Jeju Island's English-language community newspaper. Providing the local community and overseas readers with news from the island. Email us at [email protected]
Vol. IV No. 86 April 2013 www.jejuweekly.com Publisher : Song Jung Hee Editor : Darren Southcott Designer : Yun Seong Un Address : Rm. 505 Jeju Venture Maru Bldg. 217 Jungang-ro, Jeju City, Korea Phone : +82-64-724-7776, 702-8885 / Fax : +82-64-724-7796 For advertizing or further inquiries please contact: [email protected] ߣ$ -HMX JUDYH LV VXUURXQGHG E\ WKH GDUN VRLO RI IXUURZHG ILHOGV LQ D ZLQQLQJ VKRW IURP WKH QG -HMX ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 3KRWR &RQWHVW Photo courtesy -HMX 6SHFLDO 6HOI*RYHUQLQJ 3URYLQFH By Anne Hilty HDVWZHVWSV\FKH#JPDLOFRP Jeju is a post-conflict society in active pursuit of healing. The mid-20 th century tragedy known as “4.3” (“sa-sam”) according to a significant anniversary date, was an era (1947-1954) filled with mass executions, decimation of entire villages by fire, refugee hideouts in caves and similar structures, unexplained disappearances, suspicion, betrayal, extended terror and generalized insta- bility. While the details including culpa- bility may never be fully revealed, it nonetheless represents a time of sus- tained and repeated trauma for all involved. The battle for truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation is ongoing, bravely fought by activists, researchers, artists, writers, and survivors and their families. Indeed, it would be difficult to find any native person of Jeju who has not been directly or indirectly affected. Across the nation, the term “healing” has suddenly and powerfully entered the cultural narrative, and while it is applied widely, it represents an awakening in the Korean psyche of insufficiently addressed emotional wounding. Until quite recently, the concept of “healing” was deemed unfamiliar to Koreans. Today, it has exploded onto the national stage. Well-being, an earlier movement, is a concept that assumes a baseline of health. Found insufficient by many, the need to achieve the latter before the former becomes possible Continued on page 2 Trauma and healing: Jeju’s path toward full recovery $ PHPRULDO WR 0DVVDFUH YLFWLPV DW -HMX $SULO UG 3HDFH 3DUN Photo courtesy -HMX $SULO UG 3HDFH )RXQGDWLRQ
Transcript
Vol. IV No. 86 April 2013
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By Anne Hilty
Jeju is a post-conflict society in active pursuit of healing.
The mid-20th century tragedy known as “4.3” (“sa-sam”) according to a significant anniversary date, was an era (1947-1954) filled with mass executions, decimation of entire villages by fire, refugee hideouts in caves and similar structures, unexplained disappearances, suspicion, betrayal, extended terror and generalized insta-bility. While the details including culpa-bility may never be fully revealed, it nonetheless represents a time of sus-
tained and repeated trauma for all involved.
The battle for truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation is ongoing, bravely fought by activists, researchers, artists, writers, and survivors and their families. Indeed, it would be difficult to find any native person of Jeju who has not been
directly or indirectly affected.Across the nation, the term “healing”
has suddenly and powerfully entered the cultural narrative, and while it is applied widely, it represents an awakening in the Korean psyche of insufficiently addressed emotional wounding.
Until quite recently, the concept of
“healing” was deemed unfamiliar to Koreans. Today, it has exploded onto the national stage. Well-being, an earlier movement, is a concept that assumes a baseline of health. Found insufficient by many, the need to achieve the latter before the former becomes possible Continued on page 2
Trauma and healing: Jeju’s path toward full recovery
Continued from page 1 would now seem to be more widely understood.
In February, Jeju’s association for families of 4.3 victims and survivors organized a seminar to explore the need for a trauma center. Council member Kang Chang-il (Democratic United Party) is sponsoring a bill for the creation of such a facility.
Gwangju already has a trauma center, to address the post-traumatic symptom-atology of those who were directly affected by the 1980 military massacre of pro-democracy activists. While it is not well-funded, doesn’t have its own facility but exists in rented space, and is only now beginning to achieve adequate organization and treatment success, according to Oh Seung-kook, deputy secretary general of Jeju’s 4.3 Peace Foundation, it is a positive step and a model for Jeju.
Government funding at both national and provincial levels is required for such an undertaking, emphasized Oh.
TraumaMuch is not yet realized about the
nature of Jeju’s trauma, however. Not all trauma results in post-traumatic stress symptoms, as the acute phase typically passes within one to three months follow-ing the traumatic event. However, Type II trauma, sustained and/or involving multiple incidents, is especially difficult to resolve and more often results in lasting symptomatology.
The fact that a half-century of political suppression followed this period, to include government denial of culpability and criminalization of its discussion, as well as extension of victims’ “criminal” status to family members, served to fester this wound and prevent any true measure of healing.
The concepts of “victim” and “survivor” are also too narrowly applied, as trauma-tization extends well beyond those who were on the “front line” – directly affected physically and/or emotionally. The effects of trauma and terror reach also to those who were not present for actual events but who were secondarily affected, such as the family members of those killed or who disappeared.
Young children are especially vulner-able in a terror-filled environment, particularly those under the age of five, for whom brain development is highly susceptible to the influx of stress hor-
mones such as cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and others. This phenomenon, which negatively impacts the ability to form healthy relationships, results in emotional instability, and prevents the development of a core sense of safety and belief in a benevolent world, is often referred to as the “neurobiology of terror.” This profoundly affected age cohort can be found among those Jeju people now in their 60s.
