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35 What you say F a v o r i t e a r t i c l e L e a s t f a v o r i t e a r t i c l e L a s t t h o u g h t s We asked about your favorite and least favorite stories, and gave you the mic to tell us what else you thought of us. Here are a few responses (edited for length and clarity): “I usually like your restaurant reviews. There are a few times I have tried restaurants just because I have seen them in your magazine. Sometimes they are pretty good (and) sometimes they are nothing I would ever want again, but it’s nice to learn about new places to try.” “The HIV issue (‘Dear Korea: I still don’t have AIDS,’ April 2013). I can relate to it a lot. I under- stand why some expats will be angry, but at the same time I understand why Koreans implement these rules. It was interesting to see both sides of the arguments from people at the end of the article.” “Loved the recent Itaewon story concerning the history of Itaewon (‘Itaewon freedom,’ July 2014) – especially the seedier aspects related to the military and prostitution.” “I always enjoy the personal articles that provide a different perspective of Korea. The ‘Korea’s stressed masses’ (April 2012) article was very interesting to read to gain new insight into the stress of daily Koreans.” “I really enjoyed the Women’s Issue (May 2014). The abortion article (‘The choice’) and the article on equality in the workplace (‘The working wom- an’) were especially strong. I think that Groove got a bit more socially conscious this year and I hope to see more of that.” “‘Is EFL in Korea failing?’ (‘Is Korea’s EFL ed- ucation failing?’ March 2013) because it was very thorough, well researched and relevant to our lives.” “Don’t have a favorite article, but I do love how the format has changed over the years. It makes it a more enjoyable read for myself.” “‘Vegan eats, vegan drinks, vegan love’ (Sep- tember 2014) is one of my favorite articles be- cause I have a special place in my heart for the organization CARE. They do some great things to help out the animals of Korea. I do wish you talked a little bit more about what they do, but I am still happy that you covered the amazing food they do serve!” “‘A silent sacrifice, a human cost’ (September 2014) was both moving and enlightening, es- pecially as a single male. The plight of single mothers in Korea is definitely not a topic I would normally consider or give thought to, so reading about the challenges, stigma and heartache they go through definitely provided food for thought.” “The versatility, a large coverage of topics, is to me the magazine’s great asset.” “I believe there was also an article a while back that was about the older generation’s views on why Korea is the way that it is. I enjoy reading about the perspective of what Koreans think about the country and about the expats.” “The article about the pressures that Korean students face (‘Educational odyssey of the Kore- an student,’ November 2011). Since I teach high school it really stood out to me.” “The article about sandwiches where the first two paragraphs ripped apart PB’s (Paris Ba- guette’s) attempt (‘The rise of the sandwich,’ April 2014). That may be the best thing I’ve ever read in a free mag.” “I don’t think there’s ever a ‘worst article.’ There’s always a thing or two to learn from any article because it’s another person’s perspective of an issue/topic.” “Hmmm, nothing really stands out when I try to think of it. There was one with holiday celebrations with people from other countries that I thought was going to be an interesting read, but then ac- tually was a little boring/not that interesting at all.” “It’s not that it’s bad, but an article on where to take friends/visitors in Seoul seems so PC. ... Like, yeah, I wanna take my mom to Gyeongbok- gung, but I also want to show my mom the hills of Itaewon at night.” “The story that spoke about the MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Company) video, in terms of the fact that it was white men presenting themselves as victims of Korean ‘racism’ when in reality they have white privilege, no matter where they live, and it shows a blatant disrespect and lack of under- standing of what actual racism is. While the video had some serious issues in it – the fact that white men use their privilege and treat Korean women as objects of their yellow fever is real, and if Ko- reans want to speak out against that it does not make the white male a victim of racism. Groove never seems to address the reality of yellow fever, but instead excuses and even protects it.” “The one about racism in Korea (“Korea’s black racism epidemic,” February 2014) — because it was a shocking article. The writing was very good and the article was informative. It was the worst because I did not realize there was racism in Ko- rea.” “Calm down, I just got the first issue of my sub- scription in the mail.” “I’d like to see an automotive section. Hell, I’d be happy to write it even.” “I love the food and restaurant reviews, but why don’t you have a small article where a local resident of that part of the city, like Sinchon or Hyewha, will suggest a place that is very small and unknown and great to eat at. Sometimes I find your restaurants to be the bigger, well-known restaurants in the expat community.” “You can’t take home the copy from Star- bucks! More presence outside of Seoul.” “It would be nice to see it in more locations in Daegu. There is a thriving expat scene here!” “Keep up the great work! I’m always happy to see a new issue at Starbucks!” “I’d like to see more articles about things hap- pening in areas outside of Seoul. Maybe some- thing on fusion or the history behind certain Korean foods. Oh, and it would be cool to hear more about expat bands. You’re doing a great job! Keep it up!” “It’s nice to see articles in Groove that you can- not find in the newspapers, so those I like to read!” “It’d be nice to hear from people outside of Seoul/Gyeonggi Province. Daegu, Busan, Ul- san, Daejeon and Gwangju are all major metros as well. Korea is diverse, and not everyone who reads Groove Korea lives in the capital area.” “Obviously, this is a Seoul magazine so a lot of the articles focus solely on Seoul, which was great when I lived there. However, I currently live in Gwangju and find that, although the cover stories usually discuss national issues, I’d love to see a broader range of cities covered – events, festivals, great places to eat or see live music outside of Seoul. It would definitely broaden your readership!” “It seems like Groove is geared more toward the young and/or sin gle crowd. I realize this amounts to a large percentage of expats, but I’d like more insightful and even controversial articles that’ll stir more than the run-of-the-mill discussions and arguments found around the makgeolli bowl. It seems as if what you’re doing caters more to the Western expats who stay one or two years and not to the long-timers who might be interested in deeper reflections.” “I’m really into the social scene and nightlife. I’ve lived in Itaewon for years now, and want to see a monthly column dedicated to a new, cute, hip bar or club that pops up that is good for a cocktail or good for getting crazy at. I’d also like to see contact info for people wanting to join lan - guage groups.” “Keep up the good work! I love Groove, and if I wasn’t an overworked entrepreneur and mom of three, I would love to write for you!”