We are in the middle of preparing an article on the “bang” culture in Korea – Noraebangs, PC bangs, Jjimjil bangs, DVD bangs and the new Multi-bangs. We need your help! Give us a little information here in our open thread, and let us know where your favorite bang is and why it’s the best one around. End it with your name and location, and we’re likely to use your quote in the article! Help educate newcomers on the ‘bang’ culture in Korea~

Let the word spread like wildfire…

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=107656905952875

This is an open thread, to help us get an idea of people’s biggest complaints about South Korea, so we can prepare them for our “Reader’s 10″ online survey.

For those of you who are upset that we’d be even asking such a question, please remember that the Korea Tourism Organization asks the same question of visitors to find out how to improve tourism to Korea. Thank you.

Okay get to work telling us your complaints in the comments section below!!!

Well it was smart of you to check the website. We couldn’t put the 2010 Seoul Information Fair in the magazine, because right up to when we were going to print, they were saying it may or may not happen this year due to the ship sinking off the coast. But now we know – it’s on!

Combined with the Seoul Friendship Festival (서울 지구촌한마당), there will be tons of fun things to do in downtown Seoul this weekend besides just getting information for foreigners. Last year’s nearby Seoul Friendship Festival was incredible, with tons of foreign food and drink from all over the world thanks to participation from what seemed like every embassy in the country.

But, of course the nearest and dearest part of the event is the Seoul Info Fair, which 10 will of course be participating in. Drop by and learn about all of the great things happening in Korea and pick up some past issues of 10 for free! We’ll also be having giveaways on both Saturday and Sunday at 3 o’clock, so bring your business card and drop it in our bucket for your chance at some free stuff. About 40 other foreigner-service-oriented organizations will be present at the 2010 Information Fair along with 10.

Date and Time: May 8th and 9th, 2010 (Sat-Sun), 12:00-19:00

Directions:

Directly in front of the Seoul Finance Center, home to Shinhan Bank’s Seoul Global Center

25~84 Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

City Hall Subway Station, Exit 4 (Lines 1 & 2)

Gwanghwamun Subway Station, Exit 5 (Line 5)

Free stuff. It’s one of my favorite things and is likely one of yours, too. You probably know that 10 Magazine’s pretty darn good at keeping you up to date with the best of what’s happening in Korea, but you may not know that we also help you enjoy it gratis (or 무료로 in the local parlance).

How so? Almost every week, we include a contest for restaurant vouchers, concert tickets, and more in our free (there’s that word again!) newsletter The Weekly 10. The next newsletter goes out tomorrow, so be sure to sign up now! This week, you’re almost guaranteed to win two tickets to an upcoming non-verbal performance.

Read on to see some of our previous contest winners holding up their prize.

Azure Wilson holding her W50,000 gift certificate to Antonio Italian restaurant

Travis Landers with his W50,000 voucher to Maple Tree House (단풍나무집) BBQ restaurant

Stephen Oakes received two tickets to the Awesome 80s Prom Party

So get in on the action by adding your name to the Weekly 10 mailing list. Meanwhile, we’ll keep trying to find a free lunch.

There’s never a shortage of people more than willing to take your money.

When it comes time to invest, however, you can’t entrust your assets to just anyone. This is especially true for residents in Korea, who may be interested in testing the waters here but don’t want to jump in the deep end quite yet.

Get your feet wet before diving in with a free seminar provided by Standard Chartered 제일 Bank. This month’s banking seminar for foreigners living in Korea is headed up by Bae Hyun Eui, a specialist at Korean investment firm True Friend Korea Investment and Trust Management.

Bae will cover the global economic situation and market outlook for 2010 and also introduce the best Korean funds currently available for investment at Standard Chartered 제일the Private Bank.

When: Thursday, March 4th, 7:30 – 8:20 pm
Where: Kangnam PB Center (Yeoksam St., line 2, ex. 3), Capital Building 3rd Floor
How: confirm your attendance by March 3rd (Wednesday) via e-mail to Maderich.Mariya@scfirstbank.com

One drawback of living or traveling in Korea is the difficulty of finding books in English. Good bookstores are rare, and if you only know one or two, you are unlikely to find the range of books you would like. Many of us also enjoy browsing in used bookstores. Luckily, there ARE good English bookstores in Korea; you just have to know where and how to find them.

