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By Deirdre Madden, May 15, 2013 9:11 pm

In a community where people are constantly coming and going, where businesses change almost overnight, and the entire city doesn’t stop building and growing, it can be hard to feel a sense of consistency. But there are a few things you can count on besides change. The Won Shot Wanderers Football Club has been a stable part of the Ulsan ex-pat community now for over a decade – quite a feat in a city where ex-pats rarely stay for more than a year.

Started in the wake of the 2002 World Cup, the Won Shots have become one of the longest running expat teams in Korea. John Buckley, from Ireland, and Gareth Copely, from England, were two of the original team members whose passion for the sport kept the team going in the early years. Philip Heo, who joined the team in 2003, is another member who has helped ensure its long term survival. I recently interviewed Philip (over email, due to my making a mistake and missing the interview, for which I deeply apologize to the whole team) about the Won Shots, and particularly their upcoming Ulsan Cup Tournament, being held at the Taehwa Simnidaebat Pitches in Taehwadong this weekend (May 17th-18th).

The first Ulsan Cup was held in November 2008, following the Won Shots joining the Ulsan Amateur Football League in 2006. With the help of the Ulsan League commissioners, and support from Benchwarmers Bar owners, Troy McDonald and Hazel Smith, the dreams of expat football players to have a proper nationwide tournament were turned into a reality. Keeping things running long-term in the expat community can be a challenge, but Philip’s attitude towards the Cup is a key factor in it’s longevity, “Trivial things always happen during the organization of any major sporting event, but if we focus on the football tournament itself, satisfying participants, the event is always a success. Some other cities or organizations with much bigger budgets than us hosted tournaments for expats, but they didn’t last long.”

“This is the only chance for foreigners to simulate the style of play from their home countries. It gives us that familiarity and comfort that we don’t often experience, and with the great organisation of the Ulsan Cup, the many foreigner teams, etc, it gives us that big tournament feel. All the ingredients come together to make it so enjoyable and important to all who are involved,” said Dan Shaw, the Won Shot Wanderers Captain for 2012-2013.

The Ulsan Cup has been well received in the past.

“We have enjoyed critical acclaim from across the Republic of Korea, and we are now even being courted by national media to cover the event,” explains Philip. “There are of course things that we try to improve upon every year, and even the best events could be better, but to hear most teams say it’s some of the best memories they make in Korea makes everyone associated with the Cup smile. It is such an important date in the sporting calendar that players who have left to live in other countries fly back to Korea to play in the Ulsan Cup.”

This year, 16 teams from 11 different provinces or cities around Korea are participating, including 2 teams from Ulsan, the Won Shot Wanderers and the Foreigner’s Compound Football Club (FCFC). The full list of teams is as follows:

Ulsan – Wonshot Wanderers & FCFC
Busan – Busan United & Inter Busan
Deagu – Deagu Devils & FC Deagu
Seoul – SBFC, Seoul St Pat’s, and Storndang Villa
Suwon – Inter Suwon
Jeju – Jejuventus
Daejon – Galma FC
Gwangyang and Suncheon – Gwangsun International
Seoul Gyeonggi- Malaysian Students FC
Jeonju Jeolla- Jeonju United
Gwangju – Gwangju Inter

The Won Shots themselves are a diverse team. “We have and have had members from over forty different nations and diverse religious backgrounds. We currently have players from the UK, Ireland, USA, Wales, Scotland, France, Canada, South Africa, Italy, Turkey, Norway and Korea. They are English teachers, engineers, students, employees or businessmen. Several are married to Koreans or now call Korea home.”

They’re also doing very well these days, “We currently have a very good team and right now we rank 1st in the first division of the Ulsan League, having won the 2^nd division title last year.”

When asked about special memories from past Cups, Philip said, “Every Cup has had special moments. The first cup was a massive hurdle, as we were swimming in untested waters, however, the highlight has to be the Won Shot Wanderers winning the trophy for the first time in 2012. Keeping the trophy in Ulsan was never going to be easy, but finally we did it, and we have a serious chance of defending it this year.”

2012 Ulsan Cup Champions – the Won Shot Wanderers FC

Defending the cup may not be quite so easy, though. Philip added, “No team has ever won the championship twice, let alone defended the title.” Past winners are: Busan United in 2008, Seoul Celtic in 2009, Jeonju Unathletic in 2010, Daegu Devils in 2011, and Ulsan Won Shot Wanderers in 2012.

If you’re looking to get involved, “Anybody can be a Won Shot player or supporter. Members join and leave expat teams frequently, so we welcome new faces anytime. Join the Facebook group, and come to Samsan Futsal pitch from 8-10pm Tuesdays, or the Taehwa Simnidaebat pitch C from 9-11am Thursdays for training. You don’t have to be one of the best players to be a member of our club; we win together and we lose together. There is always room for good people, as there is always so much to do.  We also have youth teams of Rising Stars hosting a tournament for junior expats.” 

So, if you’re in town this weekend, Philip says, “Come and enjoy the tournament. It is a really family friendly atmosphere, and food and drinks will be provided by Cima Bar.”

