Groove Korea July 2014 by Groove Korea

www.groovekorea.com

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EDITORIAL

To comment, email editor@groovekorea.com

My Itaewon Through its many transformations, the town is still my home

Editorial

By Paul Matthews, resident

’ve been in Korea for 14 years, and 13 of them have been spent in roughly the same spot, just a few minutes’ walk from Itaewon Station. The main strip and adjoining streets may be buzzing with people, but when you start heading into the alleyways, things quiet down. Our little neighborhood is a relatively peaceful, slightly decrepit sanctuary, just a few steps from where the action happens. We live under the towering presence of Yongsan-gu Office — the giant, glittering trapezoid that sprung up a few years ago — itself a reminder that Itaewon is changing. The district is in flux and our neighborhood may soon be gone. The villa we once called home now has a craft beer bar occupying the ground floor, the local butcher gave way to a nail parlor, the rice seller morphed into a boutique and the video store has been succeeded by a series of ill-fated cafes. Itaewon is not what it used to be. Back in the early 2000s Itaewon was less about fine dining, vintage clothes and fancy beers, and more about leather goods and heavy drinking with a side of salaciousness. It had a wild reputation not helped by the Burger King murder of ‘97, and it could be difficult to persuade friends that it was a safe place to visit. If you were out after 9 p.m. you probably wouldn’t get into too much trouble, though Itaewon certainly felt more dangerous than other parts of Seoul. I have seen a fair few casualties on the streets and occasionally run into the odd nasty piece of work, but I’m still in one piece and happy to report that our neighborhood is much safer than it used to be — even though you might still have to pick your way through the broken bot-

tles, semi-conscious English teachers and puddles of vomit on a Sunday morning. Itaewon is constantly changing, with its grimy, small-town charm gradually being replaced with gourmet restaurants and big-brand clothing or cosmetics shops. As each old shop falls by the wayside, there’s a trendy bistro or a fashionable franchise waiting to step in. I worry that the future for our area will be similar to that of Insa-dong. The places that give Itaewon character may be priced out of the market, and all that will be left will be a collection of uncharacteristic coffee shops, ugly outlet stores and overpriced hamburger franchises. I’ve loved my 13 years in Itaewon, and I’m grateful to the community of residents who still surround me and to the shopkeepers, bartenders and restaurateurs who help give Itaewon its personality. But I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay here. Our small town is turning into a full-blown tourist attraction. Chances are that our homes will have to make way for new cafes, and it’ll be time to move elsewhere. I have fond memories of the Itaewon of the past, I’m grateful for the Itaewon of the present, but I fear for the Itaewon of the future. Yongsan-gu Office stands as a monument to what the coming years may bring, and perhaps a sign of what the government wishes for Itaewon to become. I still prefer the ramshackle rows of houses and shops behind it, and I hope that no matter what happens, we can still keep some of our grimy small-town charm without becoming a characterless Gangnam clone. For the time being, Itaewon is still my home.

next up: august 2014 Food

Music & Arts

Cool, healthy, powerful, sexy. This is your body on smoothies. Not only are they the absolute mecca of refreshment when the pavement outside your window shimmers with heat and the trees sag under humidity sent from the devil, they’re also an awesome way to pump whole raw food into your system without having to gnaw on uncooked vegetables and yet another apple. If you’re working extra hard this summer to keep away the jiggle, they’re also the perfect thing to fill you up without making your shorts tight. Everyone wins!

The gayageum’s silken strings have a distinctly Eastern twang, even when they’re embracing modern music. The instrument has been amassing scores of views on YouTube thanks to an innovative young musician named Luna. Her modern pop and rock songs played on this historic instrument create a unique and captivating sound. Her recent album “Luna by Luna” consists of both cover songs and originals, including renditions of songs by Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Air and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Luna carefully selected the album’s featured songs to showcase the gayageum’s distinctive sound.

Column by Shelley DeWees

Column by Sophie Boladeras

Smoothie party!

www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

Luna Lee: Gayageum goes contemporary

CONTENTS

What’s in this issue

ISSUE 93 JU ly 2 0 1 4

46 GROW LOCAL WELCOME

06 Editorial: MY ITAEWON

Paul Matthews reflects on how life is changing in the shadow of Yongsan-gu Office.

12 Key people

44 THIS SUMMER, GO LOCAL

COVER STORY

24 ITAEWON FREEDOM

Groove sought out some first-hand accounts of the seedy underbelly that — for better or worse — has sprouted the most vibrant expat community in Seoul.

Introducing some of the editors, writers and photographers behind the July issue

13 The inbox

14 Must reads

Look who’s coming to dinner: Food boxes via community-supported agriculture in Seoul.

50 FLY THE COOP 52 EASY CHEESY

A selection of our editors’ favorite articles

Doug Huffer isn’t kidding around with his goat’s milk cheese from Waeg Farm — this man means business.

16 On the Cover

54 SAVE THE BEES!

18 What’s on

Local beekeepers try to keep the dream — and their hives — alive in Seoul.

Festivals, concerts, happy hours, networking and events for every day of the month

New school of ‘sea women’; Park tells big business to stay out of food trucks; Patients in hospital hit by fire were tied to beds; Child molester nabbed near school; ‘Let them play golf,’ Pyongyang says

46 SHAKE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU

Step outside your comfort zone with a weekend of farming at WWOOF locations all over the peninsula.

Opinions and feedback from readers

22 the news

The local food movement is taking root in Korea. Check out Groove’s guide to what’s fresh, available and more affordable than you’d think.

INSIGHT

42 REACHING OUT

We offer the nitty gritty details of how to contact your bank if you’re abroad when crisis hits.

Check out our GrooveCast episodes on these stories at groovekorea.com.

56 GET YOUR GARDEN GROWING

Seoul City Farmers are laying the groundwork (and seeds, and planters) to jumpstart our food revolution. Let’s get on board.

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CONTENTS

What’s in this issue

ISSUE 93 JU ly 2 0 1 4

76 FOOD

Music & Arts

3.14 + BEER: It all adds up With artisan pizzas at budget-friendly prices, Brew 3.14 in Insa-dong will have you circling back.

FASHION FORWARD A group of “dudes from South Africa” parlay a street fashion blog into a tasteful menswear line.

76 WANT REAL FILMS? GO FANTASTIC

THE MATURATION OF THE PB & J A how-to for rocking peanut butter sandwiches when you’re old enough to have a pension plan.

Stepping out from Busan’s shadow, the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival relishes in being a little left of center.

78 KOREA OFF THE BEATEN TRACK 70 Destinations

A RESPITE FROM REALITY Our writer explores the markets, back alleys and gay clubs that make Bangkok the “Amsterdam of Asia.”

68 REFLECTIONS ON A RESTAURANT

An unlikely Korean ambassador brings his native country’s food to Estonia — and vows to never come home.

70 EAT, HIKE, SWIM

ARC magazine sets out to showcase the quirks that make the ROK beautiful, confounding and alien-friendly.

THE BARBeRETTES A retro-inspired girl group tackles pre-‘60s Motown — just don’t call them K-pop.

82 AT THE BOX OFFICE

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (Jult 31) “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (July 17)

83 DVD CORNER

“Who’s That Knocking at My Door (저수지에서건진 치타)” “Hwayi: A Monster Boy (화이: 괴물을 삼킨 아이)”

A stone’s throw from Seoul, Songtan offers lowkey attractions and a high dose of charm.

Check out our GrooveCast episodes on these stories at groovekorea.com.

84 Capturing Korea

84 Hidden treasures of an island’s past Simon J. Powell captures the sights and personalities of Jeju’s Seomun Market.

Distractions

GROOVE LISTINGS Doctors, travel agencies, restaurants, hotels, airlines, nightclubs and more

COMICS

GAMES

HOROSCOPES

Credits - Contributors

K EY PEOPLE

Some of the editors, writers and photographers behind this month’s issue

KOREA 4th floor, Shinwoo Bldg. 5-7 Yongsan 3-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea.

Beryl Sinclair U.S.

Contact Info (010) 5348-0212 / (02) 6925-5057 For Advertising ads@groovekorea.com For General Inquiries info@groovekorea.com E D I TORIA L Editorial Director Elaine Ramirez elaine@groovekorea.com Insight Editor Matthew Lamers mattlamers@groovekorea.com Community Editor Jenny Na jenny@groovekorea.com Music & Arts Editor Emilee Jennings emilee@groovekorea.com Food & Destinations Editor Shelley DeWees shelley@groovekorea.com Editor-at-large John M. Rodgers jmrseoul@gmail.com Senior Copy Editor Jaime Stief Copy Editors Daniel Deacon, Karie Schulenburg, Kevin Lee Selzer GrooveCast Host Chance Dorland chance@groovemedia.co.kr Social Media Team Bruce Iberg, Celeste Maturen, Tom Sollitt ART & D E S I G N Art Director Park Seong-eun sam@groovekorea.com Illustration Director Wilfred Lee wilfred@groovemedia.co.kr Design Adviser Prof. Kim Duck-mo

Beryl grew up in a pine forest in Massachusetts. After studying philosophy in Scotland, she moved to Seoul where she plays backgammon and tends to her windowsill nasturtiums. She studies traditional fermentation and is an avid brewer, from moonshine to makgeolli. She runs an urban gardening project in the center of the city and is happiest with dirt under her fingernails.

Haeryun Kang Korea/U.S.

Haeryun Kang majored in German Studies at Macalester College, Minnesota. After graduating, she “returned” to Korea — she hadn’t lived in the country since 2001, so there wasn’t a lot to return to — and decided to try out living as a Korean. She’s still trying. She is currently living in Ulsan, and looking for journalism jobs in Seoul.

Simon Hunter-Williams M AR KE T I NG & A D M I NI S T R ATI O N CFO Steve Seung-Jin Lee steve.lee@groovekorea.com Marketing Executive Jay Park jpark@groovemedia.co.kr Manager Peter Chong yschong@groovekorea.com Accounting Choi Hye-won Web, I.T. Dan Himes danhimes@groovekorea.com W R I TE RS & P R O O F R E A D E R S

Alejandro Callirgos, Alexander Hall, Anita McKay, Anna Schlotjes, Annie Narae Lee, Anthony Levero, Beryl Sinclair, Christopher Green, Connor Dearing, Conor O’Reilly, Conrad Hughes, Daniel Deacon, Daniel Kang, Dave Hazzan, Dean Crawford, Deva Lee, Eileen Cahill, Elaine Knight, Felix Im, George Kalli, Haeryun Kang, Hyunwoo Sun, Ian Henderson, Ian McClellan, Jamie Keener, Jean Poulot, John Power, Kellie Ell, Ken Fibbe, Ken Hall, Kyndra Love, Leslie Finlay, Liam Mitchinson, Matt VanVolkenburg, Paul Sharkie, Rajnesh Sharma, Remy Raitt, Ron Roman, Ryan Ritter, Sean Maylone, Shireen Tofig, Simon Hunter-Williams, Sophie Boladeras, Stephanie Anglemyer, Timothy Cushing, Walter Stucke, Wilfred Lee

P H OTOGR A P H E R S & I L L U S TRATO RS

Andrew Faulk, Colin Dabbs, Craig Stuart, Darren Farrell, Dirk Schlottmann, Don Sin, Dylan Goldby, Fergus Scott, Hannah Green, James Kim, Jen Lee, Jessica Lia, Jon Linke, Jungeun Jang, Kaegan Saenz, Kevin Kilgore, Merissa Quek, Michael Hurt, Michael Roy, Min Pang, Nicholas Stonehouse, Nina Sawyer, Pat Volz, Peter DeMarco, Rob Green, Sabrina Hill, Samantha Whittaker

U.K.

Simon has freelanced and worked for a variety of newspapers and magazines including The Jerusalem Post, The Pink Paper, The Guardian, Internet Monthly and others. He was editor of View from the Hill magazine and comics “Lighting Dog” and “Commander Rix.” He is now based in Seoul and can be spotted around the capital, sometimes with a cap, but always a friendly smile — say hi!

Kyndra Love U.S.

Kyndra Love is a U.S. native who as a child loved picking berries in her backyard. After receiving her Master’s degree in Korean Studies from the University of Hawai’i, she now works as an editor based in Seoul. She is a food enthusiast and wishes she had a green thumb.

Publisher Sean Choi sean@groovekorea.com To contribute to Groove Korea, email submissions@groovekorea.com or the appropriate editor. To write a letter to the editor, email editor@groovekorea.com. To have Groove Korea delivered to your home or business, email subscribe@groovekorea.com. To promote your event, email events@groovekorea.com. To advertise, email ads@groovekorea.com. The articles are the sole property of GROOVE MEDIA CO. Ltd. No reproduction is permitted without the express written consent of GROOVE MEDIA CO. Ltd. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

12 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

Jaime Stief Canada

Jaime is from Waterloo, Ontario, and has lived in Seoul since June 2012. Her MA is in Communications, but that doesn’t always translate to being able to speak coherently. When she isn’t at work, she’s busy trying to build up a tolerance to spicy food. She follows more blogs than she cares to admit. Jaime is Groove Korea’s senior copy editor.

TH E I NB OX Groove readers’ opinions and feedback

Letter to the editor At long last, the Malaysian prime minister has announced that his government will release a report on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370. After reading this, I thought, is this really the end of it? Finally, a report that can solve the mystery! But after thinking about it for several minutes, I concluded that maybe it is human nature to want to forget everything quickly. According to a recent study, humans need a change every 12 minutes, and they try to forget or change the issue at hand after short intervals. The Malaysian news has arrived on the heels of the Sewol ferry sinking, en route to Jeju from Incheon on April 16. Just as before, people are thinking about the cause of the accident. Many people think the disaster was caused by a sudden sharp turn taken by the ship just before 8:50 a.m. Officials have questioned why the captain didn’t give the order to evacuate the ship, even after calls to do so from the Vessel Traffic Services Center. But in the end, the captain was right: He was responsible for more than 400 passengers — how could he have ordered the guests to evacuate the ship when there was no one there to rescue them? There was only a single helicopter with a few boats that arrived on the scene more than half an hour after the initial event. Just as with the Malaysian plane mystery, most of the media have called the Sewol sinking a senseless tragedy. A lot of questions have been raised, including whether this was the fault of a single person and why the sharp turn brought about this tragic event. As human beings, we don’t need to wait for a report to tell us this accident must not be forgotten. Although there are no satisfactory answers to all the questions that have been raised, we, as a nation, should continue to pray for the departed souls and think about how can we prevent so-called mysteries like these from recurring. By Arslan Shehzad

Subscribe Get Groove Korea delivered to your door every month. All you pay is the postage. Find out more by emailing subscribe@groovekorea.com.

KOREA

www.groovekorea.com

MUST READS

A selection from our editors

Itaewon freedom

M U ST READs Shake the hand that feeds you

Page 24

Page 46

In 1984, the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper described Itaewon as “Seoul’s foreigner village … where a flourishing international shopping area coexists with the vanity of women in their 20s who go astray.” The Korean newspaper went on to describe the neighborhood as a place of high crime, sleazy bars and shady individuals. Thirty years later, K-pop singer and producer J.Y. Park wrote “Itaewon Freedom,” with a different message about Itaewon: “Delivery men deliver, salesmen sell, Kim Tae-won plays the guitar — everyone gather in Itaewon!”

