September 2011 #115

September 2011Issue No. 115

Prof. Mukandala and Dr. OmarThe view from Tanzania

Dr. David ShafferThe long history in Gwangju

Jeju ControversyWhy does it need a base?

Gwangju News September 20112

Cover Photo

Photographer: Courtesy of ChonnamNational University (article on page 10) Cover Photo: Vice Chancelllor Prof.Mukandala from Tanzania

What’s On

Gwangju News Magazine is written and edited by volunteers.

Gwangju News

Special thanks to the City of

Gwangju and all of our sponsors.

Copyright by the Gwangju InternationalCenter. All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication covered by thiscopyright may be reproduced in anyform or by any means - graphic,electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise - without thewritten consent of the publishers.

Gwangju News welcomes letters to theeditor ([email protected])regarding articles and issues. Allcorrespondence may be edited forreasons of clarity or space.

3Gwangju News September 2011

Publisher: Gyonggu Shin

Editor-in-Chief: Julian Warmington

Editors: Julian Raethel, Minsu Kim, Jihyun Kim

Assistant Editors: Seth Pevey, Stephen Redeker

Copy Editors: Kathleen Villadiego, Kyle Johnson

Coordinator: Karina Prananto

Layout and Design: Karina Prananto

Proofreaders: Julian Raethel, Emma Dooley, Somin Cha,

Samantha Richter, James Munro, Pete Schandall, Gina Covert,

Kathleen Villadiego

Researchers: Seoyoung Park, Kyuri Park

Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1,Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, S. Korea

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4

Fax: +82-62-226-2731

E-mail: [email protected]

Registration No.: 광주광역시라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315)

Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800)

32Incredible India

22Comic World Korea

30Rugby World Cup Preview

3dot5.com

Contents

Regular ColumnsFeatured Articles

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9

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28

40

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46

47

48

49

50

Upcoming Events

Local News

This Month in GwangjuBy Jon Ozelton

NewsHome Pages

Photo Contest

FashionFash-on with xxl jjdpBy jjdp

Language StudyLetters to KOTESOLBy Dr. Dave Schaffer

Language Study

' -(으)ㄹ까요?': Shall we(I) ~ ?/Will it be ~ ?By Soo-a Jung

LiteratureSelected PoemsTranslated by Chae-pyong Song and Anne Rashid

Movie ReviewPeppermint CandyBy Seth Pevey

Food and DrinkSushi JangBy Gabriel Ward

Food and DrinkMini Potatoes and Rice CroquettesBy Seoyoung Park

Community

Meet the NeighborsBy Julian Warmington

Community BoardDear KoreaBy Jen Lee

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Cover StoryTanzania and Korea – An EducationalCollaborationBy Stephen Redeker

FeatureDr. David Shaffer: 40+ Years in GwangjuBy Stephen Redeker

FeatureJeju Island’s Controversial Military BaseBy Michael Bielawski

PerspectiveThe Tale of Andre FisherBy Andrea Galvez

ArtThe Art of Mechanical FishBy Doug Stuber

ComicsComic World KoreaBy Wil Rawlins

MusicSuper Color SoundsBy Julian Warmington

Photo EssayThe Way We AcclimateBy Mason Robinson

SportRugby World Cup 2011 PreviewBy Julian Raethel

TravelIncredible IndiaBy Steve McNally

TravelJeonju: A Walk Through HistoryOedaldo: The Island of LoveBy Emma Dooley

EnvironmentBeyond the FarmBy Trevor Homeniuk

EnvironmentConscientious Companies Reap AwardsBy Frances Herrington

CommunityUniversiade and Uni-Friends: Have You Heard?By Kyuri Park

CommunitySchool of RightsBy Alfian Zohri



Upcoming Events

Yuhki Kuramoto, In a BeautifulSeasonLocation: Gwangju Culture and ArtCenter Grand TheaterDate: September 20, 2011Admission fee: 55,000~99,000won

2011 Gwangju DesignBiennaleTheme: Design is design is notdesign / 도가도비상도Date: September 2 – October 23Venue: Gwangju Biennale Hall andall around the city of GwangjuHost/Organizer: The MetropolitanCity of Gwangju, Gwangju BiennaleFoundationDesign Director: Seung H-sang, Ai WeiweiPhone: 062-608-4114E-mail: [email protected]: www.gb.or.kr

About Gwangju Biennale and Gwangju Design BiennaleThe Metropolitan City of Gwangju is a city of art, culture and high-techindustries with photonics and green energy businesses. As a city of artand culture, Gwangju and Gwangju Biennale Foundation hosts twodifferent biennales including the international contemporary art festival,Gwangju Biennale and Gwangju Design Biennale (established in 1995and 2004). September 1st of this year is the kick-off for the 4th edition ofGwangju Design Biennale.

Festival

PerformancesChungjangno 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore)Phone: 062) 224-5858Films change weekly to bi-weekly.

Admission fee: 8,000 won for one film. 21,000 won for three films. 30,000 won for five films; 50,000 won for ten films.Check online for calendar and prices.(http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju/)The following movies will be shown in September:

Book Chon Bang Hyang 북북촌촌방방향향(The day he arrives)

Release date: September 8, 2011Genre: DramaDirector: Hong Sang-sooStars: Kim Sang-jung, You Jun-sang and SongSun-miCountry: KoreaLanguage: Korean

Sang-Joon is a professor in the film department at a provincialuniversity. He goes to Seoul to meet his senior, Young-Ho, who worksas a film critic. Sang-Joon stays in a northern village in Seoul for threedays.

Movies @ Gwangju Theater

This month’s Upcoming Events contributors:Seoyoung Park, Kyuri Park

8th 7080 ChungjangRecollection FestivalLocation: Chungjang, Geumnam,Hwanggeum street, Dong-gu areaDate: September 27 – October 2Phone: 062-608-2247~8Homepage: www.cjr7080.com

2011 Gwangju Art FairLocation: KDJ Convention Center Date: September 1-4 / Wed. August 31 from 5pm - 8pm (VIP/PressPreview)Fair Program: Special exhibitions, education program, performancelounge and audience happeningsMore info: www.artgwangju.com

art:gwangju:11 in its second edition promises to be an extraordinarycommercial and artistic flowering of local and global galleries and non-profit art institutions. This year's art:gwangju is the first public culturalproject of the newly established Gwangju Cultural Foundation and issupported by the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council. The fair providesa new sales platform and programs including Museum Outlet, Videolet,Asia New Arrivals and Art & Company.

Gwangju News Volunteer Appreciation DayOctober 8, the first Gwangju News shared dinnerpublication party! Anyone and everyone associated withwriting, proof-reading, or any aspect of the publishing ofGwangju News is very welcome. At GIC, in the main meeting room, arriving from 5.30,eating at 6 p.m. Cost: Please bring 'a plate' of your favorite food to share.White rice will be available.

Green Car Korea 2011Venue: KDJ Convention Center exhibition halls 2 & 3Date: September 28-30, 2011

Exhibits-VehiclesHybrid Vehicle (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV), Hydrogen andFuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), Electric Vehicle (EV), Clean Diesel Car,Agricultural Electric Vehicle, Electric Vike, Golf Car, etc.-Car partsDrive system, secondary battery/capacitor (for EV), automotive motor,controller, inverter manufacture equipment, converter, connector, etc.-Intra&ServicesCharging Station System, Telematics, Lease/Rental, Governmentorganization and institutions, Media groups etc.For more info: http://www.greencar.or.krPhone: 062) 611-2121

ACE Fair 2011 (Asia Content & Entertainment Fair 2011)Location: KDJ Convention CenterDate: September 21-24

The 6th ACE (Asia Content & Entertainment) Fair (Asia Content &Entertainment Fair), the official annual event and the cultural contentindustry's primary gathering, will be held on September 21 (Wed) ~ 24(Sat), 2011 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center.The ACE Fair is the global event for buying, selling, financing, licensingand distributing cultural content across all platforms. Also, the ACE Fairprovides one of the largest cultural content trade markets in Asia byoffering excellent opportunities to showcase cultural contents to Asia'skey decision makers. Do not miss out on the opportunity to network withleading attendees from all over the world at the ACE Fair.

Exhibitions

Gwangju FC Soccer Team September Match Schedule

Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장)Direction: Take buses 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 and get off atWorldcup Stadium bus stopTicket Price: Adult 10,000 won, Family (4 people) 30,000 wonWebsite: www.gwangjufc.com

Date25

Match TeamBusan I’Park

Time15:00

Sports

Date

235

Match Team

SamsungSK

Nexen

Time

18:3017:0018:30

KIA Tigers Baseball TeamSeptember Match Schedule

Autumn has arrived – the season of brilliantcolors!

Our great Aussie Beef BBQ continues throughSeptember. From 7.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.Wednesday through Sundays, we offer unlimitedOB Lager. Our BBQ includes three cuts ofAustralian Beef and a great little buffet.

Don’t forget ALL guests become eligible to win atrip for two to Australia with airfares,accommodation in Sydney and the Gold Coast, andsome meals included.

September will also see our fantastic “Pure GrapeJuice” Promotion in the Lobby Lounge.

For autumn we are introducing our first getawaypackage called “Stay Sentimental”. This is a greatshort break for two with packages available inDeluxe, Junior and Executive Suites. The packageincludes breakfast in the Hourglass Restaurant,coffee & cake in our beautiful Lobby Lounge andfree Happy Hour for two at our 10th floor ExecutiveLounge Bar. Prices start from 185,000 won net.

Michael WilsonGeneral ManagerHoliday Inn [email protected]

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju

Gwangju News September 2011 7

Watch our website for further detailswww.holidayinngwangju.com

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장)Directions: Take buses 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 andget off at Mudeung Stadium bus stop

Ticket Price: Adults 7,000 - 12,000 won; Students (13 - 18):4,000 - 9,000 won; Children (under 13, 2,000 - 6,000 won)Website: www.tigers.co.kr (Korean)

Editorial/ GIC Talk


Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (5th floor of Jeon-il Bldg) For more information: visit www.gic.or.kr or contact [email protected] out pictures from previous GIC Talks http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalkClick for the highlight clips of GIC Talk at www.youtube.com/user/GICTALK

September 3Topics: ThreeArtists, ThreeDifferent VisionsSpeakers: KurtDonald, EndaOlivier, RamonaPavilionisFor more information,please see page 13

September 10No Talk due to Chuseok holiday

September 17TBA

[ GIC Talk ]

[ Editorial ]

The day she first arrived to volunteer at the GIC in June of 2003, Kim Minsuwas so young and nervous about speaking English that her friend MyungBong came along to speak for her. Meanwhile at the GIC, Professor ShinGyonggu had just bought and paid for the “new” Apple Macintosh computerso Gwangju News could be published in the highest quality English, whichhad simply not been possible with a non-English speaking designer, aspreviously so far removed from GIC and the editing team. It turned out thatMinsu had both training and experience in graphic design and layout usingthat software.

Since that time long ago great development has occurred within the GIC, Gwangju News, and Minsu herself;her English has improved vastly since the days she had to read and write notes to communicate. Over theyears Minsu has been involved Gwangju News has more than doubled in size. Recently Minsu trained Karina“Nana” Prananto (Indonesian/Korean resident) to the same high standards she attained and maintained. Nanais now a GIC coordinator and also took over the layout and design role for Gwangju News last year. This monthalso sees co-editing duties shared with GIC’s most excellent Kim Jihyun, as Minsu starts maternity leave for theexpected birth of her second child. The Gwangju News staff wish her and her baby all the best.

As Gwangju city, our English language community, and this magazine all keep developing, we need moresuch people who enjoy working together to achieve those same high standards required to produce theexpensive artifact and valuable resource that is Gwangju News. We need meticulous proofreaders, greatwriters, and lateral, creative thinkers. If you are ready to volunteer for the team challenge of continuing andfurther developing our high standard of excellence, please contact us at [email protected].

By Julian Warmington

A Word from Our Editor-In-Chief

September 24Topic: Jazz: An American Artform Speaker: Jakub Michalowski (Middle-School NativeEnglish Teacher, B.A. in History and PoliticalScience, Seattle University)Since its inception in the early 20th century, Jazz has been adistinctive American artform that has continuously evolved withthe culture around it embracing the beat poetry asthetic with its"Free Jazz" movement... and bridging funk and rock music withits distinctive "Jazz Fusion" sounds. Come explore the historyof Jazz during its "Golden Age", from the melodic "bop" and"cool" sounds of the 1940's to the experimental incarnationsthat paralleled the artistic aesthetic of the 1950's and 1960's.Delve deep into the life stories of revolutionary Jazz pioneerssuch as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and John Coltrane,whose lives were often as emotionally charged as the notesthey played. Join GIC for a look at the figures, movements, andseminal albums that have shaped this deepy evocative, butoften misunderstood artform.

News

This Month in Gwangju A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

Gwangju and Edinburgh TiesGwangju hasstrengthened its tieswith the city ofEdinburgh (Scotland,UK) through a series ofexchanges andagreements.

The cooperationbetween the two citiesbegan last year, withagreements for culturalexchanges andcooperation. Amongstother things,Edinburgh, home to the

prestigious annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival, would shareits expertise in hosting large international, to aid Gwangjuin its future international events such as the 2015Universiade. Additionally, Gwangju would have theopportunity to participate in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

This has resulted in the recent performance of JasmineGwangju at this year’s Fringe. Jasmine Gwangju is atheatrical production which puts traditional music, danceand shamanistic rituals alongside multi-media displays, totell the story of the 1980 May 18th Gwangju Uprising.Excepting a few previews, the show’s run atVenue150@EICC, from August 13th to the 19th, was itsfirst full performance in public. It has been well received,with many positive reviews from local (British) andinternational critics, including a maximum 5-stars from thededicated Fringe Festival reviewer Broadway Baby.

A delegation from Gwangju was in Edinburgh on August17th, to see Jasmine Gwangju being performed. On thesame day, they met with representatives from Edinburghcity, to discuss the show’s success, and to explorepossibilities for further exchanges and cooperation. Giventhe success of the cultural agreements, discussionsexpanded to possible economic and trade collaboration,covering mutual economic interests, possible joint researchopportunities, and potential exports, in particular withregard to Gwangju’s photonic industry.

Environment Summit coming to GwangjuEarly next month, Gwangju will play host to a majorinternational environmental conference, namely the 2011

Gwangju Summit of UrbanEnvironmental Accords (UEA).