The Ulsan Cup takes place from 9-5 this Friday and Saturday at the Taehwa Simnidaebat pitches (Riverside 800 Taehwa-dong, Jung-gu, Ulsan – pinned on the Interactive Map, under Sports). The pitches are along the north bank of the river, between “Bulgogi Street” and the cycling/walking path.

The schedule for the Friday Preliminaries is listed below. Saturdays schedule will, of course, depend upon who wins what. However, a full 2 days of games are promised to everyone, as there will be a  “Plate Challenge” and a “Wooden Spoon” phase for the teams knocked out of the running for the Cup.

Schedule for Friday’s Preliminaries

09:00~
Pitch A: Galma FC vs. Malaysian SFC
Pitch B: FCFC vs. Busan United
Pitch C: Won Shot WFC vs. Inter Busan

10:00~
Pitch A: Inter Suwon vs. FC Daegu
Pitch B: Storndang Villa vs. GwangSun IFC
Pitch C: Seoul St. Patrick’s vs.Jeonju United

11:00~
Pitch A: Seoul British vs. Gwangju Inter
Pitch B: Malaysian SFC vs. Jejuventus
Pitch C: Galma FC vs. Daegu Devils

12:00 Welcoming Ceremony

12:40~
Pitch A: FC Daegu vs. GwangSun IFC
Pitch B: Daegu Devils vs. Jejuventus
Pitch C: Inter Suwon vs. Storndang Villa

1:40~
Pitch A: Gwangju Inter vs. FCFC
Pitch B: Inter Busan vs. Jeonju United
Pitch C: Busan United vs. Seoul British

2:40~
Pitch A: Won Shot WFC vs. Seoul St. Patrick’s
Pitch B: GwangSun IFC vs. Inter Suwon
Pitch C: Jejuventus vs. Galma FC

3:40~
Pitch A: Gwangju Inter vs. Busan Unite
Pitch B: Seoul British vs. FCFC
Pitch C: FC Daegu vs. Storndang Villa

4:40~
Pitch A: Inter Busan vs. Seoul St. Patrick’s
Pitch B: Jeonju United vs. Won Shot WFC
Pitch C: Daegu Devils vs. Malaysian SFC

UlsanOnline.com would like to wish the Ulsan teams, FCFC and the defending champion Won Shot Wanderers, good luck in the tournament. Here’s hoping the Cup stays in Ulsan!

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By Deirdre Madden, May 1, 2013 6:29 pm

This past weekend many of you may have been involved in the T-Hope Whale Boat Race at the Ulsan Whale Festival. This event was held as a fundraiser for the T-Hope Women’s Shelter Project, which I wrote about in this article. Over 12 million won was raised through team registration, as well as hotdog and beer sales. The event was a lot of fun, with teams in costume (the pirates and the Where’s Whaley crews deserve a mention here), face paint and matching shirts. Some teams were serious competitors, racing hard and fast to the end, while others had some steering issues, wobbling about their lanes, or in the case of at least one team, heading the wrong way downstream. One team even ended up going for an impromptu swim in the Taehwa when their boat capsized (thankfully no one was hurt).

Photo by Trevor Dykeman

Well, now it’s time to do it all again. On May 17th-18th, T-Hope is organizing a second paddling race. This two day event, named the Rock and Row Dragon Boat Festival will also be a fundraiser for the Women’s Shelter Project, and will take place on Buddha’s Birthday long weekend. The T-HOPE Dragon Boat Festival is completely different from the Whale Boat Race. It is run and operated by T-HOPE, unlike the Whale Boat Race, which was organized by the Namgu Committee. Each team will have their own tent for the durartion of the Festival, and negotiations are currently underway for participants to be able to sleep overnight in their tents.

The races will start both Friday and Saturday at 10am. Friday, the race will finish by 4pm, Saturday by 3pm. Friday will be the qualifiers, with each team guaranteed three races. Saturday will be the semi- and final races.

They will again be offering hot dogs and beer for sale at 1,000 won each, and DJ’s will be playing from noon ’til midnight, both days. And it won’t be just about paddling; there will be games and a treasure hunt, with prizes to be won. The Ulsan Jazz Festival will be taking place in the Bamboo Park, just across the walking bridge, and there’s also the Ulsan Cup soccer tournament taking place on the riverside that weekend.

If you’re from out of town, buses may be supplied, if there are enough participants, so talk it up in your area!

You need 16-20 participants per team (1 drummer, 1 steersperson, up to 14-18 paddlers). T-Hope needs your support for this event, and for the Women’s Shelter Project.

For more information and registration please visit www.thopeasia.org

On your marks… Photo by Trevor Dykeman

Photo by Long Duy Tran, from the T-Hope Facebook page

Not off to a great start… Photo by Trevor Dykeman

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By Deirdre Madden, April 2, 2013 6:01 pm

Last Friday, I had a chance to sit down with Dan Gauthier, a founder of the group T-HOPE (Teachers Helping Other People Everywhere), to talk about some of their ongoing and upcoming projects.

