Akbayang Pinay

I came to Korea as a graduate student of Korean studies and by the time I got married with my long time Korean boyfriend I already knew a handful about Korea's history, culture, language, and the Korean people. However, the knowledge I had about Korea was not enough (not even close) to help me survive my new life in Korea.

As an exchange student, Koreans would admire you for the courage that you possess to study the history and culture of Korea and they would praise you even more for being able to speak Korean (Korean language is considered as one of the most difficult languages to learn...the older Korean generation would say that only SMART foreigners could actually learn and speak Korean....kkkk). But things changed when I became Mrs. Jeon, suddenly I felt like I was being forced to become a Korean in every way to the extent of ignoring where I came from. The government programs offered for marriage immigrants where all designed to help foreign spouses adjust to the Korean way of married life but no program was made available for the Korean husbands that would help them understand the way their foreign wives think and feel. It seemed like foreign spouses were only given one choice, become a Korean and ignore your place of origin....that's the only way you can survive Korea. But that's not the way things work, a successful marriage is a two way street, a couple should learn to understand each other, their feelings, their frustrations. Unfortunately in Korea, only the foreign spouse was forced to understand and adjust to the Korean way while the Korean husband just watched and observed without feeling the need to understand his wife's background.

Some people I know would say that I had a hard time adjusting in Korea and I would agree with that but not because I refuse to embrace the changes that surrounded me. I had a hard time adjusting because the things I imagined Korea would be as stated in Korean history books and as explained by my professors in graduate school became the opposite as I actually experience my so-called life in Korea. It was difficult to accept the fact that after being amazed about the history and culture of Korea, the  mystery and passion for learning about Korea suddenly disappeared as soon as I got married with a Korean man not because of the man that I married but because of the society that swallowed me in their perfect concept of a homogeneous society.

Despite being able to know a lot of things about Korea before I became Mrs. Jeon, I still experienced hardships that caused me depression at some point. Depression that could have been prevented if I had a support group that could assist me with my new found life in Korea. A support group wherein one could share their experiences and expertise about living in Korea. This idea is something that I discussed endlessly with my close friend Myla. We would often talk about it for hours but since we were in a stage wherein our duties as stay-at-home moms came first, the idea stayed as an IDEA for years.

But it didn't stay that way for long, because on January 2013 we finally had the courage to spearhead a volunteer group that will help Filipina marriage immigrants in Uijeongbu, Yangju, and Dongducheon areas in Gyeonggi Province. The volunteer group we started was named AKABAYANG PINAY. The word "akbayan" comes from the Filipino word that means to put one's arm around another's shoulder as a sign of support or camaraderie while "Pinay" is a word that Filipinos use to refer to Filipinas.

Akbayang Pinay is an organization that aims to unite and support Filipinas married to Koreans. The group was formed to foster closer ties among the families of Filipinas married to Koreans by encouraging better understanding of the Philippines, its culture, history, and its people. Akbayang Pinay also intends to act as a bridge in bringing the Filipino marriage immigrants closer to the community by supporting the government’s efforts in integrating multicultural families in Korean society.
 

 

Akbayang Pinay is relatively a newbie in this field but the support we got from our members, officers, and the community has been nothing but overwhelming. Together with our families and friends we are all working together in achieving the goals of Akbayang Pinay. It may take us years before our group could really be recognized all over Korea but we are to willing to work on it and with the kind of members that we have I know we are not aiming for the impossible. We may not have enough funds to start with, but we voluntarily contribute our resources so that we could see our projects completed as planned. We do hope that someday we could get enough resources from the government, non-governmental organizations and private institutions so that we could support more Filipinas married to Koreans.

If you are a Filipina married to a Korean in Uijeongbu, Yangju, and Dongducheon we invite you to become a member of Akbayang Pinay. You can send us email at akbayangpinay@yahoo.com or you can find Akbayang Pinay's facebook page. Let's help each other adjust to life in Korea.

Increasing tension between North and South Korea

* The recent declaration of North Korea for a combat-ready posture is alarming the mom in me again. I've been closely monitoring the development of this tension and honestly I'm at a point wherein I'm starting to think about making our get-away bags ready again. Although I'm worried about the situation, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed....I hope things won't escalate any more.

Korea Herald: N.K. puts artillery in combat-ready posture

North Korea on Tuesday put into “combat-ready posture” its missile and artillery units that are capable of striking South Korea, the U.S. and other “hostile targets,” its state media said.

