Mississippi College School of Law International Law Society

I Miss it Already. . .

2009-07-21T20:01:00.001-05:00

I began perusing my pictures today from Seoul (one week after arriving home) and started having that nostalgic feeling that inevitably comes after an amazing trip. I can not pin down one precise experience that “made” the trip for me—rather, I think the positive impression I have from Seoul (and the numerous side-trips we made) comes from a culmination of the trip in its entirety. So, I decided a good blog topic might be a sort of “Why Should I go to Seoul Next Summer?” address (the Matt Harris edition).

Conquer the Unknown

According to the U.S. State Department, roughly 30% of Americans have been issued passports allowing them to lawfully travel abroad. Of that number, many stay close to home in either the geographical sense (experiencing Canada or Mexico) or in the cultural sense (Western Europe/Caribbean). Asia, however, stays far from the radar for many Americans. That being the case, travelling to Asia invokes a real sense of exploration. How many fellow law students have you met who have actually travelled to Asia? Now, how many can say they lived in Korea for almost one month?

My point is simple—having the courage to make the leap to Asia can be said to be rare. Many folks would rather travel elsewhere, preferring instead to avoid travel to the Far East (there is a reason Malaria medication was recommended, after all). I cannot lie—getting off the first plane in Tokyo was a bit (okay, very) unnerving. I lived in Greece for part of a summer while an undergrad, and, although I’m not sure why, Asia was just “different.” I can’t put my finger on it, but travelling to abroad to Asia is a completely different experience. There were times when it really did feel like the “unknown.” Although the language and culture are obvious barriers, there are times when I would look around and think “that is so different than the way X does it.” Although it may sound cliché, I have to greatly admire everyone in the MC Law group for so quickly and confidently adjusting to a completely different and sometimes challenging environment.

Meet Interesting Classmates

Professor “Thor” Bowman (the name was his choice, not ours) boldly signed on to take eleven first year law students (technically second year, but still) across the world. Until we arrived in country, I did not give much thought as to who the other students on the trip were. With the exception of a few who were close friends before the trip, most everyone else met or “actually met” on the trip (I think most people had a sort of “yes, I know of that person, but I don’t really ‘know’ that person” mantra). This, of course, happens when the first year class size approaches 200 students.

I think everyone was greatly surprised at the wealth of backgrounds and experience possessed by the other students. For example, I knew Juan Delgado spoke English as a second language. I did not know, however, that he had such a large business background in both Mexico and the U.S.—in fact, Juan had a story or input (in a good way, not the “gunner” way) for almost every class session in both International Business Transactions and Global Issues. Likewise, I had no idea Karen had a Haitian background or that Cici was actually from France. I guess my point with this is that taking this trip really opens your eyes not only to Korea or the Far East, but also to those back home in Mississippi—the trip certainly provides motivation to get to know my classmates/future colleague better.

The Inevitable Clash of Coursework with Practicality

One of my favorite encounters from the trip was with a man named Edward Kim, whom a few of us met one evening in Seoul. As it turns out, Ed is actually a practitioner of international trade with his textile manufacturing firm (his firm is called “HYOSUNG,” and has offices in Korea, the U.S., and China). Ed spoke a great deal of English and we quickly began a conversation that would last most of the night. He spoke of his great affinity for certain parts of the American trade system, and at other times would hold nothing (read: absolutely nothing!) back regarding how he loathed other aspects. In just a few short hours I learned a great deal about the very subject I had ventured so far to study. More importantly, though, we got the version of the subject that has an actual face; Ed’s work in international trade is personal—his family depends on his competency in the subject for livelihood. Having that conversation portrayed the “real-life,” “this-area-of-the-law-makes-the-world-go-round” side to the subject. I think those of us who had the privilege of meeting Ed while listening to his many stories really began to grasp the notion that IBT goes far beyond the reading in our case book—the subject is immense, practical, and has an impactful meaning the world over. Finally, that we learned all this through a simple, chance encounter made it all the more meaningful.

Do It!

Beg, borrow, or steal your way to Seoul for the summer of 2010. This is a trip you will not regret. The culture is welcoming and hospitable, and, although huge, the city is easy to navigate and you will soon feel at home. I learned plenty on this trip about the coursework we came to study, but also plenty about myself, the profession I hope to enter in only a few short years, and my classmates who made the trip such an enjoyable experience. I promise—you will too.

Keith Hoffman’s Day By Day (By Day) Blog of International Study Abroad Program Location: Seoul, Korea & Beijing, China

2009-07-12T22:12:00.001-05:00

Monday June 15^th

I have arrived in Seoul, Korea after 17 hours on 3 different planes (New Orleans to Los Angeles to Tokyo to Seoul). I have to admit I was a little a nervous arriving in a foreign place where symbols are the alphabet and there is no way I can understand what is going on! To my surprise the first taxi drivers I approached spoke perfect English. He was so good in fact that he managed to rip me off for 120,000 Won, roughly $120 US. Although I have to admit he was hilarious. He taught me multiple profanities in Korean which I quickly forgot within the first 30 seconds as I was exhausted and worn out.

As I finally arrived at Sookmyung Women’s University (which the cabbie also thought was strange that my final destination was a university for women) I knew the ease of arriving was too good to be true. The language barrier came into play within my first hour upon arrival as the security guards at Sookmyung do not speak a lick of English! So here I am with all my luggage in humidity over 120% walking up and down 90 degree angled hills around the campus asking for Sookingdang, but apparently when English speaking people attempt Korean no one understands even though it sounds exactly like what you just said! Fortunately I ran into a professor from South Carolina who attempted to help me but he could fare no better. So he assigned 2 young students (cute girls of course) to guide me all along the campus as I am sweating bullets now with no clue of where I am going. Two and a half hours later, I guess I bothered the security guards enough they finally just gave me a key to the international studies dormitory. As the 2 girls walked me to my room, sure enough there was Professor Bowman in the room next to me! He gave me this weird look like, “Keith, you’ve just arrived in Seoul and already you’re bringing 2 Korean girls back to your room?!?!” As we had a good laugh about it, we walked to Sookindang, where I was staying. I met up with everybody we joked relaxed for a couple of hours and then pure extreme exhaustion set in, so I hit the hay. Learning curse words, getting ripped off, and getting lost for over 2 hours while I was on the campus, not too shabby for the first night in Seoul, should be an interesting trip…

Tuesday June 16^th

Surprisingly I woke up today and was not jet lagged at all. After experiencing my first International Business Transactions & Global Issues in Corporate Law classes with Professor Bowman, I was confident in furthering my interest as a legal professional with regards to International Corporate Law. For the first time, I experienced the sunrise on the continent of Asia. Seoul is a lot hazier than I thought it would be, as the rainy season definitely affects the weather here. I also finally got to experience the infamous “HILL” all the previous students from last year’s summer program endured. Wow, a 90 degree slope combined with 125% humidity is one heck of a combination as perspiration poured out of me! Today I also managed to eat authentic Korean food which I loved! Who wouldn’t love a pot of rice with beef and a substance known as “kimchee” (pickled cabbage which is spiced)? And all for 5000 Won?!?! (roughly $5 US Dollars)

So now that the Study Abroad Program is attended by all, as I was the last one to arrive, we decided to celebrate at Hong-ik University which is a little bit north of Sookmyung. What a ride this was! We decided to experience the nightlife of Seoul to its fullest capacity. Lasers, techno, fog machines, bartenders with whistles, need I say more? I also managed to stop by and see Namoo, the local attaché near Sookmyung University who has already gotten to know most of us by name. Uncle Gee is his right hand man and we introduced Facebook to the 2 of them, which they were more than intrigued and ecstatic joining.

Mel & Company.

Wednesday June 17^th

I had to register today with the USO for the upcoming DMZ trip on June 30^th. Everyone was excited to see hamburgers and French fries so while we were down there at the USO a few of us decided to go the Korean War Museum which is nearby. So I had the impression the Korean War Museum was exclusively dedicated to the recent Korean War which gave us the infamous 38^th parallel. These thoughts were supported with the statutes and symbols outside of the actual museum itself but once you walk inside the museum, you are graced with the entire Korean history of international conflict from Japan, Russia, and China etc dating back to B.C. days. So it was a total curveball to me to see this massive building dedicated to the entire armed “resolutions” of the Korean people. If you ever get the chance to see it, it is quite a remarkable site but be prepared to spend at least a few hours to walking in and out of the rooms. Also, air-conditioning seems to be running at a minimum at the museum, so bring water and tennis shoes.

Thursday June 18^th

So Mel Williams, an alumnus from MC who is stationed over in Seoul, invited us over to his friend’s apartment for happy hour. They went above and beyond to make us feel at home and entertain all of us. We all had a great time and a huge thank you goes to all of them!

Friday June 19^th

Professor Bowman set a special arrangement up for us to visit Kim & Chang, Seoul’s largest and one of the most prominent law firms in all of South Korea. To start the day off, Kim & Chang sent in a senior partner who turned was the old ambassador to the United Nations (UN) from South Korea. Not every day, do you get to roll out of bed to shake hands with a UN Ambassador. The whole experience was first class all the way. The conversation with the associates, regarding Korean Law, was intriguing and engaging. In addition we were treated to a first class lunch with spectacular views.

We also decided to fly to Jeju Island which is the most Southern island off the mainland of Korea. Our flight was scheduled for 4:05 pm. We arrived at Gimpo Airport (ask Juan Delgado about his Korean language song) at exactly 4:10 pm. Thank God Asiana Airlines is insanely efficient and actually voted the best airline in the world. They were extremely helpful and understanding and put us on the 4:35 flight. After all the rush and anticipation we are all extremely excited to be in the island paradise that is Jeju Island!

Saturday June 20^th

After discovering that our hotel was pretty much far away from everything on Jeju, we decided to head to the beach. The day was not as pretty as the day before but we really didn’t care. We explored the coarse beaches, waterfalls, and to our surprise all of the cliffs that surrounded the beaches in Jeju. Also, old women apparently are the fisherman around Jeju as it is part of their tradition. They were selling live fish around the beaches that were just swimming around in buckets and baby pools. I was not in the food adventurous mood, so I was not willing to dabble in the local cuisine. So we went to the Hyatt for lunch, little did we know our bills would all be over $50 for lunch. So after lunch we decided our luck at the casino. Only Adrienne came out on top.

Sunday June 21^st

Last day in Jeju, was kind of an odd one as we all had to be at the airport later that afternoon, so we decided to split up and conquer the island in separate groups. Matt, Lucy, and I decided to go to the World Cup Stadium. It was nice but to our surprise there was the World Sex Museum inside the World Cup Stadium. Wow, for discretion’s sake I will not disclose the immediate contents of the museum but let’s just say I learned a few things that day and I also want to UN-learn a few things from that day.

Monday June 22^nd

So Itaewon (pronounced ee-tay-won) is the foreigner shopping section of Seoul. Professor Bowman was all excited about getting his new suit from Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang is apparently a well-known tailor whose clients have served the likes of General Petraeus and Yancy. I didn’t need any suits so I decided to get a few shirts that are custom made. I’m excited to see how they turn out next week. Oh yeah I think Bowman was there for about 4 hours trying to decide which fabric he wanted, kind of always amusing to see the quirks of your law professor!

Tuesday June 23^rd

Tuesday was just a relaxation day and packing day in preparation for our trip to Beijing, more to come from China…

Wednesday June 24^th – Sunday June 28^th Trip to Beijing

Forgive me but I did not bring a laptop to Beijing so I am recollecting the trip from scratch notes on brochures and napkins so I apologize for things not necessarily being in chronological order. Most of it is tourist things that really need to be experienced first-hand to fully appreciate Chinese history.

Our flight to Beijing went off without a hitch but the taxi ride from the airport was a different story! We managed to fit 13 people in the taxi including the driver along with everyone’s luggage. Picture the van no bigger than a minivan you see driving on the highways. Bowman, Lucy & I lucked out by only having to fit 3 people across the very backseat as compared to the 4 and 5 across the other backseats that faced each other old school station wagon style. The driver also managed to drive us to the wrong hotel, Welcome to Beijing!

The next day we went to the Great Wall. All I have to say is WOW! We only experienced one section in the wall but it was totally impressive. I had no idea the Great Wall was so steep or massive! It took us over 2 hours to get the very peak of the wall it was so steep. It is also extremely hot and polluted in Beijing where temperatures were constantly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the smog was so bad that seeing 3 or 4 blocks over was an extremely dark haze. We also managed to see Tiananmen Square at night. We were there for about 15 or 20 minutes walking around when the Beijing Police kicked us out because apparently the park closes at 8 or 9 pm.

Beijing is the equivalent to New York City in the US. Having family from NYC, I was used to the hustle and bustle attitude that people from Jackson really do not have. Everyone was extremely busy and almost to the point of pushiness but not in a rude way because of course they want your money. But there is a difference culturally between China and Korea.

There are numerous other things to do in Beijing to do including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Pearl Market, Exquisite Dinners for cheap, Summer Palace, and Olympic Stadiums (Birds Nest and Water Cube). I would definitely recommend going to Beijing but just be careful when wandering. Also as a quick recommendation, take taxis as they are not expensive and the quickest way around town.

Overall Evaluation of the Trip:

This is a once in a lifetime trip that should be experienced by every student with the interest in not just international law, but business law as well. Professor Bowman explains the ins and outs of problems facing corporations in the states and abroad. He paints such a vivid realistic picture of the intricacies of the global business community that raises many interesting questions. His approach may be able to not only improve MC as a leading Study Abroad Program but also improve the global business community as a whole! When else in your life do you get to experience another country full of life and tradition for an entire month? And get credit for it!

Bowman's Final Blog Post

2009-07-12T22:10:00.001-05:00

Well, I can't believe that our time in Seoul is already over! I am now home, but still jetlagged. We had a fabulous time, saw a lot, and learned a lot. Our classes went really well, and there was a lot of spirited discussion. And outside of class we had fun:

--We played a lot of food roulette. Matt Harris was both the big winner (Korean omelettes) and also the big loser (boiled pork skin), and Juan Delgado met his match in a spicy chicken dish.

--We played human Tetris in elevators (Question: How many Americans can you fit in a Korean elevator? Answer: 11. Sadly, there were 12 of us.)

--We saw more sights than we had a right to in 26 short days in China and Korea.

So it's no wonder I am tired, as well as jetlagged.

I want to send a sincere thanks to the students who participated, as well as to their families for supporting them in going to Korea, especially during this time of tensions with North Korea. All of you put your faith in the school and this program, and I really do appreciate it. I am better off for having participated in the program, and I hope all the students feel that way too.