The Accords stem from the UnitedNations Environment ProgrammeWorld Environment Day, in SanFrancisco in 2005, when 52attending cities signed up to agree

to a series of measures at a city level, to preserve theenvironment. Currently over 110 cities have joined theAccords, and around 60-70 will attend the Gwangju Summit,along with various environmental experts, andrepresentatives from major organizations.

The agenda will cover the establishment of an UrbanEnvironmental Index, by which to measure a city’s greenstatus, as well as set up a workable Clean DevelopmentMechanism, which seeks to set CO2 emission limits for cities,and allow those who come in under their targets to trade theexcess. If successful, the Summit could make the nameGwangju synonymous with its environmental summit, in thesame way that Kyoto is readily remembered for its 1997global warming Protocol.

The Summit will take place at the Kimdaejung ConventionCentre, from October 11th-13th.

New Shops Aimed at TouristsTwo new plans have been unveiled to attract more touriststo the area through shops.

Firstly, two stores selling local crafts, food produce, andsouvenirs will open in Gwangju. One will be in Yangdongmarket, selling mainly foodstuffs, such as traditionalsnacks, local specialties and health products. The otherstore, in the downtown Chungjang area, will offer Hanbok,jewelry, handicrafts and souvenirs, and of course,Gwangju-made kimchi.

Secondly, plans are underway to establish a duty-free storein Jeollanam-do. The store would be exclusively for foreignvisitors, and is mostly aimed at Chinese and Japanesetourists, and international visitors for the 2012 YeosuWorld Expo, and the 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo.

Both stores are hoped to increase the number of foreignvisitors to the region, and provide a boost to the localeconomy.

By Jon Ozelton



tudents from all over the world come to Koreawith hopes to continue their education and atthe same time absorb the Korean culture.

Gwangju is extremely privileged to have such studentsfrom various nations attend their schools as well.Located in East Africa, Tanzania is one such nationthat will soon be sharing their talented students withthe people and facilities of Chonnam NationalUniversity. Located in the nation’s capital, theUniversity of Dar es Salaam will take part in aprogram that extends the education of their studentsby providing some with the opportunity to study atChonnam. Gwangju News met with University of Dares Salaam’s Vice Chancellor, Professor RwekazaMukandala and Dr. Omar Fakih Hamad. Mukandalais a professor of political science and Omar, a five-year Gwangju resident and Chonnam Universitygraduate, is a professor in the ICT field. As the twowere visiting Gwangju for a short time to enhance therelationship between their two universities, GwangjuNews was delighted to spend some time discussingpolitics, education and culture in Korea and Tanzania.

Mukandala and Omar paid a visit to the May 18thNational Cemetery. Mukandala gave some perspective

S and comparisons regarding the cause and impact ofthe May 18th event.

“I had read about this event in the newspapers andsaw the pictures on TV but this is the first time to bein Gwangju and to visit the memorial. I had thechance to see various narrations of what hadhappened. I was astounded by the national nature ofthe event. In the past, we were told this was a riot or arebellion. It was really a movement, a demonstrationcast as a democratic struggle which was veryinteresting to me. The importance of human rights, ofhuman freedom, sovereignty and the need forlegitimate government; the fact that they fought forthis to me is very fascinating. What is also interestingis the contrast between the May 18th Memorial andthe Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. For thelatter, it’s not about the rightness of the cause,because the cause was wrong. Still, people died andthere was much sorrow and sadness for the lives thatwere lost. What is distinct and special about the May18th Memorial is that the cause was right, as well asthe sadness for the lives that were lost. In comparison,that’s something that sets it apart.”

Cover Story

TanzaniaandKorea: AnEducationalCollaboration

VC Prof. Mukandala


Cover Story

The continent of Africa contains more than a fewcountries that are presently experiencing discontentbetween the government and their people. Mukandalaexplained, “In regards to Tanzania and Africa as awhole, globalization is a two-way street which bringson the one hand lots of prosperity, but along with thatprosperity it brings much poverty andimpoverishment as well. This explains why there islots of discontent and uprisings in places like Egyptand Tunisia. It’s because millions of people have beenleft behind by these globalizing forces and by thiswealth that is being created. It’s not being sharedequally amongst the men and women on the street, orto the student who just graduated from college whocan’t find a job or start a family. Those are someimportant forces that one must bear in mind.”

Many people are unaware about the history ofTanzania and where it stands in the global context.Here Mukandala introduces one of the great successstories of any African nation. “This year we arecelebrating 50 years of independence from GreatBritain. Lots of experiments have been carried out interms of how to bring out human development. Somehave been successful and others not so successful, butwhat has succeeded is what we call the ‘nationalistproject’. That is in forging a nation out of thehundreds of different ethnic groups and races, to forgeall these groups into one cohesive nation. So whatreally matters is the mind of the person and what onedoes, rather than his race or religion, for example.That has been very successful so human rights andcitizenship is enjoyed by everybody in respect towhere one is or where one was born.”

Omar added, “Tanzania came from two separatecountries, which were Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Ithas since developed a strong union, which has existedfor 46 years. This is a good lesson that two countriescan successfully be united, and is a good example forthe rest of the world.”

Mukandala continued about the important roleTanzania plays as an example of peace and justice inAfrica. “We have been successful in forging ademocratic political system, which is not perfect, butit still allows for free and fair elections and peacefultransitions of power from one regime to another. Thishas provided for political stability, which has been avery important springboard for Tanzania to play a rolein the region. There has also been a very seriouscommitment towards African liberation and human

liberation in general from oppression andauthoritarianism. Tanzania played a very critical rolein the liberation of other African countries that werenot free. Especially South Africa, Mozambique,Namibia, Angola and other countries. Dar es Salaam,the capital of Tanzania, was the center of all thisliberation movement. All these developments havehelped Tanzania, first to redefine itself, but also forthe rest of the world to learn from this. Politics aside,Tanzania is a beautiful country with lots of naturalresources. Lots of white sand beaches, animals, andthe highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro. We havethe deepest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika. So it’sa beautiful place to be with beautiful people.”

The University of Dar es Salaam has a history whichruns parallel with its country’s. It was founded onOctober 26th, 1961, months before Tanzania officiallyachieved its own independence. Mukandala recalls thefoundation of the university, “At that time theleadership of the country was convinced, because wehad no university and there were very few educatedpeople, that the country’s independence would bemeaningless without a university. We needed auniversity that could extend the necessary publicservice in education. Our university is also celebratingtheir 50 year anniversary. The vision of our universityis to become a world class center of excellence thatmeets the needs of Tanzanian and African society byproviding the required human resources, carrying outthe necessary research, producing knowledge, andproviding a public service. Since our foundation wehave produced almost 90 percent of all the qualifiedhigh level government in the country, currently the

VC Prof. Mukandala visiting the May 18 National Cemetery


Cover Story

president and the prime minister of the country, thechief justice, administers are all graduates of myuniversity. Many other important leaders of othernations in Africa are alumni from University of Dar esSalaam.”’

Chonnam National University will be cooperating withthe University of Dar es Salaam in sharing theirfacilities with students from Tanzania who wish toapply their ideas and studies in a practical manner.Mukandala is excited about this new endeavor. “Ourexpectation is that Chonnam University can help us incertain areas where we are lacking. We are very soonestablishing a medical school which will be trainingsuper specialists in various areas of medicine so welook forward to receiving some assistance fromChonnam in this field. We also look forward to amutual exchange of faculties and of students inresearch between our two countries on areas ofmutual concern. As we talked about, our world isbecoming much more globalized and it’s important tohave these links in our society, we cannot live onislands or in cocoons, we must understand each other.This gives us an opportunity to understand Koreansociety, the various political forces that they operate inhere, such as the May 18th movement. Overall thiscontributes to a better world, which is based on sharedunderstanding and a shared knowledge.

Omar is no stranger to Chonnam National University.Many attended his graduation there as he wasawarded his doctorate degree. During his time inGwangju, Omar was also very active with the GIC,attending tours and even giving his own GIC Talk. Healso just recently won a highly competitiveinternational prize as a young scientist resident in

Africa. Now he’s a professor at Dar es Salaam in theinformation/communications field. Omar reiteratedthe fact that his students have high expectations aboutstudying in Korea. “What we need to accomplish withChonnam National University to is be able to have ourstudents come here and do their experiments. Ourstudents have great ideas; they develop theoreticalsystems, but they partially fail to implement themphysically, so the hope is that our students can furtherdevelop their systems conceptually and implementthem at Chonnam. They can continue working ontheir theses and systems in practice. That is a very bigexpectation for our students.”

The entire faculty and student body at ChonnamNational University welcomes the Tanzanian studentswho will study there in the near future. Thiscooperative program is just as exciting for both partiesinvolved, as it provides for a chance to better theunderstanding and communication between twosuccessful universities as well as sharing ideas amongtwo distinct cultures.

By Stephen RedekerPhotos courtesy of Chonnam National University

Univ. Dar Es Salaam signs MOU with Chonnam NationalUniversity

VC Prof. Mukandala visits the GIC and views past editionsof Gwangju News


GIC Gallery

Exhibition Title: Three Artists, Three Different VisionsArtists: Kurt Donald, Enda Olivier, Ramona PavilionisExhibition Period: August 6 ~ 20, 2011Opening with Artists Talk: September 3 (Saturday), 3 ~ 5 p.m. at GIC Gallery

Three artists two of which are from South Africa, Kurt Donald and Enda Olivier, and RamonaPavilionis from Canada have collaborated to share with us their three different worldly perspectivesabout their creativity. Kurt Donald expresses that “Between cultures there is an empty space, a void. Itis up to artists and others to build a bridge across this void. As an artist I feel it is my place to fill thatempty space with life.”

[ GIC Gallery ]

ost Gwangju News readers and local ESLteachers are familiar with Dr. David Shaffer.He provides answers and insight aboutteaching English in the Gwangju News

monthly column “Letters to KOTESOL”. Beyond thesmall blurb of information below his picture there, mostof us don’t know about “Dr. Dave” and his long historyteaching and living in Gwangju. Stephen Redekercaught up with Dr. Dave last month.

Shaffer grew up in west Pennsylvania, USA and arrivedin Gwangju in 1971. He’s been here ever since, and beganhis teaching career at Chosun University in 1976 wherehe is currently a professor at the English LanguageDepartment at the College of Foreign Languages. Besidesteaching, he dedicates much of his time giving about adozen speeches every year at various ELT conferences inKorea and other locations in Asia. Among his tasks asPresident of the Gwangju-Jeonnam chapter ofKOTESOL, he is arranging for invited speakers to givespeeches at their monthly and annual meetings. Shafferhas studied Chinese character calligraphy and hasadvanced to the highest proficiency level; a rareaccomplishment. He has also published many books andresearch periodicals based on English and Koreanlanguage education. Among other awards, he wasawarded the Minister of Internal Affairs (ROK) Award in1984 and received the Korean Times ContemporaryKorean Culture Translation Award in Poetry in 1994.

The following is an interview with Dave about hishistory and interests here in Gwangju:Gwangju News: When did you come to Korea?Shaffer: I came here in 1971, with the Peace Corps. Icame for a two-year service and extended that for aboutfour years total (the maximum Peace Corps service timewas five years). I was in Gwangju for my Peace Corpsservice. After that, I came to Chosun University. That’swhere my career teaching English began.

GN: Tell us about your Korean name.Shaffer: My Korean name is Shin Dong-il. I got it from aname maker who was also a fortune teller. It was part ofour training when we first arrived. She created my nameand told me my fortune. I presume that she chose

M

“Shin” because it’s a Korean name that sounds closestto my family name “Shaffer”. “Dong” matched the “D”sound from my name “David”. She counted the strokesand included one of the five elements that go into a“lucky” name (the character for “wood” is contained init). Also, “Dong-il” means “east-first”. It fits because Icame from the east and I’m the oldest son in my family.It all worked out. I’ve been to other fortune tellers whotold me it’s a really good name.

GN: You’ve been in Gwangju for about 40 years.You have seen many changes over the years.What was Gwangju like back in the early days?Shaffer: When I first came to Gwangju, almost all thecars on the streets were either taxis or the blackchauffeured cars of businessmen. The average persondid not have a car. You saw a lot more bicycles on thestreets and lots of old buses. You also saw oxen pullingcarts on the streets, many of which were makingdeliveries of packages. There were very few buildingsover five stories high because anything over that wouldrequire an elevator. Nobody wanted to go through theexpense of installing an elevator, so only a few buildings(like the tourist hotel) were higher. There were openditches on the sides of the streets for sewage. Mosthomes did not have plumbing; there were outhousesoutside the homes. People used newspapers as toiletpaper. Sometimes they were cut into squares and placedon a nail for easy use. At that time, the president wasalways pictured on the cover of the newspaper, but youwould never find the cover page in an outhouse. Out offear, people did not want to get caught in an outhouse

Feature

Dr. David sharpening his skills


Dr. David Shaffer: 40+ years in Gwangju

Feature

desecrating a picture of the president. You didn’t havethese huge apartment complexes like you do today.People lived in small homes and some had new houseswhich were two-stories. The family would almost alwayslive on the first floor and rent out the second floor. Therewas an entrance on the outside to the second floor andusually that was the only way up there.

GN: Do you have any specific memories of theMay 18 revolts that occurred in 1980?Shaffer: I was living in Sansu-dong at the time (nearChosun). That was an active area at the time. Thecitizens were patrolling the neighborhoods in buses;they were knocking on the sides of the bus with theirbats and clubs. They had also commandeered theselittle personnel carriers that looked a little bit like smalltanks. Everyone was angry, and the young men wereworried that they might be drafted by the citizen armiesto fight. The women were also scared so many peoplewere in hiding at the time. One of my wife’s friendsstayed with us because she lived alone and was toofrightened to stay there at home. It was a difficult time.

GN: You’ve been teaching English for a longtime in Gwangju. How has the field changedfrom then to what it is today?Shaffer: It’s gotten more professional and it’s gottenolder. When I first arrived, most people came for one ortwo years just to save up some money and continue onwith their travels. Most did not see teaching English asa career. For teacher training, there were not so manycourses offered then. There were no online courses asthere are today. Students and teachers did not havemany teaching materials. When I first started, I went tothe bookstore to get a textbook. “Laddo’s English” and“Spoken American English” were the only two booksavailable. They taught the audio-lingual method: listenand repeat, again and again. Tape recorders wereexpensive and those students who could afford one did

not have many options. There were very few tapes forlearning English. The tapes were also really expensive,sold in big sets.

GN: Tell us about your involvement with KOTESOL.Shaffer: I got involved when it began. A fellow professorat Honam University heard about it and contacted meabout starting a chapter in Gwangju and joining. I wasn’tvery active the first few years but later I began gettinginvolved with publications. I became an officer and havebeen doing that for the past 10 years. I think it’s veryworthwhile. Through Korea TESOL I’ve improved myEnglish teaching and improved in many other ways.

