September 2012 #127

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

On The Cover:Jen Lee

A sketch of an artist

Gwangju World Music Festival

Chatting with the talent

Mixing it with Travvy GGFN’s colorful

host

September 2012Issue No. 127

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Gwangju News September 20122

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Gwangju News September 2012 3

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

Gwangju News is a monthly English magazine written and editedby volunteers. We welcome your contributions for proofreading,copy editing, administration, layout/design and distribution. Pleasewrite to [email protected] and tell us your area of interest.

Special thanks to the City of Gwangju andall of our sponsors.Copyright by the Gwangju International Center.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationcovered by this copyright may be reproduced inany form or by any means - graphic, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise - without the written consent of thepublishers.

Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor([email protected]) regarding articles andissues. Articles and submissions may be edited forreasons of clarity or space.

Publisher: Shin Gyonggu

Editors: Kathleen Villadiego, Kim Minsu

Online Editors: Caitlin Jacobs, Maeve Storey

Assistant Editor: Stephen Redeker

Creative Consultant: Warren Parsons

Copy Editors: Darren Bean, Jon Ozelton, Bradley Weiss

Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Jung Jayeon

Layout Designer: Karina Prananto

Online Technical Manager: Carl Hedinger

Assistant Site Administrator: Nathan Fulkerson

Proofreaders: Heinrich Hattingh, Daniel Lister, Andrew Sweeney,

Eva Ryan, Bradley Weiss

Researchers: Kim Jiwon, Kim Wooyeon, Hwang Yeongwook

Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International CenterAddress: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1,

Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea

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

Fax: +82-62-226-2731

Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com

E-mail: [email protected]

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

Registration Date: February 22, 2010

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

Publication Date: August 29, 2012

September 2012

ON THE COVERCover Photo: Jen Lee. Jen is famous for her comic “Dear Korea” which highlights Korean cultureand its people through the eyes of a foreigner. The comic is featured every month in GwangjuNews. Photograph: Courtesy of Jen Lee

Read full article on page 12

36The Origins of Han

wikipedia

32Travel Documents: The How-tos

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features regulars

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Local NewsThis Month in GwangjuBy Carl Hedinger

Upcoming Events

Photo EssayBy Ken Lee

Photo Contest

Home Pages

CulturePure BloodlinesBy Stephen Redeker

Language StudyLetters to KOTESOLBy Dr. Dave Shaffer

Language Study At the BankBy Jung Soo-a

LiteraturePoems Inspired by Jiri MountainTranslated by Song Chae-pyong and Anne Rashid

Food and DrinkKimchi NoodlesBy Kim Wooyeon

Food and DrinkSangmu Lunch Specials!By Kim Sera

FashionFash-on with xxl jjdp: Hong Kong Hoodie-lumsBy jjdp

Community Board

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Event PreviewThe 18th Gwangju International Community DayBy Karina Prananto

FeatureFields of Opportunities: Expats Branch Out in GwangjuBy BreeAnn Cowger

Event PreviewThe Gwangju International Media Arts FestivalBy Adam Hogue

InterviewSousou & Maher Cissko and Nueva MantecaBy Adam Hogue

InterviewYang Bang EanBy Andrew Sweeney

Event PreviewDaein Night MarketBy Angie Hartley

MusicIn the MixBy Stephen Redeker

ArtKorean AnimationBy Wil Rawlins

TravelHiroshima/ Genbaku DomeBy Matt Furlane

TravelTravel Documents: What You Need to KnowBy Karina Prananto

CultureWhat’s in a Name?By Adam Volle

CultureThe 2012 Jisan Valley Rock Festival ReviewBy Matthew Jenkins

PerspectiveDid You Serve Your Time?By 8ball (Kim Dong-hun)

Contents

“ Gwangju News could not be asgreat as it is without the help of

our regular volunteers, andwe’re always looking for newcontributors and proofreaders.

We invite you to join us!

”

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5Gwangju News September 2012

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A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

By Carl Hedinger

Gwangju World Music FestivalIn case the summer music festivals were too pricy orfar away for you, feel free to visit Gwangju WorldMusic Festival this month! Chonnam University willserve as the venue for the 3rd rendition of the GWMFfor 2 days starting on September 7th. The Hub City ofAsian Culture (HCAC) wil l host and wants totransform this jamboree into a “representativefestival of the Asian Culture Complex.” Artists fromaround the world are planning to participate in thisfestival. There is no need to worry about finding aticket online because admission is free. Enjoy!

The M OrchestraOn the 4th floor of the Bitgoeul Citizens’ CultureCenter in Gwangju Multicultural (M) Orchestrapractice room, one can hear orchestra membersplaying their instruments. These members areelementary students having an afterschool practicealong with some ladies who have moved to Koreathrough marriage. The Gwangju M Orchestra wasfounded in October 2010, and now has eightymembers from thirteen different countries. Theorchestra owes its success to Kim Yoo Jung – a cellistwho leads both the M Orchestra as well as theGwangju Women’s Philharmonic Orchestra.

After taking an interest and forming the M Orchestrain 2009, Kim started the “Talent Donation MusicSharing Project” in conjunction with the GwangjuMulticultural Support Network. The project served tohelp second-generation multicultural families facingdifficulties in Korea. After organizing the orchestra,she opened the Gwangju Multicultural Music Schoolfor beginners in January of this year. ThirteenGwangju Women’s Philharmonic Orchestra membersand five volunteers help teach members how toplay. The M Orchestra received gracious applauserecently for a beautifully harmonious performancetitled “Finding the way in Asia.” Through their tirelessand dedicated work, Kim and her fellow volunteerscertainly epitomize the idea of giving back andstrengthening community ties.

Projecting Past Ideas Toward the FutureOn August 8, the Reverend Paul Schneiss received ameritorious award given by the Gwangju May Mothers’House and directed his acceptance speech towardsthe memory of May 18th. While the topic hasthoroughly been covered in the news, the Reverendwarned people that May 18th could easily be

forgotten. Reverend Schneiss explained, "Gwangjusupports people to resist against violence and injusticethrough an awake consciousness and active innervoice. Gwangju is the starting point of a new historyagainst violence, war and death." With that, he stressedwe should remember what happened in the past.

Before and after May 18th, he and his wife have beenpondering over what should be valued in their lives.When the events of May 18th transpired, Rev. Schneissand his wife were working as missionaries in Japan. In hisspeech, the reverend outlined his hopes that thememory of May 18 can serve to increase energytowards Korea’s unconditional unification. Regardinghistorical apathy, the reverend thinks we shouldreconsider the way to future generations. With a freshapproach, children will find it more difficult to forgetabout what has happened in their own country as wellas throughout the world.

This Month in Gwangju


Paul Schneiss (front row, middle) on the May Mother’sAward Ceremony

Photo courtesty of Kwangju Maeil Shinmun

Ki Bo-Bae (right) posed after the award ceremony withfellow archers on the Team competition

Photo courtesty of Kwangju Maeil Shinmun

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

September 1Topic: Indonesia: Visiting The Biggest Archipelago in30 MinutesSpeaker: Ganis Zulfa Santoso (Indonesia)A country with 300 distinctive ethnic groups and 700different languages and dialects scattered throughout17,000 islands. Each ethnic group is armed with theirunique traditional clothes, food, ceremonies, buildingsand dances making it one of the most culturedcivilizations in the world. The beautiful and naturalscenery of Indonesia will take your breath away as wewill sit through the view of Bali, Lombok, Lake Toba andmany more places. Indonesia is also home to a pile ofunique flora and fauna such as the mesmerizing KomodoDragon, Orangutan, Rafflesia Flower and many morethat only exist in Indonesia. The history, politic, languageand economy will also be discussed so you are wellprepared if you want visit Indonesia as 30 minutes is notenough to enjoy Indonesia in its full beauty.

September 8Topic: My Business Life Visiting 60 Countries and Livingin 10Speaker: Michael Raymond Wilson (Australia)Michael has been in the International Hotel business since1968. He did all his training with the InterContinental HotelsGroup commencing in his home town of MelbourneAustralia. Michael is married to a French painting artist, ladyGilda and has two sons. Michael has been a Boardmember of the Tahiti Tourist Bureau and the NewCaledonia Tourist Authority. He has been Chairman of theClark Visitor and Tourist Development Group and Chairmanof the Tourism Advisory Council for the University of theSouth Pacific Michael and his family have lived in over tencountries and visited over sixty. Michael wishes to share hispersonal and professional journey highlighting some of themore challenging times and incidents as well as some ofthe more humorous encounters in their diverse life.

September 15Topic: South Africa: Alive with Possibility

[ GIC Talk ]

Speaker: Lynne van Lelyveld (South Africa)Since the World Cup was held in South Africa in 2010, alot more is known about this African country. However,there is still much confusion about the culture of thisdiverse country. What do South Africans look like? Thereare three capital cities? How many official languages didyou say?This talk will introduce the culture and try to answer asmany questions that you might have about this youngcountry. There will not be much discussion and aPowerpoint presentation. The speaker will attempt toteach a South African dance and how to play a coupleof musical instruments. Therefore members of theaudience should prepare for a more interactive, hands-on experience. The most popular South African herb teawill be also shared with the audience.

September 22Topic: The Intersection Between Computer Scienceand GovernmentSpeaker: Robert S. Wang (USA)This presentation discusses how many of the commonthings we take for granted today such as networking,packet switching, interactive graphics, and time-sharing,were all funded and led by the Information TechniquesProcessing Office (IPTO) of the Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency (DARPA). It will also discuss, howforward thinking government scientists like Vannevar Bushand J.C.R. Licklider designed post-war institutions thatallowed basic research to flourish in partnership betweenthe government, scientists, and universities.This presentation argues that computer scientists shouldwork in partnership with social scientists, who have insightsinto norms, institutions, and political power. Together, atimely balance must be negotiated between computerscientists and social scientists for citizens to live in a morestable, secure, and free world.

September 29No GIC Talk due to Chuseok holiday

Ki Bo-bae and her Second HomeKi Bo-bae, originally from Anyang in GyeonggiProvince, won a gold medal in archery at the LondonOlympics. Normally, news about an archer fromGyeonggi Pronvice would not feature in the GwangjuNews but there’s a twist here. While her hometown isAnyang, many Gwangjuites regard her as “Gwangju'sdaughter.” This is because she graduated fromGwangju Women's University, and now belongs toGwangju as an archer. She possessed a gift in archerywhen she was young, but as she grew older, Ki’s skills

started to decline. The young Ki decided to leave homeand entered GWU after high school. Outside of herstudies, Ki continued to practice archery and finallycame out of the long slump. Afterwards, Ki swept theboard at several archery championships andeventually made it to London. Judging from herperformances in the 2012 Olympics, you can see thatKi’s career in archery is still quite promising. Maybe she’llclaim Gwangju as home just as so many people herehave proclaimed Ki Bo-bae as a Gwangju citizen.

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Upcoming Events

Carnage 대대학학살살의의 신신Genre: Comedy, DramaStarring: Jodie Foster, Kate WinsletLanguage: EnglishSynopsis: One afternoon, 11-year-old Zachary swings a bat andbreaks Ethan's front teeth whilefighting. Zachary's parents Nancyand Alan and Ethan's parentsPenelope and Michael gather foran amicable settlement. Thingsstart rationally but soon turn to

childish arguments. The fighting leads to one of the worstafternoons of their lives.

L'enfant d'en haut 시시스스터터Genre: DramaStarring: Léa Seydoux, KaceyMottet KleinLanguage: FrenchSynopsis: Set in a ski resort at thefoot of the beautiful Alps. A youngboy, Simon, earns a living bystealing clothes and bags fromtourists, while his older sister, Louise,seemingly earns an allowance fordoing nothing. Simon thinks that if

he looks after his sister, his estranged mother will return.

PADAK 파파닥닥파파닥닥Genre: AnimationStarring: Hyeon-ji Kim, Young-miAhnLanguage: KoreanSynopsis: A mackerel, named“Padak Padak” is caught byfishermen and held captive in thesushi restaurant's aquarium. In thatfearful and hopeless place, there isan old halibut. He is a “fish ofpower” and everyone wants to

know his survival tactic. However, Padak Padak doesn'tgive up his dreams to go back to the ocean and alwaystries to escape unlike the other fishes.

Grape Candy 청청포포도도 사사탕탕Genre: Mystery, DramaStarring: Jin-hee Park, Ji-yoon ParkLanguage: KoreanSynopsis: Seon-ju leads a placid life, and she is about tomarry her longtime love Ji-hoon. She meets her childhoodfriend Sora unexpectedly and recalls a forgotten truth.

