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Where’s the money at? Today we’ll get a bit closer to knowing how to say where to find your money by learning how to say ‘Bank’ in Korean. It’s a simple vocabulary word, so we’ll give you additional vocabulary and phrases to help you when you go to the bank as well!

Now we’ll show you the money!

‘Bank’ in Korean

So how do you say ‘Bank’ in Korean? It’s simple, the word is 은행 (eunhaeng).

 은행 (eunhaeng)

Bank

This is the word for how to say ‘bank’ in Korean so you know what to say next time you need to find the local financial institution.

There’s only one way you need to remember for how to say ‘Bank’ in Korean. It’s 은행 (eunhaeng).

This is the same word used for the Ginkgo Tree, 은행나무 (eunhaengnamu), a type of tree found in Asia. But this version is almost always followed by 나무 (namu), meaning ‘tree‘.

If you’re looking for the word for how to say ‘river bank’ then you want 강둑 (gangduk).

Can't read Korean yet? Click here to learn for free in about 90 minutes!

Funnily enough, the word for ‘piggy bank’ is completely different, being 돼지 저금통 (dwaeji jeogeumtong). Literally, ‘pig moneybox’.

A word of caution about Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes. After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Sample Sentences

Formal (used in professional settings or with those older or in a higher position than you)

1. 은행은 어디에 있습니까? → Where is the bank?

   (eunhaengeun eodie itseumnikka?)

Standard (used in most situations with people you're not close with):

1. 은행은 몇 시에 문을 닫나요? → What time do banks close?

  (eunhaengeun myeot sie muneul dannayo)

Informal (used with friends, family, or others that you're close with):

1. 은행까지 나를 따라와 → Come with me to the bank.

   (eunhaengkkaji nareul ttarawa)

Bonus: Essential Korean Bank Vocabulary

If you're living in Korea then you may want to open a bank account. Before you try to chat up the tellers though, you'll want to study up on some Korean banking vocab, below is a great list of Korean words and phrases to add to your flash cards.

This list isn't exhaustive of everything you'll encounter, but it's a good place to start. If you have specific words or phrases that you want to know how to say in Korean, you can always ask us in the comments below and we'll let you know as soon as we can.

Korean Bank Vocabulary 1. 은행 (eunhaeng) → Bank

Your favorite way to say bank in Korean.

2. 계좌 (gyejwa) → Account

Bank account.

3. 외국인등록증 (oegugindeungnokjeung) → Alien Registration Card (ARC)

This is your national ID card, similar to a Social Security ID in the U.S.

4. 통장 (tongjang) → Bankbook

You get a paper passbook when you open your account, but most people these days just use internet banking in place of it.

5. 재직증명서  (jaejikjeungmyeongseo) → Certificate of Employment

Proof of employment.

6. 공인인증서 (gongininjeungseo) → Digital certificate

A file that helps identify yourself. You can save it to your computer, USB, or smartphone.

7. 수수료 (susuryo) → Fees

Watch out for these! These days, you have to pay 500 won if you withdraw from some ATMs outside banking hours.

8. 외국환 지정거래 (oegukwan jijeonggeorae) → Foreign Designated Bank

You only get to choose one bank for this. It's the bank where you can withdraw money internationally.

9. 신분증 (sinbunjeung)/아이디 (aidi) → Identification/ID

Usually your passport or ARC.

10. 예금통장 (yegeumtongjang) → Internet banking

Make sure you sign up for this when getting an account, it'll make life easier.

11. 한국내 전화번호  (hangungnae jeonhwabeonho) → Korean Phone Number

Your smartphone's favorite 11 digits.

12. 여권 (yeogwon) → Passport

Hang onto this! It makes traveling a lot easier. ㅋㅋ

13. 비밀번호 (bimilbeonho) → Password

Make sure you write this down somewhere, or store it with your favorite Password Manager software.

14. 이체 (icheI) → Transfer

These are really easy within Korea, especially if you have a digital certificate.

15. 비자 (bija) → Visa

This depends on your nationality. Some require a visa, some don't.

Korean Bank Phrases 1. I would like to open a new bank account 통장을 만들고 싶어요 (tongjangeul mandeulgo sipeoyo)

Most banks will have a staff or security guard who will ask you what you're there for. Use this phrase to open a new account and they'll give you the appropriate waiting number or direct you to the counter you need to open an account.

