Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

1/28

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

2/28

32

Now in KoreaChuseokKorean TraditionalHarvest Celebration

30

festival2012 AndongInternationalMaskdance Fest ival

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

3/28

korea september 20122

COVER STORY

The motorways in South Korea hadeveloped the same way as its economy

courageous frst step was taken in the 196

the seed o a miracle sprouted in1970, t

growth accelerated in the 1980s, a so

expansion was achieved in the 1990s, a

a well-developed network spreading in

directions has been completed in the 200

By 2020, a national circular road netwo

with seven horizontal and nine vert i

trunks w ill be completed. This dense g

o roads with a combined length o 6,2

kilometers will make it possible to access

expressway rom any part o the country

hal an hour, giving motorists even grea

ease o trav

Korean roads constructed throu

mountains and over seas and r iv

demonstrate Koreans hopes and grow

as well as their desire to connect with o

anoth

K-ROADSThrough Mountains and Oer the Se

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

4/28


COVER STORY

Roads foR

GReen Land

and

GReen

LivestyLeMost o Koreas terrain consists o mountains, and

the country aces t he sea and numerous islands andislets in the west, south, and east. Thus, paving a

long-distance road oten involves drilling th rough hillsand mountains and constructing bridges over water.

Since the construction o the Gyeongbu Expressway inthe 1970s, many roads have been constructed to connect

to every corner o the country in all directions, like thearteries, veins, capillaries o a human body.

by Lee Jeong-eun and Im Sang-bumIn cooperation with SMART Highway, SsangYong Engineering and Construction

Co., Ltd., Korea Expressway Corporation, and Hyundai Engineering andConstruction Co., Ltd.

Traditionally the geography ofKorea is compared to sheepsintestines, since most of its terrain

is mountainous and scattered with

countless winding mountain paths and

numerous rivers and streams. Due to

these geographical traits, it took a lot of

time to travel from one place to another

compared to the relative small size of

the country.Today, however, controlled-access

national highways (expressways),

general national highways (national

roads), and t he local roads of individual

metropolitan cities, provinces, cities,

and counties run throughout the

country like the arteries, veins, and

capillaries of the human body.

Ms. Baek Myeon-hui, who was

born in the middle of the country in

the town of Mungyeong and now

lives in Seoul, frequently returns

to her hometown, a trip which she

couldnt have even imagined years

ago. Although the beeline distance

between the two cities is not that great,

it used to take at least four hours to go

from Seoul to Mungyeong mainly due

to Mungyeong Saejae, a traditionally

infamous obstacle for t ravelers.

From of old, Mungyeong Saejae is a

rugged hill and the rst gateway fromthe Yeongnam region (southeastern

region of Korea) toward Seoul.

During the Joseon period (1392-1910),

applicants for the national civil service

examination from the Yeongnam

region had to cross the hill to go to

Seoul, a trip that took at least ten days.

There are multiples theories about the

name of Mungyeong Saejae, one of

which tells us that the jae (lit. hill) is so

rugged that even a sae (lit. bird) needs

to rest while ying over the hill.

Even in more modern times,

Mungyeong wasnt very accessible.

However, the construction of the

Mungyeong Saejae Tunnel as part of

the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway in

2004 helped cut the travel time betw

Seoul and Mungyeong in half. Since

then more sections have been added

to the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway,

scheduled to be completed by the enof this year to run between Yangpy

near Seoul and Changwon on the so

coast of the Korean Peninsula.

GYEONGBU EXPRESSWAY AND

INDUSTRIALIZATION

On July 7, 1970, construction of the

Gyeongbu Expressway was comple

two years and ve months after

breaking ground. The 428-kilomete

long expressway shortened the t rav

time between Seoul and Busan from

The road along the meandering lakeshore o the Okjeongho is ull o constantly changing sce

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

5/28


COVER STORY

over 15 hours to ve and a half.

The benets of the expressway soon

became the most evident in logistics.

Back then, the South Korean economy

was rapidly bulging thanks to the

governments rst ve-year plan for

economic development (1962-1966),

but the countrys transportation

infrastructure was poor, resulting in a

chronic logistics issue. The construction

of the Gyeongbu Expressway clearedthat obstacle, accelerating the economic

growth of Korea. Real GDP grew at an

annual pace of over ten percent during

the 1970s.

Following the construction of the

Gyeongbu Expressway, the Honam,

Namhae, Yeongdong, and Guma

expressways were all constructed in the

1970s; the 88 Olympic Expressway and

Jungbu Expressway were completed in

the 1980s; and the Pangyo-Guri, Singal-

Ansan, Seohaean, Jungang, and Seoul

Outer Ring expressways all had their

groundbreakings in the 1990s.

According to the Ministry of Land,

Transport and Maritime Aairs and

the Korea Expressway Corporation,by 2020 there will be seven trunk

lines going in a north-south direction

and nine trunk lines going in an east-

west direction as well as branch roads,

all with a combined length of 6,200

kilometers that will cover the country.

where the Gyeongbu KTX Line stops.

This network will be both radial and

circular in order to pursue co-growth

with nearby cities such as Daejeon,

Cheongju, and Gongju.

The roads of Korea not only stretch

within the Korean Peninsula, but also

extend o of the coastlines to Koreas

numerous islands and islets, especially

o the meandering southern coast

where many islands are scattered.One of the most representative bridges

is the Aphae Bridge, which connects

Mokpo and the island of Aphaedo, both

in the southern province of Jeollanam-

do. Opened in 2008, it is a four-lane

bridge of a combined length of 3,563

meters which includes the section over

water (1,420 meters), over land (420

meters), and the connecting section in

between the two (1,720 meters). With

the completion of the bridge, residents

not only of Aphaedo but also of nea rby

islands can now travel to Mokpo much

more conveniently.

There are 40 bridges that connectislands to the mainland including the

Geogeum Bridge, Gogeum Bridge,

and Yi Sun-sin Bridge (a suspension

bridge that was opened in conjunction

with the opening of the Yeosu Expo).

Twenty-seven more bridges a re

under construction including the

Saecheonnyeon Bridge, which will

connect the islands of Amtaedo and

Aphaedo, and plans are underway

for the construction of 36 additional

bridges. By 2020, it will be possible

to travel to all major islands o the

southern coast by car.

SMART AND GREEN

TUNNELS AND BRIDGES

Since Korea has numerous mountains

and islands, tunnels and bridges need

to be built in most cases when roads

are constructed. Thats why Korea

is a top-rated country

when it comes to tunnel-

drilling technology and

bridge construction. The

countrys civil engineering

market is no longer about

cheap labor. Embracing

information technology and

environmental technology,

Korean civil engineers are

now able to connect tunnels50 meters below sea level

within a margin of error of

two centimeters and cut a

new underground tunnel

only 15 centimeters below a

subway tunnel.

The opening of the Yi

Sun-sin Bridge earlier this

year started a new chapter

in the history of super

long-span bridges. A super

long-span bridge usually

connects an island to land

or to another island, and the

distance between two bridgepiers is at least 1,000 meters.

Typically, the long bridge

deck is connected over the

sea with steel cables to endure st rong

winds and waves, which requires state-

of-the-art civil engineering technology.

The Yi Sun-sin Bridge is a cable-

stayed suspension bridge with a

1,545-meter span between the piers.

Thats a longer pier span than that

of the Golden Gate Bridge in San

Francisco. Being the worlds fourth

largest suspension bridge, the

Yi Sun-sin Bridge was constructed

100 percent by Daelim Industrial,a Korean company. This made Korea

the worlds sixth country that was able

to build a suspension bridge entirely

on its own.

The construction of the Geoga

Bridge, which connects Busan

NO ISLAND IS TOO FAR TO

REACH IN A DAY

When the dense road network is

completed, Sejong Special Self-

Governing City will be at the heart of

the network and will also be accessible

from any major city in Korea within

two hours. Sejong City itself, located

in the center of the Korean Peninsula,

is a planned city that will be home to

national government ministries andother agencies. The most important

roads that form the road network are

the Gyeongbu, Honam, Cheonan-

Nonsan, and Daejeon-Dangjin

expressways, as well as the road that

connects Sejong City to Osong Station

and the island of Geojedo, helped

push Koreas underwater tunnel

technology to the next level. The

project involved building two cable

stayed bridges (3.5 kilometers) and

laying an immersed tube tunnel

under the sea (3.7 kilometers), whic

was the most challenging part of th

entire construction project. In order

to construct the immersed tunnel,

engineers had to connect 18 concre

tubes 50 meters below sea level

between the islands of Gadeokdo a

Jungjukdo. Daewoo E&C, another

Korean company, developed precis

position-control equipment called

an external positioning system (EP

and used other cutting-edge civilThe Donghaean Expressway stretched out alongside the coastline.

