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By Deirdre Madden, May 13, 2013 7:19 pm

Editor’s note: Thanks to Ryan for compiling this info for us. There is some general information on replacing a license and for getting a license if your home country doesn’t have a reciprocal license agreement with Korea. There’s also a more generalized answer in The Official Word, and some info on getting a motorbike license (necessary for bikes 250cc or higher).

By Ryan Griffiths

Those from The Great White North who may be interested in buying a car in Korea, or renting one on a vacation have two options available to them. The first is to turn in your Canadian driver’s license in exchange for a Korean license. The second is to apply for an International Driving License (IDL) which they can use while temporarily living in the country. Both methods are outlined below, and the information is current as of January 1^st, 2013.

Exchanging your Canadian license for a Korean license.

There are a number of steps involved in exchanging your Canadian license for a Korean license. Fortunately, most of these steps are very simple. The most difficult requirement of this process is travelling to the Canadian Consulate in Busan to have your Canadian Drivers license certified. I will start with that process, and then move onto the simpler things from there.

The Canadian Consulate in Busan.
You’re going to want to get to the Intercity Bus Terminal located near Lotte Hotel in Samsandong in order to get to Busan. Once the bus arrives in Busan, you will find yourself at the Haeundai Bus Terminal, conveniently located directly beside the Haeundai Subway station, which is line 2 of the Busan Subway. Go down the stairs into the subway terminal and get yourself onto the train headed toward Seomyeon Station. The cost should be about 1,200 won (per person). Seomyeon Station is 16 stops from Haeundai and is a major ‘transfer’ terminal for other Subway lines, you shouldn’t miss it. From this station you need to transfer to Line 1 headed towards Sinpyeong Station. Sinpyeong is the last stop on this line and is 18 stops from Seomyeon. Take exit #4 from the Sinpyeong Station and head straight for about a half of a kilometer (500m). Take a left when you come to the corner with the LG (GS) Gas Station and the Canadian Consulate is 100m down the road.

Collecting your documents.

Once you have your Canadian Drivers License certified, you can collect the rest of your documents that you’ll need to get your Korean license. You will need:

• Valid Passport
• Valid Canadian Drivers License
• ARC Card
• Three 3x4cm colour photos. (passport size)
• Confirmation Letter from Canadian Consulate.
• $$$ Fees change often, but as of Jan. 1^st, 2013 the cost is approx. 11,000 won. Bring $30,000 in cash just to be safe.

Exchanging your License

Also on the Interactive Map

The next step is to head. to the Licensing Office in Eonyang to make the switch. To do this, you’ll want to get on the bus (1713 or 807 are your best choices from Ulsan, as they go closest to the office.) You’re looking for the Sangbuk Office stop, it’s the 3^rd from last stop and it follows the Hyangsang Elementary School stop. You shouldn’t have a problem finding the Licensing Office from there, as the Sangbuk Office IS the Licensing Office.

Getting your International Driving Permit/License.

There are many ways to get your International Driving Permit (also called an International Drivers License). You can do it through a myriad of services online or you can do it through the Canadian Automobile Association via mail. If you choose to order your IDL through an online service prices can range from $25 to $80+. Be wary of this method though, as some services state on their website that their IDL can NOT be used to rent a car in many countries. Some are simply a translation of the information on your driver’s license into anywhere from 6 to 9 different languages. If you choose to order your International Drivers License through the CAA, then forms and instructions for doing so can be downloaded from this link. To save time, you may want to download the form and fill in the information, take a couple of pictures of the form as well as all other requirements outlined on the information page, and e-mail them to a family member to be printed and sent to the CAA. Once the IDL is sent to your family in Canada, they can send it on to you in Korea. This may be the easiest and quickest way to finish the process, as the alternative is for you to send it via mail from Korea and have CAA send the completed license directly to you.

Important Links.

International licenses: http://www.ididl.com/about_idl.php

Canadian international licenses: http://www.caa.ca/idp/

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By Hannah Ashwin, April 22, 2013 4:26 pm

Laser hair Removal at NB Clinic (Natural Beauty Clinic)

Laser hair Removal is a common procedure in South Korea.