2. I'd like to open a savings account, please 저축예금계좌를 개설하고 싶습니다 (jeochungnyegeumgyejwareul gaeseolhago sipseumnida)

Use this phrase if you specifically want to open a savings account. Banks usually have a selection of options for interest rates. The longer that money stays in the account, the better the interest rate you can get.

3. I would like an ATM card 체크 카드를 만들고 싶어요 (chekeu kadeureul mandeulgo sipeoyo)

All banks offer ATM cards, but there may be a small fee to get it. The good news is that large bank branches can give it to you on the day of your visit. Note: If you don't have all the necessary documents, like an ARC, you may not be able to get an ATM card on that visit. 

4. Do you need internet banking? 인터넷 뱅킹 필요해요? (inteonet baengking pillyohaeyo?) 5. Can I apply for Internet Banking? 인터넷 뱅킹 신청할 수 있어요? (inteonet baengking sincheonghal su isseoyo?)

You may hear the staff ask you the first phrase. You can answer with the second or use it if the staff don't bring up internet banking. They'll help you get set up. You usually have to set it up in person the first time, but some banks allow you to apply online now.

6. I would like to apply for a digital certificate 공인인증서 발급하고 싶어요 (gongininjeungseo balgeupago sipeoyo)

You'll need a digital certificate for online transfers so be sure to apply for one if you're doing online banking.

7. I need to reset my password 비밀번호를 재발급 하고 싶어요 (bimilbeonhoreul jaebalgeup hago sipeoyo)

If you're not tech savvy enough to change your internet banking password on your own, or there aren't English menus available, then the bank staff should be able to help you.

8. Are there monthly fees? 수수료 있어요? (susuryo isseoyo?)

Most banks don't have monthly fees, although this can sometimes vary between branches. You should still find out about the fees you might incur using your card.

9. Do you have an ID card 신분증 있어요? (sinbunjeung isseoyo?) 10. Please give me your ID card 신분증 주세요 (sinbunjeung juseyo)

The bank staff may ask you this if you don't have it with your documents.

11. How much is the wire transfer charge? 송금 수수료는 얼마예요? (songgeum susuryoneun eolmayeyo?) 12. I want to send money to _______.   _______ 에 돈 보내려고 왔어요 (_______e don bonaeryeogo wasseoyo)

Wire transfers to another bank can sometimes have a small fee, if you're transferring money to a bank outside Korea then there will almost certainly be a fee. You can only transfer money to one foreign bank on your account, your Foreign Designated Bank.

13. I need to make a deposit 입금 해주세요 (ipgeum haejuseyo) 14. I need to make a withdrawal 출금 해주세요 (chulgeum haejuseyo)

If you don't need or want to use an ATM card then you'll need to handle deposits/withdrawals at the bank counter. It's a very straightforward procedure, just be sure to bring your bank card or bank book and ID.

15. Can I apply for a credit card? 신용 카드 신청할 수 있어요? (sinyong kadeu sincheonghal su isseoyo?)

Some banks offer credit cards for foreigners now. You can ask at the bank if you can apply. You can also read our guide for applying for a credit card for more info.  

Do you have any questions about opening a Korean bank account? What do you think is the best bank for expats? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Want more Korean phrases? Click here for a complete list!

 

Photo Credit: BigStock.com

The post How to Say ‘Bank’ in Korean appeared first on 90 Day Korean®.

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Today we’ll learn the different ways for how to say ‘job’ in Korean! Similar to the word ‘work’, and yet not quite the same at all, we’ll show you several examples with audio and sample sentences.

Let’s get this ‘job’ done!

‘Job’ in Korean

As with many other Korean words, there are multiple ways to say ‘job’ in Korean. The first word for ‘job’ in Korean is 일 (il).

 일 (il)

job

This word can be used for both to explain the specific job or task that you do or are doing, as well as just your job position in general.

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The second word for ‘job’ in Korean is 일자리 (iljari). This word only means job in the sense of a job position. It is a combination of the words 일 and 자리 (jari), which can mean seat, space, and position. It’s very popular to use when discussing if there are available jobs in the job market, and the like.