Every Tuesday afternoon I get to my apartment to find a tantalizingly weighty brown cardboard box from Gachi CSA sitting at my doorstep. Once inside, I start to unpack: plump, sweet-smelling strawberries; potatoes and carrots with a healthy coating of dirt; vibrant greens waiting to jump into a salad bowl. Closing my eyes, the smell of the countryside takes me out of Seoul for a few moments. Then I open them and start to cook.

Easy cheesy

A respite from reality

Page 52

Page 64

It’s common knowledge to those with foreign palates that good cheese is hard to come by in Korea. In these dark times, many of us have given up hope. But one expat, particularly outraged and utterly disheartened by this nonsense, has decided to take matters into his own hands. Doug Huffer is an American living in the countryside in Gyeongju, and he has his very own goat cheese farm.

Prepare to be lost in your fantasies, whatever they may be: Bangkok is an amazing, exuberant city that can tempt the most cautious travelers to flirt with their vices. It’s a city of energy, colors, chaos, fashion and — lest we forget — parties. Let go of your hang-ups and keep reminding yourself of what we all know is true: What happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok.

Fashion forward

Capturing Korea

Page 72

Page 84

With over 10,000 followers on Instagram and more than 4,000 likes on Facebook, the Sol Sol street fashion photographers are carving a serious place for themselves in the Seoul fashion scene. Run by a “bunch of dudes from South Africa,” their blog is updated daily with beautiful photographs of the hottest and kookiest fashions in Korea. Next up is their own line of slick and simple menswear.

Simon J. Powell is a self-described wanderer with an eye for detail. His forays into Jeju’s Seomun Market have helped him uncover hidden treasures in its narrow lanes, with his close connections to his subjects adding another layer of meaning to the stories behind the displays. “At the heart of the market are the merchants, who for more than half a century have proudly fought to exist in the city’s old center,” he explains. “Their experiences and memories of bygone times, bitter and sweet, are woven into the fabric of Jeju’s history.”

14 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

C OVER Itaewon freedom

Written by J.Y. Park and performed with K-pop outfit UV, the 2010 pop hit “Itaewon Freedom” reflects a generation of Koreans who have grown up with a sense of belonging among Itaewon’s restaurants and bars. Dave Hazzan explores the history of the neighborhood, from its early days as the epicenter of “professional” services to its transition into a “Special Tourism Zone.” Though the number of people who remember it during its GI heydays is dwindling, those who remain share stories of a neighborhood that has never ceased to provide “comforts” to locals and foreigners alike. Read the story on Page 24.

Cover photo by Dylan Goldby Design by Park Seong-eun “Itaewon Freedom” is a single written and performed by JYP. The single can be found on YouTube or jype.com. Groove Korea’s parody of the single was in no way approved by JYP. Special thanks to Club Mute for providing the venue, Varyd for wardrobe and styling and Tessa Jeon for hair and makeup. –Ed.

O ur past three issues

June 2014

May 2014

April 2014

Down the Marmot’s Hole More than cod Urban exploration

The women’s issue The art of the tease From Seoul to Chuncheon on a bike

The rise of the sandwich Fast-tracking in Tokyo At Pyongyang Restaurant, it’s not about the food

What ’ s O n SUN

MON

Festivals

Theater

Music / Dance

Travel / Sports

Arts / Exhibitions

Networking / Social

Conference / Events

Food / Drinks

North Asian Gaelic Games Post-Games brunch and live music @ Wolfhound Irish Pub, Itaewon; 12 p.m.; fb.com/seoulgaels

World Taekwondo Culture Expo @ Muju Dome Stadium, Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do; July 4–9; Register in advance: 063-1330

Trivia Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com

Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF) @ Various Theatres throughout Seoul; to July 7; sicaf.org

Burning Man Korea @ Chung Po Dae beach, Taean; to July 6; koreaburn.co.kr

Kukkiwon Taekwondo Demonstration Team Performance @ Namsangol Hanok Village, Pil-dong; to Nov. 1, excluding August; kukkiwon.or.kr Goodbye Dongdaemun Stadium! @ Seoul Museum of History, Jongnogu; to July 13; eng.museum.seoul.kr

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival @ Bucheon Citizens’ Hall and City Hall, Bucheon CGV, Bucheon; to July 27; pifan.com

Trivia Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com Modern and Contemporary Photographs of Seoul @ Seoul Museum of History, Jongnogu; to Dec. 31; eng.museum.seoul.kr

TUE

*All the events published in this calendar are subject to unforeseen changes by the promoters. Groove Korea does not take responsibility for any misunderstandings or third-party damage. For suggestions or comments, email events@groovekorea.com

Mexican Mondays @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com FIFA World Cup Final Match; kickoff at 4a KST

Tea Shops & Tea Houses (Chatjib) with SIWA @ Insadong; siwapage.com Wing Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com Gwanghwamoon International Art Festival Part 2 (광화문국제아트페스티벌) @ Exhibition Hall of Sejong Center; to July 8; sejongpac.or.kr/main/main.asp

Seoul City Hall Old & New Tour @ City Hall; 9:30-11:30 a.m. siwapage.com ½ off Burgers @ Dillinger’s, Itaewon; fb.com/dillingersseoul Seoul Pops 26 Anniversary Concert - Pops Fiesta @ Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu; sac.or.kr/eng th

Itami Jun: Architecture of the Wind @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Gwacheon; to July 27; mmca.go.kr/eng/ Wing Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com

WED

Italian Design Meets Jewelry @ Korea Foundation Cultural Center Gallery, Jung-gu; to July 2; en.kf.or.kr Microtech World @ COEX Korea Exhibition Center, Gangnam;10times.com/microtechworld Arab Contemporary Art Exhibition: Fluid Form II @ Busan Museum of Art; to July 3; art.busan.go.kr

Yayoi Kusama – A Dream I Dreamed @ Hangaram Museum, Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu; to July 15; sac.or.kr Steelers vs. FC Seoul @ The steelyard, Pohang; 7p; worldfootball.net Wednesday Comedy Nights @ Tony’s Aussie Bar & Bistro, Itaewon; 8p; fb.com

Coffee Mornings with SIWA @ Conrad Hotel, Seoul; siwapage.com Wing Night @ Dillinger’s, Itaewon; fb.com/dillingersseoul

Wicked @ Charlotte Theater, Songpa-gu; to July 31; ticket.interpark.com

Bonghwa Eun-Uh (Sweet Fish) Festival (봉화 은어축제) @ Naeseongcheon Stream area, Gyeongsangbuk-do; to Aug. 2; bonghwafestival.com/eunuh

Mexican Mondays @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com

½ off Burgers @ Dillinger’s, Itaewon; fb.com/dillingersseoul

SIWA Bangsang Ally for Baking Supplies siwapage.com

Korean Beauty; Two Kinds of Nature @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Seoul; mmca.go.kr/eng

Special Exhibition of Donated Works: Song Soo-nam @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Deoksugung; to July 27; mmca.go.kr/eng

Wing Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com

Wing Night @ Dillinger’s, Itaewon; fb.com/dillingersseoul

Baseball game: Hanhwa Eagles vs. Nexen Heroes @ Mokdong Stadium, Seoul; 6:30p; homeplate.kr

Objectology — [Design & Art] @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi-do; mmca.go.kr/eng

JULY THU

FRI

Stand Up Seoul @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra — Able’s French Collection @ Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu; atgerard.b@seoulphil.or.kr or 02-3700-6363

YGVC Korean Craft Class @ Yeoksam Global Village Center, Gangnam-gu global.seoul.go.kr/yeoksam

SHG @ Korea Burn, Cheongpo Island; koreaburn2014.com

North Asian Gaelic Games Welcoming Reception @ Route 66 American Bar, Itaewon; 8 p.m.; fb.com/seoulgaels

LUST & DUST @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

Infinite Challenge @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Seoul; 4,000 won; to July 13; mmca.go.kr/eng

THE FLOOR @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

Simon Handbag Museum & Dinner @ Garosu-gil; siwapage.com

Major beach openings in Gangwan-do @ Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung-si; Samcheok Beach in Samcheok-si; english.visitkorea.or.kr

SAT

North Asian Gaelic Games Main event: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. @ Namyangju Sports Center, Seoul Banquet and awards ceremony: 8-11 p.m. @ Renaissance Hotel, Gangnam fb.com/seoulgaels GRID present “JOURNEY’ @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace @ Changdeokgung Palace; 8p; ticket.interpark.com MANIK (NY) @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

Rib Night @ Bull & Barrel, Itaewon; fb.com/BullnBarrelSeoul

Ladies Night @ Rocky Mountain Tavern, Itaewon; rockymountaintavern.com Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival @ Seodong Park (Gungnamji) area; to July 20; buyeotour.net Jesper Just: This is the Landscape of Desire @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Seoul; mmca.go.kr/eng

Rib Night @ Bull & Barrel, Itaewon; fb.com/BullnBarrelSeoul The Great Mountains International Music Festival & School (대관령 국제음악제)

@ Pyeongchang Dagwallyeong Alpensia Resort, Gangwon-do; to Aug. 3; alpensiaresort.co.kr

Pohang International Fireworks Festival (포항 국제불빛축제) @ Hyeongsangang Sports Park and Yeongildae Northern Beach, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do; Travel hotline: 02-1330 Hamyang Wild Ginseng Festival (함양 산삼축제)

@ Sangnim Park area, Gyeongsangnam-do; to Aug. 6; sansam.hygn.go.kr

Boryeong Mud Festival @ Boryeong, Chungcheon-do; to July 27; mudfestival.or.kr/english/festival/ festival1.php P.T.T.L w/ DJ CONAN @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

Take a weekend this July and get your hands dirty WWOOFing. See our story on Page 46

Round Robin @ Rolling Hall, Hongdae; 7p; roundrobinconcert.tumblr.com FFAN YOURSELF @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

JUST US : DJ MCBITZ @ B one Lounge club, Itaewon; b1itaewon.com

TEDxHangang @ Location TBD, Seoul; 2 - 6PM; www.ted.com

WIGOUT @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

REDBOX w/ ALEX FLATNER @ CLUB MUTE, Itaewon; clubmute.com

A Korean Contemporary Artist: Chan Kyun Kang @ National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi-do; mmca.go.kr/eng

Watch for the Barberettes’ new album hitting stores this summer. See our story on Page 80

Onnuri English Ministry Soup Kitchen Outreach @ Seoul Station, exit 13; 3p–6p, every 4th Saturday; onnurienglish.org/

The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival runs July 17–27 in Bucheon. See our story on Page 76

Column by Dr. Lee Moon Won

Hair loss

ver the last several years, I’ve noticed that the number of women visiting our clinic has increased significantly. On average, six in ten of our patients are now women. There are many reasons why women with symptoms of hair loss come to our clinic. First, women pay more attention to their appearance than men do, and if hair loss is a general problem for men, for women the problem brings anxiety and fear. The second reason is that after hair loss was identified as an incurable disease, women were not interested in hair loss treatments. But nowadays, with the number of hair loss treatments on the rise, more women are interested in the options.

women

Why do some women lose their hair? In my practice, I’ve noticed that almost all women with hair loss have poor nutrition — meaning they aren’t getting enough of the right nutrients — and poor nutrition is one of the most common causes of hair loss. There are many reasons for this. Some women have full schedules that don’t allow them to eat regularly, some have diets that are too restrictive and some women eat too much fast and processed food, either because they don’t have the time or don’t want to cook. In addition, many women fail to get the proper nutrition during their menstrual cycle. Smoking and drinking are also a factor in hair loss, and there are growing numbers of women who smoke and drink. Another cause of hair loss is stress, especially if it is severe. Women face a great deal of pressure to play the role of “super mom,” among other social roles, which creates anxiety and adds to the stress. Stress can also lead to other physical problems. The other factors discussed here can also threaten a woman’s health in other ways. Studies on hair loss have revealed that female hair loss is different from male hair loss. Men are more likely than women to have a genetic predisposition to hair loss. Women are more likely to lose their hair for reasons related to health, lifestyle or psychological factors. Thus, by improving health and nutrition, reducing stress and living a healthier lifestyle, women can prevent and reduce hair loss.

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In the past it was said that there was no treatment for female hair loss, but numerous studies in the field have shown that the appearance of viable treatment options has increased the percentage of female patients who have found a cure for hair loss. Korean traditional medicine also offers several remedies made with natural, organic components that produce almost no side effects. The remedies are absolutely safe, improving health while promoting hair growth, and have proven particularly effective for female hair loss. As with other diseases, the sooner you begin treating hair loss, the better the results will be. People with any of the following symptoms or signs of hair loss should not hesitate to consult a doctor and start a treatment regimen. 1) Excessively heavy or light menstrual period, irregular menstrual period 2) Ovarian cyst (polycystic ovary syndrome) 3) Face and head feel warm, while hands and feet are cold 4) Thyroid disease or anemia 5) Dizziness, poor circulation, body aches and frequent fatigue 6) Itchiness, pimples or sticky skin 7) Frequent mood swings (often feel angry, sad, depressed, etc.) 8) Chronic diarrhea or digestive disorders 9) Frequent dieting, frequent weight gain or loss

82-2-511-1079 (calling from overseas) (02) 511-1079 (calling in Korea) 3F, Lee and Yoo Building, 69-5 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul leemoonwon.international@gmail.com MON/TUE 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. WED/FRI 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. SAT THU/SUN Closed

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All stories are culled with consent from Korea JoongAng Daily’s website and edited by Groove Korea for length and clarity. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Groove Korea. — Ed.