The Yi Sun-sin Bridge is the worlds ourth largestsuspension bridge.

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

6/28


COVER STORY

1

engineering techniques combined with

information technology in order to link

the concrete tubes within a margin of

error of only two centimeters under

the sea. The 45,000-ton tubes were rst

constructed in drydock.

The construction of the Seoul-

Chuncheon Expressway, which opened

in 2009, was a gra nd project involving

laying roads, building 103 bridges,

drilling 41 tunnels, and constructingnine interchanges, nine oces, and

two rest areas. For the construction

of the expressway, a range of eco-

friendly civil engineering techniques

were used. For example, Hyundai

Development Company, the Korean

company that directed the entire

construction process, applied a soil-

nailing technique from the design

stage. Soil nailing helps stabilize

unstable natural soil slopes and

minimizes the environmental impact

of construction.

CIvIL ENGINEERING OFKOREA CROSSES BORDERS

South Koreas unrivaled civil

engineering technology has proven

its value at home and abroad. Korea

started exporting its civil engineering

technology in the 1960s and has since

seen robust growth. The cumulative

price of the construction projects

Korean companies have won overseas

so far has reached USD 500 billion

as of June 2012. Koreas share in the

global market has also grown, jumping

from 1.9 percent in 2003 (the worlds

12th) to 4.8 percent in 2010 (the worlds

seventh). Today, Korea is a globalpower in the civil engineering market

both in name and substance.

Samsung C&T was the primary

contractor for Burj Khalifa (828 meters,

160 stories) in Dubai, United Arab

Emirates, which is the tallest building

in the world. Dong Ah Consortium

and Korex were the respective primary

contractors for the rst and second

phases of the Great Manmade River

(GMR) project in Libya, which is the

worlds largest single construction

project. Daelim Industrial signed a

contract for the development of Irans

South Pars gas eld in December

2010, which is still under way. Besides

such grand projects, Korea has alsodemonstrated superb expertise in the

construction of such infrastructure as

roads and bridges in many parts of the

world.

The rst Korean construction rm

to venture overseas was Hyundai

Engineering and Construction. In 1966,

the company developed Korean-style

heavy equipment including rollers

and compressors and successfully

constructed an expressway in Thailand

using the equipment. The project didnt

earn the company much money, but it

did give it a precious opportunity to

acquire advanced technology. Later in1982-1985, Hyundai E&C constructed

the 7,958-meter-long Penang Bridge

in Malaysia. The longest in Asia,

the bridge applied a new technique

using cables, winning the American

Consulting Engineers Council Grand

Award in 1986.

SsangYong Engineering and

Construction is also faring well

overseas. The Marina Bay Sands

Hotel in Singapore made the

companys name known worldwide.

SsangYong E&C is currently engagedin another civil engineering project

in Singapore: segment 482 of the ve-

kilometer Marina Coastal Ex pressway

construction project. The expressway

involves a 3.5-kilometer underground

tunnel and partly runs through

segments of reclaimed imsy land

and below the seabed. Working on

Segment 482 is especially challenging

and requires advanced technology.

Being a design-build project where

ROADS LEADING TO

THE FUTURE

Based on its advanced civil engineering

technology, Koreas transportation

system is becoming even more

convenient and valuable for users. The

country already launched eorts to

build a safer and more eco-friendly

transportation environment with a

focus on the users. One such attempt

is a plan to develop a next-generation

expressway dubbed a smart highway.Combining cutting-edge information

and communications technology

with advanced automobile and road

construction technology, the country has

been attempting to address the problems

of todays expressways and build highly

functional smart roads to bet future

society. Current expressways are not free

from trac jams, accidents, and natural

disasters. Moreover, expressways are

not fully capitalizing on information

technology, either. Once realized, smart

highways will enable real-time exchange

of trac information to alleviate trac

jams and thereby ensure a speed of atleast 160 km/h. By 2016, Koreans will be

able to run on eco-friendly and smart

expressways more conveniently, safely,

and speedily.

In order to make that dream come

true, its going to be necessary to

a single contractor provides both the

design and construction services, the

contract for Segment 482 is worth USD

721 million (as of November 2011).

In addition to the private sector,

the Korean government has also

been successful in pursuing civil

engineering projects overseas. The

Korea Expressway Corporation, Seoul

Metropolitan Government, Pyunghwa

Engineering Consultants, and Saman

Corporation formed a consortium towin a project management consulting

(PMC) project from the Brunei

Economic Development Board in

August this year. It is the rst foreign

government-funded project the Korea

Expressway Corporation has ever

won. The consortium will provide the

design, construction, and management

services for the construction of roads,

bridges, and auxiliary facilities to

develop Muara Besar Island.

Since Koreas recent construction of

a super long-span bridge has drawn the

worlds attention, relevant government

agencies as well as constructioncompanies are getti ng busier. If Koreas

capabilities to pioneer new markets and

manage and maintain infrastructure

grow even further, Koreans will soon

be paving 21st-century silk roads across

the globe.

combine a range of new technologie

and adapt them to real situations.

When it comes to a road, constructi

isnt the end of the story. The cost o

maintenance is also a huge amount

money. Presently, the a nnual budge

to maintain the countrys expressw

stands at about KRW 100 billion, so

the country is desperate to develop

new technologies to lengthen the

lifespan of roads and reduce the cos

of maintenance. Fortunately, a newtechnology has recently come out

to use both the strengths of asphalt

and concrete. For the surface layer

of the road, asphalt is applied, whil

for the lower layer, concrete is used

to eectively spread the weight of

the cars running on the road. This

technology is expected to lengthen

lifespan of pavement by more than

20 percent. Another new technolog

uses recycled particles of waste pla

More specically, bers extracted fr

recycled particles of waste plastic

are used to mesh with the asphalt

aggregates to make the road less prto forming cracks. Signing contract

maintain a 100-kilometer road and

50-kilometer road respectively in Ch

and Russia with this new technolog

within sight.

Korea also focuses on the

1 SsangYong E&C is working on a challengingsegment o the Marina Coastal Expressway inSingapore.2 The Pattani-Narathiwat Highway was constructed

by Hyundai E&C in 1966 through the frst overseasconstruction project won by a Korean company.3 The Penang Bridge in Malaysia, constructed byHyundai E&C, is amous or being the longest bridgein Asia.

2

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

7/28


COVER STORY

development of technology to

improve communication and safety.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and

Maritime Aairs selects proven new

transportation technologies, applies

them to actual roads and automobiles,

and protects them for a certain period

of time. In 2009, the ministry selected afourth new transportation technology,

an open roadside guardrail that secures

wider views for drivers and is stronger

than existing W-beam guardrails.

These guardrails are installed along the

last lane of a road and help the driver

to better see the part of the road thats

applied to solar LED trac signs, which

emit light by themselves and i mprove

the driving environment. These signs

use solar energy, so they can also be

used where a steady power supply

isnt available. They are also easier for

drivers to read at night or when it rains

than the conventional retroreective

trac signs, which return light in the

direction from which it comes.

The rest areas along expresswayswhere travelers can take a break from

a long ride are changing, too. These

days, they come with a variety of

amenities such as gaming facilities

and shops selling goods for outdoor

activities or local specialties. There

are also free shower, laundry, and

changing rooms for truck drivers, who

tend to be exhausted from long drives.

In addition to such functionality, more

and more rest areas in Korea oer

aesthetic value with their structures

as they blend with the surrounding

environment.

Technology for roads is powerful.It not only ensures safer and

more convenient travel but also

creates changes in lifestyle,

facilitates economic growth,

and helps people connect better.

Korea has led and will continue to

lead the way in road technology.

around the corner, thereby preventing

collisions or alleviating the shock

from a collision. The application of the

technology on accident-prone sections

of national highways has made driving

safer and reduced car accidents and

related costs.

Eco-friendly technology is also

inTERViEw

Dreaming ofSmart HighwaysLee Ui-jun,

Head o Construction Planning at theKorea Expressway Corporation

The Korean economy

has grown mightily

in tandem with

the tremendous

expansion of the

Korean highwaysystem, which began

with the construction

of the Gyeongbu

Expressway in 1968-1970. The total combined

length of the countrys highways increased

more than 2.5 times from 1,558 kilometers in

1990 to 3,912 kilometers in 2011.

KOREA met Mr. Lee Ui-jun, head of

Construction and Planning at the Korea

Expressway Corporation, which manages 31 of

the 32 expressways in Korea as of August 2012.

How do you foresee the deelopment of

Korean highways in the future?

I have high expectations of smart highways,

ubiquitous, state-of-the-art expressways of

the future that incorporate cutting-edge road,

information, and automobile technology in

order to provide real-time trac information

that ensures delay-free, trac congestion-free

travel and that makes driving safer even in

the midst of inclement weather. New trac

management techniques will be introduced

to ease trac congestion even further. Korean

highways will also become more eco-friendly.

