Don't cry

Naked News in South Korea won't be airing anytime soon.

After all of the circus hoopla and controversy surrounding the launch of the Korean version of the Naked News franchise, its existence now hangs by a pithy thread as production came to a screeching halt since Thursday -- just one month after its inception. The problem? Money.

Nine of the anchors have yet to be compensated for their work during the month the service has been up while customer service has ceased its operation leaving 260,000 paid subscribers for the month of July, hanging, according to local reports.

The problem began when management of the Naked News Korea branch requested its anchors contracted to present news only in semi-nude form (i.e. in lingerie and bikini tops) to strip down completely for its pay-for-play adults-only version.

This prompted five of its anchors to hand in their resignations while the rest of its personalities stayed on.

Naked news that didn't go topless. Only in South Korea?

I'm only guessing but these anchor women were probably offered large salaries. When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

They may have lost money, but maybe these women still have their dignity. That is worth something.

Hat tip- GI at ROK Drop. Brian and Marmot's Hole are also blogging on this news.

Inappropriate affair

Another example of why the South Korean justice system is insane.

A local court has ordered a ward office in North Jeolla Province to annul its decision to dismiss a civil servant for having an affair with a female worker during work hours.

The unidentified public servant left his office with the female junior worker around 4 p.m. Aug. 16 in 2007 to drink. They went to a motel afterward, where her husband caught them.

The civil servant filed the suit after the ward office dismissed him for not maintaining his integrity as a public worker and leaving his office during work hours.

``He left his office about two hours before work had finished, which did not disturb the office. An official reprimand would have served as an appropriate punishment,'' the court said.

``He may face social and ethical criticism for having an affair with his junior. But he is a civil servant of a local ward office, whose duties do not include high-mindedness in private, so a wage cut may be also be due punishment,'' it added.

The court said the total punishment shouldn't be heavier than ``suspension from duty,'' saying dismissal was too harsh.

So getting fired for screwing around with a married co-worker isn't grounds for dismissal. Maybe the guy should ask for a raise!

One shouldn't be surprised by this decision. After all this is the same country that gave barely 10 years in jail to the person responsible for killing 500 people. Another judge gave suspended sentences to people who raped a family member. South Korea or Broward County Florida, which has the most broken justice system?

Hat tip- Robert Koehler at Marmot's Hole

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is the Korea Times and cartoonist Stephane Peray. They get the award for the following political cartoon.

GI at ROK Drop does an excellent job of summing up why this is a Knucklehead winner-

The cartoonist is making fun of the bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria by trying to blame them on global warming. Global warming is not what started the bushfires because most of the fires were started by arsonists on the hottest day of the year in Victoria. The fires were started near towns which caused many people to die in their cars as they had no time to escape which is what this cartoonist is making fun of.

This cartoonist is not the only one that has been pushing this global warming nonsense as Greenies in Australia have been saying the same thing to include Australian Greens Parliament Member Bob Brown. These people are disgusting and revolting and should be ashamed on themselves.

It is disgusting ,revolting, in horrible bad taste and after an uproar, the Korea Times pulled cartoon. Its too late so far as I am concerned, I name the Korea Times and Stephane Peray today's Knuckleheads of the Day.

Note- If you go to the hyperlink for Peray, you'll see it is he who takes credit for the cartoon.

Here comes Yu-Na Kim

She has to be considered one of the favorites for the gold medal at the Olympics in Vancouver next year. From the Chosunilbo-

Korean figure skating icon Kim Yu-na clinched the gold in the women's single competition at the International Skating Union's Four Continents Championships.

Kim won 116.83 points in the ladies' freestyle final in Vancouver, Canada Friday local time ranking on the top with the total score of 189.07 in the competition. This follows setting a world-record short program performance of 72.24 points on Wednesday.

In the beginning of the performance on Friday she pulled off a combination of a triple flip and a triple toe loop although she fell once in her attempt to do a triple loop jump.

Ranking second was Canada's Joannie Rochette and Japan's Mao Asada last year's champion came in third.