“The Supreme Command is putting all of its field artillery including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units into the No. 1 combat-ready posture,” the top command said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

The statement enumerated specific targets such as the U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Guam and other U.S. bases in the Pacific region, not to mention South Korea.

“No. 1 combat-ready posture” has never before been mentioned in the North’s media reports. Seoul officials said the posture appeared to mean the highest level of combat readiness, noting that no unusual North Korean military movements were detected yet.

“Compared to the South Korean military, the highest combat readiness means you put live ammo in your equipment and put yourself in full gear, and put soldiers in their positions,” a military source said, declining to be named.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry said that it was keeping closer tabs on North Korean movements, stressing that any provocations would be met with strong retaliation.

Referring to the B-25 strategic bomber the U.S. had flown over the peninsula during recent maneuvering drills, the command’s statement said it would show off its military’s and people’s resolve to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and highest dignity “through actual military action.”

“Our ‘crystal clear judgment’ is that we cannot overlook the intimidating reality any longer as the U.S. nuclear threats and blackmailing spread into real action,” the statement said.

The statement came a day after Pyongyang staged a national military exercise on its east coast apparently in a show of force against the South Korean and U.S. combined forces that have recently signed a joint counter-provocation plan.

Seoul’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin has said that South Korea would launch a counterstrike, if provoked, not only at the origin of the provocation, but also forces supporting it and its commanders.

This counter-provocation guideline by Kim was said to have been reflected in the allies’ new contingency plan signed last Friday.

Jeung Young-tae, senior research fellow at Korea Institute for National Unification, said that through the highest readiness posture, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to bring his people together and strengthen his military leadership.

“Kim moves around the military installations while showing off his post of the top military commander. Through such activities, he also seeks to instill an image of a strong leader into his people,” he said.

“Should the tension lead to an opening of talks with the U.S., Kim might be seen as having made the U.S. surrender and could cast himself as a successful military leader.”

Jeung, however, said Seoul should prepare for possible provocations.

“Amid this military readiness, (Kim) might think that there is a need to show something in realistic terms. There could be missile launches or an artillery attack or other such kinds of limited, low-intensity provocations,” he said.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)

Communication for a Brighter Future in Korea

* I got a request from a dear friend to blog about this contest. So here it goes, I hope you guys will join for the fun part of it and of course for the nice prize that goes with it .....kkkkk.

Communicating for a Brighter Future of Korea

The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) is holding a communication contest with the topic of “Communicating for a Brighter Future of Korea.” The winner will be entitled to participate at the 4^th Culture Communication Forum (CCF) on September 3-5, 2013 in Seoul as the Korean/foreign youth representative to discuss cultural themes together with world renowned cultural experts from Korea and abroad.

■ Contest Outline

▪ Application deadline: March 29,2013

▪ Announcement of finalists: 14:00, April 5, 2013

The announcement will be posted on our website at www.coreaimage.org

▪ Final round: 13:30, April 13, 2013

Location: Seoul Museum (201 Buam-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul)

-Participants: Koreans and non-Koreans under the age of 35

-Contest language: Korean

▪ Application method:

1) Submit the attached application

2) Your original idea in one of the following formats

1. Essay: Less than 2 pages (font size 11)

2. Video clip: less than 4 minutes, WMV/MPEG file format

3. Singing a song: less than 4 minutes, WAV/MP3 file format

4. For any other formats, please contact us

E-mail address: bureau@coreaimage.org, cici@coreaimage.org

■ Contest Details

The theme of the contest is “Communicating for a Brighter Future of Korea.”

Choose only ONE of the following topics. Finalists must deliver their presentation in Korean.

1) What is the significance of the hallyu, the Korean Wave including K-pop and Korean drama? In your opinion, what other aspect of Korean culture can drive the next phase of the Korean wave? Why do you think that the aspect of Korean culture you chose will communicate well with the world? Use images, video or statistics to explain your position.

2) In your opinion, what will be the new keyword that will symbolize Korea for the rest of the world in 2013? Why do you think so? How can this keyword be promoted around the world?

3) In Korea, “multiculturalism” is often equated with Southeast Asian immigrants. If you were a scholar studying multiculturalism or a public official in charge of multicultural affairs, what could you do to change this perception? Give specific examples.