Intergenerational transmission of trauma is another often poorly under-stood concept. Children reared by adults who suffered severe traumatization for which they were not treated, even if those children were not born until well after the event itself, suffer many of the same psychological symptoms as their parents and are prone to develop such disorders as depression, anxiety, social phobias, and substance abuse, among others.
ResilienceIt is well known among researchers of
post-conflict societies that the effects of war and other sustained traumas, such as that experienced by the people of Jeju,
can take up to 100 years – five genera-tions – to fully resolve.
Humans are resilient, even in the face of severe and sustained trauma. Resilience is the ability not only to survive extreme hardship but even to thrive in its after-math. The people of Jeju, having faced multiple hardships for centuries, share a high degree of adaptability and a strong sense of community that has contributed to their survival. With a history not only of hardship but of multiple invasions by others and perceived insults from the mainland and central government, the people of Jeju have formed and relied upon a strong bond with one another which has sustained them despite this severe and long-lasting rift in the fabric of their society.
Individual resilience, however, deteri-orates with age, as researchers of Holo-caust survivors have learned. A particu-larly vulnerable group on Jeju, in addi-tion to those who were young children at the time of the traumatic events, are the “old-old” as they are known in the medical field. Those over 80 years of age who suffered trauma at an earlier time in
life, yet were resilient and highly functioning subsequently, are known to experience latent post-traumatic symptoms with the breakdown of physical and cognitive-emotional health that often comes with advanced age.
The key feature of trauma symptom-atology is a distortion of time. The past does not invade the present, in the form of memories that a person can’t escape, as is often thought. The past in fact, for the traumatized person, folds in on the present; that is, past traumatic events are experienced, consciously or uncon-sciously, as if they are occurring now, which can be extremely disabling.
The disruptions to Jeju society, to its sense of community and individual relationships, to the health of its elders including those who do not perceive themselves to be ‘survivors’ of this historic trauma, are ongoing and in need of greater understanding – and, healing.
Dr. Hilty is a cultural health psychol-ogist from New York. She now makes Jeju Island her home.
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Jiseul: the starting point for the island of peace
By Yeo Jun Lee
Many years have passed since one of the most tragic events in Korean history swept across Jeju Island. The 4.3 Massacre, also known simply as “sa sam,” claimed more than 14 thousand mostly innocent lives, according to official Korean government figures. (Some activists put the figure as high as 60 thousand.) The killings were committed under a policy of “driving out commu-nists” and other resistance forces on the island. Not only lives, but also bonds of trust between c o m m u n i t i e s were destroyed.
Virtually the whole island was r ipped apart . When the trage-dy was over the government bur-ied the atrocity i n t o h i s t o r y , feigning igno-rance, and Jeju Islanders buried their pain deep down in their soul, muted, ter-r i f i e d , a s i f speaking of it would start the misery all over again.
Now, the massacre itself is slowly beginning to fade. As generations passed, it was rarely openly discussed and deemed politically sensitive. Also, as long as those who experienced the incident are still alive, it has been difficult to objectively reflect on the event. However, among all these political and practical perspectives, what is easily overlooked - but crucially important - is the story of the “people.”
Apart from the military, policemen or the rebels, those who were brutally murdered were Jeju Islanders. Their story must be heard. To them the 4.3 Massacre was not an ideological feud. To them it was the crumbling of everyday life leaving them with excruciating pain and sorrow. By seeing it this way, we truly understand why it should never happen again. This brings me to “Jiseul,” a movie which tells a story that should have been told a long time ago.
In the movie, a couple of households go to a mountain cave to hide for a few days until the commotion in their village passes. They have very little food or belongings with them. The families chat merrily, sometimes worrying about a daughter or livestock left behind. They don’t seem to know anything about communism, or even why soldiers have come to their village. What they do know is, everything is going to be over soon.
Despite their expectations, the days in the cave get longer and longer. The military is burning down houses, slaughtering villagers, raping women. Those who have gone down the mountain to seek others find their loved ones dead. One, caught by
the military, tells of the cave location in the naive belief that the soldiers will help - not knowing that death alone awaits him and the others.
Even during such a hard and miserable time there is something to lighten the mood and cheer people up. “Jiseul” (potato in Jeju dialect), is shared between the people. A mother grasps a basket of jiseul, thinking of how starving her son must be in the cave. A soldier hands jiseul to another soldier who is tormented by their superior’s orders. The jiseul are not just food, they are love, the only remaining humanity when all morals and justice have gone.
The touching and disturbing scenes of Jiseul leave a profound impact on the audience. Watching visualized scenes of the massacre is much more shocking than reading documents about the incident.
This reminded me of research my team and I
conducted last year. While doing research on the 4.3 Massacre I realized one thing: to gain even the slightest understanding of what happened, perceiving is not enough. As generations who have never experienced such an incident, we can barely comprehend it just by ‘knowing’. Rather, we should ‘empathize’ with the islanders.
We must get into the shoes of the people who went up the mountain and had absolutely no knowledge of what would happen in the end. And only after empathizing can we slowly understand the essential reason why this incident should never be repeated: the massacre disregarded people’s lives and wretchedly trampled on human rights.
However, from a political point of view, all this is just another his-toric event, a compilation of facts and indi-viduals. In this respect, Jiseul gives us the per-fect opportunity to stand a step closer to the Jeju people and real-ize the true sig-nificance of the event.
Jiseul allows us to reflect on Jeju as the ‘Island of World Peace’. Somehow, the ‘world peace’ in that slogan has come to mean a “Miss Universe” of peace - yet, world peace is not about beautiful scenery. In Jeju, it comes from extending the lessons learned from the 4.3 Massacre.
