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Novelist Lee Oi-soo By Oh Sang-min

An interesting article in the JoongAng Daily along with an interview of Lee Oisoo – this is particularly interesting in that it addresses Lee’s love/hate relationship with social media.

Lee is yet un-translated, as far as I know. In my Graduate Class, “Created in Translation” I am having my students translate a passage of his that The Translator has previously had a go at here at KTLIT.

In any case, the article points out something I did know, that Lee Oisoo is a pretty polarizing writer (I’ve heard wildly different assessments from other professors and some of my students). But it also has some interesting background on him, including his chidlhood poverty and puniness, and his battles with alcohol and web-based lynch mobs (siiiiiiiiigh! those silly netizens).

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According to the JoongAng Ilbo, corporal punishment is to be phased out in Gyeonggi-do schools.

In Gyeonggi, students who were to receive corporal punishment will instead receive “knowledge and virtue-based punishments,” such as writing book reports, completing community service projects or doing extra assignments.

They’re also to be phased out in Seoul schools as well, but no concrete steps have been taken in this direction. This is interesting:

Examination of students’ belongings without prior notice, regulation of hair length, verbal abuse and school violence will be prohibited. The teacher’s duty to monitor students’ dress code and conduct of behavior at school gates will be removed. Measures will be taken to raise awareness of student rights and student councils will be given greater autonomy.

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During the day news about former Aquibird vocalist Lady Jane has surfaced on the K-pop blogs:
- allkpop: Lady Jane to release digital single
- PopSeoul!: Lady Jane will make her official debut!

Although those posts mention nothing of her history in the acid jazz/reggae act, they do provide a clue as to what she’s been up to after leaving: participating in soft electronic pop outfit Tiramisu. The quartet has released two digital singles - Shooting Star and 투명인간 – since October last year and will return with a new digital single called Yes sir, Captain! on August 4.

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