VOLUME 9 NO. 17 DECEMBER 24, 2020 – JANUARY 6, 2021 FREE SUBMIT STORIES TO: [email protected] STRIPESKOREA.COM FACEBOOK.COM/STRIPESPACIFIC SUBMIT A PHOTO FOR THE COVER OF Daegu mall stacked full of fun PAGES 12-14 GotGot a greatgreat shshotot ofof mainland Japan, Okinawa, Korea or Guam? If so, submit it and maybe it’ll end up on the front page of :HOFRPHWRWKH3DFLÀF Photo deadline: Jan. 15 Facebook.com/StripesPacific INSIDEstripeskorea.com INFO TRAIN TRAVEL MADE EASY WITH USEFUL APP PAGE 2 My visit to a Korean fortune teller STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHIHON KIM, health, family, marital and career matters. And STRIPES KOREA Health let’s face it, some just want to know when all this COVID-19 madness is going to end. et’s admit it, everyone is curious about what According to recent statistics from joins.com, four out their future holds. In Korea, many of us Job of 10 South Korean adults have gone to a fortune teller. Lrely on fortune tellers or Mudang (sha- Korea’s fortune-telling industry generates an estimated mans) to look into our futures. Of course, we go $3.7 billion annually, the Korea Economic Daily re- to the ones who are known to be accurate. With a ported. The Korean Association of the Gyeongsin new year upon us, Koreans are flocking to these Family knowers of the future to ask them about business, SEE FORTUNE ON PAGE 6 2 STRIPES KOREA A STARS AND STRIPESPEES COMMUNITYCCO PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC DECEMBER 24, 2020 − JANUARY 6, 2021 Max D. Lederer Jr. Publisher Lt. Col. Richard E. McClintic Commander Chris Verigan Engagement Director Marie Woods Train travel made easy with useful app Publishing and Media Design Director Chris Carlson Publishing and Media Design Manager Eric Lee STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHIHON KIM, Advertising and Circulation Manager STRIPES KOREA Enrique “Rick” W. Villanueva Jr. Korea Area Manager ublic transportation in Korea is Jinsun Song Operations Manager abundant and on the cheap side Kentaro Shimura when you are looking to get off Production Manager P base and explore. Of Rie Miyoshi Engagement Manager course, there is always Denisse Rauda the language barrier. Publishing and Media Design Editor But don’t worry, if you Publishing and Media Design Writers ChiHon Kim are traveling on the Shoji Kudaka Takahiro Takiguchi train, there is a handy How to do it Layout Designers mobile app that will 1. Mamoru Inoue Type a ‘Korail’ in the app store search bar and install it. Yukiyo Oda help you navigate the 2.Tap the icon circled in red in top-right of the app screen Yuko Okazaki rail system in English. 3. Kayoko Shimoda Tap the icon circled in red in the top-right of the app Multimedia Consultants KorailTalk is used by many foreigners, screen again. Max Genao Doug Johnson so you should give it a try. Just type in 4.Tap the language setting and make your pick. Brian Jones Jason Lee Hans Simpson Chae Pang Yi “Korail” in the app store and KorailTalk 5.Type required information and book a ticket. Gianni Youn Robert Zuckerman will pop up. Set the app to English and off Graphic Designers Kenichi Ogasawara Yosuke Tsuji you go. You can book a ticket on the app Sales Support and just show your reservation info from English website that will help with train you have to print the ticket out yourself Kazumi Hasegawa Hiromi Isa Ichiro Katayanagi Yoko Noro the phone if the train employee asks for travel: www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/Ebiz- or show your reservation info from your Yusuke Sato Saori Tamanaha your tickets. bfForeign_pr16100.do?gubun=1 phone at a train station ticket window. Toshie Yoshimizu Un Chong Yu If you are not into apps, here’s a helpful To make a reservation on the website, [email protected] For feedback and inquiries, contact [email protected] To place an ad, call DSN 755-2255 stripeskorea.com/contact DECEMBER 24, 2020 − JANUARY 6, 2021 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC STRIPES KOREA 3 4 STRIPES KOREA A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC DECEMBER 24, 2020 − JANUARY 6, 2021 Sophia Hudak, Michael Hudak, Cayman Williams and Duke Williams dance in costume to the joy of new arrivals. Courtesy photo by Jackie Williams Raising quarantined spirits, providing support at Camp Humphreys STORY AND PHOTOS BY SPC. MATTHEW MARCELLUS, within the community. When you see things like U.S. ARMY Operation Cake for Quarantine or the Girl Scouts collecting Halloween candy, the effort is always CAMP HUMPHREYS — Feelings of anxiety, fear, to cover all of the quarantine facilities and all of loneliness and boredom can dominate the minds the staff members, including the reception center, of the Soldiers, families and community members because they are a part of this whole mission.” who have been placed into