Yu-Na has had a history of great short programs but not being to follow it up in the free skate part of the competition. She is one of the two or three top candidates for the gold next year. If Yu-Na does win it, will she inspire South Korean girls to take up the sport like Se Ri Pak did in regards to golf over a decade ago? My own opinion is that it won't on a comparable scale because of the limited amount of skating events and slots for skaters in them. There won't ever be 45 South Korean skaters competing in ISU events like there are on the LPGA Tour in a given year.

Curiously I just completed a web fiction story inspired by Yu-Na Kim and this old post of GI at ROK Drop. A young man in New Hampshire who wants to make his college hockey team and fails. He visits a magic shop where the owner sells him a wishing object. All he wanted to be was a better hockey player and skater. Instead he ends up a South Korean figure skater(Not Yu-Na Kim) in his hometown training for the Olympics. To get out of the spell and become a better hockey player himself, the young man must help the female skater improve also.

Before that story I rarely paid this sport and knew diddly about figure skating. Now I will probably watch the women's competition at next year's Olympics. It will be interesting to see if Yu-Na can bring home the gold.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Cheongju District Court Judge Oh Jun-geun. He gets the award for the following-

A court handed down suspended jail terms to four family members who repeatedly raped a teenage relative who suffered from an intellectual disability.

The Cheongju District Court Thursday sentenced an 87-year-old grandfather and two uncles of a 16-year-old girl to four-year suspended prison terms for sexually assaulting and raping the girl for the last seven years. Another uncle received a three-year suspended jail term.

The court acknowledged that their crime was ``sinful'' as they used the young girl, who is their family member, to satisfy their sexual desires. But it gave the suspended terms, saying, ``The accused have fostered the girl in her parents' place. Considering her disability, she will also need their care and help in living in the future.''

The court added it took the accused people's old age and illness into consideration.

Citizens strongly denounced the ruling, saying the punishments were too lenient for the grave crime. Internet users said it is absurd to release them to ``take care of her,'' as she needs help from others, not from rapists. They also said those committing such a crime do not deserve consideration regarding old age or illnesses.

Some bloggers are collecting signatures to oust the judge who made the ruling. The prosecution also decided to appeal. ``One of them even has a previous conviction for rape but was given a suspended term. The ruling is unacceptable,'' a prosecutor said..

The sentencings aren't unacceptable, they are an outrage. Whoever the judge is(If I knew a name, I'd crown him personally as the Knucklehead), gave a rape victim back to her attackers. That is simply insane, but sadly predictable. For two reasons.

1- The South Korean justice system is a joke. Case in point, the perpetrators of the Sampoong Department store collapse got under 15 years for causing 500 people to die.

A decade ago an American who was traveling with his Korean wife on a subway, gets attacked. Who faced criminal charges? The American of course.

2- Korean cultural beliefs and children. There have been over a million children adopted from Korea since the end of the Korean war. Why? A single mother who for whatever reason is no longer with her father, faces a near impossible task of finding a husband. In Korean culture family bloodlines are very important. That's why children other than infants are rarely adopted. The new child's parents would have difficulty passing he or she off as their own. Those children who aren't adopted spend their lives in conditions that would turn most of my readers stomachs.

Neither of these excuse what this court did, it just helps to explain the insanity. Therefore I name Cheongju District Court Judge Cheongju District Court Judge Oh Jun-geun today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- Brian in Jeollanam-do via Marmot's Hole. I must thank thank Brian for helping me learn the individual Judge's name.

For lease= half a African country

Is this modern day colonialism? From the Financial Times-

Daewoo Logistics of South Korea has secured farmland in Madagascar to grow food crops for Seoul, in a deal that diplomats and consultants said was the largest of its kind.

The company said it had leased 1.3m hectares of farmland - about half the size of Belgium - from Madagascar's government for 99 years. It plans to ship the maize and palm oil harvests back to South Korea. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The pursuit of foreign farm investments is a clear sign of how countries are seeking food security following this year's crisis - which saw record prices for commodities such as wheat and rice and food riots in countries from Egypt to Haiti.

Prices for agricultural commodities have tumbled by about half from such levels but countries remain concerned about long-term supplies.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation warned this year that the race by some countries to secure farmland overseas risked creating a "neo-colonial" system. Those fears could be increased by the fact that Daewoo's farm in Madagascar represents about half the African country's arable land, according to estimates by the US government.