■Prizes

▪ 1^st Place: 3 million won

OR cash prize and a present of equivalent value

(for example, 2,000,000 won and a flight ticket)

▪ 2^nd Place: 2 million won

OR cash prize and a present of equivalent value

▪ 3^rd Place: 1 million won

OR cash prize and a present of equivalent value

▪ Participation Prize: 500,000 won or a present of equivalent value

▪ Popularity Prize: 300,000 won or a present of equivalent value

*All participants who reach the final round will receive a souvenir.

For further information,

call 02-424-0049 OR bureau@coreaimage.org, cici@coreaimage.org

Hosted by Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI)

Organized by: Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI),

Communication Strategy Institute (CSI)
 

 *****Click the link to download the application form

 

 

 

KOREA TIMES: 2 brothers killed in apt. noise feud

* Not only daughter-in-laws suffer from holiday stress in Korea but neighbors as well, so this article will reflect the violence that resulted from holiday stress. One thing is for sure I don't want to be in this situation at all.

2 brothers killed in apt. noise feud

Shown above are the remains of a house burnt down in a fire set by a 49-year-old neighbor in a dispute over noise allegedly made by the residents of the burnt house. / Yonhap

Suspect in rage stabbing flees and remains at large

By Kim Jae-won

A number of fatal incidents took place during the Seollal holiday.

Two brothers in their 30s were stabbed to death in a feud with a neighbor during their Seollal visit to the parents’ apartment in Myeonmok-dong, northeastern Seoul, Saturday.

The police said Monday that a 45-year-old man surnamed Kim allegedly stabbed and killed the two brothers during a quarrel over noise then fled the scene.

The murder suspect went to the home of the parents of the two brothers on Saturday night in order to complain about excessive noise — an ongoing source of dispute between the two families.

After becoming enraged, Kim allegedly stabbed the two brothers who were later found by the apartment janitor. They died while being rushed to hospital.

The younger brother, aged 30, married two months ago. The holiday period was the first visit the newly-weds had made to his parents.

The elder brother, aged 32, was the father of a three-year-old daughter.

In a separate incident, police said they will seek an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly set fire to a neighbor’s home on Sunday after another dispute over noise and leaking water.

According to Yangcheon District Police Department in western Seoul, a 49-year-old man surnamed Park set fire to his neighbor’s home using a bottle filled with oil. During the fire, six members of the family, including homeowner Hong, 67, and his two-year-old granddaughter, were hurt and taken to hospital.

The fire was extinguished after most of the house was burned down. The damages from the fire were estimated at 21 million won, the police said.

Park was apprehended on site by residents and handed over to the police. Police said that Park had been in an ongoing feud with Hong over the last four years after losing a compensation lawsuit over the issue of leaking water.

Park is currently undergoing questioning but has refused to speak during the interrogation.

Another family’s holiday also turned to tragedy. On Saturday morning, a 15-year-old girl surnamed Kim was killed in an accident, after the car she was in hit an embankment in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

Kim was one of six teenagers in the car which was driven by her 19-year-old cousin. The other five were also injured. The police said the accident appeared to be the result of driver error.

Eating and drinking during the holidays also caused the death of a number of people. A 57-year-old man was found dead on Saturday after choking while eating rice cakes at the home of a friend in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province.

Another man aged 53 and surnamed Hwang, in Naju, South Jeolla Province, also died after drinking too much alcohol, which resulted in him having breathing difficulties and rendered him unconscious.

Rescuers attempted emergency treatment, but failed to resuscitate him, according to the police.

shosta@ktimes.co.kr,

KOREA TIMES: Daughters-in-law vs. mothers-in-law

* This is a very interesting article in time for the Korean Lunar New Year. I do agree with the part wherein one daughter-in-law said that's it's not the stress about doing housechores, it's the stress of being with the in-laws that gives me headaches and anxiety attacks. However, I must admit the stress did lessen when I finally had my 2 little boys because I have less time to think or feel bad about the things that goes around me. Well, that's life for a daughter-in-law in Korea.

Daughters-in-law vs. mothers-in-law

The daughter-in-law, is portrayed by Kim Nam-joo, and the mother-in-law portrayed by Yun Yeo-jeong. / Courtesy of KBS

Wives forced into ‘temporary slavery’ during holidays

The 2012 KBS drama “My Husband Got a Family” dealt with the frustrating relationship between a woman and her mother-in-law.

By Do Je-hae

Around this time of year, daughters-in-law around the country start to panic as they travel to their mothers-in-law’s house to feed and serve their husbands' family members, even dead ones, through the ritual called "charae."

Major holidays continue to be a cause of stress and anger for many housewives in Korea. For them, the Lunar New Year holidays entail an endless series of kitchen chores that husbands rarely help with.

