A couple of weeks ago, Korean actress Ok So Ri made headlines for being on trial for adultery.

After admitting in court to the affair, Ok So Ri took the case to the South Korean Constitutional Court in an attempt to overturn the country’s anti-adultery law.

The law was enacted fifty years ago to protect women who had few rights in a male-dominated country. However, critics claim that the statute is no longer fit for Korea’s modern society with advanced civil and family court systems. Furthermore, some view the anti-adultery law as a means of revenge by the scorned spouse.

Three days ago, the verdict came in: the request to overturn the law was denied and Ok So Ri was sentenced to two years in jail.

I was very much surprised by the verdict. South Korea has some of the highest rates of extra-marital sexual relationships in the modern world. Married men frequently visit massage parlors, room salons, and engage in other activities that are unfaithful to their wives.

By no means do I condone the behavior. Rather, I was surprised at the hypocrisy of it all.

I then began to imagine what it would be like if such a law existed here in the United States. Would people tend to stay more faithful? Would marriage rates decrease? Or would the jails be overrun by adulterers?

What do you think?

I’ve had the good fortune of meeting BoA, the Korean/Japanese pop sensation.

My uncle is a very powerful man in the Korean entertainment business. When I visited Korea in 2000, he was the Vice-President of Broadcasting at MBC, which is one of the main broadcasting companies in Korea.

(As a side note, I’m proud to say that one of the very last showed produced under his tenure as the VP of Broadcasting was the hit drama 대장금, or Dae Jang Geum, which still remains one of the most popular dramas in Korean history.)

While he holds an even higher position now, his former title was an impressive one nonetheless. He took me on a tour of the studios and I gaped and gawked, starstruck. My visit to MBC was one where no one dared to refuse and no doors were closed (even shows that were currently live on air). Everyone seemed to cower in his presence – even movie stars and popular singers.

It was in this environment that I met BoA. She had just started to become popular at the tender age of 13. Her first hit Korean single, “Sara,” was about her Persian cat…and I got to hold the said cat backstage while she performed on stage. We exchanged small talk, and I remember thinking, “Wow, she’s so young.”

Since then, BoA developed into quite a star. Dubbed “the Korean Britney Spears” (pre-KFed), BoA became one of eastern Asia’s most popular celebrities.

I read recently that BoA is looking to expand into the U.S. market. I was skeptical – Asian pop culture is vastly dissimilar to that of the U.S. I’m pretty certain that she will not be able to “make it” here.

However, I can’t discredit her for lack of trying. In a couple of weeks, BoA will perform live at the MTV Studios in Time Square. You can even win tickets:

The U.S. is a tough market – I wish you the best of luck, BoA!

Via PopSeoul.

(I wrote a whooping 7 posts last night – 6 public and 1 private – but timed most of them so that they will be published at regular intervals throughout the next day. However, I’ve discovered that this method does not seem to notify Google Reader. So until I figure out what the problem is, I’ll publish each post as they are written. This may result in a barrage of posts in a short period of time so I apologize in advance.)

The most connected country in the world

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A fascination with PC gaming

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Mandatory military service

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BADASS BATTLE UNIFORMS!

And yes, as Engadget points out, they bear an uncanny resemblance to Halo uniforms.

I used to love reading comic books as a child.

Korea has huge, thick comic “magazines” that feature some of the more popular series of comics. These monthly compilations would almost always include cliffhangers would keep me whining and salivating for the next month’s issue. My favorite while growing up was 보물섬 (bomoolsum), which means “Treasure Island.” I’m pretty sure that 보물섬 is no longer printed, as I could only find pictures of old issues.

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Koreans (and the Japanese) are known for for creating specialized bangs, or rooms/spaces, that can be rented for popular hobbies. Some of the most popular Korean ones are:

• 노래방 (noraebang) – karaoke rooms
• 비디오방 (video-bang) or DVD방 (DVD-bang) – movie rooms. Please note that these are usually very seedy and are places where couples go to get it on.
• PC방 (PC-bang) – computer rooms, always always with high-speed internet where masses of adolescent boys go to play MMORPGs.
• 보드게임방 (boardgame-bang) – boardgame rooms!

So it’s only natural that 만화방 (manhwabang), or comic book rooms, should be included on this list.

It used to be that I would rent comic books by the bulk when my parents went to rent their Korean video tapes. However, this habbit slowly died down as the availability of rent-able comic books dwindled. Soon, I had grown quite distant from my beloved Korean comic books of the past.

In 2001, I started dating a Korean FOB (fresh off the boat). He lived in Northern Virginia, which has one of the largest Korean populations on the east coast. As our relationship developed, so did my further immersion into popular Korean culture.

One of my favorite activities to do with him as a couple was to go to one of Virginia’s many manhwabangs.

Romantic? No. Cheesy and geeky? Yes. Exactly my cup of tea.

The manhwabangs of yore used to be small, cramped spaces with poor heating/cooling, carried mostly old and stained books mostly tailored for kids.

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Modern manhwabangs are pretty nice, with spacious, comfortable couches, a vast selection of books, and a clientele that mostly consists of an older crowd.

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Some even offer food, like ramen…

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오징어 (dried squid)…

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쥐포 (dried filefish)…

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Many other yummy snacks…

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And a wide assortment of beverages.

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Whew! I’m getting hungry writing about this! Back to the point!

I haven’t been to any good manhwabangs since I’ve moved back up to NY. There were numerous ones in Virginia – my favorite one was a manhwabang and a PC-bang combined – and I’m starting to miss them a lot.

I know that J would enjoy them too, because the larger ones (at least the ones in VA) have Japanese comic books which he is able to read. Not to mention, he too is a comics-lover with a huge collection at home. When I described some of my favorites from my childhood, he knew them as well, having read the Chinese translations when he was a kid.

The only manhwabang that I’ve been to in recent years is a small one in Palisades Park, NJ. It was dark and cramped, and none too impressive.

I’ve heard of some in Flushing but living in NJ, Queens is quite a trek for us. And if there are any in Manahattan, I’m sure it’s just as overpriced as the rest of the city.

I shall continue my quest for a good manhwabang in the northern NJ/Manhattan area. I really miss immersing myself in a good comic book series, munching on snacks while popping a cold one.

When J was a little kid, his parents bought him a pair of ivory chopsticks that were engraved with his name. Twenty-plus years later, they are still his favorite pair of chopsticks:

When J’s parents came to the states for our wedding, they brought me a gift from Hong Kong: my own pair of ivory chopsticks, engraved with my Korean name written in Chinese…bought from the same store where they had gotten J’s chopsticks!

I joked that I will forever think of baby elephants being slaughtered as I use these chopsticks, but I really appreciated the gesture and the thoughtfulness that went into the gift.

Here they are, side by side. Notice how much darker J’s chopsticks are – they have browned with age. Mine are pointed, because J’s parents heard that Koreans prefer their chopsticks skinnier/more pointed than the Chinese (which is true).

Why an entire post about chopsticks? Because we may need to add some more to our collection…

Behold, lightsaber chopsticks!

Via Gizmodo.