Shin Dong-hyun, a senior manager at Daewoo Logistics in Seoul, said the company would develop the arable land for farming over the next 15 years, using labour from South Africa, and intended to replace about half South Korea's maize imports.

South Korea, a heavily populated but resource-poor nation, is the fourth-largest importer of maize and among the 10 largest buyers of soyabeans.

This deal with leave Daewoo farming almost half of Madagascar's arable. land.(I read that in another article that I've lost the link to. Half the area of Belgium is pretty sizable) Foreign corporations have entered into agreements with countries where they mine natural resources. Is food any different than gold, silver, platinum? Of course it is, because you don't eat those minerals. The deals though seem similar to me.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Army Pvt. Shavonte Hampton. She gets the award for the following-

A 2nd Infantry Division soldier, who after missing formation claimed she was raped, was found guilty on two charges and sentenced to six months in prison at a Camp Casey court-martial Friday.

Pvt. Shavonte Hampton, 19, of the 302nd Brigade Support Battalion's Company C, was convicted of filing a false official statement and failing to report to formation.

Military judge Lt. Col. Thomas Kulish also sentenced Hampton to a two-thirds forfeiture of pay for six months.

Hampton had consensual sex with another soldier at the Camp Casey Lodge on July 23 and failed to report to duty on time the next day, prosecutors said.

Because it wasn't the first time she had missed formation, Hampton concocted an elaborate rape story that quickly proved unfounded after the story changed several times, prosecutors said.

Although Hampton did not receive a bad-conduct discharge, she could be subject to administrative separation from the Army, officials said.

A false rape or child abuse can have huge ramifications for a person even when the charge is shown to be untrue. GI at ROK Drop writes-

I have to wonder why she wasn't given a bad conduct discharge as well considering the damage that would have been done to her male companion's life if he was convicted of rape? I feel that whatever punishment the soldier would receive for rape the false accuser should receive as well.

Someone may say the harsh penalty would discourage victims. Would it really? You were raped, there shouldn't be anything to fear. There is room to agree or disagree on this, but I think their is a consensus that Army Pvt. Shavonte Hampton deserves every day she gets in jail, plus being named today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Welcome aboard Ladies

A major Asian airline just had two women become the first to earn their Captain's wings. From JoonAng Daily-

Two female captains will take to the skies for a commercial airline for the first time in Korea’s 60-year aviation history, Korean Air announced Monday.

Shin Soo-jin, 39, and Hong Soo-in, 36, passed the final tests administered by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs this week, after five months of final training. The two started at Korean Air in 1996, when Shin became Korea’s first assistant captain in 1997, followed by Hong later in the year.

The aviation industry, especially in the field of technicians and pilots, has often been dubbed one of the most male-dominated sectors. The first woman to be hired as a captain for a commercial airline company was Helen Richey in 1934 at Central Airlines, which later became part of United Airlines.

“First of all, there aren’t many female applicants for commercial airline service. The training period is long and very time-consuming,” said Sim Mun-man, an official at Korean Air.

Both female captains however, say that there are many advantages for females in this field. “Now, controlling a plane doesn’t require as much physical strength, as it requires grace, accuracy and delicate handling of high-tech equipment,” said Shin.

To be a captain at Korean Air, one must have at least five years of experience serving as an assistant captain as well as having flown at least 4,000 hours. Also, written exams, including those in English, are mandatory as well.

Dram man at Marmot's Hole writes "Well seeing how often the Pilots write letters to the control tower, a written exam is a perfect way to test to test a pilot’s English abilities." I agree, that is odd sounding.

The two women pilots are certainly pioneers, but their chances of breaking the patriarchal nature of not just society but the cockpits won't be easy. I do hope bot Ms. Shin and Ms. Hong use proper use of the people in the cockpit besides themselves. KAL has a bad history of cockpit crews failing to challenge a Captain. The 1997 crash on Guam where 228 passengers were killed being the worst example.

Candie Kung wins the Hana Bank Kolon Championship

She won by one shot over Australia's Katherine Hull. Do you think Candie looks Korean when wearing a hanbok?

The only reason I'm asking is because a member of the media at last July's Evian Masters got Kung's nationality mixed up. No such mistake was made today, but some bright person asked Candie about if Taiwanese golfers play good in the wind.