Best, Greg

A Weekend in Jeju

2009-07-12T22:09:00.001-05:00

One weekend during our stay in Korea a few of us decided to take a trip to Jeju Island, which is the southern most island in South Korea. The whole group was super excited to leave straight from our meeting at Kim & Chang that day (a local law firm in Korea). After meeting with some associates from Kim & Chang, we went to lunch with them at a local traditional restaurant at a palace in the mountains. Throughout the entire lunch we all were trying to plot something to get out of there early. Needless to say, we couldn’t figure anything out so we continued on the bus that was chartered for us that took us to the university. As soon as the bus stopped, we all bolted for the big hill. We eventually all made it up the hill and managed to get our stuff together within 15 minutes (the girls – me and Lucy – were ready; however, the boys had not packed the night before). Now, in two different cabs, we were off to Gimpo International Airport. We arrived within enough time just to check in and run to the plane.

After all that turmoil, once we arrived in Jeju it felt like paradise. There were palm trees everywhere and the sun was shinning bright. We got into some taxis and headed for our 1 hour ride to Shineville Resort (Picture from a Balcony at the Resort on the first day when the sun was shinning.) However, we were not expecting the type of taxi drivers that exist in Jeju. We apparently were expecting the drivers to be somewhat like the ones in Seoul. We soon found out we were wrong to have expected that. These taxi drivers were completely crazy. It felt like we were going down some old country roads at like 100 miles an hour. So we all held on tight for the ride, and all the ones that came after that. Also, the cabs in Jeju were way more expensive then the ones in Seoul. In Seoul you can take a taxi for around 5000 won most of the time, but in Jeju we were paying around 40000 won every time we went somewhere.

The next day came and paradise no longer existed (to an extent). The weather was not so great. I don’t believe we saw the sun again until we went to the airport to fly back to Seoul (go figure). Ugh… I thought to myself. I only wanted to come here for the beaches. Well, so a few of us split up and went separate ways. I got stuck with Matt and Keith (crazy boys with the best ideas-yeah right!). And then there was Lucy. Lucy and I seem to always find ourselves with these two. So we told the taxi drive to take us to a beach – I don’t remember the name of it. So after the 45 minute cab ride and about $40 later, we arrived at “the beach.” It looked like sea world, but trashy. We started walking and came upon some penguins in a tank outside. Then we get to the edge of a cliff and see the ocean. (See picture at left.) But was we look far off in the distance we see the Hyatt (the place we wanted to stay but as students just could not afford it). So we finally manage to find the stairs down and begin to walk. The walk ended up being on a different kind of sand then we are used to at the Gulf Coast. Then we end up walking through what appears to be some type of jungle and finally found our way to the Hyatt (thinking there would be some sort of pool there). After the hour long hike, we found out that the Hyatt had a pool but it was not open yet. This is crazy I thought, because pools at hotels in America are always open.

After arriving at the Hyatt and finding that there was not a pool that we could swim in we decided to eat at a restaurant there. Then, we find out we have to spend more money. We each probably had about a 20000-25000 won lunch. So while we are spending all this money on this island we say why not go to the casino that was in the hotel. This was a bad idea for everyone but me. I won about 60000 won and everyone else lost what they put in the slots; however, they did not loose that much. But after walking out of the Hyatt, we explored the wooden, steep steps of the jungle walk around the Hyatt and saw some incredible views (see above), well worth the hike to the Hyatt.

So in conclusion, amongst all the crazy taxi drivers, the expensive taxi rides, and the long walks/hikes/climbs (whichever one you want to call it) we did not experience paradise there when we went. However, all 7 of us managed to have a great time. So in case anyone ever wants to go there, don’t go there expecting the prices of Seoul. Expect the prices that we would pay back in America to go to a tropical paradise.

Adrian Westbrook

Demilitarized Zone or DMZ

2009-07-12T22:07:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday we got a chance to visit the DMZ or Demilitarized zone separating North from South Korea. Our tour guide U.S. military officers led us through a building called Freedom House. Freedom house was originally built so that South Korean and North Korean families could reunite for a short amount of time. However, it was never used for it's intended purpose because the North Korean government does not let it's citizens leave North Korea. I find this to be rather disturbing, just imagine if in the United States the government prevented persons from traveling not only out of the country but outside of their city or state. As someone who loves to travel, I could not imagine being restricted from doing so or even punished for something so simple. It made me think about all of the freedoms that I and I know many other Americans take for granted. Past the Freedom House, we were then escorted to the back of the building and into one of the barracks were the actual peace talks or cease fire between NK and SK occurred which eventually ended the Korean War. We took pictures with the South Korean soldiers who looked rather intimidating with their dark glasses and balled up fists. We were told that most of the soldiers are trained black belts in Tai Kwan Doe and were the glasses so that they do not have to make eye contact with North Korean soldiers. I stood on the wrong side of the room and was told I was now in North Korea (don't tell my mom! lol).

Next we visited the 3rd Tunnel which was discovered in 1978, only 52 KM from Seoul. The North Koreans claimed that they did not construct the tunnel, and claim South Koreans built the tunnel to invade NK. However, the tunnel flows the wrong way and could not possibly have been built by the South. After, they did admit that they in fact built the tunnel but not to invade SK but to mine coal, there is no coal in that area of Korea lol. I found that pretty interesting. We climbed down the tunnel which was wet, uncomfortable and the air was really tight. I was only in the tunnel for 30 -40 mins at the most but i could only imagine the people who had to build the tunnel and how uncomfortable and dangerous it was to be in this tunnel for hours and hours on end. The climb back up from the tunnel was most unbearable and i felt myself become short of breath. The walk up was worst than climbing the Great Wall lol, Professor Bowman had to wait with me while i sat for a minute or two lol.

Overall, the tour of the DMZ was an interesting experience. Being in South Korea, I have learned more than I ever knew about the Korean War. This war really is one of the most overlooked wars in American and World History. It's touching to see how the division of one nation even years after the seperation is still a painful topic for many Koreans, who wish to be reunited with the North. Just think what if the Northern and Southern states had never reunited in the US, we would be in a similary situation as what is the case in Korea.

Cecilia A. Ndounda

The Republic of Kimchi

2009-07-12T22:04:00.001-05:00

Also pronounced gimchee, or kimchee is a dish native to Korea. It is one of many pickled dishes made with a variety of pickled seasonings. If you ever travel to South Korea, at almost every meal except breakfast will be accompanied by a serving of Kimchi. The main ingredients of Kimchi contain;

1. Chinese cabbage
2. ginger
3. onions
4. some seafood
6. saweujeot (in the Southern area, brined shrimp allowed to ferment)

However according to the Kimchi museum in Seoul, there areat least 187 or more varieties of Kimchi. The varieties are seperated by seasons and/or by regions. For example in the northern part of Korea, they use less salt and less red chili paste. In Seoul, the southern region the red chili color is distinct to this area and uses more salt and flavoring than the north. The northern parts also prepare more water kimchi's than the south. Before arriving in Korea, I had already known about Kimchi. When i was in the 7th grade one of our science projects was to make our very own Kimchi, and study how it fermented for a week. Let's just say our classroom did not smell like roses at the end of the experiment lol. However, i had forgotten how it tasted and decided to be open minded and have some Kimchi upon my arrival. Not being a fan of hot pepper and spicy foods, I did not like the hot taste of the cabbage mixed with the vinegarish fermented taste. Kimchi is definetly an acquired taste, you either like Kimchi or you don't. Although, i fall in the don't category, many people in our group loved Kimchi and tried a lot of different kinds.
Since Kimchi is so spicy, i wondered how it didn't hurt Korean people's digestive systems by eating Kimchi at least 2 times a day, 7 days a week. However, i learned that although very spicy, Kimchi provides 80% of our daily recommended vitamin C intake and other vitamins because of the mix of assorted vegetables. Kimchi is definetly the official food of Korea, even at the supermarket there are display after display of different kimchi's. So if you ever happen to visit Seoul, or eat at a Korean restaurent; ask for some Kimchi, you never know you may be surprised and love it as millions of Koreans do.

Cecilia A. Ndounda

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

2009-07-12T21:58:00.002-05:00

A long time ago my parents taught me to respect others no matter their how different they are. Many individuals these days are disrespected for their cultural differences, race, and faith or simply for just being unique. I’ve loved being in Korea because I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture. While here we went to the Korean Folk Village and participated in a traditional Tea Ceremony. The Koreans have truly been open and tried to share their culture with us, but not all of us appreciated nor respected the opportunity.

How do you respect a different culture? By being open minded, having an awareness of cultural differences, appreciating their existence and primarily by respecting and working to understanding lifestyles that are different from your own. While being here I have seen my offensive acts that have not respected the Korean culture and way of life.

For example, when you enter someone’s home in Korea you are supposed to remove your shoes and either wear house shoes or go barefooted. However, I’ve seen foreigners wearing their shoes inside others homes. Another rule is respecting your elders. Koreans as well as Haitians, Africans and other Caribbean and Asian countries believe that those older than us carry a huge bag of wisdom. Wisdom that we hope they will share with us before they pass. Under the influence of Confucianism, they are taught of the great importance of respecting our elders from the family structure. Under the doctrine of “Filial piety” and the principle of “Li” there is a call for devotion and obedience to and in reverence of our elders by younger members of the family and society. Helping an older person cross the street, not sitting in the elder and handicap section of the train or simply speaking to our elders with respect are all ways we can demonstrate admiration.

This taught is taught in Christianity as well. The bible clearly says in Ephesians 6: 1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise— that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” This tells us that by respecting our elders we will live healthier and longer lives. Why? I asked my father this once and one thing he said in particular still holds true. No matter what year or century we are in many obstacles and challenges cross the generational gap. Certain life lessons remain true and never change. That means our elders have been through some of the situations we find ourselves in everyday. Imagine someone being able to share with you and help you avoid a mistake they made. While we all are bound to make mistakes there are some we can avoid by listening to words of wisdom from our elders.

So in closing, we all need to stop and think about the way we respect our elders. Do you greet your elders when you enter a room? How do we monitor our language in an effort not to disrespect others? How do we treat others from different cultures? Do we automatically assume they are beneath us and having nothing of value to share?

”Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson—

Respectfully yours,

Karen Nazaire

Clark Miljush Blog 7-1-09

2009-07-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

I went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace today. I have heard that the Korean language was derived from the Chinese but it also seemed like Korean architecture borrowed from the Chinese as well. The style of the buildings in this palace reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing. What really made the connection between the two civilizations was these statues that were placed along the roof lines. In both China and Korea the figures are larger towards the top of the roof and progressive get smaller as the roof slopes down. The figures are animals which look like bulls and dragons. At the temple I also visited the museum where I was able to view some of their ancient artwork which was fantastic. One of the best things about Korean museums and temples is the cost. I paid only three dollars to visit this piece of history in Korea.

Clark Miljush Blog 6-30-09

2009-07-12T21:54:00.001-05:00

We went to the DMZ today. When we arrived it was obvious that the South Koreans are prepared for a potential invasion. One way they are prepared that I found interesting was the huge blocks of concrete supported over the roads. In the event of an invasion the supports would be destroyed by detonating charges and thus blocking North Korean vehicles from traveling into South Korea. The actual land between North and South Korea has become an uninhabited, beautiful area of nature.

The other neat adventure we went on in the DMZ was exploring the tunnels that North Korea had built to invade the south. The tunnels were dug through solid granite several hundred feet below the surface. There is actually four tunnels that were discovered since the mid seventies, some of them are actually large enough to drive vehicles through.

There was a building that was devoted to the history of the DMZ. I had never heard of the many confrontations between North and South Korean troops, and the US soldiers that were killed in the DMZ. Some of the incidents were sever enough that the two sides could have gone to war again, yet South Korea's desire to reunite peacefully instead of through war has shown through. I truly admire their commitment to peace and unity of the Korean peninsula.

Clark Miljush Blog 6-29-09

2009-07-12T21:53:00.002-05:00

I didn't do much exploring of new areas today. I did however pick up my custom made Korean dress shirt. We had been fitted and ordered the shirts right before we left for China. The Korean men like to wear their cloths slightly tighter than Americans.

Clark Miljush Blog 6-20-09

2009-07-12T21:53:00.001-05:00

We left Seoul Korea yesterday to visit Jeju Island. This experience has been fantastic. The island is very beautiful and well kept. I could describe the waterfalls I saw, the unique formation of rocks along the coast, or the lava caves but I would prefer to discuss my experience with 11 Korean's I randomly met on the beach here in Jeju. After a day of exploring I topped it off by going down to the beach and was just sitting watching the waves. As a group of Koreans walked by one said “hello, enjoy Korea”, and I responded “hello, and I am having wonderful time.” It sparked a conversation and they asked me to go swimming in the ocean with them. I happily agreed. As we swam we discussed where we were from, and where we are headed in life. After our swim I asked them the best way to get back to my hotel and then the Korean's offered to give me a ride back to my hotel which I accepted.

As we were driving along the group would all choose a song and sing. So as we clapped our hands, sang songs and talked, I learned an incredible amount about Korean culture. I learned they are passionate about soccer, they know more about American politics than most Americans. One crucial realization I had was is; in an informal environment the Koreans can simply let loose and have fun like Americans do

Clark Miljush Blog 6-19-09

2009-07-12T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today we were guests of the largest Korean Law Firm, Kim and Chang's. We went to their main office and had a briefing on how they conduct their local and international practice. We met an attorney who was actually from America and he now lives in Korea and advises international corporations.

The firm then took us all to a very nice lunch at a place which was hidden up in the hills of Seoul. They had ordered a vegetarian lunch for all of us. I believe it was a seven course meal of all Korean food. I remember these three fried patties, one was actually fried kimchee.

After the meeting with the firm, a group of us made a dash for the airport for we were taking a short trip to beautiful Jeju Island. We actually missed our flight by a mere five minutes. However, the excellent airline, Asiana, put on the next flight for free. After arriving in

Clark Miljush Blog 6-18-09

2009-07-12T21:51:00.000-05:00

Today we went out to a lively district of the city. The night life reminded me of Vegas, except the buildings were all much closer together, but the fun continued throughout the night. I learned a couple valuable lessons today. The first lesson was when I fell victim to cultural imperialism today. It was when I was attempting to place an order. In American you simply tell the bartender what you want, pay him and get your order. At this spot, and other places in Korea, you must walk to the front hostess and she takes your order and payment. After I figured out the process I remember thinking, well in America you don't have to waste time walking around..I quickly reminded myself that this is not America and that perhaps there was some underlying cultural reason for the system of ordering, paying and receiving.

The second lesson I learned was that introductions are incredibly important in Korean culture. There was three girls celebrating a birthday. They noticed we were observing them and so they invited us over to talk. We introduced ourselves before I knew it, they were offering us food, we were exchanging contact information and the we went dancing. At the end of the night the girls stated “now we are friends”. There has been several times where I have been talking to some Koreans and at the end of the conversation they stated something along the lines of us now being friends. I wonder if when Koreans establish this title of “friends” do the newcomers to the group get included in all everyday activities, like a brotherhood, or is it like America where usually the newcomers slowly get included into more and more of the activities of the group.