Why Laser Hair Removal?

Why not? Laser Hair Removal is great! It means that you don’t have to worry about shaving when you are on vacation. Laser hair removal is not permanent, but it is as good as, meaning you will most likely need  ”top-up” sessions throughout your life. (The doctor said it had lasted for 2 years for her colleague.)

Apparently the darker and courser your hair the better the treatment will work. I have light brown, thin hair and it seems to be working well for me. I also have pale (freckly) skin and it doesn’t burn my skin which is good!!

The doctor is female as is the technician who helps her.  There is a male doctor who works at the clinic so I guess that if you’re a bloke you can ask for him to remove any unwanted hair, but I am not sure about that.

from www.nbclinic.net

Consultation

Initially you have a consultation with a female doctor. During the consultation she will explain the procedure and the expected outcome. I was the first foreigner they had had at the clinic, so she wasn’t sure of the outcome.

As I understand the laser penetrates through the strand of hair and it works with the melatonin in your hair to stop it growing. My hair is naturally a light brown colour so she was unsure as to how effective the treatment would be.

During the consultation you can ask any questions about the procedure. Normally after the consultation you will have your first treatment.

The Procedure

The female doctor and her assistant will apply a gel to the chosen area and then use the laser gun on the area. My first procedure didn’t hurt. The second time I went it hurt a little. It can feel warm and slightly uncomfortable but that means it is working.

After my first treatment I found that my hair grows slower and is thinner.  Over the coming months I expect the hair to disappear almost completely.

Treatment

The treatment is done in 7-10 sessions.  There are about 5-6 weeks in between each session. So ideally to get the treatment you need to be staying in Korea for about 8-10 months. (Actually I only had 5 and half months left in Korea and we arranged for me to have 5 sessions, with shorter breaks between sessions.)

Cost

I negotiated a price.

For 7 sessions

Underarm:  100,000won

Bikini line:  350,000won (was 450,000)

Total cost for underarms and bikini line : 450,000won.

You pay for your whole treatment after your first treatment upfront by card or cash.

It is possible to have other areas treated, but I don’t know the cost of this. For example you could have your legs done.

Getting an Appointment:

My co-teacher called around a few places in Samsan, finally settling on NB Clinic (the prices were more reasonable), and then arranged the appointment, so I just went along to the clinic  after school.

I have spoken to the clinic and they are happy to have foreigners call them to make appointments.

Please call this number: 052-261-7553

Location

NB Clinic (Natural Beauty Clinic)

NB clinic is on the 6th floor in a building near Bennigans and Outback in Samsan. Near Lotte Hotel.

Google co-ordinates: 35.538163, 129.340078

http://www.nbclinic.net/hospital_ulsan_facilities.asp

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By admin, April 1, 2013 4:02 pm

As you may or may not have heard, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, is rather upset about several things right now (the new SK President, tightened UN sanctions, SK/US military drills) and is threatening (again) to turn Seoul into a lake of fire. This is mostly a lot of hot air and bluster from a frustrated leader of a poor country that no one really pays any attention to unless they’re threatening nuclear holocaust. So threaten they do.

However, they do occassionally follow through (somewhat) on their threats, bombing islands close to their territorial waters, or torpedoing ships. And who knows, Kim Jr.Jr. may be crazier than his father, and less under the influence of China, whose distinct lack of wanting a war has stopped anything from escalating in the past. It’s always good to keep in mind that Korea is a peninsula at war, as they never signed a peace treaty after the fighting in the 1950′s. So while a full out war is highly unlikely, and even bombing a target larger than a fishing village would be rather improbable, it’s always best to be prepared.

1. Register with your embassy in Seoul. The links for Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (the English teacher countries) are available in this story written in 2010 during a similarly tense time (just before Kim Jong Il’s death). If you’re not registered, the embassy will not contact you. It’s possible that Korean Immigration may share their records with embassies during an emergency situation, but imagine the bureaucracy and time involved in that. Be proactive and register.