Contributors: Kim Jiwon, Kim Wooyeon, Hwang Yeongwook (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movies @ Gwangju TheaterAddress: Chungjangro 5-ga (two blocks behind Migliore)Phone: 062-224-5858Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Check online formore movies, schedule and prices. For more info: http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju(Korean)

Eternal Smile Exhibition 원원한한 미미소소 작작품품전전__미미소소전전Location: U-Square Culture Center (Kumho Gallery 1st and2nd Hall)Date: Until September 5Admission: freePhone: 062-224-7220For more information: www.usquareculture.co.kr

Special Exhibition for 2012 Gwangju Biennale "Desks are Desks."22001122 광광주주비비엔엔날날레레 기기념념 특특별별전전 ""책책상상은은 책책상상이이다다""Location: Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, 111 Biennale-ro,Buk-gu, GwangjuDate: September 9 – November 11Admission Onsite: Single Day Ticket: Adults 14,000 won/ Youth 6,000 won (13 -18 years old)/ Children & Senior 4,000 won (4 - 12 years old)Exhibition Pass: Adult 30,000 won/ Youth 20,000 won/Children 10,000 wonPhone: 062-608-4114For more information: www.gwangjubiennale.org/eng/

Art: Gwangju: 12 (아아트트:: 광광주주:: 1122)Location: Kimdaejung Convention Center (Sangmunuri-ro30, Seo-gu, Gwangju) Date: September 5 – 9Admission fee: Free Phone: 062-670-7983For more information: www.artgwangju.com

International Climate & Environmental FairLocation: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: September 13 –15 Time: 10 a.m – 6 p.m.Admission fee: FreePhone: 062-611-2122~3

Asia Content & Entertainment Fair in GwangjuLocation: Kimdaejung Convention Center Date: September 20 –23Admission fee: FreePhone: 062-611- 2241~4For more information: www.acefair.or.kr

Children's Picture Book, Happy Imagination 어어린린이이 그그림림책책전전 ((행행복복한한 상상상상))Location: Gwangju Museum of ArtDate: Until October 14Admission: 500 wonPhone: 062-613-7100For more information: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Gwangju Alive Gallery 광광주주 살살아아있있는는 미미술술관관Location: Gwangju Culture Art Center (Annex Exhibit Hall)Date: until December 31, 2013Admission: 13,000 won for 14 years old and over / 11,000 won for 13 years old and underPhone: 1544-0412For more information: www.alive-gallery.com

Exhibition

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advertisement

Welcome to the September Edition about what’shappening and new at Holiday Inn Gwangju

ITALIAN CORNER – 10TH FLOOR CLOUD LOUNGE Offering authentic Italian cuisineChoose from seven appetizers from 8,500 won,seven fresh pasta dishes from 17,500 won, threetypes of pizzas from 18,000 won and seven dessertselections from 9,000 won.

Flame Grilled Australian Rib Eye Steak

Add 5,000 won to the price of the buffet and we’llflame grill this great steak for you.

Regretfully…Ex-pat Chef, Mr Eddy Willen had to return to hisfamily in Vietnam. His replacement will beannounced shortly.

Thank you as always and we all look forward towelcoming you here at Holiday Inn Gwangju.

Best wishes,Michael WilsonGeneral ManagerHoliday Inn [email protected]

This Month at Holiday Inn Gwangju

2012 Gwangju World Music Festival 광광주주월월드드뮤뮤직직페페스스티티벌벌Date: September 7 – 8Venue: Chonnam National University, Yongbong-dong, Buk-gu, GwangjuDirections: Take the city bus (No 7, 18, 26, 30, 57). Get offat Chonnam National University.For more information: gjwmf.com

Gwangju Imbangul Traditional Music Festival 광광주주임임방방울울 국국악악제제Date: September 14 - 17Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture and Art Center(광주문화예술회관 대극장)Program: Pansori (traditional Korean music), Gayageumperformance, instrumental performance, etcFor more information: www.imbangul.or.kr

Gwangyang Gizzard Shad Festival 광광양양 전전어어축축제제Date: September 7 – 9Venue: Mangdeokpogu (Mangdeok Port), Jinwol-myeon,Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-doActivities: Pansori (traditional Korean music), fishing,fireworks, concert. Directions: Take the bus to Gwangyang from U-square.For more information:www.gwangyang.go.kr/tour_culture

Jeonju International Sori Festival 제제1111회회 전전주주 세세계계 소소리리축축제제Date: September 13 – 17Venue: Sori Arts Center of Jeollabuk-do, 31 Sori-ro,Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do.Features: Kim Hyeongseok with Friends, Pansori FiveBatangs, Evening for Sanjo.Directions: Take the bus to Jeonju bus terminal from U-spuare, take the city bus number 165 at Jeonju Universityor Jeonju Zoo and get off at Sori Arts Center of Jeollabuk-do.For more information: www.sorifestival.com

Bulgapsan Lycoris Squamigera Festival 제제1122회회 광광 불불갑갑산산 상상사사화화축축제제Date: September 21 – 23Venue: Bulgapsa (Bulgap temple), Bulgapsan (Mt.Bulgap), Bulgap-myeon, Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do.Activities: Memorial ceremonies, tea ceremonies, Hanji(Korean traditional paper) craft, writing contestDirections: Take an intercity bus to Yeonggwang from U-square and take a city bus to Bulgapsa.

Jangsu Hanurang Sagwarang Festival (Jangsu Korean Beef and Apple Festival) 제제66회회 장장수수 한한우우랑랑 사사과과랑랑 축축제제Date: September 21 – 23Venue: 472, Dusan-ri, Jangsu-eup, Jangsu-gun, Jeollabuk-do.Activities: Madangnori (traditional Korean outdoorperformances), fireworks, tightrope walking, magic show,local food streets, an apple show.Directions: Take an intercity bus to Jangsu from U-square.For more information: www.jangsufestival.com

Festivals

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Gwangju Municipal Chorus, Concert III 광광주주시시립립합합창창단단 기기획획연연주주회회 IIIIII Venue: Small Theater, Gwangju Culture and Art Center(광주문화예술회관 소극장)Date: September 6Time: 7:30 p.m. Admission: Seat 10,000 won (50% discount for studentsunder 19)Phone: 062-613-8245

Gwangju Symphony Orchestra – The 278th Regular Concert광광주주시시립립교교향향악악단단 제제 227788회회 정정기기 연연주주회회Venue: Grand Theater, Gwangju Culture and Art Center(광주문화예술회관 대극장)Date: September 21Time: 7:30 p.m.Admission: Seat R 30,000 won / S 20,000 / A 10,000 wonPhone: 062-524-5086

Musical - Marionette 뮤뮤지지컬컬 마마리리오오네네트트Venue: Democracy Hall, May 18 Memorial Culture Center(5.18기념문화관 민주홀)Date: September 7- 9Time: Friday 8 p.m. / Saturday 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. / Sunday 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.Admission: Seat VIP 66,000 won / Seat R 55,000 won / Seat S 44,000 wonPhone: 062-376-5197

Play - One-eyed Clown 연연극극 애애꾸꾸는는 광광대대Venue: Dongsan Art Hall, Gwangju U-Square (광주 유스퀘어 동산아트홀)Date: September 18Time: 7:30 p.m.Admission: Seat R 10,000 wonPhone: 062-959-6363

Gwangju Piano Duo Association – Gwangju, JejuExchange Concert 광광주주 피피아아노노 듀듀오오협협회회 – 광광주주,, 제제주주 교교류류 연연주주회회Venue: Keumho Art Hall, Gwangju U-Square (광주 유스퀘어금호 아트홀)Date: September 22Time: 7:00 p.m.Admission: Seat R 10,000 won for adult / 5,000 won forstudents under 19Phone: 010-3642-1621

Performance Sports

KIA Tigers Baseball TeamSeptember Match Schedule

Date

1- 28 9

1112

Opponents

SKSamsungHanhwaDoosan

Lotte

Time

5 p.m.5 p.m.5 p.m.

6:30 p.m.6:30 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장)Directions: Take buses 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151and get off at Mudeung Stadium bus stopTicket Price: Adults 7,000 - 13,000 won; Students (13 - 18):4,000 - 9,000 won; Children (under 13: 2,000 - 6,000 won)Website: www.tigers.co.kr

Gwangju FC Soccer Team has no matchesscheduled in September

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ne of the best annual events heldin Gwangju, the GwangjuInternational Community Day

(GIC Day) is an event where worldcultures meet and share their uniquecharacteristics with the localcommunity.

This year is no exception. The GIC, as theorganizer, promises to bring forward a muchbigger, better and more unique event featuring:the Country Pavilion, where international communitiesgather and present their traditional foods and exhibitsas well as photos and souvenirs; the Community Booth,

which will be more diverse than everthanks to the ever-growing expat

communities in Gwangju; a FleaMarket, where you will find a

vast range of items for sale;Performance andExperience Programs,where internationalcommunities can comeand participate in anexciting atmosphere. Theevent itself will run for thewhole day from 11 a.m. to5 p.m.

Written by Karina PranantoPhotos courtesy of Gwangju International Center

OAs this is a community event, GIC

also wishes for the participationfrom the community itself. Wehope for your participationby joining the eventprograms itself, or if you areinterested in joining as a

volunteer, we open uppositions for documentation

(photography, videos), promotion oreven helping us setting up

or cleaning up the venue. Anykind of help will be muchappreciated here. Interestedindividuals can join us bysimply writing to us [email protected] and statingtheir areas of interest.

Let’s make this day aday to celebrate thecultural diversities inGwangju and theharmony of its citizens.We are looking forwardto meet you at GICDay!

event preview

The 18th GwangjuInternational Community Day– A Preview

EVENT OVERVIEWName: The 18th Gwangju International Community DayDate & Time: October 6th, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Venue: TBAHighlighted Events: Country Pavilion, Community Booth, Stage Performance, Flea Market, Admission: Free!

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feature

Fields of Opportunities: Expats Branch Out in Gwangju

Written by BreeAnn CowgerPhotos by Heidi Haley and David CowgerIllustrations courtesy of Jen Lee

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:3 AM Page 12


re you a teacher?” or “Are you a tourist?”are two of the most common questions thatforeigners living in Korea may be asked,

especially if they’re riding public transport with abackpack slung over one shoulder. While teachingor tourism may be some common reasons to be inKorea, they certainly aren’t the only opportunitiesavailable. As Korea continues to emerge on theglobal stage, more expats will continue to join theworkforce alongside Koreans, and the range ofjobs that foreigners occupy wil l continue toexpand. As some expats on the frontlines arealready discovering, jobs outside of the educationrealm can provide some unique added benefits.

Twenty-five-year-old artist Jen Lee, from Houston,Texas, is working for a branch of Neon Pumpkinhere in Gwangju. The Gwangju branch is calledNeon Creation. Neon Pumpkin, and its branches, isan animation company with the primary goal ofcreating memorable, quality work for variousclients. It also serves as a place for learning forthose with a passion for animation. Neon Creationmoved to the Gwangju Computer GeneratedImagery (CGI) Center in April 2012 and is known forrecently hiring many Gwangju citizens right out ofcollege, as well as some promising talent right outof high school.

Jen is learning the ins and outs of the business withthe hopes of one day stepping into the role ofproducer and, eventually, an art director. Jen haswanted to be an artist as far back as she canremember. Her mother was an artist, and Jenwould watch her mother create when she was justa child. “According to my mom, I was drawingbefore I could talk. I grew up watching cartoonsand I’ve always loved stories, but I was never muchof a writer. So, I figured if I can’t write it, I might aswell draw it.” The awe and admiration turned intosketches and art classes by high school, andbecame a full-blown talent once she graduated.Jen also applies her skills by creating the “DearKorea” comic strip, which is featured in GwangjuNews.

Jen’s mother is originally from Seoul, so Koreaseemed be a comfortable next step for Jen, afterliving briefly in Japan. Once in Korea, Jen workedfor a kindergarten for a short time, before a seriesof extraordinary circumstances landed her at NeonCreation. Jen’s mother came to visit Gwangju thesame time that the owner of Neon Creation was inthe city. It turns out that the owner and her motherare old friends, and once Neon Creation saw how

A“

Jen had flourished as an artist in the last few years,they had to have her.

In a typical day of work, Jen has various projectsshe attends to. She works on designing charactersand also does 3-D modeling on the computer.While she keeps a sketchbook filled with personalart, most of her portfolio work these days is doneon a computer screen. She describes herworkplace as casual and laid-back, and loves thatshe can wear what she wants to work.

Jen is quick to point out some of the perks of thejob. “In America, when you are on the clock, youhave to be working and look busy. But here, I wassurprised at how casual the atmosphere was.”Since it is a company full of artists and forwardthinkers, the office atmosphere is relaxed andcomfortable. There is also a lot of trust in her office,and Jen enjoys the independence that comes

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:3 AM Page 13


along with it. No one looks over her shoulder,instead, just periodic progress checks to see howher projects are moving along. The closerelationship Jen shares with her coworkers isanother plus. They enjoy spending time with eachother and when the new Diablo 3 came out, theyeven shared the experience of a new computergame together.

Even though she is the only foreigner at her job,she feels this title can sometimes provide positiveadded attention and interest in her. It also meansthat she can speak English, and can act as aliaison between her company and potentialconnections to American companies. She alsocan share the perspective of the Western mindset.Jen finds herself in a unique position as a KoreanAmerican, and this background brings with it someadded responsibility. “A lot of Koreans expect meto follow Korean social cues, but I consider myselfAmerican, so sometimes there are moreexpectations placed on me.”

There are some challenges that come along with

any job experience, and for Jen, the most obviousone rings true for most foreigners in Korea: thelanguage barrier. Jen points out that mostworkplaces in Korea are also seniority-based, andthe oldest guy is always right. She knows that youcan’t question your superiors, and it is better to goalong with whatever it is they may ask you to do.Jen’s advice to anyone looking for work as an artistin Korea would be to “know the culture, speak thelanguage, and always have a good collection ofyour work with you.”

Jen’s long-term goals while in Korea are fairlysimple. She hopes that by the time she moves intoher next phase of l ife, she wil l have createdsomething permanent that will be memorable andrecognizable in Korea. “While I’m here, I want tolearn as much as I can, so I can take it back toAmerica. I also would like to create something as away of giving back to Korea, as a way of sayingthanks.” The Gwangju community waits inanticipation to see what Jen’s next creativecontribution will be.