GN: How can people get involved with KOTESOL?Shaffer: People can visit the website for information(kotesol.org, koreatesol.org). The best way is to attend ameeting. We have meetings every second Saturday ofthe month. They’re open to everyone. You should cometo the International Conference coming up this October.I’ve been heavily involved with the past 11 conferencesand I think ours is the best and definitely the largest.This year we have 11 invited speakers, who are greatpeople in our field.

By Stephen RedekerPhotos by Han Jaerim and courtesy of

Dr. David Shaffer

Dr. Choi Yongjae and Dr. David in Chosun University inthe late 70s.


Feature

angjeong Village, on Jeju Island, (declared“Peace Island” by the government) will begetting a very un-Gandhi-like naval base ifprotests by Jeju residents are not successful.

The 480,000-square-meter, US$915million baseproposed by the Ministry of Defense and Navy, iscurrently approximately 15 percent complete.Meanwhile, tense demonstrations continue.

Protesters told The Korea Times that the base wasapproved by 87 “residents’ representatives” and notby actual Jeju residents. Army Maj. Gen. Lee Yong-dae argues that opposition to the base iscompromising national security. He said, "To protectJeju Island and surrounding waters, the Navy wouldnow have to be dispatched from Busan, Jinhae orMokpo … these bases are too far from the southernwaters of Jeju."

Strategically located between Russia, China, Japan,and Korea, and able to accommodate large Aegisclass battleships, Jeju Island is considered a criticallocation for any potential future military conflict.One concern is that the base is not actually forKorea’s interests, but rather for those of the US,which can use any Korean base for its operationsunder the current agreement. This base could be acritical factor in NATO’s rivalry with the ShanghaiCorporation, generally considered to be the twomain economic and military pillars of the world.Their dispute is primarily economic,involving thefall of the US dollar, the world’s reserve currency,and the use of strategic resources like oil pipelines inthe Middle East. For the US, Japan and Korea (orindeed NATO) this base could, for example, be usedto deflect intercontinental missile attacks fromChina or Russia (Shanghai Corp). While thelikelihood of any such large-scale conflict everhappening is debatable, those in power clearly see itas a real possibility.

Another concern is the environmental impact that

the base will have on the area. Jeju Island is famousfor its absence of major developments, and theGangjeong coast in particular is the only naturaldolphin habitat in Korea. The peaceful, naturalsetting of Jeju Island brings thousands of touristsfrom Korea and beyond. The Environmental EffectsEvaluation for the proposed base was not carried outas legally required, according to the PSPD (People’sSolidarity for Participatory Democracy). Theymaintain that Gangjeong, a former AbsolutePreservation Zone, has had that status illegally lifted.Now five separate opposition parties, includingKorea’s main Democratic Party, have come togetherto form an investigation team to assess theenvironmental impact of the base on itssurroundings. They have asked that construction behalted for the duration of the investigation, saying,“We are concerned that this project could causeenvironmental damage to the coastal area of thevillage designated as a cultural asset preservationzone, and to the nearby areas listed on the UNESCOBiosphere Reserves.”

The military however, have not halted construction.The PSPD says police are arresting protesters, butnot construction workers who have allegedly usedviolence, and are charging the protesters with

G

Republic of Korea navy defence21.hani.co.kr

Jeju Island’s ControversialMilitary Base


Feature

multiple offences. They are also allegedlythreatening eviction of any facilities that displaypictures of Gangjeong scenery or messages critical ofthe construction. At least one celebrity has gotteninvolved, a famous film critic called Yang Yoon-Mo,who is currently on a 50-plus day hunger strike andis reportedly close to death.

A Navy spokesperson gave this statement to TheKorea Times; "Jeju has long been considered atactical, strategic point to secure southern sea lanesfor transporting energy supplies and to conductmobile operations in the case of an emergency in theregion." He added that the modern facility would beenvironmentally-friendly, accommodate large cruiseships for tourism, and ultimately bring new jobs,attractions and income to the community. He feelsthat those in opposition are distorting the facts.Critics however, reference the stagnant economynear Japan’s military base, Okinawa, and fear asimilar fate for Jeju Island following theconstruction of the base. Jeju Island has a longhistory of protesting unpopular Korean policy. In1948 over 30,000 residents, or around 12 percent ofthe population, were murdered for protesting thedivision of Korea.

One further detail should be taken into account.Military drills took place August 16 - 28 in order topractice finding and dismantling WMDs (weapons ofmass destruction) in or around South Korea. Why isthis relevant? Most of the major disasters in recenthistory, including 9/11, 7/7 (the London Bombings)and even the sinking of Korea’s Cheonan last year allhave something in common: drills involving

Local people protesting against the construction of thenaval base koreajn.co.kr

Proposed plan model of the navalbasesegye.com

scenarios similar or identical to the real events weresimultaneously taking place in all cases, with theresult that unpopular policies were accepted.

In conclusion, if the multi-trillion dollar militaryindustrial complex wants a military base anywhere, itis most likely going to happen, regardless of popularopinion. Koreans need to mobilize their strongcommunities and online social networks to spreadinformation if they want to stop this. It is possible butaction simply must be taken soon. It certainly canand has been done; all they need to do is take action.Or maybe, on the other hand, perhaps the base is anecessary evil; it all depends on your perspective ofthe real threats that face Korea’s national security.

By Michael Bielawski


out the fact that he is African-American, and recountsimilar stories of taxi drivers’ unfair treatment offoreigners.

Online attention has been drawn to the fact thatFisher acted suspiciously by resisting arrest andcausing damage. Those who doubt Fisher’s claim ofinnocence ask why the taxi driver positively identifiedhim at the scene of the crime.

Still others debate the length of the prison sentence.Recent high profile violent crimes with Koreandefendants have yielded prison sentences of 18months, but Fisher has been adjudged to a full 24months.

The Seoul High Court rejected Fisher’s appeal despitethe international attention brought to the case.According to appointed attorney Mr. Lee Janghan, theevidence presented – in the form of CCTV video and amoney clip the taxi driver claimed as his own – couldnot be overcome. Fisher’s only remaining option toavoid serving the entire two-year sentence is aseldom-attempted Korean Supreme Court appeal.Fisher now awaits the initiation of that possibleappeal, and the length of any legal proceedings, in aKorean prison cell.

By Andrea GalvezPhotos courtesy of the Fisher family

National

TThhee TTaallee ooff AAnnddrree FFiisshheerr

Andre (right) with friends

n the early hours of November 19, 2010, PrivateAndre M. Fisher, of the US Army, was outside aclub in Seoul. Details of that evening differ fromthere. The result is that Fisher was charged with

robbery for failing to pay a taxi fare (14,000 won) andthen stealing 94,000 won from the driver. He was alsocharged with property damage after he – and this headmits – kicked out the police vehicle’s rear doorwindow while being arrested.

Although it is common in Korea to plead guilty to acrime, pay a fine (what some refer to as the Koreancustom of “blood money”) and be released, Fisherignored his legal council recommendation and refusedto plead guilty. He says he could never admit to acrime he didn’t commit. After three months ofincarceration awaiting trial, he was convicted andsentenced to two years in prison.

Following his July conviction, family and friendsmounted an aggressive media campaign to garnersupport in hopes of freeing Fisher. On Aug. 9, 2011Fisher’s supporters attended his appeal hearing in theSeoul High Court. Fisher admitted to actingirrationally when damaging the police car, and hisattorney noted that he had made immediaterestitution for the damages. But he continued to claimhe was innocent of the charge of theft. Court

adjourned with asecond court date setfor Aug. 25, where theresults of the appealwere announced.

The details of thiscase are few and seemto change dependingon who is reporting.Fisher and his familyadamantly assert thathe wasn’t even in thecab that night, andthat he should neverhave spent a night inprison. Others point

I


Andre’s parents

Perspective

Lessons from Andre

Andre at home in church

ate last year, outside a club in Seoul, PVTAndre M. Fisher allegedly robbed a taxi driverand then resisted arrest. He maintains hisinnocence of the theft charge, but with

limited evidence, it’s become a game of “he-said, she-said” played out in a foreign courtroom in a foreignlanguage.

Every foreigner fears accidently breaking a local lawand ending up on an episode of Locked Up Abroad.But how can you avoid similar situations here inGwangju? Fisher claims he was simply in the wrongplace at the wrong time; however, there are a fewthings that could have helped him avoid the situation,or at least the stress of waiting in prison for months.

1) Be aware of your surroundings. Korea isextremely safe, so it can be easy to forget that therecan be unknown, unexpected dangers. Fisher claimsthat he was talking on his phone when he saw severalmen approach a cab and then walk away. Secondslater the cab driver claimed robbery. If Fisher reallywasn’t involved, had there been an opportunity forhim to separate from the entire incident? While there’sno reason to become paranoid and assume the worstin every situation, there’s reason to be responsiblyaware, and know when to get out.

2) Know your friends. It is easy to become fastfriends with other foreigners who speak the samelanguage and have a similar worldview. Fisher reportsthat he wasn’t alone that night, but was actually with afriend whom he had “just met.” He stops short ofconfessing that this “friend” was involved in the theft,but he makes it clear that he didn’t trust the guy.Remember that a friend you choose now may later beseen as a partner in crime.

3) Learn the language. There are a multitude ofreasons to learn Korean, especially if you intend to livehere for a year or more. Fisher admits that, after 22months in Korea, he didn’t know Korean well andwasn’t exactly sure what was occurring that night, andfor much of his legal proceedings. He was representedby an English-speaking Korean attorney, and members


of the US government monitored his trial to ensure itwas fair. If at the time of the incident he had been ableto explain his innocence (in Korean) and offer anyinformation as to who the actual assailant was, wouldhe be in the same situation? If so, perhaps he wouldhave felt less helpless throughout the process.

4) Remain calm when you don’t understand.Even if you study Korean diligently, there are likely tobe some situations you simply cannot comprehend. InFisher’s case, he says he didn’t understand why thepolice were surrounding him. Instead of waitingcalmly for the reason, he lashed out and causedserious damage to a police car – and probably thelegitimacy of his case. Korea is a swift country. If youare calmly patient, it is l ikely your wait forinformation (in English) will be short.

To join the support group for Andre, please see thefacebook group Andre Fisher in Korea.

By Andrea GalvezPhoto courtesy of the Fisher family

L

ontemporary art assemblage using foundmaterial that is recycled to create sculpturesis nothing new in the wide world of art, but

junk is not often used to create such masterful worksas found in Shin Yang Ho’s Daein market studio.Shin, who started adding three-dimensional works tohis adept abstract painting skills in the 90s, works infound metal of all kinds and also electronics materialattached to discarded wood. Art changed foreverwhen Marcel Duchamp first hung a rusty bicycle andthen a men’s porcelain latrine fixture and expectedus to see it as art. Marcel Duchamp (1887 –1968) wasa French artist whose work is most often associatedwith the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. He isconsidered by some to be one of the most importantartists of the 20th century.

Shin Yang Ho doesn’t settle for that, and executesalluring wall sculptures. Lately the subject matter hasbeen dominated by fish. “I like working in wood themost. I started painting on wood after years oncanvas, knowing that oil paint flows well on wood,and I had an increased desire to attach differentobjects to the paintings, which is easily done whenpainting on wood,” Shin said.

Art

Wood itself became the art in 2004 when boxesconstructed with the same level of prowess as DonaldJudd, enclosed everything from shuttlecocks and apaint brush, to tree branches. A dozen of these workshang in the entryway of Shin’s labyrinthineworkshop, replete with fasteners (usually screws) ofevery shape and size. A very neat tool hangingsystem, and small trays with electronic parts,dissembled computers and pieces of thrown-outmetal are organized for easy retrieval, should thecurrent fish art need and exact shape to come to life.Donald Clarence Judd (1928 - 1994) was aminimalist artist (a term he stridently disavowed). Inhis work, Judd sought autonomy and clarity for theconstructed object and the space created by it,ultimately achieving a rigorously democraticpresentation without compositional hierarchy. Itcreated an outpouring of seemingly effervescentworks that defied the term, "minimalism".

Shin exceeds Judd by incorporating multi-facetedlooks at the world in his early boxes. Shin’s techniqueis soft and alluring, as the wood itself has beenselected because of, or smoothed into warm shapesthat do not force viewers to notice the objectsseparately, like Joseph Cornell did, thus enablingviewers to enjoy the entire piece as one, even if it ismade up of many different things. Joseph Cornell(1903 – 1972) was an American artist and sculptor,one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents ofassemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he wasalso an avant-garde experimental filmmaker.

Since his successful box experiments, Shin hasproduced a giant collection of fish constructions thatmix his love of wood, oil paint and assemblage,stretching his imagination when applying commonhousehold items to create gills or fins, or eyes to pre-painted fish on boards that can be nearly square, ortwo meters long by only 20 centimeters wide.

Another abstract painter turned sculptor comes tomind when looking at the entirety of Shin’s work;

The Art of Mechanical Fish

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Blowfish

Art

Cy Twombly. ThoughTwombly constructedsculptures and then paintednearly all of them white,and Twombly’s paintingswere often much moreloose and childlike than Shin’s (remember the rowsof loops on gray Twombly is famous for?). Inpainting the two have a similarity of white, gray anda touch of blue or black. In sculpture the obviousmutual affinity is in thrown away found material. Inboth cases metal is attached to wood, the differencebeing in the details. Twombly prefers large oftenrusty pieces of metal that make pleasing abstractshapes, while Shin finds transistor boards, computerinnards and other small objects with tiny detailssuitable for his fish.

Shin’s refined varnishing techniques bring out lusterin the wood, and his oil-painted fish changedepending on the smoothness or coarseness of thegrains of wood he finds, while Twombly’s obsessionwith white paint forces viewers to accept the shapesalone. Twombly remains abstract in bothdimensions, while Shin, who showed no signs of hisfish fetish in 20 years of paintings, adds subjectmatter and fine detail, allowing something like akitchen colander to act as scales, or an 8-iron golfclub head to become the gills of a fish. Taipei, Seouland Pusan viewers have already seen exhibitions ofShin’s fish, so he is happy to have them on view inGwangju for the first time.

Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. (1928 – 2011) wasan American artist well known for his large-scale,

freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings,on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors.

What makes Shin’s work so appealing is his selectionof which piece of metal should be used where, andhis seamless fastening techniques that are nearlyundetectable (except when a grouping of screw headsadds to the composition).