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July 2014 / www.koreajoongangdaily.com

New school of ‘sea women’ “We’re having more and more applicants Shin Yang-ja, a 40-year-old Korean-Japa- are mostly interested in the (culture’s) 2015 (for admission) each year,” said Lee. “Benese dancer from Osaka, recently moved to application (to Unesco).” Lee was referring to Korea’s recent move cause a large portion of our students fly in Jeju Island off the southern coast to attend the Jeju Hansupul Haenyeo School. The in March to apply to Unesco to add female from Seoul, I think this program has boostworld’s only educational institute for hae- divers to the organization’s Intangible Cul- ed the local economy, too.” About 20 of the 285 graduates so far — nyeo, or “sea women,” teaches its students tural Heritage list. The agency will decide traditional fishing methods — using only next year whether it is eligible to be includ- most of whom were former housekeepers — are currently working as registered haeflippers and goggles. ed. “I want to learn the movements of a haeDomestically, Jeju’s haenyeo culture was nyeo, according to Lee. He noted that, to a nyeo,” Shin said, adding that Jeju was her enlisted on the Important Intangible Cultur- certain extent, the school was successfully counteracting the sharp decline in traditiongrandmother’s birthplace. al Properties list in 2012. Haenyeo refers to Korea’s tradition of feThe school is occasionally visited by prom- al divers. There are a number of reasons for the male divers, a culture mostly found on the inent figures, including Kathleen Stephens, country’s largest island, Jeju. Without any the former U.S. ambassador to Korea, who decrease: having to brave the treacherous waters of the Korea Strait and wear rubber breathing equipment, they scour the bot- served in Seoul from 2008 to 2011. “I was deeply impressed by the haenyeos swimsuits as thin as 4 mm to 5 mm, even tom of the sea for octopus, clams, abalones and straw-roofed houses in Jeju when I first during frigid winters, which have triggered and conches, among others. At a time when the number of these tradi- visited (Jeju) in 1976,” she said after visiting migraines, ear infections, joint pain and cartional divers is dwindling sharply — from Jeju Hansupul Haenyeo School in June 2011. diovascular disease in some divers. Increas26,000 in the 1960s to about 4,500 now — “It’s too bad that many of the straw-roofed ingly warmer weather has also lessened sea efforts are being made nationwide to infuse houses got demolished, but I see that the resources. pride in the culture, and spur popular en- haenyeos’ tenacity hasn’t changed.” For others, the registration process to beIn the school’s four-month program, which come a professional haenyeo is too rigorous. dorsements for saving it. One of those endeavors was the establish- runs from May to August annually, students Procedures differ among fishing villages, ment in 2007 of the Jeju Hansupul Haenyeo are guided through practical and theoretical but on average, an applicant must pay beSchool. With 285 graduates so far and 78 lessons that provide fundamental knowl- tween 1 million and 2 million won in memfreshmen registered this year, the school edge about becoming a qualified haenyeo. bership fees, and put down an additional 1 aims to train haenyeo and preserve the cul- The women learn the history of the coun- million to 2.3 million won toward the Nature surrounding it. try’s fishing culture, why preserving it is tional Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, “Most of our students want to be a haenyeo,” critical and how to catch the best fish after a collective that provides support to fishersaid Lee Yong-min, an officer for the local making a perfect dive. men and fishing villages. The women must Hallim government on Jeju Island. “The rest Students are not required to pay tuition. also fish for at least 60 days of the year.

Park tells big business to stay out of food trucks

President Park Geun-hye has warned large companies not to take advantage of the government’s easing of regulations on food trucks. The whole idea was to help small-fry entrepreneurs, she said. In a regular meeting with her senior secretaries, the president stressed the three pillars of her three-year economic innovation plan: reform of the public sector, removal of unnecessary regulations and fostering the service sector. She said these initiatives must be accelerated to give the Korean 22 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

economy a future. “Some media outlets reported that large companies are scrambling to launch food trucks in the wake of the easing of related regulations, totally defying the purpose of the measure,” Park said. “Large companies making a foray into such subsistence-oriented businesses is not desirable.” She was referring to a report on MBC, one of three major TV stations that reported that large companies and department stores were bracing to start franchise businesses with food trucks.

The president stressed that relaxing the rules was done to allow more entrepreneurs to get into the food truck business, thus helping ordinary people make a living and create more jobs. Bae Young-gi, chief executive of Doorione Food and Franchise, a food truck manufacturer, raised the food truck issue, claiming the business was ideal for creating jobs for young entrepreneurs struggling to find work. The business is currently illegal.

Patients in hospital hit by fire were tied to beds A probe into a fire at a private hospital for chronically ill patients in Jangseong County, South Jeolla Province, that killed 21 and injured eight revealed that at least two patients were tied to their beds, the police have announced. Three police officers questioned during the investigation testified that patients in the hospital had their ankles and wrists bound to their beds by straps and that rescuers had to cut the straps off or evacuate patients still tied to their beds, according to the South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency. The report contradicted a statement by Lee Min-ho, head of the Damyang Fire Fighters’ Office, at a briefing on the day of the fire on May 28. “Media reports that some patients were tied to their beds by their wrists were not true,” he said at the time, adding, “Rescuers reported to me that they didn’t cut ropes off any patients.” The testimony is expected to help police discover why so many lives were lost in the eight minutes between the start of the fire and it being brought under control by firemen. Lee told the press that day that the fire “was not that big” and that most of the victims died of smoke inhalation.

The long-term care hospital was home to elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other chronic diseases. Investigators raided the hospital to confiscate evidence, focusing on whether the hospital had a proper fire protection system and whether its shift system for nurses and other staff was followed. They also looked into whether there was any misbehavior by the staff in its management of patients. “We have some testimony from relatives saying patients who died in the fire had scars on their wrists apparently from being tied to their beds and were given excessive amounts of tranquilizers,” said Lim Chaehwi, a relative of the victims. Another relative of a fatality, Kim Do-hyeon, said there was an emergency exit near an elevator on the ward, but it could only be reached after passing through a door controlled by nurses or staff. Kim claimed the door prevented able-bodied patients from escaping the fire. The police arrested an 81-year-old patient surnamed Kim suffering from Alzheimer’s disease on suspicion of arson. Autopsies are being conducted on all 21 victims to verify their causes of death, the police said.

Child molester nabbed near school Police announced last month that a 63-year-old former sex offender was arrested in April for luring four very young girls off an elementary school playground in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, sexually molesting them and taking nude photos. The man, identified by the surname Park, allegedly went to the playground on Saturdays when there was no guard on duty. One victim’s mother called the police when she found blood smeared on her daughter’s garments. The former sailor is accused of sexually assaulting two 9-year-old girls and two 8-year-old girls, according to the Mokpo branch of the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office. The school has a guard on duty at the playground but only on weekday afternoons. The first victim was reportedly molested on the school’s playground and then taken to a nearby mountain. Park assaulted her again in the woods and took a photo of her. Park met his second and third victims on

the schoolyard and gave them money to go to a nearby market to buy him gum. He then allegedly took them one at a time to a remote area to sexually assault them and snapped naked pictures of them with his phone. Two hours later, Park approached the last victim and asked her to help him send a text message on his phone. He allegedly threatened her on the playground, sexually assaulted her and photographed her. Park was arrested around 6 p.m. near the school after the final victim’s mother called the police after finding blood on her daughter’s garments. Park was previously sentenced to three and a half years in jail in 2002 for child molestation. A similar sexual assault case occurred in June 2010, when a man in his 40s walked into an elementary school in Seoul at around 10 a.m., threatened an 8-year-old girl with a knife, took her to his house and brutally raped her.

‘Let them play golf,’ Pyongyang says North Korea’s official Korea Central Television has aired a program promoting golf as a recommended sport for the first time in the impoverished state. Filmed at a miniature golf course at the Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground in Pyongyang, the program featured a guide describing how to play the game for about 10 minutes. “First of all, to play golf you need a club and a ball,” the unnamed expert said. “You need to learn how to hold the club first.” In terms of putting tips, the guide said, “You should aim your putter’s T-shaped head at the center of the ball. If you graze the ball by mistake, it is not regarded as a stroke.” Describing the general rules of golf, the guide said, “Golf normally starts from the first hole and ends at the 18th hole. Although it is a rule to start from the first hole, you can start from the ninth hole and proceed to the 18th hole, and then resume the game at the first to continue until the ninth.” A young couple who said they lived in Pyongyang appeared on the program and said that “the game was much different” than their expectations and that “the ball seemed to easily enter the hole.” The miniature golf course was visited by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Solju when they attended the opening ceremony of the amusement park in July 2012, KCTV reported at the time. “Although that golf course is only for putting, the state media’s report on the golf lesson is actually drawing our attention,” a Unification Ministry official said.

Itaew Free COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

How Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expat hub rose from seedy slum to elite escape

won edom Story by Dave Hazzan Photos by Andrew Faulk, Michael Hurt and Kaegan Saenz and courtesy of Stars & Stripes Illustrations by Michael Roy / Additional reporting by Jongmin Lee

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

n 1984, the Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper described Itaewon as “Seoul’s foreigner village, frequented by races from 59 countries, where a flourishing international shopping area coexists with the vanity of women in their 20s who go astray.” The Korean newspaper went on to describe the neighborhood as a place of high crime, sleazy bars and shady individuals. “Among foreign vagabond criminals, there are shameless crimes like taking money from women in their 20s on the pretext of international marriage. There are sometimes violent incidents by uneducated blacks such as the rape of women as well.” The message was racist, rude and clear: if you are a respectable Korean, stay away from Itaewon. And for years, most “respectable” Koreans did. Thirty years later, K-pop singer and producer J.Y. Park wrote “Itaewon Freedom” with a different message about Itaewon: “Delivery men deliver, salesmen sell, Kim Tae-won plays the guitar — everyone gather in Itaewon!”

26 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

And everyone has. Today, Koreans of all ages, classes and occupations stream in and out of Itaewon’s restaurants, bars and shops. Salarymen, students and families mix with English teachers, foreign laborers, U.S. soldiers and Department of Defense workers. Wayne Gold, owner of the Wolfhound Pub and Reilly’s Taphouse and who has been in Itaewon since 1997, says the makeup of the people now is completely different. “It’s reversed,” he says. “Before it was 20/80 (Koreans to foreigners). Now it’s 80/20.” How did one run-down neighborhood, known just 30 years ago as a place off-limits to everyone but GIs and prostitutes, become a place so hip that JYP thinks it’s a better party district than Gangnam, Hongdae or Sinchon? The story is intertwined with the story of Korea’s development, its relationship with the United States and the rest of the outside world, and how its people freed themselves from fearing the unknown to embracing it: Itaewon Freedom.

Land of the stranger

Itaewon became a U.S. Army ‘gichijon,’ or camptown, a place that represented freedom from the rules on base. There were generally only two types of people in Itaewon in the 1950s: the U.S. soldiers and the Korean women who served them.

Itaewon has been home to foreigners since the Joseon era. The name Itaewon means “pear orchard,” and indeed there were pear trees. But it can also mean “stranger” — appropriate since during the first Japanese invasion of Korea in 1591, Japanese soldiers lived in Itaewon. According to the Itaewon Special Tourism Zone office, their Korean wives and mixed-blood children continued to live there even after the Japanese soldiers themselves had left. Buddhist temples, including at least one nunnery, provided accommodations to the few tourists and strangers who came to Korea at that time. Itaewon was outside Seoul’s fortress walls, and so would probably have also had a small farming village, given its proximity to the Han River, according to the ISTZ. There was also a Japanese customs house, or official house of sorts, to welcome emissaries into Korea. In 1905, Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War and took protectorate control of Korea. Though the Chinese once had a small, informal camp at what is today Camp Coiner, it was the Japanese who established the first full-fledged military base at Yongsan Garrison, in 1907. Japan’s 20th Army was barracked there, and it became the headquarters for the country’s 35-year occupation. According to graduate student and longtime Seoul resident Jacco Zwetsloot, more than half the buildings still standing there were built by the Japanese. “If you go towards Haebangchon, towards the tunnel, on the right side there are some apartments,” says Zwetsloot. “That used to be the shooting range.” “Down in Hannam Village,” he says, “was where the cavalry was located.” Zwetsloot also describes a railroad that ran into the center of Yongsan, which served as a hub. “You could basically move anything by rail from Busan to Yongsan, Yongsan to Manchuria, very easily. So they moved tanks, they moved all sorts of things.” The development of Itaewon began with that Japanese base. Soldiers frequented the neighborhood, and there were shooting ranges and other facilities for them, including “comfort stations” — places to find prostitutes. Overall, though, little is known about what Itaewon looked like exactly during this period. What’s certain is that in 1945, with Japan’s defeat in World War II and subsequent departure from the peninsula, Itaewon — and the rest of Korea — changed radically.

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Sex among allies

He says there was no animosity between The U.S. Army moved in and took over the and livelihoods,” Katharine Moon writes in her Japanese military headquarters in 1945, and study “Sex Among Allies” (1997). Many of the the American and Korean kids, though they left in 1949. When the troops returned two prostitutes were war orphans, supporting en- attended different schools and there was a years later to fight the Korean War, they came tire families in the countryside. Very few had clear wealth gap. Seo remembers there were no pubs or back to Yongsan. In 1957, they established any education at all; a girl who had completed Yongsan as the primary headquarters for the middle school was considered highly educat- restaurants in Itaewon back then. The Americans got their food and drink on the base. But ed. United States Forces Korea. Hal Voelkel was the young son of American there was plenty of sex. “I was very young,” Itaewon became a U.S. Army “gichijon,” or camptown, a place that represented freedom missionaries during the ‘50s. He remembers Seo says, but he knew it was there. Itaewon became a place where “respectable” from the rules on base. There were general- many of the girls standing by the side of the ly only two types of people in Itaewon at that road, bow-legged and very sick looking, hus- Koreans didn’t go — a taboo that stayed with the neighborhood for the rest of the century. time: the U.S. soldiers and the Korean women tling for tricks. “A most vivid memory was the lines of pros- According to Ewha University professor Kim who served them. Buildings as they are now didn’t exist — it was mostly ramshackle, tem- titutes along the street waiting for GIs to Eun-shil, Itaewon was described in the media porary houses. The roads were paved with on- come by, pick them up, go back to the base as a place of “excretory culture, where Amerwhere they’d eat, go to the movies, et cetera.” ican soldiers engaged in hedonism, prostitudol stones, like unburned charcoal. In the 1950s, the United States was at the Voelkel says. “I clearly remember after the tion, illegal drugs and criminal activities.” The poorest of the poor made their homes height of its glory — the undisputed victor in movie ended and the lights came on one time, World War II, the richest country in the world a woman was readjusting her bra and blouse there. The 1961 local film “Obaltan (Aimless and the occupier or patron of Western Europe, — I was about 14 years old then, very curious!” Bullet)” was banned in South Korea for deThough there are no figures for the time, it’s cades because it made life in the country out Japan, South Korea and much of the rest of the world. Korea, on the other hand, had nev- assumed prostitution was done all over Itae- to be too difficult. It featured a North Korean er seen worse days. Decimated by war and won — in the back alleys, in small huts and on refugee family forced to make a life in a neighborhood no one wanted to live in — Haebangfamine and divided in half by the Cold War, it the floors of shacks. Some families also lived in Itaewon. Ken Seo chon. was by many accounts the poorest country “Haebangchon was founded by North Korein the world. South Korea may have been an was born in Itaewon in 1963, and has lived an refugees who were looking for a place to equal to the United States on paper, but in there his whole life with his family. actuality, it was little more than a vassal. No- “A long time ago, my neighbors were all U.S. settle after or during the war. They basically where was this revealed more vividly than in Army. U.S. Army children, we grew up togeth- created a slum on the slopes of the mountain Itaewon, and in the neighborhood’s primary er,” says Seo, now a Ph.D. student at Korea adjoining the base,” Jacco Zwetsloot says of University and vice president of the ISTZ. He the area just northwest of Itaewon’s main strip. industry: prostitution. “The war, with its accompanying poverty, so- spoke enough English as a child to communi- “These were properties that were basically cial and political chaos, separation of families cate with the American kids: “I went on base squatted on, and later on became houses of and millions of young orphans and widows, many times. With the children on base, it was North Korean refugees.” ‘mass-produced’ prostitutes, creating a large my playground. We played together with U.S. supply of girls and women without homes Army kids.”

