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OCT2013
Artist
Kim Tschangyeul
Yeongju, Land o the Seonbi
Cultivating
a Happier Korea
through Culture
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Publisher Woo Jin-yung, Korean Culture and Information Serv
Executive Producer Suh Jeong-sun
E-mail [email protected]
Magazine Production Seoul Selection
Editor-in-ChiefRobert Koehler
Producer Shin Yesol
Production Supervisor Lee Jin-hyuk
Editorial Advisors Jang Woojung, Im Hyeong Doo
Copy Editors Daisy Larios, Hwang Chi-young
Creative Director Jung Hyun-young
Head Designer Ko Min-jeong
PhotographyRyu Seunghoo, Robert Koehler, RAUM Studio
Printing LEEFFECT
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproducany form without permission from KOREA and the Korean Cultu
Information Service.
If you want to receive a free copy of KOREA or wish to cancel a
please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF file of KOREA and a map
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발간등록번호 11-1110073-000016-06
04
20
CONTENTS OCTOBER 2013 VOL.9 NO.10
14 PEN & BRUSH
Painter Kim Tschang-yeul
18 PEOPLE
Book designer Hong Dongwon
20 TRAVEL
Yeongju
24 SPORTS
Korean fencers point to success
26 ENTERTAINMENT
Snowpiercer takes on a global audience
28 SPECIAL ISSUE
Seoul Conference on Cyberspace 2013
30 CURRENT KOREA
DIY tribe grows
32 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
President Park addresses G20,
Korea and Vietnam boost ties
36 POLICY REVIEW
Kaesong Industrial Complex reopens
38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Korea’s “Electric Road”
40 GLOBAL KOREA
Korea helping war veterans worldwide
42 GREAT KOREAN
Ju Si-gyeong
44 MY KOREA
The joys of photography in Korea
46 MULTICULTURAL KOREA
Professor Alok Roy
48 TALES FROM KOREA
Simcheong
50 FLAVOR
Yeonnipbap
Cultural Enrichment initiative aims to ensure that
everyone can enjoy arts and culture
C O V E R S T O R Y04
CULTURE FOR ALL
26
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V E R S T O R Y
Written by Robert Koehler
Cultural Enrichment initiative aims to ensure that everyonecan enjoy arts and culture
“Heaving Sea of Light at Gw
a media art display
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fve humanities-related books, including two Korean classics. She reiterated this
theme during a meeting with well-known cultural fgures at Cheong Wa Dae
on Aug 7. Stressing the importance o humanities as the oundation or cultural
enlightenment and the creative economy, she said the humanities “ocus on
considerations o people and deal with insights on lie and human beings.” At
a meeting with senior journalists at Cheong Wa Dae on Jul 10, she warned that
“any technology, invention, or system can become monstrous i it is not based on
reection on people and lie.”
o realize this vision, the Ministry o Culture, Sports and ourism (MCS) has
launched its Humanities on the Road project, aimed at 67 museums nationwide. It
aims to establish a basis or the creative economy through cultural enrichment by
awakening in elementary and middle school students creativity and imagination
in the humanities. o do this, it will provide more opportunities or students to
experience the humanities by coupling smart devices with museum education.
Te ministry will also host a variety o humanities-related lectures and hands-
on events at 121 public libraries through the end o November. Tis program aims
to promote in local residents an appreciation or practical humanities and create
a new reading culture bringing together books, places, and people. Some 155,000
local residents, youth, and parents will participate in the program, as will about
400 lecturers.
Culture for Everyone
An important keynote to President Parks Cultural Enrichment initiative is that
everyone, regardless o age, class, sex, or domicile, should have access to culture.
Moving Art Stop is a colorul eort to put this idea into practice. Beginning in
“Tere are very ew ide
on the originality, singul
and creativity o the Kor
civilization . . . I say civil
because its stronger than
culture, and Korea is a
civilization”Guy Sorman, Culture20 meeting, Seoul, Se
V E R S T O R Y
Overseas press reports about the Korean wave
French public intellectual Guy Sorman
President Park Geun-hye attends a meeting of the
residential Committee on Cultural Enrichment
Speaking at the National Museum o Korea in
2011, world-renowned French intellectual Guy
Sorman said Korea had an outstanding culture
that embraced its original orm and developed without
rupturing that base.
Speaking again in 2012, he said that Hallyu (the Korean
wave) is a sophisticated blend o Korean individuality and
global universalism. It was along these lines that ellow
American scholar Jeremy Riin, speaking to the Dong-A
Ilbo in 2011, praised the ability o Koreans and Korean
culture to elicit sympathy, owing to Koreas central position
between China and Japan and Koreans historic preerence
or cooperation rather than conict with its neighbors.
French scholar Dominique Wolton said in a 2012 interview
with the JoongAng Ilbo that the Korean wave, a product o
modern Korean culture, was introducing to the world a
new set o cultural values dierent rom those o the United
States and Europe and was being welcomed by Asia and the
Islamic world. He said Korea was a place where one could
conceive o and develop cultural coexistence.
Te Korean government is striving to develop this
culture, so recognized or its potential by the scholars o
the world; President Park Geun-hye, building on the eorts
o her predecessors, has made “cultural enrichment” one
o the our leading indicators o her administration. Said
Culture Minister Yoo Jinryong, “Cultural enrichment
aims to raise the level o happiness o individual citizens
as the value o culture spreads through the entire society.”
President Park has publicly expressed her intention to
make it so that all citizens—not just a minority —may enjoy
culture. In particular, she aims to create a diversity o
cultural programs so that youths can express their passion
while developing their creativity and sensitivity and amilies
can spend their ree time together.
Humanities the Basis for CulturalEnrichment
Attending the opening ceremony o the 19th Seoul
International Book Fair on Jun 19, President Park stressed
the importance o the humanities, saying, “I have always
relied on wisdom rom the teachings o the sages ound
in these classics.” o emphasize that point, she purchased
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August, the initiative aims to bring arts and culture to Koreas
ural communities by loading up buses with art instructors
nd materials, hence turning them into mobile art studios and
heaters. Te project benchmarks two overseas projects, the
Arts Bus Project o the United States and the Arts Bus o Hong
Kong, both o which have proven successul at bringing the arts
o rural districts and urban youth, respectively. Koreas Moving
Art Stop is particularly aimed at allowing the children and
lderly residents o rural districts to eel the excitement o arts
nd culture and rediscover their own talents through hands-on
xperiences with a variety o artistic genres.
Moving Art Stop is part o a larger Ministry o Culture,
ports and ourism eort to bring the arts and culture to wider
nd hitherto neglected regions and groups.
As part o the Exciting Arts rip initiative, about 200 leading
rts troupes in a wide range o genres will visit so-called “arts
nd culture blind areas” such as social welare acilities and
military bases to hold perormances and exhibitions. Te
overnment is also sending national arts troupes to some 70
egional cultural halls to perorm works like Swan Lake and
Chunhyangjeon or the enjoyment o provincial residents who
arely have the opportunity to experience perormances by
eading national troupes.
Some o Koreas national museums are also reaching out.
Te National Museum o Modern and Contemporary Art,
Korea has launched a “mobile museum” program to provide
arts education or elementary school students in rural districts.
Other metropolitan and provincial art museums like the Seoul
Museum o Art have ollowed suit with mobile museums o
their own.
Arts Council Korea is also contributing to the eort with
a “talent sharing bus” that will provide local youths in ar-o
rural districts and along the DMZ opportunities to experience
art. Participating in the program are media artist Kim Yong-
hyeon and installation artist Lee Ho-jin.
Not to be le out, the National Museum o Korea also plans
to conduct about ten mobile museum programs this year.
Breathing Life into Regional andTraditional Culture
Another key initiative in the eort to realize cultural
enrichment is the preservation o Koreas cultural heritage. Tis
includes eorts to both preserve and promote Koreas regional
cultures and activate Koreas traditional culture.
Nationwide, closed schools and small cultural halls are,
with government support, being reborn as art spaces and
other cultural acilities. Due to both government policy and
demographic developments, many old, unused schools dot
the Korean countryside. Many o these empty schools are now
becoming galleries, caés, and guesthouses. Pohangs Ginam
V E R S T O R Y
1. Culture Minister Yoo Jinryong
gives the keynote address at
the 2013 Cultural Enrichment
Conference
2. Seoul Metropolitan Library,one of Seoul’s biggest libraries1
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Mullae Art VillageSeoul)ocated in Seoul’s gritty
eongdeungpo-gu, Mullae-
ong was, not so long ago, filled
with many small metalworking
hops that congregated there in
he 1970s. In the 1990s, though, many of the shops closed, and
he neighborhood languished. Local artists, however, saw an
pportunity to revitalize the area. Empty workshops were turned
nto studios, and artists began a prodigious street art program to
eautify the gray, rusting alleys with colorful murals. Some of the
tudios also function as cafés, especially on the weekends.
A particularly good time to visit the village is during the
Mullae Arts Festival (August), when local artists celebrate the
eighborhood’s creativity with performances and exhibitions.
Heyri Art Village (Paju)Heyri Art Village is a
collection of workshops,
studios, galleries,
bookshops, and cafés
gathered together as a
community just south of
the DMZ in the town of
aju. It is a grand experiment in ecologically friendly architecture,
esign, and urban planning. Many top architects from Korea
nd abroad participated in its creation; accordingly, many of its
uildings—none of which are more than three stories high, per
illage regulations—are just as much works of art as the art they
ontain.
About 370 painters, sculptors, graphic artists, filmmakers, andotters live and/or work in Heyri. Because of its beauty, charm,
nd proximity to Seoul, it is a popular weekend destination for
eoulites. The nearby Paju Book City, a collection of publishing
ouses that functions as an outdoor exhibit of cutting-
dge architecture, is designed to harmonize with its wetland
nvironment.
Ugak-ro Culture Village (Incheon)t one time, Incheon’s Ugak-ro area was a poor, high-crime
district with lots of empty houses and little in the way of economic
activity. In 2012, however, a concerted effort was made to turn the
district into an artist community. Creatives took over many of the
old homes and renovated them into studios. To punctuate that
point, many of the old houses have been painted in lovely hues
and the once-dark alleys are brightened with colorful murals.
Wolseon-ri Artists Village (Muan)Nestled in a corner of rural Muan in Jeollanam-do, Wolseon-
ri Artists Village is a collection of Korean traditional homes —
many of them old thatch-roofed huts—that in some ways is
indistinguishable from the other villages that dot this idyllic
corner of the country. In this village, however, live about 20
potters, calligraphers, writers, natural dye artisans, and other
practitioners of the Korean traditional arts. Living in harmony
with the village’s farmers, the artists have turned the village into
a place where agriculture and the arts mix. Many of the artists
also host hands-on programs and lessons for those interested in
learning the traditional arts.
Bakdal Artists Village (Daegu)With a history that goes back to 2004, Bakdal Artists Village is
an old village school that has been renovated into a multi-genre
creative space. With its variety of installation art, even the old
school field is utilized as an artist’s space. With demographic
changes forcing more and more schools into closure, Bakdal
Artists Village demonstrates one way in which existing facilities
may be dedicated as cultural spaces.
Jeju Jeoji Art Village (Jejudo)Located on Korea’s southern island paradise of Jejudo, Jeoji Art
Village is home to 48 artists. Like Heyri Art Village, many of thehomes are architectural
gems, some making
use of Jejudo’s unique
volcanic rock. The
heart of the village is
the Jeju Museum of
Contemporary Art, one
of the island’s finest
exhibit spaces.
Korea’s artist villagesfter World War II, Berlin rose from the ashes to be reborn as a world-renowned city of culture through the efforts of artists who
athered in the city from all over the world. Such artist villages exist in Korea, too.
Elementary School, long since closed, will be transormed
into a museum as part o the Ministry o Culture, Sports
and ourisms urning Our Living Space Into Art: 2013
Village Art Project. In the rural town o Jecheon, Yanghwa
Elementary School—closed in 1995—is now a geography
museum, home to a collection o 12,000 pieces such as
Joseon Dynasty maps, Japanese occupational era surveying
equipment, and collections o international treatises. On
the island o Jejudo, Gasi Elementary School is now an
exhibit hall with photos recording the islands splendid
natural environment, local liestyles and culture, and island
history.
Eorts are being made to promote traditional culture
as well. ogether with the Ministry o Culture, Sports and
ourism, the Federation o Korean raditional Perorming
Arts Associations is conducting a program to promote
pungmul in rural villages. Pungmul is the traditional
dance and music perormed in Koreas rural regions. B y
dispatching proessional instructors to provincial districts
and supplying musical instruments to areas in need, the
program hopes to activate music and dance at the village
level by reviving Koreas dulle culture, or culture o rural
cooperation.
Supporting Artists Themselves
A recent government survey o the culture and arts
industry revealed that only 30.5% o artists were registered
with employment insurance, and only 27% with industrial
accident insurance. Moreover, two out o three artists made
on average less than KRW 1 million a month rom their
creative activities.
o rectiy this situation, the government has craed a
plan to weave a “tightly woven creative saety net” so that
artists may realize the Park administrations vision o an
era o cultural enrichment. Te saety net would include
the construction o a welare base or artists, including
insurance support and the creation o a und to provide
2
Moving Art Stop, a bus that brings the
arts to previously neglected rural districts
© Korea Arts & Culture Education Service
MullaeArt Village
HeyriArt Village
Ugak-roCulture Village
Wolseon-riArtists Village
BakdalArtists Village
Jeju JeojiArt Village
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V E R S T O R Y
oans and promote mutual aid projects. Te net would also provide job support to artists so that they can
urvive while they are at work. It also gives artists discounted admission to cultural venues like perorming
rts halls and museums. Finally, it aims to oster a air trade environment or artistic transactions by
mproving unair practices, strengthening intellectual property rights, and developing and distributing
tandard contracts. It would also provide legal support or artists to go aer companies and individuals who
ail to deliver on contracts and would place other legal sanctions on noncompliant entities.
stanbul-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2013
Te Istanbul-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2013, held in the urkish metropolis o Istanbul rom Aug
1 to Sep 22, is symbolic o Koreas push or cultural enrichment. Linking the two ends o the historic Silk
Road, the estival introduced both the beauty o Korean classical civilization and the energy o Koreas
modern culture to one o the Wests most historic cities.
Te expo showcased nearly 50 cultural programs rom 40 countries. Te opening ceremony, which saw
articipation rom Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and urkish Prime Minister Recep ayyip
rdogan, eatured a musical perormance by 60 members o a Korea-urkey collaboration team in an
pen-air stage beore Istanbuls landmark Hagia Sophia. Istanbul Mayor Kadir opbas, who attended the
eremony, remarked, “Te unique cultural and historical values o our two countries will fnd a way to
make themselves known to wider regions across the world.”
variety of cultural
ctivities taking place
Mullae Art Village
Mullae Art Space
Awakening the People tothe Importance of CulturePresidential Committee on Cultural Enrichment Chairman Kim Dong-ho
Interview by Robert Koehler
As chairman o the Presidential Committee on Cultural
Enrichment, Kim Dong-ho is one o the key fgures in the
governments drive to promote cultural enrichment. Dean
o the Graduate School o Cinematic Content at Dankook
University and ounder o the now renowned Busan
International Film Festival, Kim brings to the position a wealth
o policymaking and on-the-ground experience. Hes also an
impressively well-traveled man, traveling ceaselessly around the
world as a flmmaker/flm estival administrator and around
Korea to listen to the opinions o the countrys cultural movers
and shakers.
At the chairmans oce on the grounds o Gyeongbokgung
Palace in Seoul, Kim explains that “cultural enrichment” is
about making individuals both the producers and consumers
o culture. “By awakening individuals to the value o culture
and spreading the value o culture, people come to have culture
and the arts in their daily lives. Individuals become both the
main agent and enjoyer o culture,” he says. “Trough this, we
raise the quality o lie.”
Kim says the most important thing is to spread an
appreciation or the value o culture “so that everyone
create culture and enjoy culture.” He adds, “o do thi
education, rom childhood to adulthood—both educ
about culture and education to develop talents.” He ex
our core policies at the heart o cultural enrichment: the public and the government by listening to public
and resolving issues; ostering artistic talents; building
cultural industry by wedding culture to newly emergi
inormation technologies; and preparing Korea cultu
eventual reunifcation with the North.
Naturally enough, as a man with decades o experie
the flm industry, he sees the role o moving images a
“I think the 21st century is the era o video,” he says. “
in Korea and around the world live their lives with vid
media rom the time they wake to the time they go to
Accordingly, flm and other video media can become
or cultural enrichment, or boosting the quality o lie
What are cultural fgures around Korea saying? “T
asking the government to take an interest in regional
and to provide much support,” he says. “Teyre askin
government to set aside a bigger share o the budget
the provinces.” In particular, he notes they are asking
government to “provide policy support to boost cultu
manpower in provincial regions.”
Kim believes the public at large needs to better und
and appreciate the meaning o culture in their daily liv
is a top 12 economy, and the people should eel that le
happiness and satisaction in their daily lives, but in a
dont,” he says, citing Koreas low happiness indexes an
suicide rates compared to other OECD nations. “o s
Koreas spiritual situation, we must awaken the people
importance o culture and improve the lives o artists.”
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6
KIM TSCHANG-YEULWater drop artist looks back on his eventul lie
Written by Kim Hyung-eun
he lie o 84-year-old artist Kim schang-yeul
is practically a summary o Koreas tumultuous
modern history.
He was born at a time when the country had lost its
overeignty, he experienced a war, lost his hometown, and
wandered around New York and Paris in hopes o making a
ame or himsel and fnding the meaning o lie.
Korean artist Kim schang-yeul did manage to do just that—
hrough something as simple as water drops.
Te Paris-based artist spent the majority o his 50-year
ainting career experimenting with water drops, and came to
e known as a water drop artist.
Now Gallery Hyundai in Sagan-dong, Seoul, is holding a
etrospective on Kim to celebrate the 50th year o his career. It
eatures about 40 o Kims water drop paintings, ranging rom
those made in the 1970s to his latest works. Many o them have
never been shown to the public.
“Its the glorious world o nothingness,” the artist told KOREA
Magazine when asked to defne water drops. “What does a
water drop mean? Its colorless. Its odorless. It has no meaning.
Its just clear water drops.”
He did say he once attempted to fnd something more in
water drops. “Artists tend to be delusional. So I, too, at one
point in my career, thought that perhaps I could get in touch
with my soul by drawing water drops.”
Wartime and Art
Kim was born in a small village deep in the mountains o
Maengsan, Pyeongannam-doin what is today North Korea
in 1929, back when Korea was under Japanese rule (1910–
1945). But tough times did little to shadow his natural talent.
He enrolled in the College o Fine Arts o Seoul National
University, one o the most prestigious schools in Korea, in
1948. But not long aerwards, the Korean War (1950–1953)
broke out. Aer the war ended, he ound out that o his 120
middle school classmates, 60 had died.
Still, he continued his work. In the late 1950s, Kim was one
o the leaders o the radical Art Inormel Movement and also
one o the ounders o the Contemporary Artists Association.
In 1964, he le or New York. His paintings then were rather
heavy and dark, with strong colors and thick lines. Critics
thought they contained the pain, scars, and even ange
the war that he had experienced with all his body and
young man.
While studying at the Art Students League in New Y
the late 1960s, he encountered pop art and minimalis
art critics say is what led to his later interest in orms a
planes.
Encounter with Water Drops
As is the case with most great discoveries, the beginni
love aair with water drops was humble and serendip
It was when he moved to Paris in 1969 that he met t
N & B R U S H
Bell (2003), acrylic and oil on canva
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8
N & B R U S H
He has made about 500 paintings over the past 50 years. I
he could go back to the ‘70s, would he still choose water drops
as the moti that dominates his entire career? Te tacit man
just gave a terse response: “I am the kind o man who does not
know how to plan the uture.”
Legacy on Jejudo
O the 500 paintings the artist has made, he has donated 200 o
them to Jejudo, the scenic island o o Koreas southwest coast;
Kim signed an agreement with Jeju Special Sel-Governing
Province in May to set up a new museum devoted to Kims
works and lie.
In addition to the paintings, he also donated personal
documents, photographs, tools, and more. All together, the
collection is estimated to be worth KRW 15 billion (USD 13
million) to KRW 20 billion.
Although the artist was born in what is now North Korean
territory, he ed the Communists during the Korean W
lived on Jejudo or a year in 1952. “Since Im rom Pye
do, I have no hometown, nowhere to bury my soul,” h
“But I eel like I have a new hometown. Im happy.”
Te donation also led him to change his will. In the
he wrote several years ago when his health was deteri
he said he would leave his artwork to his children. Bu
the plans or the museum, part o the will has been ch
gave the whole o my work, the whole o my lie [to Je
Te artist says that he certainly eels weaker. “My hatremble these days, so I fx my right arm with my le
painting.”
Asked about what he thinks o younger Korean arti
and their inuence in the international arena, he said
are “a generation ree rom a eeling o ineriority, a b
generation.”
2
his lie, water drops, which changed his works or good.
I still cannot orget the grand sight, the moment o such
urprise,” he reminisced.
In 1972, the poor young artist was staying in a stable near
aris. Tere was no bathroom, and he washed himsel with
water in a container. One morning, as he was pouring water
nto the container, water splashed onto canvas that he had le
earby.
“Big and small water drops splashed onto the canvas, and
he morning sunshine beamed onto it. It became a splendidwork o art in its own right.” Tat same year, he introduced his
water drop painting or the frst time at Salon de Mai in Paris, a
enowned art exhibition in Paris at the time.
Hes been working with water drops ever since.
Varied and Evolved
Asked i he ever tired o water drops, he said he has worked
hard not to. Its true that he has worked with a variety o
materials—hemp cloth, newspaper, wooden plate.
In the 1980s, he drew water drops on the rough surace o
a burlap bag instead o blank canvas. Later he added Chinese
calligraphy, color dots, and color planes, which gave his works
an Oriental eel.
In the 1990s, Kim introduced a series o works where clear
water drops spread across the backdrop o clear, print letters
rom the Tousand Character Classic (Cheonjamun in Korean),
which is a Chinese poem used as a primer or teaching Chinesecharacters to children. Tat series is something he is still
working on, actually.
Kim says that he learned the poem rom his grandather at
a very young age. “I still remember the days in which I would
practice calligraphy on newspaper,” he said. “I eel nostalgic or
those days. Chinese characters are memories and also a tool
with meaning, depth, and ormative values.”
1. Water
acrylic and
300 x 1
2. Deconst
acrylic and
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0
Hong Dongwon is a book designer—more
specifcally, hes a typographer who occasionally
designs books out o a passion or them. Despite
is 30-year resume, he still encounters people who dont
now exactly what either a typographer or a book designer
oes. A typographer is in charge o designing onts and
etters; they are the people responsible or whether your
yes are comortable or in pain when you read something.
A book designer like Hong is in charge o how a book looks,
what kind o binding it has, how big it is, what kind o paper
s used, and, o course, what kind o ont you read.
Hongs designs can be seen every day in plain sight in many
hings that most people dont even realize contain contributions
a designer. For example: Seoul license plates, or the logo or
he Supreme Prosecutors Oce, Republic o Korea. Te books
e designs, however, are a much rarer commodity, and ar
more dicult or the average person to see.
Books for Book Lovers
o be honest, I cant exhibit my work in Korea. I have to go
broad. Te books I make just dont capture enough interest
ere.”
When asked the reason, he laughed and cited the Korean
demand or things to be made quickly and cheaply, especially
in publishing.
“Te kind o books that I make cant be made quickly or
cheaply!” He laughs again.
And the books that make up his recent work explain to
the viewer why. Te frst is a photograph album, a collection
o personal snapshots o Korean writers, poets, sculptors,
and artists titled, quite
fttingly, A Portrait of
the Artist . Te writer
and photographer, Yook
Myungshim, decided
that although we know
much o such artists
work, we oen dont
know what they look
like. So he put together
a collection o some o
Koreas most well-known
artists photographed
up close and personal.
Unlike most books, it needs to be opened rom both sides.
“I decided to make this book rather large,” says Hong,
“because its a collection o photos designed to make the viewer
ocus on each individual and his/her ambience, and I elt that
only a hey book could do that—a book that cant be handled
carelessly or quickly. You cant just ip through the pages o abook like this.”
He fnds the desired page, lays the book at, and points to an
intense picture o a man smoking a cigarette; the smoke seems
to touch the viewers ace.
“Tats Pak Mok-wol. We all know his poetry, but nobody
knows what he looks like, and considering his inuence on our
literature, I think thats a bit strange.”
He ips open another book sitting next to the smoking poet.
Tis one is signifcantly smaller. As soon as its opened, its
easy to see that it is a book on architecture—more specifcally,
houses with yards. Whats interesting about this one is that the
entire middle o the book is le empty, dividing the le side
o the house rom the right, sort o like a pathway. Te book
itsel gives the reader an impression o being more like a model
house, or a live blueprint, rather than an actual book.
Tis book deals with space. itled All-Purpose Arena, it
ocuses on yards, which are oen described as a sort o
space with no particular use. Tis architect, however,
highlight yards not as empty spaces but as flled with
and infnite relevance.
“Tis architect believes in meshing with your surroun
no matter how much money or land you have. You do just ignore your environment. You harmonize with y
background.”
Hong explains that unlike most book designers, wh
independently rom the author, he works alongside th
making every book a partnership project.
He then takes out a copy o Te Celebrity magazine
a picture o Jang Dong-gun on the cover. But what Ho
advises the writer to pay attention to is the lettering, a
importantly, the ont: new, creative, but not excessive.
“Tese three pieces were all designed in completely
ways. You see, its not about what your style or signatu
about fnding the right design or the occasion.”
He takes a moment. “Now that Hangeul typography
expensive than Roman characters, and that Hallyu is
maybe Korean designers, including me, can fnally fn
right designs or every occasion.”
THERIGHT FITypographer and book designer
Hong Dongwon selects the right design orthe right occasion
Written by Felix Im
E O P L E
All-
A Portrait of
the Artist The Celebrity magazine
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Yeongju Seonbi Village © Ye
R A V E L
Written by Robert Koehler
Where the spirit o the seonbi lives on
Yeongju
hey call Yeongju the “home o the seonbi,” reerring to the virt
scholars o the Joseon Dynasty who passed up positions o we
and power to lead lives o study and integrity. Amidst the entrtapestry o misty mountains and deep valleys, the spirit o the seonbi li
in the bucolic villages and time-honored shrines that dot the landscape
centuries, the region has given sanctuary to philosophers and poets, Bu
masters and artists, all those who look to reconnect with nature and to
themselves.
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4
What to Eat
One of Yeongju’s signature
dishes ismukbap—rice
and side dishes served
with a soup made of acorn
jelly. A good place to score
this dish is Sunheung
Jeontong Mukjip (T. 054-
634-4614), near Sosu
Seowon and Yeongju
Seonbichon Village. Another specialty of Yeongju is
grown largely in the Punggi district. Punggi’s Yakseo
Sikdang (T. 054-638-2728) serves a variety of meals
locally produced ginseng and medicinal herbs. You’
find plenty of good restaurants in front of Buseoksa
and in Yeongju Seonbichon Village.
Places to Stay
While downtown Yeongju has its share of hotels andthe best option is to stay in one of the town’s histori
Hanok homes. Several of Yeongju Seonbichon Villag
homes can be booked for a night—call (T. 054-683-6
to make reservations. In the countryside east of dow
Yeongju you’ll find two historic homes that double a
and breakfasts. Built in 1779, the Goeheon Old Hous
(T. 054-636-1755) has been in the same family for e
generations. Rooms here begin at KRW 60,000. The
Old House (T. 054-637-1537) is another historic hom
a handsome pond and pavilion built in the 19th cent
Rooms here begin at KRW 100,000.
Getting There
Trains to Yeongju depart from Seoul’s Cheongnyang
Station (travel time: 2 hours, 45 minutes). Alternativ
can take a bus from Gangnam Express Bus Terminal
time: 2 hours, 40 minutes).
MOR
hours, 40 minutes).
Jejudo
Ancient Center of Learning
n a pleasantly shaded orest next to a stream is Sosu Seowon,
ounded by Joseon Dynasty scholar and ocial Ju Se-bung in
543 as Koreas frst private Conucian academy. It was also
he frst such academy to be granted a royal charter. A great
many o Koreas illustrious scholars studied at the school,
whose importance was so recognized that it was one o only a
andul o Conucian academies to survive the prince-regent
Heungseon Daewonguns 1866 edict closing down private
Conucian academies.
Te academy is a lovely cluster o halls and courtyards in
armony with the natural surroundings. Among its treasures is
14th-century portrait o the Conucian scholar An Hyang.
Where the Seonbi Spirit Lives On
Not ar rom Sosu Seowon is Yeongju Seonbichon Village,
which oers visitors an opportunity to experience the lie o
Joseon Dynasty seonbi.Many o the tile-rooed and thatch-
ooed homes here date rom the late 19th century to the early
0th century and are worth seeing in and o themselves. Te
illage oers a variety o educational and hands-on programs
n Koreas traditional culture and arts, making it a popular
estination or Korean amilies.
Island in a Stream
Andongs Hahoe Village is Koreas best-known oxbow village,
but Museom Village is in some ways even more charming
thanks to its relative obscurity. Founded in 1666 by the
Bannam Park clan (later joined by the Seonseong Kim clan),
the picturesque village—whose name translates to “island
in a stream”—sits on a loop in Naeseongcheon Stream and
is ronted by a great sandy beach. It is home to about 40
traditional homes, 16 o which are over 100 years old. One o
the homes, the Manjukjae Old House, dates back to the original
ounding o the village in the 17th century.
So isolated was the village that or three and a hal centuries,
the only way in was a single log bridge over the stream. Te old
bridge was replaced by a modern road bridge in 1979, but the
original was rebuilt in 2005—this is by ar the most charming
way to reach the village.
Little White Mountain
Yeongjus most signifcant topographical eature is Mt.
Sobaeksan, the centerpiece o Sobaeksan National Park.
Despite its name, which means “Little White Mountain,” it is
high (1,439.5 m) and broad (at 322 square kilometers, it is the
third largest mountain park in South Korea). Te mountain
marks the start o a major east-west spur in Koreas mountain spine, the
aebaeksan Range. Unlike some o Koreas more jagged, rocky peaks,
Mt. Sobaeksans slopes are gentle and rounded—youll even fnd grassy
meadows at higher elevations. While beautiul any time o year, Mt.
Sobaeksan is most splendid in spring, when its felds o royal azaleas are
in ull bloom, and winter, when the snow and wind combine to orm
spectacular snow sculptures on the mountains trees.
The Jewel of Korean Architecture
I you visit only one Buddhist temple in Korea, you should strongly
consider making it Buseoksa.
Founded in 676 by the great Silla monk Uisang, Buseoksa emple
represents the epitome o Korean architecture and landscaping. o
reach the temple, visitors must climb a series o 108 steps—shedding
spiritual deflements along the way—beore reaching, through a series
o gates, the main courtyard, a representation o Nirvana. Constructed
in 1376, the temples main hall, Muryangsujeon, is not only one o
Koreas oldest wooden buildings but also one o its most beautiul. It
radiates an eortless grace with its simple adornment. In the courtyard
stands a single, fnely craed stone lantern rom the Unifed Silla
period. Te view rom the courtyard over the mountain landscape is
exalting, especially at sunset.
Buseoksa Temple, one of Korea's most beautiful Buddhist monasteries © Yeongju City Hall
Graceful ridgelines of Mt. Sobaeksan © KTO
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Yeongju
R A V E L
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Seoul
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6
P O R T S
It was at the London Olympics that Korea experienced
its brightest moment in the sport o encing as well as its
most excruciating setback.
Kim Ji-yeon, the 25-year-old Busan native equally popular
or her athletic brilliance and movie-star cuteness, gave the
ountry its frst encing Olympic gold in more than a decade
er deeating Russias Soya Velikaya in the womens individual
abre fnals.
But Kim ripping o her mask and erupting in joy was
robably not the most striking Olympic memory involving a
Korean encer. At least, it will have to compete with a shaken
and dejected Shin A-lam sitting at the edge o the platorm
and crying or about an hour in ront o a crowd o 8,000 aer
going through one o the biggest sporting controversies o the
London Games.
Shin had thought she was advancing to the gold medal match
in the womens épée semifnals. But then the ocials reset the
clock rom zero back to one second, which was just enough
time or Germanys Britta Heidemann to execute a winning
strike against her.
As the Korean team appealed the decision, an attempt
that later proved utile, Shin was orced to wait on the
encing strip as required by competition rules, becoming
“the loneliest athlete in the Olympics,” in the words o ESPN
columnist Jim Caple.
More than a year removed rom all the drama, Korean
encers now recall the recent Olympics as a building block
o an experience. Athletes like Kim show that the country
is producing world-beaters, and Shin showed that the
expectations are just too high or any Korean to be competing
with a just-happy-to-be-here attitude.
A Potent Force
Despite Shins ailure to reach the podium, Korea still hauled
in two golds (the other one coming in the mens team sabre),a silver, and three bronze medals in London to mark its
best-ever Olympic appearance. And in the international
competitions since then, Korea has continued to increasingly
present itsel as a orce in the sport, i not yet a serious
contender to the powerhouse trio o Italy, France, and Russia.
Kim has been setting the tone with a solid 2013 and now
seems to be frmly in the conversation on the sports top-
echelon talents. She took the bronze at the World Fencing
Championships in Budapest in August aer being dealt a
narrow, 15-14 loss to Ukraines Olha Kharlan, the eventual
gold medalist, in the semifnals.
Kims third-place fnish at the worlds ollowed her
dominant perormance in Junes Asian championships—
where she took the individual and team golds in wo
sabre—and her gold at the Chicago Sabre World Cu
Kims triumph in Chicago came just weeks beore
took the gold in the womens épée at a World Cup ev
Rio de Janeiro, deeating none other than Heideman
fnal in what she said was poetic justice.
Te depth o Koreas talent pool was on display at
Fencing Championships in Shanghai in June, where
country led all nations with eight gold medals and a
silvers and six bronze medals. Korea took our gold
in the team competitions alone, with its men and w
sweeping the oil and sabre brackets.
Te Koreans also took fve o the six golds that we
contention at the Korea-USA Elite Fencing Invitatio
on Jejudo in August, indicating a pipeline abundant
young talent.
“Te London Olympics defnitely were a confden
booster, even more so because it proved that our wa
preparing, training, and honing skills was right,” Kim
Korean reporters aer the Budapest event.
“Among the encing competitions, sabre is probab
dependent on speed and quickness, qualities you m
quickly with age. But I want to compete until my 30
deend my Olympic title.”
Kims next goal is to win a gold at the 2014 Asian G
Incheon. She aced the national trials in Namwon, Jeo
do, in September, deeating Lee Ra-jin 15-8 in the ind
sabre fnals.
1. Foil fencer Nam Hyun-hee at the London Olympics 2. Sabre fencer Kim Ji-yeon wins gold at Lon
3. Korean men’s fencing team takes bronze at the 2013 Fencing World Championships in Buda
KOREAN FENCERSPOINT TO SUCCESS
Written by Kim Tong-hyung
No longer just happy to be there, Korean encers are now among the world’s best
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ERTAINMENT
8
Asleek, uturistic train, speeding endlessly through
the desolate, rozen landscape. Te only lie le
on Earth is inside the train, but rather than being
hankul or surviving the new ice age or thinking about how
o revive the human race, the survivors are locked in a deadly
truggle or control.
Tats the story behind Snowpiercer , one o the biggest
movies ever made by a Korean director. But i it seems a bit
aroque, you must not know director Bong Joon-ho. Over his
0-year career, Bong has made hits rom combining humor and
he macabre, whether it was police hunting or a serial killer
Memories of Murder ), a amily going up against a rampaging
monster rom the Hangang River (Te Host ), or a son being
eended by his raging mom ( Mother ).
Growing Budgets
nowpiercer is by ar Bongs most ambitious flm yet. With
budget somewhere over USD 40 million, Snowpiercer was
ased on Le ransperceniege, a grim French graphic novel that
the director ound in a Seoul comic book shop nearly a decade
ago. Most o the movie is in English, eaturing such Western
actors as Chris Evans, ilda Swinton, and John Hurt. Te only
Korean actors in it are Song Kang-ho as a troubled security
engineer and Go Ah-sung, his even odder daughter.
It wasnt that long ago that a big movie in Korea—like a
bank-busting blockbuster—might cost around USD 5 million.
Shiri, the thriller that ushered in the blockbuster age, cost about
that much, and sold a then unheard-o 6 million tickets. Te
biggest Korean movie ever beore that never attracted hal as
many people.
Shiri, however, was back in 1999. Since then, everybody
knows that the Korean movie industry has gone rom strength
to strength, continually getting bigger and better. In 2001
Friend took the record to more than 8 million admissions.
Silmido and aegukgi both bested 11 million admissions in
2004. Bongs Te Host was quite expensive or a Korean flm
when it was made in 2006, costing about USD 11 million,
but it became the frst movie in Korea ever to top 13 million
‘SNOWPIERCER’ PLOWSINTO CINEMASDirector Bong Joon-ho challenges international audiences Written by Mark Russell
admissions—thats about USD 65 million, depending on whos
counting.
Going International in a Big Way
Even beore Te Host , Bongs reputation was on the rise. But
the monster movie took him to the next level, getting him
signed by one o the worlds biggest entertainment agencies,
CAA. Hollywood was taking him very seriously, even when
he said he wanted to spend more than USD 40 million on an
esoteric science-fction allegory.
It actually was not the frst attempt by Korean flmmakers to
go big—Shim Hyung-rae claimed to have spent around USD
70 million on his 2007 movie, the dragon epic D-War . Critics
panned D-War , but it was the most successul Korean flm ever
at the American box oce, making nearly USD 11 million, and
it also pulled in more than USD 50 million in Korea (not to
mention another USD 4 million in China).
Jang Dong-gun starred in the USD 42 million Te
Warrior’s Way , a mash-up o spaghetti westerns and Hong
Kong actioners, mostly shot in English and eaturing mostly
Hollywood actors like Georey Rush. Finally released in 2010,
it made just USD 11 million around the world, hal o that in
Korea.
Snowpiercer came out in Korea at the very end o July.
Despite a crowded box oce, it did quite well—just over 9.2
million admissions and taking in USD 61 million. Not quite
Host -big, but big. However, Snowpiercer s story has just begun.
Te amous Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and Te
Weinstein Company bought the movies distribution r
last year or English-language territories, and they are
major release or the flm.
All told, rights to Snowpiercer have been bought or
the whole world, some 167 countries and territories,
the flm about USD 20 million beore it ever sold a tic
Recent preview screenings in France have been very w
received, and with big raves rom early reviews in mo
Western press, including Variety and Te Hollywood R
many think Snowpiercer is on the verge o taking Kore
standing in the world to a whole new level.
1
2 3
1, 2, 3. Snowpiercer features a cast of big-name Western actors like Chris Ev
Hurt, and Tilda Swinton along with Korean stars Song Kang-ho and Go Ah-s
4. Director Bong Joon-ho talks with Jean-Marc Rochette, the illustrator of Sn
source material, Le Transperceneige.
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1. Kim Sung-Han, former vice minister for foreign affairs and trade, addresses the Budapest Conference on Cyberspace, 2012
2. International Symposium on Cybercrime Response 2013, held in Seoul
Written by Max S Kim
eoul awaits the 2013 Seoul Conerence on Cyberspace
TAMING THE DIGITAL AGE
C I A L I S S U E
1
0
With the Internet occupying an increasingly
essential role in everyday lie, its no surprise
that virtual “cyberspace” has become a breeding
round or new, unconventional types o criminal activity.
or governments all over the world, cyberattacks are just
s legitimate a threat as any physical one, impossible not to
onsider as grave matters o national security. For ordinary
people, too, there is as much to lose. With the Internet now
a daily necessity (and even a basic human right) utilized and
even sometimes avored or its ease o use in an increasing
number o everyday tasks such as shopping, banking, and
communication, it's clear that cybersecurity is no longer
just a tech problem but also a political, social, and economic
one, exerting inuence on the lives o millions and growing
rapidly in importance.
Te Seoul Conerence on Cyberspace, scheduled to be
held at COEX rom Oct 17 to Oct 18, aims to address suchproblems on a global level and create a transnational public
orum in which representatives rom all around the world can
discuss pertinent topics, produce solutions and preventive
policies, and brainstorm strategies to promote and protect
economic growth, social benefts, and human rights in regards
to the Internet. Te Seoul conerence is the third o its kind,
its predecessor being the Budapest Conerence on Cyberspace
in 2012, which was preceded by the London Conerence on
Cyberspace, the frst global initiative to tackle problems in
cyberspace, launched by the UK government in 2011. “Te
Seoul Conerence on Cyberspace expects to have higher-
level agreements than previous conerences by dealing with
the matters discussed during the 2011 London Conerence
and 2012 Budapest Conerence and presenting directions or
uture discussions,” said Lee Dong-wook, a conerence ocial.
“Te Seoul Conerence will be signifcant in that we expect
it to produce a high-level chairmans summary like a ‘Seoul
Declaration and to shi the discussion rom a Eurocentric one
to a global one.”
Global Prosperity through an Open andSecure Cybespace
Presented under the theme, “Global Prosperity through an
Open and Secure Cybespace—Opportunities, Treats and
Cooperation,” the Seoul Conerence is expected to welcome
around 800 representatives, including ministerial-level
government ocials rom over 90 countries as well as delegates
rom regional and global organizations and the privat
For South Korea, it's a record-setting occasion, expect
the largest international event to take place on the pesince the inauguration o the new government.
With some additions to the program since Budapes
London, the Seoul Conerence will ocus primarily on
areas: economic growth and development, social and
benefts, cybersecurity, international security, cybercr
capacity building.
In tandem with the discussions on crime and securi
conerence will also direct much o its attention to mo
global eorts to close the digital divide between devel
and developing countries, ostering awareness and ex
in the latter by means o policy guidance and integrati
the Internet into local economies, the ultimate goal be
widespread distribution o the economic and social b
oered by the Internet.
In this endeavor, Korea has much to oer. Explaine
“Korea—a developed IC nation with world-class Int
inrastructure and where Internet use is rapidly sprea
through all sectors such as the economy, society and c
expanded the list o invitations to include not only Eu
also developing nations in Asia, Arica, and South and
America and led the addition o ‘strengthening capac
onto the agenda.” On Sep 5, the Korea Internet & Sec
Agency hosted panel discussions and ree debates on
strengthening involving 150 people rom 57 nations. T
this and other eorts, “Korea has created a place to di
reducing the digital divide between developed and de
nations,” said Lee.
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making things on our own in order to enjoy a healthy liestyle
individually and with our amilies," said Kwon In-myeong, an
ocial with the upcoming DIY Show Korea (Nov 14–17). "Te
DIY market also came into being as it grew easier to share the
DIY culture and inormation through the Internet."
Te numbers dont lie. Korean online shopping sites Gmarket
and Naver both report spikes in auto repair tools and products,
including air compressors and tire pressure gauges to inate
and check car tires at home. Te same goes or automatic drills,
assembly tools, door handles, urniture accessories, paint, and
other home interior design products.
DIY ood accessories are growing popular, too. Te
Happycall Direct Gas Fired Oven—which unctions as an oven
even though it makes use o a gas range—became a hit product
this year, selling 180,000 units through V home shopping in
the frst hal o this year. Espresso machines and home wine-
making supplies are selling well, too.
Build-Your-Own Hanok
DIYers have long known how to build a Hanok, a Korean
traditional house, on the cheap. Te authors o the recent book
Healing Hanok Built for KRW 100 million demonstrate that by
doing it yoursel, you can cut the cost o building a Hanok by
two-thirds. For instance, most Hanok are built using imported
wood, driving up the cost. You can drastically reduce the cost
o construction simply by substituting the imported wood with
domestic timber, which is just as good as imported wood once
its been dried or a year or two.
DIY culture lets people not only express their inner
but also develop their skills. “Trough this culture we
directly purchase reasonably priced materials and ma
ood, sae housing, and personalized ashion without
on somebody else,” said Kwon. “It satisfes the purcha
needs o consumers who want to make the things the
and stimulates a spirit o challenge and creativity, as w
sense o accomplishment when we make and perect
our own and cultivate techniques, abilities, and talents
2
1. Craftmaking is taking on new life in the era of DIY.
2. Expectant mothers sew their own baby clothes from organic cloth.
3. Espresso machines are growing in popularity as more consumers opt to d
themselves.
4. Building your own Hanok is becoming an increasingly attractive option.
Not so long ago in Korea, it was
almost unheard o to design the
interior o your own home. Or fx
your car, or that matter. Tere were always
trained proessionals or that, and at any rate,
it was easier to simply buy new products
rather than fx broken ones.
Nowadays, however, more and more Koreans
are joining the so-called “DIY (do-it-yoursel)
tribe.” From painting their own walls to fxing
their cars or even building their own homes,
people are learning the joy and satisaction that
can be learned only through the application
o liberal amounts o elbow grease. Economic
actors are at work behind this growing trend
to be sure, but so are demographic trends and a
rising interest in quality-o-lie issues.
DIY Comes to Korea
Judging rom archaeological evidence, DIY has
been part o the human landscape since ancient
times. At one time, we made most o what was
in our homes, including the homes themselves.
Te Industrial Revolution changed all that.
Te urther commercialization o society over
the decades has similarly driven many to seek
alternative ways o living, including the DIY
movement. In the United States, theres even a
television station, the DIY Network, devoted to
DIY projects.
In Korea, DIY came into the public
consciousness in a ull-edged way ollowing
the 2008 global fnancial crisis. With economic
concerns on the rise, many Koreans began to
see DIY as a good way to save money. Tat it
also allowed or greater personal expression
didnt hurt, either. "DIY came to appear in all
parts o our lives because liestyles changed
as we grew more comortable and gained
more ree time with the introduction o the
fve-day workweek and because we could
express our own personality by designing and
DOING ITYOURSELFDIYers are taking joy in their work
Written by Robert Koehler
RENT KOREA
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At the G20 Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia,
President Park Geun-hye emphasized to the Group
o 20 the importance o co operation and a sense o
ommunity in seeking mutual growth.
“In a situation where global economies move in gear with
ach other . . . G20 members should step up cooperation under
sense o joint community,” Park said during the September 5
pening session under the theme “Te Growth o the Global
conomy.”
Discussing the prospect o a stimulus program exit strategy,
ark noted that advanced economies should take into
onsideration the diculties aced by emerging economies with “a
ense o joint community” and work together to minimize them.
Three Policy Directions
Park proposed three policy directions or G20 nations.
Firstly, she suggested strengthening the risk management
system in the international fnancial market, noting that
developed economies should take into account the negative
impact that changes in their monetary policies could have
on emerging economies as well as the global economy and
fnancial markets. She also said emerging economies should
work harder to improve their macroeconomic health in order
to ease external shocks.
Secondly, Park stressed the importance o fscal soundness
or achieving sustainable growth and market confdence. She
underlined that G20 nations must now strive urther to ulfll
their promises in light o the announcement o their mid-term
fscal soundness strategy or aer 2016.
She also highlighted a concerted eort on international
tax avoidance issues, noting that Korea will participate in
implementing agreements to be made at the G20 meeting.
Tirdly, Park encouraged G20 members to work toward
structural reorms and promoting ree trade or mutual
growth. She particularly stressed that ree trade was even more
signifcant at a time when there was a need to boost growth
potential globally, and that expanding trade was a “win-win
policy” that involved little cost, as it does not cause credit
bubbles or harm to fscal health.
Park also pointed out that developing nations should see
tangible results in development issues. Korea would tap its
own development experience, she said, and contribute to the
execution o promises to develop human resources and build
inrastructure as part o new action plans.
Meeting with the Russian President
While in Russia, President Park met with Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Sep 6 to discuss matters o mutual interest,
such as ways to strengthen bilateral economic ties and
cooperation in East Asia.
“Enhanced cooperation in Eurasian countries has been an
important priority to Koreas government projects,” sa
personally, have dreamed o a uture in which we can
journey rom Busan to Europe via Russia.”
Park added that Seoul would host an international
conerence on Eurasian cooperation and that she look
orward to Russias participation. “I have heard that P
Putin also has been paying attention to economic coo
between Europe and Asia as well as to the developmen
Far East region,” she said. “It will enhance the Korea-R
partnership and, urthermore, bring prosperity and p
the Northeast region.”
President Putin, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude
Koreas active role in the G20 Summit. “Korea is one o
priority partners in Asia,” he said. “Te total trade tur
between Russia and Korea amounts to USD 25 billion
has gone up three percent more in the frst hal o this
am very happy to have a bilateral talk on these variou
Noting that bilateral ties have grown exponentially
diplomatic relations were established in 1990, Park po
that “Russia and Korea have a lot to develop.” She said
have been inuenced by North Koreas nuclear armam
the situation on the Korean Peninsula. We should join
to overcome problems and raise the bilateral relations
higher level.”
1. President Park meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin © C
2. President Park addresses other world leaders at the G20 Summit. © C
PRESIDENT PARK EMPHASIZESCOOPERATION AT G20 SUMMITPark also discusses closer bilateral ties with Russian President Putin
MIT DIPLOMACY
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6
KOREA, VIETNAM UPGRADE TIESBoth nations agree to boost trade to USD 70 billion by 2020
MIT DIPLOMACY
in the construction o thermal power plants in the Nghi Son
economic zone in northern Vietnam.
Te two sides also agreed to push orward the Vietnam
Happiness Program, modeled aer Koreas rural development
project known as Saemaul Undong (New Community
Movement). Te program aims to contribute to Vietnams
regional development and its transormation into an advanced,
industrialized nation by 2020.
Vietnam agreed to work towards improving its business and
investment environment so that more Korean companies can
invest in the country as well as to encourage Korean frms to
participate and invest in Vietnams inrastructure construction,
advanced technology, parts and materials, and manuacturing
sectors.
Korea agreed to work towards reintroducing the employment
permit system (EPS), which ended in 2012, and to consider
measures to acilitate immigration procedures or Vietnamese
nationals.
Te two sides also agreed to consider expanding support or
multicultural amilies with Vietnamese and Korean spouses to
help bring the peoples o the two nations closer together.
Seven Other Agreements
Immediately aer the summit, the two presidents sign
another seven agreements, which include an agreeme
restart the EPS system, cooperation on a road constru
project in the northern Vietnamese cities o an Van
rach, and the establishment o both a Vietnamese br
Koreas Financial Supervisory Service and a science te
research institute modeled aer the Korea Institute o
and echnology (KIS), dubbed V-KIS.
During the summit, President Sang expressed supp
President Parks trust-building initiative with North K
He also lauded Parks vision o Northeast Asian peace
cooperation, which aims at building regional trust.
Te two sides also agreed to cooperate closely in the
international community through ASEAN+3, the ASRegional Forum, East Asia Summit, and Asia-Pacifc
Cooperation (APEC).
Both leaders agreed to deepen security cooperation
exchanges, hold summit meetings regularly in politics
security, and actively hold regular meetings between
ranking ocials rom Korea and Vietnam as well as st
dialogue meetings in the oreign aairs and security s
the two governments.
President Park Geun-hye made a state visit to Vietnam
rom Sep 7 to 11.
She held a summit meeting with Vietnamese
resident ruong an Sang on Sep 9 to discuss matters o
mutual interest. Te two leaders released a joint statement
ubbed the “joint statement o leaders or co-prosperity” in
which they expressed satisaction with the bilateral relationship
etween Korea and Vietnam since the establishment o
iplomatic relations in 1992, which has resulted in remarkable
evelopment in many areas, including politics, economy,
ociety, culture, and exchange o human resources.
Te two leaders also agreed to boost the strategic cooperative
artnership the two nations have been building since 2009. In
rder to do this, they agreed to make eorts to boost bilateral
trade volume rom its 2012 level o USD 20 billion to USD 70
billion by 2020. Tey agreed to take measures to extend trade
volume in a more balanced way.
Tey also agreed to accelerate ongoing discussions or a
ree trade agreement so that the two countries can fnalize an
agreement or a comprehensive level o ree trade by 2014.
Te two leaders also welcomed the start o a joint preliminary
easibility study between Korea and Vietnam this June or a
USD 10 million nuclear plant development project in Vietnam.
Te presidents agreed to cooperate and provide support or
Korean companies participation in the construction o an oil
storage terminal in Vietnams Dung Quat region and a thermal
power plant in southern Vietnam. Tey also welcomed the
signing o a memorandum o understanding on cooperation
1. President Park meets with Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang
2. President Park addresses Korean and Vietnamese business figures at a luncheon.
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8
At 8:00 am on Sep 16, cars and trucks carrying
South Korean workers crossed the inter-Korean
border into North Korea. Teir destination was the
Kaesong Industrial Complex, the highly symbolic industrial
ark which had been closed or fve months due to elevated
nter-Korean tensions. By the end o the day, 820 South
Korean managers and workers had crossed over the DMZ on
he way to Kaesong; some 400 spent the night there.
Te reopening o the Kaesong Industrial Complex is a sign
hat aer several months o tension, inter-Korean relations are
hawing. Speaking in Vietnam, South Korean President Park
Geun-hye expressed hope that “North Korea will also make
the right choice by using the Kaesong Industrial Complex as
the starting point” or reorm and openness. Te development
even caught the attention o UN Secretary General Ban Ki-
moon, who said, “It is my hope that recent agreement on the
resumption o Kaesong Industrial Complex is just the frst step
towards resuming regular, normal dialogue.”
Reviving a Symbol
On Sep 13 the two Koreas agreed to reopen their joint Kaesong
Industrial Complex in the North Korean city o Gaeseong
on Sep 16. Tey also signed a package o deals to improve
its operations and attract overseas frms in the uture. Te
acility, said to be the last remaining symbol o cross-border
cooperation, was shut down fve months ago when all 53,000
workers were pulled out by the North Korean government.
Te two sides frst restored their military hotlines on the west
coast. Engineers and ocials rom state-run power, telecom,
and water providers then began repairing the acilities.
Prior to the test run on Sep 16, the government granted a tax
exemption to South Korean operators or the rest o 2013 as
compensation or the fve-month work halt. Tey also waived
the taxes that went unpaid in 2012 until the end o the year.
Te two Koreas also agreed to adopt an agreement or the
establishment o a dispute arbitration panel and easier access
to the complex by introducing radio-requency identifcation
devices within the year.
Attracting Foreign Investors
Te Kaesong Industrial Complex opened in 2004 as a landmark
eort to promote inter-Korean economic cooperation. Some
123 South Korean companies have acilities in the complex,
which is run by about 53,000 North Korean workers and 800
South Korean sta. On the frst day o renewed operations,
about 70 South Korean companies and 32,000 North Korean
workers took part in trial production.
Seoul hopes the restart o the complex may also provide an
opportunity to internationalize it. Te Sep 13 agreement called
or the two Koreas to actively promote oreign investment in
the complex by adopting international standards in regards
to labor aairs, tax, wage and insurance within the co
recognition o preerential taris or products rom th
complex in case o their export to a third country; and
holding o joint investment relations sessions abroad.
Eorts to promote the Kaesong Industrial Complex
internationally began almost immediately. In a summ
Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta on the sidelines o
summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, President Park en
Italian investment in the complex. In Vietnam, Presid
stressed that the park should operate according to “co
sense and international standards” i it is to attract or
investors.
o give the complex additional stability, the two Ko
agreed to orm a joint-secretariat to oversee productio
by both South and North Korean personnel, the secre
expected to provide a stable communication channel
the two sides. Te secretariat is scheduled to begin op
around Sep 30.
I C Y R E V I E W
Written by Bae Ji-sook and Robert Koehler
KAESONG INDUSTRIALCOMPLEX REOPENSRestart o operations at symbolic industrial park a sign o warming
nter-Korean relations
1
3
1. North Kor
at Kaesong I
Complex
2. South and
officials sha
upon agreei
the Kaesong
Complex.
3. Kaesong I
Complex
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ATIVE TECHNOLOGY
0
OLEV, a New Engine of Growth
Te OLEV project reers to an operation system where electric
wires buried under roads generate a magnetic feld, thus
making it possible or electric vehicles to recharge on the road.
Electrifcation o the road did not require major construction
work, as the recharging stations were buried only in fve places,
including bus stops.
A device attached to the bottom o the bus draws up power
rom the road using a technology called “shaped magnetic
feld in resonance.” Electric cables embedded under the road
create electromagnetic felds, which are then picked up by a
coil inside the device and converted into electricity. Te energy
transer rate rom road wires to the car has reached 75 percent.
Te 12 km route on the public road is the frst o its kind in
the world according to project developers, who added that 10
more public buses are scheduled to be added by 2015.
Te battery in the electric vehicle is less than one-third the
size o those in other electric vehicles, which helps reduce
not only the overall weight o the vehicle but also the amount
o carbon dioxide emitted during power generation, thus
improving the overall eciency o the vehicle.
A brainchild o ormer KAIS President Suh Nam-pyo,
the system has been developed by the university as part o its
new “growth engine” projects. Te researchers worked on the
project to cope with the grave reality that carbon emissions
South Korea has successully tested an “electric road”—
which will surely be remembered as one o the most
trailblazing and cutting-edge technologies o its kind
n the world—that enables electric public buses to recharge
heir batteries rom cables embedded in the roads over whichhe vehicles drive.
Te Korea Advanced Institute o Science and echnology
KAIS) has succeeded with the OLEV (online electric vehicle)
roject—under which electric buses provide passengers with
ublic transportation services—which experts say will be a
urning point or the buses commercialization
nd wider utilization or mass
ransportation.
wo electric public buses started operation on the electrifed
road in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, on September 6, 2013.
Aer a trial operation between September and December o
this year on a 24-km (15-mile) round-trip route linking Gumi
Station and the Indong district, they will begin their ocialdrive in January o next year. Te system in Gumi—a city
located some 260 km southeast o Seoul—had a fnal check-up
in July.
KAIST develops new system to wirelessly recharge electric buses
Korea Unveils anElectric Road’
Written by Sohn Tae-soo
0
u c rans or a on ser v ces—w c ex er s say w e
urning point or the buses commercialization
nd wider utilization or mass
ransportation.
OLEV
Pow
dev
Power supply rail
(installed under the pavement)
Absorbs generated
magnetic field and
converts it into electricity
Power li ne F eeding coil
Pickup coil
Core for
frequenc
Generates high-frequency
magnetic fieldSteel cor
rom conventional vehicles are contributing to climat
and that ossil uel deposits are being rapidly used up
the world.
Meanwhile, the new electric vehicle has been named
o the most promising technologies by the World Eco
Forum (WEF), KAIS said. Te WEF, also known as
Forum, announces the 10 most monumental new tec
every year through its Global Agenda Council on Em
echnologies.
Ocials at the Ministry o Land, Inrastructure and
ransport said that the actual commercialization o el
vehicles that wirelessly recharge on the road will help
nation lead the worlds electric vehicle market.
Skeptics both at home and abroad had warned that
costs involved in installing the equipment show that i
be less practical than other schemes, such as those in
vehicles recharge at designated locations or using cab
commercialization process has cost up to KRW 26.6 b
between December 2011 and June 2013. But experts s
that they see a lot o potential or the technology or p
transport applications, adding that the remaining que
how to cut down the cost.
1. OLEV bus that services Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do © KAIST
2. OLEV bus on a special road in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do
1
2
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examination services to US war veterans and give added
points to their descendants when they submit job applications
to Korean frms with branches in the US,” Kim explained his
vision or the oundation, which he pushed or with several
private companies.
Private Sector Takes the Lead
On Aug 27, the American Legion—the largest organization
o wartime veterans in Korea—presented its prestigious 2013
Patriot Award to Samsung in recognition o its generosity in
providing USD 5 million in education scholarships to nearly
1,700 descendants o US war veterans. It marked the frst
time the award has been given to a corporation. “Trough an
endowment unded since 1996, Samsung was able to show its
appreciation to the United States or coming to South Koreasaid during its struggle against Communist orces during the
Korean War,” said National Commander James E. Koutz.
Samsung is also running whats called “Samsung Academy”
in urkey, providing scholarships as well as I education to the
descendants o war veterans there.
LG, meanwhile, has turned its eye to Ethiopia, which sent
6,000 troops to fght on the Souths side during the Korean War.
O them, 120 died and 540 were injured. “Our work in Ethiopia
is a way o showing gratitude or sending troops during the
war,” an LG ocial said. “With our work, we also hope to
acilitate development in the country.”
Since early this year, LG has been running the LG Hope
Community Project, which helps turn underdevelope
into economically viable arming communities, teach
technology skills, and oers scholarships and opportu
work at LG aliates to the descendants o war veteran
Veterans Are Assets
Te medical community has also joined in. Since Dec
2011, Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital in Yong
joined orces with the Korean War Memorial Founda
to provide ree diagnoses and medical operations to th
descendants o oreign war veterans studying in Kore
Han Jong-woo, the project director o the Korean W
Veterans Digital Memorial, says that he was able to es
the memorial—which is a digital database o docume
recordings, and artiacts o Korean War veterans worwith the help o companies like Pantech, a handset ma
“o mark the 60th anniversary o the armistice, a teen
volunteers group to help war veterans was also launc
Washington DC—reminiscent o the Peace Corps vol
that came to Korea in the post-war 1960s,” he said. “S
group can help continue the interest in war veterans r
older generation to the younger one.”
He said that although war veterans endured the pain
war, they are also assets to Korea. “War veterans and t
descendents are all over the world, and they are pro-K
opinion leaders . . . Tey are state assets that can speak
Korea in international venues.”
1. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won hands out messages and medals of appreciation to Korean War veterans 2. LG Scholarship Program for Descendants of UN Korean Wa
© LG Corp. CSR 3. Descendant of Ethiopian veteran of the Korean War learns auto mechanic skills in Korea through KOICA.J
une 25, 1950, is a date that most Koreans are aware
o. Its the day that the Korean War (1950–1953)
broke out and let deep scars in the country, its
eople, and history.
However, many Koreans dont know the signifcance o July
7, 1953. Its the day that the Korean Armistice Agreement
was signed, ending the hostilities. As Korea marks the 60th
nniversary o the armistice, the political, corporate, and
medical sectors are extending various support programs
or Korean War veterans rom around the world and their
escendents.
Politicians Lend Support
On Aug 1, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won made a donation
o the Korean War Memorial Foundation in hopes that the
money be used on scholarships or the descendents o oreign
war veterans. wenty-one countries o the United Nations
Command sent troops and medical aid to support South
Korean orces. Tey sent more than 1.78 million people and
saw more than 150,000 casualties in the war. “I hope the
oundation gives more scholarships to the grandsons and
granddaughters o war veterans and that my donation triggers
more donations,” Chung said, according to the oundation. Te
amount is not known.
Meanwhile, Kim Jung-hun, the chairman o the National
Assembly’s National Policy Committee, has been pushing
or the creation o a new oundation to lend support to the
US soldiers who ought in the Korean War—who made up
the majority o oreign soldiers taking part in the war—and
their descendants. “Te oundation can help provide medical
A MESSAGE OF APPRECIATIONKorea thanks war veterans worldwide in commemoration of
the 60th anniversary of the Korean armistice agreement
Written by Kim Hyung-eun
2
O B A L K O R E A
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E A T K O R E A N
JU SI-GYEONG
Written by Felix Im
Korean linguist and patriot realized language waskey to national identity
Ju Si-gyeong was born in a time when
the concepts o Korean identity and
nationality were in jeopardy —even in
danger o going extinct. Aer opening its
borders or the frst time, the nation was
divided into nobility who wanted to expel
oreign inuence while retaining their
power, democratic commoners looking
or political reormation and equality, and
a royalty that was le with the question o
how to modernize their country. Te Korean
Peninsula was being careully watched by
curious and oen greedy oreign powers,
including the uture imperialists o Japan.
Coming rom a background o ClassicalChinese and linguistics, Ju quickly realized
that the key or any nation and people
to retain their sense o identity was their
language and that the Korean language was
in danger o being diluted and weakened, or
even wiped out entirely.
A Newfound Love for HisNative Hangeul
Although born into an educated amily,
sudden poverty in Jus household resulted
in his adoption by his uncle in Seoul, with
whom he moved rom his birth town in the
province o Hwanghae-do (one o eight in
the Joseon Dynasty). It was during his time
in Seoul that his studies in Classical Chinese
intensifed, through which he gradually
realized the ineciency o stubbornly using
hanja (Chinese characters) and Chinese
pronunciation, which very ew people could
understand. Aer witnessing ellow students
struggle with their teachers explanations
in traditional hanja characters—which they
could only understand aer the teacher
explained in vernacular Korean—he quickly
concluded that it was ar more sensible
to simply speak and write in Korean and
4
avoid having to say the same thing twice. It was then that he
started harvesting his passion or Hangeul as well as his desire
to promulgate its use. It was also during this time that he
learned that all powerul and inuential countries stressed the
importance o their native language.
While earning his living as a Korean language teacher, Ju
eventually realized the need to standardize and strengthen the
oundations o Hangeul and, along with some o his devoted
students, quickly began delving into a research venture that
continued throughout the rest o his lie.
Linguistic Pioneer
Ju wrote extensively on topics such as Korean phonetics,
phonology, syntax, morphology, grammar, and lexicography,
choosing to write as much as possible in the Korean alphabetas opposed to the contemporary trend o using Hangeul as a
mere aid to hanja characters. He is oen credited with having
explored essential themes in modern linguistics even beore
Western scholars did, putting him down in history as a pioneer
and innovator who laid the path or uture Korean scholars.
Ju was also one o the frst Korean scholars to eectively start
1. Portrait of Ju Si-gyeong, painted by Professor Jeong Gap-ju of Dong-A Uni
© Jeong Gap-ju
2. Korean grammar text written by hand by Ju himself © The Korean Langua
3. Old Pai Chai Hakdang, where Ju went to school
standardizing ocial spellings and establishing unive
rules o Korean grammar—which, remarkably, didnt
exist until then. Hangeul, being an alphabet oen shu
and criticized by the elite nobility as being a lower-cla
writing system, hadnt had a chance to ully develop in
systemized and unifed usage. For example, beore Ju
research, nobody ever thought to establish the Korean
speech. Because Ju was the frst to start eectively diss
the Korean language in a scientifc and organized ma
in a way unseen since the days o Sejong the Great—m
Korean scholars credit him with being the frst major
in modern Korean language studies, giving him not o
academic signifcance but also patriotic reverence.
Independence through Language
Jus active involvement in the publication o all-Korea
newspapers was not only an eort to promote widesp
o Korean but also a vital campaign to instill educationthe masses, encouraging the public to engage in politi
philosophical, and conceptual discussions. Even when
Japanese imperialists took the Korean Peninsula and
education in the Korean language, Ju continued his le
and research in secret, always stressing that even thou
Koreans had lost their government, as long as they re
their language, independence was possible.
1
2
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6
K O R E A
When you've got a camera in your hands, anything can happen
THE JOYS OFPHOTOGRAPHY IN KOREA Written by Peter DeMarco
ustrated by Kim Yoon-Myong
small temple on our way. Tere was a group o shamans and
their ollowers dancing and singing. Curious, I pulled out my
camera as we walked closer. I had always wanted to see one o
these ceremonies. Tey spotted us and invited us in. I asked i I
could take photographs and, surprisingly, the shamans agreed.
I thought we would just sit against the wall and observe
until the head shaman pulled my riend aside and started
questioning him. “Do you have any pains—mental or
physical?” she asked. Aer a ew more questions, she gave her
otherworldly prognosis: “You have the ghost o a dead relative
inside you. It must be exorcised.”
She perormed an ancient ritual to rid my riend o his
demons. It was like something out o a documentary movie.
Aerwards, they invited us to eat with them. We ended up
I always try to portray the essence o a place when I take
photographs. It doesnt matter i Im taking a picture o a
cityscape rom the rooop o a building or someones portrait.
I want to represent what is particular to Korea and share that.
Shaman on the Mountain
An experience that was particularly
memorable or me was when I saw a Korean
gut , or shamanistic ceremony. One day my
riend and I were hiking up a mountain
to photograph Busan. We passed by a
Inever knew I would all in love with photography when
I came to Korea almost seven years ago. What started
out as a simple hobby has turned into one o my greatest
assions. Being a photographer in Korea has made it an even
igger joy.
For me, having an endless variety o things to photograph
s inspiring. From mountainside temples to dynamic
ityscapes, theres always something interesting to capture.
ve seen bamboo orests, cherry blossoms, desolate beaches,
nowy hilltops, rice paddies, bustling markets, ultra-modern
kyscrapers, and colorul oliage.
Its not only the diversity o subjects that makes Korea such
great place to shoot. Probably the best thing is the spirit and
ense o camaraderie surrounding photography here. Its not
ncommon to see groups o 20 or more photographers trying
o capture a beautiul scene.
More oen than not, its at some remote place beore
he sun rises, like on a mountain peak or ocean shore.
veryone sets up their gear and then chats, shares someood or drinks, and socializes. Its easy to eel like you
re part o something bigger. Documenting daily lie
ecomes a major event.
spending the whole day. Ive already been back two m
to visit.
I think thats one o the things that makes taking ph
in Korea memorable. At any moment the unexpected
happen. A stranger will invite you into their home or
a meal. Living in a oreign country, its easy to eel like
outsider. o be a good photographer, though, you nee
close to your subject, to know them as a human being
as an object in your viewfnder. Te openness o the p
allowed me take photos I normally couldnt.
Korea has much to oer the avid photographer: bea
landscapes, opportunities to learn, and the sense o be
to something bigger. However, its the relationships Iv
here that I will cherish most.
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IIIIII O
8
It was 1980 when Proessor Alok Roy frst set oot in
South Korea or a fve-year stint at Seoul National
University in pursuit o his doctoral studies in
international relations. He had recently wrapped up his
PhD in East Asian studies at New Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru
University, and his unexpected journey to Korean shores was
more by chance than anything else.
“It was one o those ukes, it was not that I planned it,”
says the 58-year-old Roy, speaking in his oce at the Busan
University o Foreign Studies, where he is an associate proessor
in the department o Hindi. “In India I was studying East Asia
so I would have done China or Japan, but then suddenly this
Korean department comes up. I thought, ‘Why not try it?”
It was the frst such program at Indias leading university and,
according to Roy, it soon became a highly sought-aer course
with his ellow students.
“At once it was popular. Te frst thing was that it was new
and the second thing was that nobody knew where Korea was.”
Aer arriving at SNU, he and a group o international
students set about pursuing their degrees in a program taught
entirely in Korean. Not all were as diligent and determined as
Roy. “We had 40-odd students, but only our or fve survived
the process,” says Roy.
Following fve years pursuing his degree, and while preparing
to make his way back to India to teach, Roy met the woman, a
Korean, who would eventually become his wie.
Over the course o his year back home, the two got to know
each other through letters and phone calls until Roys mother
sat him down and said he needed to take the next step and
ask or her hand. “I came back to Korea basically to marry my
wie,” says Roy. “My mother one day said, ‘I see a lot o letters
coming and I see a lot o phone calls. Have you asked anybody
to wait there? I dont know about you, but in India asking a girl
to wait is a very dicult proposition or her, so i you want to
marry her, go and marry her.”
Returning on a tourist visa, Roy married his long-distance
sweetheart, who now writes children's books and is mother to
their 23- and 24-year-old daughters.
Witness to Progress
In 2011, Roy became Koreas 100,000th naturalized citizen.
Having spent over three decades in Korea, he has witnessed the
countrys remarkable changes and studied its progres
has struck Roy most over the course o his time here
orderliness o the transormation that has taken place
“I realize that, living in Korea, I have seen more than
have seen living any other place,” says Roy. “I have see
place change, but I have never seen anywhere where th
comes so smoothly, without any chaos.”
Roy views Koreas emergence as a major economic p
one o the worlds leading countries as an almost preo
phenomenon. “Anything they have taken up, they hav
it as i they were ready or it,” says Roy. “I always tell th
when I frst came to Korea, Korea was like a woman w
carrying a baby, and it was in the last month. So, it ha
agony, the anxieties, the panicky situations, and yet th
that something will happen that is good.”
As or Roys uture, he anticipates that Korea will lik
remain his home. “I eel more comortable here than
place,” he says, with a smile orming across his lips. “In
there is a very good expression called janma bhumi. J
bhumi is your birthplace and karma bhumi is where y
your karma. So, Korea is my karma bhumi. As long as
healthy and working, Korea will be very important to
would love to be here.”
Prof. Roy takes the vow of Korean citizenship in 2011.
Professor Alok Roy
Written by Bobby McGill
hotographed by Peter DeMarco
After coming to Korea by chance, Indian professor becomes Korea’s 100,000thnaturalized citizen
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ES FROM KOREA
Simcheong
Written by Curtis File
ustrated by Shim Soo-keun
One of Korea’s most beloved folktales demonstrates the beauty of filial piety
0
wo years ago I had the pleasure o meeting an elderly
Korean woman who had survived both Japanese
occupation and the Korean War o the early 1950s.
Her story, like many rom her generation, was a amiliar one.
While her relatives and neighbors had been taken away by
the war, she remained behind with the other girls her age and
worked in her amilys feld, helping the community carry on.
Years o dicult work had knotted her hands and maligned
her spine, but still she smiled as she talked about her lie rom
those days. It was hard, she said, but it was her duty to help
make sure her amily stayed in order. Her story is part o a
much deeper cultural narrative, where the burden o duty has
been a amiliar and ever present theme expressed in both lie
and art.
Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that Korean olklore is ull o
stories about great men that conquer and succeed and their
emale counterparts that sacrifce themselves or the good o
their husbands and amilies. Te legend o Simcheong is among
the most well-known stories o emale virtue. Her image has
been popularized in childrens books and stage perormances
across the country.
Simcheong, the story tells, was a beautiul young woman who
lost her mother at birth. Tough her ather, a successul sail
mender, tried his best to take care o her, he became blind and
could no longer work. Simcheong, ever the dutiul daughter,
stayed by his side as his sole care provider, only leaving him to
go to the market or ood and visit the local temple.
One day, while visiting the temple, she learned rom a monk
o a way to grant her greatest wish—the wish to see her
athers sight returned. He told her that i she oered
hersel as a sacrifce to the King o the Sea, the king
would grant her wish. On her way back rom
the temple she encountered a group o sailors
who persuaded her to sacrifce hersel to
the King o the Sea so that he would grantthem sae passage in his waters.
Upon meeting the king, Simcheong
begged or her wish to be granted. Te
great king took pity on the young girl,
returning her to land wrapped in a lotus
ower. When she returned, she married
the king and became the queen o her
land, fnally reuniting with her ather, whose blindnes
now cured.
Pansori Classic
Tough it is not known exactly when, the Simcheon
was adopted into a pansori, or Korean musical narrati
pansoriperormances convey the emotions o the stor
more deeply than the childrens book versions.
In the pansori, Simcheongs bravery is conveyed as s
prepares hersel to die. Rather than lament her death,
songs become prayers or her blind ather, creating a
emotional atmosphere or the audience. Te perorm
all the technical elements and musical nuances o a tr
pansoriand is widely acknowledged to be the most di
passage to perorm among the fve pansorinarratives
perormed today.
Much like the Cinderella princess stories o Western
Simcheongs image has served as a role model or you
girls in Korea, preserving the lesson that girls who sac
themselves or their amily will be blessed. It is no
wonder, then, that the virtues and amily
devotion she symbolizes are held
in such high esteem today,
even among younger
generations.
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2
L A V O R
YeonnipbapWritten by Ko Yeonkyung
Photograph courtesy of Andong Festival Tourism Foundation
Y eonnipbap is not only one o Korean cuisines
most beautiul dishes but also one o its most
philosophical. Sticky rice and other grains
steamed in a lotus lea, this delicacy was originally a
Buddhist dish served at monasteries. In Buddhism, the lotus
ower has great symbolism: blossoming rom the muck, it
represents both enlightenment and spiritual purifcation.
Like other Buddhist temple dishes, its preparation and
consumption were meant not only as exercises in sustenance
but also a spiritual practice.
So resplendent is the dish that it is sometimes called
a “mandala on the dinner table,” reerring to the
symbolic paintings that depict the Buddhist cosmos.
basic orm
-아/어/여 주다orm
-아/어/여 드리다orm
-아
h on or i c o rm a
사다 sada 사 주다 sa juda 사 드리다 sa deurida 사
들다 deulda 들어 주다deureo juda
들어 드리다deureo deurida
들어deu
예약하다 yeyakada 예약해 주다 yeyakae juda
예약해 드리다 yeyakae deurida
예약 yey
* -아/어/여 주세요 is used when you ask or something politely.
네, 일곱 시에 예약해
모두 다섯 명입니다.
ne, ilgop sie yeyakae juseymodu daseot myeong-imn
Yes, please make a reser
7:00. We’re a party o ve
4
Hello. I want to make a reserv
Friday evening.
2
안녕하세요. 금요일 저녁에
식당을 예약하고 싶습니다
annyeonghaseyo. geumyoil jeonsikdang-eul yeyakago sipseumn
Please make a reservation for 7:00 Have you ever asked or something in Korean? What is the polite expression or
asking in Korean? Let’s learn the expression or asking in Korean.
알겠습니다.
이름과 연락처를 말씀해 주세요.algetseumnida.ireumgwa yeollakcheoreul malsseumhae juseyo.
I see. Please tell me your name and
your phone number.
5
네, 한국식당입니다.
ne, hanguksikdangimnida.
Hello. This is the Hanguk Restaurant.
1
잠시만요. 네, 금요일에
예약이 가능합니다.
예약해 드릴까요?
jamsimannyo. ne, geumyoireyeyagi ganeunghamnida.yeyakae deurilkkayo?
One moment, please. Yes, areservation or Friday would bepossible.
Shall I make a reservation or you?
3
예약해
ams mayeyagi g yeyakae
Letpra
Mak
conv
show
exam
예약하다
yeyakada
짐을 들다
jimeul deulda
주소를 읽다
jusoreul ikda
A: 제가 예약해 드릴까요?
B: 네, 예약해 주세요.
-아/어/여 주다
-아/어/여 주다 is used ater a verb to indicate that the
subject o a sentence does something or others. When
a verb stem ends with ㅏ, ㅗother than 하다, -아 주다
is used. In other cases, -어 주다 is used. When a verb
ends with 하다, -여 주다 is added, but it is contracted
to해 주다. I the beneciary is the elder, ‘-아/어/여 드리다’ is used.
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