Photo by: David Cowger Photos by Heidi Haley

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man in a suit wears a Che Guevara mask.Marilyn Monroe eats Che Guevara, Hitlereats Mari lyn Monroe and then there is

nothing at all. This is my recollection of Kim Gwang-cheol's performance art piece on display at theGwangju Museum of Art. It was tucked away in acorner right as you entered the exhibit. It was quiet,it was slow and it was fascinating. There was acertain anticipation that kept me rooted to thespot. I did not completely understand why, I wasjust f ixed in a moment waiting to see whathappened next. It s imply was. This is whatperformance art does. It puts the art in real time;moldable, present, and open to instantaneouschange. It invites people in and holds them there.

Here's the good news: Performance art will becoming to Gwangju. It is art that is present and it iscontemporary and it will be one of kind.

As summer comes to an end, Gwangju will onceagain live up to its name as the City of Art here inKorea. From September 5th until the 10th, Gwangjuwill host 42 artists from over 15 countries for the firstGwangju International Media Arts Festival. Thefestival will be a mixture of video media andperformance art that will take place throughoutthe downtown area.

The title and theme of the festival is Comradeship:Amplif ication Network. Amplif ication is anexplosion of potential energy, something which thefestival sets out to explore. Kim Gwang-cheol is acontemporary Korean performance artist. He hasperformed his work in New York City, Miami andAustin and he currently has an installation ondisplay in the Jin Tong Exhibition at the GwangjuMuseum of Art. Kim is the director of the GwangjuInternational Media Arts Festival and an artist who

will be showing work in the festival that will takeplace here in Gwangju and in Anyang (nearSeoul).

A well known performance piece by Kim is a piecehe has shown abroad many places called "20Cigarettes." The piece shows the artist movingaround an open space in silence and slowly he fillsthe space with crumpled paper, vertical andhorizontal lines or tape. Over time, music comesinto the piece and Kim himself becomes filled withthe pieces he has thrown to the ground. Thisintriguing piece and it gives an idea of what is instore for the Media Festival.

Another notable artist at the festival will be a Polishperformance artist named Antoni Karwowski.Karwowski appears on the flyer for the event and

A

event preview

The Gwangju InternationalMedia Arts Festival

Arai Shinichi (Japan)

Written by Adam HogueInterpretation by Kim WooyeonPhotos courtesy of the Gwangju International Media Arts Festival

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:3 AM Page 15


he will be one of the artists in residence, living andmaking art here in Gwangju during the festival.

Performance art is itself an explosion of potentialenergy and anticipation of what will happen next.It is all at once mysterious, entertaining, amusingand thought-provoking. It is a message thatdoesn't always need a "why" question answeredand it could easily just be or it could provokeaction and response. The festival will use harmonyand connection to explode the potential energythat exists and people are invited to take part in it.

Kim, along with the other designers of the festival, isworking with the idea that media is a connectorand performance art is in the present. Each personhas a message with the art and the artist is thereshowing it and explaining it. Kim explained that theuse of digital media in the festival, while largely a21st Century innovation, works hand-in-hand withperformance art to unite elements of both

modernism and post-modernism. As he explained,if modernism is a vertical line, exploring what is hereand now, and post-modernism is the horizon line,exploring the freedom that exists in discoveringwhat lies beyond, the festival will unite the two lines.It is a discussion about what is here now and whatlies beyond the horizon underneath.

To use Kim's example, the festival is like cubism. It isone event and you will see one event, but as youwatch it, you will see many sides. We live in anaccelerated society of accelerating capitalismand accelerating material ism. The idea ofcomradeship works to take art and contemporaryartists from around the world and have each artistshow a piece of the message of harmony. Eachviewer will take a piece of that message awaywith him or her. The works are focused on thehuman body and about asking the intr insicquestions about our physical relationships and ourphysical communication in a superficial world.

Yuen Kin-Leung (Hong Kong)Rocio Boliva (Mexico)

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Performance art is about the now, not what willhappen or what we should have or should do. Itcelebrates a connection that is always therebetween human beings, and between the artistand the viewer; it brings that connection to life.Kim says that “seeing and thought” are veryimportant for both the viewers and the artist. Itmakes both sides listen and then depart withsomething bigger than they had before. Thefestival seeks to further the discourse andperception of performance art as more thansomething merely strange and entertaining.

Performance art, media art and the arts ingeneral have tremendous power in society.According to Kim, the Gwangju InternationalMedia Arts Festival sets “performance art as anesthetic body” to explore uncovered questionsthrough the genuine functions of art such asvarious expressions, identities of society andindividuals, and global exhibitions.

The Gwangju International Media Arts Festival isbeing brought to Gwangju with the help of theGwangju Biennale, Daein Market and the LotteGallery. The event will lead up to the GwangjuBiennale Round Table and it will add variety to theresurgence of artists and art festivals here inGwangju.

Myk Henly(Ireland - USA)

The GwangjuInternational MediaArts Festival will takeplace from September5 - 10. The festival is inthe downtown area.Performances andinstallations will be at the following locations:

September 5 - 6 at the Lotte Gallery (in the LotteDepartment Store near Daein Market)September 7 at Gungdong Art Theater in Art StreetSeptember 8 at the Biennale and Daein Art MarketSeptember 9 at the Biennale and Media X GallerySeptember 10 at either Chonnam or ChosunUniversity (currently undecided)

Exact times and schedules of the performancesand installations will be posted as the event drawsnearer. Keep your eyes peeled for posters in thedowntown area and online.

This is an exciting time to be in Gwangju; art is verymuch alive in this city, don't let anybody tell youotherwise. Come and check out the GwangjuInternational Media Arts Festival and become partof art in real-time.

The festival is free and for the benefit of art for thepublic.

Arti Grabowski (Poland)

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folk–based music by comparing and contrasting itto old folk music? Sousou & Maher Cissoko (SS & MC): Time. That’s thedifference. Music with roots in the tradition and itshead in today and tomorrow will change whentoday and tomorrow have changed. Before it wasnow-then, now it’s now-now. And also everytradition is different. One tradition could be similar toanother one but not the same, never quite thesame. The tradition from one part of or even onevillage in a country is not the same as the musicfrom another part or village. And each family hastheir traditions.

We both grew up in musical families where music wasa part of the daily life – Maher in a kora-playing griotfamily in Senegal and Sousou in a folk, pop, blues andsoulful family in Sweden. So our music is our music, ourtraditions mixed together with our personalities, andthe time we play and live in, and also with differentother music we´ve been listening to. In the griot-tradition that has been inherited in Maher’s family forover 700 years it is a part of the tradition to break thetraditional “rules,” renew and to find your own wayand that is what we are doing today.

GN: As you know, we are hosting the 3rd GwangjuWorld Music Festival this coming September. Still,many people are not familiar with what “worldmusic” means in terms of genres, sounds,meanings, etc. I think your nationality and musicalstyle, which is Senegal and Afro-beat, respectively,fits well to the concept of our festival. So could youplease tell me more about your music in terms ofethnic elements of your country and the now-popular genre, afro-beat or afro-rhythm?SS & MC: We see “world music” as music withoutborders, music that brings people together. Youcan say that world music is different traditions, twoor more, mixed together or just meeting and sayinghello to each other. Or really any tradition from onepart of the world playing together with any othertradition from another part of the world.

n just a few short weeks the world will be comingto Gwangju. On September 7th and 8th theGwangju World Music will be taking place in

venues throughout the city. Gwangju will continueto live up to its name as the “art city” as bands andartists flood into the city to show a glimpse of theirhome through music.

Gwangju News had the chance to interview two ofthe groups who will be playing the festival thisSeptember. Music is a universal language that alsocarries within it great differences. Music is livinghistory. It is the influences of culture that run deepwherever we come from, told and shared in song. Inone place we can hear the wonderful diversity thisworld has to offer in a language we can allunderstand. It is what music does best.

Sousou & Maher Cissoko is an afro-pop duo fromSweden and Senegal (half and half). Take a trip totheir Myspace music page and one is met by animage of a vibrant van parked at what appears tobe a festival. This serves as a testament to the musicthey make – vibrant music that everyone can enjoy.Sousou & Maher Cissoko are a couple that cametogether over the shared instrument they play.Maher came from a kora-playing family in Senegal.The kora is a stringed-instrument with a 700-yearhistory. Sousou is from Sweden and she beganplaying the kora when she was 19. She went tostudy the instrument in Gambia and some time latershe met the Cissoko family and Maher. The duomade a debut album Adouna in 2008 and theyhave been touring the world ever since. For a tasteof their music, check out the song “Idong.” It is anoptimistic and light song that shows what the duo isall about.

Gwangju News (GN): Music listeners, especiallyKorean music fans, have been interested in suchgenres as acoustic and folk since as early as 1970s.Upon reflecting on folk music of the 70s, could youplease explain in detail your acoustic and

interview

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Gwangju World Music Festival:

Sousou & Maher Cissoko andNueva MantecaWritten by Adam HoguePhotos courtesy of Gwangju World Music Festival

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:3 AM Page 18


So world music can sound in a 1000 different ways. Ifyou ask 100 or 200 people what world music is youmay get 100 or 200 different answers. For us no musicor all music in the world is world music. It’s alldepending on your perspective. We sing in differentlanguages – Mandinka, Swedish, Wolof, English andFrench and we use instruments such as kora,djembe, guitar and bass. We create music from ourhearts and souls with inspiration from our musicalbackgrounds with beats and rhythms from Africaand all over the world. Come and you will see!

Nueva Manteca is a Latin-jazz group founded byJan L. Hartong. He founded the group in 1983 andthey have been blending Cuban music and jazzsince then. They have the big band jazz sound withglimpses of Latin music and some greatimprovisation. One look at a live performance of thegroup online shows that they can really cook. Eachmember of the group adds elements to the soundthat pushes the music further and further into placesunknown. They play mostly original arrangements,and their music has been celebrated all over theworld. They regularly top US radio playlists for topjazz albums and their success and abilities as agroup is only getting better with time. They are notcalled “Europe's Finest in Latin Jazz” for no reason.

Gwangju News: I heard that your group is praised as“Europe’s finest band in Latin jazz,” presenting astyle, performance, and repertoire that are uniquefrom other many Latin bands. So could you pleaseelaborate more on these aspects for commonmusic fans? Nueva Manteca (NM): Nueva Manteca is mixing allkinds of Afro – Caribbean traditions with other musicsuch as Latin American or jazz or in this case rock

music. We make our own unique blend, but wealways have respect for the Latin traditions. Theband started in 1983, so we have a long musicalhistory together, which is what makes us a tightmusical family. And another important thing is thatwe stay true to ourselves and never lose ourselves ina sort of trendy imitation of somebody else.

GN: Your group is made of seven people, includingtwo trumpets, a bass, an organ, and a sax, whichlooks to me like quite a large band. In comparisonto pop or rock bands, what are the advantages ofhaving more players in the group, or howeffectively or harmoniously can these many playerswork together to make albums or perform atconcerts?NM: The line-up is a mix between rock and Latin.The rock part is the electric guitar and theHammond organ and the Latin part is the rhythmsection. It is not very common in Latin music to havethis combination. It combines the swing from salsaand the power of rock.

Latin bands have originally always had horns and alot of rhythm, so eight people in the band is quite anormal size. The music takes care of the harmony inthe band so all the people in the band are justfollowing the music.

Come check out these two acts at the GwangjuWorld Music Festival and see the world of music as itshould be seen – live and outside.

Sousou and Maher Cissoko

Nueva Manteca

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:3 AM Page 19


he decision he had to make happened almost30 years ago. His family is landscaped by theprofession of medicine as opposed to the world

of music. His father was a doctor, as indeed are hissiblings (he is the youngest of five children), thus hiscareer path seemed to be pre-destined to say theleast. While studying to become a doctor, however,music kept coming back to him to pursue. He tellsvery openly of the promise he made to his fatherthat he would obtain a medical doctor’s licencebefore making any final decision, which he didreceive. He graduated, he says, “by putting asidemusic for a while”. By keeping to his promise to hislate father, he was now able he says “to judge bothjobs objectively”. As a result it became possible forYang Bang Ean to “choose” his career path, and hedecided upon music.

Since that decision, Yang Bang Ean has becomeextremely educated in the workings of music. He is amusician, composer for orchestra and commercialsoundtracks, singer and producer, who has releasednearly 10 albums, covering a myriad of musicalgenres. When asked about his music he speaks verypassionately about his collection of work and seeshis songs, admirably, as his “cute children” returningwhen he hears them being played on commercialsor being used for video games. When his music hasbeen used within the public and commercial worldhe states that “these are moments I became

T

With the Gwangju World Music Festival nearly upon us, I had the opportunity to interview one ofthe musicians playing, Yang Bang Ean (Kunihiko Ryo). The Japanese native, now 52, a multi-instrumentalist and prolific writer, speaks about his music, his excitement about playing inGwangju and that mighty decision he made many years ago....

interview

Gwangju World Music Festival:

Yang Bang Ean

Written by Andrew SweeneyPhoto courtesy of Gwangju World Music Festival

refreshed with the feeling that my music hasreturned to me like this”. It is something he is veryproud of.

The music of Yang Bang Ean covers many themesand emotions, the most prominent being hope.While he accepts that sadness and gloominess areimportant to express in music, “the message in theend is to look forward”. His music becomes “astrength” to him. It is this message he hopes totranslate to his audience with the goal that hismusic will “fill up the heart and that energy isgained” for the listener.

Yang Bang Ean has been to Gwangju several timesand he sees it as “one of [his] favourite cities”. He isalready looking forward to playing his set and whenpressed upon what we can expect from his liveshow, he has some advice for us. Rather thananalyze what is happening he asks us to “not thinktoo much and enjoy the music”. Mirroring the senseof joy and hope he receives from being the creatorand craftsman of his work, this performeremphasizes that “it is important that your body feelsthe music rather than head”.

Yang Bang Ean will perform at the main stage ofChonnam National University for the GwangjuWorld Music Festival from 8:40 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. onSeptember 7.