He is comfortable as a minimalist when attachingonly one button to a butcher’s knife to an obsesseddetail artist, adding as many as 40 different objectsto an oversized blowfish. Though the repeatingsubject matter runs the risk of getting Shin’s newwork the label of decorative art, one shouldremember that all art is decorative (Matisse comes tomind) but not all art is memorable.

Shin’s school of fish is not as demanding as mostschools in Korea, yet his attention to detail and eye-catching style rate an A+.

Shin’s next exhibit is in October in Pyeongtaek Cityat Hae Ri Mi.

Story and photos by Doug StuberSources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Juddhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cornell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cy_Twombly

Above and right: Shin Yang Hu’s artworks

Center: Shin Yang Hu


here are many things to do and see in this greatcountry called Korea. There are traditional siteslike shrines, castles, and memorials. For the more

active and outdoorsy type there are many forests andmountains to explore as well. Korea also has many eventspeople can enjoy, ranging from the Kimchi Festival tomusic concerts. However, for those who have an interestin comics, video games, and animation, there is a place foryou too in Korea, and it’s called Comic World.

Comic World is the biggest anime/comic book conventionin Korea. This festival’s purpose is to provide a place foramateur cartoonists to introduce their work and shareideas with one another. The artists come to theconventions to rent a space, so that they can set up a boothand sell or promote their art. There are many uniquecomic concepts at this convention, one being aninterpretation of SpongeBob Squarepants as a humancharacter. Also Gwangju News’ own Jen Lee was presentat the 69th Busan Comic World to promote her own strip,Dear Korea.

Another attraction of the convention are cosplayers.Cosplay is the term used to describe “costume play,”where people will dress up as their favorite anime, comicbook, or video game character. The cosplayers are veryenthusiastic about their outfits and character personas.The costume designs are quite elaborate and often handmade. The cosplayers are not gender specific either. Manyboys will dress up as girl characters and vice versa. Theconvention caters to this by providing dressing rooms andmake-up stations for the many people that come the eventready to cosplay.

Towards the end, the convention allows visitors toparticipate in various activities such as cosplay contests,singing competitions, and a chance to speak with one'sfavorite comic artists. There is also an artist alley whereaspiring artists put their work on display in a walk-throughgallery for people to comment on or just admire. Peoplecan also auction off their art in the gallery. This allowsadmirers to take home unique fan art or original conceptpieces for their own, all while supporting creative artists.

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Comic World Korea

The convention is held in both Busan and Seoul. SeoulComic World is held once a month at various locations,usually the SETEC Pavilion or the “A-T” center. TheBusan Comic World is held once every two months atBexco. Both last about two days and are open usuallyfrom 11am to 5:30pm. Comic World is fun for all. Comicbook enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike will get a kickout of it. It’s a chance to have a good time and see a more“animated” side of Korea.

Story and photos by Wil Rawlins

Comics

Clockwise from left: Fanmade Sponge Bob poster; DearKorea and Polar Bear comic booths; little girl cosplayer;cosplay fans


random range of people lounge around thedimly lit room chatting quietly. The lights arelow and equipment is scattered in odd corners.As the clock hits 11, a young man in blue shorts

and suspenders and red and blue shoes startsstrumming his yellow and black guitar hard, and veryfast. After one verse and a chorus another colorfullydressed character starts crashing sticks on a drum. Withambiguously feminine facial features, clothing style andcoutured hair, her or his drumming is immaculate,precise, and intense. The guitarist wails into themicrophone but his vocals are swallowed by the roomand the crowd is drawn into the total sound as it growsand flows around the dark space until, with a final stab,the guitarist leaves a last chord ringing. The applause isinstant and echoes the intensity. The Seoul-based anti-folk power-pop duo Wagwak have started the show.

A different sound begins: it’s awarm, deep, electronic gurgle.Newly lit lights settle on aslight, slim woman in micro-shorts and a tight woolybeanie-hat pulled overplatinum hair. She stands onstage, focused down on a smallplatform of gadgets. She twistsand turns dials and steps onloop peddles as she nods,sways, and sings into themicrophone placed lowenough for her to continue

looking down at her hands. Jane Ha performs as “Pika”.Her lyrics are lost in the swirl of sound as it beeps andburps and floats between the mesmerized onlookers, andwhen she finishes the sudden silence is like someoneturned on the lights after sitting in a dark room. Thecrowd blinks once then cheers and claps for her uniqueenergy and fascinating sounds.

A group of five young teenagers is all ready and waitingwith instruments. It’s a conventional band set-up, butthe bass guitarist is a very, very young girl. Eventuallythey launch into a full-flight rock song, raw anddistinctly unpolished. The drummer loses the tempowithin the rhythm three times, but, the band as a whole

plays on with energy and developing confidence. Thesinger is a strong lead, grabbing the mic stand, jumpingup and down as he belts out his vocals. The Gwangjuband Biscat gets full applause and finds new fans.

A techno-tempo click-track zips and flits from the mainspeakers. A sound-smith is bent and laboring over hisbuttons and dials, wearing a full-face welding mask witha dark-glass eye-slit. Like a medieval knight riding hissound-desk into a joust he coaxes it to full speed,frenetically pouring over the dials as the enticingtrance-state envelops the crowd. Finally, fitfully, itfades, and the unsettled audience cheers again for thenew audio-hero Quarkpop.

Suddenly drumsticks snap a four-four beat: ‘Tatt! Tatt!Tatt! Tatt-’ it ’s Gwangju’s own Harp, with theirseasoned guitarist, ultimate rock-chick bass player,uber-confident singer, and genius 15-year-old drummerJung Ick Tae sitting up straight as he relaxes into agreat rock number. The group starts the song well, butsuddenly clicks together in a way that comes with yearsof practice, sharing the power of every beat until theblasting end.

And so the performers go around again, with each acttaking a turn to play variations of their own style. The“Round Robin” concept is a fun, interesting way ofpresenting a collection of new bands to a crowd.

By Julian Warmington

Music

A

The Seoul-based musical talent booking agency Super Color Super brought a touring party of five bandsto play in Gwangju’s downtown performance venue Nevermind recently. Gwangju News was there to check it out.

SSuuppeerr CCoolloorr SSoouunnddss

Wagwak (courtesynoonablog.com)

Harp (by Margaret Clarke)


Home PagesWant to write about news from your country? Contact the Editor for more information: [email protected].

News

Last month, several English cities were beset byyouths rampaging through the streets, setting fire tobuildings and looting sports shops, supermarketsand electronics stores. People watched aghast aschildren as young as nine proceeded to destroy theirown neighbourhoods and attack the police. Throughthe heartbreak and devastation of these incidents, atheme began to emerge as book shops remainedlargely unaffected. When asked if they were planningto close due to the risk of theft, an employee ofWaterstones bookstore reportedly replied, “We’ll stayopen; if they steal some books they might learnsomething.”

By Anna Corbett

England

A Hero for Two DaysAnuja Baniya became a national hero after sheshowed honesty and ethical behavior by returning abag full of money (Rs.9,100,000 /US$130,000) shefound on a bus to its rightful owner and refused toaccept a reward. Soon it became big news and shewas even praised formally by the president. Butsomething was amiss. Journalists couldn't find theperson to whom she returned the money and aftertwo days it was proved that she had fakedeverything. The president’s office launched aninquiry and national newspaper, The Kantipur Dailypublished a simple apology.

By Nipun Tamrakar

Nepal


English Students pay to study in ScotlandA leading human rights lawyer is planning a legalchallenge to Scotland’s university funding. Scottishstudents studying in their home country don’t have topay tuition fees, whilst the 22,000 English studentsstudying in Scotland do. The Scottish government hasdefended its policy and says it is acting within the law.However the lawyer claims it breaches the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights. Under EU rules,students coming to Scotland from other Europeancountries have to be treated the same way as Scottishstudents. This already costs the Scottish taxpayer £75million (US$123,753,000) per year. The laws in the UKhave now changed and tuition fees will likely increaseto £9,000 (almost US$15,000) per year.I predict a riot (again).

By Steve McNally

Scotland

New Zealand

Aotearoa – New Zealand suffered a “once-in-a-lifetime” extreme weather event this winter with mostof the country receiving snow fall over a few days. Acouple of burglars, however, decided that it justwasn't cold enough, and broke into a dairy (cornerstore, or 편의점) in Oamaru just to steal a box of icecream each. The owner, who lived upstairs, heardthem breaking in and called the police. Both menwere soon arrested. “It wasn’t that hard,” explainedthe local senior constable. “We just followed thefootprints in the snow.”

By JJ Parkes

Indonesia

As the holy month of Ramadan dawned closer, theIndonesian government was forced to add more carsand carriers to bring people back to their hometown.The longest holiday for Indonesians, as the world’slargest Moslem country, going back home is a must,thus buying tickets in advance is an annualcompetition for many. Forty days before the day, alltickets had been sold out. The capital, Jakarta, wheremost migrants are, predicted there will be more thana 10 percent increase in the flow of people travelingback to their hometown. A month holiday is usuallygiven for public school students, and a week holidayfor employees. August is also the time when theairline and train tickets are sold for three times higherthe regular price as people tried to leave the capitalbefore the 30th of August, the Idul Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr)day. No doubt, the capital soon became the “ghosttown”, the way it always has been during this month.

Source: www.liputan6.com

By Karina Prananto

Colombia

Colombia's False PositivesThe False Positives Scandal that first surfaced inColombia three years ago will not be subsidinganytime soon. Last month, the Penal Court ofSincelejo (in Colombia’s Caribbean coast) reducedthe original sentence of a former colonel, LuisFernando Borja Giraldo, by half to 21 years of prison.The former colonel was found guilty of kidnappingand murdering two youths. The parents of the youthshave petitioned the decision to reduce the sentenceand seek a just punishment. False Positives occurredat the end of former President Alvaro Uribe’s secondterm throughout Colombia and has received attentionfrom the United Nations, where it found that only afew personnel were responsible for the atrocities.Military personnel have been found guilty ofkidnapping and murdering citizens only to mask themas guerrilla insurgents, just to claim that the militarywas winning the armed conflict.

By Juan Esteban Zea

News

The Philippines

The Philippines is currently bracing for a dengueepidemic. Dengue fever, caused by a virus typicallyspread by mosquitoes, has been rampant in QuezonCity and there is a campaign there to stop thealarming increase of cases. It’s 100% worse this yearthan the reported cases from last year. Due to the wetseason and some polluted areas in the Philippines,the education department, along with local townshipofficials, have been ramping up efforts to maintaincleanliness throughout the country and also makesure all teachers and students report any symptomsof dengue (fever, headache, muscle and joint pain) totheir local doctors.

Source: www.thephilippines.ph

By Rubie Lee

U.S.A

Meat Market!As Westerners become more health conscious, thereare plenty of meat-lovers who enjoy great steakssuch as ribeye. However in Austin, Texas, residentsshould reconsider their meat eating habits. DuringOperation “Meat Locker”, police conducted a sting tocatch meat thieves who are selling goods atridiculously low prices to any store, Delete spaceafter “store” big or small. The scary part of theindustry is that food safety laws are not beingfollowed by the “boosters” from the time of theft tosale. Unfortunately, Texas is not the only statehaving to fight “meat hustlers.” Let’s consider thevalue of a good meal sans meat as society continuesto find more creative ways to make a living!

Source: USA Today

By Aisha Hobbs



Photo Essay

The Way We Acclimate

Vendor

Loud

Mason RobinsonMason is from Michigan in the United States. Hefound his love for photo while studying inMichigan State University, where he completedhis BFA concentrating in Photography inDecember 2010. His photographic interestsinclude fashion, street photography andportraiture. To view more of his work, visithttp://masonrobinson.net

Photos by Mason Robinson


Photo Essay

Disagreement

Quiet

Strange places

Submit your best shot of Korea!To enter the Photo Contest, simply send your name, photo and picture description to

[email protected].

PHOTO CONTEST

Art in the Gwangju’s Museum of Art Photo by Danielle Sarchet

W I N N E R

Unlucky day Photo by Joanne Whitham


Sole survivor Photo by Pawan Kumar Shahi

This month’s photo contest was judged by Mark Eaton.

Mark Eaton has exhibited hisphotographic work in art galleries

as well as other public andprivate venues in the United

States and South Korea.

A man selling at the street market in Gwangju Photo by Nathan Busch



Sport

This month the rugby world cast their eyes onto the shores of New Zealand for the seventh IRB (International RugbyBoard) Rugby World Cup. The quadrennial tournament will host 20 nations. Kicking off on September 9 the festivitieswill reach over a potential four billion viewers. In possibly the most anticipated tournament the sport has seen,Gwangju News takes a look at the nine top teams and rates their chances for the coveted William Webb Ellis Trophy.

