Music comes to life at Seoul's Drum Festival.

Summer is still in full swing and so are many of Korea’s festivals, which will be hoping to catch the last of the sun’s rays now fall is beginning to creep up on us. Among some of the great festivals on this month include the World Martial Arts Festival in Chungju, the DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival, and the Seoul Drum Festival. Be sure to check out many other great events happening across the country before winter comes along.

Chungju World Martial Arts Festival
Period: Sept. 2-8
Region: Chungcheongbuk-do
This festival showcases all of the world’s martial arts forms, as well as Korea’s traditional martial arts.

 Hyoseok Cultural Festival
Period: Sept 9-18
Region: Gangwon-do
Hyoseok Cultural Festival is held to commemorate modern Korean writer Lee Hyo-seok and his popular novel ‘When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom.’

 Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival
Period: Sept 21-25
Region: Gyeonggi-do
Gwacheon Hanmadang Festival, held every fall, is a unique celebration embodying the unique spirit of the street art culture.

Cheongju International Craft Biennale
Period: Sept 21- Oct 30
Region: Chungcheongbuk-do
Since its debut in 1999, the Cheongju International Craft Biennale (CICB) has run under a variety of different themes: ‘Hands of Harmony,’ ‘The Breath of Nature,’ ‘Use,’ ‘Temptation,’ and ‘Creative Evolution.’

DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival
Period: Sept 22-28
Region: Gyeonggi-do
As the world’s only DMZ documentary film festival, this event offers an important opportunity to learn more about one of the world’s most unique political situations.

Millennial Anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana
Period: 09-23-2011 ~ 11-06-2011
Region: Gyeongsangnam-do
‘Goryeo Daejanggyeong,’ also known as the Eighty-thousand Tripitaka or the Tripitaka Koreana, is a set of ancient Buddhist scripture woodblocks housed in Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon-gun County.

Seoul Drum Festival
Period: Sept 23-24
Region: Seoul
At Seoul Drum Festival, professional and amateur percussionists from around the world gather to stage exciting performances featuring different types of percussion instruments.

Icheon Ceramic Festival
Period: Sept. 24- Oct 23
Region: Gyeonggi-do
Icheon has 1,000 years of history in ceramic arts and its ceramics festival is one of the most famous in Korea.

7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival
Period: Sept 27- Oct 2
Region: Gwangju
The 7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival is one of Gwangju’s most famous gatherings. It takes place for 5-6 days every October. The festival is themed on a revisit to the 70’s a& 80’s.

Cheonan World Dance Festival
Period: Sept 28- Oct 3
Region: Chungcheongnam-do
The Cheonan World Dance Festival celebrates the traditional dances, songs and costumes of Korea. Visitors may participate in singing and dancing competitions, or attend a re-enactments.

Seoul Performing Arts Festival
Period: Sept 28- Oct 31
Region: Seoul
Every year, the Seoul Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) creates a buzz among the public and the media by introducing major international and domestic contemporary performances.

Wonju Hanji Festival 2011
Period: Sept 28- Oct 2
Region: Gangwon-do
In early Fall every year, the Hanji Festival with the theme of Hanji (traditional Korean paper) is held in Wonju (Gangwon-do), a city with rich history of producing Hanji.

Yangyang Songi Festival (Pine Mushroom Festival)
Period: Sept. 29- Oct 3
Region: Gangwon-do
Known to many as ‘golden mushrooms,’ ‘diamonds in the woods,’ and ‘mystic and magical mushrooms,’ songi mushrooms that naturally grow under old pine trees are strictly prohibited from public access.

Andong Maskdance Festival
Period: Sept 30- Oct 9
Region: Gyeongsangbuk-do
The Andong region has many highly renowned historic and cultural sites, such as Hahoe Village, however the major cultural attraction of the region is the Andong Maskdance Festival.

Jeonju International Sori Festival
Period: Sept 30- Oct 4
Region: Jeollabuk-do
Jeonju International Sori Festival is a global music festival centred on Korean vocals and music. It is a top performing arts festival where exquisite Korean and global music are brought together.

Sewage and waste disposal has been a continuing problem in Korea.

The state of Korea’s sewage and waste disposal system has been a raging topic of debate for the last 20 years and many opinions have been raised regarding its functionality and sanitization levels for its 49 million residents.