The third word for ‘job’ in Korean is 직장 (jikjang). This word typically refers to a ‘job in a company’ or ‘office job’ specifically. Thus, when talking with your Korean acquaintances, you may hear this particular word being used a lot if you ask them what their job is.

Since office work is such a common job in Korea, you’ll hear 직장 (jikjang) used quite frequently in conversation.

The next word for ‘job’ in Korean is 취직 (chwijik). The usage of this one is specifically limited to the moments where you talk about being in the process of finding a job, or having just recently found one.

The word 직업 (jigeop) is another alternative to say ‘job’ in Korean. 

 직업 (jigeop)

job / occupation

You would use this specifically when describing what your job or occupation is.

Lastly, you can also use the word 작업 (jageob). However, this typically refers to a specific job being done, and is more often used in arts, architecture, and other similar professions, rather than for office jobs.

A word of caution about Romanization

While it is possible for you to study the words in this article simply by reading their romanized versions, it will come in handy for you to be able to read Hangeul if you ever wish to come to Korea. Hangeul is the Korean alphabet, and not difficult to learn. In fact, you can learn it in just 90 minutes.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with Hangeul, life in Korea will suddenly seem so much easier and the country won’t appear so foreign for you. So, if you’re serious about learning Korean, why not learn Hangeul today?

Sample Sentences

Standard Korean (used in most situations with people you’re not close with):

1. 아직 일자리를 찾았어요? → Did you find a job yet?

  (ajik iljarireul chajasseoyo?)

2. 얼마전에 새 직장으로 옮겼어요. → I transferred to a new job some time ago.

   (majeone sae jikjangeuro olgyeosseoyo.)

3. 직업은 뭐예요? → What’s your job?

  (jigeobeun mwoyeyo?)

Informal (used with friends, family, or others that you're close with):

1. 오늘 일하기가 싫어. → I hate working today.

  (oneul ilhagiga sileo.)

2. 요즘 취직준비중이야. → These days I’m preparing to get a job.

  (yojeum chwijikjunbijungiya.)

Want more Korean phrases? Click here for a complete list!

The post How To Say ‘Job’ In Korean appeared first on 90 Day Korean®.

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Dak-galbi (닭갈비) is a spicy and sweet, stir-fried chicken dish that primarily uses Korean hot pepper for seasoning. Korean hot peppers aren’t too spicy. They tend to make you feel warm without chemically burning your tongue.

Dak-Galbi (닭갈비) – Korean Spicy Stir-fried Chicken

Once you have all of the ingredients, this dak-galbi is fairly easy and quick to make. You will need to go to your Asian or Korean food market to find Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang – 고추장) and coarse hot pepper flakes (gochu-karu – 고추가루). Other than that, other ingredients are easy to find.

For the chicken, traditionally chopped, bone-in chicken thighs and legs are used. In the video below, we use chicken breast. If you use bone-in thighs, let people know to be careful when eating.

View the video below for the recipe, or scroll further for ingredients and directions:

Ingredients

• 2~4 c – Chopped chicken pieces (either chicken breast or legs)
• 1~2 c – Chopped cabbage
• 1 c – Chopped onion
• ½ c – Chopped green onion
• 1 c – Chopped potato or sweet potato
• (Optional) – 1 c – Ddeok (떡) Rice cake pieces
• Seasoning
  • 3 T – Korean hot pepper paste – GoChuJang (고추장)
  • 3 T – Korean coarse hot pepper flakes – GoChuKaru (고추가루)
  • 3 T – Soy sauce
  • 2 T – White sugar
  • 1 T – Minced garlic
• Sesame oil
• Sesame seeds

Help support us. Scroll down for more content. Directions

• Chop the meat and vegetable ingredients into medium-small pieces
• Combine the Five sauce ingredients and mix.
• Heat a pan or wok and add some cooking oil.
• Add the chicken and stir-fry for a couple minutes until lightly cooked.
• Add the onions and sweet potato next (hard veggies first, then soft).
• Add one or two spoonfuls of sauce and stir-fry – cook another minute or two.
• Add more sauce and some water until the mixture is a deep red and liquidy.
• Continue to cook (2~3 minutes) until chicken and potato ingredients are fully cooked.
• Add the green onions.
• Sprinkle sesame oil and sesame seeds and stir.
• Remove from heat and serve.