By Julian RaethelLogo Credits: www.rugbyworldcup.com

AustraliaTeam name: WallabiesIRB ranking: 2ndBest: Winners 1991, 1999Worst: Quarterfinalists 1995, 2007

The Wallabies have a promising shot at the cup thisYear, they are close to home and should have a strongsupport base. They will look to build off theQueenslandReds’ Super 15 title win in July and haverecently been crowned Tri-Nations champions (theannual tournament including New Zealand and SouthAfrica). Australia have a young team which is gainingexperience and are building in confidence. There areplenty of concerns around their forward pack at the setpiece (and recently changing captains may cause somedisruption) but certainly have an exciting backline thatcan spark the counter attack. The Aussies should meetup to play England in the semi-finals (who have beatenthem both times in the past two tournaments) in whatshould be a mouth-watering clash.Tip: Grand Final

South AfricaTeam name: SpringboksIRB ranking: 3rdBest: Winners 1995, 2007Worst: Quarterfinalists 2003

The defending champions have tasted the highs andlows of the Tri Nations and European tours since the2007 World Cup. After defeating the All Blacks in allthree games in 2009, they then only managed one win inthe 2010 Tri Nations campaign and again this year. Withtheir abrasive coach Peter de Villiers in the media fromtime-to-time for his interesting comments, the Springboksare looking to be the first team to win back-to-back titles.They should face the All Blacks in the semi-finals if thecards fall that way.Tip: Semi-finals

FranceTeam name: Les BleusIRB Ranking: 4thBest: Beaten finalists 1987, 1999Worst: Quarterfinalists 1991

The most unpredictable team in world rugby by a countrymile. France can either be brilliant or average on their dayand have had a few opposition coaches scratching theirheads. Since 2000 France has won the annual SixNations (England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland andItaly) five times, the most by any team. France have neverwon a World Cup but many believe it is only a matter oftime. They have famously knocked the All Blacks out ontwo occasions and will look to give them a real run for theirmoney in pool play. Should definitely qualify for the quarterfinals where the English should be waiting.Tip: Quarterfinals

New ZealandTeam name: All BlacksIRB ranking: 1stBest: Winners 1987Worst: Quarterfinals 2007

Currently the world’s number one-ranked side andthis year’s hosts, the All Blacks are one of the mostfamous brands in the sporting world. They have anominous 75 percent winning record since theybegan back in 1903 and currently hold the BledisloeCup (contested with Australia). In what has been ashocking run at every World Cup since 1991, the AllBlacks will look to end the drought on home soil.They are heavy favourites, but have been so forevery tournament in its history. Rocked by theChristchurch earthquakes earlier this year, the city’sgames have been moved due to the damagedstadium and city.Tip: Grand Final

Rugby World Cup 2011Preview


Sport

EnglandEmblem: Red roseIRB ranking: 5thBest: Winners 2003Worst: Quarterfinalists 1987, 1999

England have been somewhat sound in the lead up to thisyear’s tournament. They have beaten Australia and SouthAfrica in recent encounters (no easy feat) and were crowned2011 Six Nations Champions. They have reached the finalsin the last two World Cups after poor interim periods, with thefirst leading to an historic victory in 2003. They also seem tobe on the right track and pose as the northern hemisphere’smost dangerous threat. England are placed in (arguably) themost-even pool alongside Argentina and Scotland and if theyfinish top they could be facing arch-nemesis France in thequarterfinals.Tip: Semi-finals

IrelandEmblem: ShamrockIRB ranking: 6th Best: Quarterfinalists 1987, 1991,1995, 2003Worst: Pool stage 1999, 2007

The Irish are one side that hasn’t played to their potential inpast World Cups. Lead by their inspirational captain, BrianO’Driscoll, Ireland could be the dark horse of the tournamentif the bounce of the ball goes their way and can push theirway into the semis. Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks(like Scotland and Italy) but will be boosted by theirimpressive thumping of the English in Dublin earlier this year.Tip: Quarterfinals

WalesTeam emblem: Prince of Wales’ FeathersIRB ranking: 7thBest: Semi finalists 1987Worst: Pool stage 1991, 1995, 2007

In what has been a disappointing lead up to New Zealand2011, Wales will be looking to rectify their shocking 2007defeat to Fiji which left them stranded in pool play. They willbe out for blood when they face off again in the pool stagesthis year but will also have the hard-hitting Samoans to dealwith. If they do make the quarters, Wales will be a very soreteam indeed. The Welsh have a proud rugby history and arevery similar to Ireland in the way they play. If their forwardscan do the job, then the backs should find space to work with.Tip: Quarterfinals

SamoaNickname: Manu SamoaIRB ranking: 10thBest: Quarterfinalists 1991, 1995,1999 (QF playoffs)Worst: Pool stage 2003, 2007

All three Pacific nations will be close to home and will havelots of support in New Zealand; in particular the Samoans.Samoa always manages to ruffle a few feathers at WorldCups and are known for their quick pace and big hits. Theystunned the rugby world when they beat the Wallabies backin July for the first time on Australian soil. They will bebrimming with confidence, and should scrap it out with theWelsh and the Fijians for the second quarterfinal spot. Thiswill be one team to watch and could make it out of the poolsif their discipline is kept in check.Tip: Pool stages

ArgentinaTeam name: PumasIRB ranking: 8thBest: 3rd place 2007Worst: Pool stage 1987, 1991, 1995, 2003

The only strong rugby nation to come out of football-mad South America, the Pumas had an amazingtournament in 2007 where they upset hosts France inthe opening game in Paris. They did it again to Francein the 3rd place playoff which capped a remarkableeffort. Usually starved for funds, quality match time andin geopolitical rugby isolation, Argentina will finally jointhe Tri Nations (Four Nations) next year to tussle it outwith the big boys. This tournament should let us seewhere they’re at. Watch out for both pool games againstScotland and England to see who will make thequarters.Tip: Quarterfinals

For more information on match schedules and venues, visitwww.rugbyworldcup.com Head down to Speakeasy to watch the games live!

3dot5.net

t may seem a bit of a cliché and I know it’s the country’smarketing slogan, but never a truer word could be saidabout this fabulous country. It covers over 3,000,000

km2 (1,000,000 sq miles), and a population now of over 1.2billion (China watch out).

A great option to see India is by train. SD Enterprises sell IndiaRail Passes and are based in the UK (www.indiarail.co.uk).They will communicate with you by email, and their prices arein US dollars. The longer the pass (unlimited travel), thecheaper it is. For a second Class, four-berth AC (perfect for theaverage traveler) prices are – 1 month-$248, 2 months-$400and 3 months-$530 per person.

So why bother buying a Rail Pass and not just “go with theflow?” Well if you have unlimited time, or you have noproblem sharing 3rd class (think cans of sardines, nosleeping area, lots of sweaty armpits, feet and theoccasional animal stuck in your face) then you don’t needto bother. But think logically; 1.2 billion people live hereand trains get full all the time, especially overnightjourneys.

Here are some highlights:New Delhi is pretty dirty, and it isoften tourists’ first introductionto cows having the freedomof the city. The Red Fort ispretty cool though, andseeing the colors thewomen wear is like watching walking rainbows.

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Travel

Amritsar in Punjab has the Golden Temple and is definitelyworth a visit. It’s the holiest of places for Sikhs and is over400 years old. The 100 kilograms of gold used whenbuilding it are located on the outside. A must-see though isthe closing of the Indian/Pakistan border, which happensdaily at around 4:30 p.m. Gates are closed from both sidesof the border. Both sets of guards have this bravado ofwalking like something out of Monty Python, whilst at thesame time the crowd cheer like they’re at a football (soccer)game. People were plucked from the crowd to run up to theborder gate waving the Indian flag. You will likely find thePakistani crowd is outnumbered 200-1 by the Indiancrowd, but it’s an excellent atmosphere and people werevery friendly.

Next up is Jaipur in Rajasthan. If you can time it forHoli, the color festival, it’s a lot of fun but that can

be anytime in March so it’s worth checking first(http://festivals.igiftstoindia.com/holi/when-

is-holi.html). On that day everyone throwscolored powder at each other, and the local

authorities sometimes lay on a specialfree festival for tourists, which

includes free powder, a bandand then an open top bus

tour around the

Incredible India

The Taj Mahal in all its glory


city. Not far away is Agra, home to the Taj Mahal. Photos ofthe Taj Mahal don’t do it justice; it’s even morebreathtaking in real life, especially at sunset and sunrise.

Aurangabad in Maharashtra has the Ellora Caves, whichconsist of 34 caves from Buddhist, Hindu and Jainreligions, some dating back to 630AD. Mumbai of course ishome to Bollywood. If you’re lucky you may randomly getasked to be an extra in a film. Do it! You may even get paid(about enough for six big bottles of Kingfisher beer). Nextup is Hampi in Karnataka, which has these amazingtemples and rocks that look like they’ve been dropped therefrom outer space.

There are many places in Goa worth visiting and it’s good tojust relax on the beach as the ocean is warm. It’s also a goodidea to hire a scooter and tour by yourself. No worse thandriving in Korea.

In Kerala there is an abundance of interests, for exampleKochi Island to see the Chinese fishing nets and thetraditional Kathakali dancing. You can also hire a boat fromAlleppey to tour the backwaters for three days, which isbrilliant. You get your own crew of captain, helper andcook, so all your meals are cooked and some of thebedrooms are ensuite.

Going on safari in Kanha National Park is a must, tohopefully see the tigers, whilst sitting on top of an elephant.Also visit buzzing Bangalore, a real party city. You can takethe eight hour toy train up to Ooty which is a long one, butworth it; it is very beautiful scenery.

Travel

As part of the service offered by SD Enterprises, you can givethem a list of trains you want and they will book all of them foryou. The Indian Rail website is all in English and is very easy tonavigate (www.indianrail.gov.in). If you get SD to book yourtickets, you can collect them from the special TouristReservation Office, which is based on the 1st floor of NewDelhi train station (NDLS). Be careful, as there is anotherstation in Delhi (Rohilla), and touts outside New Delhi stationwill try to con you saying you have to get your tickets at anotherstation. There is even a big bright neon sign advertising theoffice, on the outside of New Delhi station, but that doesn’t stopthe conmen trying.

Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is just a cameraman’s dream,with all the colors, bodies being burned, people bathingnext to raw sewage pipes, and the gurus chanting theirmantras. One even uses a cow in his preaching.

One highlight of India could be a visit to McLeod Ganj(Dharamsala) which is the residence of the Dalai Lama andmany escaped Tibetans. It has this unbelievable calmness,peace and beauty (you’re next to the Himalayas) all rolledinto one. The Dalai Lama occasionally does publicpreaching, but it’s only advertised locally. Even if you’re notreligious, it’s worth going, to even catch a glimpse of him atclose quarters. Last but not least is a visit to Darjeeling, a lotcooler and a nice vibe about the place. You can also go fromhere onto Nepal.

I could tell you more, but have no more room, so feel freeto email me with any questions [email protected]

Story and photos by Steve McNally

Hampi

Kathakali dancer An elephant in Kanha A tiger in Kanha

A holy man in Delhi Kochi


34

Travel

paper-making, ceramics, folding fans and calligraphy andsee the craftspeople in action. You could easily spend anentire day wandering around the village. Overlooking thevillage in a beautiful forest are two pavilions, Omokdae andImokdae, where you can enjoy the peaceful atmosphereand rest your weary legs.

For me, there are two highlights: Gyeonggijeon andvisiting a Hanji workshop. Gyeonggijeon is a

compound containing ancient shrines,guardrooms and storehouses, all relating to

the worship of the portrait of thefounder of the Joseon

dynasty. It is a

JeonjuA Walk through History

eonju is the capital of Jeollabuk-do and is renownedfor two things: Hanok Maeul (a traditional Koreanvillage) and being ‘the birthplace of bibimbap’.

Hanok Maeul is home to over 800 densely-packed Hanokhouses, as well as several other sights. Make sure youstop off at Pungnam-mun, which is the last remaininggateway of Jeonju’s long destroyed fortress. It is amagnificent stone and wood structure firstconstructed in 1398, although it’s difficult to get agood look due to its location in the middle of avery busy roundabout! Also, pay a visit to theenormous, red-brick Jeondong CatholicChurch, just a few hundred meters east ofPungnam-mun. The church is the placewhere Korean Catholics were executed inthe 18th and 19th centuries.

Just beyond the church, the HanokMaeul begins. While the main dragis filled with Hanok-style coffeechains and conveniencestores, the side streets are amaze of museums, teahouses and traditionalcraft workshops, whereyou can learn about

Imokdae

Pungnammun: The Gate to Jeonju

J


edal-do, christened “The Island of Love” by thepowers that be, is a tiny, butterfly-shapedisland just six kilometers off the coast ofMokpo. The main beach on the island is right

next to the ferry dock, and adjoining it is a swimmingcomplex comprised of various saltwater pools andslides. The kiddie pool is usually teeming with both thelittle people and their parents at this time of year, butthe deeper, adult pool was, strangely, deserted. Thecabanas around the pool are filled with people eithernapping or barbecuing and every available patch ofgrass had been commandeered for tents.

Having come to Oedal-do for peace and quiet, we took aquick look at the tourist map and high-tailed it to thesecond beach, which is just a ten-minute walk along thesea path from the ferry dock. This beach is lacking apool, which likely explained the fact that it was, for themost part, empty. We set up camp on the beach, wolfeddown our meager picnic and proceeded to have aperfect, relaxing day. The beach is pristine, the sea iscalm and (reasonably) warm, and the view of themountains in the distance is incredible. If you’re feelingactive during your visit, the island is ringed by a walkingpath which takes you past most of the sights: thelighthouse, the flower garden, the second dock andhomestay houses, as well as Mt. Maebong—at 64m, thepeak of the island.

Purchasing options on the island are limited to softdrinks, beer, ramen and tanning mats; so go prepared,but make sure you go, because once you bypass thescreaming hordes, Oedal-do is a haven from city life andthe perfect place to recharge your batteries.

Story and photos by Emma Dooley

Oedal-do: The Island of Love

How to get there:From U-Square Bus Terminal catch a bus to Mokpo(50 minutes, every 20 minutes, 5,400 won). Take localbus #1 from Mokpo Bus Station to the Ferry Terminal.Catch a ferry to Oedal-do (50 minutes, 11 ferries dailyfrom 5:30 to 18:30, 9,000won return)

Travel


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fascinating history lesson, aswell as a haven oftranquility just a stone’sthrow from the bustlingstreets of the vil lage.Hanji is traditional Korean

paper, used for suchdiverse purposes as shoes,

baskets and even suits ofarmor. At the workshop, you can

watch the paper-making process andeven try it yourself!

A visit to Jeonju would not be complete without tastingJeonju bibimbap, although it is surprisingly difficult to finda restaurant that serves it! Ga Jok Hoe Gwan is a huge

restaurant famed for its bibimbap. It is definitely theplace to experience an authentic version of the dish, butwhen the bibimbap finally arrived, accompanied by 12side dishes, it was a little disappointing as a result of itssize and spice quotient.

Jeonju is just an 80-minute bus ride from Gwangju, andif you want a taste of traditional culture, it is the perfectplace to spend a weekend.

How to get there:Catch a bus from U-square Bus Terminal to Jeonju (80minutes, every 20 – 30 minutes, 11,400won)

Story and photos by Emma Dooley

Bibimbap at GaJok Hoe Gwan

Flower garden in Oedaldo

Beyond the Farm

Environment

on’t you love parking lot gardens? But why doguerilla gardeners of Gwangju persist with theirurban land reclamation when people are enjoyingmulti-bottomless side dishes, a big bowl of soup

and rice for 5,000 won? You’d think they were preparingfor a food shortage...

The Korean peninsula doesn't support enough land to feeditself. In 30 years, food security has dropped 60 percent andnow there’s talk of the Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUSFTA) that could suffocate any remaining agriculture here.Korean rice is no longer protected from import competition,but it accounts for 40 percent of all local agricultural income.The market was opened because of a 1995 WTO (World TradeOrganization) agreement, and now tonnes of rice are beingimported from America. The Korean Peasants League showsfarming populations have dropped from 14,421,730 in 1970 to3,414,551 in 2004, mainly from food market competition.According to the environmental workers group, the US gavefarmers $261.9 billion in subsidies from 2005 to 2010. Koreanconsumers will need to make choices to protect remainingfarmland and ageing farmers, but how? By buying more iPads?Kias? Or going to Wii rooms with 100-inch neo plasmatrifexidanzormetallica TVs?