There is no doubt the Korean government has come far since the Korean War in building a satisfactory sanitization system, though walking through the streets of anywhere in downtown cities such as Gwangju, Seoul or Busan and smelling the rancid stench of sewage, the question remains: Have they really done enough?

For a country at the forefront of robotic and broadband technology, most of the basic needs of the people seem to have been overlooked. Every year the Korean government pumps more than 30 billion won ($26.7 million) into the ever-growing robotics market, and less into improving sewage treatment, 98 per cent of which is pumped into the Pacific Ocean every year from Korea and surrounding countries.

Even with budget increases in 2011 to ensure recovery to the economy, The Ministry of Strategy and Finance plans to cut its spending on desperately needed infrastructure like roads and sewage treatment by 3.2 percent to 24.3 trillion won. According to the Bank of South Korea’s Infrastructure Report for 2011, most of this money will be spent on upgrading the country’s bullet train network from Seoul to other cities to cut travel time and reduce carbon emissions, and expanding the country’s smart grid system.

Although this is good for public transport, baser needs like water pollution because of sewage overflow and littering are still in desperate need of attention, especially when the current garbage system appears to be failing.

Since January 1, 1995, when the Ministry of Environment introduced a “volume based waste collection fee system,” city dwellers are now required to buy special expensive color-coded trash bags to dispose of their solid household waste, but at about 9,000 won for three 50 liter bags, it approaches outrageous. However, the price of the bags includes the trash removal service and works on the assumption that if you consume less, then you pay less. Attempts to use anything other than these bags can result in fines of up to one million won and your trash left decaying on the street.

Although this is a great idea aimed at reducing the quantity of solid waste, it is completely undermined by individual product packaging, and the absence of street bins. One has only to walk the streets of any city in Korea to notice the heaped trash lying scattered on the ground.

About 98% of waste dumped in the Pacific is untreated, and Korea is among other Asian countries continuously contributing to this.

Last month, the issue was further highlighted by Pyeongtaek City personnel who accused American GIs living off-base of breaking the trash disposal laws. South Korean authorities said they were failing to use the trash bags required by Korean law and were not sorting recyclable items as required.

Pyeongtaek City’s waste management division manager, Lee Min-hyon, identified other areas where off-base U.S. military personnel were allegedly violating trash laws, including Uijeongbu, Dongducheon, Seoul, Pyeongtaek, Waegwan and Daegu, though he said it was especially frequent in Pyeongtaek and Waegwan.

Although most off-base residents comply with the laws, he said others were continuing to abuse the system. He said that the violations have an even broader impact on the system since it increases local trash collection costs, increases municipal workload, poses damage to the environment, deprives the government of recyclable resources, and gives U.S. military personnel a bad name.

However it isn’t just the foreign influence making South Korea a dirty place. The country regularly comes under fire from the United Nations for its water standards, which are a direct result of its growing population and sewage problems. Sewage companies are usually unable to process the sheer amount of waste, and what they can’t maintain is pumped into other bodies of water, usually the ocean. Once in the ocean the waste can then flow into rivers and streams, which continue to hurt Korea’s fishing industry.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been on the case of Asian governments since the early 90’s to start cleaning up their acts. Pollution and marine contamination remains at the forefront of Asian environmental offences, something of which has continued to take centre stage in global politics since that time. In 1999 South Korea, Japan and China took steps by forming a joint commission, to address environmental problems, and in 2008 Korea boosted investment into renewable energy.

But for Korea, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Continuing irresponsible disposal of garbage and sewage into the Pacific ocean is removing labels like “paradise” from tourist-friendly islands like Jeju. UNEP executive director Klaus Toepfer told the Associated Press: “Small islands across the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the Pacific are some of the most vulnerable nations on Earth. Handling solid wastes from industry, households and tourism is emerging as another issue with which they need advice and help.” If not simply for the benefit of eradicating rancid sewage smells downtown, many have high hopes for more action.

Hangover soup is a very popular after-drink snack.

This is a thick, spicy, and very hearty soup made from ox (beef) bone broth with soybean paste (doenjang), soybean sprouts, white radish, green onions and sometimes ox blood. Also called ‘early morning soup’ or ‘hangover soup’, this is a very traditional home-style dish often eaten after a night of heavy drinking.

Serves 6

WARNING: This recipe takes a little more prep work than usual.