If you spicy dishes, try our Korean Spicy Stir-fried Pork (Jaeyook Bokeum – 제육볶음) or visit our main page at Yorihey.com.

Yorihey.com

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South Korea and Japan are into diplomatic/economic war never seen since liberation in 1945. Japan announced export restrictions to S.Korea on key materials like hydrogen fluoride used in semiconductors effective July 4, saying "trust" between the two nations was broken after the Korean Supreme court's decision to order Japanese companies like Nippon Steel to compensate Korean workers forced to provide labor during Japanese colonial rule. Japanese government has been arguing that the Korean Supreme Court decision is against the 1965 diplomacy normalization agreement in which Japan provide $500 million, then 25% of Japanese foreign currency reserve, as a overall compensation for the Japanese rule of Korea in return for no further demand whatsoever. Japan also got irked by President Moon Jaein government's unilateral scrap of the irrevocable 2015 comfort women deal ex-president Park Geunhye had made to form a foundation with 10 billion Won ($8.9M) from Japanese government. With South Korea depending on semiconductors for nearly 20% of Korea's export and Japan having virtual global monopoly of high tech hydrogen fluoride, Korea dispatched two trade officials to Tokyo on July 12 for negotiation, only facing cold shoulders evidenced by no handshake at a warehouse like meeting room with hosts offering not even a glass of water. South Korea turned to the U.S. for mediation, but U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris backed away, commenting "Current issues are to be settled between two mature nations." Korean president Moon warned Japan not to go toward a dead end while Japanese PM Shinzo Abe hinted hydrogen fluoride might be only an appetizer. Things look real bad. 



N.Korea's Kim Jongun must be all smiles at the frosty South Korea -Japan relationship. His grandpa Kim Ilsung, the founder of N.Korea, had preached 'Kot Keun' theory. Kot means traditional Korean hat, and Keun is string that ties together under neck to hold Kot. In Kot Keun theory, South Korea is Kot which holds in place because of strongly tied two Keuns, one is S.Korea-U.S relationship and the other is S.Korea-Japan. If either Keun is cut off, Kot South Korea will be blown away. While Kot Keun theory was actually practiced in S.Korea with massive street demonstration against the U.S. and Japan in the past, my wife has no interest in this theory. Louis Vuitton has no plan to produce Kot. 

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I am not the most social person, especially when it comes to meeting new people. However, there is just something about a photowalk that decreases the awkwardness of social interaction and allows you to meet people on a different level.

Recently, I hosted a photowalk here in Ulsan, South Korea. This is sort of training for an upcoming project that I have in the works. Photowalks in this area are a hit and a miss at times. However, this one was great as it brought together some great people and it was a great time.

Why Photowalks?

I never really understood it until I started looking back on all the years that I hosted the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk. People came out not because they wanted to be a part of a worldwide photography event but rather because they wanted to be a part of a group of photographers in (usually) a great place.

Photowalks allow you to focus on photography with a group of likeminded rather than your friend or significant other who just stands there looking bored. When you are out with a group of photographers, you feed off their energy and motivate yourself to try a little harder.

1. Get Out and Do Something!

One of the common things that I heard from a lot of people is that they normally don’t get out. Photowalks are a great way to lessen the intimidation that a lot of beginner photographers have about venturing out to get photos. On more than one occasion, people have talked to me about how they never get the urge to go out and shoot alone. However, when a photowalk gets planned in their area, they dust off their camera and have a great time.

Photowalks are great as you get to spend a day in a wonderful location with a good group of people. There is a group up in Seoul, that meets every week and I hear so many great things about that group. What better way to spend a day than to explore a new area with a group of fellow photographers.

2. Meet Other Photographers

As I said before, I am really not a social butterfly. I’m not a jerk but I am also not the guy that will run up to you in real life for no reason. However, going on a photowalk allows me to break away from my old habits and meet other photographers. The past weekend’s event was great and while I knew most of the photographers that came, it was the first time that we all had met up in the same location for a while.

It is not just about the photography either. It was a time to talk shop, grab some food and coffee and just geek out on photography and whatnot. This is something rare when most people don’t really get why anyone would wake up at 3 am to capture a sunrise. As photographers we cherish these moments.