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Nightlife and black markets Growth began in the 1960s, and the neighborhood changed again. A few buildings went up. Foreign embassies, especially from newly independent Third World countries, began opening in the Hannam-dong area, and ambassadors took their residences in the Itaewon hills. But on the ground, the streets still belonged to the U.S. GIs and the women they paid. Tom Casey, 75, was stationed in Itaewon in 1968 with the U.S. Army. He never left. He says Itaewon at the time was still small — maybe 4,000 to 5,000 people lived there. In 1968, there was still a countrywide curfew. At midnight, a siren would sound, and if you weren’t off the streets by then, the police would lock you up until 5 the next morning when the curfew was lifted again. In 1971, the 121st Evacuation Hospital moved from Bupyeong to Yongsan Garrison, bringing with it about 10,000 associated civilians. Merchants came along with them, and the shopping area began to develop. Tailors opened up, and shops selling leather goods and surplus brand-name clothes. Nightclubs, catering almost exclusively to GIs, started opening around this time, and some of them would manage to stay open all night with special tourist licenses. Others cheated, with back doors and black-out curtains over windows. The Hamilton Hotel opened in 1973, with a club underground that could stay open all night. It was full every night of the week. “We had a lot of fun there,” Casey says. The nightclubs opened in the area known as Texas Street. Today, it’s the street that leads up from the corner with the fire station, passing Hooker Hill, Homo Hill and ending at Halal Hill. King Club, UN Club, 7 Club, Lucky Club and the Grand Ole Opry all opened in or around Texas Street at that time. All were duty-free — they got the small bottles of beer no one else had, and bought them tax free. “The government did it after the war to give some enticement to the GIs to move off the base,” Casey says. “They gave them a special license that

was almost impossible to get.” But there was a catch: foreigners only. No Koreans were allowed to enter. “And once in a while they would check,” Casey says. “And if they had Koreans in there drinking, the police would say, ‘We’re going to take away your license.’ So for years, those clubs had no Koreans in there, only GIs. Every night it was packed with GIs.” But there weren’t only GIs, there were also plenty of Koreans — women to service the men. The women at the clubs wore badges with numbers. The longer she had worked at the club, the lower her number was. “They hated overnight was $5 to $10. This meant one night with a GI could earn to wear them,” Casey says. “Wouldn’t you?” The women served drinks to the men, chat- the woman as little as 50 cents, about $3.50 ted them up — and for extra cash, slept with in Korea today. In 1965, a survey indicated them. The purpose of the number was, ac- that 84 percent of American GIs had been cording to Casey, so a customer could report with a prostitute. There were thought to be the woman if he caught a venereal disease. 13,000 prostitutes throughout the country caThe woman would then be tested, and if she tering to American soldiers. Women were often indebted to the bar ownwas found to be infected, could be jailed for a ers, and it was very difficult to get out of it. few weeks while the infection cleared up. Prostitution was not legal in Korea, nor was it The goal for most of these women was to marentirely illegal. According to “Sex Among Allies” ry a GI and emigrate, since their prospects for author Moon, the women were recognized as marriage in Korea were very poor, owing to “special entertainers.” In order to work in the their disreputable pasts. Once they did marry, clubs, she had go to a local VD clinic, “under- many divorced and returned to Korea, opening go gynecological and blood examinations and up juicy bars of their own, according to Moon. Casey describes how during raids, police receive a VD card.” She would then have to go back once a week for an exam and have her would sometimes check for VD cards. If an card stamped “healthy.” The card had to be American brought his Korean wife in, the pocarried at all times. If she failed the test, she lice would take her away anyway for not having a card. “Are they going to take her away couldn’t work until she was clean. Juicy bars — so named for the juices men from you? Damn right they will. Put her on the would buy the ladies as they flirted — popped bus, she’s gone. You get near the bus, you’re up all over the neighborhood. Moon says the going to get clubbed.” Casey says the GIs were pretty much in the idea was the women would hang out with the men, sell them drinks, and get them to buy area by themselves. There were no Russians them drinks. But their main source of income because of the Cold War. The Japanese were still not allowed visas. There were very few was sex services. There was little freedom for most of these American women, and the foreign workers women. “Owners and pimps generally took 80 hadn’t started showing up yet. “It was kind of percent and gave the prostitute 20 percent of a strange world, just the Korean girls and the her earnings per trick,” Moon writes. By the GIs,” Casey says. “That’s why there were so late 1960s, it cost $2 (worth about $13 to- many marriages. They were registering 2,000 day) or less for a “short time” with a prostitute; or 3,000 marriages a year all over Korea.”

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

The ‘mecca’ for music and marijuana In other parts of the neighborhood, a few all of which were considered deviant by the rean government started hankering for Japanese yen. Japanese sex tours started to come pockets of Koreans began to congregate. The average Korean.” Gay Koreans, Kim says, probably start- around Itaewon and elsewhere. fact that Itaewon wasn’t respectable made it a There were 217,278 Japanese visitors to draw for the free-spirited. Itaewon freedom in ed coming to Itaewon in the 1970s as well, the 1960s and 1970s meant a place to hear though the scene was still underground. “But Korea in 1972, according to “The Transformaeven before there were gay bars in Itaewon, tion of Sexual Work in 20th-Century Korea,” rock ‘n’ roll, and a place to get high. According to a 2013 article by journalist Ja- some Korean gay men went to Itaewon, hop- (1995) a paper by John Lie. By 1978, the son Strother for Yonhap News Agency, mar- ing to meet homosexuals among the Amer- number had tripled to 667,319. In 1976, 98 percent of male Japanese tourists were unacijuana was actually legal — or at least not ican soldiers, tourists or others,” writes Kim. Korea’s Muslims also began gathering in companied by women. illegal — in Korea until 1976. But very few Koreans knew what it was, and it’s assumed Itaewon at this time. President Park Chung- “According to a Korean government ministry it was originally imported into the country by hee donated the land near the top of Texas poll in 1973, 80 percent of Japanese tourists Street to the Islamic community in Seoul, and listed ‘gisaeng party’ as their most memorable U.S. soldiers. Strother writes of Korean student Kim Woo- Seoul Central Mosque opened on May 21, experience in Korea,” Lie writes. The gisaeng jin, who loved to smoke marijuana with his 1976. It is now one of Itaewon’s most distinc- houses were traditional-style houses of prostitution, similar to Japanese geisha houses. friends and listen to Shin Joong-hyun, Korean tive landmarks. According to Imam Abdul Rahman Lee, the They were set up to cater to foreign men, and band Love and Peace and Simon and Garfunkel. And then they’d all go to Itaewon. Kim land was donated there because the Kore- were promoted by the government, especially says Itaewon “was the ‘mecca’ for Western an government wanted to improve relations in Japan, where Korean “brothel tours” were between South Korea and Muslim countries commonly sold. music as well as marijuana,” Strother writes. Korea Church Women United estimated Many clubs didn’t admit Koreans, even if — particularly the Gulf states, which supplied there were 100,000 women involved in broththey were technically allowed to, because most of Korea’s oil. “Itaewon was a gathering place for foreigners, el tours in 1978. By 1983, it had tripled to they didn’t want confrontations — usually over women — between Korean men and GIs. But even then,” Lee says. Itaewon’s proximity to 300,000. However, it’s unclear how many of one part of Itaewon did admit young Korean the embassies of many Islamic countries was these brothels were in Itaewon. But Itaewon largely remained the place for a key reason it was built on that land. Though men. Professor Kim Eun-shil writes about young there were only 3,000 to 4,000 Muslims in GIs. In 1976, Tom Casey opened the Sportsstudents visiting Itaewon in the 1970s. “In or- Korea in the ‘70s, the establishment of the man’s Club, three doors down from the Itaeder to have a good time in Itaewon, they had mosque would portend changes in the future. won Stairs, while he was still a soldier. By On Yongsan Garrison, near what’s now the 1980 it was the place to be. (Opening the club to speak some English, have some knowledge of music and be confident enough to Hyatt Hotel, Itaewon’s small number of Jews while still on duty did not make him popular say, ‘This is our country. I have the right to had also started worshipping. But this facility with the U.S. Congress. Says Casey, “(Congo where I want,’” Kim writes in the Korea was located on-base, so someone had to sign gress) said, ‘We’ve got GIs opening fuckin’ nightclubs in Korea? What the hell’s going on Journal. “This kind of cultural and emotional you in — usually the Jewish chaplain. Japanese tourists also started coming in the over there?’” But he had retired by the time capital was the backdrop against which it was possible to enjoy long hair, marijuana and rock, 1970s as visa restrictions eased and the Ko- Congress got wind of it.)

30 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

There were no pubs or restaurants in Itaewon in the 1960s. The Americans got their food and drink on the base. But there was plenty of sex. The Sportsman’s was the first disco of its type in Korea, bringing in DJs from the Armed Forces Network Radio. Casey didn’t have the duty-free license, but that meant he could allow anybody in. His partner was Korean championship boxer Hong Soo-hwan, a big favorite of President Park Chung-hee’s, which meant it was difficult for anyone to touch Casey. Al Green, DJ David Jensen, “Shaft” actor Richard Roundtree, Jacqueline Bisset and Leif Garrett all visited the Sportsmen’s Club, he says. Lon, who requested his surname be omitted, says it was the most exciting, and exclusive, club in the area. “At the front door you’d have Tom, or a goon or two he’d hired, who would stand there with an ugly stick,” Lon says. They would decide who could come in. “There were good-looking people in there, so it felt good if you got in.” Robert Neff is now a writer on Joseon history, but in the early 1980s, he was stationed in Korea with the U.S. Army. He describes Itaewon then as “dirty and sex-filled.” “I remember going to a couple of sex shows there,” Neff says. “They were all illegal obviously. I remember the girls would go up on the stage and kind of strip down — they wouldn’t totally strip down — and they’d have guys come up on stage and lightly play with them and stuff.” The main curfew ended in the early 1980s, but other curfews would come and go — both for the general public and for the GIs. Neff says the curfews didn’t work “because everybody just got drunk earlier. It made it even wilder because by 11:30, everyone was trying to scramble for rooms. People did desperate things. (If) you didn’t have a room, you would just go with anybody.” Neff says that they were offering enticements to stay on base, too. “On base, you had the ‘steam and creams’ as a way of curtailing GIs from going off post.” They stopped around 1988, reportedly after a general’s wife found out about them. “They were on all the American bases around Korea, and basically you would go in for a massage, and the massage had a happy ending.” His sergeant told him to make his way there when he first arrived; they were right next to the barracks. “There were a lot of efforts to keep the GIs from going offpost to seek entertainment.”

Old Itaewon

July 12, 1971: Street between Itaewon fire station and Bogwang elementary school. A sign of Seven Club, the popular club in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s, is seen. Published by The Kyunghyang Shinmun.

Sept. 9, 1987: A bar in Itaewon. Published by The Kyunghyang Shinmun.

1988: A favorite hang-out spot, behind the Itaewon fire station. Published by Seoul City Hall. Nov. 21, 1986: Teenagers in Itaewon. Published by DongA Ilbo.

Jan. 1, 1986: Shopping street in Itaewon. Published by The Kyunghyang Shinmun. July 4, 1986: Shopping street in Itaewon. Published by The Kyunghyang Shinmun.

32 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

Oct. 2, 1988: Itaewon shopping street, full of people due to international events held in the district. Published by the DongA Ilbo.

Stars and Stripes Aug. 2, 1977. Used with permission. © Stars and Stripes.

Oct. 3, 1985: Itaewon shopping street, where a banner congratulating the opening of an international conference is seen. Published by the DongA Ilbo.

Stars and Stripes April 5, 1998. Used with permission. © Stars and Stripes.

April 21, 1991: UN Village looking down from Hill Top Apartment. Published by The Kyunghyang Shinmun.

Stars and Stripes April 5, 1998. Used with permission. © Stars and Stripes.

Stars and Stripes Dec. 17, 2003. Used with permission. © Stars and Stripes.

2002 Itaewon Photos by Michael Hurt

34 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Olympic expectations The economy picked up again when new In the ‘80s, Itaewon began to modernize, lar would walk off with bags of cheap leather along with the rest of the city. Tourism was goods and stay in the Hamilton Hotel, accord- faces started showing up in Korea, zeroing in on Itaewon: English teachers, foreign laborers, picking up — in 1978, South Korea saw more ing to Seo of the ISTZ. Many residents describe the 1986 Asian foreign students and openly gay Koreans. than 1 million tourists for the first time, acAs more Westerners arrived, black marketcording to the Korean Tourism Organization. Games and especially the 1988 Olympics Women’s Army Corps and nurses — and later as watersheds for Itaewon. Tourists came to ing — the practice of buying duty-free goods just female soldiers — became some of the Seoul to watch the Games, sometimes clash- on the U.S. base and illegally reselling them first foreign women there. English teachers ing with more assertive locals who were not in Korea — became commonplace. Zwetslowly started showing up. There were more used to seeing so many foreigners in their city sloot remembers having to pay outrageous international marriages, and more Koreans at once. Many tourists were shepherded to prices for deodorant, mint-flavored toothpaste, pancake syrup and other items that were not arriving who were not there specifically to ser- Itaewon. Kim Eun-shil interviewed many Itaewon available at legal shops. For women, a hot vice GIs. But, Casey says, Itaewon was “still not the business owners, who viewed themselves as item was tampons. It happened all the time and not everyone best place for your daughter to hang around,” “patriots” who had earned vital foreign currency and it was still rare to see Koreans out on Fri- for the developing nation. But those very mer- got caught. But sometimes people got greedy. chants were disparaged once special events Zwetsloot recalls one institution in 2000 or day or Saturday nights. so that had perfected the practice. “It was a The media was never kind to Itaewon. Since ended, Kim says. “Many interviewees said that during the Olym- coffee shop by day, but by night, it was like the early 1970s, local papers ran sensational reports of crimes by GIs — many true, many pics, Itaewon was packed with tourists, but something from ‘The Great Escape,’” he says. “They had a tunnel rigged up from the beunproven. In 1984, the Kyunghyang Shinmun that afterward, the mass media looked down published what it described as an exclusive on on Itaewon as a place of crime and squalor,” hind the scenes there, under the wall, into a the neighborhood. The article describes the Kim writes. “They were angry that the govern- container box inside Hannam Village (a USFK town as being filled with 10,000 “vagabond” ment first behaved as if it were satisfied with installation). And someone working inside foreigners who had overstayed their visas and earning dollars, but that once Itaewon became Hannam Village would wheel in crates of lifamous, the government treated the neighbor- quor, which would then be trundled on rails “easily and often turn into criminals.” underneath the walls into the cafe, and then The article quotes one “sour” merchant as hood as if it were corrupt.” In the early 1990s, Itaewon’s economy be- taken and resold to all the bars in Itaewon at a saying, “‘It’s not just foreigners’ prostitutes, now it’s female university students or teenag- came saturated and slumped into recession. mark-up. Talk about a license to print money; ers from good families who chase after for- As textile manufacturing moved to cheaper they must have made a hundred grand before locations, bonded goods were no longer avail- they got caught.” They finally got busted and eigners and spend money on them.’” In 1983, the Seoul government declared able for sale. Merchants switched to manufac- went to jail. “But it was a great scam while it Itaewon a “special tourism zone.” More shops turing knock-offs. The police cracked down lasted.” opened, selling all sorts of souvenirs, especial- on this, and many merchants lost their livelily leather goods. Japanese tourists in particu- hoods in fines.