According to Reverend Han Kyung Ho, “If a countrydepends on other countries for food, the sovereignty of thewhole nation becomes threatened; food is a strong weaponto control another country.” Korea has been responding tolack of food security by taking the route of land-grabbing.

Through land-grabbing, Korea can employ people (forexample, Africans) to cultivate gochu and rice in anothercountry (for example, Kenya). This means taking farmlandfrom potential farmers of these countries and disruptingtheir chances of developing agriculture: the first economyfor many nations. Disrupting a poor country's economyhas been old hat here since Daewoo Logistics bought athird of Madagascar in 2008, but Korea was just takingtips from years prior…

Pre-World War II Korea had a dominant agriculture industryuntil the war, and then the US offered aid. Korea receivedhundreds of millions of dollars in aid commodities from theUS. This was meant to help develop Korean industry withnew cheap labor, but a downside was that many farmsdisappeared. Farmers quit their lives and moved to the cities.As Korea's industry started to develop, cheap American foodimports continued to damage Korean agriculture.

Years later, more bad news. OECD nations like the US andEU countries were heavily subsidizing their agriculture

industry, effectively dropping local food prices.Meanwhile, Korea was signing a WTO agreement thatincluded agriculture in the world trade market. Thisagreement would force international food markets, likeKorea's, to open and accept cheap agricultural exportsfrom richer countries. The ongoing cycle of oppressiondevastated millions.

The inability of Korean products to compete againstconsumer demands caused people to take drastic, lifethreatening measures. In 2003 Lee Kyung Hae, a head of aKorean farmers association, went to the WTO meetings inCancun with a sandwich board reading "WTO killsfarmers". In a public display of protest, Lee symbolicallyclimbed on top of the dividing fence between peasants andthe conference buildings and stabbed a knife into hisheart. More protests eventually caused the WTO talks tobreak down. So, developed countries tried to find newways to open up world markets with free tradeagreements, like the 2007 KORUS FTA.

What's left If Korean residents don't want to see farms disappearing ormore land-grabbing we need to support more local or organic(유기농) food. Organic food is labeled with a half green halfblue apple logo. John Feffer of Yale online explains thatthrough a twist in rules government subsidies can keeporganic food sheltered from trade liberalization. The WTO“green box” keeps organic Korean foods (rice) from beingpitted against cheaper organics from other countries. Koreahas also increasingly become more reliant on industrialfarming practices, which means more competitive pressureagainst smaller farmlands (i.e. further reduction in farmerpopulation). Check www.WWOOFkorea.co.kr to see how youcan volunteer your time to help local organic farmers. All foodin Korea is labeled with a country of origin. You can ask whereitems are from by saying “igeoseun saengsanjiga oediyeyo?”(이것은 생산지가 어디예요?).

By Trevor Homeniuk

D

Korean food labeling system seouleats.com



orean companies are taking their socialresponsibility more seriously, and theiractivities are playing an important role in thecommunity whilst increasing company profits.

Consumer awareness of environmental issues andethical practices has created a market that supportssocially responsible companies. Take the Body Shop.The brand has thrived as a result of their ethical andeco-friendly image. Conversely, BP oil stocks wereseverely affected as their green-image took a batteringin the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Failure to manageenvironmental risk factors can lead to dreadfulpublicity resulting in poor sales.

Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) encompasseslabor-management relations, employment issues andfair-trade with contractors, fulfilling environmentalobligations and conservation. It is not cynical to linkCSR to profits, quite the opposite. If companies areaware that their actions result in increased sales thensurely they will continue those practices; as thisprofitable behavior is beneficial to society, all thebetter. The Federation of Korean Industries’ 2006survey revealed that 75 percent of the top 120companies in Korea engaged in CSR projects, with theprimary motive (81.4 percent) having been to improvethe company’s image.

The link between CSR andprofits is evident in the

latest annual ESG resultspublished by Korea’sCorporate GovernanceService. ESG standsfrom Environmental,Social and CorporateGovernance [ESG]Evaluation; thethree terms serveas the criteria fori n v e s t i g a t i n g

listed companies’social responsibility.

The results show a clear divide between those firms whopractice CSR and those who do not. A staggering 575 ofthe 668 companies (86 percent) scored ‘weak’ or ‘veryweak’ on the index. And of the three categories measured,firms were least aware of environmental issues.

But the leaders in the CSR table are also the mostsuccessful businesses. The top companies were KBfinancial group, SK Telecom, POSCO (Pohang Iron andSteel Co.) and Hynix all receiving top score’s of ‘verygood’, whilst family favorite Samsung and LG electronicsgarnered a ‘good’along with 38 others.

The top rated companies are among Korea’s 20 largestcompanies and have reported generous profits amidst atumultuous time in the economy. KB financial groupreported a January-March net profit of 758 billion won,while Hynix remains the world’s second-largestmanufacturer of computer memory chips.

The steel giant POSCO participates in CSR activitiesaround the globe including constructing welfare centersin Mexico and providing facilities in India. Their profitsurged by 60.3 percent during 2010 as sales increased by20.9 percent.

Korea’s largest mobile carrier, SK Telecom, reported anet profit rise of 48 percent for Oct-Dec 2010; theirefforts in corporate social responsibility have beenpublished as a Harvard Business School case study forMBA students.

KB Financial Group touts their CSR activities proudly ontheir website; we ‘endeavor to become the mostrespected and beloved corporate citizen that activelycarries out its social responsibilities’.

The motivation behind these activities may not beentirely altruistic but if public pressure for corporateaccountability forces companies to act inenvironmentally and socially conscious ways, so be it.

By Frances HerringtonFrances Herrington blogs at

http://theveganurbanite.wordpress.com

Environment

K

Conscientious CompaniesReap Rewards

www.glogster.com

www.tmsc.co.th

ne of the most important events will be held here inGwangju: the 2015 Universiade, and it is onlymoments away. In case you haven't heard, theUniversiade is truly a huge event. Were you here in

2002 to witness how much enthusiasm there was in Koreafor the World Cup? Can you recall that memory ofexcitement? About a month ago, Pyeongchang achieved thewinning for bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics at Durban,Republic of South Africa, evoking even more enthusiasm forsports in Korea. Every Korean sincerely enjoyed hearing thatnews. However, how many Koreans, even Gwangju citizens,know about this big event that will be held in Gwangju?

What exactly is Universiade? The name Universiade is a combination of the words"university" and "Olympiad". It is an international multi-sports event, organized for worldwide university athletes bythe International University Sports Federation (FISU). TheUniversiade is often referred to in English as the “WorldUniversity Games” or “World Student Games”. It’s a megasports event second in stature only to the Olympic Games,and is staged every two years, in odd-numbered years, in adifferent city in summer and winter. The Universiade is opento all student-athletes attending universities and graduateschools between the ages of 17 and 28.

Do you know about UNI-Friends? UNI-Friends are friends of Universiade who are the studentambassador group representing the event. Normally, UNI-Friends are selected every six months in February andAugust. Thirty-six of the first UNI-Friends were selected inFebruary. Their term ran until the end of August. However,they are still members of UNI-Friends, so they can help thesecond group of UNI-Friends. Any university student canapply for UNI-Friends regardless of nationality.

UNI-Friends spent much energy in promoting the upcoming2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade. Still, many people areunaware of the event. On March 19, 2011 UNI-Friendsdefinitely caught people’s attention at Mount Mudeung.Eleven honorary student ambassadors came together for thisgreat cause, titled Protecting the Environment with UNIFriends, informing the public about the importance of

Onature at Mount Mudeung, a symbol of Gwangju City.

April 2 marked the opening day of the 2011 Korean Baseballseason, and the Universiade Organizing Committee used thehome game at Gwangju's Mudeung Stadium as a stage topromote the event to a 15,000-strong crowd. Members of thestudent ambassador group UNI-Friends and Universiadestaff members set up a booth at the stadium, handing outpromotional materials and raising public awareness.Spectators were invited to write their messages of good luckand support for a successful Gwangju Universiade. Around1,000 people took part, including members of the city's KiaTigers pro baseball team.

UNI-Friends also appeared on the Sunday Bubble show atGwangju's English radio station, GFN 98.7FM. Theypromoted the local university festivals, many sports eventsand the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, as part of theirefforts to spread the word to cities like Seoul, Daegu, Busan,and Korea as a whole.

In the past six months, UNI-Friends have never stoppedcheering for Gwangju and Universiade and they will continueto do so into the future.

Since 2015 is still four years away, some people are curious asto why they should know about Universiade. With this event,Gwangju is taking another step as an international city. Withour loving attention and early, ardent promotion of this cityand Universiade, we will triumphantly raise the internationalawareness of our beloved city.

By Kyouri ParkPhotos courtesy of

2015 GwangjuUniversiade

Community

Universiade andUNI-Friends: Have You Heard?


Gwangju mayor Kang Un-tae (center) with theUniversiade volunters

Uni-Friends

The group at the May 18 National Cemetery

Community

The School of Rights

t has been eight years since the first Gwangju AsianHuman Rights Folk School took place in 2004 andsince the start its main goal has been to contribute

to the development of democracy and human rightsthroughout Asia. Each year, hundreds of applicants, notjust from Asia but all around the world, would apply forthe three week course. From those hundreds of humanrights activists, only twenty were selected to attend theprogram (9 – 26 August).

In this special program all participants, who have beenworking for peace and human rights in their own country,are introduced to the history of democracy in South Koreaand are given a chance to learn about the development ofhuman rights and democracy and the hard struggle of thepeople of the republic in achieving peace. The course wasalso designed to inform them about the general history ofKorea and various areas of strife including the 1980Gwangju Uprising. The program is not just about lecturesand discussions, but both theoretical and practicalapproaches such as seminars and field trips to the site ofdemocratization movements in Korea.

The concept of folk school, an informal schoolingconcept, was first introduced in Denmark back in 1844by a poet and educator Nikolai Grundtvig which to thisday continues it efforts to operate in the Scandinaviancountries. The curriculum of a folk school includesinformal discussions, presentations, workshops and fieldtrips. By the end of the program, each participantreceives a certificate as a graduate from the school.

This year, the May 18 Foundation (the main host)together with Sung KongHae University in Seoul andChonnam University in Gwangju, for the first timeselected one female participant from Tibet and Jordan aswell as one male participant from Italy. Otherparticipants came from various Asian countriesincluding Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Taiwan,Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, Indonesia andCambodia. In addition, each participant is selectedbased on their own experience in the human rights fieldand they are divided into three categories which arejunior, middle and senior staff.

The first week of the program, every candidate stayed ata Catholic prayer house in Seoul before moving to Sung

KongHae University. In Seoul, they were taken toPanmunjom, where they all looked across at theNorthern part of Korea. Later, they were all introducedto the history of the Korean War.

For the second and third weeks, candidates spent theirtime at Chonnam University in Gwangju. Thisuniversity was no stranger to the May uprising asmany activists came from this University during themilitary dictatorship. In Gwangju, they wereintroduced to the peoples’ movement who foughtagainst the cruel junta regime of Chun Do Hwan.

According to the Folk School program director, KimChan-ho, the program is not just to learn about thehistory of democracy in Korea, but also it is a platformfor all participants to talk about their owndemocratization movements currently on-going back intheir homelands. “Democracy is about casting our voteinto the ballot box, and the goal to achieve democracy isnot easy, but the strong spirit of the people who believein it will truly inspire others to take part to defendwhat’s right.”

The three week program is sponsored by the May 18Foundation and each year, two young activists fromthe program will be given scholarships to furthertheir studies in Sung KongHae University. To find outmore about the program, visit www.518.org/eng

Story and photo by Alfian Zohri

I


ith the rapidly approaching fall and winter, Fash-on with xxl jjdp isstarting to look at ways to incorporate more layers into your dailyoutfit choices. Having lived through a hot and humid Korean summer,

with the ‘oh my gosh I can only wear a t-shirt today’ days sadly gone, now we mustwelcome layers.

This month is very special for Fash-on as we are not only featuring some great looks;we have also shot the entire feature in Spain. At the moment, Europe is full of emerging

trends and so this month we feature some of the latest looks that have been spotted onthe streets of Barcelona and Madrid and see how we can adapt them in Korea.

Additionally this month is all about adding color and interest to your transitionalwardrobe whilst you wait for the cold, cold months, when all you will want is to be

wrapped up in as many layers as possible, nostalgically dreaming of the hotsummer you so wished would soon pass. What better way to say goodbye to summer

than with a great pop of color with some check (UK), or plaid (USA).

Soon mornings and nights will start becoming much cooler but there are still those peakafternoon hours when the heat of the day will force you to rethink your outfit choices. Fortransitional dressing, two layers are always best - I would suggest always wearing a breathableundershirt as this will keep you dry and prevent those unsightly sweat stains. Now startlayering, but in order to retain those last colorful memories of summer through your wardrobe Iwould suggest getting a great check or plaid pattern to accent your changing mood as well.

A finer-grained check or gingham is perfect to reflect on the hot months and to anticipate the cold andicy winter when heavy flannels in various prominent patterns emerge. In summary, right now go for asmaller plaid pattern with a varied color choice that will also show off the best of your summer tan.

W

Fashion

Fash-Onwith xxl jjdpCHECK up on it.


Fashion

The key to wearing plaid is to not mix and match toomuch. One item of plaid per outfit is enough - eithertop or bottom. Never wear two clashing variations ofplaid and never try a matching top and bottom setunless you wish to look like a kindergartener (or,alternatively, a super-rich and flashy K-pop star –but that is very hard to do).

I would suggest pairing your plaid with a bold andsolid color bottom/shorts/shirt, while trying tomaintain a similar color scheme or use an accentcolor to best show off your style. As it might still behot outside it is very reasonable to still do a slightroll-up with the hems of your shorts as well as thesleeves of your shirt, whether they be long or short,helping them to create some edge.

If you choose to wear your plaid on the bottom (as inshorts/trousers or a skirt), ensure that they are fittedand slimmer on the hips and thighs as it is easy withthis pattern to create bulk in areas that you mightnot wish to have it. If you do choose to wear plaid onyour bottom half choose a simple patternwith two or three colors or a smaller gingham tocreate a better shape.

Featured this month are a bright pair of green shortswith a blue, red and green plaid short-sleeve shirt. Thiscombination works well and , as evening draws close,

buttoning up the shirt adds a more refined edge to yourlook. Next are the same green shorts with a beige andgreen plaid shirt, which works in a similar manner asthe previous outfit to capture the escaping summer.