Lessons like, “true peace is not fighting one another for ideological differences” and, “basic human rights are the greatest value we must pursue at all times.” These morals aren’t just lessons that should have been learned at the time of the incident, they are still valid today and should be universally applied.
By imparting them, Jeju Island can take part in establishing world peace. In the end, for this island to be an “Island of World Peace,” it should be a place where people always remember the victims of the 4.3 Massacre and share jiseul with one another.
According to international standards, South Korea is second only to Finland in educational performance, yet the country also scores highly on unhappiness amongst children. More and more parents are coming to realize that over-emphasis on scholastic performance is detrimental to their happiness.
Dr. Kim Yang Soon, of Jeju National University, is a pioneer in helping Korean children cope with their lives through play and relationship therapy. She feels that the parents often cause the prob-lems.
“The parents turn the children into study robots. There are so many problems here. For instance, Korean children can’t play, and even when they play, their toys reinforce the idea that you must conform to rules.”
Dr Kim, a specialist in the field of Play Therapy and Parent-Child Relationships Therapy (CPRT), founded “Jeju Children’s Counseling Center,” with two separate institutes in JNU and Ido 2-dong. Kim helps children learn to behave like children.
“Children can’t verbally properly express themselves, even at 10 or older. This is even more true when they are hurt. But while playing toys can take the place of words,” Kim said.
Professor Garry Landreth, from the University of North Texas, first intro-duced Dr. Kim to the value of playing. His central idea is: “toys are the child’s words and play is the child’s language.” Dr. Kim came to know Professor Landreth during her time as a visiting professor at his university in 2001 and 2010. Learning to play is important for children in Korea, but it is not the only thing children learn through Play Therapy.
“Taking responsibility is very impor-tant. Traditionally in Korean culture responsibility is often located outside of a child. When a child is hurt after hitting a
big stone the mother and the child used to punish the stone for causing the pain. This led to the idea that you are not responsible for your problems, the responsibility lies somewhere else. Accepting responsibility for your own problems is one way of discovering a way out of problems,” she said.
Sand play is also practised, through which children can express their unconscious thoughts by using sand to create figures and tell a story. For other children, animals can be very helpful, as often it is easier for a troubled child to “talk” to a dog during animal-assisted play therapy than to an adult. Other forms of therapy are available due to links with JNU, such as horticulture, music and art.
Although not all staff speak English, the center can be contacted daily and Dr. Kim, an English speaker, is welcome to receiving contact from non-Korean speakers. After initial contact, the parents and child visit for an interview. Dr. Kim
stresses that she looks for “difficulties,” rather than “problems.”
“I never use the word ‘problem’ - I don’t think problem children exist. There is a difficulty and that is what we have to try to solve.”
The original JNU institute - which also has several labs for the students who study with the professor - grew out of the personal activities of the doctor: “I had been providing play therapy since 1997, in my own office, but that was when I only helped two children a week. Once I took on more children, it was obvious I needed more space.”
In order to accommodate the increasing number of children attending the therapy sessions, a second site at Ido 2-dong was needed.
“The new location is a separate non-profit organization which can help more children and where student internships, separate from JNU, are possible.”
This nonprofit organization employs two staff, whose salaries are actually paid
by the professor herself. Part of the costs of the center are covered by the coun-seling fees, but this is only a very small fraction of the total cost: “You can’t say no, that’s not possible. Helping is more important to me than the money.”
“We have a lot of experience on Jeju with multicultural families. In Korea this usually means people with a parent from Vietnam, China or the Philippines, but with the international schools opening in Jeju, more and more Western children might come here...and are very welcome, too.”
Whether it is about preventing school violence or attention improvement, the center can aid children on Jeju becoming happier humans.
More information about the center can be found in Korean at http://cafe.naver.com/jccc55 or by telephone at 064 725 1379.
An extended version of this article is available online at www.jejuweekly.com
Jeju goes to the world, the worldwideweb comes to Jeju
By Darren Southcott
Korea leads the world in e-government services, it is official. In 2010 and 2012 Korea was ranked number one in the United Nation’s e-Government Survey, which recognized the nation “for estab-lishing a robust telecommunications infrastructure, providing outstanding public service standards and develop-ment of human capital in the usage of e-government facilities.”
Despite much of this being hidden behind the cryptic language isolate that is Hangugeo, English language resources are becoming increasingly common - even from provincial government. Below is an introduction to some useful local and national sites, telling you everything from how to divide your rubbish, to your best local festival.
Living in Korea - nationalHi Korea at: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/index.html
Hi Korea is the main e-government site for foreigners, jointly created by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Ministry of Labor. It provides investment, employ-ment, residential, and other related information and services to international visitors and residents. Although its size is a bit overwhelming, this is the go-to site for the nuts and bolts of living in Korea as an international resident.
The site is at its best for visa issues, providing information on how to register for re-entry, extension of stay and for changing workplace. It is also indispen-sable for changing visa status, such as through marriage. Labor-related issues are another of its strengths, along with investment information. In fact, this is top dog when it comes to foreigners and officialdom.
Living in Jeju - localInformation for Foreigners at: http://globallife.jeju.go.kr
This site is something of a watered-down version of the national Hi Korea and its size makes it easier to navigate. Its strength is in providing local information, such as how to dispose of your household waste, or how to have a telephone line installed. It also gives more specialized info, such as how to invest in Jeju Island and guidelines on how to enter children into local schools.
Although there are a series of sections, the bulk of the useful information is under “Jeju Life” in “Life Information” where your everyday queries are an- swered. There is also information on foreigners’ legal status in Jeju and invest-ment procedures for foreign businesses. The site also provides links to local provincial government news and a Q&A section answers your questions directly. Unusually, it seems to be answered fairly regularly!