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f you pass through Daein Market on a normal day,you may not notice anything special about it rightaway. You will see the usual vegetable stands, smell

the salty air preserving dried fish and hear the friendlycalls of elderly shop owners. However, upon closerexamination of this archeological site, one can alsofeel the vibrations of new life pulsing through the veinsof each alleyway. During summer, the Daein NightMarket invites Gwangju's citizens to consider thepurpose of this market as a gateway to Art Street.

In 2008 the Gwangju Biennale commissioned a groupof artists to live and work in Daein Market. Since then,the metropolitan and federal governments havesupported this residency project. Assisted by director,Cho Seungki, artists and coordinators work year-round

to produce and present art right inside the market. Thisyear, nine artists are sharing seven gallery spaces. Asthey are publicly funded spaces, these art spaces,including a cafe and library are open to visit any day.You just have to know where to look.

So how did we find it? William Andersen is Gwangju ArtMarket's newest resident. An American nationalteaching in Kuwait, William was looking for a residencyin Korea where he could spend summer break workingalongside his friend who is making a film set in Korea.William found what he was looking for, and we foundhim there. As our very gracious, adopted host, he ledus down graffiti-painted alleys to Mite-Ugro (미테 우그

Words and photos by Angie Hartley Acknowledgements: Andrea Edwards, Arts EditorWilliam Andersen, Resident Artist: http://williamjandersen.blogspot.kr/search/label/MITE Lee Nan-young, Program ManagerSunny Kim, Translator: http://98b.tumblr.com/post/17470192033/cho-talks-at-98b-seungki-cho-an-intermedia-artist

I

로). This is where community members gather nightlynot only to bask in the air-conditioning, but also to sharetools, ideas, and yeah, a few drinks. The romance of it isoverwhelming and its seclusion only heightens themystery and enticement.

Although the veil of the market provides privacy to theartists, everything is “aired out” at the end of eachsummer month. The Night Market is the time and placefor normal citizens, market owners and artists tocollaborate on an event that suits everyone's tastes.Patrons can sample blue lemonade in a bag, browsethe crafts, and if they look closely, experience the finearts.

The Daein Night Market epitomizes Gwangju as the“City of Art”. It's delicately interwoven with the fibers oftradition. Quietly calling to citizens, it asks them toparticipate in art however they see fit; dancing to livemusic, buying handmade crafts or visiting a fewgalleries. Art in Gwangju does not attempt to competewith the neon signs and K-pop blasting on every citycorner. It lies like hidden treasure waiting to be found.

Dates for future night markets are as follows: September7th, 8th, 21st, and 22nd, and October 19th and 20thopening at 7:30 p.m. and closing at midnight eachday. For more information followhttp://blog.naver.com/2010ntnamu (Korean languageonly).

event preview

Daein Night Market

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 21

hen was the last time you tuned your radioto the Gwangju Foreigners’ Network at GFN98.7FM? If you haven’t done so recently,

then what are you waiting for? You’re missing outon some exciting broadcasting!

Earlier this year GFN revamped its lineup of dailyradio programs and one such program, “In theMix,” is hosted by Travis Groves. “Travvy G” (as he’sknown on the radio) has a colorful background inKorea and a rich history working in the media field.Originally from Queensland, Australia, Travis studiedfashion and media in college. He received trainingfor a career as a television reporter. His first bigbreak came in England as an advertising executivefor Harrods Knightsbridge of London. While there,he was able to work with celebrities such as Davidand Victoria Beckham, Liam Gallagher, KylieMinogue, Kate Bosworth and Georgio Armani.Travis then spent three years in Seoul where heworked for two broadcasting companies as a

writer for music and fashion andalso as an entertainment

reporter. It was during thist ime that he had thepleasure of interviewing starssuch as Brad Pitt and K-Popacts l ike Girls Generationand 2PM’s Park Jae-beom at

major events such as SeoulFashion Week and the Daejon

Film Awards. Earlier this yearhe moved to Gwangju

from Seoul to host “In theMix.”

There are someo b v i o u s

W differences between living in Gwangju and living inSeoul. For Travis, it’s the not-so-obvious differences thatstand out the most: “I'vebeen in Gwangju forover six months nowand find the expatand Koreancommunity to bevery intimate andfriendly. Also, thereis a good l ivemusic scene andplenty of watering holes towet the whistle and have a goodlaugh!” says Travis. He also commentedon the activities of foreigners: “Socially, I'vefound that expats here are more open todeveloping friendships with other foreigners. InSeoul, most expats walk past each other withoutbatting an eye. The other difference is the love ofnature. I've met heaps of wicked people here andthey often go hiking, camping, biking, hit up thebeach, and enjoy outdoor activities more. In thebig city, the weekends generally consist of a darkroom followed by the ol' hair-of-the-dog routine!”

Fortunately for Gwangju and the surroundingareas, Travis has brought his talents and expertiseto the airwaves to entertain us all. “In the Mix” iswritten, hosted and promoted all by Travis. Tune indaily from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and you’ll hear a mixof Grammy music, rock, indie, hip hop, electronic,folk, pop, classics, and more. The show is open toanyone who wants to join the program just for funor to promote their music. So far, many artists, fromrappers to rock bands, havebeen interviewed on “In the

Written by Stephen RedekerPhotos courtesy of Travis Groves

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 22

Mix”. You can call in, email, or send a textmessage to request songs. The phone lines areopen nightly to discuss anything from relationships,experiences in Korea, news events, movies oranything else.

Hosting his radio show every night, Travis has lots ofmemorable (and sometimes embarrassing)moments on the air and with his special guests. Hesays, “Mind blanks are always embarrassing duringlive shows! I’m finally realizing that alcohol doesactually cause memory loss! Or, it’s embarrassingwhen my guests don't laugh at my cheesy jokesand there's an awkward silence. But seriously, all ofmy guests are worth tuning in for, there's Dan Lloyd(“Indie Hour,” on Wednesdays), John Gaska(“House Party,” on Fridays), and Erin Stewart(“Folkin' Around,” on Sundays). We enjoy a bit ofbanter…I think.”

Travis makes a big effort to set his show apart fromthe rest. Thus, “In the Mix” features greatpromotions and sponsors. For example, ClubVolume in Gwangju previously sponsored the showwith a VIP room for fans and listeners to join withfree entry and free drinks. More parties will behosted by Travis in the near future! Recently Travisgave out over 20 tickets to UMF Korea, one of thepremiere electronic music festivals in the worldfeaturing DJs such as Tiesto, Carl Cox and JohnDigweed. Travis is really excited about the

TuneIn Radio App

SMS #9870

gfninthemix

In The Mix, proudly sponsored by:

program and promotions for “In the Mix”: “Workingat GFN has been a sick experience! I have fullcreative control over my program, therefore I try toseek out good sponsors for prizes because, let’sface it, with advances in technology nowadayspeople don't listen to the radio as much as theyused to. So, on my show people can win tix tofestivals like UMF, VIP rooms at Club Volume,restaurant vouchers, and more (as opposed to ‘acalendar or a pen!’ What is that?). Also, I playmusic that foreigners want to hear, and Koreanswant to learn about. If music and entertainment isyour thing, keep in touch with the show forchances to win prizes and attend great events.”

As mentioned previously, GFN programming haschanged and a new lineup of shows, other than“In the Mix,” has hit the airwaves. Check outwww.gfn.or.kr to see GFN’s l ist of programsincluding shows like “City of Light,” “Hello Korea”and “K-Popular,” to name a few. “In the Mix” canbe heard evenings from 8 p.m. to10 p.m. and youcan find GFN on your radio at 98.7FM in Gwangjuand 93.7FM in Yeosu. Visit their website for livestreaming audio. Facebook and Twitter:GFNinthemix

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 23


Korean AnimationWords and photos by Wil Rawlins

and the Cockroaches (France). Providing excellentleadership by demanding quality and creativity,Han Ok-rye brings twenty years of animationexperience to her company. Recently Han hasdecided to open a subsidiary company in thePungam CGI building called Neon Creative. Here iswhere we can get a better understanding on howthe animation process works in Korea.

One of the best ways to get futher insight is fromthe animators themselves at Neon Creation.Gwagju News has interviewed the hard workingpeople at this company from the most junior to themost senior staff, as well as the CEO herself.

CEO, Ms. Han GN: What has changed in the animation industryover the years in Korea?Ms. Han: In Korean animation, they usually weremade for American, European, and Japanese 2DOEM until 1990.

In the early 2000s, 3D animation companies startedto make children’s TV series and creative work;since then the production environment has startedto change.

After 2004, early animation companies developedcreative abilities and techniques and they startedto work with other countries. They realized thatproject investment and licensing are very importantso they focus on extending their reach in worldmarkets. Recently they have communicated andworked with China, which has been growing fast.

If the animation businesses put all their energy andability in a dramatically changing market and theyare supported well financially, then I believe thatthe Korean animation business will strongly develop.

GN: Why did you decide to open Neon Creation inGwangju?Ms. Han: We expected that we would have a lot ofsupport and get contracts with other animationcompanies because of the GwanjuGwangju CGICenter. We also believed that we can hire a lot oftalented workers here, so we opened NeonCreation in Gwangju.

on't have a cow, man," "Go Joe!" and theever-popular "Hello Nurse!" These are famouscatch phrases some of our favorite cartoon

characters. As familiar as most are with the hilariousantics and compelling adventures of animatedcharacters, many are not aware of how they cometo be. What exactly is the process involved to makean animated series? Furthermore, where is it madeand who is making it? Fortunately all thesequestions can be answered right here in Gwangju.Recently the Gwangju CGI (Computer GeneratedImagery) Center has opened in the Pungam area.This is the home of some well-established animationcompanies that are the invisible hand behind someof America's and other countries' most popularanimated series.

What exactly has the Korean animation industrycontributed to the world of cartoon series? Well forfans of the series The Simpson, Animaniacs andTransformers you should thank AKOM (AnimationKorea Movie), which animated them. That's not all;Rough Draft Studios produced Futurama and StarWars: Clone Wars 1 and 2. Also, King of the Hill,Rugrats, Recess and Lilo and Stich are the works ofAnivision and Sunwoo Entertainment. The Koreananimation industry is not just limited to westernanimated series. Popular Japanese Anime likeCowboy Bebop, Death Note, and Pokemon weremade possible by DR Movie, a Korean animationstudio with an exclusive partnership with theJapanese animation studio Madhouse. These arejust a few examples of Korean contributions toanimation. Actual involvement in many animatedseries by Korean companies is wide, in-depth anddiverse.

Most of the Korean animation companies andstudios are headquartered in Seoul. That is whereyou can find an up-and-coming company calledNeon Pumpkin. Founded in 2006, Neon Pumpkin is afull service Animation Company that provides 2D,3D and Flash animation services worldwide.Although new to the scene, this company hasdone work for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon,Moonscoope, Toonzone and Xilam. Some of theirprojects include Dora's Explorer Girls TV Special(USA), Three Little Daughters (Japan) and Oggy

art

D“

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 24


Manager, Mr. NamGN: Is the animation process very laborious andphysically demanding?Mr. Nam: 3D animation work requires a lot creativeideas, so I have more mental stress than physicalstress. Although sometimes I experience physicalstress when we do lots of overtime work. Overall,the animation work demands a lot of a personmentally.

Senior 3D animator, Ms. ShinGN: Why do you work at animation studio?Ms. Shin: I challenged myself to work in ananimation company when I saw the animationwork in theaters. Since then it has been my dreamto work in this kind of job. It gives me greatexcitement and joy to do this work. It is amazinglycreative to make nothing into something.

Junior 3D animator, Ms. LeeGN: What did you prepare for work here?Ms. Lee: I thought that it would be very important tohave as much general knowledge andqualifications in animation as possible. I majored inanimation in college and also took 3D animationclasses where I learned Maya. I also attended a 3Danimation class at Gwangju Information andCulture Industry Promotion Agency (광주정보 문화산업진흥원) and made a short story animation portfolio.

The animation industry in Korea is very interestingindeed. The new investment into the city ofGwangju through this industry can be seen as atestament to the ever-growing recognition the cityis getting. Ideally, this will result in a creative, colorfuland animated future for Gwangju.

Left: Animation worksBottom left: Gwangju CGI CenterbuildingBelow: History of GITCT in picturesMost below: Staff at work

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 25


’ve been living in Gwangju for nine months now. With photography, it all started when I used my sister’s“fancy” camera to help her take outfit shots for her professional blog. I never really thought seriously abouttaking up photography as a hobby until some of her photographer friends said I had some sort of talent.

Since then I purchased my very own “toy” to capture defining moments here in Korea.

I enjoy taking sunset and sunrise shots the most. They really bring a sense of wonder, don’t you think?”

You can view more of Ken’s work at: www.seoulstateofmind.wordpress.com

Sun SSeekerBByy KKeenn LLeeee

I“

SSuunnsseett BBllaazzee

photo essay

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 26


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 27


Submit your best shot of Korea!To enter the Photo Contest, simply send your name, photo and picture description to [email protected] Photo of the Month will be displayed at the GIC for that month.

PHOTO CONTEST

Photo of the Month

Here Comes the Summer SunPhoto by Lorryn Smit

Remembering May 18Photo by Angie Hartley

Gwangju News’ photo contest wasjudged by Mark Eaton.Mark Eaton has exhibited hisphotographic work in art galleries aswell as other public and private venuesin the United States and South Korea.You can view his photography ateatonmark.com

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 28


A Nice Day at the ParkPhoto by Maya Thompson

SurroundedPhoto by Jannies Le

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 29


here to go? Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, HongKong, Tokyo and Taiwan all looked likegood destinations. I just couldn't decide. I

contacted some friends that teach English inTokyo and they said they would give me a placeto stay. So that settled it, destination Tokyo, Japan.But on the map that I had in front of me I noticedsomething along the way…Hiroshima.