Lastly, plaid should not be thought of only in terms ofclothing, but also for shoes, and a great transition shoefor summer is the plimsoll. These are easy to wear andare cheap enough to buy a couple of pairs in differentcolors in order to mix and match with any outfit. Withthis shoe you can either choose to have it as the focalpoint of your outfit or pair with a similar pair of printshorts or trousers for a greater visual impact.

If done right, plaid can be an amazing fashon victorybut it is really easy to get wrong. Remember thissimple rule: Choose only one main focal area to wearyour plaid – top or bottom, then highlight this with asolid accent color – you are ready to go!

Enjoy the last days of summer in style and keep inmind winter is fast approaching so be on the lookoutfor some great items that might carry through to yourwinter closet as well.

Peace,By xxl jjdp


Plaid Shirts - Uniqlo and Gmarket - Korea, Green Shorts - LotteDepartment store, Plaid Plimsolls - Emart, Havaianas - ABC Mart


Let ters to KOTESOLIf you have a question for Dr. Dave, please send an e-mail to [email protected] us know your question, student’s age and proficiency level

Language Study

Dear Dr. Dave,I often find myself bribing my younger studentswith candy or parties in order to get them to activelyparticipate in class. Since I don’t directly get to givethe students grades on their performance, I havefound this to be pretty successful; however, it hasgotten to the point where they almost expect it. Iguess my question is: what is your opinion on givingtangible rewards to young learners?Pavlovian

Dear Pav,I never give food as a reward because it can easily and quicklylead to the problem that you describe – as well as to toothdecay! I teach at the university level, and I find that a sincere,strategically placed word of praise is valuable. For teens, inaddition to words of praise – not the overused “good job” thathas come to be meaningless – having a student repeat ananswer, as modeling for the class, or having them go to thefront of the room to do it, can be motivational. For younglearners, giving out star stickers to be placed after the student’sname on a chart on the wall can be very motivational. Choosinga “Student of the Day” and posting their name on the bulletinboard works well, or have more than one category and chooseseveral students. Doing things that publicizes a student’s effortsin front of their peers seems to be the best reward.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,There was a big problem recently when I showed alongish video to some very basic students, and someparents complained. It was a language learningvideo, but it seems that in my conversation class,many disapproved of this method. What do youthink about using videos to teach? Is it a cop-out?Nearly Unemployed

Dear Nearly,Teachers can use videos as teaching aids. Turning on a video,having the students watch it, and turning it off is not a teachingaid – you’re right, it’s a cop out. Video clips can be used veryeffective in language classes, though. It is best to select a shortsegment (seconds in length, not minutes) and use it tointroduce or emphasize a teaching point – plurals,prepositions, reported speech, restrictive clauses, etc. The videoclip, in most cases, should be shown numerous times so thatstudents are assured of getting the point and for reinforcement.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,I have no co-teachers in my class, and I often find itdifficult to get on the same wavelength with them(the co-teacher) in terms of effectively pairingmaterial to teach the class. How can I do this? Thestudents spend an hour with me and an hour with aKorean teacher, but often we are teaching totallyunrelated things. Do you think this is ok?Ostracized

Dear Ozzie,Co-teachers should co-teach – whether in the same room atthe same time or in turns. If you want to coordinate teachingwith your co-teacher, it appears that you are going to have totake the initiative. Approach your co-teacher in a friendlymanner and ask what they’ll be doing in their next classbecause you want to do something that will relate to orreinforce what your co-teacher is doing. If you don’t think thisapproach will work, consider taking them out to dinnersometime and bringing up the topic then.Dr. Dave

By Dr. Dave ShafferDr. Dave Shaffer is a professor of English atChosun University, where he has taught in thegraduate, undergraduate, and TESOL certificateprograms for many years. Dr. Shaffer is presentlythe President of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter ofKorea TESOL and invites you to attend teacherdevelopment workshops at their monthly Chaptermeetings.Web: www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnamEmail: [email protected]

Date and Time: September 3 (Sat.), 1:30 p.m.Place: Chosun University, Main Building (Bon-gwan)

2F, Room 2123 (Lab 8). Admission: free. Membership is encouraged.

Visit our Chapter online for contact and scheduleinformation: www.koreatesol.org/GwangjuJeonnamE-mail us: [email protected]

Gwangju - Jeonnam KOTESOL September Chapter Meeting

' -(으)ㄹ까요?':Shall we (I) ~ ?/ Will it be ~ ?

Dialogue

소라 : 존씨, 안녕하세요? [Jonnssssi,, annnnyeonnghasseyo?]Sora : Hello, John!

존 : 네, 안녕하세요? 소라씨, 이번 주말에 시간 있어요?[nne,, annnnyeonnghasseyo?. Sorassssi,, ibeonn jjummare ssigann isseoyo?]

John : Yeah, How are you? Sora, do you have time this weekend?

소라 : 네, 있어요. 그런데 왜요? [nne,, isseoyo. geureonndde wwaeyo?]Sora : Yes, I do, But why?

존 : 소라씨하고 영화를 보고 싶어요. [SSoorraassssii hhaaggoo yyeeoonngghhwwaarreeuull bbooggoo ssiippeeooyyoo..]John : I would like to go to see a movie with you.

소라 : 좋은 생각이에요. 무슨 영화를 볼까요?[jooeeun saeenggagieeyoo. museeun nyeeoonghwarreeul boolkkayoo?]

Sora : That's a good idea. What kind of movie would you like to see?

존 : 글쎄요, 아직 못 정했어요. 소라씨는 어떤 영화를 보고 싶어요?[ggeeuullsssseeyyoo,, aajjiikk mmoott jjeeoonngghhaaeesssseeooyyoo.. SSoorraassssiinneeuunn eeootttteeoonn yyeeoonngghhwwaarreeuull bbooggoo ssiippeeooyyoo??]

John : Well... I haven't decided yet. What kind of movie would you like to see, Sora?

소라 : 블라인드 어때요? 한국영화예요. [BBeeullainddeeu eeoottaeeyoo? hangugyeeoonghwayeeyoo.]Sora : How about Blind? It's a Korean movie.

존 : 좋아요. 그럼 이번 주 토요일 오후 3시에 GIC 극장 앞에서 만나요.[jjoayo. geureomm ibeonn jju toyoil ohu 3ssie GIC geukjjanng apesseo mmannnnayo.]

John : Good. Then let's meet in front of the GIC movie theater at 3 p.m. this Saturday.

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어2A 서울: 도서출판 하우서강한국어. Retrived August 20, 2011 from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

Grammar ' -(으)ㄹ까요?': Shall we(I) ~ ?/Will it be ~ ?

The pattern '-(으)ㄹ까요?' is used to express an inquiry about someone's opinion, view or appraisal on a certain matter orfact with the action verb. In this case, the subject of the sentence is always the first person, singular or plural. When usedwith the adjectives, or with '있다(to exist)' or '이다(to be)', the subject of the sentence is the third person, and it expressesdoubt or polite denial.

Example•우리 거기에서 만날까요? (Shall we meet there?)•무엇을 할까요? (What shall I do?)•늦었으니까 택시로 갈까요? (Because we are late, shall we go by taxi?)•이게 더 나을까요? (Will this one be better?)•화장실이 저기에 있을까요? (Will the toilet be over there? Do you think the toilet is over there?)•한국어가 쉬울까요? (Will Korean be easy? You say Korean is easy?)

By Soo-a Jung Soo-a Jung is an instructor of the GIC Korean Language Class

Language Study

Vocabulary 주말 [jumal]: weekend영화 [yeonghwa]: movie; film토요일 [toyoil]: Saturday블라인드 [beullaindeu]: the title ofa Korean movie

화장실 [hwajangsil]: toilet, restroom


SSeelleecctteedd PPooeemmss

Literature

지지리리산산 뻐뻐꾹꾹새새

여러 산 봉우리에여러 마리의 뻐꾸기가

울음 울어, 떼로 울음 울어석석 삼년도 봄을 더 넘겨서야나는 길뜬 설움에 맛이 들고그것이 실상은 한 마리의뻐꾹새임을 알아냈다.

지리산하한 봉우리에 숨은실제의 뻐꾹새가

한 울음을 토해 내면뒷산 봉우리 받아 넘기고

또 뒷산 봉우리 받아 넘기고그래서 여러 마리의 뻐국새로

울음 우는 것을 알았다.

지리산중저 연연한 산봉우리들이

다 울고 나서오래 남은 추스름 끝에비로소 한 소리 없는

강이 열리는 것을 보았다.

섬진강 그 힘센 물소리가하동쪽 남해를 흘러들어

남해군도의 여러 작은 섬을밀어올리는 것을 보았다.

봄 하룻날그 눈물 다 슬리어서지리산하에서 울던

한 마리 뻐꾹새 울음이이승의 서러운

맨 마지막 빛깔로 남아이 세석 철쭉 꽃밭을다 태우는 것을 보았다

The Cuckoo of Jiri Mountain

From across many summits many cuckoos called out their cries,weeping as a group—only after nine years of spring,after being accustomed to untamed sorrow,I knew that they were from a single cuckoo

Below Jiri Mountain,when a cuckoo hides on a summit,its cry reverberates--another summit behind takes it overand yet another takes it over again—I knew it cried as many cuckoos

Within Jiri Mountainafter the chain of summits cried out,after coping for so long,I saw the river finally open without Han,without lament

The strong current of the Sumjin river rushed toward Hadong into the South Sea—I saw it push up against many small isles of the South Sea archipelago,

One spring day below Jiri Mountain, one cuckoo cried out till all her tears dried up,remaining as the last sorrowful color of this world--I saw it burn up a field of azaleas by the Refined Rocks

Translated by Chae-pyong Song and Anne M. Rashid

Song Su-kwon (1940- ) was born in Goheung, Jeollanam-do. He made his literary debut in 1975 bypublishing through Munhak Sasang “Leaning against the Temple Gate” and four other poems. So far he haspublished more than ten collections of poetry. Many of his poems and themes are significantly influenced byhis formative experience of Jeolla-do and its dialect; his poems are known for their sympatheticrepresentations of farmers and fishermen in the region. Among his awards are the Cultural Ministry ArtsAward, the Sowol Poetry Award, the Jung Ji-yong Literary Award, the Youngrang Poetry Award, and the KimDong-ri Literary Award. Recently he retired from teaching creative writing at Suncheon National University.

Song Su-kwon (송수권)


Literature

山山門門 에에 기기 대대 어어

누이야가을산 그리메에 빠진 눈썹 두어날을

지금도 살아서 보는가淨淨한 눈물 돌로 눌러 죽이고

그 눈물 끝을 따라가면즈믄 밤의 강이 일어서던 것을

그 강물 깊이깊이 가라앉은 고뇌의 말씀들돌로 살아서 반짝여 오던 것을

더러는 물 속에 튀는 물고기 같이살아오던 것을

그리고 산다화 한 가지 꺽어 스스럼없이건네이던 것을

누이야 지금도 살아서 보는가가을산 그리메에 빠져 떠돌던, 그 눈썹 두어날을 기러기가

강물에 부리고 가는 것을내 한 잔은 마시고 한 잔은 비워 두고더러는 잎새에 살아서 튀는 물방울같이

그렇게 만나는 것을

누이야 아는가가을산 그리메에 빠져 떠돌던

눈썹 두어날이지금 이 못물 속에 비쳐 옴을

Gazing at Mudeung Mountain

The grand mountain,the mountain that became a shield

The mountain buriedby the fog of floating spirits,the mountain wet with rain,the mountain of graves, the mountain of shamans

But look at it:below the sky where a black kite circles around,Mudeung is without discrimination--it is equal

The mountain,the wife and husbandbuilt on the ocher earthwith their teeth clenched;the mountain, they call, as they leave this world, till their throats burst up,sitting on their shovels on the faraway riverbank;the blood-stained mountain,the wandering mountain

Oh, the mountain that became a shield,the grand mountain

Leaning against the Temple Gate

Sister,are you still alive to seeyour two eyebrows drowned in the shadow of the fall mountain?—the river rises in the dark nightas I follow the end of my tears,stopping clear tears by pressing them down with stones;words of agony plunge deep down into the river,coming back alive glittering like stones;some come alive like a fish jumping in the water;or a branch of camellia broken offand you freely gave to me

Sister, are you still alive to seea wild goose dropping your two eyebrowsfloating around, drowned in the shadow of the fall mountain?—drinking one cup myself, leaving the other empty;some meet like waterdrops leaping together on leaves

Sister, do you knowyour two eyebrows float, drowned in the shadow of the fall mountainnow return, reflected in this pond water?

무무등등을을 보보며며

큰 산방패가 된 산

떠도는 넋들의 안개에묻은 산

비 묻은 산무덤산 무당산

그러나 저 보아라 오늘솔개가 도는 하늘 밑

무등은 무등일 뿐으로 평등하다

지어미 지아비이 악물고

황토에 심은 산이 삶을 떠나보낼 때

머나먼 강둑에 삽을 깔고 앉아 목 터져라부른 산피묻은 산떠돌던 산

아 아

방패가 된 산큰 산



Movie Review

PeppermintCandy박하사탕

Perhaps no sequence in the film is as dramatic andtelling as the one depicting the Gwangju Massacre,which the main character personally takes part in fromthe unexpected perspective of an army private sent todo the dirty work against his own people. Truly, this is atale of a man brought to his knees by the very land thatbirthed him, as together they both struggle to come toterms with an overnight influx of modernity andsweeping changes in culture.

The main character is played by Sol Kyung-gu. Sol isbest known for his roles in the popular Public Enemyand Silmido, and gives a great performance hereconsidering the weight and range the role requires.

Lee Chang-dong directed the film, and is known forPoetry, Green Fish, and A Single Spark.

The film takes itself a bit too seriously at times, but thenagain, it succeeds in showing the dark days of the peninsularesponsibly and with great poignancy. Check it out.

By Seth PeveyPhotos from tistory.com

Review

his month’s film is the uniquely structured,independent work known as PeppermintCandy. It is a movie with significant weight andpoignancy, as well as a strong connection to our

fair city of Gwangju.

The basic structure is fairly original, though you mayhave seen it done once or twice before. This is the storyof a man’s life told backwards, beginning with hissuicide and tracing a path back through time to showyou how he had lost the will to live.

But Peppermint Candy is much deeper than the tale ofone man. It covers two decades of recent South Koreanhistory through the lens of what is called a Koreaneveryman. It shows Korea’s fledgling will to grow,through the upheaval created by the country’s hardfought transformation into a modern democracy and oninto the present. The main character is personallybrutalized by the traumas of his nation - when Koreasuffers so does he, creating all at once a protagonist whomight be said to truly represent the collective spirit of acountry, much like Forrest Gump’s association with thetrials and tribulations of US history.

