Ruminations in Korea

Who are these Korean bloggers that I link to? Why don’t I link to others? Are there more? These are questions that I get asked with increasing regularity.

I have been asked by Webmistress Jane of Seoul Scene to provide a weekly roundup of Korean blogs. As part of that, I think it would be beneficial to introduce the other blogs that I link to permanently. Mind you, these are my perceptions of these blogs. The blog owners may completely disagree with my views.

The rogues gallery:

About Joel: Joel is a fellow Utahn living here in Korea. Joel first came to Korea in 2000 under the same circumstances that brought me here. His blog is a very personal view of his life and times in Korea. Joel offers some thoughtful insights into Korean issues that affect the common man.

Big Hominid: WARNING: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART! The Big Ho was recently described by a visitor thusly, “I can’t resist noting that that Big Hominid fellow you link to has a very unhealthy obsession with posteriors and excrement. Not a blog I want to read.” Hominid is a creative artist with a twisted imagination and a special brand of dark gallows humor. At the same time, he has very well thought out posts and pointed comments on everything from Buddhism to err…well…everything else.

Californian Sojourn: Cali has lived in California his entire life and, to the best of my knowledge, has never been in Korea. I have never understood exactly why he has a deep interest in Korean issues. His blog deals with political issues, Southern California, and news tidbits. There is a heavy Korean influence to his blog.

Cathartidae: He owns a great board game café in front of Hongik University (Hongdae). An angry liberal (is there another type?) provides his views on politics in the US and Korea, life in Korea, and games. He gives readers the occasional glimpse into what it is like being a foreign business owner in a university neighborhood.

Drambuieman: He owns a great little bar/restaurant with western food in front of Hongik University. Wit, humor, and iron pepper this blog as it explores some of the more perplexing issues of Korean society. Pay has site a visit. Pay his business a visit, and don’t forget to order a double serving of Mexican Salad.

Flying Yangban: The Yangban is one of the scholarly bloggers. Although this blog has a full share of posts from the lighter side, Yangban is one of the top sites for well researched, linked, and thoughtful posts on Korean politics and society.

Hunjangui Karuchim: This is a blog by a Finnish Ph.D. candidate who is preparing his doctoral thesis on a fascinating aspect of Korean society. This site has some very rare and unusual facts, photos, and historical insights. I claim to have discovered this site for the Korean blog community, but perhaps Antti discovered us.

Incestuous Amplificaiton: This blog was one of my early inspirations and guides for getting into a blog. Biting and pointed commentary on all aspects of Korean society pepper this site. As his time in Korean winds down, the posts are becoming less and less frequent, but the gloves are coming off more and more often for some very harsh, but no undeserved criticism.

Kamelian X-rays: A fellow Pusan blogger. He is suffering from a bit of burnout at the moment. The future of his blog is unknown. Hopefully, he will continue to post his analysis of political and legal issues.

Kathreb: A Stanford student. I don’t know what her connection or relation to Korea is, but her sight is heavily Korea-oriented with a heavy dose of North Korea and human rights issues.

Kimchi GI: A great blog that deal in large part with US military issues as affecting and affected by Korean society and politics. The Kimchi GI is in a special position, as he is an “insider” in both sides.

Korea Life: This blog provides a photographic look into the life of an English teacher in Seoul. Check out the other sub-blogs detailing some of the more in-depth and hilarious adventures.

Marmot’s Hole: Marmot is the most popular of the Korean blogs. For anyone interested in any and all aspects of Korean society, Marmot is required reading. Marmot works as a translator for a major Korean newspaper, thus spends his day immersed in Korean news and information and is one of most up to date people on Korean current events that you will meet.

My Resonating Life: This blog is written by a Korean woman who has just returned from studying in the US for five years. Her writing has dropped off a bit since she returned to Korea and moved back into her mother’s house. Mom thinks she is addicted to the internet if she is online more than 15 minutes per day. Curfews are enforced, and she has her CPA exams coming in July. She is just a hair over 5 feet tall, weighs 90 something pounds and is tired of hearing Koreans tell her she is fat.

Neil Barker’s Seoul: Neil writes an online journal type blog where he tells about events in his life and other observations that he feels may be of interest to others.

Oranckay: Oranckay has been in Korea for a long time. During his time in Korea as student, scholar, journalist, and all-around well-connected guy, Oranckay has established himself as one of the most knowledgeable foreigners on Korean issues. His blog is always top notch and well written.

Party Pooper: The Pooper’s blog is one of those blogs that says things about Korea that the rest of us wish we sometimes wish we could say. He calls ‘em as he sees ‘em, often with hilarious results.

Rathbone Press: Started after the Korea Times shut down their readers’ comments section, Rathbone tends to focus on bias or counterproductive ideas and beliefs in the Korean media or Korean society. His posts are meant to be constructive, not malicious.

Seeing Eye Blog: This blog is heavily media-driven with frequent analysis of Korean media bias and the media’s take on domestic societal issues. The author is also a columnist for the Joongang Daily English edition.

Travelitch: Artist, educator, writer, and all around good woman, Elizabeth, offers her comments on teaching english, living, and experiences in Pusan.

These are by no means the only blogs about Korea and things Korean. Although I visit others often, these are the ones that I make time for every day. For a more comprehensive list, I would suggest looking at Marmot’s list of Korean blogs, or the Korean Blog List.

Many of the good blogs are not listed here because the subject matter is unrelated to me and what I do, such as teaching English, linguistics, political activism, etc, but that doesn’t mean that I think they suck. Click around and see what’s available. Check back on Fridays for my weekly Korean Blog Roundup.