During larger meetups, I met people that I had only met online in the past. Photographers that I had known for years but never met in real life. I have also met new photographers who quickly became friends and people that I can count on to meet me on those early mornings.

3. Try Different Styles of Photography

One of the misconceptions of these photowalks is that they are about one particular style. However, I have found that when you get a group of photographers together, everyone tries out different styles. It is great fun and the experimentation will make you a better photographer.

Here was an experiment with light painting that we all tried.

I typically shoot landscapes and cityscapes. Often, we will end up shooting portraits, cinemagraphs, lightpainting, etc. For many of the participants, it is their first time experimenting with these styles of photography. During the walk the get a little coaching and encouragement.

During the last photowalk we had an impromptu modelling session with one of our members. I don’t normally shoot this style but it was great testing it out. A funny story but as we were setting up, a Korean guy helped us light the scene with his phone. It was a great moment!

I don’t norma take shots like this but this was a great time just to practice. 4. Go to New Locations

I have been living in this area for a while. However, most photographers that I meet in Korea, know very little about Ulsan. So being able to take people around and show them some new places is great. Likewise, when I am traveling I like meeting up with local photographers as I have the insider knowledge that can get better shots than if I was on my own.

Whenever I plan photowalks, I try to add in unique places that not everyone would know about but also have some photographic value. On the weekend, I took the group into the bamboo forest to photograph the lights projected onto the bamboo trews at night. This is something that many people had only seen in the photographs that I have taken before. So they were delighted to get the chance to photograph there as the location is not clearly marked and not even in English.

The same goes when I am up in Seoul. I have found myself in locations that only the local photographers really know about. These shots were some of my best and I would have never have found them without that local insight.

5. Build a Stronger Community

One of the things that I struggle with is simply getting out of my head when I shoot. Often, I just want to be along in my thoughts. However, photowalks are a great way to get out of that headspace and come together in real life.

These photowalks can build a stronger community through real life connections and support. Rather than being a distant avatar that dumps photos in a group for virtual hugs, when you attend a photowalk, you become a real person. People see your passion, instead of the JUST numerous photos that you dump into a facebook group, pining for attention.

While, I am not a fan of ALWAYS going out as a group, every couple of weeks they are a great way to spend some time with people who like photography. I have also noticed that the groups that have more frequent photowalks also seem to be more active online too. People actually care about the photos that are being posted because they were either there or have a deeper connection with the person.

The bottomline here is that in many ways we need a group of like-minded individuals. We need a tribe or a crew or whatever you want to call it. It opens us up to new ways of shooting and being creative.

Wherever you are, check out the local photoclubs and see about participating in a photowalk. Around October 5th , Scott Kelby will be doing another one of his Worldwide Photowalks. So, look into that. There should be some in your area.

The post 5 Ways Photowalks Can Make You a Better Photographer appeared first on The Sajin.

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A decade ago — or possibly even less — I would’ve made fun of the kind of person who made a birthday cake for their dog. We always had family dogs while I was growing up, but they were backyard dogs who, while part of the family, weren’t really as integral a part of the household as Charlie has become.

To say that it’s been a rough couple of months would be an understatement. At the end of May, I caught a bad case of the flu, and as it reached its pinnacle, my mom called to say that she had collapsed at home and had been taken to the hospital via ambulance. My mom had ongoing health issues, so I tried not to be too alarmed, but I had a bad feeling from the start. The next day, she called again to say that there was a mass on her liver, and that the doctors suspected it was cancer, and that if it was, that it had probably migrated there from elsewhere in her body.

I’ve been through a lot of family health scares over the years, and usually I remain pretty calm until I know for sure there’s something to be worried about. But that night, I started crying and couldn’t stop for hours. We were waiting for the results of the biopsy when I received a phone call in the middle of the night. It was my aunt, frantic, on her way to the hospital. My mom’s heart had stopped and she had dropped into a coma following revival.

The news continued to get worse from there, and I barely slept that week, as phone calls poured in around the clock with various updates, all bad. Three days later, we made the decision to take her off of life support.

