag. Na-young’s father said, “the interest and kindness of strangers saved my daughter.”

[ snip ]

She said she like studying math. Her grades were nearly the same as before the incident. She scored over 90 on her latest test. She laughs and her depression has disappeared, and she has begun holding hands with people. The picture Na-young showed to this reporter was titled “change”.

Though she previously wanted to be a chef, her new dream is to be a doctor. I asked her the reason. “I was sick and the doctor helped me.” Prof. Shin said, “Na-young is now 70% recovered. The only thing left is to go through puberty.”

Na-young sent a picture and card to Prof. Shin and attorney Lee Myeong-suk, the human rights director of the Korean Bar Association (대한변호사협회). In neat handwriting she wrote, “Teachers! Thank you for taking care of me so well.” Next to her, her father smiled. “That’s what Na-young is going to write to everyone who helped her and supported her.”

Na-young is beginning to smile again

Here’s some good news, and just in time for Christmas. Na-young, the little girl who suffered so horribly, is starting to smile again.

The girl had the sparkle of mischief in her eyes.

She would hide behind a pillar and would stick her head out laughing whenever the door opened.

She asked for a pen and a sheet of paper and started drawing. A baby bird was giving a present to its mother in one, and a child in a red dress – just like hers – was flashing a big smile in another.

[ snip ]

Na-young was assaulted in December 2008, but it was two months later that she started receiving psychiatric treatment by Dr. Shin Eui-jin at Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital in Seoul. Shin acknowledged that at first it was difficult to open Na-young’s mind. The first and foremost goal of the therapy was to remind the girl that the assault wasn’t her fault at all and to help her restore her self-esteem.

It took two months for her to receive psychiatric help? Why?

Soon, Na-young herself began to change. She said she wanted to go to school again. Though her parents wanted to transfer her to another school, the young girl said she’d be fine back at the old place. She started bringing her friends home. Since September, Na-young has been attending a hagwon (private academic institute) for arithmetic. Her father was hesitant at first because the hagwon was next to the scene of the crime, but his daughter was insistent.

Na-young recently sent Shin a Christmas card, thanking the doctor for helping with her recovery. The young girl is aspiring to become a medical doctor one day, too.

“I would say Na-young has improved to about 70 percent,” Shin said. “I hope this child never loses her dream.”

I’m glad to hear this. She sounds tough and resilient. I’m saddened, though, to think that she’ll be twenty years old when that animal, Cho Du-sun, gets out of prison.

The women of Naked News Korea have formed a girl band. I’m neither kidding nor on crack

Have you ever wondered what happened to the women of Naked News Korea after it went bust? Well, wonder no more. They have formed a girl band.

No.

Really.

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Okay, have you stopped laughing?

The name of the group is called … wait for it … the Naked Girls. According to a representative:

“We have gathered Minkyung, Jaekyung, Hyeji and Taehee to form this girl group, and will officially debut under the name Naked Girls in January next year. Their performances will be composed of inappropriate songs and choreography, definitely not suitable for youth. The girls’ activities will be focused more on musicals rather than national television.”

Oh, and you can add a new item to your ever-lengthening list of Konglish: sexycal — a sexy musical. If they’re like so-called “sexy dances,” they’re probably not very sexy at all.

“Short Losers” controversy causes Misuda production team to resign & retail boom

You may have heard about the “Short Losers” controversy, in which a guest on Misuda/Chat with Beauties said that men under 180 cm (about 5′11″) are “losers.” The young woman, Lee Do-kyoung, a student at Hongik University, immediately found herself in a lot of hot water. She tried to defend herself by claiming that the show is scripted, and that she was merely doing what was asked of her.
The show, and even its TV station, also were the targets of criticism, with one man suing KBS for causing him “emotional distress.” As a result, the entire production team of the show has resigned.
If you’re one of those who’ve suffered “emotional distress,” take heart in the fact that Hyun-ah, of the group 4Minute, likes losers. It would be so much better if she weren’t 17 and underage.
The controversy has been a boon to online retailers, who’ve received an unexpected but welcome windfall:

Interpark has set up an entirely new shopping category labeled, “escape being a loser!” The fresh line-up offers everything from height increasing shoe insoles to straight up men’s heels.

There is one condition prior to making the purchase: Shoppers can’t be taller than 180 centimeters, say Interpark officials.

