Bits and pieces

Via the Marmot's Hole, this report on the possible horrible fate awaiting space rocks in Korea is an amusing read:

According to Kopri [Korea Polar Research Institute] and local residents, an American meteorite hunter who introduced himself as Robert had distributed business cards and asked people to sell him any meteorite fragments that are found. That has raised fears of precious space rocks that rained down on Korea being spirited overseas.

“We are considering measures to prevent such leaks by designating them as ‘monuments,’ a kind of cultural asset recognized by relevant law,” said an official of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea. [...]

According to cases in foreign countries, ownership goes to a person who finds meteorites on his or her own land - which means strangers should keep their hands off of Jinju’s space debris.

Nice to see the Cultural Heritage Administration claiming alien geology as a monument of the minjok.

I found the headline of this Chosun Ilbo article to be amusing: "Seoul Braces for Disruptions for Filming of 'Avengers' Sequel." It makes it sound like a typhoon is about to hit.

Commuters and Seoul residents may experience some inconvenience traveling around the city from March 30 to April 14 due to the filming of the sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster "The Avengers."

Traffic will be blocked in several downtown areas such as Mapo Bridge and Gangnam areas to facilitate the filming of car chase and battle scenes, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Tuesday.[...]

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" follows the exploits of a team of superheroes as they do battle with a villainous robot. Major battle and chase scenes set in Seoul will take up about 15 to 20 minutes of the two-hour film. About W10 billion (US$1=W1,071) will be spent on shooting in Seoul. [...]

Seoul will be portrayed as a city featuring cutting-edge technology and ultramodern buildings. The headquarters of a Korean IT institute on a small islet on the Han River will also play a central role as villainous robot Ultron tries to acquire state-of-the-art technology. The superheroes are tasked with protecting the institute and keeping the world safe. [...]

The core scene set in Seoul involves Ultron laying parts of the city to waste. It will be shot partly at densely populated areas near Gangnam Subway Station.[...]

Gangnam Style, indeed.

"We expect that filming the sequel of 'The Avengers' in Seoul will help promote the city," said Kang Ki-hong, vice president of the Korea Tourism Organization.

While there has been criticism of the 'idiots' chorus' of those overselling the benefits of the movie being filmed here, somehow I don't think it's a bad thing that the sequel to one of the highest-grossing movies of all time (as in, 1.5 billion dollars worldwide) is going to feature 15-20 minutes showcasing Seoul "as a city featuring cutting-edge technology and ultramodern buildings."


It's got to be better way of drawing attention to Seoul, at least, than sticking a bizarre ad in the New York times for bulgogi, the latest in a long line of ill-advised ads or billboards, some of the latter of which have apparently not been paid for.

Speaking of food, zenkimchi's posts on 12 myths about Korean food and the gentrification of Itaewon (or its restaurants, at least) are worth reading.