Q. Not just the LPGA players, contemporary LPGA players, but in the past as well when Taiwanese players came over to Korea, the men, they were all renowned for playing well in gusts and in winds and braving the elements; so that's what the overall Korean sentiment is to the Taiwanese players, they are good in windy situations and therefore has been sort of a reputation that Taiwanese courses are quite windy. Is that the case?
CANDIE KUNG: That, I don't know too much about because I didn't play golf in Taiwan and I played very, very few rounds in Taiwan,

Kung has been living in the United States for over 10 years, attended USC and is now a naturalized citizen. Rather than ask a intelligent question, the lazy member of the media instead fell back on some golf stereotype that this golf nut didn't know existed. Shame on him.

Maybe I shouldn't stereotype the golf media as lazy. They are lazy.

Kung has been an excellent year, and today's win was her fourth career wise and first since 2003. She is also the second Taiwanese golfer to win in 2008, Yani Tseng taking home the LPGA Championship in June. Candie is a lock now for the ADT Championship which is played 6 miles from my house.

The South Koreans were shut out. Hee Won Han, Jee Young Lee who won this event in 2005, and Jeong Jang joined Sweden's Sophie Gustafson in a tie for 3rd. Like Kung, Han and Gustafson with their strong finishes have most likely guaranteed themselves a spot in the ADT field.

The LPGA finishes its Asian swing with a stop in Japan next weekend for the Mizuno Classic. After that the tour goes to Mexico, and then the ADT.

Also blogging on the Hana Bank Kolon- Hound Dog and The Constructivist

Will someone at Associated Press please pick up the black courtesy phone

The wire service employs clueless people to cover golf not just in the United States but South Korea also.

Fellow South Korean Chae Young Yoon is one shot back in third, and eight others were in a pack at 2-under, including Christina Kim and Mi Hyun Kim.

Who is AP neglecting to mention at 2-under? How about Ji Yai Shin, the defending British Open champ. Also at 2-under are former major winners Jeong Jang and Karen Stupples. I think they all rate a mention over Christina.

Is Doug Ferguson in the ROK right now or has his sloppy golf reporting spread to other writers at Associated Press?

Katherine Hull leads after the first round. Hound Dog and The Constructivist are both commenting.

The LPGA in South Korea or where in the world is Carolyn Bivens?

For their once a year tour stop, The Hana Bank Kolon Championship. It will be played October 31-November 2nd at The Sky 72 Golf Club, Ocean Course in Incheon. The tournament dates back to 2001, when the inaugeral event was canceled after 9-11 occured.

This is a limited field event, with just 69 players. 12 of whom are KLPGA players, including this year's British Open champ and Rolex#8 player in the world, Ji-Yai Shin. While Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, and Yani Tseng aren't playing, the field is still pretty strong. Defending champ Suzann Pettersen, Paula Creamer, and likely 2008 Comeback Player of the Year Helen Alfredsson are in the field.

Suzann Pettersen won last year's event by one shot over Eun-Hi-Ji. The tournament was called after 36 holes due to bad weather.

Last year's event was notable for a few things.

1- Pettersen was the first non-Korean winner of the tournament. Past winners include LPGA major champs Se Ri Pak and Grace Park, plus first time winners Shi Hyun 'Cinderella' Ahn, Jee Young 'Jelly' Lee, and Jin Jong Hong. Ahn, Lee, and Hong were all non-LPGA players at the time, and their wins earned them LPGA Tour cards. Could a KLPGA player do the same in 2008? Here's one name to look out for, Sun Ju Ahn.

2- After the Sunday final round was canceled, some golf fans got upset. In a season ending post on the good, bad, and just bizarre for 2007 on the LPGA tour, I gave these protesters my 'Pitchforks and Torches' award. Who says LPGA golf fans aren't enthusiastic.

A picture of Se Ri Pak(center) and company. Many of the golfers behind Se Ri publicly state that they took up the sport after seeing the Hall of Famer excel at the LPGA Tour starting in 1998.

It has been an excellent year for the South Korean ladies after the off 2007 where only four of them won on tour, and none took home a major Championship. After a ten month victory drought, Seon Hwa Lee, Eun Hi Ji, In-Bee Park, Ji Young Oh, Ji Yai Shin, and In-Kyung Kim all took home titles. Lee actually winning two times. Seven tournament wins, including two major championships. Shin at the British Open, and In-bee Park at the US Open. Three players from South Korea rank in the top 10 money winners, eight in the top 20*.