Bookstores come in three flavors. First there are the chains, relatively easy to find through web searches. Second are mid-sized stores catering primarily to English readers; these are a bit harder to find, but many expats know where they are. More difficult to find, but fun when you do, are the small used bookstores that dot traditional markets in Korean cities. These, you find at the expense of shoe leather.

Let’s take a look at these by category.

MAJOR CHAINS

Seoul

Books from the bestseller lists, books that have been or are about to be turned into major motion pictures, and classic literature are all available at any large chain including Kyobo, Youngpoong, or Bandi and Luni’s.  Look for sections called English, Foreign, or even 諼措檣 (“waegugin,” foreigner).  In Seoul there is a cluster of chains in the Jongno-gu area. Kyobo Book Centre, Korea’s largest bookstore, stocks about 2,300,000 books and on weekends draws over 120,000 customers. For a truly surreal/jam-packed experience, visit Kyobo or Youngpoong the day before Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. If you frequent chains, get a membership card, which offers various benefits.

Other Cities

Daejeon boasts a Kyobo downtown and a Gyeryeong Books in Eunhaeng-dong. Gwangju has pretty slim pickings; there is only a Youngpoong and the Chungjang Bookstore.  Chungjang, described using the classic Korean direction-giving technique as “right by the Starbucks,” has some classics, bestsellers from a couple months ago, and books about Korea and the Korean language.  Busan has two Youngpoongs and one Kyobo, Daegu has two Youngpoongs and two Kyobos. Ulsan, Masan, Pohang and Gumi each have one Youngpoong. For more specific directions consult the Youngpoong and Kyobo websites.

MID-SIZED STORES

The Foreign Bookstore, Itaewon, Seoul

Independent bookstores dedicated to the English reader are rarer.  There are two excellent stores in Itaewon, What the Book and the Itaewon Foreign Bookstore. What the Book is in Itaewon but is happy to ship books to wherever you may be in Korea. It has a solid selection of new books, a range of used books, and a stellar magazine section. You can browse What the Book online, using its excellent website and search function. The Itaewon Foreign Bookstore is an old-fashioned used bookstore. It features row upon row of books on shelves, which slide to reveal more shelves behind. In both stores, used books are expensive. If you are going to buy something currently in print, it makes more sense to purchase it new.

North of the chain bookstores, across from Gyeongbokgung Palace, is Seoul Selection, a smallish store focused on Korea and Korean culture. It sells new and used books, DVDs, and music CDs as well as hosting literary events. Seoul Selection, also the publisher of Seoul Magazine, has wireless internet, seats and tables, and a computer for customer use. As lagniappe, the clerks give away a packet of postcards with book sales. Seoul Selection has an excellent website with a great search function.

In Daegu, the newly opened Buy the Book is a café that also sells used books. Buy the Book features international lunch, a clean spacious eating/reading space, and two walls covered in bookshelves of used books. Daegu Books is an online purveyor of used books, which has only been in business a short while, but has managed to build a stock of nearly 500 books.

Many smaller bookstores have selections of English books. If you walk in university neighborhoods you can find these. Start with large, reputable universities, universities known for art or literature, and then work your way to smaller, less well-known ones. Hongik University, in Seoul, for instance, is surrounded by a sprinkling of bookstores selling English books.

SMALLER SHOPS

For bibliophiles, part of the fun of buying a book is finding it. For this, you need to be a bit intrepid. Many medium and larger sized public markets have a row of bookshops with books tied together in stacks by colored ribbons. Most books are Korean, but English books can be found, and if you like the thrill of the chase, this is where to find it. In Seoul, to the right across the Cheonggyecheon Stream from Dongdaemun Gate, is a row of little bookstores. They may look a bit out of place amidst the fashion outlets, but many of them have books in English, and the Waegook Bookstore is completely dedicated to English books. In the Jung-Ang market in Daejeon, within easy walking distance of Daejeon’s KTX station, there are street-side bookstores with vast rooms full of books stored in the buildings behind them.

These semi-traditional markets are in every major city in Korea and worth an afternoon’s walk, as they often reveal unexpected treasures. And when you manage to find a small store with English books? Make friends with the owner, because if you are a repeat customer, they will start squirreling books away for you.

So get out there and get reading!