As you may be aware, T-HOPE has been running a volunteer program with the Ulsan Orphanage since 2006; one Sunday each month, teachers (and others) head out to the orphanage in Eonyang to play games, do crafts, and otherwise have fun with the kids. The orphanage is well supported, financially, by the government and private donations, so T-HOPE has focused more on English-language interaction for the kids, and, more imporantly, on having fun. Each year, they throw a huge Christmas Party, too.

A lot of the fundraising done by the group goes to the Dong Gu Welfare Center, which supports 25 families in need. Most of these families are the children of divorced parents who live with their grandparents, and need help with life’s basic necessities; food, clothes, school supplies, etc. Many of the clothing donations Dan collects are taken to this Center.

They’ve also recently started a volunteer program with the Lotus Center for Autistic Children in Ulsan, which I will be writing an article on in the near future, and will be starting programs with mute and deaf children, and blind children.  All of these programs will be looking for volunteers to work with the kids once a month, and we’ll soon have information available on how to get involved.

But what I really wanted to talk to Dan about this time is his large scale fundraising project that is currently underway.

Through his work on the Community Leaders Committee in Ulsan, Dan has become familiar with the domestic violence issues facing women in Korea. There is a particular need for help for the women who immigrate here from South East Asia or China to marry Korean men, especially those in poorer, rural areas. Dan has heard many stories of abuse and death, where the women have had no family of their own in Korea to turn to for help. These stories are rarely covered in the national media. “We have to do something,” says Dan.

So this year, T-HOPE is undertaking fundraising for a Women’s Shelter. “As you know,” Dan explains, “Domestic violence is an issue faced by many people all over the world. So what we’re hoping to do is provide a shelter for these women and their children.”

The T-HOPE Women’s Shelter will provide protection, housing, food, basic necessities, and assistance and counselling to the women. The shelter will be built with private rooms, kitchens and bathrooms, and with indoor and outdoor play areas for the children. As Dan says, “Who’s affected most is the kids. That’s my focus, it’s on the children.”

The goal is to provide a safe environment so the mothers can get the help they need. “If we can help the mother, then she can focus on her kids.”

The shelter will be completed in three phases. First, they’ll need to acquire the land in the Ulsan area to build the shelter. The location will not be widely known, in order to ensure the women’s safety. The police have agreed to provide security for the property. Only the police and members of local community groups who assist abused women will know it’s exact whereabouts. Dan’s brother in Canada works with abusive husbands, and has given Dan a lot of advice on what is needed to help protect the women and keep them and their children safe.

Once the land is acquired, the shelter will be architecturally designed and planned, and then finally, it will be built and opened for use. It’s currently scheduled to be open and ready for operation in 2014.

This may seem like a huge undertaking, but Dan and T-HOPE are not afraid of the challenge. There are a number of fundraising events planned in the near future, as well as sponsorship deals being worked out.

The first of these fundraisers will be the Whale Boat Race at the Ulsan Whale Festival, held at the Taehwa River Park in late April. Dan is hoping to recruit 50 teams of paddlers to participate in the day-long event, Saturday, April 27th. Last year, spots went quickly, so if you’re not yet involved, contact Dan right away. This year, there are three categories to compete in: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed. Each team will paddle in at least 3 races, with the top times moving forward to the semi and final races. This is probably the biggest foreign-community event in Ulsan each year. Check out their website, T-HOPE Asia, for more information, or to sign up.

Due to the past popularity of the Whale Boat Race, this year, T-HOPE is introducing the Rock & Row Dragon Boat Race, over the Buddha Birthday long weekend in May (17th-19th). One hundred teams of participants from all over Korea will be gathering together for a fun filled day beside the Taehwa. They’ve already recruited several teams from the US Military bases, and are planning for 2000 participants to decend on Ulsan. Stay tuned for more information on this event, and how you can get involved.

The funds raised at these two events, through sponsors, team registration, food and beverage purchases, and event merchandise will all go towards the T-HOPE Women’s Shelter project.

There are more fundraisers in the works for future dates, also. UlsanOnline has joined with T-HOPE as an official partner, and will be bringing all the information on these projects, which include a beach volleyball tournament (end of June), a 2nd Poker Run bar-hopping event, and a rugby tournament, among others. So watch our front page for banner ads and articles, or visit the T-HOPE site.  You can also email fundshelter@thopeasia.org for more information, or to help organize an event.

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By Martin Rehder, January 17, 2013 5:41 pm

Some newsworthy items from around Korea this week:

• Last year, it was suspected that North Korea was behind the cyber attacks on South Korean newspapers. This week, Korea’s National Police Agency confirms it. Earlier this week, CNN reported on South Korea’s efforts to combat such cyber warfare with a team of hackers.  However, late breaking news today from Seoul is that the “transition team” of incoming president Park Geun Hye, reversed that announcement. They told reporters to simply
  

  run antivirus programs and change passwords more often.

  That should keep the commies at bay. Presumably, the new president wants to keep things nice and easy between the two countries and not anger the north with the findings.