After a sunny jet ferry crossing of the East Sea Idisembarked in Fukuoka and boarded one of thefamous Shinkansen bullet trains at Hakata station.As it hurdled through the countryside towardHiroshima I realized that I was going to seesomething that few people would ever see in theirl i fetimes. Formally known as 'The HiroshimaPrefecture Industrial Promotion Hall', today it isknown as the Genbaku (Atomic) Dome.

Upon arriving I headed out to the Dome by tram ina city with a solemnity only understood in the lightof history. In 1945, after numerous bloody battles in

W the Pacific, US Democrat President Harry Trumanordered the dropping of "Little Boy" on Hiroshimaon August 6th at 8:15 a.m. It killed 80,000 peopleimmediately and destroyed 75% of the city.

Over the next year the only structure within theimmediate blast left standing was the IndustrialPromotion Hall built in 1915. Today it stands as apost-apocalyptic ruin and as a reminder of thehorrors of war. Thousands of tourists and Japanesecitizens come to visit this sight every year andHarry Truman’s grandson would be arriving in afew days on the 67th anniversary to pay respectsto the dead and call for world peace.

When I arrived I walked the perimeter of themonument to the side facing the river. It wascloser to the structural ruins and you could seebroken concrete and the remaining steelframework up close. The ground slightly rumbledbelow my feet. The electric tram cars were goingover a bridge nearby. Hiroshima city is unique in

Hiroshima/ Genbaku DomeWords and photos by Matt Furlane

travel

Atomic Bomb Dome

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 30


that it held on to this system of transportation. Thetrams, like buses in Korea, can easily be used to goaround the entire city. Several train cars are circa1940s and it's rumored that cars 651 and 652actually survived the war and are still used today.As I watched an older tram go over the bridge I felttransported back in time. It was a sky blue sunnyday, about 95 degrees, and the cicadas werechattering, maybe exactly like it was in 1945. Ilooked up into the sky in the direction where thebomb was dropped. It detonated about 2,000 feetin the air just southeast from where I was standing.A blast of heat incinerated everything. War is hell.

Later I walked through Peace Memorial Park with itseternal flame and then to one of the bridgesnearby just to look out over the water. A tour boatwent by and people walked about through thepark. Somewhere there were the famous ChineseParasol survivor trees (aka Phoenix Trees) that werecompletely shredded by the blast. They sproutedleaves the following spring in 1946. But I was tiredand getting hungry and decided to head back tomy hotel and return later.

At about 8 p.m. I rented an electric bike for about

Hiroshima after the atomic bomb attack

Cemetery near the Atomic Bomb Dome

Hiroshima today, modern and thriving

Wikipedia

500 yen. I returned to the Dome to find it lit up withflood lights. The park was still busy with pedestriansand school children walking about and peoplebiking to and fro. It was surprisingly serene, atestament to the fact that despite Hiroshima’spainful past there was an enduring spirit of peace.It was too dark to find the Phoenix trees though, soI just sat on a nearby park bench and watchedpeople come and go.

Later that night as I looked out my hotel window Icould see the bullet trains heading in and out oftheir station. I could only marvel at the spirit of theJapanese people. When you look at the ravagesof war, earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons itseems very few countries have experienced morehardship on a regular basis than Japan. And tothink that it wasn't but 19 years after the bombdropped that Japan hosted its first Olympics in1964 (the 1940 Tokyo Olympics were notablycanceled). Some have even noted that parts ofHiroshima in 2012 look similar to the booming 1970scity of Detroit in its architecture and skyline.Surprisingly, with its 1.2 million people, baseballteam, soccer team and being home to MazdaMotor Company, I found it to be a burgeoningindustrial city similar in size, character, andpopulation to Gwangju.

The next morning I hopped on the next Shinkansentrain headed to Tokyo to meet up with my friends.Over the next few days I would hit the morepopular tourist destinations l ike the AsakusaTemple, Edo Palace, and the immense Edomuseum. It provided a good introduction to Japanand it's culture but I only scratched the surface. Asmuch as I loved Tokyo I think Hiroshima is an equaldestination of importance not only because of itscurrent status as the first city to suffer an Atomicbomb attack but because of its resil ience inrecovering and it's newer mantra as a City ofPeace.

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 31


ummer vacation is the busiest time of the yearfor travel. While most people can easily goanywhere without restrictions, some people

have less opportunity to travel due to visarestrictions. For example, Indonesians, Vietnamese,Filipinos, Chinese, along with other nationalities.have less freedom to travel which can be veryfrustrating and even make travel to certaincountries impossible. If you have to go through avisa application process, you might want to readthe recommendations below:

1. Plan your trip well ahead of the timeThe longer the trip and the further the country, Isuggest you to set aside more time to do researchon visa application and planning for your trip. Thisis very important as many countries in Europe andAmerica require a lot of paperwork for visaapplication.

2. Contact the embassy of your destinationCall the embassy to confirm whether you need avisa to enter the country. If you do, ask themwhether you need to make a reservation forapplication. Some countries in Europe or Americarequire you to reserve an appointment and thiscan be fully booked in an instant. Give a minimumtwo months preparation time in advance beforeyour travel date to give you more time to reservea spot.

3. Prepare your itineraryAll embassies will require a full and detaileditinerary as part of the visa application process.Although this might sound l ike a hassle, it isactually quite useful as you also need to planwhere you want to go. This will make things easierlater, instead of being a burden.

4. Book tickets and hotels in advanceAll embassies will require you to show bookings forthe hotel and transportation (flight and sometimes

land transport as well, such as Eurail t icketreservation). Many people delay until the lastminute but if you do, the price will become moreexpensive. Try booking throughhttp://tour. interpark.com (Korean) orwww.booking.com. In my experience, both havegood and prompt customer service. Make sureyou check out the terms and conditions oncancellation policies. Some hotels won’t mind ifyou cancel the booking up to two days beforeyour arrival, giving you less risk in case your visa isrejected and you have to cancel your bookingwithout paying any cancellation fees.

5. Prepare all the necessary documentsThis is where all the work begins. Below are thestandard documents needed to apply for a visa:

i. Passport with more than 6 months validity untilthe last day of your travel

ii. Alien registration card also with expiry datemuch longer than your intended travel time

iii. Proof of employment or a student card

iv. Photo (make sure the photo matches thestandard regulation: white background, takenrecently within 3 months. All photo studios willknow when you ask them to take ‘visaapplication’ photos)

v. Proof of financial means: e.g.: Bank balancewithin 3-6 months or your bank deposit. The moredetailed the better the chance of successfullyreceiving a visa. If your travel is supported by yourspouse or your parents, you need to provide theirbank balances. Korean banks provide acertif icate called 잔고증명서 which shows thebalance of the accounts that you have. Thiscertificate can be issued in Korean and Englishand sometimes in other languages.

Travel Documents:What You Need toKnowWritten by Karina Prananto

travel

S

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 32


vi. Family Relation or Marriage Certificate (checkwhether they are okay with Korean documents or ifthey need to be translated into English)

vii. Payment Slips (급여대상): 3-6 months old for thosewho are employed

viii. Itinerary: The flight dates and hotel reservationshave to match the itinerary. Don’t forget to attachproof of accommodation and flight reservationconfirmation letter too.

Please refer to each country’s embassy for fulldetails and a complete list of documents you mayneed and make sure you have the original onesready with you when you go to the embassyshould they ask you to show them.

6. Dress to impress Most embassies require you to come in person andsometimes there will be an interview. For those ofus who live in Gwangju, we usually have to go toSeoul and this means extra transportationexpenses. But sometimes you can have a travel

agent represent you to apply for your visa, such asChina or Japan. Ask them whether you have tocome again in person to retrieve the passport or ifyou can have them deliver it to you. Some of theembassies also let a representative pick up thepassport for you but it is strictly for the travelagency or your immediate family members (whowil l need to show the family a registrationcertificate). Dress neatly when you come to theembassy. Regard this like a formal interview wherefirst impressions are very important.

Lastly, be prepared mentally for the worst. I believethat going through all the complicated process willmake your travel more rewarding. Happy travels!

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 33

Want to write about news from your country? Contact the Editor for more information:

[email protected].

Home Pages

IrelandBy Patrick Conway

Nunday, bloody NundayThey say there's none better than the Irish in theworks of charity and so it was proven again ona summer's day in Listowel, County Kerry. Apartfrom raising money for a self-harm and suicideprevention charity, all and sundry were there tobreak a world record for the most 'nuns' in oneplace. Interestingly, 200 people were turnedaway for not being in the correct attire (themind boggles, but we are talking about Kerry).Whoopi Goldberg wouldn't have had a look-inas men and women alike got into the habit.One participant worked up quite a thirst andgave a good mug shot, sinking a pint at thelocal establishment.

IndiaBy Sreejith

India Celebrates Independence day!On Wednesday, August 15, India commemoratedthe 65th anniversary of its independence fromBritish rule in 1947. The official celebrations wereheld at the majestic Red Fort in New Delhi wherePrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh hoisted thenational flag and addressed the nation. The sportof kite flying symbolizes Independence Day. Theskies are dotted with countless kites flown fromrooftops and fields to symbolize the free spirit ofIndia. One fact that remains is that India shares itsIndependence Day with South Korea.

34 Gwangju News September 2012

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 34

VietnamBy Nguyen Thi Le Hoa

September is one of the most important months inVietnam. It is the month in which the peoplecelebrate the birth of Vietnam (Sept. 2nd, 1945),and students all over the country are eager to starta new school year (September 5th) after about twomonths of summer vacation.

There is also the anniversary of President Ho ChiMinh’s death, who declared the Independence ofVietnam establishing the Democratic Republic ofVietnam. The President’s death had previously beenannounced to be on Sept. 3rd, 1969. In 1989, theVietnamese government decided to acknowledgethat Ho Chi Minh actually died exactly on theNational Day, Sept. 2nd, 1969. The announcementwas delayed one day in order not to break therejoicing of the Vietnamese people on the NationalDay at that time.

Dark Knight Wanna-beNew Jersey resident Matthew Argintar is facing criminalcharges of disorderly conduct and unlawful possession ofhandcuffs after he was arrested for hanging around aHome Depot store wearing a Batman-like superherocostume. He claimed he was trying to bring hope to hiscommunity by dressing as his character “Beast,” part ofthe “real life superhero” movement of vigilantes who helpinnocent people and attempt to thwart would-becriminals. The outfit consisted of a black mask, bulletproofvest, elbow pads, combat boots and a pair of handcuffs.He was unarmed. According to police, Argintar wasroaming around the parking lot asking shoppers whetherthey needed any help. Some people enjoyed seeing thecostumed man and had their kids pose with him forpictures. Others got scared and fled the scene thinkinghe was trying to copy the July 20th Colorado massacrewhich took place in a theater where the murder suspectwas dressed in combat gear with hair dyed orange.Argintar’s lawyer said the police overreacted when theyarrested him because there is no law against wearing acostume.

Story courtesy NY Daily News

U.S.A.By Stephen Redeker


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 35

36

What’s in a Name?Written by C. Adam Volle

ere’s an oddity you may not have noticed ifyou’re not fluent in the Korean language.

When the Germans were formally split into twoseparate nations in 1949, their respectivegovernments naturally took on different names forthemselves: the Federal Republic of Germanyassumed responsibility for Western Germany, whileEastern Germans found themselves ruled by theGerman Democratic Republic. Likewise, the divisionof the Vietnamese people into two countries from1954 to 1975 resulted in the rise of a northernregime named the Democratic Republic ofVietnam and a southern one named the Republicof Vietnam. And if you read their official titles inEnglish, you might think North and South Koreahave followed this same Cold War era namingconvention.

Read in the Koreans’ native script instead, then acurious disparity pops up: each country has adifferent word for Korea itself.

It was the Korean Communists who made thenatural choice, in 1948, of referring to their peopleas Joseon (조선) when asked by the Russians, whosedemocratic republic they would be. Joseon, afterall, had been the name of the land for most of thelast 543 years (and if you believed the ancientmyths, a total of over 2700). But new presidentRhee Syngman offered a different word for hisnewly formed country, when he proclaimed SouthKorea’s first republic: Hanguk (한국), lit. “the countryof the Han people”. The full name of this republicwould be Daehanminguk (대한민국), “the Republicof the Great Han People.”

This wasn’t a big surprise either. In choosingDaehan Minguk, President Rhee and the NationalAssembly were only preserving the name underwhich Korean freedom fighters had fought theJapanese colonizers for 35 years. The freedomfighters, in turn, derived their moniker fromDaehanjeguk (제국), “the Empire of the Great HanPeople”, because that happened to be the namethat the very last emperor of Joseon abruptly gavetheir homeland before his death.

That was a surprise. Mind you, Emperor Gojong’sheart was in the right place. The change reflectedhis overall effort at rebranding his dirt-poor kingdomas a modern nation-state, in the high hope Japanwould think twice about gobbling it up. He evenbought trendy Western outfits for everybody. Sadly,the plan didn’t work; Japan simply decided to eatfaster, annexing the peninsula in 1910.

Yet the Emperor’s spirit has this consolation: he maybe remembered far less for failing to continue oneof the world’s oldest dynasties than for gifting hiscountry with a wonderfully appropriate sobriquet itmay wear forever.