Tourist information - nationalSite: Visit Korea at: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto
More geared towards visitors to Korea than residents, this site provides every-thing from where to go, where to stay and what to eat when you get there! It func-tions much like a basic guidebook and although it won’t give you the inside information on your local dong, it will give a useful overview of things like utility bills, banking, phone and postal services across the country. Definitely a useful online resource, if you’re not looking to dig too deep. The best section is probably “Destinations,” where there are a series of suggested itineraries for travelers across the country, including some trips around Jeju Island to try out.
Site: Korea - Gateway to Korea at: http://www.korea.net
This site provides a wealth of infor-mation about Korea for residents and visitors, including the full resume of Korean President Park Geun-hye! More practical information includes the basics relating to housing and everyday needs, such as Visit Korea, but also includes a blog and introductory videos about contemporary Korea. There is also a full rundown of the Korean political structure and the arts scene, loads of downloadable books and videos, and it is easy to navigate. If you want to know anything from how much has been invested in the Gaesong Industrial Complex in 2011-12, to where you can take traditional food lessons, it’s a thumbs up for this one.
Tourist information - localHiJeju at: http://www.hijeju.or.kr/english/main.html
This is run by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and is a useful guide to events around the island. A handy resource is the seasonal festival guide - did you know about the Ollim Sweetfish Festival in May? The tour suggestions across the island might prove useful: Jeju City, Seogwipo City, east and west. These ensure you don’t miss any sights when you get out and about. The meat and bones of this site are in the “Travel Information” tab, as the rest is out of date (2007 Annual Report) or empty (Travel Reviews). A good guide if you need basic travel site info in a rush, but otherwise lacking.
As expected, this is geared towards tourists and it is pretty threadbare - the “notice” section has been updated once in six months. It is for the “green” visitor to Jeju, who has not yet heard of the “three plenties,” and wants to have a paragraph
summary of the myth of Seolmundae. It’s a Wikipedia-lite, with nice colors and photographs. Jeju is described as: “The island revolving around Halla Moun-tain...where Jeju Special Self Governing Province is located.” There are nice pictures, though.
Other sites - localJeju Development Coporation at: http://english.jdcenter.com
Everything you need to know about Jeju Free International City, including information about planned infrastructure developments and current projects, like the education city.
Jeju Meeting Incentives Convention Exhibitions (MICE) at http://www.jejumice.or.kr
Information about conventions and events on the island, such as at the International Convention Center.
Other sites - nationalInvest in Korea at: http://www.investkorea.org
An extremely well designed website for investors with a wealth of economic information about the country.
Study in Korea at: http://www.studyinkorea.go.kr
Contains all the key info. about studying in Korea, from entering university t o studying Korean and receiving scholarships.
Live in Korea at: http://www.liveinkorea.kr/
This site is for multicultural families. It has multiple language options and outlines the support and services available through the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
Few are likely to have noticed the passing of World Wetlands Day in early February. This annual celebration of all things semi-aquatic dates back to 1971, when the Convention on Wetlands (the Ramsar Convention) was signed in Ramsar, Iran. There is no need to be distraught about missing the celebra-tions, however, as Jeju boasts some world-class wetland habitats for year-round pleasure.
When governments sign up to the Ramsar Convention, as over 150 have so far, they express a commitment to maintaining crucial national wetlands. These commitments come with a blast of sustainability jargon, best summarised as “wise use”.
“Wise use” is an approach to natural resources, human expertise, tourist services, and so on, which allows nature to live and breath as it would undisturbed. In Korea, this has led to something of a political quagmire.
Wetlands globally cover an area one third larger than the U.S.A, yet there is no clear definition of what a wetland is. The convention itself is ambitiously broad in scope, including marsh, fen, peatland, and shallow tidal zones. These environ-ments tend to be hugely diverse and, due to waterfowl migrationary habits, form a transnational network that requires an equally transnational response.
Since acceding to the Ramsar Con-vention in 1997, the South Korean government has accrued 18 designated Ramsar sites, four of which are found on Jeju. Two of these are found on oreum (parasitic cones), which themselves were created by the interaction of land and water.
In the aeons of Jeju’s formation, when magma would frequently surge to the surface, explosive contact of surface water and molten material eventually
generated the unique, rolling, landscape that we see today. It seems appropriate then that oreum now play host to such important wetland ecologies.
Signees to the convention commit to “combining far-sighted national policies with co-ordinated international action” for the purpose of protecting the kind of flora and fauna that flourish in wetland environments.
Far-sighted national policies often seem to point in different directions in Korea. The government and its agencies frequently boast of a green push toward sustainable management of natural habitats; it is, however, impossible not to notice the rampant pace of commercial and infrastructure development.
These strike like a faultline through wetland conservation, as they do through all issues concerning Korea’s environ-ment. Conservation groups criticized the previous government’s “Four Rivers Project” for its roughshod treatment of Korea’s wetland habitats, which resulted in it being put in the top five worst wetlands-related projects by the Ramsar Committee in 2012.
The Ramsar Convention has been seen by environmental groups as a major step forward. It is not, however, a legally binding or restrictive agreement - there are no penalties for failing to honour the agreement. While for the time being Jeju’s Ramsar sites survive, much of Korea’s wetlands are under threat in the absence of strong national laws pro-tecting them. In the struggle for these, the Ramsar Convention is likely to be little more than a symbolic reference.
Mulyeongari OreumMulyeongari Oreum was listed because
of the grassy crater lake at its crown. Though small and as shallow as one meter during dry spells, it is is home to a pair of endangered species: the giant water bug and the narrow-mouth frog. Found on road 1118 north of Pyoseon, the oreum can be accessed via a walkway that
runs to its top.