•  After a couple of attempts last year at getting into the space age, South Korea is ready to try again. Sometimes between January 30 and February 8, Korea will once again try to get something into orbit.  Last year two failed attempts (no launch) followed two previous failures with disastrous launches.  Here’s hoping Korea finally gets into the limited club of nations in space.  North Korea made the list with a surprise launch in December 2012.
• Flu season, which has hit hard in the USA this year, is expected to hit Japan and South Korea shortly.
• No more beatings and no more sexual abuse. At least for athletes in Korea.  The government is cracking down on abusive coaches after the learning that physical abuse is rampant.  30% of athletes said they’d been beaten by their coaches. 9.5% said they weer sexually abused. 47% of parents knew their children had been hit but refused to say anything. And 23% of athletes believed that physical abuse was a necessary motivating tool.  And you thought it was all fun and games!
• And finally, my new hero in Korean society is actress Kim JeongNan. She is instituting a program to improve the bad driving in Korea.

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By admin, December 7, 2012 8:50 am

A few interesting tidbits from around Korea:

• South Korea says it’s going to stop killing whales for research. For years, the country has conducted whale hunts ostensibly for research, killing the whales so they could be studied, but then selling the meat to the many whale restaurants in Ulsan. While some might think that this is the end of killing whales, think again – the Korean fisherman still employ a method called “by catch” where by whales can still be harvested if they are “accidentally” caught in fishing nets.  My money is on no slowdown in whale harvests – there’s a lot of whale restaurant owners in Jangsaengpo and Samsandong  that will be mad as hell if they can’t get the main meat their shop is named for.
• Sports and Politics don’t mix. That’s what the International Olympic committee must now decide. Park Jang Woo, who was denied his medal in the 2012 Olypmics for displaying a Dokdo flavored poster after Korea beat Japan in football is going to go on trial. Formerly denied the ceremony, now they will decide if he is denied the medal. FIFA has banned the player for two matches for his political display.
• Korean nuclear authorities have uncovered still more faked quality and safety certified parts for nuclear reactors. This is the third batch of faked papers. This time, however, authorities say the parts or for ancillary devices not directly tied to nuclear processing.
• Already dealing with a problem of Internet Addiction in Korea (see here and here), the country is now faced with yet another human psychological disorder – Digital Addiction. No longer just internet specific, this is about technology everywhere. Kids don’t take their teddy bears to bed any longer – they snuggle with their smart phone until they go to sleep and then fondle it some more the moment they wake. It’s an Obsessive-Compulsive disorder in which
  

  “I get nervous when the battery falls below 20 percent,” …. “I find it stressful to stay out of the wireless hotspot zone for too long.”…”Kids forgot to eat lunch, completely absorbed with smartphones and some stayed in the classroom during a PE class”.

  I predict more deaths from this – watching/playing with a phone when one should have been watching traffic, whether driving or walking.  I’ve seen a number of drivers with phone/pad on the wheel and several pedestrians nearly clipped by cars because they aren’t watching.

  And, in case you can’t get enough of your own digital devices, check this out:

• Today, December 7, the iPhone5 arrives in South Korea.  If you haven’t already gotten one on reserve, you might be waiting. Folllowing closely behind, the iPad Mini will arrive next week.
• If you missed it. Korea’s fourth attempt to launch a rocket last week fizzled out. Two failed launches and two failed attempted launches have left Korea as one of the few technologically advanced nations that can’t seem to get out of the atmosphere. The next launch attempt is scheduled for next year.
• Corruption in South Korea rises. Although the Korean Herald, apparently ashamed of their country’s stature, have chosen to misrepresent the data by manipulating the headline. Apparently, the news site understands that most people won’t read the story and simply skim the headlines.. Their headline states that “S. Korea’s corruption index falls” but what that means is that the country fell from 43rd place to 45th place with Denmark and Finland and New Zealand being the least corrupt countries. Go Kiwis!

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By Carl Schreep, December 1, 2012 3:57 pm

Most of our readers are familiar with the hagwon system, if not working directly for one. The demand for English instruction is pervasive, and even extends to soccer teams. Rising Star Football Academy combines English instruction with soccer practice to develop an immersive environment for their students. The Academy partners with the Won Shot Wonders foreigner football team to provide English-language soccer instruction to Korean and non-Korean children. Coach James McAloon explains that their mission is to allow non-elite children access to the level of competitive soccer typically reserved for elite in Korea. But what I found to be the most interesting part of my visit was learning how Rising Star works to provide rehabilitation for children recovering from leukemia.
The most obvious challenge the children face in their post-recovery rehabilitation is physical. Following their treatment, the children’s bodies are severely weakened. Chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and even the loss of organs have wreaked their damage to the children’s bodies. Some children currently playing with Rising Star are missing a kidney or a lung. They all have different stories, different combinations of chemo and operations. But the end consequence is the same, their bodies are weaker than their peers, who have been able to run and play and develop their physical fitness in the way that these children have not. Soccer lets them build physical endurance, strengthening their muscles, bones, and cardiovascular systems.
In addition to their physical recovery, the children need some psychological rehabilitation as well. As one of the parents explained to me, the children have spent so much time dealing with the disease and their course of treatment that they have been isolated from other children. Their experiences differ widely from what other children have experienced. They haven’t had the opportunities to play, to build confidence, and to develop the interpersonal skills that other children their age have had. Football, being an emphatically team-based sport, helps the children develop their social skills and re-integrate into “normal” society.
Approximately 10 children in Rising Star are recovering leukemia patients. These children play and receive free instruction, and, as I’ve witnessed, can put up quite a fight on the pitch for their peers. Childhood leukemia is tragic. Even those who survive can suffer from long term health complications, and the disease can rob them of their childhoods. Rising Star Football Academy reaches out to these children, and gives them an opportunity to just be kids again.