Ingredients:

First Boil:

4          pounds             Pork Spine or neck bones with meat on

8          cups                  of water

Simmer Ingredients:

Spine bones from first boil

1          cup                    doenjang (Korean miso) paste

1                                     medium white onion

6                                    garlic cloves

8          cups                  unsalted beef broth

1                                     large green onion (white only – reserve the green for third boil)

1          ounce                peeled ginger

10                                   whole or cracked (not ground) black pepper seeds

Boil:

Strip bones from previous steps

Broth from ‘simmer ingredients’ step

1                                       small Korean white radish (Daikon) (about 1 pound)

8                                      outer leaves of napa (Chinese cabbage)

4          ounces               dried gosari (fern bracken, fern sprouts)

8                                      cloves of garlic

2                                      green chilli peppers (mild)

1                                       or 2 red chilli peppers (hot)

2          tablespoons      gochujang (red pepper paste)

2          oz                        neutari beoseot (oyster mushrooms)

3 -4                                 pyogo beoseot (shiitake mushrooms)

4          tablespoons      medium or fine ground red chilli pepper

½         pound               soy bean sprouts

Final:

6                                      green onions + the reserved green from the ‘simmer ingredients’ step

2          ounces                paengi beoseot (enoki mushrooms)

Optional:

½         cup                     clotted ox (beef) blood

1          teaspoon             salt

½         cup                     water

Proceedure:

‘First Boil’:

1. Place spine bones in a large cooking pot and cover with cold water.
2. Soak for two hours, rinse, and drain (discard soak water).
3. Cover bones with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Boil for about five minutes; remove from heat, and discard boil water.
5. Rinse bones in cold water and drain.

‘Simmer’:

1. Rub the bones with the doenjang paste and let sit for ten minutes.
2. Cut onion in quarters
3. Peel and slice ginger into two or three pieces
4. Cut garlic cloves in half from top to bottom
5. Slice the white section of the green onion in half from top to bottom.

Cook:

1. Place spine bones in large pot and cover with beef broth.
2. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
3. Add all other ‘simmer’ ingredients.
4. Simmer for two hours, adding water as needed to maintain 3/4 the original liquid volume.
5. Carefully remove bones from broth, then strain the broth into a second cooking pot.
6. Discard vegetable solids strained from the broth.

Third Boil:

1. Soak dried gosari for about 30 minutes to one hour in cold water.
2. Rinse and drain.
3. Cut Korean white radish in slices about 1/2 inch thick.
4. For thicker radish, cut in half or quarters from top to bottom first.
5. Rinse Napa Cabbage well in cold water.
6. Cut leaves into strips about 3/4 of an inch wide by 2 inches long.
7. Slice garlic in half or thirds from top to bottom.
8. Slice chilli peppers on a diagonal.
9. Cut oyster mushrooms into bite sized pieces
10. If the shiitake mushrooms are dried, rinse well in cold water, then reconstitute in 1/2 cup beef broth. Cut fresh or re-hydrated mushrooms in half.
11. Rinse soybean sprouts well in cold water.

Cook:

1. Place spine bones back into cooking pot, add strained broth, (and optional blood mix) and bring to a medium boil.
2. Add sliced radish and gosari, cook for three to five minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients and cook another five minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low.

Final:

1. Separate paengi beoseot (enoki mushrooms) into small bunches. (one bunch per serving bowl)
2. Cut green onions into about 1 1/2 inch lengths.
3. CAREFULLY place some of the spine bones in each serving bowl.
4. Use a slotted spoon and place cooked vegetables in each serving, on top of the bones.
5. Place green onion and paengi on top of the vegetables.
6. Ladle simmering broth over the meat and vegetables in each bowl.
7. Turn off heat under the soup pot.
8. Serve with steamed white rice and ban chan.

Incheon's Chinatown's entrance, right off the metro.

It was hot, humid, and probably the smoggiest day I’ve encountered since my early childhood days in Los Angeles in the 1980?s, making it as they say in photography terms – a white-balance nightmare; not to mention enduring and experiencing the feeling of sitting in a stuffy, smoky room and not being able to leave.

However, all this didn’t stop my friend Cassandra and I from traversing the almost interminable distance across Seoul, from Gangnam all the way to Incheon, in order to take a stroll through the largest Chinatown outside China itself and relax while indulging some authentic Chinese cuisine. The thought of scrumptious, fried rice was on the tips of our tongues the entire odyssey to Incheon, and as soon as we stepped off the bus, we immediately set off to find a nice Chinese restaurant that would render satisfaction upon our unyielding longing for great-tasting Chinese food.