This tournament is important for players wanting to make the tour ending ADT Championship. The ADT has a one million dollar purse for the golfer who wins it. At present, Eight South Korean players have qualified for the field. At least Another five would qualify if the current points standing holds.

As of yet, no Carolyn Bivens sighting this week . Would she show her face in South Korea after the 'English language policy' debacle of two months ago?

There is no North America television coverage of the tournament. The LPGA is off the air for 3 weeks as the tour travels through Asia.(China last week, Japan next week)

LPGA bloggers Hound Dog and The Constructivist have their own previews up.

*- 2007 LPGA Rookie of the Year Angela Park was born in Brazil, but has lived in the United States since age 8. She recently became a naturalized US citizen and has two brothers at present serving in the American armed forces. Some members of the media can't keep it straight that Angela isn't from South Korea. She's never lived in the country. Park is currently #3 in points in order to qualify for the ADT Championship.

Freak shot

Not all South Koreans play golf like Se Ri Pak or KJ Choi.

A South Korean golfer has paid a heavy price for an embarrassing shot that landed his caddy in hospital.

The golfer, identified by the country's Supreme Court only as "Jung," was fined 2 million won (911 pounds) for the incident, which occurred at a club in Gunsan Province more than two years ago.

Media reports said Jung had wound up a huge swing at the third hole but when his left foot slipped, the ball rocketed off in the wrong direction and struck his caddy -- standing eight metres behind him -- in the stomach.

The caddy needed seven weeks of hospital treatment.

The Supreme Court recognized lower courts' ruling that Jung had violated the duty of due care to prevent injury to others while playing a sport.

"In events such as boxing or judo, injury to the opponent is to be expected so there is that mitigating circumstance," the court said.

"But in golf, it is unreasonable to expect a caddy should anticipate injury to him or herself."{Reuters}

If the caddy is behind the player, the answer is no.

Guns and Rubbers

Some interesting economic data out of South Korea.

The sex trade in Korea was estimated to amount to 14 trillion won last year, roughly 1.6 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.

The Korean Women's Development Institute, commissioned by the Ministry of Gender Equality, yesterday released a report on the sex trade last year.

"The official figures of the sex trade dropped compared to 2002 thanks to continued crackdown on prostitution," said Byun Hwa-soon, a researcher at the think tank.

"But we cannot deny that new forms of prostitution and overseas sex tourism, which domestic authorities cannot police, have increased."

More than 46,000 brothels and disguised sex-service businesses disguised were identified last year, down 23 percent from 2002, according to the report.

The number of prostitutes dropped by 18 percent to 269,000 during the same period. The sex trade involved some 94 million transactions in Korea last year, down from 170 million in 2002.

The amount of money traded for prostitution was over 14 trillion won, much less than 24 trillion won in 2002.

That proves it. We're definitely having a economic downturn.

Can you believe a nation would blow waste so much money? It is incredible. Robert Koehler at Marmot's Hole makes note of some further South Korean economic data.

Money spent on whoring in 2007: 14.952 trillion won
ROK defense budget for 2008: 26.7 trillion won

I see it now. Kim Jong-il plans to conquer the south with the aid of prostitutes. If all that data above is true, he may well be on the way to it.

GI at ROK Drop is also commenting.

Well qualified

Here's some news you don't read every day.

The winner of the Miss Korea 2002 pageant, Keum Na-na (21), has received a letter of acceptance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Monday. The letter from MIT stated that Ms. Keum is an outstanding student with a great deal of potential and possesses both beauty and intelligence.

Considering the fact that MIT also nominated her for a scholarship, Ms. Keum no doubt obtained acceptance from the prestigious university thanks to her high marks in academics.

The letter from MIT noted Ms. Keum's beauty. Since when did college admissions factor that in when accepting a student. Not that the former Ms. Korea grades well IMHO. Her skills are very nice.

Keum first attracted public attention when she won the Miss Korea beauty pageant. She graduated from Gyeongbuk Science High School, and went to Kyungpook National University to study Medicine.