I flew home the next week to handle the memorial and barely had time to mourn in the process. After five days at home, I returned to Seoul and a life that I no longer recognized. The weeks since have been a slow process of surviving and readjusting. I’m a different person now than I was before. I might get into what this whole thing has been like more in future posts — I almost definitely will, in fact — but for right now, I really am trying to take a step forward out of the fog of grief.

Which is why I decided to have a birthday party for my dog. I needed a reason, however stupid, to just feel like I was a normal person facing normal-sized problems, who had the emotional leisure to do something as trivial as baking a doggie birthday cake.

And it worked. Charlie couldn’t believe his eyes, although he seemed to know from the start that the cake was for him. He looks miserable in most of the photos only because he was being made to sit in front of the cake and control himself while I snapped a few shots.

But eventually, he got into the spirit of things, even joining in with the birthday song.

And of course, the best part, was getting to — finally — dig in.

Look at the passion in those eyes. I let him get through half before I took the rest away to save for later, which really ended up feeling like the best part. He was so busy sulking before he got to try the cake, because he was being told to wait, and after, because it had been taken away before he could eat it all, that I felt in the end like I’d betrayed him somehow by giving him the cake in the first place. But over the next few days, as he got to enjoy a slice after his morning walk, he finally showed a little appreciation. One small piece with a beginning and an end was just the right amount to brighten his day.

It’s a good reminder of a lesson I’ve been slowly unraveling over the past few weeks since my mother passed — one of many — that we don’t need the whole cake to be happy; that having just a bit of the good every now and then can often taste sweeter than having it all, all the time; and that the downs, in the end, are the reason why the ups feel so good.

Life is so much shorter and more fragile than we think it is, but that’s all more the reason to find an excuse to celebrate every chance we get. I feel like I’m only just knocking on the door of the final lessons my mother had to teach me, through her passing, but one thing I know for sure is that you can’t wait for life to come to you. You don’t have enough time.

The post A Birthday Cake for Charlie appeared first on Follow the River North.

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Freelance writer and editor. American in Seoul. I write about Korean food. I blog about all food. Last year I wrote a monthly column about traveling to different places around the country to explore Korean ingredients and cuisine. This ignited my interest in local foods and cooking, which I blog about regularly now. I also blog restaurant and cafe recommendations, recipes and some background and history about Korean food.

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This is a local re-post of an essay I recently wrote for The National Interest about the DMZ summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un. In short, it was a joke, another media stunt of the kind Trump is so good at. But now that everyone – Trump, Kim, Moon – have gotten their vanity picks for the history books and domestic legitimation/re-election needs, can we actually get back to, you know, the actual point of all this – a US-North Korean deal?

This is now the third of these made-for-TV, substance-free summit. Kim wins the optics and legitimation benefits just by showing up. He doesn’t have to do anything; he wins just by coming and smiling for the cameras. Trump on the other hand needs a deal to look like the meeting was worth it, because meeting Kim grants Trump no prestige, as it does vice versa for Kim. In fact, Trump looks at this point like he’s getting played, because he’s not getting anything despite three meetings so far, with a White House event possibly to come. Once again, it looks like Trump is just winging it, which is an asinine way to conduct foreign policy, especially for a superpower.

All that matters is what deal comes from all this and we still have no idea what they will be. It’s fashionable to say we’re making ‘progress,’ but are we? I’d say we’re just drifting.

The essay follows the jump:

 

Last week, US President Donald Trump held his third summit with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. The meeting took place at Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), the de facto border between the two Koreas. At this point, we are still waiting to hear if any substantive movement on the issues which divide the US and South Korea from North Korea is forthcoming. This appears unlikely. Once again, it appears that a Trump-Kim summit was mostly overtaken by the optics and staging.

Trump is a master of media coverage, arguably media manipulation. He has a powerful gut instinct for what makes great drama on television particularly. He used Twitter to suggest Kim come to meet him, and Twitter is a platform heavily used by journalists. He grasped the drama of a grand, last minute gesture against portentous backdrop: He would meet Kim at the DMZ no less and maybe step into North Korea, being the first sitting US president to do so. So the media spent several days endlessly debating the proposal, wondering if Kim would come, wondering if Trump would step over the border. Trump got round the clock wall-to-wall coverage.