Cassandra posing in front of the restaurant that we chose with the ornate entrance.

As soon as we exited the metro station, we set eyes on what we knew was the Chinatown entrance and then began the trek uphill towards what we could see as the principal area. We passed by several Chinese restaurants and many outlets selling tawdry merchandise, or as I emphatically mentioned to Cassandra as “nick-nack BS.” This prompted a brief chuckle, but we continued on uphill until it plateaued.

After taking a right, we then cruised down a street full of Chinese restaurants, nick-nack stores, and tourists that we were successfully able to dodge in order to find at random a super cool Chinese restaurant at the end of the street that pulled us in like gravity.

Immediately upon entering, Cassandra and I knew that we had chosen a perfect restaurant to obtain our fill. The restaurant had a great feel about it, and after examining the menu, we eventually chose a garlic-chicken dish accompanied with some “special” fried rice and “special” fried noodles. We didn’t necessarily know what we were exactly ordering in terms of the “special” dishes, but we concluded that it would be kind fun to just take a chance and try them. However, before the dishes arrived, I wished to satisfy another small craving: a zesty Tsingtao that would aptly pair with our food.

Tsingtao hit the spot.

What I didn’t know was that the Tsingtao came in a monster-sized bottle, which utterly surprised me at the sight of it being placed in front of me. No matter, I thought. The size of the bottle was soon forgotten when our food arrived as I continuously needed suds to counter the spicy Chinese garlic chicken. The fried rice, noodles, and chicken were quite delectable, especially the fried rice and garlic chicken, as they were essentially cleaned off the plates by our ambitious appetites in a matter of minutes.

Upon exiting the restaurant we were hit with a blast wave of sweltering heat and humidity, and it was almost regrettable that we were leaving the confines of an air-conditioned room. However, we traveled quite a distance, and it would have been wrong of us to just head back after getting our fill without checking out Chinatown a bit more, in addition to the large park nearby.

Incheon Chinatown public area.

It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon this cool Chinatown public area where many people attempted to stay cool in the shade.

I even attempted to take a break in the shade for a moment and I probably could have slept here for hours, but time was of the essence.

Douglas MacArthur Plaza, Incheon, South Korea.

After taking a stroll up the road, we reached a large park where I knew stood a monument dedicated to General Douglas MacArthur, and I was supremely eager to

locate it. Before reaching it, I snapped several photos of interesting things along the way.

Upon arriving the Douglas MacArthur Plaza, I was surprised to find that his statue-monument was surrounded by large flower gardens.

General Douglas MacArthur Statue.

For those not well versed on South Korean history, General Douglas MacArthur is seen as a hero by the Korean people as he devised, launched, and coordinated the Incheon Landing (Codename: Operation Chromite), despite strong objections by other cautious generals, on September 15, 1950, which was a surprised amphibious assault that ended a string of victories by the invading North Korean Army. The Battle of Incheon subsequently ensued for two grueling days that resulted in an overwhelmingly decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations. The UN recapture of Seoul quickly followed partially severing North Korea’s supply lines and the tides of war in Korea were quickly and forever changed from this moment on.

Incheon Chinatown dragon dance.

At this point we were both drenched in sweat, but were still all smiles.

After leaving the park on our way back to Chinatown, we passed through the North Entrance/Exit and then heard music down the hill.

After hastily venturing down several flights of stairs, we reached the street where we then saw a Chinese parade and “dragon dancers.” We both rushed in to get a close view and to quickly snap a few photos.

It was a good day in Chinatown and I can see myself returning whenever the super strong urge arises to get some authentic Chinese food; yummy!

My colleagues willbe happy I put up this picture. Note the number of good luck plants in the background.

My school has officially opened. On Saturday we had what was supposed to be a ‘ceremony’, but it turned out to be a bunch of Koreans hijacking the six classrooms and finding some new and exciting places to consume alcohol and eat crushed pigs skull in what is normally a place of learning and education.

For the briefest of moments, board markers and erasers were replaced with bottles of the Devil’s drink, soju, and a few crates of delicious Hite. Middle aged Koreans made themselves comfortable in the same chairs students aged between 8 and 14 do from Monday to Friday. The mood of my pupils is often dependent on how many other academies they have to attend that night. The men and women here were significantly more jolly.