2. Be aware of what your embassy will and won’t do during an emergency situation. Most countries do not evacuate civilians unless there are no commercial routes available for escape, and evacuation costs are considered the citizens responsibility (ie, you have to pay back the government, and it *will* be pricier than flying out on your own ticket). Your home government has a travel site that will explain what their role is in this type of situation.

The US State Department has a page of FAQs for their citizens.

The Canadian Government’s role in evacuations is explained on this page.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth office explains their role here. This is the best page for general advice on what to do in a crisis situation, so read this regardless of your citizenship.

The Irish Government outlines what their Department of Foreign Affairs can do on this site.

The Australian Government lists the duties of their Consular offices.

The New Zealand Government vaguely mentions helping in a crisis here.

The South African Government outlines their Consular roles here.

3. Keep enough money on hand to buy an emergency plane ticket out of the country, should the worst happen. The Canadian government has suggestions for an emergency kit you can keep stashed somewhere handy in case you are stranded in your house for several days.

4. Stay informed. If you’re registered, your embassy will contact you in case of emergency, but it’s up to you to keep an eye on the news. Talk to co-workers or classmates to stay up to date on what’s happening.

5. Let your family and friends back home know you’ve taken all of these steps, and let them know what’s going on here to help calm their fears. It’s difficult for people far from the area to grasp the true danger of the situation, especially with the 24-hour news cycle that loves to make everything a giant crisis. Learn where the nearest pay phones are (they still exist?) so you can try to make contact if cellular networks go down.

Again, the likelihood of anything escalating is minimal, but being prepared is never a bad idea.

** Please note, I tried to find travel advice for citizens of other countries, but have been unable to do so yet. I will update the page if that information becomes available. If you are from a country other than the ones listed, and have information on what your fellow citizens can do, please email me at editor@ulsanonline.com – Thank you!

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By admin, March 22, 2013 7:17 pm

The South Korean economy is weathering the on-going global recession better than many countries, and as its reputation and international standing grows, so does its foreign population. Here are some recent stats, given to UlsanOnline.com by the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency.

In the past 5 years, Ulsan’s foreign population has been steadily rising, from about 12,500 in 2007 to 19,350 as of Sept. 2012. That’s just under 2% of the population in this city of 1.1 million. When you consider how many of those people are here only for a year or two at a time, as migrant labourers, students, ESL teachers or engineers, that means a lot more people are actually coming and going through the city.

Many people are aware that the largest group of foreign nationals in Korea are Chinese, so it’s unsurprising that the Chinese population of Ulsan is the largest with almost 8,000 people. The second largest group is from Vietnam with close to 3,000 Vietnamese people living in this city.  If you group all of the English speaking teachers, engineers and others (from countries like the US, the UK, etc.), together, there are 1 352 of us. Even if you include all the nations that consider English an official language, the total number of English speakers is only 2 758, still in 3rd place – something to keep in mind next time you gripe about the lack of written or spoken English in, say, the Immigration office.

Here’s a breakdown of the foreign community in Ulsan, percentage-wise:

My “scanner” involves taking a photo with my camera. Sorry for quality.

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By admin, March 21, 2013 6:48 pm

Many expats turn to sites like Amazon.com to find products that they can’t easily come by in Korea, or to save themselves the expensive trip to Seoul to go shopping. Here’s some guidelines to help you decide if it’s worth it: (Thanks to Jason Teale for digging this up)

The Korea Customs and Tarriff Handbook from 2010 is available here.

This from waygook Electronics, books, laptops, clothes/shoes, and bags:

Electronics such as cameras, tablets, smartphones, etc. are subject to 20% taxation.

Books are duty free, but audio books (CDs, DVDs, etc.) are subject to 20% taxation.

There is no duty on laptops, but 10% VAT on the CIF value (the price+freight+insurance fee) is charged.

The duty rate on clothes and shoes is 13%, whereas it’s 8% on bags.

How are duties calculated?

Let’s suppose you ordered clothes (13% duty rate) whose value is $200 USD and the current exchange rate is 1,100 KRW = $1 USD. Let’s also suppose the shipping is $10 USD.