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Muff diving and the rise of hedonism When Nevada Rhodes arrived in Korea in 1994, he visited Itaewon his first weekend. “I was in constant awe,” he says. “The whole world is right here.” Itaewon had actually become international by then. It had also become hedonistic in new ways that didn’t exist when the GIs were only trying to hit up Korean girls. “There were some wonderful party bars here,” Rhodes recalls. “And it seemed like the rules that are in bars now were out the window then.” Rhodes VJed at The Loft and a few other bars, which held ‘70s and ‘80s theme parties where everyone dressed up. “There were blowjobs (the drink) and the muff-diving drinks with whipped cream,” Rhodes says. “The girls would win stuff for the most seductive way to eat whipped cream off a banana. The guys would win prizes for the best muff diving.” The “muff diving” involved licking whipped cream off a paper plate. “The guys would win headlamps — I called them muff-diving lamps. I forgot what the girls would win.” It was in the mid-’90s when the gay scene started emerging around Homo Hill, though Rhodes says there were plenty of gay clubs off the Hill as well. The Hill itself was “100 percent” gay bars by then, according to Rhodes. “They tried to put a straight bar in there once and it failed mightily. They tried to put in a lesbian bar and that did not work at all.” But the district was still a dangerous place, he says. He witnessed two incidents he described as “riots,” with groups of soldiers brawling at the top of Texas Street, while the MPs and local police did nothing.

‘Our area used to be a very family-friendly, lovely little community with a rice shop and a butcher and dry cleaner’s. It was a really nice place to live in and hang around. And one by one those places are disappearing.’ Paul Matthews

Wayne Gold is now co-owner of Wolfhound and Reilly’s Taphouse, but when he arrived in 1998, he was another English teacher from Canada. “Hooker Hill was a huge party back then, too,” Gold says. “Especially in the warmer months, from midnight that alley would just be rammed. You’d go into the bars to get drinks, but then come out.” He says there were lots of soldiers and lots of fights, and at least once a month the MPs would be “dragging someone” down the hill. Rhodes and Gold described Hollywood’s Bar at the time as like the Cantina in “Star Wars.” “Because all these people from around the universe were there,” Rhodes says. “And I swear, some of them were not from Earth.” The working women changed, too. The cost of buying a Korean prostitute went up — exponentially so, and many average GIs could no longer afford it. Replacing them were Chinese, Filipino and Russian women, many of whom were trafficked, according to a Time magazine report from 2002. At the same time, as travel restrictions on Koreans were lifted and the country’s standard of living rose, fewer women were looking for foreign husbands to help them escape. A more liberal attitude in Korea generally also meant Korean women could hook up with Western men as they liked — though this was still usually kept secret from friends and family. Itaewon still remained off-limits to “respectable” Koreans. The highly publicized 1997 murder of a college student in a restaurant bathroom and media reports of seedy bars and high crime continued to keep mainstream Koreans away.

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Influx of the elite

Itaewon Station opened in 2000, putting the district on the metropolitan grid. The first of the big foreign restaurants began to open, along with pubs and bars that didn’t cater exclusively to horny young men or aging Department of Defense civilians. Gecko’s opened on the corner by the subway station, and was one of the first places one could get a lunch in Itaewon that wasn’t Korean. Then 3 Alley Pub opened in the alley behind the Hamilton Hotel, with a goshiwon (place with inexpensive one-room accommodation) on top of it and nothing around it but Korean restaurants and businesses. Moghul opened down the street. Benjamin Joinau opened Le St-Ex, a French bistro, in 2000. “Everyone told us we were crazy,” Joinau says. He was aware of the neighborhood’s bad reputation, but he also felt something was changing. “The subway station was going to open, and Itaewon geographically is the center of Seoul,” Joinau says. “It’s historically speaking almost the only cosmopolitan area of Seoul. I thought if there was a place to open a French bistro, this was the place.” Le St-Ex succeeded in a somewhat ironic manner — because the location was considered seedy, the rich and famous would eat there. “At the beginning we attracted a kind of elite of Korean people who wanted something different,” Joinau says. “Most of them wanted to have a discreet way to go out. Because there were very few Korean people (in Itaewon), famous people, rich people, actors could come and not be recognized.” The movie stars came to Itaewon because no one else did. Paul Matthews, an actor from the U.K. who has lived

38 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

in the area since 2001, says the restaurant culture has been the prime mover for change in Itaewon over the past decade, with restaurants like Le St-Ex, La Tavola, La Cigale de Montmartre and Moghul paving the way. “And then it became about upscale drinking too, like when the Bungalow opened,” Matthews says. “It wasn’t just about skeezy bars. It was about classier drinking, cocktails and having a nice night out.” Joe McPherson, who runs the Zen Kimchi blog, says the Smokey Saloon, in that same alley behind the Hamilton, in 2005 “hit the Korean food blogs big time. For a couple of years, a line formed outside the restaurant, mostly Seoulites who had rarely ventured into Itaewon. More blog-worthy restaurants opened, which whittled away Itaewon’s seedy reputation.” McPherson also singles out Vatos Urban Tacos, which in 2011 “exploded on the Korean food blog and media scene more aggressively than any restaurant before.” Soon it had to move to the main street. That, McPherson feels, is when Itaewon truly gentrified. “It went from seedy to not unsafe to trendy.” Wayne Gold notes that even late at night, whereas it once took 20 minutes to line up for an egg burger after leaving the bar, one can now choose between a kebab, a Moroccan sandwich or even an empanada. Gold points to one (now defunct) bar that was famous for having “the best burger” in Korea. “And they were getting those prefab ones off the base,” he says. Now, he shakes his head in amazement at what’s available. “Kids today, they don’t understand,” he jokes.

Spreading beyond the Hill

Itaewon has also become a base for the gay scene, with Western attitudes defining the mainstream in the district. Hong Seok-cheon, Korea’s most famous gay personality, told NPR in 2012 he feels Itaewon is the only place he can live comfortably as a gay man. Reverend Daniel Payne, the senior pastor at the progressive Open Doors Community Church in Haebangchon, says, “Itaewon is the hub for gay foreigners and most young gay Koreans. At least on Homo Hill, many gay people find a safe place to be themselves without fear of reprisal and judgment.” Now Payne feels the gay scene is spilling out of Itaewon as people feel more comfortable with themselves. “As Korean society slowly — emphasis on slowly — opens up, many young gay Koreans are feeling more and more empowered to be out in other places and areas of life,” Payne says. Up by the mosque, Halal Hill developed. What was just a mosque became a sprawling “Muslim Town,” with halal butchers, Islamic bookstores and guesthouses, and travel agents specializing in pilgrimages to Mecca. This was to cater not only to the increasing number of Korean Muslims, but also to the tens of thousands of Muslim laborers who were streaming into the country. Korea’s approximately 1,000 Jews also gather in Itaewon. Chabad House, near the Samsung museum, serves as a de facto “Jewish embassy” for Jews all over the country, providing religious services, kosher food and a place to meet. Rabbi Osher Litzman says the Jewish community has always centered around Itaewon. “Which is very convenient,” Litzman says. “Many people decide to live near us.” Jewish services used to be held on the base, but it was impossible to cater to everyone, because Israelis were not permitted to enter Yongsan Garrison. “Now, we are here, and we welcome everyone: Soldiers, Israelis, everyone is welcome to join us.”

COVER story Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com)

Out with the old

In spring 2011, legendary Korean pop-sing- some stupid song, yet they wouldn’t step foot Unique cultural enclaves hold great value to er and producer JYP released “Itaewon Free- in the ‘hood 10 years ago. From what I under- cities and should be recognized.” Zwetsloot points to Hongdae as an example dom,” a fun, retro parody tune about partying stand, foreigners have been living in Itaewon in Itaewon. The lyrics, all in Korean, describe for more than 700 years, yet on a Saturday of what’s going on in Itaewon. “Go to Honga freer, alternative neighborhood where every- afternoon I’m stared at like a weird animal in dae now, the rent can only be afforded by companies. It’s become a corporate place,” one can go. Less crowded than Gangnam or a zoo.” Michael Hurt, a longtime expat, sees a he says. “And the real Hongdae has moved to Hongdae, more exciting than Sinchon, it had something for all tastes. Suddenly, residents “theme park of difference.” He says Koreans the back streets.” The popularity of Itaewon has spread to and local businesses began to see a huge are coming in because it’s now considered influx of Korean patrons to what were once cool to do things outside of their cultural com- neighboring Haebangchon, which is no longer fort zone. “Now Itaewon is a direct place to the place for North Korean refugees — now expat stomping grounds. But with Itaewon’s increasing populari- do that. Now you can go eat your good, real it’s filled with trendy restaurants that get highty, rents throughout the neighborhood have Italian pasta, play the ice cream game with the lighted on Korean TV programs. Gyeongnidan, down the hill from Noksapybeen skyrocketing; according to one anony- Turkish guy, and then go home and not see eong station, was once a cheaper, less trendy mous source, in the alley behind the Hamilton, those people again,” he says. The biggest fear of all is that Itaewon will just alternative to Itaewon as well. But accordwhich has recently seen massive remodeling, they have doubled in the past year. “Which is become another trendy neighborhood, anoth- ing to restaurant owner Daniel Tudor, that’s going to be very difficult for the foreign restau- er long line of fancy cafe chains and cosmet- changed too. “Gyeongnidan is booming now, and becomrants. All of them are going to move away.” He ics stores, says McPherson. Itaewon’s “new trendiness has raised the rents, pushing out ing corporate, sadly,” Tudor says. He originally sighs. “The profit is not here anymore.” Paul Matthews, the British actor, likes the the businesses that made it special in the first opened The Booth in the neighborhood begentrification, but says, “It means I may have place,” he says. Gangnam’s Garosu-gil was cause it was cheaper than Itaewon. But now, to leave.” The landlord is trying to sell the once a street of unique restaurants and cafes. “we’ve got chaebol-owned cafes, queues outbuilding Matthews lives in, and once that hap- But once it became trendy, “all those restau- side every bar or restaurant, and even those pens, it’s not likely he’ll be able to afford the rants were replaced with Caffe Benes and red-jacketed tourist information volunteers Faceshops. The same is starting to happen wandering around. From a purely selfish pernew rent. spective, it’s good for business, but we hope “Our area used to be a very family-friendly, to Itaewon.” He believes that Itaewon is different and the area doesn’t end up going over the top lovely little community with a rice shop and a butcher and dry cleaner’s,” Matthews says. needs to stay different. “For a city the size of like Garosu-gil.” Even Hooker Hill is being gentrified, Zwet“It was a really nice place to live in and hang Seoul, it suffers from an embarrassing lack of around. And one by one those places are dis- cosmopolitan diversity. It’s the largest small sloot notes. After a fire burned down a bunch town in the world,” says McPherson. “Imagine of juicy bars in 2011, they weren’t replaced by appearing.” One long-term resident, who asked to re- McDonald’s, Starbucks and Subway taking more juicy bars — now there’s a hotel for Chimain anonymous, said, “I hate that Itaewon over all the authentic restaurant space in LA’s nese tourists. When Hooker Hill is gentrified, has become cool with Koreans because of Koreatown and San Francisco’s Chinatown. he says, “the old Itaewon is just about gone.”

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The new Itaewon Freedom

‘Itaewon is not good now. The Koreans think Itaewon is good, but American people come and they say it’s bad. You know why: Hamilton backside, it’s all Korean. Many businesses, it’s good. But here, if we don’t have Americans, we close.’ Mama Kim, Grand Ole Opry

Strolling up Hooker Hill today, men will still get asked to follow girls into juicy bars and dark doorways. The bars and clubs up here have been mostly the same for 20 years: Friends Bar, now popular with Filipino workers; Polly’s Kettle, which for decades has served soju cocktails out of plastic pop bottles sawn in half; and the Grand Ole Opry, the cowboy bar with the raised square dance floor in the center. Every night since Mama Kim opened the Opry 39 years ago, she has played “The Star-Spangled Banner” at midnight. Mama Kim is in her mid-70s and tends the bar alone now; she can’t afford any help, but she doesn’t need it anyway, as there are so few customers. She still gets the small beer bottles duty-free, but now she is allowed to admit anyone. But no one really comes anymore. “Itaewon is not good now,” Kim says. “The Koreans think Itaewon is good, but American people come and they say it’s bad. You know why: Hamilton backside, it’s all Korean. Many businesses, it’s good. But here, if we don’t have Americans, we close.” Kim — a close friend of Tom Casey’s — misses the old days, even if they were exploitative and poor. It used to be that she would sell 30 to 35 cases of beer in a night. Now she doesn’t even sell five cases. “Forty years I have watched this place,” Kim says. “Before, we had 20 good years. After (2001), it went down. It’s really bad now. Too many bars. More people (in Itaewon), but they’re all Korean.” While Westerners are content with dive bars, Koreans, for the most part, are not. Down Texas Street — home to remnants of the old Itaewon, still the place most Koreans would not want their daughters wandering around — and around the corner, across the main street and behind the Hamilton, there is the new Itaewon. Le Saint-Ex, 3 Alley and Moghul are still there, but they’re the dinosaurs now. The street is filled with new options, most of them bright, beautiful and expensive. London Pride with its fire engine red façade, The Fox Hole with its shiny black exterior, Hong Seokcheon’s My Chelsea, Zelen at the top of the stairs — they are all emblematic of the new Itaewon. Outside a new gastropub, in another rapidly gentrifying alley, a lemon yellow Lamborghini sits unattended. One of Gangnam’s nouveau riche is out looking for an authentic evening of foreign food and beer. Inside the pub, they can make sure your hamburger is matched with the right IPA, your steak with the right porter. This is as far from the Kyunghyang Shinmun’s dirty enclave of “vagabond criminals” as you can go. It’s still foreign, but it’s a whole different breed of it. It’s a new Itaewon, an Itaewon of money. It’s a fun Itaewon, a multicultural Itaewon, a cosmopolitan Itaewon — Itaewon Freedom, for those who can afford it.

INSIGHT Edited by Matthew Lamers (mattlamers@groovekorea.com)

Reaching out

The Money column

How to get in touch with your bank from anywhere Column by Paul Sharkie / Illustration by Nicholas Stonehouse

couple of months ago I wrote about the problems many banking customers face when trying to manage their accounts from abroad. My conclusion, regular readers might recall, was that the best option for those who plan to leave Korea permanently is to simply close all their accounts before departing. Despite excellent products and services (often more competitive and rewarding than in other nations), rigorous legislation ultimately means that should you forget your passwords, a branch visit — in Korea — will be required to reset them. No exceptions. Furthermore, cards cannot be delivered abroad should you require a new one. Whether you’re out of the country temporarily or permanently, if you find yourself in a panic-stricken situation you will need to get in touch with your bank; yet many people simply do not know how. While some banks have better English infrastructure than others, all institutions offer ways to get in touch. Here’s how you can do it:

ABOUT THE writer Paul Sharkie is the Foreign Client Relationship Manager for Shinhan Bank’s Foreign Customer Department. Please visit Shinhan Expat Banking on Facebook for more information. The banking information provided in this column is based on Shinhan Bank policies and may not be applicable to all banks in Korea. — Ed.