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By admin, September 2, 2012 2:02 pm

by Robert McEntee

On the 16th of this month, Seoul’s Olympic Stadium will lay host to an event entitled the 1st Mannam World Peace Race. The event, alongside promises of dynamic international sporting competitions and as of yet unspecified cultural events, it boasts a variety of exotic food booths and a laser show! The Mannam website also states that the event will be televised worldwide. Here in Ulsan on the same date there may be a connected event – a representative of Mannam has posted a message on the Ulsan Online calendar, offering an opportunity for Ulsanites to celebrate the International Day of Mannam and join the launching ceremony of the World Peace Initiative. Currently, not much information on these local events is offered but the calendar event invites you to contact Pauline at mannam.ulsan@gmail.com for further details.

Who are Mannam?

Mannam is a humanitarian charity working with a largely volunteer workforce of both Korean and foreign philanthropists. Whilst the charity assures us the event in Seoul will be one we do not want to miss, what drew my attention to this group and these related events was a fiery debate that lit up a certain facebook group this week. It was suggested that the charity, whilst commiting itself to valued work, may have undesirable ties with an ever-growing religious cult.

The facebook debate, which at the time of writing has clocked up over 70 comments, has two camps:

In the pro-Mannam camp:

“I’ve been a member of Mannam for a year and they couldn’t be any nicer. They never bothered me to join anything suspicious. Just good people who do good things. Come out and see for yourself.”

And in the opposing corner:

“This cult, which is connected to Mannam, destroys and tear apart families… cults throughout history have covered over their true intentions by doing good deeds. Of course, the good deeds are good, but you could be doing those good deeds through so many other organizations with no ties to destructive cults”

So what are the accusations against Mannam and what ‘destructive cult’ are people linking them with?

The religious group in question is the Shinchonji Church of Jesus (SCJ). It is headed by the self-appointed messiah figure, Man Hee Lee. The information about him offered by the church can be read here and states that ‘He wrote a letter in blood, dedicating himself to be loyal to God… sometime later, he greeted God from the clouds’ and finally states that ‘He knows the deep things of the heavens are dwelling within him.’

Far be it from me to pass judgement upon any religious beliefs but this information put out by the church, coupled with some of the damning comments on various forums, certainly seem to paint the group in a ‘cultish’ light. Mannam declares as one of its four central principles that it will affiliate itself with ‘no religious activities’. Despite this, the main event advertised for Seoul, the World Peace Initiative sports event, will be in the same venue and at the same time as the Shinchonji Olympiad – a very similar sporting event organised by the church. Alongside this there is the crucial point that, whilst both the charity and the church deny links of any kind, Man Hee Lee is both SCJ’s figurehead and the honnorary Chairman of the Mannam volunteer group.

The two organisations do appear to be inextricably connected.

A much more penetrating analysis of their ties is presented in the in-depth expose executed by the Canadian ex-pat, Zackary Downey in which presents his own experience of Mannam and illustrates the Shinchonji Church of Jesus’ multiple ties with the Korea-based volunteer group and other humanitarian charities in the USA.

Downey insists that the Mannam group specifically target non-Asian foreigners to recruit. This is echoed by an Ulsan-Online article written this year by Michael Hollin which states: ‘I spoke to some members of the Mannam Volunteer Association, who were there looking for new members. We exchanged business cards and drank a bright red sour herbal tea called 오 미 자 together. According to their sign, the tea was free for foreigners but 1000 won for Koreans.’

Interested in the charity and its events?

I will reiterate that the Mannam group appear to contribute to valued causes – they have previously offered cooking lessons or Korean language lessons free of charge to its members – and these scheduled events will no doubt help raise money for the organisation. Whilst the advertised sports events and laser show sound like quite a spectacle, this article is intended to highlight the possibility that, by attending these events, you may be head-counted as a supporter of both the Mannam volunteer charity AND the Shinchonji church.

Whilst these elusive events may have connections to something a little darker, I will leave you with one facebook poster’s response to the question ‘Do you want to support a religious cult?’

Do I want to support helping the elderly, homeless, orphans and have fun through charitable events that give back to society not to mention language classes, cooking classes, cafe nights and a host of other things they do then my answer is yes.

The Seoul event is scheduled for the Olympic Stadium on September 16th and you can contact Pauline at mannam.ulsan@gmail.com for information on local events. Check www.mannamintl.org for more information on the charity.