Muljangori OreumMuljangori Oreum, added in 2008, is
also a crater lake, located 900m above sea level. In local lore the Muljangori oreum has strong associations with Grandmother Seolmundae, Jeju’s creator goddess. The 63-hectare site is currently off-limits for trekkers.
The 1100 Altitude WetlandThe highest on the list, the 1100 Alti-
tude Wetland was added in 2009. It is really an assortment of half a dozen or so wetlands, phasing in and out of existence subject to rainwater and seepage. Among the most beautiful of Jeju’s wetlands, it is also one of the most ecologically crucial because of the volume of water that it holds. Visitors, well served by wooden
walkways and viewing platforms, have a chance of spotting Siberian Roe Deer and the Eurasian Badger.
DongbaekdongsanDongbaekdongsan, the latest addition,
is located in one of Jeju’s enchanting evergreen forests, the north-eastern Seonheul Gotjawal. You will not find surface water in most Gotjawal and, despite its Ramsar status, there is little to be found on Dongbaekdongsan itself. The volcanic bedrock acts as a geological sieve, allowing rain to run down to the water table. For this reason, Dongbaek-dongsan feeds the groundwater used as a source for the half-million residents of Jeju Island. There are, however, some streams and ponds in the area, breeding grounds for such species as the Black Paradise Flycatcher.
Jeju Island is touted as a paradise for humans, but what about for animals? According to some animal rights cam-paigners it is “the Island of Animal Abuse,” due to cases of animal neglect and mistreatment. The case of the Pacific Land Indo-Pacific dolphins is a case in point.
Pacific Land is a tourist attraction in Jungmun, Seogwipo, that puts on animal shows in what Dr. Naomi A. Rose, marine mammal scientist and protection advocate, calls: “one of the most outdated facilities I have ever seen.”
As reported by Barrett and Hong of Yonhap, the dolphins - illegally captured - were sold to Heo and Koh of Pacific Land for around 15 million won each. Of the initial 11 dolphins procured this way, six have since died - one since the appeal process was instigated - and another - Jedol - was sold to a Seoul theme park. (It will be released into Jeju waters in June 2014 after pressure from cam-paigners.)
“At the moment Pacific Land possesses four dolphins, in total,” said Lawyer Song.Ji-heon, fighting for the release of the dolphins.
The dolphins, taken from the sea between 2009 and 2010, live in facilities with poor water quality, no natural light and noise levels “among the highest I have ever experienced,” according to Dr. Rose.
Song says Heo and Koh were found guilty of violating the Fishery Resource Management Act and Jeju District Court ordered the dolphins’ release and sentenced them each to eight months imprisonment and a 10 million won fine.
In order to delay the release, says Song,
Heo and Koh lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court and the Court ordered arbitration while awaiting appeal.
“The Korean Animal Welfare Associ-ation (KARA) requested medical check-ups be conducted and aquarium condi-tions to be improved. Pacific Land refused and insisted on following their own standards. As such, the Korean Animal Welfare Association then asked for a reduction in noise to under 80 decibels and for blood samples to be taken.”
“KARA also asked to transfer the dol-phins via the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and requested possession of the dolphins, but Pacific Land insisted they must wait for the Supreme Court appeal decision,” said Song.
Song feels the defendants know the original ruling wouldn’t be overturned, but are stalling the dolphins’ release to maximise profits.
“The Court passed the same sentence in a Court of Appeal on Dec. 13, 2012. Pacific Land is making unfair profits from the dolphins - 2 billion won in entrance fees four to five times per day,” said Song.
Conditions at Pacific Land have been described as an “abysmal prison,” by The Dolphin Project. Dr. Rose and Samuel Hong, a dolphin biologist, report that noise is what is most disturbing for dolphins during live shows.
“A written opinion sent by Dr. Rose, says the noise level is estimated at 100-110 decibels during the show, which is extremely loud for dolphins; 100 decibels is similar to a rock concert and could even cause temporary hearing loss to spectators,” said Song.
“The size of the aquarium, the decibel level, and the quality of water are far
short of international standards. It is very disappointing that [Heo and Koh] cling to the position that [the facilities are excellent] and will continue performing the show,” said Song.
“Due to being exposed to extreme noise a couple of times per day, there is the possibility that they have already lost some hearing. If it continues, it could... threaten their return to the wild,” Song continued.
Noise is not the only factor of concern at Pacific Land.
“The extremely small aquarium and poor feeding puts the dolphins under tremendous stress during the show, and one of the remaining dolphins, Haesun, died. The others are also in fear of their lives, with one dolphin’s jaw becoming paralyzed,” Song added.
Song says that as the animals are endangered and protected, the govern-ment has a duty to protect them. Despite the inaction, Song is determined to see positives in the case. She stated she was “very excited” at the initial ruling to release the animals, but the law is still weak in this area.
“The Court’s recommendation for a settlement is an unusual case, as existing animal protection laws and related laws are inadequate - it is difficult to protect [animal] rights,” said Song.
Song believes that this only plays into the hands of animal abusers.
“Even If Pacific Land does not follow the Court’s recommendation, and contin-ues to perform the show, the present law is not strong enough to suspend the show. Therefore, the Animal Protection Act needs to be amended and I am working with KARA, Green Party Korea and councilors to obtain an injunction to suspend the shows,” she said.
Despite the ongoing battle, this is the
first time a Korean court has recognized an animal’s right to life, despite en- forcement being weak. Song believes this mirrors wider social changes, but there is a long way to go before the law truly reflects public sentiment.
“More people live with pets animals and think we should protect and respect animal life, along with human life. However, Korean law still regards ani-mals as subjects to use, sell and dispose of,” said Song.