When I heard there was to be a ceremony, I half expected some hard core parents and students to be present. There would be the customary cutting of the ribbon you see in Western societies, and maybe a local celebrity or politician would say a few kind words. As he departed the scene, a brown envelope would be slyly passed his way.

He would then make his way to another grand opening and say the same gracious remarks. Maybe… someone would smash a bottle of champagne off the school wall. We would all stand and applaud as a plaque commemorating this special day would be unveiled. Flash bulbs and thumbs up.

But on the sixth floor, above Baskin Robbins, the ceremony was an altogether more familiar theme. Friends and relatives dropped by at 1pm to offer my new boss, a Korean, the very best of luck. They shared some beverages and tucked into the not so splendid food. About the only thing I can’t stomach in Korea is pig’s skull.

If you haven’t tried it, imagine a relatively small and cold rectangular piece of hard, pink meat. Sometimes there is even bone in it. For me, the taste and texture is revolting. Thankfully, there were alternatives in kimchi, rice cakes, fruit and nuts.

By the time we left, at around 3, there were close to 50 people there, and rising. The foreigners, by that I mean my colleague and I, were segregated to our own little table with an English speaking colleague. I found it rather amusing that at the opening of an English school, where the boss has a more than decent grasp of the language, there was no-one else there who could communicate with us in the language their friend or relative hopes to make money off. Every woman was pregnant too, and the owner’s wife, herself one month from the due date, was the busiest person in the room acting as part time receptionist and waitress.

The school has two Christmas trees in the reception area. I loved how two of the school’s Koreans trusted themselves to decorate it. I’m not sure how used to decorating they were, but it was like they vomited everything onto one spot and left huge areas deserted of colour. But as the day progressed, the trees were well hidden by the constant stream of flowers, plants and wreaths, in all sizes, pouring through the door. These are for good luck in Korea, and seemingly everyone gives the same gift. The ribbon bears the name of the sender and in some cases contains a few words of luck. Within two hours, reception looked like a rainforest.

So, my school is officially open. Not how I would have imagined, but it was party with beer and food on a cold Saturday afternoon. I’ll be dreaming back to that tomorrow when I’m standing in front of my first class going over phonics.

C-at……….cat

B-at……….bat

Baby Hannah suffers from an extremely rare ...

Teach ESL Korea Recruiting is teaming up with the good folks behind the Help Hannah Bar Crawl, to help raise money for a great cause.

In Ilsan (Goyang) this event is what Dan Hendrickson, TEK owner, said was “a great way for (people) to get together and get to know each other, support a great cause, enjoy the Ilsan bar scene for a night and have a lot of fun.”

You can help Hannah by taking part in the Pub Crawl this weekend.

Ilsan is considered to have the best bar scene of all of the cities around Seoul, and with more than 600 teacher in the Seoul and Gyeonggi-do area recruited through Dan, chances are it will be one giant party!

“We’d love to see how many we can get out to this event,” he said.

Hannah was born in August 2010 with an extremely rare congenial abnormality known as tracheal agenesis, meaning her trachea failed to develop. Through your participation and support, you can increase the chances of Hannah surviving her operation in August or September this year.

Read more on Hannah here. (Korean alternative link)

Teach ESL Korea will be making an additional donation to the Hannah fund, based on the number of attendees. If there are any questions on event day, contact Dan Hendrickson on 010-4033-2025.

More information can be found below, and by following the link to the Facebook page to sign up.

Hello all, I’m proud to announce the Help Hannah Bar Crawl! Possibly Ilsan’s first ever Bar crawl event, taking place on Saturday August 20th.

Why are we doing this? The main reason, as the name suggests, is to raise money for Baby Hannah so that she can live a long and happy life.

Another reason we are doing this is to promote the social scene in Ilsan and bring people back to the bars in the area on Friday and Saturday nights. The bar crawl will be a great reminder that we do have some excellent bars on our doorstep.

It is also a chance for new people, or those not familiar about the area, to see what the social crowd is like in Ilsan. The crawl provides a fantastic opportunity to network and meet new people, and catch up with old faces, for Koreans as well as waygooks.