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By admin, August 2, 2012 12:04 pm

Some interesting things about the Land of the Morning Calm this week:

• Business Insider has an article on the dramatic plunge in Korean exports from July. With an export driven economy like Korea’s, a drop of 8.8% year-to-year is an enormous drop from what experts were predicting of 3.7% decline.  Business Insider calls Korea the “Canary in the Coal Mine” and the Korean economy is a harbinger of things to come for the rest of Asia.  Canaries used to be carried into coal mining shafts because they succumbed to toxic gases faster than humans. When the canary keeled over, it was time to get the hell out.
• In related news, Korean inflation is being reported as the slowest in 12 years due to sluggish demand abroad for Korean goods.
• And regarding some of those exports, a jury trial worth billions of US dollars has begun in America.  Samsung, Korea’s largest company in sales and profit is in a court fight with Apple over patents on smart phones and tablets. But you’d hardly know it here in Korea, as the news just doesn’t seem to get much play in newspapers and TV.  In fact, only the Dong-A Ilbo has anything about Samsung or Apple and it’s about the level of Samsung’s sales vs Apple and not the trial.  Regarding this massive lawsuit between tech powerhouses, Koreans either a) are not worried or b) don’t care.  Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal has an opinion on this phenomenon :
  

  Culture is also at work. Historically, the public perception of justice in South Korea is shaped more by accusations and indictments than by trials and their outcomes. If two people are involved in a traffic accident, both are considered to have done something wrong, even if one is clearly more responsible than the other. In such an environment, the details of prior art and patent validity don’t matter to the ordinary person.

  Given the rampant video piracy in this country, that’s not a surprising take on events. That also explains the incredibly high number of inconsiderate drivers that seem to be attracted to me and my two-wheeled vehicles.

• With Korea’s power grid at near capacity, residents worry that a recent safety shutdown at the nuclear reactor in Jeolla province might have blackout consequences.  Got your diesel power generator handy?  With the summer heat wave still on us and A/C units running high power is already stretched thin across the grid.
• Name-calling has never been something the North Koreans shy away from. This week, they are calling Kim Young Hwan, a former leader of a leftist underground a “heinous nation-selling bastard.” Kim and several others were arrested in China on charges of endangering national security.  North Korea insists that these activists are behind sabotage acts in Pyongyang.  Meanwhile, South Korea is investigating whether up to 600 citizens were mistreated in Chinese jails. It’s a messy business.
• A few stories of Koreans behaving badly at the Olympics: The South Korean sailing coach was sent home after being found to be driving drunk.  And although Samsung and Apple electronics hardly elicits a second glance, a malfunctioning timing mechanism in the Fencing competition results in a one player acting out as a cry-baby. A couple of Korean badminton players were disqualified after trying to lose. They wanted to play a lesser ranked team and losing would have ensured that while winning would have pitted them against much better players.
• And finally, ladies, be careful: August is Sexual Assault Month. According to the Dong-A Ilbo, more assaults occur in August than any other time in Korea.

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By Philip Heo, April 17, 2012 5:15 pm

5th ULSAN CUP (2012 ULSAN CUP)

Time: 26 May 09:00 – 19:00 and 27 May 09:00 – 18:00.

Location: Simnidaebat Chukku-jang A, B, C 십리대밭축구장 in Junggu, Ulsan

THE ULSAN CUP is a soccer tournament held on the Korean Peninsula for expat teams. It is played every year in Ulsan, a city famous for whales, ships and cars.

The tournament was established in 2008 and is currently the only major tournament for expatriate teams in South Korea. Each year 16 teams compete to take the trophy, purse and the title of “Best Expatriate Team in Korea”.

 Use the long weekend in May for lots of football.

In our fifth year we are looking yet again at putting together the best teams on the peninsula to battle it out in the only country wide cup for expatriate soccer in Korea.

After the huge successes of the previous tournaments the 2012 tournament is shaping up to be the best yet.

The Ulsan Amateur Football League, Junggu district of Ulsan Metropolitan City & The Won Shot Wanderers FC bring you the 2012 Ulsan Cup.

The tournament is sponsored and run by:

WON SHOT WANDERERS FC – The expatriate football team in Ulsan. The Won Shots were established in 2002 by a group of football supporters who travelled to the city to watch the world cup.

THE ULSAN LEAGUE – An amateur soccer league that was established in 2000. The league comprises of five divisions and is active in a lot amateur football on the Korean Peninsula.

ULSAN METROPOLITAN CITY – Ulsan is South Korea’s seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. Ulsan is home to the world’s largest automobile assembly plant operated by Hyundai Motor, the world’s largest shipyard operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the world’s largest oil refinery owned by SK Energy.

HYUNDAI TIGERS – Ulsan Hyundai FC was established on 6 December 1983, as Hyundai Football Club, with Incheon, Gyeonggi as its franchise and Horangi (Horangi means tiger) as its mascot. They entered the league in 1984, finishing the season 3rd. In 1986, In the early 1990s, the club moved to Ulsan, becoming Ulsan Hyundai. They became the league champion in 1996 first.

Participants(Changeable):

Foreigner Compound FC, Won Shot Wanderers FC, DH Ulsan FC, Inter Busan FC, and Busan United FC from Ulsan or Busan.

FC Daegu, Daegu Devils, Sydney Street and Changwon Wednesday FC from Daegu or Gyeongsang.

Gwangju Inter FC Jeonju Unathletic FC, Suncheon IFC and Jejuventus FC from Jeolla or Jeju.