"Holidays are when many housewives in Korea are made to feel like maids," said a 35-year-old mother of a girl toddler who preferred to remain anonymous. "During the years I have been married, it never occurred to me to have some time to myself or take a vacation during the 'myeongjeol’ (holiday) season."

Like every year since 2009, she will travel with her family to be with her mother-in-law for the Lunar New Year. Unlike many Korean families, her in-laws do not practice charae, a ceremony that involves bowing to deceased ancestors and offering food and drink prepared for their spirits. But this doesn't mean her time with the in-laws is stress-free.

"During the holidays, I feel an unbearable amount of pressure. Even without charae, I have to prepare all the meals during family gatherings. It's not easy trying to make huge meals in another person's kitchen."

One housewife The Korea Times spoke to said she feels sick because of the stress she endures around this time of the year and other major holidays such as Chuseok. She said that she normally starts having panic attacks and headaches a few weeks before the holidays begin.

The mother of two girls, aged 6 and 7, in Mok-dong, Seoul, also spoke on the condition of anonymity. She deplored the misfortune of having in-laws from some of the most conservative parts of the country in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.

"For the first three years of marriage, I traveled to Gimcheon for the holidays and did what I was told to do, without feeling much resentment," the 40-year-old stay-at-home mom said. "But then as the years went by, I started to feel an uncontrollable sense of anger. These holiday visits are a huge waste of time and money, but unless I intend to divorce my husband, these visits are an indispensable activity in our marriage," A former journalist with the economic daily Money Today, she has been married since 2004.

"It's not so much the kitchen chores that make it so hard. It's the stress that I feel when I am with my husband's mother and his siblings," she said.

Normally, the Daegu native is forced into the kitchen the minute she arrives at her mother-in-law's house, making heaps of “jeon” (traditional Korean pancake) and other holiday dishes for family meals and charae. In addition, she has to make side dishes for drinks that the male members of the family invariably will have after dinner and clean up after all the meals.

It was interesting that while these housewives were willing to speak frankly about their experiences as "holiday maids," they were fearful of having their names printed in the newspaper.

"Speaking ill of the in-laws is like spitting on my own face because they are people I have chosen as my family. That's why in many cases, housewives will not openly speak ill of them."

One housewife who did give her name had somewhat of a traditional view of a women's holiday duties.

Cheon Yeong-hye, 35, said that she would teach her three girls to be mindful of what it means to be a daughter-in-law.

The banker plans to visit her mother-in-law in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, for the holidays.

"Usually my mother-in-law prepares most of the holiday meals and I usually just clean up afterwards. Because I grew up in the conservative Gyeongang Province, I don't harbor much resentment about these kinds of activities," the mother of three girls said.

"Korea isn’t a country that respects daughter-in-laws. But I would still urge my girls to fulfill their basic duties of a daughter-in-law and refrain from placing personal comfort before family duty."

So how do mothers-in-law feel about all this?

"Daughters-in-law are a part of my family and I want all family members to take part in the holiday celebrations," Yoo In-sook, 65, said. "There is no rule that says they absolutely have to visit during the holidays. But ideally, a woman should perceive myeongjeol duties as a part of her obligation as a daughter-in-law."

The holiday stress is in some cases so extreme that it sometimes leads to divorce.

A new term "myeongjeol divorce" has been circulating in the media, referring to the rise in divorce rates in February and March following the Lunar New Year holidays.

jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr

JOB VACANCY: Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines

*Reposting from the website of  the Korean Embassy in the Philippines,

The Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines is looking for skilled and motivated individuals to fill the following positions:

CLASS COORDINATOR

Qualifications:

1. Male or Female, not more than 35 years of age;

2. Bachelor or higher degree from a reputable University;

3. Preferably with experience in administrative work or class coordination;

4. Fluency in English and Filipino;

5. Ability to use Microsoft Office programs and basic office machines, and familiarity with the internet for research purposes is required;

EVENTS COORDINATOR

Qualifications:

1. Male or Female not more than 35 years of age;

2. Bachelor or higher degree from a reputable University;

3. Preferably with experience in coordinating and organizing cultural events;

4. Fluency in English and Filipino;

5. Ability to use Microsoft Office programs and familiarity with the internet for research purposes is required;

 

Please send your curriculum vitae / resume (that includes personal background, education, work experience and a photo taken within three months) by email not later than 7 February 2013. Please specify which position you are applying for.

Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Email Address: director@kccphil.org