T

Peppermint Candy explores the complexities of modernKorean culture

recently went to the bus terminal for dinner with afriend. We decided upon Sushi Jang, a Japaneserestaurant. I had been there before quite some timeago and remembered enjoying it.

Though it was a Sunday evening, a time when the busterminal is always busy, I still felt reassured that there wasa good number of people eating in the restaurant withover three-quarters of the tables taken. The ambience ofthe restaurant feels like every other shop or restaurant atthe terminal with its fluorescent lighting and new/modernfeel. There is nothing run down about it.

I felt my mouth water a little as we walked into therestaurant and my eyes fell upon the sushi train in themiddle of the room, standing as an island of culinarybliss kept bountiful by a couple of sushi chefs.

What immediately struck me after this was theabundance of staff. We were immediately greeted by awaiter and then shown a table. Delightful as the sushi onthe train looked, we decided to go for the set menu as itwas cheaper.

Before long we had made our orders and waited inhungry anticipation. I received a plate of 10 pieces ofsushi and my friend had a plate of 12 accompanied by asmall bowl of udong noodles. While we were waiting forour sushi to arrive, we were given bowls of miso soup -which I love. I finished one bowl of miso and so askedfor another. When they saw that I had nearly finishedmy second bowl they brought me another without myasking. However, this bowl must have been a bad batchor something because they immediately took this awaybefore I could consume it, and gave me yet anotherbowl. Like I said I really like miso, but I was over it bythe fourth bowl, and I felt like the waiter was being alittle too over-zealous. It wasn’t a huge issue though, andif anything supplied some amusement as to how manybowls I could consume.

Our meals arrived after 10 minutes. I was impressed with

the array of sushi, with salmon, tuna and a couple ofother fish I’m not entirely sure of so I won’t name themhere, being included on my plate. My friend was alsoreally satisfied with his plate, which was the same asmine, with the addition of the variety of sushi with theorange eggs included in his, and he was also content withhis udong. We both filled up little saucers with wasabiand soy sauce and helped ourselves to the pickled ginger,all of which was already at the table. I loved the textureof the rice and raw fish, and the salty taste of thewasabi/soy sauce mix; the whole thing together wassublime. We both agreed that we had gotten good valuefor money and felt like we hadn’t missed out too muchby opting for the set menu over the sushi train.

My set menu cost 11,000 won and my friend’s cost13,000. I would estimate that if you want to eat 10pieces of sushi (give or take) you’ll have to spend at least30,000 won and I’m sure it’s a step up from the setmenu. However I can assure you that the set menu atSushi Jang is delicious and the service is great. You canalso get a few variations of udong noodles from 5,000 to7,000 won. Thus while I have undoubtedly had bettersushi, Sushi Jang is a great place to go if you’re feelinglike a sushi fix for a reasonable price.

Sushi Jang is located in the passage way between YPbooks and Shinsegae, between the Chinese restaurant andPark Jeung Sol hairdressers at the U-Square bus terminal.

Story and photos by Gabriel Ward

I

Review

Sushi Jang

Above: Sushi!

Right: The sushiisland

스시장


croquette is a small fried food roll containingusually as main ingredients mashed potatoes,and/or minced meat (veal, beef, chicken, or

turkey), shellfish, fish, vegetables, and soaked white bread,egg, onion, spices and herbs, wine, milk, beer or any of thecombination thereof, sometimes with a filling, oftenencased in breadcrumbs. The croquette is usually shapedinto a cylinder or disk, and then deep-fried. The croquette(from the French croquer, "to crunch") gained worldwidepopularity, both as a delicacy and as a fast food.

In Korea, it is usually called goroke (고로게) or Keuroket(크로켓), it is a food that is sold in most bread shops inKorea. The most common type of Goroke are deep friedrolls stuffed with japchae (잡채) ingredients or chickencurry. There are also Goroke filled with kimchi, pork,and sometimes bulgogi ingredients. Many Koreansstores often advertise the goroke as a French productand is usually sold in most European style bread storesall over Korea.

Story and photos by Seoyoung Park

A

Mini potatoes andrice croquette

Korean Easy-Cook Recipe

Cooking Method:1. Steam the potatoes and finely chop all the vegetables.2. After the potatoes are steamed, mash them up.3. Stir fry the chopped onions first, and move them into a

bowl. Then stir fry the chopped carrots and sausage (or ham).

4. Put the mashed potatoes, cooked rice and vegetables in a bowl and mix them with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.

5. Make them as a small ball (or just an appropriate size to eat).

6. Beat the eggs in another bowl. 7. Coat the balls with egg and then with bread crumbs.8. Heat a fry pan with oil and fry it until it turns lightly

browned.

How to make croquettes

Things to prepare (two servings):3 potatoes, bread crumbs, 1 onion, 1/2 carrot, about 20g ofsausage or ham, 2 eggs, 1/2 bowl of cooked rice

Food and Drink


Community

Ketmanee JumlangAsia Mart and Thai Restaurant, owner/ operator/ chef

1. I want everyone here to know Thai food and culture, and the way Thai people eat.2. Bibimbap. It is very healthy for me, and delicious.3. Yes. Just the normal things, like recycling.4. Baekyangsa temple, because I’m Buddhist.5. I’d like to cook for my mother back home in Thailand, and father and my oldest son.

Taksaporn Phangesri THAI FOOD Restaurant, owner/operator/chef

1. I like to cook. That's because my family, including my dad and my aunt, are Thai food chefs. My husband was also a chef in a Chinese restaurant when I got married, so having my own restaurant has long been part of my dream. Then after we were married for eight years we decided to open a Thai restaurant in Gwangju.

2. In summer I like naeng- myeon (cold noodles) because of the fresh taste. But in general I like dolsot bibimbap (rice and vegetables in a hot stone bowl) because it looks like Thai food.

3. Yes, I believe it. And yeah I help by avoiding using plastic bags and using paper bags instead. Also I told other restaurants nearby not to use plastic bags too.

4. I like to go shopping downtown.5. I will share a special meal with my family: my two sons and husband.

Michael SimningFirst Alleyway/Underground Grocers. Canadian; considers Korea to be home

1. I was tired of hearing a chorus sing “Happy Birthday” every time I went to eat something Western.2. I love a good samgyupsal meal as much as anyone but I really enjoy real Korean food. Not

the fusion garbage you see everywhere downtown. I am a true sambap fan with fresh banchan made on site and real homemade doenjang.

3. Climate change? Sure, it is a reality. Is it man-made? Is it cyclical? Difficult to say with 100 percent certainty. Regardless, I try to curb over-consumption and generally try to be conscious of energy use.

4. It all depends on who I am with and what I am doing. Just having the chance to be out of the house and enjoying my life is what is important to me. As long as I'm with good people I could be content in a parking lot.

5. My wife and daughter.

This month Gwangju News catches up with three expat restauranteurs around town.

Meet the Neighbours 1. What made you want to open your kind of restaurant?2. What is your favourite Korean meal?3. Do you believe that climate change is real and man-made?4. Where is your favorite place in Gwangju?5. Who in the whole world today would you most like to share a special meal with?

Visit FirstAlleyway!26-3 Chungjangro,Dong-gu (located inan alleyway in frontof Zara)Tel: 070-4127-8066

Visit THAI FOOD!Nearby SongjeongGwangju Bank 4-junction. Subway exit no.2. Tel: 062-944-1370

Visit Asia Mart!Alleyway behindSongjeongri Station. Subway exit no.2

By Julian WarmingtonTranslation and photographs: special thanks to Marzycielski Gibriella

GIC NewsGIC Journal: Social Discourse of DisquietGot something to say that’s deeper than the latest travelogue?Wondering about the space in between cultures and have somelessons to share? Have art that people generally don’t ‘get’? You have a home at SDoD. A space for artists, photographers,writers, pundits, and critics to share about Gwangju, the artscene, art without a capital A, and expressing your confusion,clarity and kookiness through your creative ventures. Getinvolved. Check out the website:http://gicjournal.wordpress.com. Contact us to contribute: [email protected]

Gwangju Guidebook VolunteersHelp GIC update the second version of Gwangju Guidebookdue to print in August 2011. Korean and English speakersneeded for fact checking and copy editing. [email protected] if interested.

ArtGwangju Artist CollectiveOur group is organic and multi-disciplinary: painters,photographers, illustrators, and media artists. It includesmembers from all around the world. Our aim is to stimulate theflow of creative energy through workshops, discussion andcommunity art projects.Facebook: Gwangju Artist CollectiveE-mail: [email protected]

SportsGwangju Men’s SoccerThe Gwangju international soccer team plays regularly mostweekends. If you are interested in playing, e-mail:[email protected].

Gwangju Ice Hockey TeamLooking for men and women of all ages to join us everySaturday night from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Yeomju Ice Rink nearWorld Cup Stadium. If you are interested, contact eitherAndrew Dunne at [email protected] or Chris Wilson [email protected]

Gwangju Chaoreum TaekwondoAdd: 1187-3 Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, GwangjuPhone: 062) 384-0958Location: Chaoreum Taekwondo Gym is located on the thirdfloor of Jeong-yeon (K-1) building (just beside the bus stop) Buses : 62, 63, 64, 518 (bus stop: 상무대우아파트 - Sangmu Daewoo Apateu) Taxi directions: "Sangmujigu Kumho Daewoo Apart rogajuseyo". Method of instruction is in English Weekday Classes: 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.(from Monday to Friday) Sunday Classes: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Brazilian Jiujitsu in Gwangju Add: 522-3 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, GwangjuPhone: 010-9354-6279Location: Basement of the 20000 Eyeglass shop near SalesioGirls High School.Buses: 1, 15, 17, 27, 28, 35, 36, 55, 80 (bus stop: 살레시오여고 - Salesio Yeogo) Taxi directions: "Salesio Yeogo jungryu jang gajuseyo". Method of instruction is in Korean-English.Weekday Classes: 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. (from Monday to Friday)

CommunitySung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in ourregular Saturday program. We would like you to give at leasttwo Saturdays per month. As well as being a friend, you will beasked to teach basic English to girls aged 7 to 14. Meet every


Community Board/ Dear Korea

Community Board


[ Tour Overview ] GIC Yeong-am Tour with Warren

Date: September 17, 2011 (Saturday)Cost: 40,000 won (30,000 won for GIC member ) Itinerary: Historical Site of Dr. Wangin - WolchulsanNational Park - Lunch (main course: boiled countrychicken, spicy chicken stew) - Dogapsa Temple - FigOrchard

Anyone interested can join the tour.To register and for more information, please visit theGIC Website: www.gic.or.kr or [email protected] register before September 10.

Gwangju News has a Bargain for You!

Are you a local Gwangju orJeollanam-do business? Howlong have you been inbusiness? We have a grantprogram that offers steepdiscounts depending on howlong you’ve been in business.Contact Karina Prananto orJulian Raethel [email protected] fordetails.

If you’re in business...

Join GIC as an organizational member.Free opportunities to regularly advertise.

less than one year1-2 years2-3 years3-4 years4-5 years

Up to 50% offUp to 40% offUp to 30% offUp to 20% offUp to 10% off

Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All arewelcome. For more volunteering information please contact AlBarnum at: [email protected].

Apostolate to Migrants CenterAddress: 802-4 Songjeong -2dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062) 954-8004 Subway: Get off at Songjeong Park (송정공원) Station and walktoward Songjeong Middle School. Busses: 29, 38, 39, 62, 97, 98, 99. Get off at Yeonggwang-tongintersection bus stop and walk toward Songjeong MiddleSchool. Sunday masses: 10:00 a.m. (Indonesian/ East Timor); 3:00p.m. (English) at the Migrant Center; 6:00 p.m. (Vietnamese).2nd Sunday: 11:00 a.m. Mass for multi-cultural families.

Spanish/ Korean Language ExchangeDo you want to learn basic Spanish? Or do you want to reviewwhat you have learned in the past? Do you want to learnKorean phrases and grammar? Or do you want to practicespeaking in Korean? Come join the Spanish/ Korean languageexchange group every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at the GIC. Freefor GIC members.For more information, contact Juan Esteban Zea([email protected])

Gwangju Jumbo TaxiIf you’re traveling in a big party or simply need transportation inand around Gwangju, Gwangju Jumbo Taxi provides service tothe Bus Terminal, Airport and other places. With a seatcapacity of up to 9 people, you can travel in comfort. Friendyand hospitable, Mr. Kim will help you travel in safety. Whetheryou are going from/to Gwangju Airport or simply to travelaround the city, give Jumbo Taxi a call.Call to reserve at 010-5086-7799 (Mr.Kim) or refer towww.gjtaxi.co.kr for the price list.


Korean Language Class

- Period: September 10 - October 22, 2011(Every Saturday for 7 weeks)

- Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours)

- Tuition fee: 50,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year and textbooks excluded) cash only

Weekday Classes Saturday Classes

Days

Monday & Wednesday

Textbook

Tuesday & Thursday

Level

Beginner 1-2

Beginner 2-2

Intermediate

Textbook

서강한국어 1A(Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

서강한국어 1A(Lesson 2 ~ 6)

서강한국어 1B(Lesson 5 ~ 8)

서강한국어 2A(Lesson 5 ~ 9)

서강한국어 1A(Pre-lesson ~ Lesson 1)

서강한국어 1A(Lesson 2 ~ Lesson 6)

서강한국어 2A(Lesson 1 ~ Lesson 4)

Beginner 1-1

- Period: September 5– October 20, 2011 (Twice a week for 7 weeks)- Class hours: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 hours)- Tuition fee : 80,000 won (GIC membership fee: 20,000 won/ year

and textbooks excluded) cash only

2011 GIC 5th Korean Language Class

Level

Beginner 1-2

Intermediate Tuesday & Thursday

Beginner 1-1

Korean Reading Class• Period: September 10 – October 22, 2011 (Every Saturday for 7 weeks) • Class Hours: 1: 40 p.m. - 2:40 p.m. (1 Hour)• level: Intermediate (서강한국어 2A: Lesson 1~Lesson 4)• Tuition Fee: 30,000 won(GIC membership fee: 20,000won for a year and textbooks will be provided)

GIC is located on the 5th floor of the Jeon-il building, the same building as the Korean Exchange Bank, downtown. The entrance is locatedimmediately to the north of the bank. Contact [email protected] (or by phone 062-226-2733/34 and www.gic.or.kr for more information.

(class may be cancelled if less than 5 people sign up)


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September 2011 #115