Nor was it a coincidence that Trump’s North Korea hijinks drowned out coverage of the Democratic presidential debate. Just as Trump overwhelmed his Republican primary opponents in 2016 by generating endless media stories about himself, so he pushed aside the big Democratic coming out moment with his own well-orchestrated media stunt. The Democrats will have to contend with this sort of attention-grabbing behavior for the next eighteen months, and it does not appear that they know how to respond.

So it was great TV. But what it was not, was great diplomacy. Once again, Trump showed up to a summit with Kim with no preparation. Once again, the summit was thrown together at the last minute. Once again, the president ‘winged it.’ Once again, no concrete specifics came of it. Once again, there was a carnival atmosphere, rather than a professional one in which Trump came ready to seriously give-and-take with Kim. If the analyst community was nearly monolithic in describing this summit as a media gimmick, there was good reason. We are still no further along on the core issues than when this all started in March 2018 when Trump agreed to meet Kim for the first time. This has now become a curious waiting game, punctuated by occasional media hyperbole that such-and-such meeting was ‘historic, ‘epochal,’ and so on.

At this point, it is legitimate to ask when we will get to the actual negotiations over what the two sides will swap. With Trump’s invitation of Kim to the White House, it looks like that moment will again be pushed into the future. A White House visit would be an even greater media bonanza than the previous three summits. The media coverage would likely last a week, drowning out all campaign news, focusing questions of war and peace once again on Trump’s person. The sheer campaign reelection value of such an event would be extraordinary, so Trump probably has little interest in actually wrapping this up promptly. The North Korea process has become a useful, quick go-to media tool for him.

Kim similarly has powerful incentives to drag his feet. It is widely suspected that Kim prefers bargaining directly with Trump to US and North Korean working groups hammering away at details. Trump is clearly anxious for a deal; he told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize. But the hawks around Trump – most obviously National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – want to push the North much harder. This is probably why last year’s negotiations after the initial Singapore summit failed. The North wants to negotiate directly with the president.

Direct Kim-Trump talks also generate a propaganda bonus for the regime – lots of imagery of its gangster-orwellian dictator being treated like a world statesman by the leader of the global superpower. So expect any working groups this year to stumble along, just as they did last year, with Kim waiting for election pressures and the dramatic White House visit to give him more leverage over Trump.

In short, it will likely be another six months or a year of erratic process, with no real deal, plus a lot of should-they-or-shouldn’t-they punditry about a White House visit.

Unfortunately, none of this gets to the core issues, which at this point, I see as the following: 1. Will North Korea give up any nuclear warheads and/or missiles at all? 2. If so, how many? 3. Will North Korea submit to an inspection regime? 4. For these major concessions, will the US offer commensurate counter-concessions? (We have not to date.) 5. If so, what will those US concessions be? 6. Will Congressional Republicans, who undercut both President Bill Clinton’s 1990s deal with North Korea and President Barack Obama’s recent deal with Iran, suddenly accept a new North Korea deal which will almost certainly leave much of its nuclear arsenal intact? 7. Will the North Koreans believe any deal with Trump given, a) Trump’s long history of contract violation in his business career and personal life, and b) US cheating on the recent nuclear deals with Libya and Iran?

None of the Trump-Kim get-togethers have resolved, or even really raised, these hard questions, and after three photo-op summits, we are rightfully skeptical a White House event will either. We are adrift now.

Robert E Kelly
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science & Diplomacy
Pusan National University

@Robert_E_Kelly

 

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This is Part 2 of a 2-part series. You can read Part 1 here.

In this part we are going to look at how to edit your sunrise shots. I feel that his is an integral part of the process. While some out there may spout that “It looks photoshopped” rhetoric, editing your photos properly is essential in getting the look that you want. Also for my answer on how I feel about critiques on HDR and similar edits, check out my recent post.

The Vision

This is not about “fixing” an image but rather enhancing it. If you have ever burnt your dinner and tried to cover it up with spices or ketchup, you know that it is in vain. It just tastes like burnt garbage. It is the same with a photo. You can’t fix a crappy photo. For the most part you can’t “un-blur” an out-of-focus image simply or easily. Get it right in camera first.

This is more about achieving the vision that you have for your image. This “vision” should have started back when you composed the image in the field. Even right back to when you chose the location. What image did you have in mind? What elements were sticking out in your mind’s eye?