Top 10 Bookstore in Korea

1. What the Book Seoul – New books, used books, a brilliant ordering system and helpful staff that speak English well. Its website is in English and extremely easy to use. Itaewon St. (line 6, ex. 3), behind the Itaewon Fire Station and up the hill on the left. whatthebook.com
2. The Foreign Bookstore Seoul –Small, cramped, but stuffed with books, this is the place to go to find an array of used titles spanning science fiction, humor, and psychology. It also carries used magazines and some tapes. Noksapyeong St. (line 6, ex. 2), across the street
3. Seoul Selection Seoul – If your focus is on Korean literature or literature about Korea, this is your bookstore. B1 Korean Publishers Association B/D 105-2, Sagan-dong, Chongro-gu, Seoul. seoulselection.com, 02-734-9565
4. Kyobo Books – So many stores and so many books (and so little time)! kyobobook.co.kr, 10magazine.asia/2037/kyobo-bookstore-locations (The Kyobo website is entirely in Korean, but the 10 team has added a handy resource to its website to help you find the one nearest you. Don’t forget that you can buy 10 Magazine at any Kyobo.)
5. Youngpoong –Youngpoong has stores scattered throughout Korea and offers a more relaxed vibe than Kyobo.  ypbooks.co.kr (The store locator is at the bottom of the main page. It’s in Korean but is easy to navigate.)
6-7. Daegu Books and Buy the Book Daegu – These shops offer a new idea to book-shopping in Korea. Daegu Books will ship to anywhere in Korea for a small fee, and has rock-bottom prices on used books. Buy the Book has space, food and an artsy attitude to share.
Daegu Books: daegubooks.com
Buy the Book: 18-11 4th floor, Samdeok 1 ga-dong, Jung-gu.
buythebookcafe@yahoo.com, 010-8522-1833 on weekdays, 0708-632-1833 on weekends
8. Waegook Bookstore Seoul – Lots of used books, and other bookstores on both sides.
Stall 27 in Dongdaemun Market

9. Chungjang Bookstore Gwangju – Not the biggest or the best, but if you live in Jeolla, you don’t have a lot of options. Chungjang Seolim 35 Geumnamno 2 ga, Dong-gu (Near the Starbucks!) 062-227-1932
10. Yeongchang Bookstore Daejeon –  A bit tricky to find at the east side of Jungang Market. But it stands for ALL the small bookstores waiting for you to find them! 042-226-1096

On Friday February 26th at 10:30am there will be will be having a Living in Seoul Orientation Session at the Itaewon-Hannam Global Village Center. At this session you will be able to learn about all the services and cultural opportunities that are out there for foreigners living in this city.

There will be an informative presentation, a Q&A session, and finally refreshments and a chance to mingle with the other guests at the end. All those who attend will also receive a package of brochures, maps, and guides that will help make your life in Seoul a lot easier and more enjoyable.

This event is free of charge but if you wish to attend please RSVP by calling us at (02)796-2459~60 or sending an email to itaewon@sba.seoul.kr

Submitted by Itaewon-Hannam Global Village

The Korea Herald has spoken, and according to them the top language book for learning Korean is the one written by none other than 10 Magazine Managing Editor, Stephen Revere.

The Herald’s choices for the top Korean language textbooks are:

1. Survival Korean by Stephen Revere

2. Korean Made Easy by Seung-eun Oh

3. Ganada Korean for Foreigners by Ganada Language Institute

There is a second book in the Survival Korean series, Survival Korean: Basic Grammar Skills. There is also a third book in the series, a vocabulary book, but we spoke with Mr. Revere and it turns out that he was not consulted at all, and that in fact it was actually published without his knowledge, hence he does not vouch for the quality of the book.

Check out youtube.com to watch “Let’s Speak Korean,” the 260 episode series on Arirang TV taught by him as well and  stay tuned for more Korean language lessons and videos from the creator of 10 Magazine in coming months.

The Herald's captioners must have been in a hurry.

Free Wi Fi at Starbucks:

http://www.istarbucks.co.kr/store/wireless.asp

The directions translated to English are:

1. Click on “Connect to” to search wireless connections. Then choose “Netspot”

2. Open your browser and click on “무료인터넷 사용하기” (Use free Internet)

3. Enjoy using the Internet after confirming your identity!

You confirm your identity using either a Korean citizen’s card – or – wait for it – your foreigner registration card! That’s right. Foreigners can sign up as well.