True, on a surface level “the country of the Hanpeople” seems an uninspired choice for the nameof…well, a country full of people who’ve alwayscalled themselves the Han. It was like renamingIsrael “the Country of the Jews” (Dear Prime MinisterNetanyahu: This is not a suggestion). But theemperor’s placement of his subjects’ name on thenational marquee was in itself, a revolutionary andempowering act, an acknowledgement of theirstake in his state – and regardless, Han is far morethan a mere label of an ethnic group.

Han once meant “great,” “country” and “leader”.Although the word was first written in Chinese lettersand the Chinese also call themselves “the Hanpeople” (although using different letters), mostscholars agree the Korean Han is not a loan wordfrom China. Koreans may have inherited the wordfrom their Altaic ancestors, from whom theMongolians have also descended. In fact the word“han” is a Sino-Korean cognate of the famous“khan”, and not only that, but the Korean word forthe number one is hana (하나). Consider how“being first” is identified with leadership in everyculture (e.g. our First Ladies) and you’ll understandwhy there likely is a phonetic connection.

More importantly, though, the word Han is also usedby Koreans to describe a particular emotionalburden that they believe is endemic in Koreanculture, even synonymous with it. It has no directEnglish equivalent, but it’s essentially a deep regret

H

culture

한


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:40 AM Page 36


Wikipedia

Emperor Gojong

for a terrible loss, whether incurred by duty ordisaster. A Korean man’s decision to marry thewoman his parents want for him, rather than thewoman he loves: this creates Han. So too did thecrushing poverty many Koreans once fought tosurvive.

It’s slightly more complicated than that, though.Central to the idea of Han is a lack of reconciliationto the pain. It’s nothing like a vague, immaturebelief that everything will somehow be right in theend, nor is it a desire to actively seek justice. It’s justa grim conviction not to resign one’s self to whathas happened, to never acquiesce in your heart towhatever evil you are otherwise helpless to resist.

This has proven a valuable national trait for Koreansin the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. SinceEmperor Gojong’s failed attempt to save theirhomeland, they’ve endured 381 years of foreignrule, a terrible civil war, and nearly 60 more years ofdivision, with half their people trapped in aCommunist dystopia. It is almost as if the old rulerrealized the inevitability of his defeat and re-namedhis lost country as a future reminder to his subjects ofwhom they must be: a nation capable of enduringsuch misfortunes, but never accepting them.Intentionally or otherwise, South Korea haspreserved this message in its name and languageever since, and almost a hundred years after theywere last independent and whole, the Han retaintheir Han.

Date: September 22 (Sat.), 08:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Itinerary:Wangin Baksa Museum - Wolchulsan (Wolchul Mountain)- Lunch: FarmRaised Chicken - Dogapsa (Temple) - Fig OrchardFee: 35,000 won for GIC members / 45,000 won for non-membersRegistration: Please sign up on GIC website (www.gic.or.kr) by September19 (Wed.)

For more information: [email protected]

1This figure includes the years in which Korea was administeredby the Soviet Union and U.S.A. as well as those it spent as acolony of Japan.

[GIC Tour]

Yeongam Tour with WarrenGIC Tour

with Warren

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:40 AM Page 37


event review

f the handful of music festivals held in hotand humid Korean summers, Jisan standsout for precisely one reason: location.

Tucked away in the inner folds of Incheon city, theJisan Forest Resort presents an idyllic landscape; awinding strip of land surrounded on either side bylush green walls with a cool stream flowing aroundits circumference. Indeed, the valley itself was oneof the l itt le compensations for the overalldisappointment in which the festival resulted. Sure,it had all the accoutrements that usuallyaccompany a music festival: good tunes, booze,an eclectic variety of food booths and an array ofcompanies using variegated displays and

Words and photos by Matthew Jenkins

O giveaways to lure festival goers. Yet the two mainthemes of age and evolution seemed to dominatethe scene.

On Friday, Elvis Costello rescued the festival from adroning James Iha (former Smashing Pumpkinsguitarist) to put on one of the most energetic andentertaining shows of the weekend. Taking the finalstage was Radiohead, who were clearly the mostanticipated act. They put on a good show,drawing mostly from their most recent album, Kingof Limbs. It was a funky set of quasi-psychedelictunes that showed neither their sorrowful nor angst-ridden side which fans have come to adore.

The 2012 Jisan Valley RockFestival: A Review

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 38


Concert goers saw a more grown-up and refinedversion of Radiohead, if not the one they mighthave hoped to see.

Saturday afternoon offered perhaps the brightestmoments of the festival, opening with a smatteringof Korean punk, hardcore, and shoegaze (TheStrikers, Hallow Jan, Apollo 18, respectively),followed by Motion City Soundtrack, a ratherpleasant pop-punk act from Minnesota. However,Saturday headliner James Blake’s monotonousbeeps-and-clicks were both anti-climactic andpainfully incongruent with the day’s lineup.

Sunday presented a quixotic – if sad – selection ofaging British Rockers. Following a blasé Japaneserocktronica and a few Korean alternative bandswere Beady Eye and the final big act of theweekend, The Stone Roses. While the latter twobands were entertaining, it was hard to ignore thefact that the music was overshadowed by thecareerist striving of aging and/or disaffectedrockers. Another factor that polluted the event’satmosphere was the blasting of a sickeninglycatchy tune singing the praises of a particularbrand of soda being pushed by an advertisingstand located directly behind the audience. Let’shope for a more rockin’ time at next year’sfestival.

Advertise with Gwangju News!Gwangju News is the longest-running Englishmagazine in Korea.

Target your customers by advertising with us. Morethan 4,000 copies are printed and sent to 2,000addresses all over Korea and the world.

Contact us for more details: 062-226-2733 or e-mail us to [email protected]

Place Your Ad With Us!

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 39

40 Gwangju News September 2012

ost people love their country. You’ll hearmany reasons why people think theircountry is the best in the world. Maybe it’s

the delicious and healthy food. It could be thebeautiful landscape and architecture of thebuildings. Perhaps it’s the friendly, good-lookingpeople. Korea possesses such beliefs about itscountry as well. There is a strong nationalisticfeeling in Korea. One of these particular beliefs isabout their heritage and ethnic identity. SomeKoreans think that as a nation and as a race ofpeople, they are a “pure blooded” populationand Korea has descended from a unified group ofancestors with no racial mixing.

Scientific study has revealed that the earliestsettlers on the Korean peninsula may have arrivedsome 500,000 years ago. Since then, earlymigrations came from the Siberian plains, thenMongolia and through the Manchurian area ofeastern China. DNA sample studies also showstrong similarit ies in traits between southernKoreans and the Japanese.

To truly understand this Korean myth, you have torecall history spanning the past century. In the very

early 20th century, the “purebloodline” belief came about

when historian Shin Chae-howrote about the Korean“minjok”, which he describedas a warrior group who foughtoff invaders to preserve theKorean ethnic identityhundreds of years prior. Hedecried that since the minjokmovement had been indecline, it was necessary to

reinvigorate the cause,especially due to Japanese

colonization and assimilation atthat time. This belief was a strong

way for the Korean people to resist

M

This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country has their own share of beliefs, fact orfiction, and many foreigners living in Korea are yet to hear or understand the basis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition

culture

Japanese rule and unite thepeople during a time ofserious national crisis.

As t ime continued, the“pure bloodline” mythremained a steadfastideology. Despite the factthat the beliefs in a purerace declined after theWorld War I I defeat ofGermany and Japan, Korea(both North and South) kepton teaching this philosophy. Itwas used as a political campaignby former presidents Rhee Syngmanand Park Chung-hee as a means to make thecitizens more obedient and support an anti-Communist agenda. North Korean propagandadeclared Koreans as “the cleanest race”. Thesebeliefs continue on today and help shape politicaland foreign relations. Also, it provides Koreansmotivation for national pride and further fuels hopefor a reunified Korea.

Times are changing and Koreans are forced to re-assess their beliefs in a single-blood population ofpeople. Korea is increasingly becoming moremulti-cultural, as many foreign workers andinternational couples are calling Korea their home.Multiculturalism was highly publicized in Korea byHines Ward, American football player andSuperbowl MVP. Ward’s father is African Americanand his mother is South Korean. After travelling toKorea, he preached acceptance of mixed-racedchildren and donated USD $1 million to found the“Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation” forhelping mixed-race children in Korea. But not allKoreans have accepted an international andmulti-cultural presence in Korea. Many migrantworkers and other immigrants st i l l facediscrimination and prejudice. Xenophobicconcerns arise from many Koreans when foreigners

Written by Stephen Redeker

Pure Bloodlines

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 40


Regular Class (Weekdays and Saturdays)

TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) Class

GIC Kindergarten

(Sept. 1 - Oct. 20)

Available Levels: Intensive Beginner, Beginner 1-2-3-4, Intermediate 1, AdvancedTime and Day: Intensive (Tue~Fri - 4 times a week) 10:30 a.m ~ 12:30 p.m.,

Regular Weekdays (Tue, Thurs - twice a week) Morning Class: 10:30 a.m. ~ 12:30 p.m.; Afternoon Class: 3 ~ 5 p.m.Regular (Saturdays - once a week) 10:30 a.m. ~ 12 p.m.

Price: Intensive: 150,000 won; Regular Weekdays: 80,000 won; Regular Saturdays: 50,000 won (excluding textbook and GIC membership fee)

Available Level: Level 2Time and Day: Tue, Thurs (twice a week) 7 p.m. ~ 9 p.m.Price: 100,000 won (excluding textbook, GIC membership fee and registration for TOPIK)

Reading Class

Time and Day: Sat (once a week) 1:30 p.m. ~ 3 p.m.Price: 50,000 won (excluding textbook and GIC membership fee)

Learn Korean through fairy tales, poetry and articles!

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TutoringTutoring is available for one hour oncea week for seven weeks. If you’d like toreceive tutoring for more than 1 hour aweek, please contact GIC.Fee: 100,000 won

K-Entertainment ClassAvailable Levels: IntermediateTime and Day: Sat (once a week) 1:30 p.m ~ 3 p.m.Price: 50,000 won (excluding textbook and GIC membership fee)

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Specially designed for preparation for the test

Please contact Boram Lee at [email protected] or by phone 062-226-2733/34 and www.gic.or.kr for more information.

(including United Nations committees) attempt torefute these claims about a pure race. SomeKoreans believe a challenge to this national beliefmay dilute the strong national pride of the peopleand weaken the desire for Korean reunification.

All things considered, believing in single, pure-blooded ethnicity was an integral ideology duringthe past century, given the many challenges thatKoreans faced. Maintaining a sense of nationalisticpride was essential during times of invasion byother forces which threatened the well-being andculture of Korea. Now in the modern era, Koreamust deal with the increasing number of multi-cultural families living here as many Koreans arebuilding families with partners from foreign nations.The number of people moving to Korea and raising

multi-cultural children is continually increasing aswell. In fact, roughly 15% of children born in Koreaare from a mixed marriage. Love and acceptancefor non-Koreans living in Korea is something thatwill hopefully be a widespread reality and, despitethose with conservative beliefs, will strengthen theKorean nation both in the eyes of its people and inthe rest of the world.

Sources: Shin Gi-wook, Ethnic Nationalism in Korea:Genealogy, Polit ics, and Legacy (StanfordUniversity Press, 2006); Pai Hyung-il, Constructing"Korean" Origins (2000), p. 6; Shin Hae-in, The KoreaHerald, 3 August 2006; Historical Atlas of Korea -Sakyejul Publishing Co.

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 41


language study

Dear Dr. Dave,I have read some questions about how yourecommend for foreign teachers to cope with Koreanco-workers, considering cultural differences at work. Iam in a management job, and my question is whatadvice do you give to Korean employers when wehave problems with foreign teachers? My English isgood, but not perfect and I think this givesdisadvantage when having problems with nativespeakers. Thank you for your consideration.SP

Dear SP,I think cultural conditions should always be taken intoconsideration. I also think that when working in aKorean institution, it is important to follow all well-intentioned policies of that institution. It is true thatsome native-speaker teachers may take advantageof their superior English proficiency, but it is also truethat they may be at a distinct disadvantage in other

ways. For example, it is notuncommon for institutions toconsider all Korean staff to be inpositions above that of the foreignfaculty. What needs to be donefrom the beginning of an Englishteacher’s employment is to make itclear who the teacher’s boss orbosses are and who is support staff,and who they should deal with fordifferent types of problems. All toooften, the administration does notbother to explain to the foreignteacher the administrative ladderand its procedures and processes,leaving the teacher feeling very,very frustrated.Dr. Dave

Hello Dr. Dave,I have to do many evaluations overthe next few days which requiressitting through many, many face-to-face interviews. Apart from drinkinghigh amounts of caffeine how can I

survive this? I appreciate this is my profession, andshould act accordingly, though come interview No.99, and asking questions that have repeatedly beenasked already, I challenge anyone to do soenthusiastically. Could you recommend a way toevaluate the conversational skills of mass amounts ofstudents effectively?Trying to stay awake.Dear Trying,I would agree that end-of-course interviews areusually not a very effective way of evaluating Englishlearners. I would also ask you to consider whether“evaluating the conversational skills” of your Englishlearners is a fair way to distribute grades. It is usuallythe case that the English proficiency of a member ofa class stays pretty much the same, relative to theother members of the class, from the beginning to theend of a course. So the most proficient students atthe beginning of the course will be the most proficientat the end of the course, and the least proficient at

By Dr. Dave Shaffer

Letters to KOTESOLIf you have a question for Dr. Dave, please send an e-mail to [email protected] lettingus know your question, students’ age and proficiency level.

Discussion during the breakout session of a professional development presentationat the August meeting of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL.