Clark Miljush Blog 6-16-09

2009-07-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

As I exited my airplane and ventured into the Korean airport I mentally prepped myself for a bombardment of salesmen. I visualized how I would reject the sales pitches of time share offers and taxi drivers, which I have encountered in places from the Bahamas to Florida and Mexico. To my pleasant surprise I was met by some of the most polite people I have ever encountered. The taxi drivers offered their services but once I refused they didn't push harder, they simply said something along the lines of enjoy Korea, and I surely have.

One part of life here in Korea that I found interesting is the tipping your waiter or waitress. At home I usually groan at the idea of tipping a bad server, and I loath the debate of “should I leave 15 or 20% for good service?” Here in Korea there is no tipping. Ironically I now find myself, since I am not obligated to tip, wanting to leave a tip for the excellent service by these individuals. It may be that I am grateful of their tolerance of my inability to speak in Korean, or that I appreciate the menu having pictures so I can point to what I want to eat, but I think it is actually the entire experience of an excellent meal and a pleasant experience without the expectation of a tip. And so I find myself thinking a tip is the only way I can communicate that I have enjoyed myself more than I expected to. Yet it is considered offensive to leave a tip so I do not, instead I can only slightly bow and say “kamsahamnida” (thank you).

The transportation in Korea is also much different. As I prepared for traveling and sight seeing at home I never thought much to how I would get around. The streets are very narrow and parking a car would be ridiculous. Now that I actually think about it, I haven't seen a parking lot since I have been here. The subway is actually a great way to travel. It is well mapped and easy to navigate. I also learned something about Korea culture in the subway. They are very quiet people. I have been on the subway in Washington D.C. and the noise level is much higher there than in Korea. Conversation volume is kept to a minimum on the subway in Korea, that is if people are talking at all. However, there are times when Korean's are loud. For example, one night at a quiet restaurant we sat on the floor eating our dinner (traditional Korean seating), I nearly jumped off of the floor as a group of six or seven Koreans erupted in unison and shouted what I can only presume to be a traditional toast. And once the toast was over the people resumed a low volume of communication.

Although these things I have discussed (sales pressure, tipping and noise level) may not seem significant, combined with other aspects of Korean culture, they truly creates a unique lifestyle as a whole. I have only been here a few days and already have learned more than a guidebook could ever describe and I look forward to what I will discover tomorrow.

A quiet force to be reckoned with

2009-06-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

After riding the subways in Korea, I can confidently say that most Koreans have no problem pushing or shoving someone out of their way. While their demeanor at first seems quiet and low key, it doesn’t fully represent their other dominant abilities. Imagine standing on line waiting to place your order and having someone else jump in front of you right as you approach the counter. Or imagine trying to walk down the street but being blocked by couples or friends just holding hands. Walking down the streets in Korea is much hard then the busy streets of New York.

During class I learned that Korea was ranked number 14 in world nations. That’s surprisingly high for a country that should still be recovering from its battles with North Korea. From a ground level view, the economy in Korea looks good and the Korean businesses seem to be maintaining if not exceeding its growth and wealth. Many claim that the U.S. financial crisis has had an impact across the globe but I don’t see it here. Korea as well as many other nations may seem to be quietly or slowly growing. But with the current financial crisis in the U.S. , be assured they are moving faster than anticipated!

Quiet but a force to be reckoned with!

Karen Nazaire

Americans Abroad

2009-06-30T23:09:00.001-05:00

Aren't lawyers supposed to obey rules?

Seriously, our group had a great time in Beijing, and we are enjoying our last week in Korea now--including a tour of the DMZ on Tuesday June 20. The weather and visibility were not so good for that, but it was still an electric experience to be right there at the border and to sense the tension.

Greg Bowman

The Wonderful World of China.......

2009-06-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

What can I say about our trip to Beijing, China. Although we were only there for 3 1/2 days, it was the most exciting and exhilarating 3 1/2 days. Having always wanted to visit China, i was thrilled once we arrived at Beijing international airport. One thing i noticed which was different from Korea was, that in China our temperature was tested while we were on the plane, instead of when we got out. I am not sure if it's because China is just more cautions but that really took me off guard. Our first day in China we visited the Great Wall...all I can say is WOW! It was such a wonderful experience, even better than i ever imagined. Before visiting China, i had seen pictures of the Great Wall, however,nothing prepared me for how immense it really is. We climbed part of the wall and there was still miles and miles that i would never get to. First of all, when they say climbing the wall..it literally means climbing the wall. By the time me and me and my class mate got to one of the highest peaks, we were drenched in sweat and our legs were shaking. The steps not only are high but they are steep as well. I could only imagine this was the part of the wall that has been restored, i could never climb the parts which are not. That night we decided to visit Tienanmen square, we got there kinda late and ended up getting seperated from some of the group. However, maybe 30 mins later while trying to go towards Mao Zedong's tomb..we were told by the police to leave the square. It was kinda of weird but i was able to take some good pictures of the square which is huge and supposeldy can hold up to 1/2 a million people. The following day some of the groups seperated, me and my two other classmates decided to visit the Olympic stadium, Forbidden City and the temple of Heaven. The Olympic stadium was also located right next to the Cube which hosted the swimming events in the Olympics. It was surreal to be standing at the same place where the World's greatest athletes competed just a year ago. Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven were both very beautiful and majestic in their architectures. The Temple of Heaven especially was so beautiful and peaceful, the scenery near the temple was very breath taking. Overall, i had a great time in Beijing and would definitely visit again in a heartbeat. I heart Beijing!!!!

Cecilia A. Ndounda

My List of Things not to be “messed with” keeps getting longer . . .

2009-06-29T16:54:00.004-05:00

Texas? Check. China? You better believe it.

We were told that trying to fully explore Beijing in only three full days would be nearly impossible. Turns out, “they” were right, but we tried hard anyways. If there is any one lesson to learn from China, it would be not to underestimate it in any way.

From the 100 degree heat we found on our arrival (at 8pm) to the intense smog and air pollution, and from the total lack of personal space the culture warmly embraces (pun intended) to the People’s Republic’s odd love of Chairman Mao Zedong—China is an “in your face,” pushy, and, after hours of climbing the Great Wall and trudging through ancient palaces, an exhausting nation. I loved every minute.

We started the trip at the Great Wall. Led by our fearless leader Professor Bowman (read: Greg “Thor” Bowman), we woke up early and quickly learned the three hours we allotted to explore at the site was not long enough to see the entire Wall. My touristy (it’s a word, look it up) American genes kicked in full-blast, and I was quickly taking pictures of every mountain top, wall fragment, oddly shaped rock, or attractive Bulgarian woman that came my way. Our group eventually split into smaller groups, and I ended up making most of the climb with Adrian “The Great Wall should sell cigarettes” Westbrook. We had a great time, although my ego took a huge hit when our many photo-ops started allowing people several times our age to pass us. But, hey, I took some great pictures and (eventually) completed the trek to the top.

Although we saw several traditional and ancient Chinese palaces, my other favorite site was Tiananmen Square. It is really an odd feeling to stand in a place where so many seeking a government reform to democracy have protested. Overlooking the entire square is Chairman Mao’s portrait—an enduring testament to communism and the government’s hard-line rule of all 1.3 billion Chinese citizens?). Twice daily his body is raised from a refrigerated coffin for a public viewing (can you imagine if we did that sort of thing with our presidents?). Seven of us tried to join the incredibly long line (the line for Space Mountain has nothing on this), but the guards found reasons to kick us out (wearing sandals, carrying bags, etc). Even the mood on the square feels tense—the many guards are constantly watching for signs of protest or unrest.

The giant Mao photo and overall spectacle (you better believe his image is all over plaques, watches, party platform books, etc for souvenir purchase) greatly impressed on me how much we Americans take for granted the peaceful transfer of government power in the United States. On January 20 George Bush quietly and gracefully boarded a helicopter and left D.C. for Texas. No riots, no drama, no unrest in the slightest. Despite the millions of voters who cast their ballots for another candidate, the entire nation warmly greeted a new leader. No one would suggest we post W’s portrait all over the National Mall as a nostalgic reminder of his command. The Chinese are not so lucky—this one man’s presence is everywhere. He and the modern day remains of his party are inescapable (the government even went so far as to block access to both Twitter and Facebook during the Tiananmen Square twentieth anniversary).

And now a word on (authentic) Chinese food. . .

Before I write a novel on the pitfalls of communism above, I’ll move along. I’m a huge fan of trying new foods. The more exotic the dish, the better (at least initially) in my book. Throughout Japan and Seoul, this mantra worked surprisingly well. One night we even played “food roulette” with a menu written only in Hangul with no corresponding pictures (I got the equivalent of a vegetable omelet, Keith got fried chicken liver, and Juan got the hottest chicken he had ever eaten).

So, my American appetite and I decide to take on China. Bad idea. The second night’s dinner consisted of an appetizer of jelly fish heads served cold, pork lung served extra spicy, and fried chicken with peppers as an entrée. Yes, I voluntarily chose those meals. Failure, failure, failure. The jelly fish head tasted like cold gristle in soy sauce while the fried chicken dish looked like the entire chicken was placed in a blender for chopping—different sized bone fragments made it intolerable (including one piece shaped like a beak, needless to say I psyched myself out).

Nothing, however, compares to the next day’s lunch. Following dinner (or lack thereof) from the night before, I decided to go the safe route for lunch and order pork. I’m thinking to myself, “Pork is a Chinese culinary staple—it has to be good, right?” Wrong. Although it had a few chunks of meat, it was mostly boiled skin. Think pork rind soup. Bleh. I’ll stick to my favorite Mississippi all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets in the future. Lesson learned.

Matt Harris

Blog Post 6.16.2009

2009-06-29T16:51:00.001-05:00

Fresh off a visit from three U.S. Army attorneys, and in my attempt at a thematic approach to blogging, I thought a post about South Korea and its surging growth following the Cold War would be appropriate.

Unfortunately, it seems like the Korean War is one of America’s least remembered war. While it symbolizes a proxy to the Cold War, much like the Vietnam War, its significance is seemingly less celebrated by Americans than the latter “proxy” war. Personally, I think it’s interesting to know the effects that these “proxy wars” had on the host nation, if you will. The South Koreans apparently lost 25 percent of their population in the affair, and likely much of its infrastructure, architecture and buildings were lost in the conflict. And since the war isn’t technically over, the South Koreans also stand to lose substantially more. However, this seems like the proper place to note that the South Koreans have “bounced back” with gusto.The amount you can do with a cell phone is amazing and South Korea seems to be firing the first shots continually in the “digital revolution.” This all done within miles of an outwardly-agressive communist regime. And with what I like to call the “World is Flat” phenomenon, in the future, if hostilities were to erupt, the world itself also stands to lose a strong – and stable - trading partner.

I think it’s also interesting to note the emblematic and stark economic prosperity that South Korea has benefited from after the end of the Cold War. It is not unlike that of Argentina (despite its economic collapse) or India, which both likely benefited from the end of this passive conflict, even though neither was near a warzone during the Cold War. Unlike Argentina or India, however, South Korea has already made the significant jump into the digital age and also seems to have a substantial industrial sector, which is something that should be mentioned when discussing the modern developing nations. In total, the stability proffered by trade relations and provided by the end of the Cold War was something that likely also benefited South Korea as well.

As a final point, it’s worth noting that South Korea seems to have benefited politically as well during this period, a juxtaposition that likely is more related than not. In 1987, they had what has been called their first Democratic election since 1971, and this ushered in what the modern world knows as South Korea.

On a personal note, one of our housemates has a grandfather who fought in the Korean War and said that only recently has he begun talking about it. In contrast, I’m sure my own grandfather had some salient and charged things to say about the war, being a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, but he despised talking about his time in the armed forces.

Later in the week we will be visiting the Korean War Memorial, so that will provide some nice fodder for future blog posts and I will reserve another day’s post for the influence of North Korea and its own aggressive-styled diplomacy.

Chris Gilfillan

Blog 6.21.2009.

2009-06-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

After a hectic day that included rushing to planes, running up the quarter-mile hill of Sookmyung, we woke up to our first day on Jeju-do, the island furtherest south in South Korea and one which was billed as South Korea’s tropical paradise.

One of the main attractions of Jeju arethe domant volcanos located on the island. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site long ago, the largest of the volcanoes is Mt. Halla or Hallasan. And being a moderate hiker – and one which will not miss the opportunity when approached with it – I found myself at the foot of a 9.6 kilometer mountain with an elevation change of nearly 1000 kilomters. According to Frommer’s Guide to South Korea, Mt. Halla – not to be confused with Val Hala – rises 1,950 meters in the air, is the highest peak in South Korea and, because of the clouds, is like a woman, constantly hiding her face. Looking at the topography of the mountain, and hiking the Sonpanak Trail, it was like I went from a subtropical climate to an arctic climate, all in one day’s hike.

Not having much sleep, I was a bit delirious – and probably a lot forgetful – when I started the climb. I bought a raincoat (the cloud cover made it seem like it was raining) and some water for the trip. The plastic from the raincoat insulated the amount of heat from perspiration, and I’m sure by the time I got to the top I reaked of sweat and mud.

I suppose I should start with the Quentin Tarantino quote: “These are your mountain climbing days.” I think that’s relatively poignant. And climbing the mountain, it seemed highly appropriate. Secondarily, I found out that South Koreans are much faster going down than they are going up. While going up through the mountain – absent-mindedly forgetting my camera batteries – I passed people left and right. I wasn’t rushing, but I wanted to make good pace. However, by making such good pace, I scurried right by the food counter, and when I got to the top, I noticed everyone else was eating. Jealous, I looked around on top and found several bathrooms, but alas, no food.

Famished, I took a nap at the top. And the mountain lived up to its precocious and conservative nature – there was a cloud that continually covered the beautiful crater lake that was created by the remaining volcano. Feeling close to normal, but still very hungry, I stomped back down the mountain – making sure to cheer some of the other hikers on. I imagined myself, an hour ago, climbing there, tugging on the handrails to use my arms for climbing. There was a remarkable number of South Koreans climbing, but I also saw two Americans who were very close to the summit – they seemed relieved to know that they were very close, and I’m sure they planned better than I had and packed a lunch.

Sucking up the hunger, I felt my legs beginning to waver in strength around one kilomter down the mountain, I started paying attention to the emergency location signs – never a good sign. By Emergency Sign 38 (there were 43) I wanted to rest again, and found a grassy knoll off the beaten path. So I jumped off the trail, rested my head on a soft patch of a grass and passed out for about an hour.

When I woke up around 1 p.m. I knew I needed to eat. Luckily – like a prayer answered – there was an UNESCO tourist information booth that sold Cup of Noodles and Moon Pies. One cup and four moon pies later, I was back on my way – feeling kind of satisfied, and not nearly as war-torn. On ordering my fourth moon pie, though, I did receive it with a raised eyebrow and a furrowed brow from the salesman – like he was silently laughing at the future that lay in store for me.