For example, more active use of the hi-pass

toll collection system will reduce the time

taken for cars to pass tollgates and thereby

curtail the emissions of harmful gases.

What is the particular feature of Korean

highways?

Korean highways will create more value than

just functioning as channels of transportation.

A case in point is h ighway rest areas. There are

172 highway rest areas in Korea, and they are

more than places for taking a break from a long

drive. They are luxurious and entertaining in

their own ways to meet the choosy tastes of t he

Koreans. Dierent rest areas will have dierent

themes, and prestigious brand shops will open

within them. Highway rest areas are becoming

increasingly multifunctional places where people

can rest, shop, enjoy cultural activities, and even

handle their business and personal matters.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Aairs has selected roads that

command beautiful scenery and also have historic and cultural value. The best them are as follows:

Coastal Route on National Road 7There is a beautiful section on National Road 7 that runs along the coastline and

catches the travelers eyes and heart. At rst it runs straight, then it snakes all along

coastline of the city of Samcheok, stretching 24.3 kilometers between the Wolcheon

Gungchon regions of Samcheok.

A Riverside Route on Local Road 391The 11.9-kilometer-long section between Jaraseom Island and Cheongpyeongho La

in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do is a breathtaking driving course. Being a part of Local Ro

391, the route passes the islands of Jaraseom and Namiseom , and runs along the sh

of Cheongpyeongho. In spring, cherry blossoms adorn the route; in summer, water

leisure activities beckon drivers; in autumn, leaves turn color amid jazz music; and in

winter, ice shing and the snowy landscapes attract anglers and travelers.

Lakeside Route on Local Road 749The lake of Okjeongho in Imsil, Jeollabuk-do, is famous for its wet fog in spring and

autumn. While driving on Local Road 749, its a good idea to pull your car up on theshoulder of the road where you can get a commanding and serene view of the lake. T

remaining path along the meandering lakeshore of the Okjeongho is full of constantly

changing scenery.

Coastal Route on National Road 77The ve-kilometer-long section on National Road 77 between Baeksu and Daesin in

Jeollanam-do is especially beautiful during the spring and summer, as both sides of

route stretching along sea clis become a sea of pink sweetbriers.

SCEniC ROADS OF KOREA

Coastal Route on National Road 77

1

2

4

3

1 Keumkang Rest Areacommands the whole view oKeumkang River.2, 3 The Deokpyeong Rest Areahas and a ood court with tasteuldecor and men's restroom wherethe video game players areinstalled.4 A sign that indicatesHighwayRest Stop

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

8/28


PEN AND BRUSH

Rhie does not consider creating cartoonswork but play. Creating a cartoon begin swith determining the content. Then come

the drawings to convey the content. He has

no story writers or the like working for him,

and doing both storytelling and drawing is a

challenge. Still, the world of cartoons is Rhies

playground. When he works on a cartoon, his

thought process assumes a life of its own and

his avocation becomes his avid hobby. He is

thankful to have such a fullling life.Rhie is widely noted as one of the cartoonists

who made Korean cartoons (manhwa)

educational and communicative, and not merely

entertaining. His cartoons eectively convey

knowledge and information, and reading them

is not a waste of time i n any way. He shares his

knowledge, information, and opinions with his

readers.

Cartoons by Rhie are unlike any other

in that they employ a unique storytelling

technique. Rhie appears in his cartoons as the

narrator to intervene when necessary and

relate important information. This technique

seems to be becoming more widely used, but

when he began authoring the famous series

comic bookMeonnara Iunnara (lit. Far Countries,

Neighbor Countries) in the 1980s, the technique

was entirely new, but it was a brilliant stroke

because it enabled a didactic purpose of

conveying knowledge and information and

also the narrative element of storytelling.

Most Korean cartoonists train under popular

cartoonists before they make a debut, but R hiesdebut was dierent.

Rhie was born to a poor family in Daejeon,

1946. He was the youngest of seven ch ildren.

When he was in his rst year at Kyunggi High

school, then the best high school in Korea,

an editor of the Kids Hankook Ilbo, a daily for

children, noticed his drawing talent and asked

him to draw cartoons for t he newspaper. In

1963, he serially ran such cartoons as Ivanhoe,

The Adventures of Marco Polo, and Uncle Toms

Cabin in mimicry of American comic books.

After graduation, he entered Seoul National

A Cosmopolitan Communicator

Cartoonist

rhie Won-bokRhie Won-bok is a cartoonist who reely transcends the boundaries between

the Occidental and the Oriental as well as the classical and the modern.Lets take a short trip into the world o cartoons with this cosmopolitan communicator.

by Wi Tack-whan / photographs by Lee Min-hee

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

9/28

University Department of Architecture.

I imagined building a white, fancy house on

a hill and leading a romantic life when I entered

college, recalls the cartoonist. Oh my! What

awaited me were blueprints, integration,

I had to study t he subjects I hated most

including mathematics. So, I just drew cartoons.

It ultimately turned out that I could not

graduate, so I left the country to study abroad

instead.

Rhie attended Seoul National University

for six years, but failed to meet the attendance

requirements. He dropped out and ew

to Mnster in Land Nordrhein-Westfalen,

Germany in 1975. There, he started all over

again as a freshman. He earned Diplom-Designer

(lit. qualied designer) degrees in commercial

design and western art history and philosophy,

and masters degrees in arts and philosophy

from Westflische Wilhelms-Universitt in

Mnster.

His time in Germany marks a clear break

in the nature of his cartoons. Previously,

Rhie sought fun; aft erwards, he pursued

communication of knowledge. His earlier

cartoons encompassed a variety of genres

including sports cartoons, myeongnang manhwa

(funny cartoons), and sunjeong manhwa (romantic

cartoons). The ten years he spent in Europe

brought a seismic change to his cartoons. He

ran comics and posters i n German newspapers,

and he drew the cover of the special issue

that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a national

German newspaper. After he returned from

Europe where he experienced the continent

mainly as a resident rather than as a traveler, he

started to serially runMeonnara Iunnaraabout

the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United

Kingdom, Switzerland, and Italy in the Kids

Hankook Ilbo i n 1981. This series incorporated

his knowledge about the yesterday and today

of these six European countries as well as

his experiences there. The series also applies

such knowledge in looking into Korea, his

motherland. As of 2012, the cumulative sales of

the series totaled 15 million copies.

Following the volumes on the

six European countries, Rhie

put forth volumes on Japan,

the United States of America,

China, and Korea. A volume

on Spain will come out by the

end of this year. He plans to

author volumes on South

American countries and

African countries over

the next three years. By

How did you get into cartoons in the rst place?

I was an invisible student. I was mainly drawing

cartoons in class. Much of my childhood was just

after the Korean War. My parents were too busy

earning a living, and nobody paid attention to me.

I didnt benet much from my parents, but I enjoyed

unlimited freedom, which allowed me to disappearinto my own world.

Your cartoons seem to attempt communication

between dierent civilizations, and also between

the past and present, dont they?

Yes, they do. Before I lived in Europe, I thought

Korean ideas and opinions were universal. My life in

Europe pulled me out of my xed ideas. The concept

of global felt novel and marvelous. Europe is home

to numerous cultures, and co-existence is an i ntegral

part of life. Europe does have its problems, but after

all, communication is about looking at yourself

objectively through others.

Do you have a mentor?

I decided to study abroad in order to properly learn

about cartoons and also to change my drawing

style, but there were no university programs about

cartoons even in Europe.

It seemed to me that the next best thing was to

study illustration. By the time I had been in Europe

for six years, I was able to draw on substantial

experience and knowledge of Europe and also of

Astrix, a series of comic books, considered one of

the best European cartoon works ever done.

I was shocked that German colleges use Astrix

series as teaching material for French literature

I applied my new cartoon structure and drawin

style toMeonnara Iunnara. I wanted to tell abou

the basics about European civilization in an eas

accessible fashion through the comic book. TheseriesMeonnara Iunnara has a message about

globalization and an open world.

What do you think your cartoons are ultimate

about?

In a word, it is mun-sa-cheol (literature, history,

and philosophy). The 21st century is an era of

information. The most basic things that we nee

know in the midst of the ood of information a

literature, history, and philosophy. So, the carto

subjects I addressed were on the continuum of

munsacheolSinui Nara, Inganui Nara (lit. Countr

Gods, Countries of Humans) on myths and religio

Gojeon Manhae (lit. Wild Interpretation of Classics)

and Capitalism and Communism on philosophy,

and The Global Economy in the Era of Globalization

on economics. Now, I will draw cartoons on

globalization. An obsession with pure-blood

nationalism blocks communication. The Roman

Empire and Spain thrived when they accepted

foreign cultures. Their declines began when the

popular mood shifted to pure-blood nationa

We need to respect foreign cultures.