Seoul British FC, Seoul Villans, Malaysian Students FC, Storndan FC, Seoul Celtic FC and  Inter Suwon FC from Seoul or Gyeonggi

A big thank you to all the teams that have attended the tournament in the previous years. We aim to build upon the success of last year and we have implemented a number of your suggestions to make the tournament better.

 We hope that you will return this year to help us bring another great tournament to its fruition.

Entry to the cup will be 300,000won per team.

 We will provide the following;

• Three top class artificial turf pitches (all in the same location).

• Dedicated medical staff & ambulances.

• KFA regulated referees & third officials.

• Winners purse (W500,000) & trophy.

• Runners up purse (W300,000) & plate.

• Third place trophy

• Player & Club awards (purse & trophy).

• A dedicated hotel 15 minutes walk from the pitches, with discounted rates for Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights (including players family).

• Western food & refreshments during the tournament.

 If you lose out on the winners’ trophy there will be a runners up plate & purse guaranteeing you football and something to play for all weekend long.

Over our three years we have seen many teams come to Ulsan. Only a few go away with the title of “Best Foreign Team in Korea”

TEAMS WHO HAVE STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE IN THE PAST- Busan United(Busan), WSW FC(Ulsan), OutKasts FC(Seoul), Cheoyong FC(Ulsan), Inter Busan(Busan), FCFC(Ulsan), FC Storndang(Yongin/Seoul), Jeonju UFC(Jeonju), VN-Gyeongju FC(Gyeongju), Seoul International FC(Seoul), FC Daegu(Daegu), Gwangju IFC(Gwangju), Total Usan(Ulsan), Daegu Devils(Daegu), Suncheon IFC(Suncheon), Sparta Busan(Busan), Seoul Celtic(Seoul), Deagu United(Daegu), SBFC(Seoul), Gyeongju FC(Gyeongju), DMZ FC(Busan), Jinju FFC(Jinju), Ofon Dragons(Ulsan), Jejuventus (Jeju), Malaysian Students FC (Seoul), Seoul Villans (Seoul)

TEAMS WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TITLE – Busan United(2008), Seoul Celtic(2009), Jeonju UFC(2010), Deagu Devils (2011)

Last year 16 foreign teams from all over Korea competed in a tournament that had great atmosphere.

 RESULTS

◀▶ 2011 Ulsan Cup Results ◀▶

★ Champions: Daegu Devils

★ Runners up: Busan United

★ 3rd: FC Daegu

★ 4th: Storndang FC

★ Golden Boot : Mark Rochford, # 71 from Daegu Devils

★ Silver Boot : Nick Marshall, # 19 from Busan United

★ Best Referee : Mr. Hong Pilgon

◀▶Plate Cup◀▶

★ Winners : Malaysian Students FC

★ Runners Up : Gwangju Inter FC

This year we are keeping to four groups of four. Once we have all 16 berths filled we will draw teams from four pools (Seoul-Gyeonggi, Daegu-Gyeongsang, Busan-Ulsan, Gwangju-Jeolla and Others). This means that you will not be pooled with teams that you regularly play against in your weekend leagues.

 If you would like to request more information on the rules, schedule, and any other information please view the discussions tab or contact us via email.

 Your contacts for this years’ cup are:

Erik Olsen – 010 9105 1177

Philip Heo – 010 9322 3629

Both can be reached through ulsancup@gmail.com

Our Facebook pages will be updated with all the relevant rules & regulations for the tournament, along with the schedules, directions and hotels.  Closer to the cup we will email all managers with all the important information that your team will need.

Best Regards

The Ulsan Cup Team

Comments (0)

By Martin Rehder, February 17, 2012 7:34 pm

Living in another country, a hobby is a great way to keep some portion of one’s culture and identity alive. Some people play computer games, some knit, some are active in sports, some write. But not everyone’s hobby turns into a money making opportunity. Fewer still hobbies are transformed into a regular paycheck. But it’s the rare hobby that can bring both a steady paycheck and every man’s fifteen minutes of fame with it. To have a hobby where the end result can become the headlines of newspapers, nightly news shows and… well, someone else’s blog… is the stuff of legends. But for Aaron Tassano, that’s exactly what happened.

Aaron Tassano busy making notes at the baseball stadium. Photo courtesy of indyk@sportschosun.com

Several years ago, Aaron was the co-author of a baseball oriented blog that he and a friend in Taiwan managed. It was a hobby site they called East Windup Chronicle (and has since been hacked by Somali pirates). The two men enjoyed baseball enough that they wrote about baseball: which players were good, how the games went, the rankings, the stats – all the usual things that baseball fans like to talk about, read about and discuss. That’s not so unusual, as there are dozens – no hundreds, perhaps thousands – of websites dedicated to one particular sport or another. Aaron’s partner had wanted to build some sort of business around their Asian baseball blog and the two were delighted when their blogging attracted the attention of some people in one of America’s most famous Major League Baseball clubs – the Chicago Cubs. These days, in addition to his regular job teaching English at Busan Info-Tech College in Busan, Aaron spends his time traveling the length and breadth of the Korean peninsula working for the Chicago Cubs. Aaron is a professional baseball scout.