Duty fee = (value of products in KRW + shipping in KRW )*duty rate

Duty fee = (200 USD * 1,100 KRW/USD + $10 USD*1,100 KRW/USD)*13% = 30,030

VAT= (value of products in KRW + shipping in KRW + duty fee)*VAT rate=

VAT = [200 USD*1,100 KRW/USD + $10 USD*1,100 KRW/USD + 30, 030 ]*10% = 26,103

Total fees = Duty fee + VAT = 30,030 + 26,103 = 56,133 KRW

Too confusing? Try this Duty Calculator that Ryan Griffiths shared with us.

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By admin, December 21, 2012 2:36 pm

What follows is  one woman’s story of medical malpractice. Specifically, the medical procedure is Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis or what is commonly known as LASIK – the correction of nearsighted vision by laser surgery. We are not publishing this story to warn people away from LASIK, nor are we attacking the Korean medical system. Most people that have had the procedure performed have been thrilled with the results, and there are excellent doctors here who provide excellent care to their patients. The reason we’re publishing this story is to inform people of the differences in medical malpractice laws between Korea and many western countries.  This is Jen’s story, and we’ll allow her to tell it in her own words (the final paragraphs were added later, from information Jen provided after her return to the US). In order to avoid legal troubles (the slander/defamation laws here are different than home, too) we will not name the doctor, but we do have the doctor’s name and clinic on file.

Jen’s LASIK [horror] story:

On June 25, 2012 my boyfriend and I, together with 2 Korean friends (KF1 and KF2), went to an eye clinic in Jung-gu, which had been recommended to us by KF1. At that time, my boyfriend and I both had a pre-LASIK eye exam. Dr. M told my boyfriend that he is not a good candidate for LASIK, because his cornea does not hold a perfectly round shape. I was told that I was an ideal candidate for LASIK. I had slight near-sightedness (Left: -1.75, Right: -1.50) and thick, round corneas. The doctor said that with my type of eyes, I would have the best possible result from LASIK. So, I scheduled the procedure for July 14, 2012. Dr. M said that I couldn’t wear contacts before the surgery; I had to wear my glasses.

Driving home from work before the surgery, I noticed that I had some difficulty seeing with my glasses (as they are a weaker prescription than my contacts), so I asked KF1 to call Dr. M to ask some specific questions about what my eyesight would be like after LASIK. These are the questions I asked, and the answers I was given:

Q1. Will I have vision like I have with my glasses (OK, but not great; blurry vision at night and when looking afar), or will I have vision like I have with my contacts (great vision up close and far away, no problems at night)?

A1. The doctor will use a computer to measure your prescription and to measure the LASIK cuts. The computer will shape your cornea like your contacts, so you will have vision like your contacts.

Q2. I am worried about driving. Will I have any problems driving and seeing road signs after LASIK?

A2. You will be able to drive without any problem as soon as one day after your procedure.

Since these answers seemed good to me, I had the LASIK as scheduled, on Saturday, July 14. And after the surgery, I had my first follow-up appointment on Monday, July 16. I could read the eye chart well with my left eye, but I couldn’t read well with my right eye. Dr. M examined my right eye and said, “No problem. Come back in one week.”

I went back to the clinic on Monday, July 23 with KF1. At that time (10 days after my LASIK), the doctor said that the cornea in my right eye had healed with a wrinkle. He said that he needed to do another procedure to smooth out my cornea and that after it was smoothed, I would be able to see out of my right eye with no problem. That afternoon I had the cornea smoothing procedure. At my next follow-up appointment, I could see a little better out of my right eye, but I still could not read much of the eye chart. He said that my eyes would need one month to heal, so there was nothing he can do to improve my vision until after the month had passed.

On August 21, I visited the doctor with KF1 for my 1-month follow-up appointment. I still could not read much of the eye chart with my right eye. There had been no improvement over the past month. Dr. M was satisfied with his work and told me I should be satisfied too.

