So… What’s in the News Today?

A friend of mine who works at the Korea Times was asking me recently why I give the KT such a hard time. Aside from the usual, self-explanatory answers (the marvellous Dokdo Times is perhaps the KT’s biggest fan in this regard), I did have to admit that perhaps I have been a bit tough on the ol’ KT. So… rather than issue a formal apology (where’s the fun in that?), I thought I’d look about and see what the other guys have on offer today.

First, from the esteemed Chosun Ilbo… Park Gets New Clothes. In this national news story we learn that “President-elect Park Geun-hye has bought two colorful new jackets recently”. One of the President-elect’s aides has also confided to the Chosun that, “She likes pant suits because she can put notes for her speeches in the pant pockets. Astonishingly, Park’s clothes were also subject to criticism, by… “the opposition camp”. Riveting stuff.

Also from the Chosun… Sex Helps Men Cope with Insomnia (!!!) We now know that “major symptoms of insomnia include taking more than half an hour to fall asleep, waking up at least five times at night, and having difficulty going back to sleep”. Whilst it is reported that, “Some people worry that having sex will excite their sympathetic nerve”, rest assured. The new evidence suggests that some men may actually feel sleepy after sex.

The Chosun also has a feature called ‘Today’s Photo‘. The caption to this national newspaper’s really interesting photo of the day says it all. “Models promote red bean porridge at a café in Seoul on Monday”. I for one think it is imperative that Korean people begin to learn about the delicious taste and all-round well-beingness of Korean food. Just the other day a Korean friend of mine was saying how much they wished to know more about Red Bean Porridge.

Today’s “No Shit, Sherlock” award narrowly goes to the Korea Herald, with its report(though actually pretty much every paper ran this story) entitled Child obesity linked to fat parents: report. A team (yes, a team) of researchers spent two years studying 1500 kids and came to the stunning conclusion that fat parents who eat a lot of fast food run an increased risk of having fat kids who also eat a lot of fast food. Fuck me! A team of fucking researchers took two years to discover ‘Monkey see, monkey do’. If anyone out there knows which particular official body is handing out the research grants, please send us a message (we’ll cut you in)…

Finally over at Yonhap, Korea’s premiere (only?) international news service, we have a feature article entitled K-pop fever takes hold in Latin America. Proof of K-pop’s sudden ‘hold’ on Latin America is evidenced by a photo of 14 female students, and also an interview with a Chilean beauty pageant contestant, who states, “In history, the relations between Asia and Latin American is the only link missing in the world” (?) and a Peruvian student who states that she now knows the difference between the two Korea’s (thanks to a TV drama), and hopes to move to South Korea, “for better chances of success.” She adds, “The Korean stories of self-made persons give us hope. After all, Peru is notorious for the large gap between the rich and poor.”