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Shinhan Bank

Who are they? Shinhan Bank (신한은행) is the largest subsidiary of the Shinhan Financial Group and is headquartered in Seoul. Although not the largest bank in Korea, it is the most profitable and has recently been recognized as the best domestic and private banking institution in the country. Industry publication The Banker recently ranked Shinhan as the No. 1 bank in Korea and 43rd best bank globally. Getting in touch Shinhan’s Foreign Language Call Center can be reached at 1577-8380 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Shinhan Card’s Foreign Language Call Center is available at 15447333 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., though someone will be able to help you around the clock if your card is lost or stolen. If you happen to be abroad, call +82-2-3449-8380 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. At all phone numbers, press 1 for English. Website shinhan.com/en

Kookmin Bank (KB)

Who are they? Kookmin Bank (국민은행) is one of the largest banks in Korea in terms of both asset value and market capitalization. They also have the largest branch presence on the peninsula. Getting in touch Domestically, call 1599-4477, and internationally, call +82-2-6300-9999. Tip Press 1 and then 0. Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Website money.kbstar.com/quics?page=oeng

Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK)

Who are they? Kiup Bank (기업은행), otherwise known as the Industrial Bank of Korea, was established in 1961 and is owned by the Korean government. For those who are interested, the Seoulbased institution recently appointed Korea’s first female bank CEO. Getting in touch IBK’s website cites two local numbers: 15662566 and 1588-2588. When calling from overseas, you should try +82-31-888-8000. Either way, you need to dial 571 for English, and if you want to speak to someone in person you can reach their tellers between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Website eng.ibk.co.kr/lang/en/index.jsp

Hana Bank

Who are they? The Hana Financial Group is another one of Korea’s financial giants whose primary banking subsidiary, Hana Bank (하나은행), was converted into a commercial bank in 1991. It has enjoyed continuous expansion since then, with its most recent acquisition being Korea Exchange Bank (KEB). Getting in touch The Hana Bank Customer Center can be reached at 1599-1111 or +82-42-520-2500 if calling from abroad, and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Tip: You will have to wait a short while for an English introduction, so press 8 then 1, and if you want to speak to a representative, press 0). Website hanabank.com/contents/eng

Korea Exchange Bank (KEB)

Who are they? Korea Exchange Bank (외환은행) is a specialized foreign exchange bank headquartered in Seoul. By asset size, they are the fifth largest bank in Korea, and they also happen to be the largest foreign exchange bank in the country, controlling 40 percent of the exchange market. Getting in touch KEB’s general Expat Banking call center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you are calling locally, use 1544-3000, or +82-2-1544-3000 if calling from abroad. Tip Press 8 and then 8 again for services in English. For cardrelated issues, you may call 1544-3500 (+82-1544-8380) around the clock, which includes instances where you have to report your card as lost or stolen (press 1). Website keb.co.kr/main/en

Nonghyup Bank

Who are they? Nonghyup Bank (농협은행) is an agricultural bank company that is owned by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF). Like the others on this list, their headquarters are in Seoul. Getting in touch From inside the country, call 1588-2100. They are open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Again, if you want to skip the long Korean introduction, press 730 and then 1. Website nonghyup.com/eng/main/main.aspx

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Woori Bank

Who are they? Another one of Korea’s government-owned banking giants, Woori Bank (우리은행) has proven to be a very popular bank with expats. Getting in touch Call 1599-2288 on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and press 1 for English. Website eng.wooribank.com

Did you know?

1. If you ever have trouble using your bank’s website or find yourself being redirected to a Korean page, try using Internet Explorer; many Korean websites only function on this browser. While hard to stomach at first, it’s not that bad and will save you a lot of time testing other browsers. 2. Given the devotion to Internet Explorer in Korea, online banking services for MacBook users were previously non-existent. Today, however, two banks in Korea (Shinhan Bank and KEB) offer a Mac banking service in English, which involves downloading some rather fancy software that you can pin to your dock. 43

GROW LOCAL Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

GROW LOCAL Seoul’s growing food initiatives will leave you healthy and drooling for more

Photo by Dylan Goldby / Produce courtesy of High Street Market and Beryl Sinclair

ead down to Gwanghwamun on a Saturday morning and you’ll find hundreds of bleary-eyed shoppers, foreign and Korean alike, smiling under the sun and carrying bags crammed with local produce and cups filled with locally roasted coffee. Stretching in every direction are the small food producers who provide their week’s worth of groceries: organic fruits and veggies galore, homemade tofu and ice cream, whole grain flours and fresh-pressed juices. Take a taxi over to Hyehwa and you’ll see the same thing; zoom up to Nowon, even more. The local food movement has taken root in

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Seoul, and these bustling farmers’ markets are just the tip of the iceberg. Now, locally made honey, milk and cheese are all for the taking alongside a cornucopia of organic produce. You can make an omelet with local eggs and pack it full of local goat cheese, or toast some bread made with home-ground flour and smear it with honey from your neighbor’s bees — you can even get a weekly shipment of local fruits and veggies delivered right to your door. Eating local means eating fresh — fewer chemicals, more nutrition. So this summer, spruce up your diet with some wholesome, unprocessed, garden-fresh fare. There’s a world of options at your fingertips.

GROW LOCAL Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

SHAKE THE HAND THAT FEEDs YOU Weekly CSA deliveries bring new life to your kitchen Story by Beryl Sinclair / Photos by Hannah Green

very Tuesday afternoon I get to my apartment to find a tantalizingly weighty brown cardboard box from Gachi CSA sitting at my doorstep. Once inside, my shoes are off, the box is open before my door has time to shut behind me and I start to unpack: plump, sweet-smelling strawberries; potatoes and carrots with a healthy coating of dirt; vibrant greens waiting to jump into a salad bowl. Closing my eyes, the smell of the countryside takes me out of Seoul for a few moments. Then I open them and start to cook. This bountiful box is a product of community-supported agriculture, a mutually supportive agreement between farmers and consumers, better known as CSA. In a traditional CSA agreement, consumers buy a share of what a farmer will produce during the growing season, which guarantees farmers a fair price for their crops in a profession plagued by temperamental weather. Consumers, in turn, are rewarded for their investment with a regular delivery of farm-fresh produce — and the

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knowledge that their support is going directly to the farmer growing their food. Joining a CSA is like having Christmas come once a week, so when I heard I could join one in Seoul, I immediately signed up. The weeks went on, and my belly got really happy as a result of my regular meals chock-full of organic produce. As the seasons changed, I realized one core principle of CSA projects that I was lacking: a personal relationship with the farmers who feed me.

The farmers behind the box If you head way east on Seoul’s Jungang Line, you’ll reach the heart of Paldang, a tranquil, green area in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. I visited Hansol Farm to have lunch with proprietor Kim Byung-soo – the producer of the eggs and strawberries in my CSA boxes, and a founding father of the organic farming movement in Korea. In 1975, there were only about 20 or 30 organic farming families in the whole country. Kim, a young mechanical engineer at

the time, was inspired to quit his job after an organic farmer described how Korea’s rapid development was severing the relationship between farmers and consumers, between inhabitants of the countryside and of the city, between the young and the old. His message to Kim was clear: “Organic products are not just products,” but things that could also reunite people torn apart by modernization and industrialization. Inspired (and incidentally, without any previous experience), Byung Soo started raising chickens and strawberries. “I started farming not especially for me, but for this town,” he says. Not only would the rise of organic farming have a critical environmental impact on the surrounding ecosystem, but it would also start to mend the rift between consumers and farmers, revitalizing a rural community continuing to struggle as young people flee to the cities. By 1987, the Paldang organic farming community was fully established. The region is currently farmed by over 1,000 families

Kim, a young mechanical engineer at the time, was inspired to quit his job after an organic farmer described how Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapid development was severing the relationship between farmers and consumers, between inhabitants of the countryside and those of the city, between the young and the old.

GROW LOCAL Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

cultivating about 80 percent of Korea’s do- and farmers, met Kim through his work at mestically grown organic produce. On Kim’s WWOOF Korea, the local branch of World farm, the chicken manure is used to fertilize Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Jang the strawberries, a holistic process that brings is a longtime food activist who founded the livestock care, plant growth and soil health Slow Food Youth Network in Korea in 2013 full circle – mirroring the mutual connection after working for years in the nonprofit sector. between consumer and farmer in the CSA Together, they provided the idealism and busiproject. ness acumen Kim needed to connect farmers with an expat community clamoring for a new way to enjoy Korean culture. ‘There are veteran co-ops and CSAs Before Lee and Jang got started, consumout there doing it really well,’ explains ers with a good grasp of Korean could get Lee, ‘but we wanted something a little organic produce through cooperatives like different: the idea of community, the Hansalim, the largest of its kind in Korea with “C” in CSA. We didn’t want to be just a over 200,000 members, or through “gguredelivery service, but to build a sense of omi” (the Korean word used to describe a CSA community too.’ And to that end, their project). “There are veteran co-ops and CSAs out there doing it really well,” explains Lee, boxes of fruits and vegetables come with “but we wanted something a little different: the a world of other opportunities. idea of community, the ‘C’ in CSA. We didn’t want to be just a delivery service, but to build The slow food movement a sense of community, too.” To that end, their Hansol Farm is how Kim got involved with boxes of fruits and vegetables come with a Slow Food – as opposed to fast food, it’s an world of other opportunities. international movement promoting eco-friendGachi CSA organizes Farm Tours, which ly agriculture. He then recruited Joon Lee bring CSA members out to the farms to eat and Stream Jang to head up Gachi CSA in their produce and get to know fellow memSeoul. Lee, an affable New Yorker who gave bers and producers. In April, for example, up a career in finance to connect with food members planted the herb garden at Hansol

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Farm that provides the fresh herbs now found in the weekly boxes. Farmers see the value in increasing awareness in organic farming through language and cultural exchange with the expat community, as well as the financial benefits of guaranteed income through CSA subscriptions: Participating farmers generate between 5 and 20 percent of their income through Gachi CSA. The group also organizes events in Seoul, such as potlucks, food swaps and barbecues for CSA members and farmers. As Lee says, “We want to link the expat community with the Korean community — is there a better way to do that than through food? Food and farmers and farming — it’s great.”

Get cooking So why should expats join Gachi CSA? Member Nikki Slack says, “I know that my participation supports local farmers, and there really is a bit of a ‘we’re all in this together’ feeling in CSAs. It’s good to have a sense of making a difference in my second home through supporting organic agriculture.” Bearing this in mind, having a CSA subscription can admittedly feel like a burden at times, especially when you don’t know what you’ll be getting in your box each week; you’ll need to make a commitment to cooking at home

or else you will quickly have an overstuffed refrigerator. This can be advantageous, however, for someone looking to eat better. As Lee says, “If you don’t cook but you care about your health, this is the perfect catalyst to get you into the kitchen.” For those who find themselves overwhelmed at the thought of consistent cooking, CSA members are here to offer help. Soon after the launch of the first boxes, Katherine Kirk, an early subscriber, started the Facebook group Gachi CSA Korea Recipes, where CSA members can share ideas and meal-planning tips using ingredients from the CSA boxes. “Having just moved to Korea, I needed to find out how to cook all of this green stuff,” Kirk says. “This helps me and all the other CSA folks at the same time.” Enthusiastic members regularly post tips and ideas for using unfamiliar produce as well as old favorites. Slack, a regular contributor, says, “I feel more connected to Korea now because I’ve had experience not only eating but preparing things like saebal namul (a seasoned vegetable dish), crown daisy, mallow, water parsley, victory onion and Asian pear. Knowing what I’m eating makes me feel like a much more informed expat.” Lee and Jang are helping from their end too: In a traditional CSA box, “you get what you get,” but the organization takes customer feedback very seriously and has adapted to their customers’ concerns since the beginning. When some members balked at springtime boxes filled only with leafy greens and namul, Gachi CSA reached out to their fellow farmers to nab potatoes, onions and carrots for their weekly shipments. Though Korea’s small-scale farms are threatened by government development projects and free trade agreements, Jang says CSAs can help. “They keep an eye on agriculture in Korea,” which has never been more crucial than now. Food writer Michael Pollan tells people to “shake the hand that feeds you,” and it’s through CSAs that this relationship is made possible for consumers in Korea. Gachi CSA is working to give the expat community a new chance to take control of what they eat, and to get involved with their food.

How to join Using the form on the WWOOF website, you can choose from two baskets: the couple size (8–10 items for a 1–2 person household) or the family size (10–12 items for a 2–4 person household). Both have a vegan option (no eggs) and can be adjusted for your own personal timeframe: You can get monthly, half or full shares to carry you through one, three or six months, respectively. Bread and side dishes can also be delivered in the same shipment, but because of perishability, the dairy and meat add-ons must be picked up in person at the WWOOF CSA office in Itaewon. Website: wwoofcsa.com, fb.com/WWOOFCSA.

GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland finds out more about what’s in the box. Check out the episode at groovekorea.com.

GROW LOCAL Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

FLY THE COOP

And support the organic farming community with WWOOF Korea Story by Kyndra Love / Photos by Hannah Green

iding along a bumpy country road in Namyangju, the fresh air was quickly invaded by a subtle stench as the van turned a corner to reveal hundreds of chickens pecking about in their coops. I had arrived at Hansol Farm with a group of people participating in a weekend day trip for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or WWOOF. As a first-time volunteer, I was excited to be out of the city and eager to learn more about organic farming. Kota Fukuyama, who has been working as the manager of WWOOF Korea for the past three years, says the program offers participants the chance to experience the lives and work of farmers and local people while supporting them by lending a helping hand. “The rest is up to you. If you are interested in organic farming, you can learn from working and talking with farmers. If you want to learn about the local way of cooking, you can go to their kitchen and learn by helping them. It is also a great opportunity to learn the language the hosts speak,” Fukuyama says. “All these elements are real, down-to-earth cultural experiences, and the concept of ‘exchange’ makes it happen. … It’s about learning about life through working and living with people with different backgrounds.” Although few people who join the program have previous farming experience, the program is organized in a way that allows those new to farm work to still be useful. Fukuyama says that the tedious work of growing various commodity crops on organic farms means that help is always needed, and because most small-scale organic farms do not use the same machinery as large-scale farms, the tasks for volunteers are easier and safer.

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WWOOF fever WWOOF was created in England in 1971 as a way to bring people and farmers closer together, and has since expanded to over 100 countries worldwide. Korea joined the movement in 1997 and there are now 62 farms registered with the program around the peninsula. With around 400 new members every year; Fukuyama hopes this number will soon double. One thing he feels sets WWOOFing in Korea apart is the variety in the types of host locations on offer, which ranges from temples and salt farms to farmers who own small restaurants. People who volunteer for the program exchange their labor for room and board at a participating farm and pay a membership fee of 50,000 won per year. Each farm grows different crops, and before a stay is arranged, the volunteer and host agree on a work schedule. After the workday is over, many hosts will take volunteers around the area or otherwise help them explore. Most WWOOFers stay for at least a week, but for those who can’t take that much time away there is Group WWOOF. This program offers day and weekend trips, and was started to make WWOOFing more accessible to busy volunteers while helping host farms amass a larger labor force for major tasks during busy seasons. Fukuyama says that there are plans to expand the program, including a version of Group WWOOF for businesses. “WWOOF participants always say they don’t have many opportunities to see how their food is grown,” he says. “These programs play a big role in bridging the gap between consumers and producers.” For younger farming enthusiasts, WWOOF Korea created a new

group called Kids Farming Travel, which is similar to team, we were able to build a few before egg-picking the WWOOF Youth Camp for kids from ages 9 to 15 time had come around. Next, I was given a stack of that started in Canada and Australia last year. cartons and told to shoo the chickens out of the nest There are also programs for those who want to sup- before carefully collecting the freshly laid eggs. Parker port the organic farming community without actually told me that the eggs on Hansol Farm are special in getting their hands dirty. The WWOOF CSA program Korea because they are fertilized. Some people even has organized a weekly delivery of organic foods. The believe them to be an aphrodisiac because they are WWOOF Korea Guesthouse, where the main WWOOF “full of life.” I was shocked and intrigued, and had a fun Korea office is located, offers lodging in a beautiful new fact to share. hanok (traditional Korean house) and supports organic When everything was finished, Kim invited us to sit farmers by providing locally made organic foods. and enjoy some freshly cooked pajeon, a Korean-style crepe that in this case was filled with vegetables from Shake a tail feather the farm. As we ate, we talked about what led each of Kim Byung-soo, our host farmer, had three tasks for us to participate. For some, joining was a way to get our group of roughly 20 volunteers: shoveling gravel, involved in farming; for others it was a way to experiwashing eggs and building new chicken coops. ence a new culture or rediscover their own. For me, it Hansol farm specializes in strawberries and chickens, was a way to reconnect with and learn about the land. among other crops, and I wanted to try helping with The day had been long and eventful, but as we said the eggs. The first batch of eggs had already been our goodbyes I hoped to return again soon. I climbed picked in the morning but we were told that picking up into the van with my new group of friends, and as we the second batch would be our last job of the day. In drove along, the lingering smell of the chicken coops between, it was our job to wash and package the eggs. followed us down that bumpy country road. Kim’s wife gave us aprons and gloves and showed us how to carefully scrub away the dirt and feathers before packing the eggs into cartons. Soon, it was time for lunch — fresh eggs, rice and vegetables prepared by Kim’s wife using produce grown on the farm. Gathered around the table were volunteers from many countries, including Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic — and most had participated in the program in other countries. We all communicated in English, which seems to be the lingua franca of the WWOOF community in Korea. “Even the most rural of farmers either speak broken English or are in possession of an English-Korean dictionary,” says Jason Parker, an avid WWOOFer from the United States “It really has no bearing on how positive or negative a WWOOFing experience will be.” Parker, who has participated in the program in five countries over the past decade, says that for him, one of the benefits of doing a long-term homestay through the program is the ability “to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience the ‘real’ Korea, rather than doing the cursory one-week tour of all the top tourist spots in the country and then flying back home.” Getting to know the local culture is a definite benefit, but there is another one as well. “On the limited budget that I am on, if I were not provided with meals and homestay accommodation, I would not be able to travel in Korea for three months,” he said. “In fact, I would most likely be bankrupt within a few weeks if I were forced to stay in hotels and eat in restaurants every day.” After finishing the meal, it was back to work. This time I helped build hen houses. First, netting had to be put up around the fences so the chickens wouldn’t More info fly out. Then, Kim brought wooden materials to build nesting boxes for hens to lay eggs in. Working as a

‘All these elements are real, downto-earth cultural experiences, and the concept of “exchange” makes it happen. ... It’s about learning about life through working and living with people with different backgrounds.’ Kota Fukuyama, WWOOF Korea manager

Find WWOOF Korea at wwoofkorea.org (Korean), koreawwoof.com (English) or on Facebook.

GROW LOCAL Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

EAsY CHEEsY

An expat takes cheese needs into his own hands with goats galore Story by Shireen Tofig Photos by Kwan Ho Keun, Ralph Daily, Gemma Wardle and Luca Nebuloni

t’s common knowledge to those with foreign palates that good cheese is hard to come by in Korea. While many expats pine for the supermarkets and specialty stores back home where cheese was plentiful and crackers always had the luxury of being adorned with a tasty accoutrement, we have sadly grown accustomed to our current cheese-less lifestyle. Gone are the days where we could frolic amongst the Brie, Parmesan or Gouda as freely as we pleased. In these dark times, many of us have given up hope. But one expat, particularly outraged and utterly disheartened by this nonsense, has decided to take matters into his own hands. Doug Huffer is an American living in the countryside in Gyeongju, and he has his very own goat cheese farm.

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It all started about five years ago. Huffer lived near cow dairies and would buy milk from one of the farmers, but he missed the variety of cheese from back home. After doing some research he started to make his own cheese from the cow milk. Then, three years ago, he parlayed his newfound knowledge into some land and a few goats and, just like that, Waeg Farm was born. “I chose to raise goats over cows because they’re easier to handle and, to put it simply, just plain cuter!” The process, he says, is easy. He heats the milk to 63 degrees Celsius, lets it pasteurize for 30 minutes, cools it to 32 degrees Celsius and adds culture. After an hour, in goes the rennet — which coagulates the milk and creates curds — and then anywhere from 12 to 24 hours later he places the curds into molds and lets them drain for a full day.

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He says he’s still learning: “Seasonal changes and weather greatly affect the milk, so everything has to be monitored and adjusted accordingly.” These skills take a long time to acquire, especially considering the effect that just a few tweaks can have; slight differences in the draining, heating, pressing, or cutting of the curds can lead to a completely different product. Doug’s current super-fresh recipe tastes similar to cream cheese, but it’s less sweet and a bit tarter in flavor. It’s a small operation — just one buck, one wether (a non-breeding male), five does, five kids and three newborns — but they’re able to make a couple batches of cheese a week, with the busy season being from spring to late fall. He hasn’t made goat’s milk available for sale yet, but yogurt will soon be added to the menu. In the next few years he hopes to have aged cheeses as well. “They’re stronger in flavor (which is good), but I’d have to build cheese caves for aging,” he says. If you’re curious to try some of Waeg Farm’s cheese, you don’t have to trek all the way to Gyeongju; they’ll deliver it overnight to any doorstep in mainland Korea, though visitors are always welcome on the farm. There you might get to milk a goat or go on a goat-cart ride, or or you could even volunteer your services and get some hands-on farming experience in the countryside. But if ordering online is more your style, you may also find tomatillos, one of five varieties of heirloom tomatoes, some hot habanero peppers, green beans, sweet corn, artichokes or even a fiery Trinidad scorpion (a pepper, not a bug) included with your order. Huffer likes to add these delicacies as a bonus for his customers. More info Email: waegfarm@gmail.com Website: waegfarm.com or fb.com/waegfarm

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SAVE THE BEEs! Urban beekeepers create a buzz to help Seoul’s dying colonies Story by Jaime Stief / Translation by Jung Seunghwan and Kyndra Love Additional reporting by Jongmin Lee / Photos by Jessica Lia

2012, the mayor of Seoul hailed the start of the urban farming era. A series of symbolic agricultural projects were set up in the downtown area, including a collection of bee boxes on the roof of City Hall. Two years later, rumor has it that the bees are long gone — but the spark that was ignited has now developed into a small, somewhat decentralized flame. Urban beekeeping might not appear to be a natural fit for Seoul. Amid the cellphones and the E-marts, DIY farming doesn’t seem to be a hot issue for the collective consciousness. But there are a handful of brave, ambitious Seoulites who are trying to change that, even if it means a few false starts.

54 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

Ideal location, vulnerable population Upon introduction, Chung-Ang University students Seung-min Nam and Jin-su Yun look more like business students than urban farmers. In fact, they are both. Together, the two run BeeCAUS (Beekeeping at Chung-Ang University), a beekeeping initiative that has roots in the Enactus program, a multinational organization that helps business students put their skills to work for worthy causes. Nam, the president of Chung-Ang’s Enactus chapter, explains that the purpose of BeeCAUS is to help “people who need healthy food they can trust, and to help the bees that are dying … all over the world. We want to save the environment.” As honey gains a higher profile as a so-called superfood, from Nam and ‘There are two Yun’s perspective, urban honey has things that bees are the edge: They argue that the plants vulnerable to. One is in the city are grown with fewer pesnoise ... any sort of ticides and that, due to the relative vibrations. The other lack of biodiversity, the final product is humidity.’ is “purer” — fewer sources, higher Seung-min Nam quality, they say. While the quality of urban honey versus rural is still up for debate, the quality of BeeCAUS products is infinitely higher than any corn syrup blend you’ll find at the average grocery store. But if the bees are located in the middle of a concrete jungle, where are they getting their nectar? It just so happens that Chung-Ang University is only one subway stop from Seoul National Cemetery. In addition to being quiet and idyllic, the memorial site also boasts a considerable amount of greenery, local flora included. Despite this good luck, there have still been setbacks. Even with the closeness of a large green space, a Seoul summer presents some obvious challenges. “There are two things that bees are vulnerable to,” says Nam. “One is noise … any sort of vibrations. The other is humidity.” Attracting fellow students to volunteer has been a challenge as well. They’ve also found themselves up against an even less predictable opponent than their urban environment — hornets. “One hornet can kill 100 to 300 honey bees,” Seung-min explains. The impact these predators have had on their operation has been considerable. He said that BeeCAUS lost three of its colonies this past winter, which amounts to anywhere between 250 and 750 bees. One year from now, they expect they’ll have moved their entire operation to nearby Nodeul Island, the location held by one of their unofficial partners, Urban Bees Seoul.

More info BeeCAUS BeeCAUS can be found on Facebook at fb.com/beecaus. Urban Bees Seoul UBS operates on a membership system and currently has nine members. Its workshops are offered in Korean only. Further information can be found on their website (urbanbeesseoul.com) and Facebook page (facebook.com/urbanbeesseoul) (Korean only).

Urban class, teaching tradition UBS is led by Jin Park, a fellow Chung-Ang student who believes that keeping bees in the city improves the quality of life for all citizens. For him, the purpose is twofold: On one hand, it raises awareness about living well in the city, and on the other hand, caring for bees helps improve the Korean bee population, which is widely understood to be in rapid decline. According to Park, there’s a network of 12 sites throughout Seoul that work together to provide information and counsel on any potential threats to the city’s colonies. Their location on Nodeul Island is connected to a larger agricultural compound that is financed by the city (though Park insists they are not financed by the government). We also visited a second location, the rooftop of the UNESCO office nearly 5 kilometers away in Myeong-dong. The ecosystems couldn’t be more different, and yet the same beekeeping procedures and techniques apply. As part of the minority of successful operations in the city, Park possesses valuable skills that have been an asset to other startups located here. “There is almost no place for beginners to learn beekeeping in Korea,” Park explains. “If you already know about beekeeping to some degree, you can go to the local Agricultural Technology Center, but it would be hard for beginners to follow their classes.” Park leads workshops (in Korean) for those interested in learning about how to run their own urban bee project. Groove Korea attended one such class, which offered hands-on experience for how to clean hives and remove mites from a colony of bees (hint: it involves icing sugar). ‘There is almost no For those looking for an opportunity more place for beginners aligned with an apprenticeship, Park recto learn beekeeping ommends heading for the mountains and in Korea. If you finding an older person who can teach you. already know about It’s in the rural parts of the country where beekeeping to some Korea’s beekeeping heritage resides. degree, you can go to Though exotic species were introduced in the local Agricultural the early 1900s — appealing because of Technology Center, their greater honey yield and ability to be but it would be hard transferred from one location to another for beginners to — native Korean bee colonies have been follow their classes.’ cultivated on the peninsula for over 2,000 Jin Park years. According to a 2012 study produced by Mi Sun Park and Youn Yeo-chang at Seoul National University, traditional Korean practices involved hives made of hollowed-out logs and prayers to a mountain god as thanks for a good harvest. These traditions are a bit harder to track down in urban projects, but what remains is a sense of community between new beekeepers and those with skills to share. Anchored by this support, the new generation of urban beekeepers in Seoul can hopefully enjoy a prosperous future, with or without the help of the mountain gods.

GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland is abuzz about beekeeping. Check out the episode at groovekorea.com.

GROW LOCAL Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

GET YOUR gARDEN gROWiNg Seoul City Farmers plants seeds for sustainable living Story by Rebekah McNay and Jenny Na / Photos by Justin Pollard

ive years ago, Justin Pollard traded the golden cornfields of his Indiana hometown for the concrete jungle of Seoul. But he brought with him a passion for food that nourishes the body, the soul and the environment. After two years of teaching English here, he found himself seeking a new career that would combine his interests in cooking, nature and horticulture while also using his skills, serving a social need and involving something that he enjoys. “I realized that urban sustainability educator was the perfect job for me. The only downside was that job doesn’t really exist,” he said. “Despite that inconvenient detail, I have committed myself to creating it because I feel that there is a real need in the world today for ways of living that can

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make our lives more sustainable, more fulfilling and help us develop practical skills at the same time.” He took a step toward realizing his new goals in May 2012 at the first meeting of a newly formed sustainability group. While he was there, he and a new friend started talking about the realities of living in Seoul, including the connection they felt was missing in the ritual of going out to drink and the absence of group activities promoting a more holistic lifestyle. They invited people to join them and garden at the friend’s space near Umyunsan and the event was a success. But just as the group had gotten off to a good start, his friend moved on, and the group was left without a space. Undeterred, Pollard decided to create a new group, Seoul City Farmers, the following year. The new group had a new

image and renewed energy. Now, they have a meet-up group with more than 400 members from more than 10 countries. Although the group seeks to bring together people who are interested in living sustainably in the city, cultivating a green thumb and learning about the mechanics of food production are also important. “We don’t just get together and grow stuff,” Pollard said. “It’s about being practical and living sustainably.” For Pollard, that means overcoming agricultural practices that he feels are becoming increasingly less ethical and sustainable by learning how to grow food in a way that doesn’t deplete or harm the environment while also giving back to the earth. “The amount of respect we put into the way we eat reflects the amount of respect we put into our lives,” Pollard said. Like Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” he feels there is too much focus on diet in modern society. In other words, people have reduced the act of eating to mere calorie counting and measuring fiber content in the name of losing weight and calling that healthy.

much more easily on issues of sustainability.” To help its members make food sustainability part of their everyday lives, SCF holds community events that hit six areas in relation to food: urban farming, cooking classes and food education, urban living methods, urban sustainability R&D and community wellness. “Some people might join because they want to grow some herbs in their apartment or learn how to cook at home, but others are looking for social support from like-minded people or practical ways of living more sustainably,” he said. “No matter what reason a person has for joining, we hope that they can leave our events feeling like they had a great time, with good people, and learned a little bit about how they can live a joyful life sustainably.”

yourself as opposed to just meeting a need. He also leads a Life Support Program, which is a forum for people wanting to make a life change. Pollard is developing connections with other like-minded groups. In November, SCF collaborated with the Korea chapter of WWOOF to host a day trip to an organic farm in Namyangju. SCF plans to continue this partnership and others with organizations such as Urban Bees Seoul, Magpie Brewing Co. and organic farmers around Seoul. This year, they will also launch new projects, including the creation of an organic garden and new cooking workshops, development of new products for a farmer’s market and expansion of the community support program. “We believe that growing our group is like growing anything in the garden,” he said. “Quick growth will be weak and not strong enough to survive the challenges that inevitably come.” They’ve planted the seeds for success — now all they have to do is watch their garden grow. More info All events can be found on the SCF meet-up page (meetup.com/Seoul-City-Farmers) or on Facebook under SeoulCityFarmers..

