The date of birth on the right on the date of death on the left. This was a student; a 17 year old kid. Murdered for protesting for freedom against the president/dictator that the Americans put into power.

March 15, 1960: Election Day in Korea.

In Masan, over one thousand protesters gathered as it became increasingly clear that the election for President and Vice President was rigged.  The military opened fire, blacked out the city, and called for US Marines to help damper the protest.

On April 11, the body of a high school student was found in Masan harbor.  The boy had been missing since the March 15 protest.  The government continued to say that the student had drowned, but when protesters forced their way into the hospital where his dead body lay, they discovered that his eyes were blown out by grenades, which is how he died.

From Masan the protests spread to Seoul, then to the rest of the country. It led to the resignation of (the corrupt) President Syngman Rhee in what became the April Revolution. His prime minister, Gibung Lee, committed suicide along with his entire family.

Syngman Rhee was the first president/dictator in post-colonial, post-Korean War Korea.  His resignation was an incredibly hopeful moment for Korea… until Park Chung Hee entered to create a new dictatorship.

It was hard to get a firm number of those that were killed in the protests.  The very nice lady at the museum didn’t know for sure, but it appears that anywhere from 15-30 died while protesting for freedom (many of them young students).  Many more were injured.

It’s sad.  It’s sad for Korea.  It’s sad for America.

Masan has a beautiful memorial and museum dedicated to the event.  Those who were killed or injured in the protests are buried here.

You can see the full photo set here.

photos of those killed in the protests

graves of those killed and injured in the protests

sculpture commemorating the protest

puppet reenactment of the protest

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I love T-ara.  Their first album had more good songs than most Kpop groups or American pop singers put out in 3 years (see Like the First Time, I Go Crazy Because of You, I’m Really Hurt, Bo Peep Bo Peep, Apple is A, and TTL)… even my Mom likes to break down with the Bo Peep dance.

So, I was pretty excited about their newly released mini-album, Vol. 2 Temptastic (a name so awful it’s amazing).

They have 2 songs out right now: Yayaya and Why Are You Being Like This?

Why Are You Being Like This? is great.  It’s fun, catchy, and has a great beat… however, T-ara seems determined to hold on to their crown for the Worst Dancers in Korea.  They have really outdone even themselves in creating what must be the easiest and most pointless “dance” ever.  (They basically do the E.T. finger touch… that’s it… however, they can’t even do that when they sing live because of the microphones!)

The fantastic video blog, Eat Your Kimchi, does a great review (and interpretation) of the video.

The one good thing I will say is that because they can’t dance, there are an enormous amount of close-ups… an enormous amount.  And these girls are so cute (and really good in front of the camera) that the close-ups work well for them.

Here’s the video:

Now there’s also T-ara’s other song… Yayaya.  The video involves a plane crash, after which the unconscious pilot is kidnapped by T-ara who have been transformed into a band of indians… as in Native Americans… as in they are wearing feathers and have painted lines on their cheeks… (one also appears to be wearing a painted Star of David)…

I’m not going to lambast them for being racist… they’re not purposefully harming anyone and this is a video for 13 year old girls (and me).  Mostly, it’s just incredibly weird and funny…

Here’s the video if you want to watch… you are warned.

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When I first moved to Korea over a year ago, I did not understand all the cuteness.  Now, after succumbing to Oh! and Balloons (quite possibly the cutest thing ever) and countless other cute things, I think it’s time I fully embraced my love of Korean cuteness.

I love Girls Generation‘s new video, Hoot.  It bothered me at first because it’s so derivative of the Wonder Girls‘ 2 Different Tears.  But while it does copy them, I ultimately don’t care because it is so much better.

I used to argue about how the Wonder Girls were superior to Girls Generation… which no longer makes sense… and Girls Generation’s music continues to improve (a feat not entirely hard to do when you’re first song is Gee).

So here is Hoot… it is cute; it will make you happy.

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Can’t Nobody is my new favorite Kpop song.  I got the 2NE1 CD a few weeks ago (along with a poster and school folder!), but am just now really listening to it.

I love it… it’s fun, it’s catchy… and it’s much more interesting than most girl groups in Korea.

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I love buying CD’s in Korea.  They put so much effort into it, and each one is different (at least with the kpop idol singers).

So, I was doubly excited today when I went to buy 2NE1‘s new album and in addition to the 47 page lyrics & photo book that come with the CD, I also got a free poster and a see-through folder starring the singer of my choice — I picked Park Bom of course.

Needless to say, I felt like a 12 year-old girl and was mildly embarrassed walking through the really nice “mall” with a big pink poster rolled up under my arm… these also being the same stores that already judge me because I clearly can’t afford to shop there (yesterday I gave my best “I’ll think about it” look when they told me that the puffy down jacket I liked was $2,000), while also clearly not being able to fit into any of their clothes (the puffy down jacket I liked was evidently only constructed in XXXS)… but I’m a foreigner…

Here’s 2NE1′s latest video Clap Your Hands (박수 쳐).  I love it.  It’s very different from the standard kpop girl group sound, and the video’s story line doesn’t involve them trying to look pretty for a boy.

You can buy 2NE1: To Anyone here.