I made it back down the mountain at a much slower pace than the well-packed Koreans, though. I happened to be wearing a pair of Sperry’s for the climb, which would be like bringing a samurai sword to a gunfight or like repeling K2 with a string of dental floss – things that were possible but only with some help from Maguyver.

With about one kilometer to go down the mountain, I finally knew what that Moon Pie salesman was laughing at – I had the worst case of heartburn in my life. But I trudged through, and saw a few deer grazing prior to leaving the jungle portion of my journey.

To say the least, after that long climb, I could die without seeing another stone staircase. But, like Tarantino said, these are my mountain climbing days – and really, the only way up is to climb.

-Christopher L. Gilfillan

China

2009-06-29T16:44:00.001-05:00

With a passive whir the escalators in the Seoul Airport welcomed us back. After five days in China, I think it should be noted the differences we all noted between the Chinese and the Korean people – and as noted earlier, one of the starkest examples is the noise. China was loud, vibrant and piercing. South Korea is quiet, colorful and sympathetic. So, it is relatively nice to be back in Seoul, so that your ears aren’t so full.

Dealing with the salesman at the Pearl Market also presented another change. The Chinese there, like in many markets, were pushy and moderately obnoxious. The Koreans, even the ones attempting to sell something to a trapped tourist on Jeju Island or at a Korean Folk Village, were accepting and polite about the haggling and bargaining process. Enjoying the bargaining process myself, I better understood what the Chinese were after, but I felt better about my purchases in Korea. The adjective most used on this trip to describe the Chinese has been aggressive, and the salespeople were no different.

Finally, with a wink and a nod to Cecilia, Beijing is quite dirty and the air cannot possibly be healthy. In fact, as this blogger notes : http://www.pyongyangsquare.com/beijingair/, the air quality in Beijing is in fact the worst in the world – by a landslide. We experienced the poor air and physically we could tell the difference in our lungs when we arrived back in Seoul. There was also a real grit to everything in China, which was moderately disconcerting. On the other hand, the Koreans seem to be very clean – despite never being able to find a trash can, the streets are free from litter and on the whole highly pleasant to walk on.

Chris Gilfillan

6.29.2009

A Chinese Superstar

2009-06-29T16:34:00.003-05:00

During our stay in China I noticed numerous Chinese citizens taking my picture. Some would run over laughing and giggling begging for a picture. Others would try and take my picture without my noticing. At first I felt like a superstar, I felt like Oprah! But then it started to get overwhelming and sometimes I felt annoyed. I then wondered how Oprah gets through an amusement park without being harassed for photos and autographs. I’m not sure what she does but all I could do is Run, Run, Run!

Finally towards the end of our trip, I was able to ask a young Chinese male why everyone wanted to take my picture. His answer was simple and what I had hoped for: We seldom see Blacks in China. I never stopped to think about it and then realized that not all parts of the World are like America or other nations that have American troops. There last interaction with the many flavors of the World was probably the Olympics?

So, I went to China and I was a Superstar!! An ordinary American girl became extraordinary, at least for four days!!!

Karen Nazaire

Where are the Parents of the Little Korean Children?

2009-06-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

Since I have been in South Korea, I have noticed that the children run free. This really disturbed me. I first noticed it when we were traveling to the Traditional Folk Village. As we were on the bus going through a town I saw a little around the age of 8 running down the street with a cell phone in hand. I thought to myself, where are the parents? That day, I hoped to that I would not have to witness this again. However, since this day, I have noticed this several times in various places.

The reason that this disturbs me a lot is that I am an aunt of a 7 year old little girl. I know that if she was to run down the street or runs away from me in a store, I would fret that something might have happened to her.

Another day I observed this again when I was reading one morning before class at the local Starbucks. I was just glancing at all the Koreans on their morning routines. Then all of a sudden I see several little children running around by themselves. This time, even more disturbing than the first occasion was that these two children could not have been more than 5.

Then again, one day I noticed a mother around a child, but the mother did not seem to care about what her child was doing – the little girl of about 3 was just wondering around while the mother shopped.

After these few occasions and several others not mentioned, I wondered if this was a cultural thing. In the states this just does not happen. I don’t think that a single parent could let their child under the age of 10 run around busy, crowded streets alone. In the states all you have to do is go to Wal-Mart and observe what happens to a child if he/she were to run off. You would see the child get a spanking or told not to go off again.

Here in Korea its just away of life I am guessing. But to me I just don’t get it – it makes no sense to me. In Korea, a lot of the population walks, so maybe this is the reasoning behind letting little children roam the streets by themselves with only a cell phone in hand. I mean, other than going to school (which is what I assume or hope that they are doing) what else could these children be doing out? Are they shopping for themselves, feeding themselves? What is the reasoning behind this crazy way of teaching children to be independent? Or should we American’s be asking the Korean’s what they are doing to trust their children like this, because clearly we may be doing something wrong in the states. Or is our country more corrupt then Korea, so that the Koreans can trust their children in the public without supervision? These questions I hope to have figured out before I leave. However, no matter if it is that their way of teaching their children a way of life by letting children under 10 run around alone will continue to disturb me.

Adrian Westbrook

Communication is key

2009-06-25T00:26:00.001-05:00

I was taken back by how accommodating Seoul is as a whole to foreigners. This is my first time traveling abroad I found it strange that signs outside of the city were in English. It was expected to me that the airport would have information because of tourist, but as I travel the streets of Seoul I am able to read street signs and buildings although majority of the population does not know English and cannot assist you. I never understood what it was like to be able to function at a minimal level because there is a communication barrier. I find myself having a difficult time to order food because I can’t read the menu or ask a question because there is no picture. I am unable to ask for directions because I can’t communicate where I am going. It was scary but rewarding at the same time to see how I am able adjusts to situation that I am faced with at that time. Now I am more sympathetic and appreciative to foreigners and the issues they face in America.

Niecey Napier

Healthy living

2009-06-25T00:21:00.002-05:00

How hard is it to live a healthy lifestyle? In American we may think it is difficult but I think the Koreans would have a different perspective. Since I have been here I have notice the food has more portions of vegetables then meat; they serve unsweetened tea or water with every meal, if soda is ordered there are no refills; the use of seasoning is modest; and the sweets have very modest sugar in them. Additionally, you are able to get your daily workout from all of the walking you do. The terrain is very mountainous so my walks have been a rollercoaster literally. There are lots of stairs to climb when going or coming from anywhere, I have seen very few places on ground level. Furthermore, I have observed it is much faster to walk then it would be to drive or catch a cab. I have also seen leaner individuals here and I know why. Just think about what we are asked and advised to do by nutritionist and health care providers. Eat better and exercise the two things I think Koreans have embraced since childhood and should I say do well.

Niecey Napier

Stepping into the Legal system Korean style

2009-06-25T00:15:00.002-05:00

Prior to this year the process for becoming an attorney in Korea was vastly different then what is required in the US. Individuals interest in a legal degree were required to register for a standardized examination in which only the top 1000 tester would receive a legal degree and be able to practice as either a lawyer or judge immediately. Surprisingly, to take the exam you did not have to have what we consider an undergraduate degree. The examination was open to any individual that desired to test; however, some setbacks to that system they discovered were the number of people that were admitted to practice against the population of the city. Additionally, many individuals would take the exam for years before they would above that 1,000 mark and some still have not got there although they had been trying for years. It was not until this year they have changed the process of how one can obtain a law degree. The Koreans have now adopted the American style of legal education. All candidates will now be required to get there undergraduate degree and then attend law school for an additional three years. Interesting problems that may arise is will this new system benefit the wealthy only. There is speculation that poor and middle class citizens will not be able to afford the extra three years of education especially when law school is around $58,000 a semester. It is interesting to see what will become of the new system in how it will affect the job market and individual who are planning to purse a legal career.

Niecey Napier

A day at the Constitutional Court of Korea

2009-06-25T00:04:00.003-05:00

Today we visited the Constitutional Court of Korea and it was such a great experience. Once we arrived at the Constitutional Court we were greeted by one of the law clerks. We then watched a short movie on the history and creation of the constitutional court in Korea. It was amazing to see that having been created only a short while ago, 21 years to be exact..the court has accomplished so much in such a short time. Before the creation of the constitutional court in 1988, the idea of a law being unconstitutional was unheard of in Korea.

The constitutional court's main role is to protect the constitution, and the basic human rights of the people. We then had a short presentation from Sunjin Kim, who was a clerk to Justice Goldstone at the Constitutional Court in South Africa and now a clerk at the Korean Constitutional Court for Justice. Mr. Kim explained the difference between court here and in the United States.

One interesting fact is that the Constitutional court of Korea has the ability to dissolve a political party. I thought that was pretty interesting, considering that in the United States, people would be in uproar if the government had the ability to dissolve either the GOP or Democratic party.

The tour then ended with a visit of the Constitutional Court library, which included eastern and western influenced textbook. They even had my civil procedure book and an Emmanual civil procedure supplement. Overall, it was an amazing experience and was very informative.

Cecilia A. Ndounda

One week down

2009-06-24T23:43:00.003-05:00

Our group just finished its first week in Seoul. Can't believe how fast the time is going! It has really been a lot of fun. The students seem

to be acclimating well, and many of them took a trip this weekend to Jeju Island, a volcanic island off South Korea's south coast. They are on an island with lovely beaches, and I am sitting in my room in Seoul, blogging. Says something about my priorities, I suppose . . . .

Anyway, here are some of the highlights from our trip so far, as well as a few pictures.

1. NANTA Performance. "NANTA" is a popular theater show here in Seoul. Sort of like Blue Map Group, but with knives. Very funny, and very cool.

2. Korean Folk Village. This is an outdoor cultural center near Seoul on about 240 acres of land with recreated traditional villages, as well as crafts and shrines. Really beautiful, and a good way to start the trip.

3. The Korean War Memorial. As I note on Facebook, the war memorial might be more appropriately called the "Korean Peace Memorial." It memorializes the conflict itself, but even more so it expresses a deep desire for reunification and reconciliation with the North.

4. Korean Food. Different and completely superb. A little sense of adventure yields some surprisingly delicious discoveries. Food and water in Seoul, by the way, are completely safe.

5. Korean Tea Ceremony. Our host university had a traditional tea ceremony for us, where we learned about the nuances of making and serving tea. (Upshot: I have been doing it ALL wrong for years now.) Most of us got to dress up in traditional Korean garb for the occasion.

6. Visit to Kim & Chang. This is Korea's largest law firm, and they were gracious enough to host a visit by our group. We learned a lot from some excellent attorneys there, and had the best vegetarian Korean lunch I have ever had.

This next week is chock-full of activities too. On Monday 6/22 we visit the Korean Constitutional Court. On Tuesday we have a briefing at the U.S. Embassy. And on Wednesday we all fly to Beijing, China for a 4-day visit. All that, plus classes too! Guess I will sleep when I get home . . . .

If you want, you can see more of my photos and commentary on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/gregorybowman?ref=profile. Lots of stuff there, so send me a friend request. No Twitter feeds though--have to draw the line somewhere!

Tipping the scale not a major Issue in South Korea

2009-06-21T16:07:00.001-05:00

Ever wondered why most Korean’s are small and petite? Ever wonder how they can consume so much food and not gain any weight well the answer is simple. They walk, walk and walk some more. When we first arrived in Korea, we walked ten blocks to the shuttle bus, and then walked up two flights of stairs to the elevator before arriving at our dorm located at Sookmyung Women's University in downtown Seoul.

So I thought that was pretty bad! But I was wrong….Later that night we would hike it down four flights of stairs plus one hill and then walk about half a mile to eat dinner. After a very filling dinner we would once again walk half a mile, climb a hill and walk up four flights of stairs back to the dorm…only to realize I was hungry again. What happened to the Meat Skewers I just ate? By the time I had made it home half the calories in my meal had been walked off!

As an American, I must say turning 18 and getting my first car didn’t help; especially when it concerns my physical health. Now when I’m hungry I hop in my car and drive to dinner. When we get to the restaurant or mall we try to park as close as possible to the door. We eat heavy meals and most of us don’t burn the amount of calories we need to stay in shape.

So, the lesson I have learned so far is to put my keys down and walk… While I probably won’t walk up too many hills when I get back to Jackson, Ms; I will make an effort to burn less gas and walk!

Karen Nazaire

Pure Quiet Bliss

2009-06-17T23:18:00.002-05:00

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past fourteen years, I have had the chance to travel to San Diego, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. However, Seoul although the 11th largest city in the world is somewhat different, for example; one night upon arriving in Seoul…I was standing on our balcony around 1 am and to my surprise it was quiet.

Now if any of you have traveled to any of the cities I have mentioned above especially NYC, around 1am you are likely to hear the sounds of; 1.)Ambulance 2.) Police sirens 3.) Cars honking or just loud people. I was surprised that a city of about 24.2 million people could be this quiet. I believe it’s a cultural thing because even on the subway no one really spoke to each other. If they did speak to each other or talk on the phone they whispered, so as to be respectful to the people near them.

Now where I come from on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). There are times when you can hear people’s loud ipods or someone singing LOUDLY lol. It was refreshing and peaceful to stand on that balcony in pure quiet bliss in the middle of one of the largest city’s.

Cecilia Ndounda

Where is the trash?

2009-06-17T07:47:00.001-05:00

I asked myself this question as I wondered the streets of Seoul. This is a city with a population of over 25 million and I have yet to see neither trash nor debris along the streets or any trash cans. Where does the waste go? I was irritated by the fact as I walked the streets I could not throw my bottle in the trash nor was I comfortable throwing my gum wrapper on the floor. I observed that trash cans in local eateries had individual containers labeled for certain types of trash, but even those trash cans were small. I began to ponder is it a cultural thing.

Maybe it is.

Think about the trash that is along the freeway and the parking lots of our favorite stores that we shop. Consider the trash that we individually throw out of our car windows or just leave behind when we are finished with the use of that item. The overflowing trash cans at almost every bin. Jackson’s population of less than a half-million people produce more trash then I have see all of Seoul.

Niecey Napier

So far away . . .

2009-06-15T12:41:00.003-05:00

And yet so close.

Blog Post by MCSOL's Professor Bowman in Seoul

2009-06-14T10:37:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Seoul!

From June 11 to July 5 eleven Mississippi College School of Law students and I are in Seoul, Korea for the school's annual summer study abroad program. During the program, which is hosted by Sookmyung Women's University in downtown Seoul, the students take (and I teach) courses in International Business Transactions and Global Issues in Corporate Law. It's a lot of fun, and there are few countries in the world as important to the United States as South Korea: it's one of the United States' biggest trading partners; the two countries are trying to implement a free trade agreement; and there's always the issue of North Korea and national security.