I explained that not only was my vision significantly worse than it was with my contacts (it is even worse than it was with my glasses), but I also have difficulty reading road signs while driving, both during the day and at night. At this point Dr. M said, “You must be lying, because according to your sight test, you can see with no problem.” Then, my Korean friend said, “I have the same sight test result as you and I can see road signs. I don’t believe that you have a problem driving.” At that point, I referred to the questions I asked before the LASIK (Q1 and Q2) and the answers the doctor had given me (A1 and A2). Both the doctor and my friend replied with, “I don’t remember that conversation.”

The doctor finally said that he was satisfied with his work and that if I had a problem, I needed to go to another eye clinic. If another eye doctor said there was a problem with his work, and I brought him a medical report saying there was a problem with my eyes, he would give me a refund. OK, so, time to get a second opinion…

In the meantime, I asked him to write a prescription for some glasses to wear while driving. His response was, “You do not need glasses. You have no problem with your eyes.”

On August 31, I went to a new eye clinic with a new Korean friend (KF3). The new doctor said that there was a problem with my right eye. He took photos of my eyes and showed me white dots on the photo of my right eye that are absent on the photo of my left eye. He said that these white dots appeared because there is still a wrinkle in my right eye. I asked him to write a medical report stating that I have a problem with my right eye so I can get a refund from Dr. M, and become a regular patient of the new doctor.

Here is where Korean culture and law come into play…

The second doctor explained that in Korea, no doctor will ever make an official statement about another doctor’s work. He said that this is for political reasons. Korean doctors will never speak poorly of other Korean doctors’ work, even if a mistake is evident. He said that all Korean doctors know about this political “courtesy,” so Dr. M told me to get a report he knew I never could get. The new doctor told KF3 and myself, in a very politically correct way, that at his clinic, when LASIK patients visit for their next-day follow-up appointment, if the cornea is wrinkled, they do a cornea smoothing procedure right away. He explained that the longer the cornea stays wrinkled, the less chance there is that it will heal smoothly. In some cases, corneas never heal smoothly, so, in his clinic, they smooth the cornea ASAP. The new doctor said he didn’t understand why Dr. M waited 10 days to smooth my cornea, as waiting so long left some wrinkles in it. But, this doctor will never put that diagnosis in writing.

The second doctor said that there was a 40% chance that my cornea would continue to smooth and heal itself in the next 2 months. He said that he would not do any procedure until after 2 more months (3 months after my original LASIK). By this time, I will be back in the USA, so he suggested I see an eye doctor there in October, to see if there is anything that can be done to improve my vision at that time.

The second doctor also gladly wrote me a prescription for driving. My left eye is 0.0 and my right eye is -0.75. That’s only a 0.75 improvement from my pre-LASIK prescription of -1.50! And yet Dr. M said I have no problem.

Following this, I booked an appointment with a top eye doctor in Seoul. He basically said the same thing as the second doctor; there was clearly a problem with my right eye, and a cornea smoothing procedure should have been performed earlier in order to fix the wrinkling. He also added that, in his opinion,  I wasn’t a great candidate for LASIK. He said because my eye sight was not poor enough he would never have performed the procedure at his office and the risks outweighed the benefits. Unfortunately, he also refused to put anything down on paper that would officially state that Dr. M had made mistakes in treating me.

Since I had no official statement that I had a problem with my eye, Dr. M refused to give any refund or admit any fault. Through friends, I contacted a lawyer in Busan, who sent a letter requesting a settlement, but the doctor ignored it. The lawyer explained that it would cost more to bring a case against Dr. M than I would receive back, even if I won the best case scenario. Generally, Korean malpractice suits are only awarded the cost of the procedure. It would be very difficult to win the best case scenario as the doctor didn’t impair my vision to the point of disability. Also, the lawyer said if I wanted to bring a case, I’d have to return to Korea in 6 months (or possibly longer) to have a “certified” Korean doctor examine my eyes, which would postpone any possible treatment in the USA.

After returning to the USA, I had a cornea re-float procedure on my right eye. It’s the same corrective procedure that Dr. M did, but the doctor here did it more effectively. At my five-day checkup, my vision had improved beyond what it ever was in the Korean clinic – it was 20/20. After the one-month check-up, I’ll know if that quality of vision will remain, but things are hopeful at last.