Pacific Land is only able to profit from shows as members of the public continue to buy tickets and attend; Song says that people should think carefully before supporting such animal cruelty.
“In the wild, dolphins swim at 160 km per hour and live to be 40. In the show, however, people only see cute dolphins doing shows and do not know that they end their short lives in poor and cramped cages. There is no law to halt the shows, but before you decide to go, I want you to once more consider animal welfare.”
There is clearly a long fight ahead for animal rights defenders and Song is not going to be complacent.
“We are working on making the amendment to the Animal Protection Act, which will preserve the right to life [for animals]. I welcome your support and participation,” said Song.
**Update: on the day of going to press, March 29, Jeju District Court, in its final ruling, upheld the original sentence and ordered the release of the dolphins. The animals will be sent to Seoul Zoo for rehabilitation before being released into the waters around Jeju.**
To support Korea Animal Rights Advo-cates visit: www.animalrightskorea.org
Lawyer fights to rescue dolphins from ‘abysmal prison’ at Jeju’s Pacific Land
08 April 2013Discover Jeju/Live Jeju The Jeju Weekly
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“No windows, no clocks, no mirrors”
By Darren Southcott
We were led into a back room. The workers and punters gazed at our passing through tense hands of blackjack.
The invite had come as a surprise and the questions were requested in advance He was to be referred to as the “The General” and personal issues were to be avoided.
The General’s request for anonymity - as a casino owner - only confirmed the liminal hinterland in which gambling is placed in Korea.
Ill-fame has an allure about it, an allure that is intense, even when you know the games it plays.
Casinos, psychologist Kati St. Clair told the BBC, make you feel: “intimate, enclosed, euphoric...womb-like;” a protective mother, willing to forgive you your misdeeds.
As you are led in, the clink clink of the machines and the flash flash of the neon entice you, while the smooth felt of the blackjack tables muffle the soft falling of the chips. If you are going to lose money, you may as well do it in style.
The world over, casinos have an air of the ne’er do well about them, but in Korea that air is thicker. Articles 246 and 247 of The Criminal Act prohibit gam-bling, although exemptions are made for public welfare and tourism - this is where the casinos slot in.
Despite the draconian laws, Koreans love a gamble. Historian Robert Neff quotes an early traveller to Joseon Korea, who remarked: “Koreans learn the delights and pains of gambling almost from their mother’s milk.”
Of course, there are few peoples who don’t like a flutter.
Casinos are big business on Jeju. Once catering to Japanese visitors - the economic wave having swung back to type, west to east - punters are now overwhelmingly from the Middle Kingdom.
Casinos don’t just sit back, however, waiting for punters to fill the coffers.
Planning has gone into every detail of the gaming floor.
“This is the “sammu” culture of the casino - no windows, no clocks and no mirrors,” said the General, sharing the casino-owners' take on the three absences of Jeju - beggars, thieves and gates.
The atmosphere is crafted to make punters enjoy parting with their cash - what Roger Thomas, casino designer, calls “an adult playground,” making gamblers “stay longer, feel better, and bet more.”
The General is clear where his market lies: “The key word for this century is: China.”
The tricks are the same the world over - make punters comfortable, put them in a
trance-like state, play music, surround them with familiarity, even pump in pheromones and oxygen to encourage risk-taking behavior, according to some reports.
The General, while not employing all these tricks, uses his background - as a psychology major - to reach into the minds of punters, teasing out the risk-taker inside.
He knows his main market is China and he rolls out the red carpet for them...
“...to encourage aggressiveness.”.This may be par for the course for
casinos the world over, but the General had more.
“There are some features especially for the Chinese mind. The Chinese like gold,
so many of our fixtures are gold-colored. Casinos in the East also use good-luck charms, such as swords above the table and auspicious symbols around the room. This makes them feel lucky,” he said. “Shamanism is also used in gaming rooms.”
The Chinese market seems inex-haustible, but Jeju has competitors: Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, and closer to home, the soon-to-be super city at Incheon. But the General is ahead of the game; he knows a casino that rests on its laurels falls behind.
“Some people say the gambling indus-try will slow down here, but I’m in the leisure and pleasure business. It will continue growing by taking advantage of Jeju’s attractions, which Incheon can never match,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to directly compete with them, we have more to offer.”
He takes us around his casino, inviting us to the VIP room, where he has seen hundreds of thousands of dollars won and lost. He begins to talk about his plans to keep those chips falling where he wants them.
To ensure this, the General is taking to the seas, in his yacht; things were getting very 007.
By combining the gambling and yachting markets, in addition to the world-class outdoor attractions of Jeju terra firma, he is planning to keep the Chinese coming for years yet.
“I am here to provide pleasure to my customers so I must keep up with tourist trends. Tourists want variety and that is what I provide. They gamble at night, but by day they go horseriding, golfing, trekking.”
In a parting shot, unfazed by the competition, the General clearly held some truths to be self-evident.
