North Korea facing a coup d'etat after Ri's removal??

After the removal of North Korean general chiefs of staff, Ri Yong-ho, there has been unusual movements in the North Korean military.

Rookie Kim Jong-un, who has barely been leader for a year, has relieved Ri of all duties.

General Ri was a loyal servant of Kim Jong-Il, and was the top ranking military official. As Young Kim Jong-Un has removed Ri as an excuse to strengthen the regime, the North Korean military is being stirred up.

The North Korean military was already unhappy that a rookie like Kim Jong-Un is above their rank, and will be more furious with the decision to remove Ri.

I wonder how the things will turn out for North Korea between Kim Jong-Un and the North Korean military officials.

Korean Wave in Archery??

When it comes to the 2012 London Olympics, the keyword that best represents archery would be 'Korea.' Korea not only has the world's best archers, but has the world's best coaches.

Of the 40 countries that participated in archery, 11 countries had Korean coaches.

The myth is that as Korean leaders began coaching for foreign teams, the world's average archery skill has risen. This was evidently seen at the mens' archery team. The four countries that reached the semi-finals, Korea, Mexico, Italy, and the U.S. all had Korean coaches. From this we can see how influential the Korean leaders are.

From this Olympics, we were able to see the dignity of Korean archery, and may hope to see a Korean wave in sports from this opportunity. I wonder what kind of new events will turn up from the rest of the games.

Best in Archery for 24 years...

South Korea won the Olympic women's team archery title for the seventh consecutive time. Since 1988, for 24 years, Korea has maintained the top position in archery. I wonder what the secret is behind this phenomena.

In the typical fickle British weather, the rain and wind came hard in throughout the match, which made the match difficult, but the Korean archers showed superb concentration, and grasped their own victory.

The 3 archers were amazing... I almost fell in love with them.

So, I've been told that of the 40 countries that participated in archery this London Olympics, the coaches of 11 countries are Korean. This was shocking...

Nowadays when it comes to archery, it is almost as if Korea is the first thing that comes up to my mind. Anywho, the individual division is still to come. I hope Korea can do well.

Kim Jong-un, the icon of adultery

North Korea's Kim Jong-Un appeared on a billboard near the LAX (LA International Airport).

Well it turns out he appeared on the AshleyMadison ad, an online dating service marketed primarily to people who are already in a relationship...

The witty ad has Kim Jong-Un clapping with a bubble writing that says 'Even if you look like him, AFFAIRS NOW GUARANTEED!'

Recently Kim Jong-Un was shown on the internet wearing soles that increase his height. Now Kim Jong-Un is the representative for adultery, and infidelity. I what the next Kim Jong-Un 'meme' ad will be.

Update on the Syrian crisis

Russia and China vetoed a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution on Thursday that threatened Syrian authorities with sanctions if they did not stop using heavy weapons against an uprising and withdraw troops from towns and cities.

The 11-2 vote was the third time that Russia and China, key allies of the Syrian government,  have used their veto power to block U.N. Security Council resolutions designed to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad and halt the violence in the 16-month prolonged conflict that has taken lives of thousands.
The vetoed resolution would have extended a U.N. observer mission in Syria for 45 days.
Russia and China have clearly placed themselves on the "'wrong side of history" and the "wrong side of the Syrian people."
China and Rusia's actions will protect a brutal regime. They have chosen to put their national interests ahead of the lives of millions of Syrians.


Britain has drafted a new resolution to extend a U.N. mission in Syria for a final period of 30 days and it could be voted on later on Thursday.

However, I am sure that with or without China or Russia, the double veto will not stop the world's effort to save Syria. The world will continue to assist a Syrian opposition on its path to democratic transition in Syria.
Proponents of strong U.N. action on Syria would not be dissuaded.
However, time is of essence when it comes to human lives.
So I urge Russia and China to consider the human lives at stake before their national interest.

Olympics Fiasco involving North Korea...

Last 26th, started off with a fiasco even before the opening ceremonies. The Olympics got off to an embarrassing start during preliminary between North Korea and Colombia in group G when North Korea's women footballers refused to play after a mix-up over their national flag.

North Korea's opener against Colombia was held up after their players were pictured next to South Korea's flag on the introduction screen. The furious North Koreans requested apologies, and only decided to participate in the games after they received a statement from the International Olympics Committee promising that this mistake would not repeat.

South Korea, North Korea, even I get mixed up between the two. One's a free democratic society that makes Sumsung and Hyndai, and the other is a brutal cult-like dictatorship that can't feed its own people. However, this is an international sporting event. And not just any sporting event. It's the Olympics for heaven's sake! If this kind of mistake happens at the Olympics, there must be a problem. Maybe this is not just an innocent mistake, but a mistake that reflects that North Korea's existence in the international society is diminishing. Or just maybe, it may reflect the world's hope for unification of the two Koreas at the symbol of peace, Olympic games.

Whatever the case, if North Korea wishes to regain its presence in the international society, it must give up the 3 generation dictatorship, and adopt open-door policies.

 

Fermented Hong-eo, an experience worth trying

One of the most difficult dishes to get used to in Korean cuisine for foreigners and even locals alike is fermented skate, or Hong-eo. Some even say that Swedish fermented herring, also notorious for its distinctive, fermented taste, is nothing compared to  Korea’s fermented skate.

The verdict is in, the hong-eo experience warrants a hung jury. 
At first I thought it made no sense to eat hong-eo (fermented skate fish), a food that smells like ammonia because its uric acid has to pass through and is ultimately stored in its flesh. 
The dish in Korean is called hongeo samhap. Hongeo means skate and samhap translates as “harmonious trinity,” referring to the three elements of the dish – fermented skate, boiled pork belly and kimchi. In Korea, for around 40,000~50,000 won, a large collection of samhap is offered.

The fermented skate at first has a foul odor that is similar to the smell of ammonia, but many Koreans say that after a while the taste of this fermented fish is addictive.
Eaten alone, raw hong-eo is repugnant, yet the triple-decker, bite-sized samhap is rather tasty; it is strangely addictive...

While the pork fat provides a bit of sweetness, Kimchi, another fermented food, neutralizes hong-eo’s magical properties. Selective parts can be dipped into a dried red pepper and salt mix.

Here are some historic facts behind Hong-eo :

The dish is said to originate from Heuksan Island in South Jeolla, where fishermen discovered the main ingredient in hongeo samhap by accident.
Heuksan Island is famous for its high-quality skate fish. During the Joseon Dynasty, the skate from Heuksan Island was often brought to other parts of the country by boat. During this process, the fishermen discovered that even after a long journey, skate was still edible and that the fermentation that took place gave the meat a great, chewy texture and a slightly stinging sensation in your mouth.
The boiled pork belly and kimchi was originally served with the fish due to the fact that the skate was costly and rare. However, food experts now say that the three ingredients are extremely complimentary, as the pork gives a heartiness to the dish while the kimchi mitigates the grease from the pork as well as accentuating the fermented taste of the skate.
During the Joseon Dynasty, hongeo samtak (the same dish but including alcohol) was a favorite dish for parties and get-togethers and was served alongside makgeolli, or Korean rice wine. The dish is still eaten most with makgeolli, which also aids in diluting the rather pungent taste of the fermented skate.



Source : Hongeo: Not for the weak of stomach


So the final question must be asked, should you try it? 
Answer: At least once. 


And for those interested, here's a video from Youtube about Hong-eo



"This is one of those foods that you can't understand how it tastes unless you actually eat it."


Skip to 3:15 to watch Andrew trying to keep it down here: