(Source)
If I’ve missed anything, please let me know!
Dating/Relationships/Marriage:
— Love, Korean-style: Two’s company (The Economist)
— The role reversal I never wanted to see happen (I’m No Picasso)
— Under Siege: Korean Man (Busan Mike)
— Jeju Finds New Honeymooners–in China (Korea Realtime)
— S. Korean “goose fathers” so lonely they keep flies (CNBC)
— ‘Horny Bus Couple’ Shamed for Public Display of Affection (Korea Bang)
— Why Asian Women Date White Men (Jezebel)
LGBT/Sexuality:
— Male students know less about sex than females (The Korea Times)
— Blind Spots of Over the Counter Contraception (The Korea Times)
— Cervical cancer prevention falls through loopholes (The Korea Times)
Pregnancy/Childbirth/Parenting:
— Ladygate: Pregnant ‘Adultery Girl’ Disgusts Netizens (Korea Bang)
— South Korean Single Mothers Fight Discrimination (Voice of America)
— Womb-renting raises questions on one-child policy (Shanghaiist)
— “The very last child in Japanese history will turn 15 on May 18, 3011”: The stupidest statistic you’ll see this week (io9)
— China’s Achilles heel: A demographic comparison with America reveals a deep flaw in China’s model of growth (The Economist)
— Murderous Teens and Korea’s Fighting Culture (Idle Worship)
— Chosun Ilbo learns that behind asshat students stand asshat parents (The Marmot’s Hole)
— Father’s day: Having children really does make a man more content with life (The Economist)
Pop Culture:
— Doll People: Compendium on the Doll Motif in K-Pop (The Mind Reels)
— Double Standard: Dancing in Kpop (YAM Magazine)
— Little women of Korean cinema (The Korea Times)
— K-pop Diets and the Logical Disconnect (Seoulbeats)
— 80% of K-Pop’s sales come from Japan (Arama)
— Comment Of The Day: Japanese Are Perverted Monkeys, Koreans Are Innocent Angels (Asian Junkie)
Crime:
— Domestic abuse rates soar (The Korea Times)
— Outrage grows over sexual harassment in subway train (The Korea Times)
— KakaoTalk Used as Evidence in Rape Case (Korea Bang)
— Government Regulation of the Idol Industry: Is It Enough? (Seoulbeats)
— Brit tourist sexually assaults Chinese woman in Beijing, anti-laowai cyber hysteria ensues (Shanghaiist)
— Ex-band member speaks out about sexual assault charge (The Korea Times)
— Go Young Wook Of Roo’ra Accused Of Sexual Assault, He Admits To Sex But Denies Rape (Asian Junkie)
— 2 More Victims Allege Sexual Assault by TV Personality (The Chosun Ilbo)
— Go Young Wook has two more alleged victims come forth in his sexual assault case (Asian Junkie)
— Korean Fishing Crews Accused of Sex Crimes against Indonesian Workers (The Hankyoreh)
The English Spectrum Series at Gusts of Popular Feeling:
— Part 22: No putting brakes on ‘Internet human rights violations’
— Part 23: “They branded us as whores, yanggongju and pimps,” part 1
— Part 24: “They branded us as whores, yanggongju and pimps,” part 2
Economics/Politics:
— An Easy Economic Boost: More Women at Work (Korea Realtime)
Misc:
— Debito Arudou’s “Micro-Aggressions”: What Really Drives the Highly Sensitive Expat Crazy (Gord Sellar)
— Ladygate Special: What’s With All These Ladygates? (Korea Bang)
Finally, some Shout-outs:
— Gay-rights Petition: Protect the constitution of South Africa – AS IT IS!
Next, an anonymous reader seeking some help and/or information:
I was wondering if you had any info on the Korean culture’s perception of mentally disabled and handicapped women. I have searched on my own, but have limitations as I am still a beginner learning the language. I am curious how they function in society. I ask because I am a Korean adoptee who recently found out my mother had an ‘intellectual disability,’ which is not totally reliable, but I am trying to research what her life in Korea may have been like.
Just thought I would reach out and say I enjoy your blog, and wondering if you knew anything that could help me contextualize my research. Thanks!
And finally an email from Jaehak Yu (slightly adapted by me):
…two of my friends and I are participating in what is called the Mongol Rally in 2013. It’s basically a 10,000-mile drive from London to Ulanbator, Mongolia. The main focus of the rally, however, is to raise money and aid for both the Mongolian people and a charity of our choice. Our charity is the Children’s Hospital of Orange County — a great nonprofit that is devoted to taking care of children in need.
Currently, we are in an “awareness” stage — trying to gather attention to our causes and our journey….Naturally, I’m sure readers would want to read more before they promise any sort of involvement. Our website should detail the specifics of our journey as should our Facebook page. If anyone has any other questions and/or is interested in a possible collaboration, I’d love to talk to you some more. My email is jaehak.yu93@gmail.com or I can be reached by cell at (949) 648-1519.
Thanks for your consideration!
(Links are not necessarily endorsements)
The Grand Narrative 
Thanks so much, James! We really do appreciate it!
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Having gone to a private school, I am curious as to why there aren’t private schools that might fill this need and not have men going into a depressive state due to the absence of their families. I mean…in the goose fathers article it was stated that they didn’t want their children to get overwhelmed with the pressure-cooker school culture and for them to learn English. Considering their supporting their families overseas…why haven’t private schools arisen to fill this need? Or is it that there is no way for a school to avoid becoming a pressure-cooker?
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That’s a good question. Off the top of my head, they may be illegal in Korea: as I think Micheal Seth puts it in Education Fever, on the one hand the Korean education system has to be seen to be extremely egalitarian and meritocratic, but on the other it’s riddled with class, Confucian notions of status, and especially parents willing to exploit both. So, even though there are definitely schools etc. which you need a lot of money (e.g., by living in the area) and connections to get your children into, having private schools out there would just make that de facto inequality too explicit.
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Huh. So cram schools and hakwons are okay, but private schools aren’t? That’s weird to me. Then again, when I moved back to the States the dearth of alternative education options was weird, so I guess I can’t really judge.
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Again good question, or point rather. But I do know that successive governments have genuinely tried to close down, rein in, and/or regulate hogwans to shut before 11pm (and so on), and perhaps about 10 years ago did make video lectures freely available on the internet to level the playing field (and which are updated constantly of course; I’ve even used some to study Korean with myself), but they’ve never gotten very far against the clout of rich parents.
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