The 19th Mt. Halla Clean Bracken Festival When: Fri April.19 - Sun April.28Where: Namwon Yongam seawater pool and in the town
Main events: Performance with a bracken theme, fusion gugak performance, a ‘Jeju history trip’ book concert with authors, bracken collecting, seafood auction, camelia culture experience, horseriding, food festival Host : Namwon County Festival committee (for more information call 760-4181~2)
Transportation : By car from Jeju City bus 97(Beonyong-ro) ! bus 1118 (Namjo-ro) ! Sumangri (festival)By car from Seogwipo city bus 11(516) ! route 1119(Seosung-ro) ! Sumangri (festival)By bus from Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal (Namjo-ro bus): First bus 6 am, every 20 min (32 km)By bus from Seogwipo Intercity Bus Terminal (Namjo-ro bus): First bus 6.03am, every 20 min (23 km)
The 31st Jeju Canola Flower Festival and The 5th Udo Conch Festival
When: Fri. April.19 - Sun. April. 21Opening ceremony: 10 a.m., Sat., April 20Where: Cheonjin Port, Udo IslandMain event: Talent contest, dance festival, haenyeo dance perfomance, fusion music concertHost : Udo Town Hall (for more information call 728-7332)Transportation:By car from Jeju city to Seongsan (50 min, 50 km); from Seogwipo City to Seongsan (70 min, 69km)By bus from Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal to Seongsan; from Seogwipo City Intercity Bus Terminal to SeongsanSeongsan to Udo by ferry (15 min)Fare: 2000 won (Adult), 700 won (Children)Ferry schedule from Seongsan (April) : 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00Ferry schedule from Udo (April) : 07:30, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 17:30
The 5th Gapado Green Barley Festival When: Sat April 13 - Sun May 5Where: Gapado Island, Daejung-eupMain event: walking green barley path, barley marathon, couple cycling competition, cooking seafood bibimbapHost: Gapado Green Barley Festival Committee (for more information call 794-7130, 760-4081~2)Ferry schedule during the festival Weekday: six times from Moseulpo to Gapado: (9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm); from Gapado to Moseulpo (9:20 am, 10:20 am, 11:20, 1:20 pm, 3:20 pm, 5:20 pm)Weekend and holidays: eight times from Moseulpo to Gapado: (9 am, 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm); from Gapado to Moseulpo (9:20 am, 10:20 am, 11:20 am, 12:20 pm, 1:20 pm, 2:20 pm, 3:20 pm, 5:20 pm)Fare: 8,000~10,000 won(Adult), 4,000~5,000 won(Children)For more information call 794-7130
The 15th Seogwipo Canola Flower International Walking Festival When: Fri April 5 - Sun April. 7Where: Around Sanbangsan, Andeok-myeon (Main Venue : Jeju Sculpture Park Playground)Host : Seogwipo City, Seogwipo, Korea Athletic Promotion Association (for more information, contact 064-760-3320)Organizer : Seogwipo Tourism AssociationExpecting Number of Participants: 10,000 peopleCourses: 5 km, 10 km, 20 km, 30 km etc.(total seven courses)Participation fee: 10,000 won (t-shirts given on a first-come, first-served basis)Sponsors: International Volkssport Verband (IVV), The Korea Walking League (KWL)
Jeju is plagued by chain bakeries offering a variety of less-than-superb snacks and breads. While Paris Baguette, Tous le Jours, E-Mart bakeries and the like offer convenience by being located on every corner, or inside the major super-markets, they are not the only option for breads, desserts, and treats on Jeju. With the emergence of privately owned, gourmet bakeries like A La Papa and Le Escargot, the dream of having delicious, grain and nut-filled breads, tarts, and snacks is becoming a reality.
But, will they last or be lost in the shadows of chain and chaebol bakeries?
A La Papa, located in the Shin Jeju neighborhood of Yeon-dong has been up and running for just two years but is already a staple, especially amongst the expat community. Offering a variety of bread loaves including rye and whole grain, as well as bread treats, such as spinach ciabattas, baguettes, and wheat rolls, A La Papa has treasured items that are hard to find in the chain bakeries. They also have a selection of fruit tarts, homemade jams, and gourmet choco-
lates. Order a cup of coffee or tea and you’ll have the perfect treat.
Similarly, Le Escargot, located in the Shin Jeju neighborhood of Nohyeong-dong, also offers fruit, nut, and grain-filled breads, loaves, pizza squares, and sweet treats. Open for only 10 months, Le Escargot has quickly made the list of expat-approved bakeries. Owned by Kang Tae-won and tasty delicacies provided by the vivacious Chef Ko Young-jun, this bakery’s warm atmos-phere makes a great spot to just drop by for your bread needs or to enjoy a coffee and a scrumptious snack.
Yet despite all the deliciousness oozing out of these amazing bakeries and their growing popularity, these bakeries face numerous challenges. Neither is located on a main road, next to a popular land-mark, or marked with huge signs. Both bakeries are ‘off the beaten path’ and many of their customers have searched them out because word of mouth has spread news about their products.
As can be imagined, larger, more prominent locations are more expensive and, put simply, mom-and-pop style bakeries cannot afford the prime loca-tions, the big signs, or fancy advertise-
ments that many of the chain bakeries can.
One of the biggest blockades to these privately owned bakeries is the existence, and domination, of chain bakeries – especially those associated with chaebol businesses. “Chaebol” is the term used in Korea to describe a form of business conglomeration that is run by members of the same family. For example, the CEO of Hotel Shilla is the daughter of Samsung Electronics Chairman and the daughter of the Hyundai Motor Group Chairman is an adviser at the Innocean company.
These familial ties within and between huge companies, including Lotte and Shinsegae, mean that there is a lot of money available to be ‘played’ with and the concern is that a chaebol family member may decide to open a bakery as a ‘fun hobby’ but with major conse-quences to the small, mom-and-pop bakeries. One specific example of this is the Fauchon bakery run by Chang Seon-yoon, the granddaughter of Lotte Group Chairman, Shin Kyuk-ho. With the help and the support of the Lotte Group, the Fauchon bakery has access to more financial backing, as well as prime locations.
In recent months, the Korean govern-ment has applied sanctions to large companies to help promote the small, mom-and-pop businesses. The compul-sory closing of stores, such as Lotte Mart and E-Mart, is an attempt by the government to help restore the Korean economy to its booming state and these restrictions are starting to spread beyond large grocery stores and into the bakery sector.
