jun - teddy bear
jul - tongyeong
aug - danyang/guinsa
sept - gaya kingdom
oct - baekje kingdom
nov - daegu highlights
dec
jan
feb
mar
apr
may
jun

Hello, I have some concerns about the running of the WKB I would like to address

In the first year I was the only person south of Daejeon (there was nobody from Busan, Daegu, Gwangju or Gyeongsang/Jeolla Province). I mentioned this in the welcome ceremony and eagerly travelled extensively throughout Gyeongsang province covering many events, historical, and cultural locations, as well as other regions in Korea outside of Seoul. I was told I was "the most active blogger" and won a reward trip to Jeju. However only four articles were ever published that year, and none from Jeju which we were specifically told to blog about in its "New 7 Wonders" campaign.

In the second year we did get more representation from Busan with Dita and Jessica, and Magdelana from Daegu. While I have not seen Dita or Magdalena post, Jessica has contributed articles from Busan. I was still the only one extensively travelling in Gyeongsang Province as well as expanding into Jeolla and other regions outside Seoul.

Only four articles were published in Year 2 despite being told I was "the most active blogger" again and sent on reward trips to Yeosu Expo and Jeonju/Seonyudo. For one of the published articles I had to contact Jon Dunbar to push it through as I had promised the Sci Fi Museum owner I would get his article published on an English Government Website

One article from Yeosu Expo that was published I was not credited, even when I posted a comment at the bottom asking to do this which is still there. http://blog.korea.net/?p=11028. When Jessica's articles are posted she has a photo and small bio?

Since May 2012 I have been made an Official Foreign Blogger to the City of Daegu. Their mandate is to promote the City in English media both inside Korea and to an overseas audience. One of the things I told them is that I blog for Kocis and can submit things to the WKB and reach a wider global audience.

I have to submit 2-3 articles per month about places and events in Daegu, all of which were submitted to the WKB (in addition to non Daegu articles I also give you). Daegu has also provided media passes each year, which I have raised several times with Kocis as we do not get any from the WKB.

While the Daegu Blogsite has been happy to publish nearly all articles, not one has been published on the WKB. This is a paid position with the City and if my articles were not up to standard they would tell me so or look for another writer.

In two years with the WKB I have never received any kind of feedback as to what is wrong with my articles, why they are never published, what you would like me to change or do instead? Yet I am sent on "reward trips" and renewed each year? Nor is this ever discussed in a broader group setting during the last two welcome ceremonies or during any trips.

In the first year it was mostly Suzie/Steve whose articles got published and since Jon joined now its Suzie/Steve/Jon. I sometimes wonder why you need 50 bloggers when they hardly get published? In fairness since the start of year three I have seen more posts starting to go up from other bloggers.

The WKB experience has been a mixed one. While it has been great for free reward trips, making new friends, meeting overseas bloggers, it hasnt been very positive in terms of getting my writing recognized. Since I am leaving Korea in August initially I wasnt going to apply for a third year. When the deadline kept being extended I decided to send my application anyway and was accepted again.

I have since learnt that Dale and Jo-Anna (and probably Jessica) were "automatically renewed". This is quite upsetting for me that I was not when you look at the volume of entries I give, the diversity of subject, and extent of travelling I do throughout the southern half of the country covering places and events the Seoul writers are not (You did not know I was leaving in August)

I should be recognized as a "Field Writer" when you look at the extent of travelling I do outside Seoul, the variety of content/locations I cover, the number of posts I give (Temples, Biking, Festivals, Food, Museums, Sports, Culture, News, Air/Train Travel, KPop, Overseas communities, Natural Landscape, Cooking, Traditional Music, Housing Market, Weather, Foreign Food, Japanese Heritage) and the enthusiasm I bring in sharing as much as I can about Korea outside of Seoul.

I am submitting the same 3+ articles I give to Daegu as well as other non Daegu articles to the WKB. If you scroll through the pages of the 'Forum for WKB' on the Korea Clickers page you will see the posts are predominantly from me on a vast variety of subjects, contents, and locations. I am easily giving you 10+ articles per month. Not only are these never published, I was "not automatically renewed' when other less active bloggers were??? I'm sure I've contributed more than either Suzie/Jon/Steve.

My articles are not highly personalized and I've seen other published articles from Steve/Jessica that are. As publishers you are free to edit anything you do not like and it does not simply have to be a cut/paste. Your new guidelines even say you have the right to edit.

I know you have 50 bloggers and you cant print everything that everyone sends to you. But talking with some of the other WKB they wonder the same thing if its really worth doing all the legwork, travelling at our own time/expense, sending proposals, writing articles, only to have them not published almost everytime, with a less than positive experience.

I hope there are some positive changes going forward and that my "not being automatically renewed" was just an oversight and not something directed personally towards me.