Meonnara Iunnara, translated into Japanese in 2001, and then subsequently intoEnglish, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Thai.

Saero Mandeun Meonnara Iunnara, a new version o Meonnara Iunnara, is an account oworld history that sheds light on the Orient and the Occident rom the view o Occidental values,

not rom the Western view o history

then, one will be able to read

about the history of the entire

world through his cartoons.

He has been collecting all the

information and authoring all

the content for the series by

himself.

Rhie doesnt consider

himself a creator of content,

but a communicator of content.

He believes that his cartoons,

classied asgyoyang manhwa

(informative and didactic

cartoons) in Korea, should be

more focused on the content

than on the drawings. He says that the content

is more than twice as important as drawings in

gyoyang manhwa.

This might sound arrogant, but I feel my

INtERvIEw wItHCARtooNIStRHIE woN-Bok

role is to translate culture, explains Rhie.

In other words, I translate culture through

the language of cartoons.

His guiding principle for content is a four

syllable word in Korean: dan-sun-myeong-ryo

simple and clear). He believes that knowledg

and information are t hemselves simple and

clear, but people smother them with dicul

interpretations to make them seem abstruse

Limiting the number of interpretations and

thereby revealing their hidden essence is an

important process, which involves putting

together seemingly complicated things to

produce a plain generalization. This sounds

so dicult, but actually requires considerab

intellectual self-condence. Thus, he says, Y

need to believe that everything in the world

a key word without exception, and this will

you to the interpretation of the thing.


7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

10/28


PEoPLE

Rediscover the Beauty of Korea with

PhotograPher

kim Jung-manAn artist who captures the beauty o Koreas nature, a sentiment

record keeper o Dokdo, a riend o the environment. There are man

ways to describe hi m, but there is only one Kim Jung-man, photographby Yang In-sil / photographs b y Mun Deok-gw

There is probably not even one of Koreastop actors and actresses who hasnt posedfor his camera. He has travelled all over the

globe to capture scenic views. Famous fashion

magazinesKorean and foreignwanted

to work with him. His name had become an

icon. Kim Jung-man was a world-renowned

commercial photographer, a free soul, a friend

of celebrities.He was ying high as a commercial

photographer, but suddenly he declared his

intention to quit and put down his camera.

That meant no more gorgeous images of his

subjects. Time passed. He came back with

unexpected photos, documenting every nook

and cranny of Korea. These new photos didnt

seem to t with t he photographer Kim Jung-

man as we k new him. However, we soon came

to rediscover Korea through his photos and also

rediscover Kim Jung-man as a photographer.

KOREAN REDISCOVERY PROJECT

Kim has been tak ing photos for 38 years. Five

years ago, he quit commercial photography andstarted traveling to every corner of Korea to

capture its beauty. He recalls that when he rst

started what he calls the Korean Rediscovery

Project, he felt so ashamed of himself.

When you travel through a poor village in

an underdeveloped country, you feel like it s

squalid and messy, but still view it humanly

with an aectionate, warm heart. Perhaps it

because youre ready to be awed as a travele

says the photographer. But, as a Korean, wh

you see a rural area or a deserted house in

Korea, you simply turn your eyes and ignor

it. Theres nothing like an aectionate, warm

heart. Working on the Korean Rediscovery

Project, I found Korea extremely beautiful.Koreas nature has everything but deserts. It

the perfect subject for photography. Of cour

Africa is good for taking photos, but you ne

to drive 20 hours for any good scenery. In

Korea, however, two hours are enough for y

to see dierent landscapes, foods, lifestyles,

and architecture, and hear dierent dialects

I didnt know that Korea comes with such a

complete assortment of wonderful elements

I felt ashamed of myself because I realized t

I had looked at my own country with a cold

indierent heart. My heart became lled wit

strong desire to fully capture this beauty of

mysterious countr y.

STUBBORNLY CLINGING TO ESSENCE

Not long ago, Kim went to the Demil itarized

Zone (DMZ) in order to take photos to

be exhibited at the fourth DMZ Korean

International Documentary Festival (DMZ

DOCS). He stayed there for a week, but he fa

PEoPLE

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

11/28


PEoPLE

to acquire any photo that reveals the essence

of his subject with an unfamiliar, raw feeling,

which he intended to capture. The vivid,

unprotected state of the DMZ was something

unattainable. He refused to work any longer for

the festival and left despite all t he complicated

procedures to work in the DMZ. He stayed rm,

and the authorities eventually caved in and

removed the shackles that limited his creative

process. Only then did he become immersed

in his work and start to press the shutter with

excitement.

THE FOUR SEASONS ON DOKDO

Kim photographs every corner of the Dokdo

islets throughout the four seasons of t he year as

part of a co-project by the Korea Coast Guard

and the Northeast Asian History Foundation to

build a database of Dokdo photos.

Dokdo is the only part of Korean territory

Japanese photographers are not allowed to set

foot on, says Kim. With a sense of mission

as a Korean photographer, I decided to

participate in the project in order to let the

world know how beautiful Dokdo is through

photos that reect Koreans love for it and

also to leave grounds for Koreas territorial

sovereignty over it for future generations.

He started in the summer of 2012 documenting

all-compassing themes including the four seasonson Dokdo as well as the ora and fauna located

there. He plans to take photographs of Dokdo

with artistic or documentary value.

Kim feels a certain strong power when

standing on Dokdo. He hopes to be an objective

record-keeper and also a literary and lyrical

writer of the Dokdo islets, which stand in the

middle of a vast ocean in absolute solitude,

enduring harsh cli mate and unfavorable

geographical conditions. He believes creating

each shot of Dokdo freely as if writing a novel

or composing a poem will eventually wield

more power in protecting Dokdo than simply

boiling and responding with indignation.

He hopes that more Koreansprofessionalphotographers and the general public alike

will photograph Dokdo from their vantage

points and put together all the photos to hold

a Dokdo photo exhibition some day. When that

day comes, he will say that his works were just

a small beginning of the movement.

KEEP NATURE AS IT IS

The spectrum of his activities as a photographer

is wide. The beauty of Koreas nature, Dokdo, the

DMZ, patients suering from disease and their

families, soldiers whove sacriced t hemselves

for their motherland, and the environment.

He served as a so-called Eco Friend for the 2012Green Film Festival in Seoul (GFFIS). He is concerned

that Koreas insensitivity to environmental issues

is still serious.

His experience with Africa awoke him to

environmental issues. One day, he went to a

national park on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and

became awestruck at the open green eld with

an endlessly stretching horizon. Ten years later, he

returned to the eld with a throbbing heart only

to nd theres now only desert where not even a

handful of grass can grow.

Kim has been traveling all over the world to

take photos, and the more he travels, the more

he realizes how blessed and beautiful Koreas

nature is. This realization makes h im moredesperate to protect this beautiful land for

generations to come.

The environment is being contaminated

at an uni maginable pace, deplores Kim. If

the 20th century was a century of humans and

economies, the 21st century is a century

of the environment and economies.

If we fail to take better care of the

environment right now, challenges even

more dreadful than climate change will

soon storm us.

KOREA AND MY ROOTS

Only during his mid-50s did he begin to

ponder his identity and his roots. Thesequestions drove him into deep agony

and rigorous soul-searching. Now he

projects the questions into his photos.

The conclusion he has reached is that

at least photography is an absolutely

pure entity to him and that the rest

of his life journey should be

about conrming his roots and

discovering Korea.

When he works, Kim is

ferocious and combatant.

Because I want to win, he

explains. This is another type

of war. You hold your camera

and jump into a erce battle

to win. You jump into the 200-

year history of photography asa Korean. There are many good

things about Korea, but theyve

yet to be recognized. In order

to overcome the present, more

young photographers with

Korean spirit and passion should

be there.

Kim Jung-man repeatedly

emphasizes that Koreans have a

craving for beauty in their genes.

It will be good if non-professionals take

beautiful photos of beautiful things and

professional photographers take beautiful

photos of things that are not beautiful,

suggests Kim.This photographer who wants to talk

about photography with photos asks, Isnt

photography the most powerful means of

communication?

1 Chosun Dynasty.TamlaValley.Halla Mt.Jeju Island.Korea.20112 Will You Remember Me?Hong-yu-dong Valley.HaeinTemple.Gyeongsangnam-do.Korea.2008

3 A Way to Seolak Mt.Gangwon-Do. Korea. 24 The Moon Beautiful DPlace on Earth.DeadvlNamib Desert. Namibia2007

1

2

3

GREAt koREAN

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

12/28


x an error

in a surgical

procedure

textbook

that he had

authored. His

life committed

to poor patients

was recognized

in 1979 by

the RamonMagsaysay

Award for

Public Service.

