BLOG #4

Simon and Martina, a married couple that moved to South Korea in 2008 and have been there ever since, blog about their cultural experiences in South Korea. Not only do they blog on the Internet, they also post popular videos on Youtube through three channels which have been viewed a total of 108,713,613 times. Because Simon and Martina employ the Internet in two different and prominent ways, they are able to reach a larger, global audience. A large number of their videos and blog postings have to do with the South Korean entertainment scene. Unlike many bloggers, they are able to interact with celebrities in person which allows Simon and Martina to have a more insightful perspective. They also live and teach in South Korea so their readers can gain a more authentic and realistic view in the Korean lifestyle.

NetizenBuzz, a Korean American female, blogs about the latest celebrity tabloids and news and injects some of her own opinions and thought processes. Unlike Simon and Martina, she does not live in South Korea so she does not have a first-hand view of the society. Her blogs mostly focus on the opinions of South Korean netizens which can be greatly biased and skewed. She also comments on the societal and cultural problems that occur every once in a while, through articles on government scandals and the public's reaction to them. Because she lives in the United States, she has a certain cultural bias because South Korea and America are extremely contrasting. Sometimes she explains how she does not agree with some Koreans' views; these views, however, would be extremely commonplace and accepted in Korea.

Manlin Yao
Staff Editor