And the photos (full photo set here):

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Reason #3 for moving to Seoul:

I started taking janggu (장구) lessons this weekend.  It wasn’t my first choice (I wanted to learn the gayageum), but I was pleasantly surprised after my first lesson.  It was a little harder than I expected, but hopefully not too difficult.

From Wikipedia:

The janggu… is the most widely used drum used in the traditional music of Korea. It is available in most kinds, and consists of an hourglass-shaped body with two heads made from animal skin. The two heads produce sounds of different pitch and timbre, which when played together are believed to represent the harmony of man and woman.

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My new favorite song is DJ Doc’s I’m This Kind of Person.

I especially love that they make fun of other Kpop idol groups… and I especially especially love that they make fun of the boy bands who fake-play instruments while doing silly dance moves.

==

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As you may or may not know, I LOVE the Wonder Girls.

In Korea there’s no shortage of girl groups (or boy groups), but in my opinion, the Wonder Girls are a step ahead of everyone else.  I still think So Hot and Nobody are the best pop songs (and videos) to come out of Korea (along with some Hyori and Son Dambi).

That being said, I was (like all of my 13 year old girl students) so incredibly disheartened when Sun Mi decided to unexpectedly quit the group earlier this year… Of course, what I didn’t account for was that my favorite Wonder Girl, Ye Eun, would step up and fill the void (just try to not love the dimples and mis-matched tights!).

So, I don’t really love this song, but it’s worth it for the video… and seriously, how could you not fall in love with them with these pictures?

Here’s their new song, 2 Different Tears.

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I often complain about the quality of music in my adopted home of Korea.  It tends to be a distant cousin of Hilary Duff-style pop.  However (and perhaps I’ve been here too long), I’m embarrassed to admit that I kind of like Girls Generation’s new song, “Oh!”.

[I have always been brutal to Girls Generation... even when my ex kind of liked them I would start yelling.]

BUT!  The main thing you should do right now is sit down and watch the video.  It’s kind of impossible to describe, and/but it’s so bad I can’t stop watching it.

When I play it on YouTube while the class is working on an assignment I slyly stand behind the computer so I can sneak glimpses of it.

The iMac (circa 1999)… the Western hairstyles… the 438 hands-to-the-face gestures… the whole American football theme… it’s all just so overwhelming.

Just watch it…

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While I highly doubt that NPR will consider my pick for the 50 Greatest Voices… after writing my email nomi

nation, I figured I should at least post it here. by Annie Leibovitz

My vote went to Lucinda Williams.

She’s mostly known as a superb songwriter (which she is… TIME said she was the greatest living American songwriter), but her singing… it makes me speechless.  And try seeing her live… it’ll bring you to tears.

Here’s a few of my favorites (in chronological order)… sorry there are so many, but it is incredibly hard to reduce her career into three or four songs.

***I must also mention that Emily (of bedazzling denim fame) is a bonafide Lucinda expert, so I expect her to have many more (and better) recommendations.

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I’ve been a fan of Scarlett Johansson for quite a while (most definitely since Lost in Translation)… actually, to say I’m a fan is a bit of an understatement.

In 2008, she released an album.  But, unlike many of her peers, she didn’t do a bad pop album… instead, she did covers of Tom Waits’ songs (see Tom Waits here).  So, while the album didn’t push any musical boundaries, she at least had the smarts to know that her first foray into music would be on solid ground.

She’s recently released a new album with Pete Yorn, and I am obsessed.

To be sure, this is clearly Pete Yorn’s album, and it is never in doubt who’s in charge.  Which is fine, because Scarlett’s supporting role is almost perfect casting.  She never overdoes it and never tries to be something she is not.  Instead, she simply provides some great performances to some great little songs.

Here are some of my favorite tracks, but you can check out the entire album on Lala.

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When you live in Korea, you become completely inundated with Kpop.  This basically means that in any given month there will be several popular songs that you hear ALL THE TIME!

I know we think this happens in America when pop groups gain fleeting popularity, but please understand, IT IN NO WAY COMPARES TO KOREA.

One artist, named G-Dragon (also a member of Big Bang), has recently caught my attention because he is being barraged with claims of plagiarism.

Regardless of what you think about G-Dragon’s plagiarizing, this song has a great beat.  Also, I love the video.

I am becoming increasingly disappointed with MTV’s VMA’s… Beyonce won this year for a video that was ridiculously bad… the year before that, Britney won out of sympathy… and before that, Rihanna won for one of the worst pieces of video ever put to music.

So, in comparison to Beyonce, Britney, and Rihanna, I think G-Dragon’s video holds up very, very well.

Check it out:

See all my Kpop posts here.

ps, I should mention that Britney did win a Best Pop VMA for Womanizer, which she completely deserved (in my opinion)

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One Korean pop band I really like is the Wonder Girls.  They just finished touring with the Jonas Brothers in America and are evidently working on an English language album to be released this year.

Their first single “Tell Me” sparked a national dance craze, thereby prompting me to post a video of cops doing the Tell Me Dance.  Now, my friend just sent me this video of cops doing the Nobody Dance from the Wonder Girls’ newest single.

Be sure to watch the guys on the side…

And here’s the Wonder Girls English version video (skip to 1:57… the beginning’s awful):

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