[snip]

Another Internet shopping site, 11th Street, has also launched a special shopping section dubbed “don’t worry be happy” for shoppers who consider themselves “losers.” It sells a wide range of goods flattering for “vertically challenged” people at prices starting from 2,500 won.

[snip]

Sales of men’s shoes with inner heels climbed 20 percent over the past week, according to industry data, leaving some popular products out of stock.

Below are some of the designs that are finding their way onto tee-shirts:

Lastly, you can read this article about Korea’s recent preoccupation with height.
(Hat Tip to Kushibo)

Student sexually harassing teacher caught on video

This story was first broken by Korea Beat, but now we can read about the story in much more detail in the Korea Times. A high school student was caught on video sexually harassing his female teacher. It seems that the student, a sophomore (and yet already taller than his teacher) approached the teacher, putting his arm around her shoulders. After trying, unsuccessfully, to push him away, she walked away. He followed her, putting his arm around her.

After the video clip triggered criticism online, the school decided to slap a 10-day suspension on the student along with the person who taped it.

I wonder what why the student who taped the incident was also disciplined? Because he didn’t intervene? I’d say that posting this video was a form of intervention, since it is what let to the student being disciplined. And students should not be under any obligation to insert themselves into that situation, especially since the student was big and getting physical.
This is not the first time that there has been a major incident involving students getting physically abusive with their teachers. When the current generation grows up, I have my doubts as to whether I will want to remain here, teaching. If students are going to act like that, then I might as well be back in my own country. At least I’ll be close to my family, old friends, and in my own culture and language. Not to mention moving towards home ownership.

Edit/Update:

Thanks to Korea Beat commenter DynamicallySparkling, we can now see the video. Brian in Jeollanam-do and Korea Beat, respectively, made these comments:

I can guess Korean teachers might say this is symptomatic of kids being less disciplined in years past—maybe true, I don’t know—but this is testament is also to the chaos that is the classroom between periods. Not sure how it is at your public schools, but at mine it was a lawless 10 minutes where kids ran around, wrestled, fought, threw stuff out windows, raced with chairs, and sometimes destroyed the furniture and books in the room.

Exactly what I experienced as well. It was always a complete madhouse/zoo.

Man Indicted for Racial Discrimination Against Indian Professor

Do you remember this incident? The man who hurled racial slurs at the Indian professor, identified only as Park, has been indicted on charges of racial discrimination. This is the first ever such case.

Convicted of violent crimes? Wait three years, and you can get air rifles or explosives

The Korea Times has a article describing how Korea is in danger of losing its well-deserved reputation as a country where one can be quite safe from violent crime. One of the reasons is because of the ease with which people previously convicted of violent crimes can acquire air rifles and other potentially deadly weapons.

On Aug. 22, a 59-year-old barmaid was gunned down at a hotel in southeastern Seoul by her boss, identified by Seo. She was found shot four times and stabbed several times at the scene, police said.

[ snip ]

On the same day, the Paju Police Station in Gyeonggi Province arrested a 62-year-old man, identified as Bang, for shooting his friend with an air rifle in a fit of anger.

Police later found Seo had been convicted three times of violence and Bang convicted five times on similar charges.

Despite the criminal records, current regulations fell short of keeping them away from the dangerous air rifles and other weapons.

Under the current law, those who have been convicted of crimes can buy potentially life-threatening weapons, including air rifles and explosives, three years after they are released.

The current rules are so generous that even those with mental disabilities have no problem in obtaining air guns, experts said.

Police said Seo was previously diagnosed with a mental disorder and had received medical treatment since 2006.

Korean singers unknowingly copy Western sexual gestures

In the first couple of seconds of this new version of the Lollipop TV commercial (Hat Tip), singer G-Dragon (of the group Big Bang) makes a gesture that, unbeknownst to him, is an allusion to oral sex. (Here is a repeating loop of the gesture in question. (Hat Tip)) It’s not the first time that he’s made such a mistake. He once wore, at an awards show, a t-shirt that said, “I *heart* sex,” “69,” and “F**k you, too.”)

At about 2:45 of this video (possibly the weirdest one you’ll see this week*) Hyun-ah of 4Minute and a couple members of 2PM (JYP Entertainment evidently loves number/times of day combinations) go to one side of the room and start doing pelvic thrusts at the guests. Then they run over to the other side and start doing pelvic thrusts at the host. Do they even know what they’re doing? I would guess not.

* Why does almost every episode of almost every Korean comedy show have to show men dancing around in women’s clothes? Doesn’t this joke eventually get old after a while?