Can someone be so awesome?

Manwoo Lee - Millersville University - RateMyProfessors.com

More election posters

I missed these in my previous post, but I think it's worth another post on its own, so here you go:

All taken on the election day.

Look at the poster next to the candidate number 7. That's what we call AWESOME and SUPER.

At first I thought it is just a movie or theater poster purposefully placed next to the candidate's poster. 

But no, it's not.

The wall is numbered XD

Someone is putting a big cross on Candidate number 1's poster (second from left). Despite that, he still won. Hmmm.

Across the street, opposite the said numbered wall.

Election campaign in Korea: a photo blog

*Scheduled post*

I wish to blog about this on the eve or on the day of election. But I was too busy aka too lazy to do so, so I only drafted this post a moment ago :P

Originally intended to write a serious post about it and post it in my "academic blog", but now I decide to make it a light one and post this in my, you name it, the procrastination blog. XD

On May 29th 2010

One of the annoying campaign vans that made their stops right outside of our officetel and woke us up in case we overslept. Thank you so much, Seoul mayor's candidates.

On May 30th 2010

Another one near our officetel.

On May 31st 2010:

A

And another. This one parked by the roadside (and hey, it's a yellow line there!). With the candidate's cheer-leading team consisted of ajossis and ajjummas, sometimes young guys and ladies too, they lined up in front of their van or truck and start singing, shouting slogans, repeat the candidate's song over and over again, and the candidate would shake hands with passer-bys and so on.

B

A guy in black suit (probably a businessman around the the area) snapping photos.

C

So as the crowds across the street who were waiting for the traffic light turned green. 

And also people like me snapping from our residential unit, haha.

On 1st June 2010:

A

Another candidate.

B

It was driving very slowly.

C

I'm not sure why is this van so clean and white. Campaigning for a clean government? LOL

D

This van didn't make a stop like the previous one, but drove slowly on the road. So we can see how pissed was the black car behind it while the other smart drivers drove to the other side of the lane to avoid the blockage or slow traffic on the "campaign lane".

Some other days in Seoul Special City:

The banners at the City Hall reconstruction site.

On some building

Candidate 1 on Seoul Press Building. 

His banner could be hung on this tall building because... he was the incumbent Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Oh Se-hoon of the ruling Grand National Party was re-elected as Seoul Mayor. The first incumbent to be elected for the second time. 

Wow, that's some achievement isn't it? See the identical smiling face to his poster after the razor-thin win over an opponent (the first female mayor candidate---I wished she had won and made history) HERE.

Local election is nationwide in Korea, so mayors, governors, councilors and education chiefs (wow) were holding their campaigns in every cities and provinces in Korea at the same time. (Source: Arirang---> click on the link to read about the early report on the election day and the interview between Seoul mayor candidates and Arirang, Korea's Global TV.)  

Snapped this when passing by the region between Jinju and Namhae on tour bus.

This was when I realized the election is not restricted to Seoul Mayor election but nationwide.

Near Ssangye temple, Hadong, South Kyongsang (or Gyeongsang) Province.

Inside Jeonju Hanok Village, right outside of Pungnam Gate of Gyeonggijeon, LOL. Blasting the candidate's song, a rendition of a classical song widely known in East Asia, which I know is available in Taiwanese Minnan language.

This is the only election campaign we bumped into while on the tour. If they were going to spam all touristic sites we would be very pissed, LOL.

Photos are copyrighted by me.

Overseen in Seoul: PDA in Korea

PDA as in public display of affection, not personal digital assistant ;)

At the fountain in front of General Yi statue on Sejongno, on election day (Wednesday, a public holiday).

A lovely pair of mum and daughter.

They knew I was snapping photos of them :p

I never took the show of affection among the Korean families seriously, until a fellow Anthropologist-Sociologist friend tells me about it. After some observation, I realized their public display of affection (PDA) is truly more apparent than other Northeast Asian countries.

Korean couple

Korean couple 2

Korean couples have never been shy of showing their affections and intimacy in the public. When they walk on the street you will always see one of the guy's arms around their girl friend's shoulder or waist and another vacant one holding each other's hand, or the girl clinging or leaning on the boyfie/fiance/hubby's arm. And when they're not walking (i.e. waiting for the traffic lights; resting under a tree, hanging out in a park etc), they will hold/stroke each other's face, patting on the head, kissing, and display their lovey-dovey publicly. I only show the moderate ones here because on ethical ground it's better for me to mosaic the intimate couples' faces but I'm lazy to do that. And yeah, I've been shamelessly photographing couples, with hope to get some nice love-themed photographs... without permission.

It's surprised to find how mushy the guys are :)

Including this lovely ajossi who fanned his lovely wife at Jogyesa during the Buddha's birthday celebration :)