Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rteacher]

I just heard about it when I went to SM Ching hai Saturday, and a worker there told me that their vegetarian restaurant would be giving out free food samples at the Earth Day celebrations near City Hall.

Here's the line-up (sorry for waiting till mid-afternoon before posting it.):

Booths and Events (11 AM - 5 PM)

Yard 1: Save the River of Life.
The event celebrates river restoration projects throughout Korea.

Yard 2: Energy, Climate Protection and United Citizens � a future generation of the blue planet!

This event will focus on renewable energy such as wind and solar, energy efficiency, and bicycling as a green form of transportation.

Yard 3: The Taean Peninsula.

Remember that massive oil spill that slicked the Taean National Park and all who live there in dirty black crude? (See this EcoWorldly video from when we went to help with the cleanup.) These events will discuss the spill and what�s being done to help the devastated fishing communities affected by it.

Stage Events (11 AM - 3:30 PM)

11:00-14:00: 1,000 Wishes for the Earth

Seoul Earth Day organizers hope to gather 1,000 messages of hope for the planet, written by Earth Day participants.

12:00: Love the Earth � experience an empty bowl

Buddhism environmental group �Eco Buddha� will join participants for a lunch of simple, low-cost food. In the end, participants will hopefully have an empty bowl, but a big love for the Earth and the will to practice a sustainable lifestyle.

2:00: Earth Day Celebrations

2:30: Kiss of Life on Earth! - Photo Time

To quote the event�s organizers, �our bodies came from the Earth again, you know, again, going back to the soil.� Participants will kneel and kiss the Earth.

2:35 - 3:30: Concerts

There are some rumors that singer and actress Lee Hyori will be at the Earth Day events.

The planned events, however, have a kindergarten choir.

There�s much more to this green lineup, including art, women solidarity, recycling, and animal rights events.

The theme of the Earth Day celebrations, �Running Rivers,� is also an aptly chosen one. Believe it or not, the new Korean government wants to build a canal from Seoul in the north to Busan in the South to transport goods. Yes, that�s right. A big honking canal. As in a return to the 19th Century Erie Canal days. Not only would it split the nation completely in two, it would also have a major impact on most rivers in the country and the species therein. Take part in this Earth Day appeal to stop the project.
http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/16/2008-earth-day-in-seoul-south-korea/

[kiwiduncan]

Did you make it there? I would have gone but I am down in Yeosu and couldn't make it up there.

A post about the Earth Day celebrations went up on eslcafe about a week ago but it didn't generate much interest, even with mention of Lee Hyori wrestling in a paddling pool full of fruit salad.

Are you on facebook? We set up an anti-canal group there. We've collected up lots of information about why the canal plan is such a stupid idea and a few of us have joined in with the anti canal marches and so on.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7935272621

I've been ranting on about the grand canal for a few months now. The good news is that it looks like the plans have been shelved for the moment, as despite the Grand National Party's success in the elections they still don't have enough seats to push the plan through and about 60% of Koreans are opposed to the plan.

Unfortunately Koreans elected a slimy weasal-like creature for their President and I won't believe the canal plans have been permanantly scrapped until President Lee expressly says so.

[Rteacher]

I mismanaged my funds so badly Saturday (of course it's just a coincidence that I visited Seoul Racecourse park) that I didn't even make it to the vegetarian club gathering in Itaewon.

Threads, especially in the "General" forum, tend to slide of the front page and get ignored very quickly sometimes, so if someone's promoting a particular event, it might be necessary to bump it themselves (or get someone else involved to bump or post on it) until it's been seen by most forum viewers ...

As long as the beef industry keeps getting promoted and propped up by governments (especially the U.S.) environmental progress will be slow.

From what little I've read, Lee seems relatively pragmatic on most issues, and you can't always judge a leader by his looks - Lincoln was pretty ugly.

[spliff]

Beef is one of my favorite products.

[Cohiba]