The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch will host a talk by veteran expat Jacco Zwetsloot on the portrayal of Korea in U.S. military media under the U.S. Army Military Government of Korea from 1945-48. He will focus on Korea Graphic, the weekly newspaper printed by the Troop Information and Education section of the 24th Corps for troops stationed in the U.S. zone of occupation. As U.S. troops were discouraged from getting too close to the country, Korea Graphic was a key source of information fo

Seoul Metropolitan Government is seeking student volunteers to help out with the city’s community projects.The volunteers will participate in group volunteer events, give online classes on foreign languages and culture to children living in island areas, and help with translation, cleaning and other services at Gwanghwamun Plaza Flea Market. Those who teach children from island areas at least twice a week over 10 months will be eligible for a scholarship of up to 2.5 million won from KT.Voluntee

Two foreign cultural markets will open in Seoul and Busan this month with a selection of handicrafts from vendors based across the country.Celebrating its first anniversary, the monthly Busan Foreign Culture Market will open Saturday at Owl and Pussycat, Hq, Beached Bar & Sharkys Bar in the city’s Gwangan area, with a magical theme.The market will feature handmade accessories, stationery, soaps and scents, many of which will have touches from “Harry Potter.” Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary will al

Itaewon Global Village Center has announced its volunteering program for January.The activities include helping people at Yongsan Center for the Disabled make craftworks for sale on Jan. 8.On Jan. 19 native- and nonnative-speaking volunteers will join an English conversation class at a Yongsan Senior Welfare Center as part of an initiative to help old people fight Alzheimer’s disease, and on Jan. 20 the Itaewon GVC will volunteer at Young Aena’s Home for children with cerebral palsy.Activities t

A group of volunteers will get together to help out at Angel House, a center in northwest Seoul that is home to about 50 disabled residents. The volunteers go once or twice a month to the house to clean the facilities, do laundry, cook and help with basic personal hygiene for the residents.Joining in requires a 10,000 won donation, which goes toward facility upkeep and food for residents and volunteers.The group meets at 1:30 p.m. at Yeonsinnae Subway Station on Line No. 3.To join in or get more

Gwangju International Center is running a program of cultural classes in January on a range of language and other subjects.Adult courses include basic Spanish, Japanese and Italian, as well as classes on K-pop and calligraphy. There are children’s courses on Saturdays. Schedules for the adult classes vary.The weekly classes run from Jan. 5-30 and registration closes Monday.Tuition fees are 40,000 won for all classes except English conversation, which is 80,000 won. Fees do not include textbook c

One of Korea’s most high-profile expat blogs has shut off its server space after 12 years online.Robert Koehler’s Marmot’s Hole blog was a mainstay of the expat blogosphere, but was closed Monday, as the author said he was no longer willing to commit the time and money needed to maintain it.“I’ve been doing it since 2003 and, you know, I just wasn’t feeling it anymore. And frankly it was more aggravation than it was anything else,” he said.“To be honest, blogging is, I think to some extent it’s

Seorae Global Village Center in southern Seoul will be running beginners’ Spanish classes from next year.The course will run on Thursdays and last 10 weeks, after which participants should be able to introduce themselves and carry out basic conversation.Classes will run at the SGV Center building near Seocho Station from 1:30-3 p.m. Tuition costs 50,000 won but a trial lesson that opens the course on Jan. 7 will be free.The class size is limited to 10, with priority given to foreign residents.Fo

The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch will kick off the new year with some Gallic flavor, with a talk by Hal Swindall on the rise of French restaurants in Korea.Before 2000, there were fewer than five French restaurants in all of Korea, he says, while today, there are 60, as well as bakeries. Swindall argues that the sharp increase indicates a major shift in food preferences here.He will talk about how a new interest in a wider range of foreign food here has drawn young Korean chefs to France