Asia

Korea welcomes a new Ambassador

Last January, I asked the question, "Who will be the new United States Ambassador to the Republic of Korea?"  At the time, I had no idea.  As of today, the answer is Ambassador Alexander Vershbow.  Ambassador Vershbow previously served as Ambassador to the Russian Federation and as Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).  The Ambassador and his wife, Lisa Vershbow, arrived yesterday in Seoul.  After receiving his diplomatic credentials from Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, he began his duties as the new U.S. Ambassador to Korea.  Korea is one of the U.S.’ most important allies and biggest trading partners, so it is very positive news that the new Ambassador has arrived.  Korea also recently appointed a new Ambassador to the United States, Lee Tae-sik.  Now, both men will be able to help strengthen U.S.-Korean bilateral relations. 
 
Ambassador Vershbow earned his bachelor’s degree at Yale University and master’s degree at Columbia University.  A career diplomat, he is an expert on Russian and Eastern European Affairs, a background that will help him as he focuses on the Korean Peninsula, home to one of the last vestiges of the Cold War.  He is also an accomplished drummer and has jammed with several well-known musicians, including Tommy Ramone of the Ramones.  Mrs. Vershbow is a professional jewelry designer and metalsmith, and her artwork is now on display at the Insa Art Plaza Gallery in Seoul.  Welcome, Ambassador and Mrs. Vershbow!

Making my mark in Korean film

Today I joined the set of a Korean film as a movie extra.  The movie, now in production and tentatively entitled "Korean Peninsula," is scheduled for Korean theatrical release in Spring 2006.  Directed by Kang Je-gye, one of Korean’s most popular directors, the movie is the highly anticipated follow-up to "Taegukgi:  The Brotherhood of War" (2004) and "Shiri" (1999), two other films directed by Kang.  "Korean Peninsula" will chronicle Korean history from the Japanese Colonial Period to the present.  I do not know what the plot is or who will star in the film.  Kang’s last film, "Taegukgi," received international acclaim and was shown in limited release last year in the United States (the word "Taegukgi" is the name of the flag of the Republic of Korea).  I saw "Taegukgi" last August with my wife while we were in the Washington, D.C.  In my opinion, "Taegukgi" is one of the best war films of all time.  Very graphic, it is a poignant portrayal of the Korean War and the tragedies that befell the Korean people in the 1950’s.  I am really looking forward to the release of "Korean Peninsula."  Not only was it my big screen debut, but I anticipate that it will be an excellent film.  If you’re in the United States, watch for "Korean Peninsula" in limited release there next summer.  You might just see me if you watch the film.
 
I was an extra in just one scene.  If the scene isn’t delete in the final cut, I will likely appear briefly in the movie.  It is set in the Press Room of the U.S. Department of State, where the State Department spokesperson announces that the United States will not participate in the ceremony reopening the rail line between North and South Korea.  I portrayed a reporter listening to the spokesperson make the announcement.  I’m in the second row with a group of reporters.  My role merely consisted of talking to the reporter next to me, watching the spokesperson enter the room, and typing on my laptop as the spokesperson speak.  I don’t have any lines in the movie, but I did try to act like a reporter listening intently to the spokesperson.  The scene was similar to when I was in the actual Press Room last year; I even sat in the same place when I listened to former Department of State Spokesman Richard Boucher address our group.  I noticed several differences between the simulated Press Room and the real Press Room.  As with most movies, the set did not quite reflect reality, and the spokesperson did not follow established protocol.  You can’t too much from a movie portrayal.
 
How did I land this role?  My wife heard about the opportunity and suggested that I give it a try.  I responded to the casting call and was accepted as a movie extra.  I thought it would be a great way to experience Korean film, a very important aspect of Korean culture.  I was right; it was a great experience.  GINA Entertainment put out the casting call and arranged extras for the scene.  There were about 70 of us, and I was fortunate to be one of the primary extras in the scene.  I posted some photos of the day’s events in a photo album.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to take photos on the set, so the photos show the waiting period before the scene took place.  We gathered at 6 a.m. this morning and arrived on the set at about 7:30 a.m.  At 9 a.m. we went in for our first cut, and then at 11 a.m. we went in for the final cut.  Cameras shot footage from all angles to frame the scene.  By 1:30 p.m., we were finished and headed home.  We actually worked for about half an hour–not bad for a day’s work.  I did not see any famous Korean actors on the set, but I saw Mr. Kang, the director.  Known as the "Korean Steven Spielberg," he controlled the scene like conductor leads an orchestra.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching him and his crew work.
 
I hope I can do this again in the future.  It wasn’t my big break in show business, but it was fun to do a cameo.  I haven’t had such fun on the set of a media production since my wife and I were in the audience of "Late Night with David Letterman" when we visited New York City in 1998.  If you have a chance to work as a movie extra, I highly recommend it.  You wait around a lot, but it’s usually worth the wait.

A day at Seoul City Hall

Last night I went for a night on the town with a couple of friends and missed my usual blog session.  This was a reschedule of Monday’s get together that never materialized.  It was a lot of fun, and I didn’t get much sleep (I won’t tell you more than that–LOL). 
 
This morning I worked at the Information Fair for Foreigners sponsored by the organizers of Hi Seoul, an annual festival showcasing the City of Seoul.  The event was held just outisde the steps of Seoul City Hall.  About 40 organizations and businesses assembled to offer information to foreigners living in Seoul.  I managed a booth for about five hours and answered people’s questions about adjusting to life in Korea and public services available to them.  Many foreigners, mostly Americans, Koreans, Canadians, and an Australian stopped by to chat with me.  Representatives from most of the other organizations also visited my booth to let me know what services they offered.  The fair was fun and well organized, although somewhat typical of Korean public events.  Men dressed as palace guards paraded around Seoul Plaza, the greenspace in front of City Hall, simulating the Changing of the Guard ceremony repeated performed at Gyeongbok Palace.  They dressed in bright yellows, blues, and reds, some carrying long pikes, others royal banners, most bearing Korean musical instruments, drums, cymbals, and horns, which they played as they marched.
 
The event also featured the all-too-common Korean dance group performing choreographed hip-hop and R&B dance numbers on a stage.  These types of groups perform at virtually every festival in Seoul.  The loudspeakers blast deafeningly loud music that can be heard for blocks.  The groups usually include eight to 10 women and one man wearing parachute-style jumpers or body suits.  The dancers are all attractive, very fit, and dance well.  The event also featured an traditional Indian dance routine, a tae kwondo demonstration, and two clowns on stilts (they were very good).  The performances repeated over the course of several hours.  Although well done, I would have perferred to have the speaker volume a bit lower.  At times it was difficult for me to talk to visitors who stopped by my booth because the music was so loud. 
 
All in all, the event was successful.  My wife and son stopped by in the afternoon, and my son enjoyed all the kiddie freebies handed out at different booths.  The weather cooperated, vascillating between sunshine and cloud cover.  I needed both sunscreen and a warm jacket.  Although I had to work today, I could not have asked for a better assignment.  It was far better than being chained to a desk.
 
Blog Note:  Sorry Wade3016, regardless of your friend’s position with the company, she would not know what’s going behind closed doors in New York between MSN and AOL.  Executives are usually really tight lipped about these things–except for the one unnamed source who leaks it all to the press.  The media has an uncanny ability to sniff out news, and the Google, Comcast, and now Yahoo! reports that they will invest in AOL only corroborates speculation that Microsoft is also interested in AOL.