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By Deirdre Madden, June 25, 2012 3:57 pm

Rainy season is forecast to start this week. In the past, this prediction meant the change from a long, dry winter and spring into a hot, humid, rainy summer. Of course, in recent years, the climate patterns have changed so much that we now have rain frequently throughout the year, so the idea of calling one two-week period “rainy season” is almost laughable.

None-the-less, if you haven’t lived in a humid or rainy country before, there are some things you should take note of, so that you aren’t overcome by mould and mildew before rainy season is gone and typhoon season begins. These fungi can have serious health effects, from respiratory problems to depression and rashes, so it’s important to keep them out of the air in your living space.

1. Get a fan. Even if you have air conditioning in your apartment, you’ll want a fan to help keep the air moving. This circulation will help dampness from gathering in dark corners. For those without dryers (probably 99% of the teachers here, at the very least), turn the fan on your drying rack to help keep your clothes from turning green after washing. This is not uncommon, as the humidity will keep the clothes damp, making them a perfect mould garden.

2. Move your furniture out from the walls. It doesn’t have to be far – just a few centimeters will help get air flow back there, and help you keep an eye on the situation. Mildew and mould like places like behind the fridge or the bookcase, so again, get the air flowing.

3. Bleach is effective at killing mould and mildew, as are baking soda and vinegar (not together, unless you want a grade school science project mess all over your floors). Bleach kills everything, whereas the other two only kill certain strains. On the other hand, bleach is a potent, stinky chemical, which bleaches the colour out of things, while the other two are safe enough to eat (not together. See above). Tea tree oil is also effective, but it can be costly. When cleaning, breath through a mask – you do not want mould or mildew spores getting into your lungs.

4. If you find a major mould problem, inform your landlord (through your employer if you don’t know your landlord personally). As it’s a health hazard, it’s their responsibility to take care of the problem. You should not have to pay for any mould removal procedures.

5. Vent your bathroom after showers and your kitchen while cooking. If you have a window, open it. If you have an extractor fan, use it. Removing that extra moisture from the environment will help reduce the likelihood of nasty stuff growing throughout your apartment.

6. If you have a serious air-flow issue, or very few windows, consider getting a dehumidifier. You can find them in most of the big Marts and appliance shops. Save yourself some money and buy one that is both a dehumidifier for the humid summer and a humidifier for the dry winter, and kill unhealthy birds with one little machine.

7. To clean fabric that has gotten mouldy, wash it with bleach, borax or vinegar in hot water. Unfortunately, even with bleach, you may be left with a nasty stain after the mould is dead, which may make clothes unwearable. It also eats the fabric, so if you leave the mould too long, your shirt will disintegrate entirely. To prevent mould from growing in the first place, don’t let damp clothes or towels sit around – hang them up in an area with plenty of air flow to allow them to dry thoroughly. This goes even for sweaty gym clothes, as they’re plenty moist enough for mildew to sink its feet into. Remember that pillows and bedding are susceptible to mould growth, too, so try to keep them dry and aired out.

8. Check your closets, cupboards and under the bed. More than one favourite pair of shoes has been lost to the invasive black growth. If you have winter clothes stashed away, make sure the stashing spot is airy, not damp or clammy.

9. Finally, if you find mould or mildew growing in your apartment, and have similar symptoms to a cold or allergies that just won’t quit, get ye to a doctor. While most molds only cause annoying irritations, the symptoms tend to get worse over time. And a few types of mould are toxic and can cause serious damage to your health.

So here’s to a dry summer, with no black shadows creeping up your walls!

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By Deirdre Madden, May 30, 2012 1:43 pm

A Korean man threatened to hit a foreigner with a chair, and when he was physically removed from the situation, called the police on the foreigners involved, which ended up in several days of legal hassle until he decided to drop it. A foreign man was surrounded and threatened by a large group of men, but is facing legal problems because, though threatened, he may have struck the first blow in the fight. A foreign woman was grabbed by the hair, thrown to the ground and dragged about a meter by a Korean man, then physically prevented from leaving the scene, but the police did nothing to the man because the woman had previously smacked his face when he threatened to punch her. All of these stories have occurred within the last two or three weeks, to people I personally know. In fact, I was a witness in two cases.