Over the next several weeks the students and I are going to blog about our experiences here. We hope you enjoy our posts and follow along with us as we learn about international business-something all lawyers need to know something about these days-and about this beautiful land, Korea.

One final point: North Korea is in the news a lot lately, and with good reason. On the ground here in Seoul, however, things remain very much "business as usual." South Koreans are used to North Korean threats, and they see much of it, quite rightly, as strategic, political maneuvering. It's interesting to compare the reactions here with news coverage elsewhere.

Stay tuned for more posts soon!

Gregory W. Bowman
Associate Professor &Director, International Law Center
Mississippi College School of Law
151 East Griffith Street
Jackson, MS 39201
phone: (601) 906-4422
e-mail: bowman@mc.edu
ssrn: http://ssrn.com/author=400520

Ginsburg Shares Views on Influence of Foreign Law on Her Court, and Vice Versa

2009-04-12T14:37:00.001-05:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In wide-ranging remarks here, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended the use of foreign law by American judges, suggested that torture should not be used even when it might yield important information and reflected on her role as the Supreme Court’s only female justice. The occasion was a symposium at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University honoring her 15 years on the court.

Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday at Ohio State University, where she talked freely about her work, past and present.

Times Topics: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“I frankly don’t understand all the brouhaha lately from Congress and even from some of my colleagues about referring to foreign law,” Justice Ginsburg said in her comments on Friday.

The court’s more conservative members — Chief JusticeJohn G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr.,Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas — oppose the citation of foreign law in constitutional cases.

“If we’re relying on a decision from a German judge about what our Constitution means, no president accountable to the people appointed that judge and no Senate accountable to the people confirmed that judge,” Chief Justice Roberts said at his confirmation hearing. “And yet he’s playing a role in shaping the law that binds the people in this country.”

Justice Ginsburg said the controversy was based on the misunderstanding that citing a foreign precedent means the court considers itself bound by foreign law as opposed to merely being influenced by such power as its reasoning holds.

“Why shouldn’t we look to the wisdom of a judge from abroad with at least as much ease as we would read a law review article written by a professor?” she asked.

She added that the failure to engage foreign decisions had resulted in diminished influence for the United States Supreme Court.

The Canadian Supreme Court, she said, is “probably cited more widely abroad than the U.S. Supreme Court.” There is one reason for that, she said: “You will not be listened to if you don’t listen to others.”

She also offered a theory about why after World War II nations around the world started to create constitutional courts with the power to strike down legislation as the United States Supreme Court has.

“What happened in Europe was the Holocaust,” she said, “and people came to see that popularly elected representatives could not always be trusted to preserve the system’s most basic values.”

American hostility to the consideration of foreign law, she said, “is a passing phase.” She predicted that “we will go back to where we were in the early 19th century when there was no question that it was appropriate to refer to decisions of other courts.”

Justice Ginsburg turned 76 last month and underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in February. Here on Friday, she was energetic, enthusiastic and characteristically precise in her answers to questions from two law professors in a 90-minute conversation. She spoke mostly about her career as a litigator specializing in women’s rights and her years on the court.

In a videotaped tribute, Chief Justice Roberts described Justice Ginsburg’s work habits — including her “total disregard for the normal day-night work schedule adhered to by everyone else since the beginning of recorded history” — and congratulated her for reaching what he said was the midpoint of her career on the court.

In her remarks, Justice Ginsburg discussed a decision by the Israeli Supreme Court concerning the use of torture to obtain information from people suspected of terrorism.

“The police think that a suspect they have apprehended knows where and when a bomb is going to go off,” she said, describing the question presented in the case. “Can the police use torture to extract that information? And in an eloquent decision by Aharon Barak, then the chief justice of Israel, the court said: ‘Torture? Never.’ ”

The message of the decision, Justice Ginsburg said, was “that we could hand our enemies no greater victory than to come to look like that enemy in our disregard for human dignity.” Then she asked, “Now why should I not read that opinion and be affected by its tremendous persuasive value?”

Justice Ginsburg also discussed her career as an advocate, one that included six Supreme Court arguments and a role in shaping the language of the law. She helped introduce the term “gender discrimination” as a synonym for “sex discrimination,” she said, explaining that her secretary had proposed the idea while typing a brief to be submitted to male judges.

“ ‘The first association of those men with the word “sex” is not what you’re talking about,’ ” the secretary said, Justice Ginsburg recalled. “ ‘Why don’t you use a grammar-book term? Use gender. It has a neutral sound, and it will ward off distracting associations.’ ”

Justice Ginsburg expressed dismay at being the only woman on the Supreme Court. “There I am all alone,” she said, “and it doesn’t look right.”

In this area, too, the Canadian Supreme Court provides a model, Justice Ginsburg said. That nine-member court has four women, including its chief justice.

Justice Ginsburg concluded her remarks with advice to the students in the audience about one of her great passions.

“For a first opera, I would say, pick ‘Butterfly’ or ‘Bohème,’ ” she said. For her part, she added, she was looking forward a little warily to a six-hour production of Wagner’s “Siegfried.”

“Wagner is a great, great composer,” she said, “but he needed a good editor.”

MCSOL Moot Court Team Makes First Showing at Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

2009-02-22T21:50:00.010-06:00

MC Law sent its first team ever to compete at the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition this past week. The team had four members including Abby von Fischer Benzon, Amanda Woodruff, Joey Comley, and Andy Thomas. The coaches were Professor Gregory Bowman and Bob Anderson. They competed in the Southeast Super-Regional with 22 other teams from across the Southeast. Although the MC Law team did not advance to the International Competition in Washington D.C., they made a great showing. Abby Von Fischer Benzon was awarded the 16th Best Oralist Award at the competition out of 88 oralists. Also, in the head-to-head match-ups, the MC team did have the best memorial scores against the University of Virginia and Florida State. It is also necessary to mention that the two teams that MC lost to, the University of Georgia and the University of Virginia, were the two of the four regional finalists.

So, even though the teams did not advance, they made a very respectable showing and the ILS is very proud of all of the team members and coaches. A special thanks goes to Professor Bowman and Bob Anderson in particular for their help, and also to Professor Debbie Challener and Rusty Comley for their help in volunteering to judge practice rounds.

Mississippi College to host second annual study abroad trip to Seoul, Korea

2009-02-17T13:32:00.008-06:00

MCSOL is planning its second annual study abroad trip to Seoul, South Korea for the summer of 2009. Recently, an article was published in The Legal Eye, MCSOLs newspaper about the program.

"If you haven't considered studying abroad, now is the time! MC Law's Korea study abroad program offers a dynamic combination of classroom instruction and cultural exploration. The four-week summer study will journey to Seoul, Korea, where the students and faculty will stay at Sookmyung University in downtown Seoul. Led by Professor Gregory Bowman, Director of MC's International Law Center, and Professor Cecile Edwards, the Korea study abroad program offers 3 hours worth of credit. Professor Bowman will teach International Business Transactions and Professor Edwards will conduct the Global Issues in Corporate Law class. Both courses are intended to serve as introductions to the subjects.

If you're asking yourself "Why Korea?", Professor Bowman challenges you to ask "Why not?" Korea is an economic powerhouse. Not only does the U.S. carry on extensive trade with Korea, the country is a military ally. We also share a rich history with the country. Aside from these reasons, Seoul is a beautiful, safe, and affordable city. Although there are about 24 million people in Seoul, students will find the housing, food and transportation satisfying and enjoyable.

Everyone can benefit from participating in a study abroad program, not just those students interested in international law. Every lawyer will likely face an international matter at some point in their career that requires both cultural sensitivity and a basic understanding of international law, so it is critical that all students expose themselves to the international dimensions of the law. This is especially true as our world becomes increasingly interconnected. Domestic lawyers will likely come across an international adoption; labor lawyers will encounter more companies and businesses expanding into the global market; intellectual property lawyers must know about IP and trademark issues; even the fast food industry is quickly expanding into the global market with franchising. So it is easy to see how international exposure can benefit everyone.

As one of only three law schools that travel to Korea, MC Law's Korea program is designed to encourage daily exploration of Seoul and weekend travel to surrounding areas, with classes held three days a week. Several organized excursions are planned, including a optional weekend trip to China and to the de-militarized zone (DMZ), as well as to the Korean Constitutional Court and a Korean law firm.

Andy Thomas, a 3L who participated in the program last summer stated that "For me, the trip was an awesome experience. It was my second chance to visit Asia and I found that Seoul was a great city to lear about Asian/Korean culture and really immerse oneself and have a great cultural experience, while also having some of the amenities we enjoy in the U.S. The city has a great transportation structure with metro lines that will take you anywhere you want to go. It also boasts an abundance of shopping and unique Asian markets that sell anything and everything you could want. Also, the location of the university is excellent and provides a great starting point in the center of Seoul for any daily excursions. The nearest metro station is only 5 minutes away by foot. So, to conclude, if someone wants to have an exciting and exhilarating experience abroad, and be introduced to the Asian/Korean culture, Seoul is definitely a great place to visit."

As the lawyers of tomorrow, students should sincerely consider participating in this unique opportunity to expand our learning of the law beyond the classroom and prepare ourselves for practicing in a global world. The program can accommodate up to 30 students and all those interested will be invited to apply for the program in February. Informational flyers and pamphlets will be published soon. Students are welcome to contact Professor Bowman with any questions."

The article was written by Lindsey K. Eadler.

Richard J. Dodson, International Maritime and Admiralty attorney to speak at MCSOL

2008-11-03T14:36:00.006-06:00

On Thursday, Nov. 6, Richard Dodson, an International Maritime and Admiralty attorney will be speaking to the ILS about his experiences practicing maritime and admiralty law. Mr. Dodson is a partner at Dodson, Hook, and Frederick in Baton Rouge, LA and also teaches in Tulane's summer study abroad program in Greece. Mr. Dodson has published extensively in the area of foreign seaman claims, international admiralty law, international jurisdictional issues and most recently has authored the United States Legal Chapter for the International Transport Workers Federation's newest publication entitled Seafarer's Rights.

The meeting will begin at 11:30 in room 25o. We look forward to seeing you there.

MC ILS Joins International Law Student Association

2008-09-12T15:54:00.002-05:00

Our ILS chapter joined the International Law Student Association this pasts week. ILSA is a "non-profit association of students and lawyers who are dedicated to the promotion of international law. ILSA provides students with opportunities to study, research, and network in the international legal arena. The organization's activities include academic conferences, publications, the global coordination of student organizations, and the administration of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition."

The ILS chapter at MC is excited about our new membership with this national organization and looks forward to furthering the International Law Center at MC with our membership. We are also excited about the upcoming Jessup competition. Although MC did not have a team participate last year, a five-member team from MC will be competing this spring in the competition.

First Meeting of the Year--Thursday, Sept. 4!

2008-09-02T10:35:00.002-05:00

The ILS will have its first meeting of the semester at 11:30 in room 150 on Thursday, Sept. 4. This meeting will be a general interest meeting and lunch will be provided. Several students who have studied abroad through MC's Seoul program as well as students who studied abroad through other programs will speak briefly about their experiences. Prof. Bowman will also speak briefly about his experience in Int'l Law. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Why go? Jeffrey Cronin

2008-08-22T14:07:00.003-05:00

The pros and cons of study abroad have long been debated. Over the years I have heard people say things like “Why would you pay all that money to attend classes in another country? You could study the same material right here at home.” Honestly, I wonder why people even ask this question because the answer is so simple. Taking advantage of a study abroad program is sound business. In fact, global education is an investment in yourself.

On a personal level foreign study is much more than classroom exchange. On our trip to Korea we learned about the Korean people, their history, their politics, their legal system, etc. We had the opportunity to meet Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow, US Ambassador to Korea. (This was a great opportunity for the students interested in working for the government.) On another day-trip we visited the Korean Constitutional Court which was established only twenty years ago just after South Korea moved for democracy. At the court we met several law students from other schools and spent time with one of the Court’s law clerk, who by-the-way is a US trained lawyer working in Seoul. Additionally, one of our students met the US General Counsel for an international franchise who was there doing a survey of IP protection and product consistency; and others attended the world technology and software trade show held in Seoul. These situations are far beyond the classroom and each one provided knowledge, contacts, and experience that could never be learned at home.

The Ties that Divide -- Andrew Lake 2

2008-08-21T20:37:00.010-05:00

The national symbol of Korea is a red and blue circle showing the contrast between yin and yang. No other symbol is more appropriate. As the previous postings have indicated, Korea is a fully modern, prosperous nation, with a culture that is unique to the uninitiated Westerner. Seoul is huge and has all that can be offered in an area inhabited by 24 million people.

But just 50 kilometers north lies the world's most heavily fortified border, considered by many to be one of the most dangerous places in the world. This division between the two Koreas is known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and it affectively divides a single nation, people, and culture.

When the Korean War ended in a stalemate in 1953, the generals drew the line there, in the center of the peninsula. In order to prevent further clashes, this 155 mile long, 2.5 mile wide buffer zone was established. The area consists of a seemingly endless series of barbed wire, bunkers, watchtowers, and artillery emplacements. Today, it is open to the public and my classmates and I had the opportunity to visit on our last week in Korea.

Smack in the middle of the DMZ, just between the fences, is the very epicenter of the Cold War era conflict between North and South Korea. Called Panmunjeom, but officially known as the Joint Security Area (JSA), this is the one place where North and South Korean soldiers can stand just feet from each other and, literally, stare face-to-face. There is a line in the middle, marking the respective sides. There are buildings on both sides and a number which straddle the line, one of which contains the conference table where officials from the North and South can meet. Anyone who crosses the line outside the conference building is considered to have defected. These defections do often occur and many situations have erupted in firefights.

As tourists, we were highly restricted in our activities. For one thing, only foreigners can go to the JSA. Koreans are simply not permitted. Other restrictions included no pictures, no talking without permission, and we had to stick to a respectable dress code (in case we ended up on North Korean propaganda posters; seriously). All of this was meant to prevent North Korean soldiers from misinterpreting our actions and starting an international incident. Perhaps most striking was the requirement that we sign a form waiving any claim for an injury caused by enemy or friendly fire.

When our bus pulled up to the South Korean building, we were quickly marched inside double-file. Then, we were rushed into the conference building. Once there, we were actually permitted to cross the line in the middle, which meant we were technically in North Korean territory. No funny business was allowed, especially under the watchful eyes of the South Korean and American soldiers. All of our touring took place while a North Korean soldier stood on his respective side and stared at us through his binoculars. The feeling there was very eerie. The silence was deafening and one could sense an almost crushing tension in the air.

On the ride back, I asked our tour guide why Koreans are not allowed to go to Panmunjeom. His revealing answer was that the place is very emotional for Koreans. This is understandable since many families were separated by the war. Also, the knowledge that Korea has been divided between a democratic, capitalist state and an Orwellian dictatorship is an item which haunts the Korean psyche to this day.