quarantine due to the The quarantine process on Camp Humphreys COVID-19 pandemic. allows for the volunteers to work closely with Sol- However, the Humphreys community has diers assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division Sus- banded together under the Humphreys Quar- tainment Brigade, who are working tirelessly to antine Support Group, to help alleviate some of ensure a safe and acceptable environment is pro- these stressors and improve the quarantine qual- vided for those in quarantine. The continued com- ity of life. mitment of the 2IDSB Soldiers working across Incoming Soldiers, families and community quarantine sites demonstrates the Army’s ability members who are arriving to the Republic of to adapt to new and rising threats, as well as the Korea must restrict their movement and enter a prioritization of Soldiers’ and community mem- 14-day quarantine. This quarantine has allowed bers’ health and safety. for the identification of COVID-19 positive new- “Seeing quarantine unfold and the speed with comers and a rapid response to address those af- which the Army has met the challenge and con- fected. However, the quarantine process itself can tinues to adapt to the ever-changing environment, be stressful and chaotic for those isolated even has been impressive,” said Karen Landes, a vol- without the disease. unteer and administrator on the Humphreys Gar- “A permanent change of station (PCS) move rison Facebook page. “The quarantine of 6 months in itself is stressful, and when you PCS outside ago, even 3 months ago, looks nothing like the of the United States it’s an added stress,” said quarantine of today.” Jackie Williams, a volunteer and community or- The Humphreys Quarantine Support Group at- ganizer who is one of the administrators of the tempts to divide their attention and care equally Humphreys Quarantine Support Facebook Group. among the newcomers in quarantine. “Now, you’re doing it during a pandemic, so any “We always like to remind people that there bit of information that you can get is important, is no rank in quarantine,” said Williams. “That’s especially because it’s such a fluid situation. For a been really helpful to not have to look at the rank lot of our new community members, they are com- or even the branch of the military, it’s one of those ing from a very different understanding of what things where we try to take care of everybody, re- quarantine was at their last location versus what gardless of any outliers.” quarantine is here. I find it super important that Being a fully volunteer-driven endeavor, the we get that information to people.” Humphreys Quarantine Support group offers a The Humphreys Quarantine Support Group, is flexible and agile response to requests and issues centered on the Facebook page of the same name, raised by those in quarantine, demonstrating the which went live near the end of May and has pro- vided a central hub for numerous volunteer initia- tives. These missions include the “Bag Brigade,” which assembles and delivers welcome bags for (Top) A soldier assigned to the 643rd Engineer Support unaccompanied Soldiers; the “Basket Brigade,” Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, counts and inventories forks used by which creates welcome baskets for families; a family who had recently departed quarantine at Camp “Volunteer Shoppers,” who fulfill commissary Humphreys, Dec. 2. requests from those in quarantine; the “Joe for Joes” initiative, which is attempting to bring hot (Center) Thank you notes adorn the walls of quarantine water capability to each room; “Operation Cake building 6392, currently manned by soldiers assigned to the for Quarantine,” which delivers individualized 11th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Sustainment cakes, and many other efforts, each aimed at im- Brigade, thanking them and volunteers from across Camp Humphreys for their tireless work and dedication during the proving Soldier care while in quarantine and to quarantine process. provide information and community support. “We try to grasp what it is like to be stuck in here, the quarantine change of quarters (CQ), (Bottom) Catherine Mader, a volunteer and local community a cinder block room for 14 days,” said Williams. Eighth Army’s fusion cell and with the 65th Medi- member, poses alongside the coffee-making equipment “We have a good connection with the leadership cal Brigade, so we try to be very well connected secured as part of the Joe for Joes volunteer initiative. DECEMBER 24, 2020 − JANUARY 6, 2021 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC STRIPES KOREA 5 strong ties, vast adaptability and irreplaceable ef- volunteer initiatives across Humphreys, each fort which defines the greater Humphreys com- contributing in their own way to brighten quaran- munity. tined community members’ day.