Brains and beuaty. Was Na-Na's answer to a beauty pageant question 'How would you like to change the world?' that she would wanted to be the first Miss Korea to go to MIT? I'm betting she didn't say World Peace.

Hat tip- Joe Seoulman

Certainly not

GI at ROK Drop wonders why Army Spc. Leon Mealing Jr. is being allowed to stay in the army. He is a convicted rapist after all.

A five-member court-martial panel sentenced a 2nd Infantry Division soldier to 90 days confinement and a reduction to E-1 on Friday after convicting him late Thursday night of raping a female servicemember. Prosecutor Capt. Graham Smith had asked that Spc. Leon Mealing Jr., Headquarters Support Company, 602nd Aviation Support Brigade, be sentenced to eight years confinement and a dishonorable discharge for the Sept. 3 rape.

According to testimony, Mealing met the victim at Tommy D’s, an on-post bar. After playing a game of pool with her, he offered to walk her home.

The victim was lost and could not find her barracks, so Mealing offered to let her spend the night in his room. The victim agreed on the condition that she would sleep in the bed while Mealing slept on a chair. After falling asleep in his bed, she awoke to find Mealing raping her, she testified.

I agree with GI that allowing convicted rapists to remain in the military is not a good thing. Nor would I want to serve in a unit with Spec. Mealing.

Mealing’s company commander testified he felt Mealing should be retained in the Army, and that he would want him back in his unit even though he was a convicted rapist.

If the company commander was named in the article, I'd consider him for a Knucklehead award. Has he lost his mind?

Linked to- Populist, Rosemary, Woman Honor Thyself, Yankee Sailor,

Meltdown

From AP-

SEOUL, South Korea An exploding mobile phone battery apparently killed a South Korean man in the first such known case in this gadget-obsessed country, police say.

The man, identified only by his family name Suh, was found dead at his workplace in a quarry Wednesday morning and his mobile phone battery was melted in his shirt pocket, a police official in Cheongwon, 135 kilometers (85 miles) south of Seoul, told The Associated Press.

"We presume that the cell phone battery exploded," the police official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said the phone was made by South Korea's LG Electronics, the world's fifth-biggest handset maker.

I'm only guessing, but this is probably some kind of fluke occurrence. Expect the chicken littles out there to add this to the list of daily worries. Like cell phone use causes brain tumors, laptop batteries cause fires etc etc.

On second thought, my laptop is feeling rather warm now. Maybe I should........

Linked to- Big Dog, Bullwinkle, Rosemary,

All Knucklehead Day Award Seven

Our seventh winner today is Chung Dong-Young. He gets the award for the following.

United New Democratic Party presidential candidate Chung Dong-young has opened a can of worms by saying Korea could become a supplier of “international mercenaries” if it extends the mandate of its troops in Iraq. He was voicing opposition to the government’s decision to extend the mandate of the Zaytun Unit in Irbil, northern Iraq, for another year despite an earlier decision to pull out this year.
Opposition parties like the Grand National Party, the Democratic Party and the People First Party called Chung’s remarks shocking and thoughtless.

At a general meeting of UNDP lawmakers on Wednesday, Chung slammed GNP presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak’s support for the extended mission, asking Lee to answer if it was “acceptable if the Korean military serves as a supply source of world mercenaries.” He said Korea “should not be seen as a nation that pursues its national interest by selling the blood of young soldiers.”

Chung's statement is inexcusible in a country where all men over the age of 18 are subject to compulsory military service. South Korean soldiers are protecting their country from the the North Korean madman. What have you done lately for your country, Mr. Chung? I'll tell you what you done, you Chung Dong-Young have become today's seventh Knucklehead of the Day.

Linked to- Rosemary,

Record keeping

Some news from South Korea. May I suggest Ms. Kim try using a digital camera in the future?

Hat tip- Marmot's Hole who said 'Don’t ask for a link to pics — I can’t find ‘em, and God knows I tried. Not that I’m expecting much — she’s a ballerina, after all.' Besides all Kimchi recipes look alike after a while.
Linked to-Leaning Straight Up, Right Wing Nation, Samantha Burns, Third World County,

The Korea National Ballet's prima ballerina Kim Ju-won will have her salary docked for one month as punishment for appearing nude in a fashion magazine.

