Nice article at News.com on Korean online game market and how it's trying to expand into other countries.  This quote notes interesting differences between Korean and American culture:

Webzen's Kim said Asian game players, for example, like to beat each other up and try to kill each other's characters. But American players prefer the quest aspect of its games, so the company will amend its U.S. versions accordingly.

Sounds about right.  It's no wonder Lineage, a megahit in Korea, has unusually elaborate support for player-to-player wars.  Checkout Lineage 2 demo videos and you see amazing battle scenes not unlike the Lord of the Ring battles scenes.  Only differences is that it's players fighting players in large numbers.  Maybe the ever present DMZ makes young Koreans thirsty for battles.

Last Thursday, I got Freedom Fighters for PS2.  It's top rated and have been out for a while but I waited until the price dropped to more sane level.  More I get older, more budget conscious I seem to be getting.  I like to think I am setting a good example for my son.  I won't let him play this game though because it's too violent.  Heh.

Following open letter is from an OhmyNews article that encouraged wide distribution.  I don't agree with the content but I think the letter reflects the view of a small yet growing and increasingly vocal part of Korean population so here it is:

An Appeal by 365 Korean Organizations to the Iraqi Group Holding a Korean National

We appeal for the release of the Korean national Kim Seon Il.

Today the Korean people were overcome with shock at the news the Korean Kim Seon Il has been kidnapped in Iraq. His seizure and the threat against the life of this private citizen is already a source of unspeakable sadness for his family and the Korean people. This sadness and shock is the same for the many Koreans who have opposed the United States' unjust invasion and the deployment of Korean troops to Iraq.

The Korean people are well aware of the fact that the US invaded Iraq for domination and oil, and not for the freedom and peace of the Iraqi people. We know also that the US occupation of Iraq has denied the Iraqi people their sovereignty and that there have been widespread human rights abuses by US forces there, leading to Iraqi pain and loss of life. For this reason we have done all that is humanly possible to prevent the deployment of Korean troops, as they will in no way contribute to the peace and security of the Iraqi people.

The kidnapping and threatening a private citizen with death, however, will not contribute to Iraqi peace. The Iraqi people are right to resist the US's unjust invasion, occupation, and carnage. Nevertheless, kidnapping and threatening a private citizen with death cannot be justified. Doing so will only lead to a vicious cycle of blood and revenge.

Again we make an earnest appeal. Please make your claims known through dialogue and release Kim Seon Il to his family as he is of no relation to government policy.

21 June 2004

Seoul, Korea

Korean Network Against Dispatching Troops To Iraq

My view is that if they are so concerned about saving human lives, I think they can save far more lives by banning the use of automobiles in Korea.

Korea is a country where:

• Everyone thinks they know best.
• No one is willing to lose.
• Final decisions are never final.
• Opponents are respected by vilifying and dehumanizing.
• Violence is considered a way of teaching.

I know this because I know best and I am not prepared to accept contrary opinions.  Anyone who thinks otherwise are communist pigs who deserves a good beating so they will know better.  See what I mean?

I think Korean food is wonderful.  After all, I have eaten it all my life and I still eat it three meals a day (thanks to my wonderful wife).  But what I haven't noticed until recently is how Korean cuisine is uniquely 'spoon-centric'.  Other countries use spoons as well, but they are usually brought out only when there is a need (i.e. soup).  In Korea, spoon is the primary utensil.

As long as I could remember, I had a spoon and chopstick with my name on them.  By that, I don't mean my name was inscribed on them, but I could recognize my utensils by the shape, color, feel, and sometimes smell (well, I was a little paranoid when I was little).  With every Korean meal, my spoon and chopsticks were laid side-by-side like a couple married for life.  Which is the male?  The spoon, of course.  It's masculine and uncompromising where chopsticks are feminine and versatile.

Why is Korean cuisine so spoon-centric?  Because a proper Korean meal comes with a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup for each person.  The spoon is used for both the rice and the soup.  The chopstick is used mainly for the side-dishes where, in China or Japan, chopstick is used for practically everything.  Also, there is usually a shared soup in the center for which spoons come in handy.  These center-soup is usually served piping hot and has a name that ends with either Tang or Jhigae (i.e. Maewoon-Tang or Kimchi-Jhigae).

Hmm.  This post made me hungry.

Update:

FatMan Seoul is the blog to visit if you want more stories and mouth watering photos (thanks to James for this wonderful tip).  I particularly loved the photos in the Dak-galbi post.  Yum!

Korean President Roh's impeachment was overturned.  Hurrah!

While the patent fight over MP3 phones in Korea is ongoing, the conflict between the Korean music industry and cellphone makers is about to reach the boiling point (Korean).  While the Korean music industry is trying to ban MP3 phones in Korea, LG Telecom wants LG phone users to be able to download and play any MP3 files.  As in most such conflicts in Korea, neither side is prepared to lose.

Whether MP3 phones are banned in Korea or not, both sides have to worry about downloadable third-party software capable of accessing other music networks and playing other formats.  If they cripple the device so that downloaded software can't access the cellphone's audio, then Korean phonemakers will lose the competitive edge over models from other phone makers.

Only possibly workable solution I see is Play Tax.  The idea is to charge music listeners using audio devices by the minute and compensate the music industry.  Differentiating music and conversations can be done by a chip on every device that can output hi-quality sound.

As expected, pro-government Uri Party got 152 seats out of 299, which gives them the majority.  Han-nara (Grand National) Party lost its majority position but still managed to eek out a respectable showing, thanks to the daughter of a former dictator who took control of the party just weeks before the election.  It's funny how conservatives prefer the nostalgic certainty of iron-clad rule by dictators over euphoric optimism of liberals.  Min-noh (Democratic Labor) Party emerged in the third place, making the ultra-liberal pro-labor party a political force to be reckoned with.

National Assembly seats after ballot counting  [As of 1:00 a.m.]

Party	Before	Now
Uri Party	49	152
Grand National Party	137	121
Millennium Democratic Party	61	9
Democratic Labor Party	0	10
United Liberal Democrats	10	4
Others	14	3