By the time

he breathed his

last breath, he

was living in a

small rooftop

room. In the

49.5 m2 room

were a photo of him and his wife, his glasses,

and a worn-out white medical gown, all of

which were a testimony to his si mple life.

Living for others, he lived a lonely life.

He must have missed his wife and t he vechildren he had left behind in North Korea.

When given the chance to meet h is family

in the North, he yielded the opportunity to

somebody else. When he passed away at t he

age of 84 in 1995, he became a symbol of

humility and love for others.

GREAt koREAN

A Surgeon Who Was Called a Fool

Dr. Chang kee-ryo

With love and commitment, he helped and treated numerous people and let behindstories o big and small miracles o love. Lets retrace the lie o Dr. Chang Kee-ryo.by Lim Sang-beom / photographs by Min Gi-won

When Yi Kwang-su (1892-1950), a pioneerof modern Korean literature, authoredhis novel Sarang (lit. Love), he modeled his

protagonist after Dr. Chang Kee-ryo, whom

people called a sage or a fool. Chang had

many other nicknamesthe fool-doctor,

and the little Jesusall of which describehis commitment to being a true medical

doctor and devout Christian. His nicknames

also tell us what kind of life he lived, for the

good of other people.

Chang not only used h is medical knowledge

and skills for people who were poor and

1 Dr. Chang Kee-ryo in1950s2 Dr. Chang Kee-ryoperorms a herniotomy door-to-door medical se3 Dr. Chang Kee-ryo recthe Ramon Magsaysay

Award in 1979.4 A photo o Dr. Chang ryo (let in black suit)with his colleagues atKyongsong Medical Co

weak, but also treated everyone the same way

regardless of their status and wealth. He ate at

the same table with a beggar who came to his

house and gave him his paychecks without any

hesitation.

Chang was born i n Yongcheon, Pyonganbuk-

do, which is today part of North Korea, onAugust 14, 1911 by the lunar calendar. He

studied medicine at the Kyongsong Medical

College, which later merged with Kyongsong

University Faculty of Medicine to become Seoul

National University College of Medicine, and

graduated summa cum laude in 1932. Shortly

after he cut his teet h as a practitioner, Chang

had a life-changing encounter with a naive

and helpless elderly lady. The woman b elieved

that if only the doctor would touch her with

a stethoscope, she would be healed, so she

requested Dr. Chang touch her chest with his

stethoscope. He made up his mind to devote

his life to the poor and weak and those who

could not receive proper treatment.

While he was teaching at Kim Il-sung

University, the Korean War broke out. Changdefected to the South with his second son,

leaving behind his other ve children and

his wife. In the South, he opened a clinic in

a ramshackle hut to provide free medical

services. That was the beginning of Gospel

Hospital where he served with all his strength

for 25 years. Poor patients ocked to the clinic

from all over the country. The clinic was

chronically awash in red ink, so nally he had

to delegate to the sta the authority to decide

whether to treat certain patients for free.

Chang regularly didnt pay himself, and still

secretly helped poor patients run away without

paying their medical fees.

Chang founded the Blue Cross MedicalCooperative, the nations rst-ever medical

cooperative, in 1968, a decade before the

government introduced a national medical

insurance program. The cooperative was an

attempt to solve the socio-structural problem

that volunteer work alone cannot address.

Although a purely private medical insurance

program, the Blue Cross Medical Cooperative

had as many as 230,000 members.

He didnt remain sentimental in serving

society. Although he was already recognized

as a competent surgeon, he studied with

graduate school students in order to catch

up on up-to-date medical breakthroughs.

Through such eorts, he greatly contributedto the development of medicine i n Korea.

He succeeded in performing the rst partial

hepatectomy and massive hepatic resection

in Korea in 1943 and 1959 respectively.

When he was hospitalized due to a

cerebrovascular disease, he sent a letter to

1

2

4In

cooperationwiththeChangKee-ryoMemorialFoundation

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

13/28

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

14/28

tRAvEL

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

15/28


2

A Breathtaking Island at the SouthernmostEnd of the Hallyeo Sudo Waterway

somaemulDoThe soaring clis have been sculpted or eons by strong winds and waves into antasticormations that are gently draped in a veil o og. The mysterious scene is utterly

breathtaking and will leave you in absolute awe.by Lee Jeong-eun / photographs by Moon Duk-gwan

Somaemuldo is a small, lushly wooded island

surrounded by a turquoise colored seaunder an azure sky. Standing on the island, you

will feel as if youve been dyed in greeni sh and

bluish tones. Close to the island is a small islet

on which a lighthouse stands. Its picturesque

landscape brings travelers here every season.

You can get to Somaemuldo by boat from

Geojedo, the second largest island in Korea,

or Tongyeong, which has long been dubbed

the Naples of Korea.

If you go to Tongyeong, a must-visit is

Dongpirang, a village located on a slope

facing the sea. Its name literally means eastern

precipice. It was once a poor ramshackle

cluster of some 50 small houses, but in 2007

artists joined forces to protect the village fromredevelopment and started painting murals on

the walls, fences, chimneys, stairs, and every

other reasonable surface. They succeeded in

preserving the village, sparking a frenzy of

decorating villages with murals throughout the

country. Dongpirang has now become a pretty

and popular tourism destination thats full o

beautiful art, the best of all village of muralKorea. Tongyeong Port as seen from the top

the village is also quite sublime.

At the top of Dongpirang is a co-op store

called Dongpirang Gupanjang. On the menu

juices, brewed coee, and cappuccino, amon

other beverages, and sitting in the store is an

old lady who looks remotely like a barista. S

if youre a picky coee acionado, try somet

else, like misutgaru (a mixture of roasted rice

and other grains or a beverage made by mix

the powder with water). Its cool with a hom

and nutty taste.

Your reporter boards a ferry in Tongyeon

After the boat cleaves through the water for

an hour and a half, the captain noties hispassengers of their arrival at Somaemuldo. T

voice of the skipper sounds like an earthen p

cracking and breaking. Despite the fact that

is a weekday, the pier is crowded. As the isla

has attracted more and more t ravelers over t

years, its once wavy cobbled paths are now1

1 The path toDeungdaeseom Islandreveals itsel only twice aday, at low tide.2 The murals are now oneo the most popular tourismdestinations.

tRAvEL

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

16/28


covered by cement, and lodging facilities and

restaurants have pushed old houses aside.

On the way to Deungdaeseom Island, by a

path that was once covered with stones, is a

village. The path was originally steep enough

to be a challenge for most walkers, but now that

it is covered with cement, it inclines even more.

When your reporter starts pung and panting,

the cement ends and the path reverts back to

its cobbled dirt track from of old. Dilapidated,

slate-roofed houses, white bed-and-breakfast

homes bearing wall paintings, partly cru mbled

stone walls, and a closed elementary school

remain with the cobbled paths in this old

village, unlike the harbor below.

WAVES BREAKING WHIT E ON

THE SEA CLIFFS

Hiking up a little further from the elementary

school will bring you to a trail that leads to

Deungdaeseom Island. Walking on the trail is

an absolute joy as youll pass through groves of

camellias and silver magnolias before setting

foot on the islet. The waves of the deep blue

sea break asunder into white foam when they

smash against the sheer, dizzily tall clis. The

grassy plain turns and rolls as whipped by the

winds. Your reporter becomes besotted with

the scenery as if she were on a hill by the sea in

Ireland.

The trail ends by t he seashore where a

mysterious 100-meter path called Mongdol Gil

(lit. path of round stones) starts. Also dubbed

Yeolmokgae (lit. opening path or fragile-neck

path), the path is almost always undersea,

revealing itself only twice a day, at low tide. At

the other end of t he path, as you would expect,

is Deungdaeseom Island. Your reporter walks

along the 70-meter Yeolmokgae path and then

up the wooden stairs for about ten mi nutes to

the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built when Korea wasunder Japanese colonial rule. It is a white,

circular-shaped concrete structure 16 meters in

height. It uses large Fresnel lenses that project

its beam as far as 48 kilometers out to sea,

making it a reliable gu ide for the numerous

ships that round the southern tip of the Korean

Peninsula.

The coastline of the islet seen from the

lighthouse is beyond description. Rocks of all

formsYong Bawi (lit. dragon rock), Geobuk

what to eat

Chungmu Gimbap

I you go to Somaemuldo via Tongyeong,

its highly recommended that you to

try chungmu gimbapin the port city o

Tongyeong. Thumb-sized rolls o rice

wrapped in sheets o seaweed called gim

are served with crunchy seokbakji(a kind

o radish kimchi) and seasoned squid.

There are many restaurants that sell the

dish around the Tongyeong Ferry Terminal. Among them,

Ttungbo Halmae Gimbap, Eomma Son Chungmu Gimbap,

Samdae Chungmu Halmae Gimbap, Hanil Gimbap, and

Yennal Chungmu Kkoji Gimbap are especially renowned.

how to get there

Take a erry rom the Tongyeong Ferry Terminal. The erry

runs six times a day rom 7 am to 4 pm, and takes one and a

hal hours.

tRAvEL INFoRMAtIoN

Bawi (lit. turtle rock), and Chotdae Bawi (lit.

candlestick rock)line the coastline, their feet

bueted by the waves of the deep blue sea.

It will take roughly an hour and a half from

the harbor of Somaemuldo to reach

Deungdaeseom Island by foot, but it s a

challenge. The picturesque scenery along the

way to the islet of the white lighthouse will

surely slow you down. The walk typically takes

four hours, so one of the best ways to journey

through Somaemuldo and Deungdaeseom

Island is to catch the rst boat for Somaemuldo

early in the morning from Tongyeong

or Geojedo and slip out of the harbor of

Somaemuldo on the last boat departing from

the island. Then, youll be able to walk on the

emerging path to and from Deungdaeseom

Island and have a leisurely look around both

Somaemuldo and the lighthouse islet.

If you would like to bask in the serenetwilight that paints the sea and sky glowing

red tones, you should stay one night on t he

island. Small and remote from the penin sula,

you shouldnt expect the conveniences of urban

living such as tap water, modern appliances,

and so forth, but it is highly recommended if

1 The grassy plain oSomaemuldo is whippedby the wind.2 The view o Somaemuldo3 A stall selling seaweedand dried anchovies inSomaemuldo

The boat or Somaemucan be boarded at theTongyeong pier.

you would like to experience life on t he island

to the fullest. In fact, you may also want to stay

at a home of the native islanders rather than a

modern lodging facility.

At this ti me of year when summer yields to

autumn, if you long to see an indigo blue sea

scattered with islets and walk leisurely on a

plain thats swept by fresh winds o the sea,

then go to Tongyeong and hop on a boat for

Somaemuldo.

Somaemu

Seoul

Tongyeong

1

2 3

FEStIvAL

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

17/28


2012 Andong InternationalMaskdance FestivalTraditional and modern dance groups rom the East and West come rom ar and

wide to perorm heart-pounding maskdances at the Andong International MaskdanceFestival, and you can be a part o the perormances.by Chung Da-young / photographs provided by Andong Festival Tourism Foundation

The city of Andong, located in the provinceof Gyeongsangbuk-do, is most traditionallyrenowned as the center of culture and folk

tradition with deep roots in Confucianismand Shamanism. Its also home to Hahoe Folk

Village, the most well-known traditional village

in Korea. The village was even inscribed on t he

UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. This quiet

and conservative city becomes the center of

traditional and modern culture every autumn

when thousands of people from all over the

world gather together to enjoy the dance and

music festivities.

The Andong International MaskdanceFestival will celebrate its 16 th annual esta for

ten days from September 28 to October 7, at

the Maskdance Park in downtown Andong

and Hahoe Village. More t han 150 amateur

dance teams and 20 professional teams from

Korea and abroad will take part. The teams are

composed of artists of dierent ages, genres,

and nationalities, but they come together as one

through the common medium of the mask.

HERITAGE RECREATED

The festival rst began in 1997 to recreate

and preserve the regions traditional cultural

heritage. Over the past two millennia, Andong

has become rich with socio-historical and

religious heritage from dierent periods. It is

a city of rich cultural and historical heritage

such as Hahoe Folk Village, as well as the

center of famous Andong traditional games

and performances such as Chajeon Nori (which

involves two teams of hundreds of men

competing together), Notdari Bapgi (a female

version ofChajeon Nori), and Haengsang Nori (a

demonstration of a funeral ceremony). This

heritage is the basis of the Andong International

Maskdance Festival, and all of it is recreated

at the event along with other masked

performances, both traditional and modern.

There is no separation between the

performers and the audience in Korean

traditional folk performances. The performers

are on the same oor as the audience, so

naturally the spectators become part of the

dance. All Korean dances at the festival are

performed this way, making the festival an even

greater draw. Performers often spontaneously

play with the spectators, inviting them to

participate.

FEStIvAL

INFoRMAtIoN

Date Sept 28 - Oct

Venue Maskdance

Theater and Hahoe

Village, Andong

Admission ees (or

Maskdance Theate

On-site KRW 5,00

or adults; KRW 4,0

or students and

children

Pre-booking KRW

4,000 or adults; KR2,000 or students a

children

* Email webmaster

maskdance.com o

ticket reservations.

How to get there:

Bus From Seoul,

take a bus at Dongb

Seoul Bus Termina

Station (Dong Seou

Bus Terminal Statio

on Subway Line 2)

to Andong. From

Andongs Express

Terminal, you can w

to Maskdance Park

turn let at the termi

and then go straigh

about 15 minutes. T

get to Hahoe Villag

take bus 46 across

street rom Andong

Station.

Train Take the train

rom Cheongnyang

Station in Seoul to

Andong Station. Vi

www.korail.com or

train schedule.

* For more inormat

visit www.maskdan

com.

COLORFUL FESTIVAL

The Andong Festival Tourism Foundation seeks

to make the festival even more dynamic and

colorful every year by organizing it around

new themes and programs. The theme of this

years festival is The Festival of Adorable

Devils. Cute and devilish icons that can be

seen in all cultures will materialize through

the diverse masked performances. The stories

of the dierent devil characters in Eastern and

Western folklore such as the Koreangumiho

(nine-tailed fox) or the Western vampire will

be recreated on dierent stages throughout the

festival.

One of the highlights of the festival willbe the Daedong Nanjang Parade. Visitors and

performers will all wear masks of dierent

shapes and colors and dance to the music. Men

and women of all ages are invited to take part

in what is considered the most exciting part of

the festival.

1 The Talchumperormanceat last years estival2 More than ten danceteams rom abroad will takepart this year.3 The estival is enjoyed byvisitors rom all nationalities.

1

3

2

koREAN HoLIDAYS

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

18/28


Korean Traditional Harvest Celebration

ChuseokOn Chuseok, Koreans thank their ancestors or the years harvest through a ritual

called charye by oering them newly harvested grains and ruits on the table andhaving a un time, especially with amily and relatives. by Lee Jeong-eun

Chuseok is often compared to Thanksgiving

Day in the United States as it is also a day

of expressing thanks for t he years harvests,

although Chuseok has a much longer history.

It falls on August 15 by the lunar calendar,

therefore on a dierent day each year by the

solar calendar. It is one of the most important

Korean traditional holidays, and Koreans hold

events, play games, and share food with family,

relatives, and neighbors.

Chuseok has had many dierent names

including Gawi (lit. mid-autumn), Hangawi (lit.

great mid-autumn), and Gabae (another form of

Gawi).

CUSTOMS OF CHUSEOK

Chuseok features a variety of customs for the

celebration of abundance. Some are solemn like

charye (a ritual to thank ones ancestors for the

years harvests) and some are fun and exciting,

but all involve tasty food.

Koreans prepare foods including songpyeon

(stued rice cake in a half-moon shape) to

serve on the charye table and of course eat and

share with family, relatives, and neighbors. A

Korean typical family holds charye early in the

morning and then visits their ancestors graves.

For charye, Koreans get up early in the morning,

put on formal clothes, and stand before the

charye table full of foods made with freshly

harvested rice and other grains, seasoned

greens, freshly harvested fruits, and songpyeon,

among other foods.

Chuseok is also meaningful because it is a

time for far-ung families and relatives to gather

together and take a break from t heir over-

busy lives. As Korean society industrialized,

traditional rituals and events were simplied or

simply disappeared into history. Yet, families

and relatives still gather together in their

hometowns, and the trac before, during, and

after Chuseok causes a veritable migration

known as t he great national move.

CHUSEOK WITHOUTSONGPYEONIS NOT

CHUSEOK

Around Chuseok, food ingredients abound

as it is harvest time. Likewise, a huge rich

variety of Chuseok food is prepared. The

most representative of Chuseok food includes

songpyeon, toran guk (taro soup), hwayang jeok

(skewered vegetables and meats; the i ngredients

are rst cooked and then skewered), nureum jeok

(skewered vegetables and meats; the i ngredients

are rst skewered, covered with an egg wash,

and then cooked), and dakjjim (steamed chicken).

To make songpyeon, you need to prepare

dough, lling, and pine leaves. For the lling,

you may use a number of dierent kinds of

pastes and ingredients such as mung beans,

green beans, cowpeas, sesame seeds, chestnuts,

jujubes, sweet potatoes,gotgam (peeled and

dried persimmons), and of course cinnamon

powder. The dough is made by kneading a

powder of glutinous rice with hot water. To

make a piece ofsongpyeon, break o a piece of

the dough and roll it to make a wrap. Fill the

wrap with a small spoonful of the lling and

form the wrap into a pretty half-moon shape.

Stack the songpyeon with pine leaves in betweenthe layers to steam it. It has long been popularly

believed in Korea that women who make pretty

songpyeon will nd good husbands, so Korean

women tend to take the shaping of the songpyeon

they make rather seriously.

FOLK GAMES AND

ACTIVITIES OF CHUSEOK

There are many traditional

folk activities and games

for Chuseok, a few of which

are someogi nori,geobuk nori,

and anggamjil ssaum (a type

of one-legged ght where

two people try to topple

each other while standing

and jumping on one leg; akadak ssaum). In the southern regions of Korean,

people playganggangsullae, and in Uiseong,

Gyeongsangbuk-do, children playgama ssaum

(a game in which two teams of children try to

destroy the other teams sedan chair and take

as many of t he other teams ags as possible).

These folk activities and games are not only for

fun but also to celebrate the rich harvest.

Ganggangsullae

This is a representative olk activity o Chuseok enjoyed

by women and children. Scores o women and children

join hands in a big circle and swirl around under the

moonlight, chanting the chorus, ganggangsullae.

Tug-of-War

Juldarigi, or tug-o-war, is a contest between two teams

trying to pull a thick rope in opposite directions. Koreanshave traditionally played tug-o-war on Chuseok and

Jeongwol Daeboreum (January 15 by the lunar calendar),

but in some regions, it is played on Danojeol (May 5 by

the lunar calendar) or on Baekjungjeol (July 15 by the

lunar calendar). The rope is made by twisting scores o

thinner ropes made with rice straw gathered rom each

household. All villagers participate in the tug-o-war.

1 Children wear Hanboplay traditional olk gamChuseok.2 All villagers young anparticipate in tug-o-war3 Songpyeonis the morepresentative Chuseok

1

SPoRtS

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

19/28


Seventeen Days of Rapture andTears in LondonThe Unscripted Dramas ofthe Taegeuk WarriorsThe summer, the national squad rom S outh Korea ought proudlyin the 2012 London Olympics and garnered the countrys largest-ever haul o Olympic

medals since the 1988 Seoul Olympics. by Yang In-sil

About 10,000 of the worlds top athletesfrom 204 countries assembled in Londonfrom July 28 to August 13 this year to compete

in 36 sports at the 30 th Summer Olympic Games.

South Korea sent 245 athletes in 22 sports and

nished in ft h place with 13 gold, eight silver,and seven bronze medals.

This excellent performance at the London

Olympics saw its share of inspiring stories. The

rst gold medal for South Korea came when

Jin Jong-oh clinched a victory with his near-

perfect nal shooting in the mens 10-meter air

pistol event against heavy competition from

Luca Tesconi, a police ocer from Italy. The

South Korean mens fencing team won Kore

its 100th Olympic gold medal. After Yang Ha

seon clinched the gold by performing two

phenomenal vaults including his signature

Yang Hak-seon vault, South Koreans not onl

cheered for his feat but also for his meteoric

rise from poverty. The ebullience sweeping

country throughout the Summer Olympics m

have peaked when the S outh Korean Olymp

football players defeated Japan in a 2-0 victo

to win the bronze.

Back in London 1948, Korean athletes

competed in the Olympics under the banner

of the Republic of Korea for the rst time,

wining two bronze medals. Sixty-four years

have passed since then, and South Korea,

once destitute in the years following its

independence, showed in London th is year

that its now a serious competitor in sports.

At the London 2012 Olympics, South Korea

revealed its potential in fencing, gymnastics

and other sports traditionally dominated by

Western countries. Likewise, in sports wher

South Korea has long been strong lik e arche

taekwondo, and judo, other countries showe

signicant improvements.

YANG HAK-SEON CHRISTENED GOD O

VAULT

The London Olympics held surprises for Sou

Koreans in sports that had not enjoyed wide

popularity. One of them was by Yang Hak-se

the rst-ever South Korean gymnast to win

Olympic gold. Competing in the mens vault

nals, Yang launched a spectacular somersau

known as the Yang Hak-seon vault (diculty:

of his own invention, to score 16.466 with two

strides forward on landing. His second vaul

was a triple twisting Tsukahara (diculty: 7.

which he nailed with a perfect landing to sco

an even higher 16.600 and stun the world.

He was born premature in Seoul. His

family later moved to a poor neighborhood

Gwangju. During the day, there was nobody

at home to take care of him, so he started to

SPoRtS

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

20/28


practice gymnastics in second grade to ch ase

o his boredom. The early going was dicult

since his body was too sti, yet he endured

the dicult training and repeated the vault

routines hundreds of times a dayrunning

down the runway, beating the springboard

to spring onto the vault horse with his hands,

launching into a somersault to twist and turn in

the air, and landing on the mat. With strenuous

eort and creativity, he invented his own vault

named the Yang Hak-seon (or Yang 1) with a

diculty of 7.4.

PERSEVERENCE IN THE FACE OF

INJURIES AND QUESTIONABLE CALLS

Kim Jae-beom, a South Korean judoka, nally

smiled and put his past as the unfortunate

Olympic Number 2 behind him when he won

the mens 81kg judo title by registering two

yuko scores against Germanys Ole Bischof.

At the Taereung National Center where

athletes representing South Korea train, Kim

is called a ghting rooster because he i s very

competitive by nature and doesnt like to lose

in any matcheven in a practice match with

a colleague. Kim has very good psychological

control, so once he gains control of the match,

the opponent tends to always be on the

defensive.

His eorts had thrust him into rst place in

the world rankings, but he was still hungry for

the Olympic crown. His many previous injuries

left him in what was hardly ideal form. Neither

his left shoulder, left knee, nor left hand were

normally functioning. When he stepped into the

Olympic judo arena for the gold-medal match,

he felt like a one-armed swordsman that had to

ght mainly with his right arm and leg.

The gold medal won by wrestler Kim Hyeon-

woo was meaningful in that it revived the hopes

of South Korean wrestlers, which had only

faintly glimmered after they failed to strike

any gold medal in the Beijing 2008 Olympic

Games or the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.

The rst South Korean Olympic gold medal in

wrestling came when Yang Jung-mo won gold at

the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Since then South

Korea had not failed to win Olympic gold in

wresting until four years ago in Beijing. A long-

term slump for South Korean wrestlers seemed

to be in store.

When Kim was in his rst ght against

Armenias Hovhannes Varderesyan, his right

eye bumped against Varderesyans forehead.

He had to continue to ght w ith a badly swollen

eye all the way to t he nal match where he beat

Hungarys Tamas Lorincz 2-0 despite being

nearly blinded in his right eye. His gold put

an end to South Koreas four-year slump in

wrestling.

A BIG HAND TO

ALL 245 TAEGEUK WARRIORS

All 245 of t he Taegeuk Warriors are worthy

of a hearty round of applause and thunderous

cheering for their four years of Olympic

perseverance and eorts, regardless of whether

they won medals or not.

Hwang Hee-tae, a South Korean judoka who

competed in the mens 100kg division, received

a forehead injury in t he elimination round of 16,

but made his way to the contest for the bronze

medal with a bandage around his bleeding

head, where he was defeated by Henk Grol from

the Netherlands with a score of 1-0. Hwang

won gold in the mens -90kg division at the 2003

World Judo Championships and the 2006 Asian

Games and also in the mens -100kg division

at the 2010 Asian Games, but had not been as

successful at the Olympics as at other major

international competitions. Despite already

being 35 years old, Hwang couldnt have had

any greater ghting spirit, but unfortu nately,

he once again failed to cli nch an Olympic medal.

There seems to be no end without regret, said

Hwang. Knowing that I will no longer feel

the tension of walking into the arena amid the

audiences cheering, I feel rather sorrowful.

Cho Ho-sung, a South Korean track cyclist,

also had a lingering sense of regret when he

nished 11th among 18 cyclists with a score of 60

in the mens track cycling omnium of six races

at London 2012.

After grabbing two gold medals in the mens

point race and the mens madison competitions

at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, Cho switched

to professional track cycling. He was successful,

winning the most prize money of any cyclist in

Korea for four consecutive years, from 2005 to

2008, and recorded a streak of 47 wins. His life

was stable, his future bright, and he was already

almost 40 years old. However, this success failed

to erase the bitter memory of being overtaken

at the last moment to nish fourth in t he mens

point race by a single point at t he 2000 Sydney

Olympics. Thus, he returned from professional

to amateur cycling in late 2008 in order to

compete in London in 2012.

He is now geared up to challenge hi mself

once again. I want to study theories of cycling

more systematically and teach younger cyclists

the knowhow I acquired in the international

arena.

South Korea suered a heart-breaking loss in

a cli hanger bronze medal match against Spain

in womens handball in which some call the

tears, tears for one second. The competition

was erce, and the two teams nished t he

second half tied at 24-24. With four seconds left,

the South Koreans blocked Spains oense, and

Korean Jo Hyo-bi threw the ball into the Spanish

goal, but it failed to beat the buzzer by less than

a second. The match went i nto overtime, which

again ended with a tie, at 28-28. Forced into

double overtime, Spain nally managed to edge

away from the Koreans to win 31-29.

The South Korean team could only eld ten

members for the match; the other three were

injured. Although they failed to clinch any

medal, their match was certainly one of t he

most intense and dramatic moments in their

lives and will be remembered for a long, long

time. They poured every ounce of themselves

into it and have every reason to be proud. The

South Korean womens volleyball team also

generated a great deal of excitement in one

match after another until they fell in the bronze

medal match against Japan 0-3.

In spirit, KOREA hereby confers gold medals

of encouragement and thanks to all the athletes

who competed at t he London 2012 Olympics,

including the 245 South Korean athletes, for

doing their utmost and moving us with their

unscripted dramas, whether or not they won

medals.

1 Though his let side wasnot unctioning normally,Kim Jae-beom won the goldmedal and his eort movedpeople around the world.2 Cho Ho-sung returnedrom proessional to amateurcycling in order to competein London Olympics. Hefnished 11th among the 18cyclists, but his challengewas splendid.3 Although the South Koreanwomens handball teamailed to clinch any medal,their match was certainlyone o the most intense anddramatic moments.

1

2

3

ENtERtAINMENt

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

21/28


Modern Western musical theatre startedin the United Kingdom around the endof the 19th century and has since captivated the

eyes and ears of more and more audiences along

the way. The superuous lighting, impactful

stories, inspired acting, and alluring music

combine to resonate in the heart s of audiences.

Just hearing such musical titles as Cats,Miss

Saigon, Les Misrables, and The Phantom of the

Opera makes ones heart utter. Whenever

such a great musical is staged in Korea, tickets

are immediately sold out. Yes, Koreans love

musicals!

There is good news from the Korean musical

industry, too. Musicals created by Koreans are

performing well, and Korean audiences who

used to show favoritism toward renowned

foreign musicals are now turning their eyes to

Korean musicals. Businesses and government

now provide more generous support for locally

created musicals. In the past, a Korean musical

company would stage an adaptation of a

foreign musical, but now there are pure Korean

musicals that have long been loved for more

than a decade. Korean traditional culture,

the lives of Korean historic characters, and

stories about Korean families are weaved

into musicals to fascinate audiences that are

becoming even more delicate and choosy.

Today, a musical doesnt have to be on a grand

scale and feature star musical actors and

actresses. Small musicals in small theaters are

attracting more musical fans.

In addition, successful Korean musicals

with artistic value are being licensed for

performance overseas, including The Last

Empress (a historical musical that deals with

the murder of Empress Myeongseong by the

Japanese), Ppallae (lit. Laundry; a romantic

musical about a Korean country girl and a

foreign guy), and Seopyonje (a musical about

the conicts within a family surrounding

pansori, a genre of Korean traditional music).

The rst Seoul Musical Festival co-organized

by the Korea Musical Association and Chungmu

Art Hall took place in August this year, imbuing

the Korean musical market with creative

passion. The festival featured the Yegreen

Award ceremony to recognize achievements

in a range of areas in t he creation of new

musicals as well as workshops, gala shows,

and other diverse events. It was especially

meaningful in t hat it was Koreas rst festival

with a focus on new musicals.

The fact that businesses and the government

are forking out support more generously also

signals a brighter future for t he creation of new

musicals in Korea. The Ministry of Culture,

Sports and Tourism recently announced a

plan to further vitali ze the Korean musical

market and oer support for exporting Korean

musicals. In particular, the ministry will select

ten musicals and provide up to KRW 500 million

each with the aim of spurring the musical

industry and promoting Korea as a national

brand name. The support will cover all the costs

to stage each selected musical including fees for

Korean Musicals Get Wings toSoar High

The Glory Days ofKorean MusicalsKorean musicals are greatly advancing and being recognized athome and abroad. The glory days appear to be within sight.by Im Sang-beom / photographs material providedby the Chungmu Art Hall and ACOM International Co., Ltd

the actors, actresses

and sta.

The ministry

also plans to

found the Korea

Musical Academy

(provisional name)

in order to train

experts that will

create musicals. This

initiative is expected to cement the foundations

of Korean musicals and ultimately help usher in

a golden era for pure arts in Korea.

The creation of diverse musicals will quench

audiences thirst for quality performances and

ll theater seats. Moreover, as K-pop sweeps

the world, Korean musicals will go abroad to

meet audiences around the world. The passion

of musical composers, diverse support, and

cheering of audiences will place the future of

Korean musicals on a brighter note.

1 The scene o A Warr

Test o The Last Emprwith impressive dynamigroup dancing2 The frst Seoul MusicFestival took place inAugust this year.3 The highlight o The LEmpress, singing Get Your Feet, People in c

1

3

GLoBAL koREA

7/31/2019 Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]

22/28


A New Smile for Vietnamese Children

Korean Medical Missions ofSmile for ChildrenA South Korean nonproft medical organization, Smile or Children, has treatedover 3,000 patients with acial deormities in Vietnam over the past 17 years. Their

humanitarian work has given new smiles and hopes to patients and their amilies.by Chung Da-young / photographs provided by Smile for Children

Cleft lip and palate and blepharoptosisare congenital facial deformities that areneither physical nor mental disabilities, butthey prevent those aicted from living normal

lives due to their appearance. With todays

surgical technology, most children born with

such facial deformities can be easily treated at

an early age and live healthy lives just like other

children. Unfortunately, there are still places

around the globe where children and adults

with such conditions cannot receive proper

treatment due to poverty and lack of advancedmedical services. A South Korean organization

recognized the suering from cleft lip and

palate in Vietnam and has been providing free

treatment there for the past 17 years.

Smile for Children is a nonprot organization

that provides free medical treatment to those

with facial deformities and facilitates research

and education in the area. The organi zation was

founded in 1996 by Dr. Baek Se-Min, a pioneer

in reconstructive plastic surgery in South

Korea. He rst began volunteer medical work

in rural Korea i n 1989. Together with a team of

other physicians and nurses, he visited public

health centers in every corner of the country to

treat children with facial deformities, treating

more than 4,600 patients in Korea.

When Dr. Baek learned that there were

numerous people with cleft lips and palates

who couldnt aord surgery in Vietnam, he

decided it was time to start helping people

in foreign countries. Thus began Smile for

Children in 1996.

17 YEARS OF MEDICAL MISSIONS

SK Telecom, a mobile telecommunications

operator in South Korea, funded the medical

procedures and procurement of equipment, and

12 physicians and nurses from Inj e University

Paik Hospital, where Dr. Baek worked,

volunteered to be part of the medical mission.

The rst medical mission of Smile for

Children in May 1996 was successfully

conducted with the determination of Dr.

Baeks medical team, corporate funding, and

the partnership of likeminded Vietnamese

doctors at 108 Hospital (also known as Army

Medical Institute 108) in Hanoi. For seven days

straight, the Korean medical t eam performed

life-changing surgeries from morning to night

on 200 patients with cleft lips and palates and

other facial deformities. In order to treat as

many patients as they could, many of whom

had travelled from far and wide in the hopes

of receiving free surgery, there was no time

for the doctors and nurses to rest. The medical

mission didnt stop there: Smile for Children

returned to Vietnam every year since then

to treat hundreds of children each time. The

organization performed its 3,000th cleft lip

and palate surgery on its 17th mission in June

this year, bringing the total number of patients

treated to 3,048. Smile for Children is now led

by the younger brother of Dr. Baek Se-Min, Dr.

Baek Rong-Min,

who is the head

of the Plastic and

Reconstructive

Surgery

Department of

Seoul National

University Bundang

Hospital and also

the leading surgeon

in cleft lips and

palates in Korea.

The doctors of Smile for Children wont be

conducting free medical missions in Vietnam

forever. The organization wants to help

Vietnamese medical professionals acquire

the needed surgical skills and knowledge to

one day perform the procedures t hemselves.

That is why the organization trains the local

doctors and donates all the medical equipment

they bring to the hospital on each mission.

For more organized and intensied training,

the organization invites a Vietnamese doctor

to South Korea for medical training at S eoul

National University Bundang Hospital. So far,

Documents

Korea [2012 Vol. 8 No. 9]