Aaron has been all over Korea, scoping out players on university and high school baseball teams throughout the nation. In the entire country, there are only 52 schools that have baseball teams. That may sound like a lot, but given the number of high schools and universities in Korea, that’s a relatively small group. Regardless, Aaron travels to games wherever they play and determines who, among all the players, is worthy of his recommendation to the big leagues. And that recommendation could potentially be worth millions. Through his hobby/job, Aaron has the power to lift a player out of the ordinary everyday existence and into the bright lights, big money and stardom of major league baseball.

Over the years Aaron and the team of recruiters he works with have placed several Korean ball players in the hands of the Chicago Cubs teams. They have placed six players in four years. Although none last year, they placed one in 2010, two in 2009, and three in 2008, the year in which Aaron joined the team. These recruits spends their time playing in one of the five levels of minor league teams that each major league team owns. As players hone their skills and older players move on, the new recruits are moved upwards through the farm-league system to eventually make the big leagues. But while they only play in the minor leagues at first, that is not without some serious compensation: a player with potential can expect a signing bonus in the range of US$725K dollars. That’s not so minor.

With the power to turn a Korean ball player into a player with the potential to be a star, Aaron has the Midas Touch. His recommendation can make a player’s entire future rosy, transforming him from just another player on just another school team to star player status. He could recruit another Park Chan Ho (박찬호) who played for multiple American teams and was the first Korean-born player in the US league) or Choo (Choo-Choo) Shin Soo (추신수). now playing with the Cleveland Indians. Both of whom are famous in Korea and America for their baseball skills. And while all that power of a recommendation might form a mental image of Aaron gallantly laying a sword on the shoulder of a kneeling ball player, the details aren’t quite so pretty.

For Aaron to make a recommendation on a player, first he must travel to the games – from Seoul to Ulsan, from Jeju to Sokcho and all points in between – and watch. That’s not so bad, you say. He gets to watch baseball, which is, after all, his hobby. But watching is only the beginning. He must record video of the players, take photos, and must write up his thoughts on their current ability and future potential. Then he must package up his video, photos and writing of each player present that to his boss, the manager of the Chicago Cubs recruiting for all of Asia. And, of course, all that travel means someone has to pay for planes, trains and automobiles as well as meals, hotels and whatever else is required in order to watch these disparate players. Aaron pays his own way, but is reimbursed for all his expenses – provided he painstakingly records and documents all his expenses properly. Aaron’s hobby has now mutated into a full blown job, with weekly requirements and deliverables. Still, he enjoys scouting despite the work-like aspect of it.

“It’s fun. I guess the most ‘work’ like aspect of the job is calculating expenses. When I go places I have to save all my receipts so I can get reimbursed. I have to individually tape them each to a piece of paper, being careful to not let any of them overlap, convert the money to dollars, then add them all up on a spreadsheet. Even that’s not terrible because it means I’m getting my money back. Outside of that, even the most mundane aspects of the job are at least fairly interesting to me since they involve baseball.”

And if fun isn’t enough to do it, the pay helps. Aaron makes good money scouting in addition to his regular teaching gig.

Over the five years that Aaron has been scouting, he’s helped recruit some players that bear watching. His first year he helped recruit Ha Jae-hoon (하재훈) from Masan. Early on he seemed like the least likely success story: no MLB teams were interested in him and the local Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) scouts for Lotte even derided the signing publicly, complaining that the Cubs were recklessly signing minor league filler. Aaron was concerned.

“Ha’s first year was pretty so so, and I started to think he might get cut during his next spring camp. But he surprised everyone by getting off to a strong 2010 and he’s kept it going ever since. “

Ha was called up to the Double-A team last year because of an injury and played well there. Recruited at out of high school, Ha is just now 21 years old and this spring he’s going to major league camp.

Another player that Aaron helped to recruit is Lee Hak-ju (이학주). Lee has become a much-hyped prospect for Tampa Bay when he was traded by the Cubs in 2010. Many believe Lee will be the next good, or even great, Korean major league ball player.

Scouting for the American MLB sounds like fun for any fan of baseball. But that’s not to say it isn’t without controversy. This past week, for example, the KBO was upset that the Baltimore Orioles did not discuss with them the signing of 17-year-old pitcher, Kim Seong-Min. Apparently, the KBO feels they should be informed when another country’s ball team become interested in a player that they (the KBO) haven’t already signed themselves. Given the contract requirements as outlined in this story by The Marmot’s Hole, it’s no wonder that Korean ball players would welcome a discussion by any other baseball recruiting organization.

In between traveling to games, editing videos, writing reports and expense statements, Aaron still has time to tend to his “real” job. As a college teacher, he only works three days a week, and only for seven months of the year. That leaves him plenty of time to devote to his hobby. We should all be so lucky to have a hobby that pays a salary. Aaron likes to soft-pedal his role in major league baseball and proclaim that he’s just one part of a team, low man on the totem pole and generally other lots of self-effacing talk. Still, he is a part of Major League Baseball, America’s greatest past time. That’s something a great many of us can only dream of.