For anyone who visits Korea, I highly recommend the tour of Panmunjeom. Do it at the end, that way you can experience the tension and the stark contrast between North and South Korea.

Andy Thomas Part II

2008-08-21T20:15:00.018-05:00

Seoul, while unique in its own way, is also similar to many other metropolitan cities in Asia--that is, it has been "westernized" to some degree. This is particularly apparent when you look around and see the different restaurants. One of the first restaurants I saw on the morning after I arrived was Subway. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and even Smoothie King were maybe a ten minute walk from the University where we stayed. Yet, do not be deceived. All of these places have their Asian twists. That is one of the neatest things about traveling abroad, you see some of the same stuff you have at home, but it is always different. One example was KFC. In Korea, KFC has a sandwich called "the Tower." Of course, when I saw it I had to try it. It was not as weird as say chicken feet or intestines (which we did eat while we were there), but it was unique nonetheless. "The Tower" had a fried chicken fillet, lettuce, mayo, cheese, and to top it all off, a hashbrown. Yes, I did actually say a hashbrown, but don't knock it before you try it. Here in America, putting a hashbrown on a chicken sandwich sounds disgusting, but it was actually quite tasty even though it may only be a once a year type meal. Another example would be the waffle fry pizza that Pizza Hut in Seoul offers. Although I did not try it, you would be surprised at how appetizing a waffle fry pizza looks after you have been served Kimchi (otherwise known as pickled lettuce) at every other meal.

One of the other truly great things about Seoul was being able to walk or take the metro almost anywhere. There are so many parks, monuments, temples, and markets scattered throughout the city that it was impossible to see everything in one month. However, being able to walk many places allowed me to see and experience so much more than I normally would by taking a car everywhere. Seoul has a plethora of activities to offer including hiking, shopping (they have there own version of Rodeo Drive), clothes markets, food markets (see the fish above), herbal medicine markets, etc. etc. You could literally do or see something different every single day we were there. So, if your just the least bit adventurous, Seoul will not disappoint.

We Should Do That In American 2- Lauren Casey

2008-08-21T19:33:00.004-05:00

After Returning home from Seoul I realized that I remembered the little, quirky things about Korea more than I thought I would. It's the little things that show you how truly different the cultures are.
After about one week in Seoul I got used to most of the differences---it is strange how you just do not realize that no one around you is speaking English. (This was actually really coll and I miss it because you could talk about anything and you could be assured that pretty much no one around you could understand what you were saying). But randomly, I would see something so strange and funny that it just caught my attention. Every few days we would be walking around the city and we would see a couple, usually young, dressed in identical outfits. Now in America there is the common trend for a couple to wear matching Halloween costumes such as Wilma and Fred, but these people were matching in the middle of June. I am not really sure why this is done, but I think that it is a really good idea.
I think we should do this in America because it would cut down on the confusion of whether a person is taken. You would just know because they are both wearing the same blue and white stripe shirt. It would end the awkwardness of hitting on someone that was taken and them having to say, "Sorry I have a boyfriend/ girlfriend." This is just seems to simplify things so well.
Deciding to go to Seoul has been one of the greatest decisions that I have made---the chance to see a different culture and immerse yourself in it was truly a one in a lifetime experience. I really miss it, especially now that school has started!!

The Korean Experience-- Russell Johnson

2008-08-21T18:38:00.002-05:00

When I first decided to study in Korea for the summer, I thought I had made an enormous mistake. I had no knowledge of the culture, the language, or how long a fifteen hour plane ride really was. Luckily this was just first time jitters. The Korean Summer Program was my first trip out of the United States and I was naturally nervous. Once arriving and settling in, this trip became one of the best experiences of my life.
The entire trip was a refreshing culture shock. Being from a moderate size city, Seoul was an amazing site to see when you realize that a majority of South Korea’s population is centered there. With this much activity centered in one area, one is able to experience all of South Korea’s culture without ever getting to far away from the city. During the month I spent in Seoul, I took in as much as possible while still taking classes.
There are many experiences that made the trip such as the food, the city, the people, and even the classes. My personal favorite experience was the food. I was worried that the food would be so completely different that I would lose weight because I would not eat it. I was happily surprised by the food though. There were definitely some differences. Food seemed to be much fresher and the service was great. Lacking any communication skills, eating was always an adventure. From pointing to pictures or just pointing at a Korean word hoping for the best, eating was always fun. The surprises would be an omelet, spicy chicken feet, or many times a tasty noodle dish. The key I have found to food is to always keep an open mind. It might not be the best thing you have ever eaten, but you do not know till you have tried it. I personally had the best dumplings and spring rolls of my entire life. Also just to be a good American tourist, go to McDonalds and try the Big Bulgogi.(Korean Big Mac) You might be surprised.
We not only were able to run around Seoul for a month, but were able to get outside the city for a look at other cities. From what I saw, South Korea is an amazing country. The country is mainly mountainous and the country has to work with the land that it has. One city we visited was the beach community of Sokcho. Sokcho was not as appealing as one would want a beach town to be, especially since it was raining, but it did have a national park on the edge of town that made the trip worthwhile. The national park was massive. The rain hindered our view of the valley and surrounding areas, but knowing how high you are and the rain made the top of the mountain worth the soaked walk to the top. The fifty foot statue of Buddha was also rather impressive. The other city that I visited slips my mind. I ended up there after riding the bullet train half way down the country. The city was nothing like Seoul, but made one realize that daily life in small towns is the same around the world.
Living in Seoul was definitely worth the trip. Seoul is more than one can experience in a month. Inside the city one can find palaces, temples, museums, mountain climbing, and every modern convenience anyone could need. The city amazed me by it use of space and preservation of its culture. The only allowance for unused space was in their temples and palaces. These huge monuments of the past show the lifestyles of the royal family. The elaborate and intricate design of the buildings and their decorations exemplifies the importance Koreans take in every detail. The Koreans seem to continue this tradition today as they reshape their country.
Overall, the Korean Summer Program was an amazing experience and adventure. The classes were more prevalent being in an economy that is constantly growing on the international market. The experience of trying to find one’s way around a strange country without any clue of how to speak the language only enhances how I perceived the culture. The people were always kind and helpful, even if they could not understand you. Mostly, I wish I could have those spring rolls again.

We Should Do That In America 1---Lauren Casey

2008-08-20T10:44:00.002-05:00

We were in Korea for nearly a month and saw a lot of interesting things, but I bet you could be there for only a few moments to pick up on the many, obvious cultural differences. Some of these differences were very strange, such as the random animal parts that were served at one memorable dinner, but others, in my opinion, need to be adopted in the United States.
When we first arrived at Sookindang, the building where the students resided, we were greeted by our house mother who promptly instructed us to remove our shoes. Shoe removal is a common practice not only in Korea, but in most other Asian nations. There is the obvious reason of cleanliness, but I did a little research and found that there are much deeper reasons for this practice. Culturally it is rude to leave ones shoes on when entering another’s home because the purpose is to keep the house clean as well as quiet. Another, more spiritual reason that I discovered is that leaving shoes outside is symbolic of leaving the world outside. The removal of the shoes is letting your mind know that you are transitioning from work to the sanctuary of your home. This seems like such a relaxing idea, but I doubt the typical workaholic American will have this same mindset when removing their shoes.
I know many Americans that already have this policy in their house, and in fact, it is common practice in Hawaiian homes to remove ones shoes. The cleanliness factor is the primary reason for why most American would do this, but this policy may not be greeted with open arms with all house guests. Nearly every day when I would come in the door and remove my shoes I would think of Sex and the City. There is an episode where the shows main character, Carrie, is instructed to remove her shoes by the hostess of the party she is attending. She reluctantly does so while complaining that she is so tiny without her 4 inch heels. At the end of the party, Carrie goes to grab her shoes and someone has stolen her $500 Minolo Blaniks. I know very few people who have shoes that are worth stealing, so this should not be an issue if someone should decide to adopt this in their household.
This may not become common practice in all American homes, but I know that since I have been back from Korea there have been very few days when I have walked into my house with shoes on.

Sokcho and Busan- Alise Ballard

2008-08-19T01:20:00.002-05:00

During our stay in Korea we visited two beach towns, Sokcho and Busan (Also, known as Pusan). Being that it was the beginning of the rainy season, every time we left Seoul for some sunny beach time—it DOWNPOURED! Despite the rain, each town was a nice get away for the busy city of Seoul.

Sokcho is located in the Northeast part of South Korea. We traveled for 3 ½ hours by express bus to the city. The hotel we stayed in was a traditional Korean hotel with no beds, just blankets and pillows. The East Sea could be seen from our deck. I think we all had our fingers crossed that it would stop raining so we could go swimming in the East Sea, but unfortunately that never happened.

Busan is the second largest city in Korea after Seoul and the largest port city in South Korea. We traveled to Busan by KTX train (as pictured). The KTX train runs on new high-speed line using French TGV technology. To travel across South Korea it took only 2 ½ hours and we traveled at 300 km/h. It was extremely fast but you never felt like you were going that fast, it felt like a normal train ride. Given the short distance we decided to go just for the day. Once again, as soon as we stepped out Seoul it began to pour. However, the train ride made up for this. We were able to see some of the country that is not around the Seoul area, like farming villages and rice fields.

It was a nice getaway on the week to be able to travel rather cheaply across South Korea. My advice for traveling to the beach in June and July in Korea is to bring an umbrella and some rain boots!

Shopping in Seoul- Alise Ballard

2008-08-19T00:52:00.001-05:00

Seoul, Korea was amazing! It was a life changing experience that I never will forget and am so thankful that I got chance to visit. The University we stayed at was amazing, and after a couple of days it began to feel like home. We did everything in our 27 day stay from eating REALLY strange food- i.e. chicken feet, grilled various (which I still have no clue what that really is), pig intestines, and my all time favorite kimchi- to visiting the Demilitarized Zone-which was also very interesting considering one student was almost taken away by a North Korean Solider. (It should probably be noted that I did not try the really strange food, I enjoyed observing and encouraging other people to eat the really strange food.) However, the thing I enjoyed the most in Korea was all the great shopping around Seoul.

Seoul’s two largest markets, Dongdaemum (East Gate) and Namdaemum (South Gate), by far have the best deals on clothing, accessories, and pretty much anything else you could imagine. The stores owners and vendors speak little English making it hard to sometimes try to negotiate price with them. Both of these markets are located on winding streets with wall to wall vendors. Dongdaemum is open 24 hours and always packed. Namdaemum has been in existence for 600 years, and is more of an opened air flea-market. As you can see from the picture above, it was extremely hard to walk down the crowded rows of things for sale and take it all in. But these two areas in Seoul are definitely a bargain shopper’s paradise.

For the less serious shoppers, there are shopping areas for them too. Itaewon is the most westernized shopping area in Seoul. The shop owners and vendors speak very good English and in some stores even take American Money. This area of Seoul seems to be catered to the Westerner tourist with great souvenirs and even a few westerner type restaurants. If you are in the market for antiques and art, the Insa-Dong area is the place for that. It has second hand stores, art work, pottery, antiques, and similar items. Itaewon and Insa-Dong are much quieter and less crowded then Dongdaemum and Namdaemum, and great places to spend a day wondering around.

Seoul, Korea is absolutely beautiful. Being there for almost a month did not give me enough time to do all the things I wanted to do there. I would encourage anyone who was given the opportunity to visit. The shopping and sight-seeing is like no other place in the world.

Andy Thomas--Part I

2008-08-18T17:30:00.005-05:00

When people ask me, "How was Seoul?," the first thing I usually say is that it was huge- the city that is. The size of the city was one of the first things that blew me away. I have been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing places, including places in Europe and some other Asian cities, but Seoul was on a different level. It went up, down, and out with people literally everywhere. There was never really a point in time when I could get away from people, except may in my own bathroom. Nearly 25 million people live in the metropolitan area--that is roughly 1/4 of the population of Korea! It was pretty amazing.

For me, one of the most memorable experiences about visiting a new city overseas is the taxi rides, and Seoul was no different. They have traffic laws, but it is more of an organized chaos. If you ever want to get a feel for the pace of a city, just hop in a cab. I find that riding in a taxi is one of the best ways to not only see a city, but also to find your way around. However, in Asia, it is also one of the quickest ways to "see your life flash before your eyes." One night, Jeff, Russ, and I had to take a cab back to the university because the metro had stopped running. We flagged down this little old man in a taxi and hopped in. After about 6 or 7 attempts of trying to explain to him where we needed to go he finally just took off--they never knew any English and our Korean was spotty at best. I truly believe this old guy was crazy or he at least had a lot of fun pretending that he was. He was driving through the center of Seoul at about 115 kph (that is about 70 mph). I really believe at one point we were nearly on two wheels going around a curve in about 10 lanes of traffic. It was truly ridiculous. And, during the entire trip back, he was singing loudly along with the radio, laughing at us, and yelling in Korean for no particular reason. The faster he went, the more fun he thought it was. We were obviously freaked out, yelling, and laughing as well (however, it was one of those fearful OMG type laughs--what have we gotten ourselves into!). So needless to say, it was a crazy experiences and one of the most memorable. It was something that you just cannot replicate, and probably something you would not want too.

Life in Seoul - Lindsey Tew

2008-08-18T14:08:00.006-05:00

Annyung hayseo!

The adjustment to South Korea took me a few days, but I ended up really loving it. Seoul is a great city. The weather there was just like home in the day time - HOT. But at night it really cooled off and it felt nice.

The second night we were there, we had quite an interesting dinner. We went to a local sports bar and decided to order one of everything on the menu for the table to share. However, we had no idea what we were actually ordering. One menu item was “grilled various,” and “various” it was – including one dish that was actually some type of barbequed chicken feet. I am not making this up. We were also exposed to "kimchi" for the first time. (That is kimchi in the picture.) Wow, the Koreans love some kimchi. Kimchi is any form or flavor of pickled vegetables with seasoning, there are numerous varieties of it and it is served at every meal. Kimchi is usually a side dish but it can be the main ingredient in other things as well, like kimchi soup or kimchi water. Kimchi is sort of a national dish and the Koreans are very proud of it. Whenever a group of small children would see us approaching, they would recognize that we were Americans and yell, “Hi!!” We would say hello back to them and they would say, “What is your name? Do you like kimchi??”

We partnered with Sookmyung Women’s University for our program. The faculty and staff at Sookmyung were so gracious and helpful. They provided us with students from the University who went with us to different things to act as translators. It was really interesting getting to know them and seeing how college life in Korea differs from America.

Seoul, home to 23 million people, is a lot like the big cities in the United States. There were many distinct areas of the city, each with an atmosphere that was unique from the other areas. Itaewon was my favorite part of Seoul. Itaewon was very westernized with a Korean twist. A lot of foreigners lived in that area so it was a touristy district with lots of American food and shopping - carts and booths on the street plus good stores. The best part of Itaewon was the Cold Stone.