So what is going down on August 20th? At the start of the night (or for that matter any time) you can buy a wristband for 10,000w (or more if you are generous). This wristband entitles you to all the drinks specials provided to use by all the bars taking part in the crawl. We will be at a bar for roughly 2 hours,then move on to the next venue, ending up in Old Rock (an LP bar) until the wee hours of the morning.

TICKETS ARE PURCHASED ON THE NIGHT, NO NEED TO BUY IN ADVANCE

All the money from the wristbands will go directly to Hannah and her family.

Here is the timetable for the nights events…..

__________________________?__________________________?__________

———Bar 1 – Intos (5.45pm until roughly 8.15pm)

Spin the wheel! Any drink you buy, you can take your chances and spin the wheel in Intos. There is a chance to get 25% off your drink price, 50% or even 100% off!.

If you dont want to spin the wheel, there is also on offer…

Soju Cocktail – 1,000w
Vodka Tonic or Gin and Tonic – 2,500w.
Games at the pool table to win free drinks.
Plus more silly stuff to win drinks cheap

——–Bar 2 – WHISKEY WEASEL (Brand new bar close to Paris Baguette) (8.15 until 10.45)

The fantastic folks at Whiskey Weasel (the soon to be new bar in Ilsan) have put on some amazing deals for us….

ONE FREE DRINK. As long as you have your wristband, you are entitled to one free drink! Brilliant craic
All drinks are 2,000w! Draughts, bottles, spirits, anything!

And possibly best of all, the bar are letting us play BEER PONG! They will be providing the beer, you provide your beer pong skills.

On August 12th (the bars soft opening night) for every drink you buy, 1,000w of the cost will go directly to the Help Hannah Charity, how great is that?!

For more info on the bar click here.

——–Bar 3 – Le pub (10.45pm until 1am)

Le Pub are providing us….

Tequila Sunrise – 2,500w
Rum and Coke – 2,500w
Le Pub’s choice of shot – 2,500w
Also, there will be a darts game, if you hit the bullseye, you get a free drink
From 11pm we will also be screening a game LIVE from the EPL

——–Bar 4 – Old Rock (1am until you think you should probably go home)

Jack and Coke – 2,000w
Bottle of Cass – 2,000w

As always, you can request whatever song you want, people with wristbands get priority for songs. Other drinking games will be taking place too.

__________________________?__________________________?__________

So, you are certainly getting value for the 10,000 you are paying for a wristband. Please come out for it, it should be a great laugh, a good drink, and most importantly, it is for a fantastic cause. Get inviting your friends wherever they live and lets make this the best night possible.

Also, check out Whiskey Weasel on August 12th, they are donating 1,000w of every drink to the charity! There will be donation buckets going around the whole night, again, with all the proceedings going to the cause.

A modern Korean Air plane.

The frightening thing about September 1st 1983 was this happened to be the second time a Korean Air passenger jet was shot or blown out of the sky by Soviet planes. Five years previous, in April 1978, Korean Air Flight 902 from Paris to Anchorage was hit by the second of two P-60 rockets and rapidly descended towards the Soviet hinterland near Kem. The pilot evaded his attackers in the clouds before an emergency landing brought the plane down on the ice of Lake Korpijärvi.

Given the nature of the incident, it’s something of a minor miracle that only 2 of the 197 passengers on board were killed. The rest, ironically, were rescued by the same people who tried to murder them only forty minutes before.

Unfortunately, the crew and passengers aboard Flight 007 bound for Seoul would not be so lucky.

A recent documentary on the Discovery Channel shed light on the events of 1983 – a time they called the near Armageddon of planet Earth. How close were we to World War III? The two hour programme featured ex-KGB officers, one of whom admitted he felt the shooting down of Korean Air Flight 007 would be the catalyst for war. It wasn’t, and subsequent near misses only heightened the unbearable tension, even if some were kept secret until the collapse of the USSR.

But why were two Korean Air passenger jets targeted and attacked by the Soviet air force?

What happened to Korean Air Flight 902?

Flight 902 airliner was shot down with missiles.

According to a Time magazine article published in May 1978, ten days after Flight 902 came down on Lake Korpijärvi near Murmansk on the Finnish side of the Soviet Union, the biggest mystery surrounding this shoot down was why did the veteran pilot make an unexpected 180° turn over the Arctic.