In all of these cases, the foreigners are technically, legally at fault, despite being physically threatened.

The first person to lay hands on the other is the one at fault for starting the fight. Because of this, many men will posture and threaten, but not actually make contact with you. Your best action is to walk away (or run). This is not being a chicken, it is being smart. The “self-defense” rule here is different from home. Being threatened is not enough – you have to have been physically assaulted first. If you make contact first, you are at fault. Even if someone was threatening to throw a chair at your friend’s head.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, know your rights. Korea does have a Miranda law which is very similar to the US (it’s even called Miranda). You have the right to remain silent. Use it. Make sure your rights are read to you if you’re being arrested. You have the right to contact a lawyer. There are police translators available, so if you don’t speak fluent Korean, make sure you have a translator clearly explaining everything to you before you agree to anything or sign anything. Calling a Korean friend is another option. It can be comforting just to have someone who both speaks the language fluently, and is on your side. Embassies can’t do much beyond helping you contact a lawyer and making sure your basic rights under Korean law are being protected. They cannot get you out of jail. Each country has its own limits on how much assistance they will offer, so check your countries embassy page to find out what they can and can’t do for you. However, getting the embassy involved will often make your aggressor re-think his position.

Please remember that Korean Law is different from the laws at home, and these differences can be very important distinctions. Don’t assume that something that is legal or defensible at home is legal or defensible here. But you are covered by basic rights. Knowing them will help you, should you find yourself in a police station. You should know if you are entitled to compensation (aka Blood money) if you have been injured or attacked, or if you will be responsible for making the payment.

Some police officers will be very helpful and kind, but often, in my personal experience (not only with the recent events but in past issues with traffic accidents – again as a witness, none of them mine, knock on wood) the officers tend to be rather gruff and unhelpful. In fact, in one instance, the older of the two officers spent his time telling the attacker how foreign English teachers are a big problem in Korea, and that we should all go home, and that Koreans should take care of Koreans, assuming we foreigners knew no Korean.

Remember, these situations crop up when they’re least unexpected. My friend hardly expected to be threatened and assaulted in a crowded subway station on a Saturday afternoon. Taking the time to be aware of your rights and obligations before anything happens will help you navigate the situation if something should go awry. Situations and emotions can escalate rapidly, and you can find yourself behaving in a way you never thought possible when you have a fist in your face. As the Girl Guides (Or was that the Scouts?) always taught us – Be Prepared.

Ultimately the best thing you can do to protect yourself is to try to remain calm, and to walk away from situations where tensions are rising. While the majority of people you’ll encounter in Korea are wonderful, kind, or at least indifferent to your existence, there are a handful that take exception to foreigners living here, or who have quick tempers. (This can be especially true if a young foreign woman stands up to an older Korean man.)

As the elephant sanctuary guy says to Homer, when asked why Stampy is attacking the other elephants, “Some of them act badly because they’ve had a hard life, or have been mistreated. But, like people, some of them are just jerks.”

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By Deirdre Madden, March 30, 2012 2:59 pm

Over the past few weeks, our Facebook group has been averaging about 15 new members per week, which is pretty awesome. Welcome to Ulsan to all of the newbies kickin’ around town.  For those of you just joining us, I’d like to take a few moments to introduce you to this little site of ours.

Ulsan Online is a service site, offered by expats in Ulsan, for expats in Ulsan. It’s a volunteer-run organization that relies on contributions from the community to keep the information up-to-date and thorough. Our How To section was built to help you adjust to living in this strange little corner of the world, with advice from people who have lived in town for many-a-year. Also, Martin Rehder, the resident geek, has created searchable bus routes, maps of the restaurants and bars, and an Android phone app and streamlined searching so you can get answers on the go. (Sorry, iPhone users, but until someone donates him both a Mac and an iPhone to play with, he won’t be able to program Apple apps.)