The public transit in Korea was impressive. In Seoul, the Metro system was pretty easy to navigate, it was well marked and very clean down in the stations. If you wanted to venture out of the city, you could get basically anywhere by train or bus. We took two beach trips, one to Suckcho which is on the Eastern coast of Korea on the East Sea. Then we went to Busan on the very Southern coast.

Our "apartment" was a fabulous setup. It was like a dorm, but it was located on the top floor of an administration building. Each room had bunk beds, desks, and a bathroom. There was big common area with a den, dining room, and kitchen. We also had a laundry room and computer room. We had a huge balcony that overlooked the campus. My last night in Korea was on the 4th of July. There were actually fireworks and we able to watch them from our balcony.

Over all it was a great experience and I encourage anyone who gets the chance to go.

Seoul Food - Jeffrey Cronin

2008-07-14T14:45:00.006-05:00

When I was in China...I learned to love the simple nature of many asian ways. I grew fond of asian food and learned to enjoyed many foods that were at first very strange to me. Over the years I developed a single culinary rule...the food I am trying to eat can not be moving while I am trying to eat it! After working and living in mainland China for years I left my position to attend Mississippi College School of Law. So when I heard the law school had arranged a summer abroad program in Seoul South Korea I knew I had to go. Yeah, yeah I would get a a few credit hours but the real driver for me was knowing I could study international business in an international environment.

Other blogs here talk about food, customs, behaviors, and the people of Korea. All these together make the country a great place to visit but of these I foundsome of the food interesting. Over the years I have eaten snout, ears, snake, urchins, worms, hearts, frogs, dog, and other foods I still have not indentified. So I was interested in knowing what Koreans eat.

Korea is heavily westernized in many ways and you can easily find KFC, Starbucks, Burger King, Smoothie King, and many other American franchises. But overall the food culture has remained typically asian. For example in many areas of the country there open-air fish markets were you can walk along the street and find coolers, tanks, barrels, etc. full of fish and sea critters just swimming around waiting for you. In these markets you just walk along the road looking at all the different fish and urchins until you find where and what you want to eat. Then along side these small shops there are seating areas available for you to sit and place your order. Once you've ordered the shop owner will catch your fish and pull it from the aquarium. He will then prepare your selection which may be a nice fish head soup or something.

One weekend our group visited Sokcho on the eastern coast of Korea. The weather turned cool and rainy one evening and a few of us were trying to decide where to eat. So we elected to hit the local fish market for dinner. As we walked through the open air market the weather turned cooler and rained more but eventually we found a nice little shop where we all could sit on the floor crouched to a couple of low tables. There we enoyed an exceptional pot of hot fish soup.

Also while in Korea I learned they love kimchi. Korean kimchi is a fermented vegetable that, IMO, has an earned tasted. After realizing Korean eat kimchi with any and all meals I decided to do a little research on the dish. Kimchi dates back some 3,000 years in Korea history and has remained steady in the Korean diet all along. In fact early Koreans used the pickling / fermentation process to preserve the vegetables they would need to store and eat during the long harsh winter months. Also, it has been discovered that the fermentation process not only preserved the vegetable it retains a remarkable nutritional value.

Well as economies globalize the need to understand and accept different cultures is ever increasing. One of the basic traits of a culture is thier food. Food is often a focal point of meetings or business gatherings; so knowing about other cultures and their food is important. One day you may attend a dinner provided by a foreign associate and you may be shocked if you have no idea what could be served.

Seoul Series -- Andrew Lake 1

2008-07-14T12:57:00.011-05:00

No nation exports its popular culture more than the United States. South Korea is a perfect example of this.

All we had to do is walk down a busy street in Seoul. If it was American, or seemed American, it was ripe for cool.

We always saw people selling hats, t-shirts, shoes, and many other things. Many of these articles had something about them that was uniquely American. Sometimes it was Disney characters but that was the least interesting. The most interesting and pervasive items always contained English words and phrases on a hat or t-shirt. They were often written in large, bold text and would include a type of logo. What added the level of humor was that none, repeat, none of these words or phrases made any sense to a native English speaker. Other than random phrases of English, other items included advertisements for non-existent gas stations in the Midwest, and promotions for American sports teams that don't exist.

This display was not limited to Korean-made merchandise. Seoul was full of familiar American name brands. This is what surprised me. I have traveled to Europe on numerous occasions and American brands and retail stores were not easy to come by. Only the very largest American conglomerates such as McDonald's and Burger King had permeated the European market and even then, not quite with the success that American companies, large and not-so-large, have had in Korea.

Smoothie King, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Cold-Stone Creamery, Baskin-Robbins, Haagen-Dazs, Bennigan's, and Outback Steakhouse. A walk down any busy street in Seoul will revealed these outlets. The busiest retail areas contained other familiar company stores such as Converse, Dickies, The North Face, and even Build-a-Bear. On any given period of the day, all of these establishments were bustling with patrons. I of course cannot forget to mention the many knock-offs sold on the streets but that is another topic for another post.

I asked a Korean friend about this and she explained this fascination with all things American. Her best explanation was that it exists. Americans have been in Korea since the 1950's and are large responsible for the founding and protection of the Republic. Koreans constantly travel to and are educated in America. Therefore, it is natural for Koreans to readily accept American "stuff" into their everyday lives.

Seoul Series - Laura Moore 1

2008-07-10T22:42:00.002-05:00

What’s the beef???

June 10, 2008 – 100,000 protesters attended a rally in downtown Seoul.

June 11, 2008 – 8 Students and 2 Professors arrived in Seoul.

As we flew out of the United States, some of us knew in May there had been demonstrations in Seoul. Some of us knew that it was about the importation of U.S. beef; however, none of us knew how serious the situation was becoming while we were on the plane en route to Seoul.

We quickly became aware of the situation, on our first day’s trek around the city when we were strolling along the sidewalk in front of City Hall and practically strolled right into the middle of a labor union demonstration. Since all of the signs were written in Hangul, and none of us could read them, we were not sure what exactly was going on. It was later that day when we approached another protest that we figured it out. This protest had a banner with a picture of a “mad” cow on it. Still, we questioned, “What’s the beef?”

Is it really a protest against the U. S. standard of exporting beef? Surely not we thought. A quick “google” of the terms “South Korea, Beef, and U.S.” quickly filed our browsers with articles relating the previous 24-hours news. The articles outlined the situation. The South Koreans were upset about the government’s decision to re-open the country’s doors to the importation of beef from the U.S.; doors that had been closed since 2003 after the discovery of an American cow infected with the “mad cow” virus.

We had plenty of opportunities, during our 27 days in S. Korea, to ask the questions about the protests. We visited the U.S. Embassy and asked; what was their take on the situation and did we need to be worried. It was then that we first heard the term “Candlelight Festival.” The Embassy officials told us that the S. Koreans were very peaceful and were referring to the demonstrations simply as a “Candlelight Festival.” The Embassy officials did tell us to avoid the demonstrations because while most of the events were peaceful, as it got later the “festival” attitude changed to one more focused on disruption and riots.

I had a chance to discuss the situation with a Jenny. Jenny worked for the government on the trade agreement right up until the demonstrations started. She referred the protests as “Candlelight Festival” and said that it was not really about whether U.S. beef was bad or not. The people were upset because they do not believe that the government will protect them from harmful products, in general. Jenny said that most Koreans did not trust the President. Many felt that he was just a businessman only looking out for the government and not looking after the people.

It was interesting hearing this take on the situation. It started me thinking about what I was witnessing first hand. I was in a country that was exercising their rights. They were lining the streets by the thousands. They were speaking out against the government. Letting it be known that they were unhappy about what was going on, and as long as they were peaceful, they were allowed to do so. If we had been in North Korea this would never have even had a chance to happen. Instead we were in South Korea and they can express how they feel about the way the government is running things.

I was impressed by the passion of the Koreans. With the upcoming election, fast approaching it is our chance to speak out about how we think our government has been running and how it should continue. I have come home with a renewed excitement for our own democracy.

The next few weeks . . .

2008-07-09T07:10:00.008-05:00

Over the next several weeks, the eight students that studied abroad in Seoul this summer will be posting their thoughts about their experiences in Seoul. I am dubbing this as the "Seoul Series." Each student will do two to three posts regarding their thoughts and experiences while visiting South Korea. This is basically a self-reflective series from each student's perspective. Comments and questions from readers are always welcome. Hope you all enjoy!

MC Law Students in Seoul

2008-06-18T07:58:00.011-05:00

Well, summer is almost half over and it is time to start blogging once again! This summer 8 students and 2 law professors (Professor Greg Bowman and Professor Celie Edwards) from MCSOL are in Seoul, South Korea for 4 weeks. They arrived on June 11 and will be leaving on July 6. The original plan was to have the Students blog at least once or twice a week during their stay in Seoul; however, technological and translation difficulties have arisen preventing the group from blogging. Hopefully, we can have some of them provide some posts about their experiences upon their return. For some, it is their first time overseas. Others are a little more experienced. The students are taking 2 classes while in Seoul, International Business Transactions and Global Comparative Corporate law. The Students are studying at Sookmyung University in central Seoul.

ILS elects new officers for 2008-2009 year

2008-04-19T10:40:00.002-05:00

Recently, the ILS elected new officers for next year. We would like to thank all of the outgoing officers including President Andrew Stubbs and Secretary Brytt Ebeling-Belt for all of their hard work. Both helped make this past year a wonderful one for the society.

On a different note, we would like to welcome our new officers for the upcoming year. The new President is Andy Thomas, who served as Vice-President this past year. Our new Vice-President is Laura Moore, a rising 2L. Finally, our new Secretary is Kat Pantazis, a rising 3L. We are in the midst of planning some great events and speakers for the upcoming year and look forward to a great next year for the officers and the society. Again, congratulations to all of the new officers.

NAFTA: Good or Bad?

2008-04-03T08:53:00.010-05:00

There has been much discussion in recent weeks whether NAFTA has been beneficial or not for the U.S. Much of the discussion has come from the two Democratic Presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Both have expressed strong dislike for NAFTA stating that the treaty has been the cause of huge losses in American jobs (Obama claims that it has cost the U.S. over 1 million jobs). Yet, many questions still remain: 1) Is NAFTA really the source of these job losses?; 2) How many jobs have actually been gained because of NAFTA and other FTAs similar to it?; 3) Is all of this "talk" just political rhetoric to reach out to union voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania?.

In my International Trade Regulation class the other day, we had a discussion of the current Presidential candidates and their positions on trade (this included both Republican and Democratic candidates). It can be plainly seen that John McCain is completely for FTAs. He has a 100% voting record for FTAs in the senate. The other two (Democratic) candidate's views are a little more murky. Obama seems farther to the left (opposes free trade) while Hillary seems to be riding the fence (what a surprise!). They will often vote for one agreement and then not vote for the next one, often citing lack of labor or environmental standards. Yet, one student brought up an extremely good point--both Obama and Clinton did not start faulting NAFTA for job losses until the Ohio presidential primary got closer. This opposition was not present in primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa, California, etc. This fact makes a strong case that their opposition is strictly based on political motives in pandering to presidential voters. Particularly Hillary, who's husband oversaw the signing and establishment of NAFTA seems to have no consistent stance toward trade--good for the country here but bad there. Now, obviously, there have been job losses since the inception of NAFTA. Many manufacturing jobs have been lost, but many jobs in services have been created. Neither of which can be completely credited to NAFTA. In all actuality, globalization (which neither America nor any other country can control) is mostly to blame. Globalization is caused by multiple factors including liberalization of market access, rapidly developing foreign financial markets, changes in currency, media, etc. Because of these factors and many more, the U.S. has no choice but to stay economically competitive with FTAs--this IS a situation where one can argue that since everyone else is doing it we should too.

As a result, one should be careful not to put to much faith into the rhetoric of Presidential candidates in their positions to amend or even worse, do away with NAFTA or other similar agreements. I would hope that voters in not only Ohio and Pennsylvania can see through this rhetoric, but also other Americans as well. We as Americans must realize that our domestic economy is changing whether we like it or not. Manufacturing jobs are going to continue to leave this country while other service oriented jobs will continue to grow. We have to learn to sacrifice and change--we cannot stop the integration of our economy with the global economy. While labor unions will not admit it, they may be the root cause of the loss of manufacturing jobs. These organizations push for higher wages (sometimes $15-20 dollars an hour), less working hours, better working conditions, etc. While these requests are commendable, corporations get tired of having to give in to these requests and end up going to less developed nations to manufacture products. Take China for example: Companies can go there and pay workers 1/10 of what they pay workers in America, get workers to work 12-15 hour days, and have less desirable working conditions. Strictly from a business point of view, what company would not take those jobs overseas. Now, I am NOT advocating companies leaving or have lower wages and bad working conditions in America. However, Americans need to understand that we have the highest wages and the best working conditions of any country on earth, and that when unions push for more and more, companies will finally get tired of the pressure and leave.

In conclusion, one should not be quick to blame FTAs for the loss of jobs or other economic woes that the U.S. is facing. There are many problems that will involve intelligent solutions rather than undoing past accomplishments (such as NAFTA).

For more info, see here.

A. Thomas

UBS International tax attorneys speak for ILS

2008-03-20T11:08:00.005-05:00

Recently, Mr. Christopher Andrews St. Victor de Pinho and Ms. Jennifer Sinclaire spoke about "Structured Finance and the Global Credit Crisis" at MCSOL for a group of students and practitioners. Mr. Pinho and Ms. Sinclaire are in-house tax attorneys for UBS Financial Firm in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Pinho spoke about the devastating economic results stemming from the credit crisis and Ms. Sinclaire explained structured finance and how it is used by the investment banks. Their dual presentation was extremely enlightening and educational, especially for students (like me) who are trying to understand the market and how this current credit crisis began and implications it has for the future.

The ILS would like to thank Mr. Pinho and Ms. Sinclaire for taking time out of their busy schedules to come speak at the law school. Their presentation was a great learning experience and one that will not be forgotten.

Why do Latin Americans sue U.S. companies?

2008-03-12T14:46:00.004-05:00

I haven't been able to nail down one particular unifying theme to this quandary. What I do know is that, as U.S. markets expand in an increasingly globalized world, they become subject to many new laws while still operating under the cloak of United States' judicial protection.

For example, companies are quickly opening branches, manufacturing plants, agricultural endeavors and selling an increasing number of products to Latin American countries. Although there are no Regional Trade Agreements or Free Trade Agreements between the U.S. and many, if not most, of these countries (Mexico excluded) this commercialism grows nearly uninhibited. As a result, hundreds, if not thousands of law suits hit U.S. courts from Latin American workers suing their U.S. employers for various reasons. Suits have been filed based on chemical usage in Dole banana farms in Nicaragua and Honduras and Guatemala. Suits have been filed for injuries in manufacturing plants. Suits have been filed based on products liability even when the product was built or created in the Latin American country of origin for the plaintiff. All of these suits are brought in the United States and filed, either within the federal court system, or the state court system for the domiciliary state of the U.S. company. Nearly every one of these suits is regurgitated from the U.S. court system on grounds of forum non conveniens.