The plane left Paris bound for Anchorage, Alaska, where it would refuel before flying into Seoul. The passenger jet followed the normal route over the North Sea and Greenland and was less four hours from refueling when the pilot changed the course and headed south, but not for Alaska. Flight 902 was heading towards Murmansk. The plane was not fitted with an inertial navigation system and the pilots had failed to notice the sun’s position was 180 degrees off where it should have been.

East of Finland, the plane ventured into Soviet airspace near the Kola peninsula. Norwegian radars detected the scrambling of Soviet fighters, who incorrectly identified the jet as a US Air Force reconnaissance RC-135. Su-15 pilot Capt. A. Bosov was ordered to take it down, but pleaded with his superiors as the target was not a military threat. The Soviets claimed the pilots had failed to respond to Interceptors, an allegation rebuked by the Koreans. They even went as far as saying the pilots had attempted to evade the Interceptors for two hours. Either way, Captain Bosov launched two R-60 rockets, causing substantial damage to the left wing.

When the plane came down, the Soviets made sure the world knew who was responsible. The passengers were held for two days and the pilots kept until an investigation was concluded. The pilots had to apologise for disobeying military commands by the Soviets and the Korean government invoiced for $100,000 for “caretaking expenses.”

At the time, South Korea and the Soviet Union did not share diplomatic relations.

“The target is destroyed.”

The flight paths of 902 and 007.

All 269 people on board KE007 were killed when two Soviet Interceptors shot it out of the sky after it had inadvertently crossed into prohibited Soviet airspace. The Discovery Channel documentary included a clip of one of the pilots who announced his great pleasure “at hitting my target successfully.” The plane eventually came down near Moneron Island in the East Sea. It was the first in a series of events that almost brought the Cold War into nuclear battle in late 1983.

Airways magazine takes up the story:

“Soviet Air Force pilot Major Gennadiy Nikolayevich Osipovich radioed his flight’s ‘director’ (controller) from his Sukhoi Su-15 (‘Flagon’) interceptor, with the ominous words: “The target is destroyed.” Osipovich, who had just launched two Kaliningrad K-8 (‘AA-3 Anab’) air-to-air missiles, later reported that “The first missile hit near the tail. There was a burst of yellow flame. The second took off half the left wing. The lights and flashers went out immediately…”

Among the fatalities was Larry McDonald, an American politician and a member of the House of Representatives, representing Georgia as a Democrat. McDonald was the only sitting member of Congress killed by the Soviets during the Cold War.

What happened to the plane is a confusing topic. Flight 007 entered Russian airspace and left it over the Sea of Okhostk after six MiG- 23 fighters were scrambled. According to some reports, the Soviets had considered shooting down the passenger jet over international waters. Because of the errors made when Korean Air flight 902 had been allowed to pass so far into Soviet airspace five years previous, the same mistakes would not be allowed again. The plane’s route had alerted the Soviets before it crossed over. The plane was still 185 miles off course when it re-entered Soviet airspace. Six minutes later, the order came through to destroy the target. Four minutes after that, two air-to-air missiles struck the Boeing, spiralling it out of control into the sea.

The shooting down of Flight 007 also sparked one of the most bizarre and unlikely set of conspiracy theories in aviation history. The plane left New York bound for Seoul with a scheduled stop over in Anchorage. Initially the Soviets denied any knowledge of the incident but eventually claimed, in great detail, that the plane was part of spy mission. The Pacific seaboard of the USSR had often been crossed by USAF jets on a reconnaissance mission, returning to international airspace before the Soviets could track them down.

In December 1983, Time noted how British magazine Defence Attaché had been successfully sued for “substantial damages” by KAL after an anonymous author claimed “the U.S. accidentally triggered the tragedy by using the airliner to gather intelligence about Soviet air defenses. The plane, the writer contended, intentionally flew over Soviet territory in order to test the country’s reflexes as the space shuttle Challenger and a U.S. Ferret-D electronic data-gathering satellite observed from above.”

The Korean Government, pleased with the British Court’s decision, had hoped this would end all speculation about the passenger jet. Unfortunately, theories have continued to be aired and numerous books printed. Part of the overall confusion was that the Soviets waited ten years before releasing the flight data recorder evidence. The Korean Air Lines Flight 007 alternative theories page on Wikipedia list most of the major controversies.

Perhaps no-one will fully know what happened to Flight 007 but one thing is sure. Korean Air played an unfortunate and unwanted prominent role in the Cold War. They never asked for it, nor ever wanted it.