By starting with a vision of what you want to create, this will allow you to edit with purpose. It will streamline your editing process to where you are not just sliding stuff around to see what will happen, but rather you are doing precisely what the image needs to achieve your vision.

The Firesky Edit

For this shot I was trying to bring out the colour in the dynamic sky and the warm tones. It was this vision that pushed me to shoot in brackets to be able to make an HDR image using Skylum’s Aurora. However, looking at the original image, I needed to make it a little warmer.

Once I imported the images into Aurora HDR 2019, I started with Serge Ramelli’s Sunset Look and then adjusted from there. Remember, I am editing to what I wanted to see. So please, forget what the amounts are if you are following at home because the outcome of this image and your vision or your image will not be the same.

When I applied the look, I adjusted for my own vision. I wanted to emphasise the sky and bring out more detail. So, I dropped down the highlights, boosted the polarizing filter and adjusted the colour contrast. This effectively achieved what I was looking for.

Finally, once I brought the image back into lightroom, I cleaned up the image as I noticed some dust spots. I dropped the midtones down a little and bumped Presence up a bit by adjusting those sliders. Particularly the texture and dehaze.

The Split Edit

For this shot, I wanted to show the moment the sun broke the horizon. Initially, I wanted to create this the traditional way with warmer colours and tones. However, when I looked at the image in lightroom, I realized that there was a transition from warm to cool and light to dark that I wanted to emphasize.

Instead of making an HDR image, I chose to import the image into Luminar Flex. This gives me a number of avenues to pursue when editing the image. Again, I have an idea that I want to show with this image.

I started off by using a preset or “look” as Skylum calls them. In this case, I used “Aerial AI Enhancer” look to keep everything relatively cool but also to bring out the pops of colour in the image as well. On a side note, this pack of presets is one of my favorites. The “Aerial Golden Hour” look is also amazing for sunrises.

I then added the “golden hour” look that boosted the warm tones and added in a bit of saturation. That was pretty much it for this image. As I had shot this at F/22, I did not need to add in any sunrays or anything like that as I achieved that already in camera.

Building Your Vision

As you can see, what I am doing here is starting from a “look” and then adjusting the image to what I want to see. Not all presets are going to give you the same look. However, they give you a great starting point.

The way Luminar Flex is set up, the previews along the bottom give you a rough idea of what to expect. From there you can adjust and add filters to your liking. You are essentially building your vision one filter at a time.

Preferred Filters

Outside of the looks, Luminar Flex has a very powerful set of filters. For sunrises, I like:

• Accent AI 2.0 – It gives an overall general improvement. Often it is all you need for some images.
• AI Sky Enhancer – Works in a similar way to the Accent AI but works to improve the sky.
• Golden Hour – This does a lot to improve the look and feel of your sunrise shots. It adds in warmth and saturation where it is needed.
• Polarizing Filter – This is great for skies and to add in more contrast.
• Top & Bottom Lighting – a great filter to brighten up areas in the top or bottom of the image that may have been affected by global adjustments.
  

Lightroom Adjustments

In Lightroom there are a few things that I like to do as well. Typically, I use lightroom for the general adjusting and “fixing” of the image. Luminar Flex can do these as well but I find that Lightroom does them faster and more accurately. They are:

• The new texture slider – Works great for adding detail to skies.
• The Lens Corrections – They are great especially if you are using a wide angle.
• The Dehaze Slider – It adds a bit of added contrast in a different way than the contrast slider.
• The Upright Adjustments – They are not perfect but get the job done.

The bottomline is that you are in control of your vision for the image. What I have outlined here is basically what I do with regards to editing images for sunrises. You do not need the exact details and amounts because it will not be the same for you.

I cannot emphasise this enough. You can start with a preset or a look but finish with your own vision. Presets are just a starting point. The same preset will not work the same for each and every image.

What you need to learn and hopefully by this post, is to craft your image with your own vision. Start with what you want to achieve and then use the tools at your disposal to create it.

Download Skylum Products here

Click the button to use my affiliate link to test out Skylum’s products. Use the coupon code “TEALE” to get an additional discount when you purchase Luminar or Aurora HDR.

The post How To Shoot a Sunrise: Part 2 appeared first on The Sajin.