After this happens, the Latino Plaintiffs are forced to file suit in their home country if they carry any hope of a remedy. However, due to Latin American Blocking Statutes, these Plaintiffs are typically not allowed to file a subsequent suit in their home country after having already chosen a foreign venue to pursue their action.

Whatever the court, the question remains, why are these suits continuously brought in the U.S.?
Why can Latin Americans not get to the deep U.S. corporate pockets by suing in their home country where the cause of action occurred and all the evidence is that will be needed at trial to prove their case?

There is obviously an underlying problem here and I want to find out what it is.

Anybody have any links or input?

AJ - MCSOL ILS President

ILS Thanks Judge Southwick for Speaking

2008-03-06T15:20:00.003-06:00

The ILS would like to thank Judge Southwick for taking the time to come and speak with the society.

Judge Southwick offered unique insight into his personal experiences in Iraq with JAG and dealing with Iraqi civilians on a day-to-day basis. He specifically spoke about Iraqi civilian claims he dealt with for property damage and wrongful death claims under the U.S. Foreign Claims Act.

Again, we appreciate you coming to speak for us and good luck with the 5th Circuit.

Fifth Circuit Judge Leslie Southwick to Speak for ILS

2008-03-03T09:54:00.005-06:00

This coming Thursday, March 6, Judge Southwick, who was recently appointed to the Fifth Circuit, will be speaking for the ILS at MCSOL. The meeting will be at 11:45 in Room 250. The topic is "Paying Iraqi Claims: A Job for the JAG's."

In 2005, Judge Southwick served in Iraq as a member of the Mississippi National Guard's 155th Brigade Combat Team. While on active duty, he served as Deputy Staff Judge Advocate from Aug. 2004 to July 2005 and then as Staff Judge Advocate from July to Jan. 2006. He also served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1992 to 1997. As a result, he has extensive knowledge and experience in this area.

For more information about Judge Southwick, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees/southwick.html

Cuba Libre!!!!

2008-02-19T11:09:00.004-06:00

Funny thing is, Cuba Libre's are actually (rum and coke) in Chile.

Anyway, here is a link to the article in BBC if you haven't already read it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americans/7252109.stm

My take:
Not necessarily a very good thing. Raul is already good buddies with Chavez (Hugo made sure of that when little bro took over Cuba after Fidel got sick) which probably won't do much positively for Cuba. Granted, the Assemblia Nacional still must elect the next president, polls show that Raul will most likely be the man and this will lead to a following in Fidel's footsteps.

What can the U.S. do to stop a socialist government from continuing just 90 miles south of Miami? Probably nothing. As much pressure as we put on Cuba to have democratic elections and reform their system of government, Chavez will likely apply an equal amount of pressure to maintain his strong ties with one of his best governmental allies in the western hemisphere. (Once again, we end up with Raul who is already favored if not technically in office just not publicly.)
Thus, we are left with a prime example of people needing to help themselves. If the Cuban public doesn't scream out in the streets for democracy probably nothing will happen. They need a model of prosperity to follow. Cubans need to know how they can benefit and resurrect a failing economy.
I personally think tourism alone would skyrocket in Cuba as it did pre-comunist days as a gambling/resort oriented country, but that's just me.
Any thoughts on what's to become of Cuba? With no significant change in political structure, with the United States' stance towards Cuba change? Likely not, but time will tell.
This news should insight tons of thought on the future of our hemisphere. One of the longest reigning dictators in history officially resigned!! That's huge!! Especially so close to the leading proponent of democracy in the world.

(Aside, will Cuba show up as a topic during presidential race of 2008?)

Happy thinking on this one.

Andrew

New Study Abroad Program!

2008-02-14T12:09:00.003-06:00

The ILS is proud to announce that MCSOL (through the hard work of Prof. Bowman) has established a 2008 summer law study abroad program to Seoul, South Korea. The program will be about 3 weeks long from June 14 - July 4. As of right now, 3 classes will be offered including International Business Transactions, Comparative Corporate Law and National Security Law. The school has received tentative approval through the ABA and should receive final approval by April 1. For this summer, the program will only be open to MSCOL students, but if the program goes well, we hope to open it for all law students next summer.

What Effect Does the Capture of Chinese Spies on American Soil Have on U.S./China Relations?

2008-02-12T07:52:00.001-06:00

This blog, http://www.djacobsonlaw.com, has an interesting post about four individuals who were arrested by the Justice Department for spying and giving classified national defense information to China. Two of the men are businessmen from New Orleans and the other is from Arlington, VA. One other individual from California that had worked for Boeing and NASA was arrested. Obviously, this is bad for those individuals--you don't get arrested for spying unless there is a large amount of evidence. Apparently these guys have been passing confidential info to the PRC for about two years.

My question is: What effect does this have on U.S. and China relations? Will the U.S. government do anything formally to China? Will they just gripe, complain and make a media circus but then move on because we all know that spying is inevitable? I was just curious if anyone knew.

Andy Thomas

NFL and international trade . . . perhaps not as unlikely as it sounds.

2008-02-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

As I was watching the Superbowl last night, I was thinking about how it, the legendary American Football Championship game, might be connected to International Trade. I, along with the other International Law Society officers, am taking an International Trade Regulation class this semester. The more and more I read, the more I understand how everything we touch on a daily basis probably came from another country. So I was thinking as I watched the game, how could the NFL be connected to international trade. On its face, it really is not. American football is just that, American football. No other country, except for maybe a few folks in Canada and some loners in Europe even care about American football. The rest of the world only focuses on soccer (better known outside of the U.S. as the "real" football).

Then I did a little research. It turns out that the Superbowl does have a little something to do with international trade. Have you ever wondered what happens to all of those championship hats and t-shirts that are printed for the team that ends up losing? Well, you do not have to wonder any longer . . . they end up in the hands of kids in Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, etc. Yep, the NFL has a partnership with World Vision, a global relief organization, in which the losing team's championship apparel gets shipped off to kids in other countries. So if you ever think that no one outside of America cares about the NFL, think again. Those little kids in central and south America getting the clothes sure love the NFL, even if they do not know what it stands for.

See http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1071250 for more information.

By: Andy Thomas

Hey, it could happen

2008-01-30T16:13:00.001-06:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227115,00.html

This is a link to the article. This particular topic concerns me greatly. As the article suggests, there is a way to reverse this problem, unlike our ever decreasing oil reserves. I for one, enjoy being able to go to Nagoya (sushi restaurant) on the weekend and order about 2 dozen tuna rolls or California rolls, but am I contributing to the problem? Possibly. But how is this problem fixed? Take this in stride with Andy's last posting. Is it my fault that I love fish but am also concerned about the ever-decreasing fish populations of the world? Is this another prime example of U.S. hypocritical consumerist conservatism. (those three words together hurt my head)
The fact is, our ways are much slower to change than the quantity of resources we consume. Thus, plans must be enacted which capitalize on our uberconsumerist tendencies. If we consume a ton of fish, we must use the billions in revenue to build natural saltwater fish farms to cultivate those species we most enjoy.

Do not for one second think that the U.S. is in any way totally responsible for depleting the world's fish populations either. I use the U.S. because I can talk about myself, but the truth is, many countries around the world consume much more of the commercial fish population than the U.S., particularly on a per-capita basis.

(check out the journal that does many studies on this called "Science")

A. Stubbs

Are Americans really against the outsourcing of jobs?

2008-01-30T10:54:00.000-06:00

http://www.americaneconomicalert.org/news_item.asp?NID=30389 29

This short article in the link above discusses the amount of jobs that have been lost in the Super Tuesday primary states under the Bush administration (although it fails to mention how many jobs have been gained to replace those which were lost). The article has a negative overtone towards the outsourcing of jobs and basically sends the blame towards President Bush. But, is the outsourcing of jobs to countries like China really President Bush's fault?

I will not go as far to say that the President's policies have had no effect on the outsourcing of jobs because they obviously have had some effect. However, the blame should not fall solely on the Bush Administration or the Republican party. The U.S. is a consumer driven society-that fact should go uncontested. Ordinary citizens usually look for the lowest prices when they are shopping, regardless of whether they are shopping for clothes, groceries, electronics, etc. Even if a person is looking for a particular name brand, he or she will wait until the product goes on sale if possible. Everyone wants the lowest prices so they can save a few dollars. Businesses know this fact. Therefore, they go where they can produce goods for the cheapest and then they can offer lower prices to consumers in the U.S. This leads to the outsourcing of jobs and manufacturing of products in Asia where labor is cheaper. Then the products are imported back to the U.S. to be sold. So in the end, Americans get lower priced items and they save a few dollars. The downside to this is that people in the U.S. lose their manufacturing jobs to outsourcing because companies do not want to pay an American $15 an hour when they can pay a Chinese person $4 an hour. While most people will generally speak out against outsourcing, those same individuals are the ones searching for lower priced goods and supporting the very companies which have outsourced their labor to other countries--seems a bit like hypocrisy to me. So before we, as citizens, go blaming the government and the president for job losses due to outsourcing, maybe we should examine our own priorities and decide if we want lower priced goods or more jobs for those individuals that work in manufacturing. We have the ability to choose . . . we have the ability to boycott . . . but will we?

By: Andy Thomas

Calling All Economist . . . Recession or Media Obsession?

2008-01-24T09:21:00.000-06:00

Stock markets falling, banks writing off billions, economists warning of decline-it all sounds like an economic doomsday. Yet, that is exactly what we are seeing everyday in the news, an obsession with recession. While I am no economist, I have to wonder . . . Is this so-called recession because of problems in the domestic and global economies, or is it because of media-driven scare stories. The "experts" say that we will not know if the economy is in a recession until 6 months after the fact. However, I cannot help but think that all of this speculation and so-called "news" is contributing to the problem rather than helping solve the problem.

Think about this. People watch the news and hear about the stock market continually falling, unemployment rising, housing bubble-bust, and all of this leads the media to the conclusion that we must be in the middle of a recession. But no one really knows. So in an attempt to save their retirement portfolios, people start liquidating assets, and then boom . . . we find our economy on the downslide because people are saving all of their funds and liquidating assets. So maybe, just maybe, if the media would scale back their economic scary recession talk, and quit terrifying soon-to-be retirees, this recession problem might just slow down, solve itself, and the economy could get back on track. The market always has its ups and downs, but the media seems to make it worse than it really should be. Lets face it, people make bad decisions when they are emotional (excited, scare, angry, etc.). All of the media hype about a recession promotes those emotions and then people make irrational decisions regarding their investments. Perhaps we should take a step back to evaluate the situation instead of running head first into a recession that does not have to occur.

By: Andy Thomas

Time to start talking

2008-01-16T13:01:00.001-06:00

Okay ladies and gentlemen,

Just want to open the floor for some interesting new discussions on anything global. I know at least Brytt, Andy, and I need some hot topics for papers to write this spring for an international trade seminar. Of course, I don't want anyone to throw out paper topics per-se, instead I just want to spit ball some ideas out their and see if anyone shares my interests.

1. Hugo Chavez and his own personal piggy bank in South America that we know as Venezuela and PDVSA. This guy kills me. How he's avoided assasination is beyond me. A true politician though, with somewhat of an iron fist.

2. My name is Diego Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die! haha. okay, so, different name, and probably uses lots of huge guns instead of a sword, but no less entertaining and interesting to read or watch. Colombian drug lords are always fun to read about, especially if you know that at one time, the Colombian "bam-bam" industry was worth more than five of the U.S. top fortune 500's combined. Check Diego out. Anyone compared to Pablo Escobar is a big deal for international trade, at least in this hemisphere.

3. short and simple: Mexican Imigration into U.S. - Capital Flight out of U.S.? Any thoughts? Any input? Any opinions?

4. What is the UAE doing with all that money? The emirates' current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE. Check this guy out and is new building projects off the coast of Dubai.

5. Anything goes here. just write about what you feel interested in. time to talk.

Have fun people.

Mississippi College School of Law International Law Society

I Miss it Already. . .

Keith Hoffman’s Day By Day (By Day) Blog of International Study Abroad Program Location: Seoul, Korea & Beijing, China

Bowman's Final Blog Post

A Weekend in Jeju

Demilitarized Zone or DMZ

The Republic of Kimchi

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Clark Miljush Blog 7-1-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-30-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-29-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-20-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-19-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-18-09

Clark Miljush Blog 6-16-09

A quiet force to be reckoned with

Americans Abroad

The Wonderful World of China.......

My List of Things not to be “messed with” keeps getting longer . . .

Blog Post 6.16.2009

Blog 6.21.2009.

China

A Chinese Superstar

Where are the Parents of the Little Korean Children?

Communication is key

Healthy living

Stepping into the Legal system Korean style

A day at the Constitutional Court of Korea

One week down

Tipping the scale not a major Issue in South Korea

Pure Quiet Bliss

Where is the trash?

So far away . . .

Blog Post by MCSOL's Professor Bowman in Seoul

Ginsburg Shares Views on Influence of Foreign Law on Her Court, and Vice Versa

Related

Times Topics: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

MCSOL Moot Court Team Makes First Showing at Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

Mississippi College to host second annual study abroad trip to Seoul, Korea

Richard J. Dodson, International Maritime and Admiralty attorney to speak at MCSOL

MC ILS Joins International Law Student Association

First Meeting of the Year--Thursday, Sept. 4!

Why go? Jeffrey Cronin

The Ties that Divide -- Andrew Lake 2

Andy Thomas Part II

We Should Do That In American 2- Lauren Casey

The Korean Experience-- Russell Johnson

We Should Do That In America 1---Lauren Casey

Sokcho and Busan- Alise Ballard

Shopping in Seoul- Alise Ballard

Andy Thomas--Part I

Life in Seoul - Lindsey Tew

Seoul Food - Jeffrey Cronin

Seoul Series -- Andrew Lake 1

Seoul Series - Laura Moore 1

The next few weeks . . .

MC Law Students in Seoul

ILS elects new officers for 2008-2009 year

NAFTA: Good or Bad?

UBS International tax attorneys speak for ILS

Why do Latin Americans sue U.S. companies?

ILS Thanks Judge Southwick for Speaking

Fifth Circuit Judge Leslie Southwick to Speak for ILS

Cuba Libre!!!!

New Study Abroad Program!

What Effect Does the Capture of Chinese Spies on American Soil Have on U.S./China Relations?

NFL and international trade . . . perhaps not as unlikely as it sounds.

Hey, it could happen

Are Americans really against the outsourcing of jobs?

Calling All Economist . . . Recession or Media Obsession?

Time to start talking