Due to growing pressure on chaebol bakeries, such as Fauchon, some corpo-rations have shut down their subsidiary businesses. However, many of the chaebol corporations own, operate, and rake in money from bakeries inside their own stores – a convenient location for shoppers – and are able to use their networks of stores to gain the upper hand in the bakery market.
Taking the time to find A La Papa or Le Escargot will not only benefit your taste buds and tummy; your business will support a novelty on the island and a privately-owned business. Ask around, go with a friend, do whatever you have to do to check out these bakeries, but do yourself and your community a favor – go local.
Photo by
By Mary Rager
The 4th JDC Junior Journalist program held its opening cere-mony and orientation at the JDC Elite Building on March 30. The successful 25 candidates were congratulated by attending parents, English mentors, and JDC employees. According to the program coordinator, the 25 junior journalists were selected from 68 candidates, meaning there were 2.7 applicants for
every place. This shows increased interest in the program, as previ-ously there were 1.9 entrants for every place.
This program is one of the JDC’s resident globalization projects, started in 2011. JDC has supported this program to improve the global outlook of middle school students on the island.
The JDC Junior Journalist program includes a number of field trips with English-speaking mentors. JDC junior journalists will visit historical, environ-
mental, cultural and industrial sites to cover in their reports. This program is designed to develop their own journalistic perspective over five months.
The Junior Journalists improve their English speaking and writings skills by learning about Jeju’s cultural and environmental treasures. The program coordi-nator said that the 4th JDC Junior Journalists will be involved in beach cleaning activities with international residents on Jeju to promote a clean environment.
JDC Junior Journalists
The 4th JDC Junior Journalists are ready for action!
BongbongHallabong is a famous Jeju productIts protruding top resembles the peak of Mt. HallaSo, it is called HallabongIt looks so big and so healthyIts taste is sweet and sour, and very delicious
To contact the artist, email [email protected], or connect with “GREAM” on Facebook.
More international flights out of Jeju
New, non-stop overseas flight routes are to be added to existing routes, and are expected to attract more and more foreign tourists.
According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, there are currently 15 flights from Jeju to China, four from Jeju to Japan, and two from Jeju to Taiwan.
New flights are scheduled to be launched between Jeju and some Chinese cities during March. A total of 83 non-stop flights covering 29 different routes will help bring foreign tourists to Jeju.
Bus advertising campaigns and government networking plans are also in process to help Jeju’s tourist image.
174 thousand foreign tourists had visited Jeju by the end of February this year, representing 35.7 percent growth compared to the same period last year.
Traditional markets enter the wireless age
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will broaden the availability of free wireless internet services to include small towns, public office buildings, and even traditional markets.
A total of 212 million won will be spent to expand free Wi-Fi areas covering markets, public health centers, and welfare facilities for the youth and elderly.
Jeju plans to complete the project by this November, which will provide convenience to residents and tourists. The project will continue until 2015. Jeju expects this plan to help reduce mobile charges and lessen the information gap between those with internet and those without.
There are currently a total of 5,670 free wireless internet hotspots in Jeju. The administrative office installed free Wi-Fi services in 224 of those spots, while mobile carriers were responsible for the remaining 5,446 zones.
Five new wind-power sites designated
The Wind Power Development Review Committee in Jeju voted to designate Gasi-ri, Gimnyeong, Sanmyeong, and Wolryeong as onshore wind power development sites on Feb. 26th. Eoeum Village on the northwest of Jeju signed a 20-year lease to use privately-owned land for its wind energy development project.
The Jeju Special-Self Governing Province is planning to make an official announcement detailing the site names, precise locations, and expected power output by March 21.
In addition, Jeju will set up a profit sharing plan alongside the wind power development project that they hope will benefit local businesses.
Industry officials anticipate that this project will help maximize any potential profits for residents.
JTA and KT sign agreement to lower international call charges for visitorsJTA (Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Tourism Association) and KT plan to improve services for tourists from overseas. On March 19 at the Jeju Welcome Center, JTA President Kim Yeong-jin signed a contract with KT President Lee Seok-chae to improve international call services on Jeju Island.
The business agreement aims to address an era of increasing overseas tourists by offering a range of international call offers to satisfy increased demand. Through this agreement, plans will allow travelers using international calling cards to make calls cheaper than standard roaming rates.
The cooperative agreement, though JTA depart-ments, will use KT’s infrastructure and publicity know-how to entice international travelers.
Jeju government to provide aid to East Timor
Delegates from the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province will visit East Timor in June and will complete an aid plan with the East Timor government. Following that, Jeju will contribute medical supplies to the Dili National Hospital, also in East Timor.
Back in March 2012, Jeju signed an agreement with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially launching Jeju’s Overseas Development Aid (ODA) project. At the ceremony, Governor Woo Geun-min said:
“We, Jeju Island, have received international aid in the past. As a member of the global community, Jeju has a responsibility to seek out others in need and help them,” the governor said.
“I realize that international aid should be provided not just at the national level but also at the regional government level … This is only the beginning,” he added.
Jeju is planning to promote mutual understanding and friendship between Jeju and East Timor in the wake of this development aid project.
Korea was until the 1980s a recipient of overseas aid and only became a donor in 1987. KOICA was estab-lished in 1991 and is the official state agency providing ODA around the world.
When Korea joined the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2010, it became the first nation to graduate from aid recipient to aid donor within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which it joined in 1996.
For Jeju, long a byword for underdevelopment within Korea, to now be providing ODA to help improve lives in East Timor is another milestone in Korea’s economic success story.
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