If you have a question, try our search bar, located in the upper right-hand corner of the page. It searches our site to find information relevant to you. Of course, we don’t know everything about everything, so we won’t always have all of your answers. But as we have been online since December 2009 (and the Ulsan Pear archives date back to 2005), chances are, we’ll know something about what you’re looking for. If not, please ask away on the Facebook group, as it’s also an excellent resource.

If you have answers – please! Share them on this site. Posting only on Facebook means the answers get shuffled off into the dark recesses of the interweb, never to be seen again, and the questions get asked again and again. By posting your answers on this site (particularly in the Where to Buy section) you’re keeping it easily accessible to anyone searching for an English speaking dentist or doctor, that hard-to-find ingredient, or anything else.

We also welcome submissions to the Nightlife or Restaurant Review sections, the Travel section and the News and Culture section, so if you’ve eaten somewhere great, or gone somewhere cool, or learned something interesting, please, share it with us! Just remember to include clear directions on how to get to a restaurant or bar, or travel destination, and include photos. It’s easy to post through your Facebook account. Or you can submit through mail@ulsanonline.com .

So, welcome to Ulsan. We hope you have a great time while you’re here, and if there’s anything we can help you with, please search us! (or ask on the Facebook group if we don’t have an answer yet). And share your knowledge with us, so we can improve the site and help others to help themselves.

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By Deirdre Madden, March 7, 2012 8:19 pm

It’s that time of year again. The temperature is nosing its way above 10 degrees, tentative buds are poking out of the tree branches, and any day now, the flowers and blossoms will begin to show themselves; Spring is coming!

Unfortunately, during March and April in Korea, the trade winds shift from the cold Siberian winds of winter, and head towards the hot, humid Southeastern winds of summer, pausing for spring break over the ever-expanding Gobi desert. And these winds have a bad habit of picking up parts of the desert, along with pesticides and pollutants from the Chinese farms and factories in its path, and blowing all this shit dust right into our lungs.

Some years are better than others, and we only have moderate level advisories. Other years, there are days you should not leave the house, and even indoors, wearing a mask is advisable, especially if you have any pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma. There have been dust storms where you can actually see the dust blowing down the street in waves, or see the particles filtering through beams of light, like tiny snowflakes.

Yellow dust mainly poses health risks associated with the respiratory tract (due to the whole “you’re breathing in lungfuls of sand” thing), such as allergies, asthma, emphysema, or other respiratory disease, or more mild symptoms like congestion, eye irritation, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

So, how do you avoid all the nastiness? Well the short answer is to stay indoors during the Advisories and Warnings, and keep your doors and windows closed. It’s also a good idea to avoid exertion; even sweeping the floor gets you breathing faster. We’ll try to keep an eye on the news and alert people via this site and the Facebook page if there is a particularly bad day in store. You can also check the dust levels (and other Ulsan weather) here.

In the meantime, here are some tips on what to do during Yellow Dust season.

- limit the amount of time and energy you spend outdoors

- if you normally wear contacts, wear glasses to avoid eye irritation (or keep your Visine handy)

- buy a mask – this can be one of the cutie ones at Art Box, or try the pharmacy or hardware store for ones meant to filter out smaller dust particles – then actually wear it!

- limit your exposure to the dust – wear long sleeves/pants, wash exposed skin when you get inside (some of the shit stuff mixed in with the sand are pollutants and pesticides, which may cause skin irritation, not to mention the general sandblasting effect it can have)

- drink plenty of water, but don’t eat or drink anything outside

On “Health Advisory” days, when the levels are moderate (Average dust concentration will be at or above 400µm/m3 for over 2 hours )

- if you have a respiratory condition (even just a cough or cold), stay indoors as much as possible, and limit physical exertion

- if you are healthy, avoid outdoor physical activity

- Kindergarten and Elementary children should stay home, and indoors

On “Health Warning” days, when levels are high (Average dust concentration will be at or above 800µm/m3 for over 2 hours)

- everyone should stay inside as much as possible, and keep physical exertion as low as possible if you do venture outside.

- if you have a respiratory condition, you may want to wear your mask indoors if you live in a drafty apartment

- Kindergarten and Elementary classes should be cancelled

- sporting events should be rescheduled

For more information, check out the Korea Meteorological Association’s page.