Rescuers search for survivors after fatal landslides near Seoul.

Landslides have claimed the lives of 32 people as heavy rain flooded homes and caused chaos across the northern areas of South Korea.

Perhaps the most devastating, a hotel at a mountain resort in Chuncheon, east of Seoul, killed 13 people, most of them students. They were part of a university group doing volunteer work in the area.

Other major incidents claimed the lives of another 16 people when mud smashed into homes from a mountain slope in Seoul.

The victims were caught unaware when the landslide occurred just after midnight on Tuesday, July 26.

One student who survived told South Korea’s Yonhap news: “I was sleeping on the second floor of the pension when I heard the thundering sound of a landslide. The stair collapsed, and I was buried under mud.”

Last reports had two people still unaccounted for.

More footage can be seen on the BBC’s website.

35 million users' personal information has been leaked.

Bad news for those of you who are intimately familiar with Nate or Cyworld – your information could be in the hands of someone else.

Last month, SK Communications Co. said that personal information of its 35 million online users had been hacked. This of course, has been South Korea’s biggest and worst online security breach.

Fears are now focused on possible online and voice scams in the coming weeks.

“The company has confirmed that a leak of customers’ information has taken place due to hacking on July 26,” SK said in a statement. “The specific scale of the hacking is still being investigated, but it is estimated that some of the personal information of 35 million Nate and Cyworld members have been leaked.”

Personal information like account details and email addresses could lead to a number of voice and online scams in coming weeks.

Nate is Korea’s third-most visited web search engine, after Naver and Daum, and Cyworld is the biggest networking site with 25 million users, half South Korea’s population.

The police are now involved, saying they will be launching an investigation into the incident. The Cyber Terror Response Centre, a police division who deal with cyberspace, will lead the investigation.

It is believed the hacking originated from a malicious code in China, though this is just speculation by SK Communications and has not been verified by police.

SK Communications CEO, Joo Hyung-chul, issued a formal apology on Thursday:

“Concerning this incident, we offer our apology to our customers and have taken all the necessary measures to minimize the impact and identify the cause and retrieve customer information in cooperation with the authorities.”

Not surprisingly, shares of SK Communications plunged 5.95 per cent to 17,400 won. SK Telecom also saw its share price drop 2.64 per cent to 147,500.

The Busan Sea Festival is packed with great entertainment.

If the August heat is really starting to get to you, it’s a good idea to head where the wind is blowing, the breeze is cooler, the water is refreshing and the fun is unlimited. This month Korea has on a number of great coastal festivals sure to lighten your mood.

Busan Sea Festival
When: August 01, 2011 – August 09, 2011
Where: Busan-si Haeundae-gu Haeundae Beach, other 6 beaches and Yacht Stadium
Description: The Busan Sea Festival is a huge event that combines several other events and festivals, such as a rock music festival, a beach dance festival, and a number of water sports. Having trouble deciding which thing to try first? Take some time to relax and sunbathe on the beach while you make up your mind.

 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival
When: August 05, 2011 – August 07, 2011
Where: Incheon-si Seo-gu Haekseok-dong Dream Park
Description: Over 60 bands will be playing at this major outdoor rock festival, including several famous international groups. Past guests have included Travis, Muse, Feeder, and Gossip (formerly, The Gossip). Hot summer nights and rocking beats make for a great music festival. The festival is held in Incheon city, meaning that there are a variety of cultural activity programs and city tours readily available.

The Jecheon International Music and Film Festival attracts thousands of people each year.

The Great Battle of Hansan Festival
When: August 10, 2011 – August 14, 2011
Where: Gyeongsangnam-do Tongyeong-si Yi Sun-Sin Park and Culture Place
Description: In 1592, the great Admiral Lee Sun Shin led Korea to victory at the naval battle of Hansan. This is one of the proudest moments in Korean history and is celebrated every year at this festival. Events on the festival’s program include a reenactment of the battle, a parade, and many hands-on activities.

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
When: August 11, 2011 – August 16, 2011
Where: Chungcheongbuk-do Jecheon-si Jecheon Media Center and Multiplex Theater TTC Cinema
Description: Visitors to this festival can enjoy various genres of movies such as music videos, fiction films, and documentaries, as well as enjoy concerts by well-known musicians from Korea and abroad.

Thanks to VisitKorea.com for the info.