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 42


the beginning, the same at the end. Therefore if youare grading based on conversational skills, you aregrading on little more than their proficiency levelupon entering the course. What I suggest is to grademore on the student’s effort to improve their Englishproficiency. To do this is to evaluate throughout thecourse the student’s degree of participation, theirdegree of challenging themselves by using less-than-completely-acquired vocabulary and structures, theirmotivation. Yes, they will be making mistakes bychallenging themselves in this way, but they will alsobe the ones who are making the most progress atlanguage acquisition, and should be rewardedgrade-wise for their efforts.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,I’m a university instructor and someone lookingtowards a career in ESL. Though this may be a littletoo late, I wonder what advice you would give forsomeone to build on their qualifications in a shortamount of time. I already have a CELTA certificatethough am lacking the amount of free time requiredfor a DELTA. I’m wondering what you couldrecommend as a practical resume booster that couldbe done in a 4-week summer or winter break ratherthan simply sitting on a south-east Asian beachgetting sun burnt.Best regards.

Dear Best,The CELTA is a very good foundation certificate tohave, but it is of course a general certificate inteaching adults (CELTA = Certif icate in EnglishLanguage Teaching to Adults). However, manyEnglish instructors f ind themselves teachingspecialized courses of various types. Many universityinstructors are also required to teach young learnersclasses in their language centers, or Business English,or TOEFL courses. There are quite a few good coursesavailable online offering specialized TESL certificatesin teaching young learners, Business English, grammar,etc., as well as advanced TESL certificates. TESOLInternational Association also offers a number ofonline courses, including leadership and onlineteaching. Some universities in Korea also offer face-to-face as well as online vacation courses. There isreally quite a lot available. A good internet search willhelp you find what you may want or need.Dr. Dave

Dear Dr. Dave,Being lucky enough to work in the Korean publicschool system, I keep hearing this acronym “NEAT”being bandied about, and that it’s going to affectwhat we teach and how we evaluate students in the

Upcoming Gwangju KOTESOL Events

Suncheon Outreach WorkshopDate & Time: September 1 (Sat.), 1:00 p.m.Place: Suncheon National University

October Chapter MeetingDate & Time: October 6 (Sat.), 1:30 p.m.Place: Chosun University

Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOLWebsite: http://koreatesol.org/gwangjuEmail: [email protected]

“Dr. Dave” is David E. Shaffer, currentPresident of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapterof Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf ofthe Chapter, he invites you to participate inthe teacher development workshops at theirmonthly meetings. Dr. Shaffer is a professorof English at Chosun University, where hehas taught, graduate, undergraduate, andpostgraduate courses for many years. Hehas recently received the KOTESOL LifetimeAchievement Award.

future. Despite trying, I’ve yet to find a suitableexplanation of what NEAT is – would you be kindenough to tell me?Thanks,J

Dear J,

“NEAT” stands for “National English Ability Test.” Itspurpose, if or when the kinks are ironed out, is toreplace the present university entrance examination.It is planned that high school English assessment is totake place through an Internet-based test dividedinto a test for examining students’ ability to use thebasic academic English needed for university studies(called “Level 2”), and a test for assessing thepractical English skills necessary for day-to-day Englishusage (Level 3). An additional test (Level 1) isdesigned for adults. The Level 3 test focuses onEnglish skills rather than English knowledge, which isthe focus of the present university exam. Accordingly,if productive English skills such as speaking and writingare tested, they will need to be included in the highschool English curriculum. This would be a hugechange in the way English is taught in high schooland could lead to an increase in student proficiencyin the four skills before they enter university.Dr. Dave

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 43

Dialogue

은은행행원원 :: 어어서서 오오세세요요.. 뭘뭘 도도와와드드릴릴까까요요?? [[eeoosseeoo oosseeyyoo.. mmwwooll ddoowwaaddeeuurriillkkkkaayyoo??]]Banker : Hello. May I help you?

소소라라 :: 통통장장을을 만만들들고고 싶싶어어요요.. [[ttoonnggjjaannggeeuull mmaannddeeuullggoo sshhiippeeooyyoo..]]Sora : I’d like to open a new account.

은은행행원원 :: 먼먼저저 이이 신신청청서서를를 작작성성해해 주주세세요요.. [[mmeeoonnjjeeoo ii sshhiinncchheeoonnggsseeoorreeuull jjaakksseeoonngghhaaee jjuusseeyyoo..]]Banker : First, please fill out this application form.

여여기기에에 성성명명과과 연연락락처처,, 비비 번번호호를를 적적고고 서서명명하하시시면면 됩됩니니다다.. [[yyeeooggiiee sseeoonnggmmyyeeoonnggggwwaa yyeeoollllaakkcchheeoo,, bbiimmiillbbeeoonnhhoorreeuull jjeeookkggoo sseeoommyyeeoonngghhaassiimmyyeeoonn ddeeoommnniiddaa..]]Please write down your name, address, pin number and sign here.

여여권권이이나나 신신분분증증 가가져져 오오셨셨어어요요?? [[yyeeooggwwoonniinnaa ssiinnbbuunnjjeeuunngg ggaajjyyeeoo oossyyeeoosseeooyyoo??]]Do you have a passport or ID?

소소라라 :: 네네,, 여여기기 있있어어요요.. 그그런런데데 현현금금 카카드드도도 지지금금 만만들들 수수 있있어어요요?? [[nnee,, yyeeooggii iisssseeooyyoo.. ggeeuurreeoonnddee hhyyeeoonnggeeuumm kkaaddeeuuddoo jjiiggeeuumm mmaannddeeuull ssuu iisssseeooyyoo??]]

Sora : Yes, here it is. By the way, can you give me a cash card now?

은은행행원원 :: 물물론론입입니니다다.. 여여기기에에 성성명명을을 쓰쓰시시고고,, 서서명명해해 주주세세요요..[[mmuulllloonniimmnniiddaa.. yyeeooggiiee sseeoonnggmmyyeeoonnggeeuull sssseeuusshhiiggoo,, sseeoommyyeeoonngghhaaee jjuusseeyyoo..]]

Banker : Of course. Write down your name and sign here.

Reference: 김성희 외. (2009). 서강한국어 2B. 서울: 도서출판 하우서강한국어. Retrieved July 8, 2012 from http://korean.sogang.ac.kr

More useful expressions

- 이 돈을 잔돈으로 바꿀 수 있어요?[i doneul jandoneuro bakkul su isseoyo?] Can I break this money?- 신용카드 신청할 수 있어요? [shinnyongkadeu shincheonghal su isseoyo?] Can I apply for a credit card? - 환전 좀 하려고 합니다.[hwanjeon jom haryeogo hamnida.] I’d like to exchange some money. - 미국 달러로 바꿔 주세요. [miguk dalleoro bakkwo juseyo.] I’d like it exchanged into American dollars. - 이 백만원쯤 바꿔 주세요. [i baengmanwonjjeum bakkwo juseyo.] I’d like to exchange 2,000,000 won. - 캐나다에 돈을 좀 보내고 싶은데요. [kaenadae doneul jom bonaego shipeundeyo.] I’d like to send some money to Canada. - 700달러를 보내고 싶어요. [chilbaekdalleoreul bonaego sipeoyo.] I’d like to send 700 dollars. - 캐나다에서 이 돈을 언제쯤 받을 수 있어요? [kaenadaeseo i doneul eonjejjeum badeul su isseoyo?]When will (she/he) receive the money?

language study

Vocabulary 입금[ipgeum] deposit 출금[chulgeum] withdraw 송금[songgeum] sending money 저금[jeogeum] savings 계좌[gyejwa] account 수수료[susuryo] remittance charge 통장[tongjang] bankbook 현금카드[hyeongeumkadeu] cash card 현금자동지급기[hyeongeumjadongjigeupgi] a cash machine 비 번호[bimilbeonho] secret number, pin number 계좌(를) 개설하다[gyejwa(reul) gaeseolhada] to open an account

은은행행에에서서((AAtt tthhee BBaannkk))By Jung Soo-a


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 44

literature

Jiri Mountain is located in the southern region of South Korea, spanning three provinces: North and SouthJeolla, as well as Gyeongsang. Throughout Korean history, the mountain has taken up a variety of differentmeanings, reflecting many writers’ desires and needs of different moments in time. For some Korean writers,Jiri Mountain is a tragic figure of tumultuous modern Korean history. For others, it has been a figure of themagical, the sacred, the abundant, and the motherly. For others, Jiri Mountain has been metaphorized as amountain of the people and resistance, but also as a mountain of death and resentment, where fiercebattles were fought between the end of Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War, slaughtering manyKoreans. And still yet, for others, the mountain is a space of life and hope that renews the lives of today andtomorrow.

PPooeemmss IInnssppiirreedd bbyyJJiirrii MMoouunnttaaiinnTranslated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne RashidPhotos courtesy of eimoberg (www.flickr.com/photos/eimoberg)

Climbing Over Jiri Mountain by Kim Jun-taeI need to talk to the clouds.I need to talk to the wind.I need to talk to the stepping stones by the stream.I need to talk to the trees.I need to talk to the cigarette butts.Even though my words may, absurdly,become clouds or wind,or shake as trees at the end of December,or fly away as sleepless birds,or even if they become cigarette butts that one throws away without any thought,I need to name my words,like the water in a kettle that overflows when it boils,I need to scatter all of my wordsover every corner of the world.In fact, my words are their words;my songs are their songs.

智智異異山山을을 넘넘으으며며// 김김준준태태

나는 구름에게 말해야 한다나는 바람에게 말해야 한다나는 시냇가 디딤돌에게 말해야 한다나는 나무에게 말해야 한다나는 담배꽁초에게 말해야 한다내가 한 말이 어처구니 없이구름이 되거나 바람이 되거나저무는 12월 나무로 흔들리거나혹은 불면의 새로 날아가버릴망정무심코 던져버리는 담배꽁초가 될망정나는 나의 말에게 이름을 붙여주어야 한다주전자에 물이 끓으면 넘치듯이그렇게 그렇게 나의 모오든 말을세상 곳곳에 뿌려주어야 한다사실은 그들의 말인 나의 말을사실은 그들의 노래인 나의 노래를.


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 45

Spring of Jiri Mountain: Part Four—Climbing Over the Rocky Plateau by Koh Jung-hee

Beautiful they are—azaleas rolling over the Rocky Plateau.Giddy is the pink river waterthat flows like shimmering fresh blood.Washing off the sweat flowing from my forehead,I look down upon the ridges beneath my feet,and wonder, where does history flow?The longing gathering on the mountaintop is getting greener,and the wind of Moojin Field* is weeping in a choked voicein the forest of dried-up trees silenced, like Heaven’spunishment.Again I have to climb over that ridgefollowing the winding, uphill road.I have to climb, treading with my whole bodythe ridges of death that lie quietly face down.I have to climb over those ridges of despair,holding a knife against that world,but keeping the longing within that paints the western sky.Beyond this desolate life,beyond this gushing love,I should arrive at the field of Home filled with wild milk-vetch,listening to that ice-covered mountain breaking upthat nobody can tread upon.Tearful they make me—azaleas rolling over the Rocky Plateau.Giddy is the pink river waterthat flows like shimmering fresh blood.

*A former term for the region of Gwangju

지지리리산산의의 봄봄 44----세세석석고고원원을을 넘넘으으며며// 고고정정희희

아름다워라세석고원 구릉에 파도치는 철쭉꽃선혈이 반짝이듯 흘러가는분홍강물 어지러워라이마에 흐르는 땀을 씻고발 아래 산맥들을 굽어보노라면역사는 어디로 흘러가는가, 산머리에 어리는 기다림이 푸르러천벌처럼 적막한 고사목 숲에서무진벌 들바람이 목메어 울고 있다나는 다시 구불거리고 힘겨운 길을 따라저 능선을 넘어가야 한다고요하게 엎드린 죽음의 산맥들을온몸으로 밟으며 넘어가야 한다이 세상으로부터 칼을 품고, 그러나서천을 물들이는 그리움으로저 절망의 능선들을 넘어가야 한다막막한 생애를 넘어용솟는 사랑을 넘어아무도 들어가지 못하는 저 빙산에쩍쩍 금가는 소리 들으며자운 꽃 가득한 고향의 들판에 당도해야 한다눈물겨워라세석고원 구릉에 파도치는 철쭉꽃선혈이 반짝이듯 흘러가는분홍강물 어지러워라


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 46

지지리리산산 운운해해// 복복효효근근

어머니는 또햇솜을 저리 넓게 펴 놓으시고이불을 지으려나보다

가으내 산마루 별밭에서목화를 따시더니

묶어보낸 전답 하나 없이닳아진 숟가락 하나 없이제금 내보낸 첫째 둘째 셋째...

아직 새벽서리 바람 차운데

넉넉한 아침 햇살 잘 펴져서세상일 따뜻해질 때까지내 딸 내 새끼 이 세상 모든 짐승 새끼들도새 이불 펴 덮고 꽃잠 자라고

지리산 어머니섬처럼 홀로 서서햇솜을 펴 널고 계신다

The Moonrise Hill by Lee Sung-bu

The moon that rises over Jiri Mountaindoesn’t illuminate grass and trees and roads,but she shines upon the traces of tears that won’t come off from inside people’s hearts.The stars of early autumn look closerand the sky is a deep blue mirror.The hearts touched by this moonlighthave disappeared in a row, intermittently, into the mountain’s shadow, and today, even the ghosts have stopped their wandering andshoutingand pass between shadows, dropping their heads.I only glimpsed the moon that rises over the hill--a moon that has seen me in the midst of quiet and yethas not spoken--and I have collapsed on the grass to catch my breath.Every time brightness and shadow rustle together,I hear lost love, sorrow, and anger rushing in again.

The Sea of Clouds in Jiri Mountain by Bok Hyo-geun

Again Mother appears to make a blanket,spreading the new cotton wide.

Throughout the autumn she collects the cotton from the upper field of the mountain ridge.

Mother remembershow she sent out the first, the second, the third,without even a patch of farmland to pass along,without even a worn-out spoon.

At dawn,the frosty wind is still chilly.

With new blankets, she wishes for sweet dreams for her sons and daughters, and for all the offspring in this worldtill the world gets warm with the generous morning sunlight.

Mother of Jiri Mountainhangs up the new cotton, standing alone like an island.

달달뜨뜨기기재재// 이이성성부부

지리산에 뜨는 달은풀과 나무과 길을 비추는 것이 아니라사람들 마음속 지워지지 않는눈물자국을 비춘다초가을 별들도 더욱 가까워서하늘이 온통 시퍼런 거울이다이 달빛이 묻은 마음들은한줄로 띄엄띄엄 산그림자 속으로 사라지고귀신들도 오늘은 떠돌며 소리치는 것을 멈추어그림자 사이로 고개 숙이며 간다고요함 속에서 나를 보고도 말 걸지 않는고개에 솟는 달 잠깐 쳐다보았을 뿐풀섶에 주저앉아 가쁜 숨을 고른다밝음과 그림자가 함께 흔들릴 때마다잃어버린 사랑이나 슬픔 노여움 따위가새로 려오는 소리를 듣는다

*달뜨기재 지리산 동쪽 웅석봉과 연결된 산줄기의 고개 이름


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 47

perspective

Did you serveyour time?

s many of you know, all Korean men areobligated to serve in the military – Army,Navy or Air Force. Korean society believesthey should fulfill their duty as a Korean

citizen as long as they are physically and mentallysound.

When they are assumed to be ready to serve in themil itary (in their early 20s), they are given athorough physical examination at the MilitaryManpower Administration (MMA), to determinewhether they are fit to serve in the military or not.However, some of them try to dodge the militarydraft by failing the check-up by having numeroustattoos on the body, pulling out some teeth oralleging to be mentally unstable. Also, there arepeople who don’t have to serve in the military due

to l inks to officials ingovernment. Those young

men with governmentconnections are often

called "Sons of God."You can probablyguess why they arecalled so.

I didn’t fall into sucha category. Havingterrible eyesight, Ihad to cheat on myeyesight test by

A

Written by 8ball (Kim Dong-hun)

learning what is written on the test board so that Icould be deemed fit to serve in the military. I reallyhave no idea what inspired me at that moment,but I have never regretted that decision. As a result,I served in the military as a "KATUSA," KoreanAugmentation To United States Army, for 26 monthsfrom 2001 – 2003. As a KATUSA, I could experienceboth sides during my military service – the ROKArmy and the US Army.

But even if I was given a chance to turn back time Iwould never go back to the days when I was inboot camp. I wasn’t allowed to go use the latrine,take a shower, sleep or rest unless I was told to doso. I had to be a robot programmed to dowhatever I was instructed to do.

If someone asks me if my military service was goodand satisfactory, I would say, “yes” and “no”. Whileserving in the military, I became physically quite fitand learned a lot. Furthermore, I had the honor ofworking for my country during my service. But therewere downsides, too. I was stuck in the Army in theheyday of youth, which interrupted my academicyears and delayed my graduation.

It is a duty we all should observe. So don’t be afraidand man up! After all, two years will elapse quicklyand you will become a better person physicallyand mentally during and after the military service.So go ahead! The country wants YOU!

stud

yon.

co.k

r


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 48

Kimchi Noodle 김김치치말말이이국국수수food and drink

Words and photos by Kim Wooyeon

1. Sieve kimchi liquid, pour broth into the bowl and freeze it until it cools down.2. Season kimchi with sugar and sesame oil. 3. Boil plain noodles and rinse them with cold water. (Tip. while the noodles are boiling addcold water and the noodles out when the water boils again. This makes the noodlesstringy.)4. Put noodles in the bowl, pour broth in it, add a garnish on top of the noodles, and serve it.

Things to prepare

Cooking Method

n Korea, hot weather continues outside from June. In this weather, to do grocery shopping everyday ishard for all mothers. And all family members prefer cold and plain dishes more than heavy ones. Here isthat cold and tasty "Kimchi Noodle" which can satisfy all of you. As a garnish, besides kimchi, you can

add anything you want to the noodle soup. For example, I add cucumber and an egg because I havethem. And if you have broth in your refrigerator, the cooking time will be shorter. If you don't have it, don'tworry about it. You can buy it at any market in Korea.

I

Plain noodles 130g, vegetable broth ⅓ cup, kimchi 100g, ½ egg, kimchi liquid ½ cup, sugar 1tsp,sesame oil 1tsp


Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:4 AM Page 49


ind Gwangju’s hot places! Are you looking for awesome restaurants for lunch in Gwangju? In thelate morning when you wake up with your growling stomach and tired body, cooking is annoying.In the Sangmu area, there are many places you can please your taste buds during lunch hour with

special prices; these restaurants are gaining popularity among Gwangju citizens.

Restaurant traveling is always pleasing, and there are a lot more fabulous places you can visit at niceprices, especially during lunch hour in Gwangju. Now, are you ready for your happy lunch? Bon appetit!

Sangmu Lunch Specials!Words and photos by Kim Sera

food and drink

F

In this restaurant, smoked duck meat and two kinds of pork belly are served as part ofthe lunch special with some salad, a plate of okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) andKorean side dishes. They also offer five options to have after the meal: bibimbab, hot-pot rice, scorched rice stew and two kinds of naengmyeon (cold noodles), with spicysauce or beef broth. What is more surprising is you can enjoy this special lunch from11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., regardless of day of the week or if it is a holiday, at the price of8,800 won per person. Moreover, they refill all the side dishes on your table wheneveryou want and you can get your peach iced tea waiting for you in a corner anytime forfree. Isn’t this restaurant a generous version of a buffet?

Ahn Ahp Ji (안안압압지지) – Duck meat*Price: 8,800 won per person (Single person order unavailable)*Location: Behind Sangmu E-mart

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:5 AM Page 50


Weishik Myeongga 외외식식명명가가– Bulgogi

This restaurant, located on thestreet of Sangmu’s StarboxSauna, next to the SK gasstation, serves you an amazingamount of bulgogi in a bigboiling pot with mushrooms andsome vegetables. You can getyour salad whenever you wantmore. The price is 7,000 won perperson (single person orderunavailable).

California Roll 캘캘리리포포니니아아 롤롤– Sushi

If you are a movie person, hereis the ideal restaurant for you. Beit on weekends or weekdays,with your movie ticket fromSangmu Columbus cinema ofthe same day, you can beserved a plate of fabulous porkcutlet for free in this restaurant.The prices on the menu arearound 6,000 – 13,000 won, it’slocated opposite ColumbusCinema, on the street of ParkSeung Chul’s hair studio. Variouslunch set menus are available,the food is fresh, and the kitchenis open to see.

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:5 AM Page 51

ell, it is official, the end of summer is nearand well, we have to get ready for thecool, cool fall and winter time. For many it

is also the end of the vacation season so here ishoping that you had a great one. As the southernhemisphere prepares for the blooming of daffodilsand cherry blossoms we are ready for the amazingKorean autumn foliage turning from green to brightyellow and vivid orange.

Are you ready to say goodbye to the summer rain,humidity and crazy fizzy hair with cooler mild daysthat are lovely and dry without the persistent sweatstains? Yes, please! So get ready to layer up forsome really hot days in between that will start cooland end cool but the most important factor is foryou to look cool while going about your dailyaffairs.

Cheer up, and instead of being really sad aboutthe sombre browns and oranges that are soon tobe overtaking your wardrobe, say goodbye tosummer with a bright splash of color that screams:“I really had an amazing time with you summerand thanks for the memories!” Therefore, in thismonth’s edition of Fash-on with xxl jjdp we take alook at the late summer hoodie.

Don’t worry about splashing out on expensive itemsjust yet as T-shirts and shorts are still very much stillappropriate, you are just transitioning by layeringup with a light jumper or a light as a featherhoodie. For me, and many out there when we thinkof hoodies we think thick and heavy, alwayscomfortable winter wear used for snuggling in bedor on the couch or just trying to protect your earsfrom the freezing cold. However, I found somefantastic brightly colored light gauze ones perfectfor those cool crisp autumn dusks and dawns thatwil l take you from boring to bonanza in onesecond.

Shot in Hong Kong which by day is all business and

FFaasshh--OOnn wwiitthh xxxxll jjjjddpp

Words by jjdpPhotos by xxl jjdp and Michele Sevior

fashion

HHoonngg KKoonngg HHooooddiiee--lluumm


W

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at night party, party, party, I created looks that caneasily be adapted for anywhere. For the first daylook I paired a basic tangerine v-neck with mysignature homemade cut-off jeans shorts to which Iadded a hoody in an electric blue to contrast.Very easy and takes virtually no thought at all.Note that I have mixed and matched vibrant huesfrom opposite sides of the color spectrum in orderto create the most visual contrast so that you canbe the most electric and energetic wherever yougo to party your nights away.

Summer is also all about sandals and letting yourfeet be free. Usually as the temperatures rise wereach for generic thong flip flops but be differentand take your footwear to another level with aRoman-inspired gladiator sandal. Feel like a warrioras you take to the streets, ready to battle it out withthe urban jungle and make people actually noticeyour feet with style.

As a general style rule, if I find something that worksin an item of clothing I always purchase it in variouscolors because you can always mix and matchand make the most of your own signature style. Forinstance, I got the featured v-necks which arerelatively inexpensive in a host of colors; maroon,navy, grey, white and black. I also worked it withthe hoodies starting with a safe electric blue and

then venturing out into shocking neon peach andhighlighter green for when you are feeling extraadventurous. The latter are perfect for a night outdancing and partying or just for making sure youdon’t get lost in the crowd, but just have fun andenjoy the last of the summer heat with vibrantshocking colors that you can easi ly createeffortless comfortability with to keep you in avacation frame of mind for a while longer.

So there you have it, some ammunition to carryyou through the inbetween time from summer toautumn in three easy steps. Bright t-shirt,contrasting hoodie and gladiators. Just make sureto wash your colors separately from whites orotherwise you will end up with a rainbow on yourfavorite white shirt.

Have fun, experiment, stand out and enjoy the skinyou are in.

Shot on location at the W Hotel Kowloon, Hong Kong To check out more of JP’s photos please check out his site at:http://jacimages26.carbonmade.com/

ClothingCut off denim shorts - Abercrombie and FitchV-neck t-shirts - Trugen / H&M Gauze Hoodies - Mr Street on gmarket.comGladiator sandals - Asos.com


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Community Board


Gwangju Ice

Hockey Team

Looking for men and women

of all ages to join us every

Saturday night from 7:30

p.m. to 9 p.m. at Yeomju Ice

Rink near World Cup

Stadium. If you are

interested, contact either

Andrew Dunne at

[email protected] or

Chris Wilson at:

[email protected]

Kittens to haveThey are free, but you needto vacinate them. They are Korean short hairs.The kittens are 5 months old.Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 or [email protected]

Have something you want to share with the community?Gwangju News’ community board provides a space for you to announce your club’s activity, special events and so on. Please send us the information in 200 words or less to [email protected].

Dance Workshop in GIC The dance workshop will beheld every 2nd sunday byAngie Harley at the GIC. Ifyou are interested in joining,please contact Angie [email protected] will learn basic danceand create danceperformance with specific

theme in this workshop.

Gwangju Inter FCThe Gwangju internationalsoccer team (Gwangju Inter FC) playsregularly most weekends. If you are interested inplaying, e-mail:[email protected] or search ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ onFacebook.

mu:m English Academy –Bongsun-dongRun by Principal Jun Im and with teachersKay Kim and Julie Jang, mu:m EnglishAcademy is for elementary and middleschool students. In addition to a well-established learning system featuring nativespeakers and mu:m eye (reading pen)technology, special online programs andreading, writing, and listening materials areused. We are NOT your ordinary hagwon!With an electronic keyboard and a movieprojector, and featuring special cookingand activities classes, our goal is to makeEnglish learning fun! 062-655-3405http://cafe.daum.net/mumEnglishFun classes, Experienced teachers, andEffective Techniques!

Sung Bin Home for GirlsSung Bin Home for Girls is looking forcreative/ active/ energetic/outgoing/ enthusiastic long-termvolunteers to join in our regularSaturday program. We would likeyou to give at least two Saturdaysper month. Meet every Saturday at1p.m. in front of downtownStarbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering informationplease contact Daniel Lister at:[email protected].

The Gwangju Photography

ClubThe Gwangju Photography Club is a

place where many different people

can meet, share advice, give ideas,

and practice photography. Every

month, the Photography Club goes

on a photo outing to different places

around the city and country to

capture the moment and practice

new techniques. Anyone is welcome

to join the photography group and

help share in the experience. To join

the group, search Gwangju

Photography Club on Facebook.

Come Try Yoga! Vinyasa/Ashtanga style yoga class (eithercontinuous flow or set series of postures). Alllevels welcome. Teacher Rebecca Moss wastrained in Vinyasa yoga in 2008 and has taughtall ages and levels.5,000 won suggested donation if you have it.Money is donated to charity Wednesday Morning Class10:30 - 11:30 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.Sunday Evening Class7:15 - 8:15 p.m.Place: Above the Underground Grocer inMigliore (in the alley across from Zara). Email [email protected] for more info.Facebook page: Gwangju Yoga. JoinFacebook group for updates/changes.

Sept 2012_4 2012.8.30 10:44 AM Page 54


Midway between Kunsthalle and theGrand Hotel, across the main street atthe traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

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