The company's disciplinary committee decided on the measure at a meeting on Thursday morning with Kim present.

"As a member of the Korea National Ballet, Kim is obligated to get prior approval for any actions she may take outside, and thus her independent act deserves disciplinary action," the ballet company said.

"However, we have decided on just a one month salary reduction since this was the first time she has caused any kind of controversy. She had been a model member of the company until now, making great contributions to the company and to the development of Korea's ballet, even receiving the prestigious Benois de la Danse award last year," the KNB added.

Kim appeared topless in the October issue of Vogue Korea magazine with her boyfriend Lee Jeong-yun, who is also a top dancer in the KNB.

"A dancer conveys beauty through her body, but it's not always easy to know exactly how one's body looks. That's why I decided to do a nude shoot," Kim said in an interview with Vogue. "I wanted to leave a record and be able to remember how my body looks."

The magazine said Kim's nude photos were the most popular item in the October issue. "It is hard to understand why people make an issue out of an expression that has become common in modern art," the magazine said.

The Knucklehead of the Day award

Today's winner is Stars and Stripes. They get the award for the following.

SEOUL — Five hundred condom experts will meet at South Korean’s Jeju Island next week to talk about condoms, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

The focus of the convention: quality and shelf life.

Condoms typically are in circulation for five years, but that period may be reduced to three to four years. The Chosun Ilbo said that could increase the effectiveness of condoms against AIDS, and increased quality standards could help South Korean condoms compete against cheaper condoms from China, Malaysia and India.

South Korea produces 30 percent of the 12 billion condoms manufactured worldwide each year.

The Chosun reported that condom sizes won’t really be an issue because global standards exist. According to the report, small condoms are 1.9 inches wide and 6.6 inches long; medium condoms are 2.08 inches wide and 6.6 inches long; and large condoms are 2.24 inches wide and 8.07 inches long.

What is this article doing in a military newspaper? Yes I know the US has troops stationed in South Korea, but what's the connection other than that?

Here's some other information.

Large condoms are typically sold in the U.S. and Europe.

The Chosun Ilbo reported that the most popular size of condom in South Korea changed from medium to small several years ago.

That's essential need to know information. LMAO, except one problem. The Chosun Ilbo reference is wrong.

The conference is expected to focus more on enhancing quality and safety of condoms rather than size, since there already exists a global standard for large, medium and small condoms. At present, condoms 49 mm in width and a minimum of 170 mm in length are small, 53 mm by 170 mm medium, and 57mm by 205 mm large. Large ones are generally being sold in the U.S. and Europe. In Korea, the most popular size changed to medium from small about five years ago.

See getting size right matters, as does getting your reporting factually correct. Stars and Stripes failed badly, and that is why I make them today's Knucklehead of the Day.

Hat tip- ROK Drop. Thanks GI for the Korean vocabulary lesson. I now know what a Gochu is.

Linked to- Big Dog, Blue Star, Bright & Early, DragonLady, High Desert Wanderer, Leaning Straight Up, Perri Nelson, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Third World County, The World According to Carl,

Lets dig a ditch

Nikita Khrushchev must have had Lee Myung-bak in mind when he said. "Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river."

Grand National Party presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak is set to revise his flagship pledge to build a cross-country canal, striving to fix flaws in the controversial plan to maintain a lead built on his reputation as an economic expert.

Amid escalating disputes over the massive project, the GNP future vision committee, in charge of finalizing Lee’s campaign platform, has decided to delay announcing their plans until the end of this month.

"Although both Lee and the committee believe in holding onto the canal plan, we have agreed that it has to be revised in order to be included among Lee’s 10 public pledges," said Rep. Kim Hyong-o, head of the committee.

The canal plan has remained Lee’s top pledge despite external and internal criticism. But increasing objections and Lee’s somewhat vague explanation of the project have aroused concern it may adversely affect the former Seoul mayor’s popularity just two months before the Dec. 19 election.

Ok, what people in the Korean construction business are financing Lee's campaign? With both cities having their own ports, an expensive cross country canal makes no sense.

Hat tip- GI at ROK Drop. He prefers the money being spent on the canal rather than on financing Kim Jong-Il's lifestyle.
Linked to- Big Dog, Blue Star, High Desert Wanderer, Pirate's Cove,