‘I realized that urban sustainability educator was the perfect job for me. The only downside was, that job doesn’t really exist. Despite that inconvenient detail, I have committed myself to creating it.’ SCF founder Justin Pollard

Pollard’s definition of healthy is, in short, cooking and eating real food. But with the convenience of packaged food and lack of ethics in today’s agricultural practices, that can be more difficult than it sounds. And returning the nutrients in food waste back to the earth by properly disposing of it is usually the last thing on consumers’ minds. Even so, he said that practicing a sustainable lifestyle in this way is actually easier in Korea than in the United States, where agribusiness and the government are so large and interconnected and the financial rewards are so large for so many that major shifts in policy can be difficult to achieve. The result: poor food products and unhealthy people. “Korea is a very responsive country that still has a very vibrant small business sector,” he said. “So in many ways, Korea has the agility to reposition itself and its business sector

‘The amount of respect we put into the way we eat reflects the amount of respect we put into our lives.’ SCF founder Justin Pollard

To that end, there are classes on urban farming and rooftop gardening, cooking (spice tasting, beer making, cheese making, using traditional Korean vegetables), food storage (canning, dehydrating and freezing), urban composting and everyday microbiology for sustainable living. Pollard often brings in experts from various fields to explore how food is connected to holistic health and wellness, which involves living a slower, more thoughtful lifestyle and using food to care for

Story by Alejandro Callirgos / Photos courtesy of High Street Market

etired American businessman Bob Moore has a lofty goal: to become “the Colonel Sanders of Whole Grains.” At 85 years of age, Moore is the founder, CEO and president of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, the selfbilled “leading name in health foods across (America).” The employee-owned company makes over 400 natural, organic and gluten-free products, with Bob’s bespectacled, derby-capped, bolo-tied, white-bearded likeness becoming the familiar face that graces all the company’s packaging. In 1978, Moore bought an abandoned old mill in small-town Oregon and started stone-grinding flours and cereals for local customers. Since then, Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods has gone global, distributing its products throughout North America, the Middle East and Asia. Now the Bob’s Red Mill brand has made its way to Korea. Kip Richardson, owner of High Street Market, a distributor of Bob’s Red Mill products, credits informed consumers with bringing the brand to Korea: “High Street is seeing a growing number of domestic customers who are very aware of the latest health food trends and products. Locals are much more aware of what’s out there and, likely due to the internet, they’re leading the trends far more quickly than local suppliers and importers. The result is a demand for products that are not so easy to source locally.”

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The Korean market’s previous interest in “well-being” products and “slow food” have given way to a shift toward organic and gluten-free foods, and High Street is prepared to make them available. Of the Bob’s Red Mill brand, Richardson says, “High Street continues to see customers focus on brands and products they know and can trust. Brands like Bob’s (Red Mill) have built a strong bond with consumers built on a solid reputation and history for providing verifiably organic products and offering gluten-free items even before it became trendy.” High Street stocks over 25 Bob’s Red Mill products, including flour (all-purpose baking, spelt, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, white and dark rye), granola (cinnamon, apple blueberry, apple strawberry, cinnamon raisin, honey almond and honey oat), grains (quinoa and amaranth), muesli, potato flakes, baking soda/powder and mixes (biscuit and baking, brownie, pizza crust, scone and pancake and waffle). Some of High Street’s best-selling Bob’s Red Mill products are the Organic Whole Grain Quinoa, Organic Dark Rye Flour, 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix and Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour. High Street’s array of Bob’s Red Mill products is sure to please Korea’s health-conscious consumers — including people with celiac disease and those with gluten sensitivities.

Getting there c Take line 6 to Itaewon. From exit 4, walk two blocks and High Street Market is on the left on the second floor. Call (02) 790-5450 for more information.

FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

3.14 + beer: It all adds up Insa-dong’s new pizza pub makes a complicated equation simple Story by Shireen Tofig / Photos by Shireen Tofig and courtesy of Brew 3.14

t’s a balmy Saturday evening at Brew 3.14, one of Insa-dong’s newest and most eclectic restaurants, and I’ve just been handed a Cosmopolitan in a zippered pouch with a straw. There are no tables — only the bar. I’m sitting shoulder-to-shoulder between a friend and a hefty-bearded foreigner. Indie music plays from the kitchen, loud enough to give a vibrant energy to the place, but not so loud that we have to shout. Every space at the bar is full: Korean businessmen with ties pulled loose, a casual trio in hoodies and baseball caps, neighborhood scenesters and couples on dates. We’re surrounded by a myriad of drawings, newspaper clippings and flea market finds, with the exception of one wall, a space dedicated to the menu, etched out in chalk. My eye catches English shepherd’s pie — something you don’t see every day anywhere, much less in Seoul. It’s buzzing, and Felicien Vincens is standing in the kitchen directly in front of me, ladling his homemade tomato sauce atop the thin dough of our pizza. Hailing from France, he’s been in Korea for nine months now and is the sole chef of Brew 3.14. Everything on the menu is his own recipe, from the meat sauce to the baguettes, which are as fresh as can be (nothing stays in the refrigerator for more than three days, he tells me). Business has been good since the restaurant opened only months ago,

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and it’s no surprise: The spread ranges from handmade calzones and thin-crust pizzas to Korean fried chicken, from craft beers to vin chaud (hot mulled wine) and shooters with names like “Gin Destruction” and “O.J. Simpson Bomb.” Vincens, along with co-owners Patrick Cloutier and Daniel Gray — both expat foodie entrepreneurs who’ve been in Korea for years — is devoted to a fine Italian menu with a French twist. Together, they believe the craft beer scene extends beyond the greater Itaewon area, and while this spot is a bit out of the way, its offbeat style is drawing people in. I can instantly see why. The chicken calzone is presented on a rustic wooden platter, but before we dig in Vincens takes out a branding iron and burns a message into the crust, another thing you don’t see every day. Smoke wisps rise into the air, and I peer closer: 3.14. My calzone is stuffed with melted cheese, veggies, chicken and a savory tomato sauce, and (naturally) there’s a stack of sweet pickles on the side. The supreme pizza we’ve ordered also has a perfectly crunchy, golden-brown crust, and the dough is cooked beautifully. The sausage and onion are scattered across the pizza’s rectangular shape, making it a proper bar pie. The most miraculous part? Neither one of these dishes exceeds 10,000 won. Next comes some traditional Korean stoneware

Business has been good since the restaurant opened only months ago, and it’s no surprise: The spread ranges from handmade calzones and thin-crust pizzas to Korean fried chicken, from craft beers to vin chaud (hot mulled wine) and shooters with names like ‘Gin Destruction’ and ‘O.J. Simpson Bomb.’

housing a decidedly un-Korean dish: With onions cooked slowly in a butter and white wine sauce, soft potatoes, bay leaves and a top layer of mozzarella and cheddar cheese, the French onion soup is the highlight of the meal. Vincens whips out yet another tool before we’re allowed our first taste; this time it’s a blowtorch. He lightly browns the cheese a foot away from us and places this exquisite soup in front of our delighted faces. We paid 7,000 won for this artful masterpiece. While the space is devoid of cloth napkins and starched white tablecloths, Brew 3.14’s handmade food is of a quality much higher than the setting and price might suggest. The menu is also varied enough to eat there often, and repeat visits offer chances at quiche, handmade chips and salsa or sometimes even Russian beer. The service is excellent, the atmosphere homey and intimate and the staff friendly and sociable. They’ll happily leave you to your evening or help you decide what destination to visit next in Seoul. It’s up to you. Brew 3.14 isn’t your average pizzeria; nor is it a bar. It’s an experience, and a good one at that. The decision to head there should be a simple one because, as it says on the menu itself, “craft beers + good food = happiness.”

Getting there c Anguk Station, exit 4. Walk two blocks and turn left at the Crown Hotel on Samil-daero. Brew 3.14 is in an alley on your left, past the Ibis Hotel, with a circular sign out front. Turn left at the sign, and the restaurant is just around the corner.

FOOD & DRINK Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Seoul Veggie Kitchen

The maturation of the pb & j A kid-inspired summertime classic gets a makeover Column and Photos by Shelley DeWees

n July, when I’m sweatin’ through my American-in-Korea fashions at work and completely unable to focus on my job, my brain goes aflutter with images of childhood summertime: the backyard! Running through sprinklers! Pool smell in my hair! Hot dogs in the microwave! Oh man, I would kill for a crappy Duplex cookie and some orange soda. And, no, I don’t care about that meeting just now. But we’re kids no longer, unfortunately, and there are pension contributions to make, toilet brushes to buy and grocery store gift cards to give your friends on their birthdays. Kid-time memories will just have to wait until later, until they can be properly dealt with over beers with friends on the beach ... on a trip that you can pay for with your own money, and go on without asking for permission — Wait a sec! Sprinkler-running aside, being an adult is awesome! So how about we take one of our childhood summer faves and turn it into a grown-up masterpiece? I thought you’d never ask. Making a PB & J sandwich is pretty self-explanatory, but big-person sammies require a bit more attention in terms of ingredients; white bread and grape jelly can only take you so far.

About the writer: Shelley DeWees worked as a vegan chef for a Buddhist monastery before moving to Seoul. She is a columnist and the food editor for Groove Korea. — Ed.

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Watch the ooey gooey goodness smoosh all over your big-time adult life; even with the soggy office clothes, it’s still pretty friggin’ fabulous. The PB: Natural peanut butter, the kind made without sugar or hydrogenated oils, is elusive in Korea unless you make it at home. So for this classy treat I use whatever peanut butter I can find, and then I proceed to wail on it. I slam it down so hard. And while I’d usually push for a more natural alternative (easy to find on iHerb, if you swing that way), a little indulgence and convenience are cool once in a while. Creamy, crunchy, natural or not, go with it and love it, just this once. The J: There are all manner of good jams out there, but some seriously bad ones, too. Steer toward a more inspiring option by taking a gander at the sugar content before you buy; with some of them you’d be better off eating a Snickers bar (look for seoltang). Since a cloying dessert sandwich isn’t my game, I like to ram some fresh berries up under the bread and smash it down instead. Huzzah. Instant jam. The bread: While white bread may drip with memories of popsicles and Kool-Aid, it may also turn your monster sammy into a big drippy mess. Paris Baguette and Tous les Jours both carry sturdier sandwich breads that’ll do better than squishy “morning toast” stuff, so grab what you can and soldier on.

Gooey grilled PB & J Ingredients •2 slices of bread (or three if you want a double-decker) •Many many tbs of peanut butter •Dab o’ jam, or some fresh berries

Heat a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat. You’ll need it to be hot when you lay the bread down to get that golden toasty color, so let it preheat for at least 5–6 minutes while you prepare your masterful sandwich. Get out your goodies and get busy with a butter knife, making sure to spread the yumminess allllll the way to the edges. When you’ve achieved your perfect balance of PB on one side and J on the other, put the slices together and lay the whole sandwich in the hot pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes until you can smell the toasty aroma in the air, then flip and cook the other side for another three minutes. Finally, scoop it out onto a plate and slice it down the middle. Watch the ooey gooey goodness smoosh all over your big-time adult life; even with the soggy office clothes, it’s still pretty friggin’ fabulous. Happy summer!

Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

A respite from reality Head to Bangkok to find your heart’s desire (or your naughtiest fantasy) Story by Simon Hunter-Williams Photos by Colin Dabbs, Michael Roy and Dirk Schlottmann

repare to get lost in your fantasies, whatever they may be: Bangkok is an amazing, exuberant city that can tempt the most cautious travelers to flirt with their vices. It’s a city of energy, colors, chaos, fashion and — lest we forget — parties, offering a break from reality while you feed your thirst for adventure. Go for a short break, a long break, a weekend, whatever, because many intoxicating nights await as you delve into your dreams, let go of your hang-ups and keep reminding yourself of what we all know is true: What happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok. The night I arrived was chaotic, but I’ll never forget my first glimpse of Suvarnabhumi Airport. I was in awe of the diversity of the crowds in the line at customs — people of all shapes and sizes, couples of all combinations. This very un-Incheon facility will quickly pull you out of the ICN bubble. But on the transportation front, getting downtown from Suvarnabhumi is just as easy. Skip the taxis and head straight to the basement for a cheap ride on the city’s subway. As the train speeds downtown, enjoy one last period of calm before reaching the diversity, poverty and wealth of Bangkok’s humid city streets. On my first night, I dropped my bag off at the hotel and headed to Silom for a quick cup o’ joe at Coffee Society — the heart of the gay district— before partying at DJ Station with some newfound Korean friends. The next day I headed across town to Sukhumvit for plentiful shopping, people-watching and dinner at a place called Cabbages and Condoms. Sukhumvit sits near a wide range of restaurants, shops, tourist traps and massage parlors that will keep you busy, and if you enjoy a nice stroll, head toward J-Town or grab some Korean treats a few feet from Terminal 21. The more I explored Bangkok, the more I realized just how easy it was to do on foot. I hit the Grand Palace (beautiful, but be prepared to take your shoes off a lot), saw the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), grabbed lunch on the go and then walked along the Chao Phraya River and on to the Museum of Siam — all in one afternoon. If you’re feeling ambitious, the National Museum, National Theater, National Art Gallery and Phra Sumen Fort can all be seen in a day. Round everything out with a trip to Mont, a delightful local restaurant specializing in chocolate toast. The city’s Chinatown and Bang Rak districts are the oldest and quaintest parts of the city, with alleyways chock-full of the best street food you’ve ever had, but if you came to Bangkok to shop, then Siam Square and the Paragon Mall are where you

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The night I arrived was chaotic, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget my first glimpse of Suvarnabhumi Airport. I was in awe of the diversity of the crowd in the line at customsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; people of all shapes and sizes, couples of all combinations. This very un-Incheon facility will quickly pull you out of the ICN bubble.

Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Bangkok is so much more than the Amsterdam of Asia; it is the heaven, the hell and everything in between for party-goers, shoppers, sun-worshippers and those who just want to dive into something very different.

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need to be. A shopper’s paradise awaits you, packed with the young and trendy and surrounded by artsy and expensive brands (and a few more affordable Chinese and Thai ones, too). Paragon is better for Western labels; the space isn’t so pretty, but it’s got H&M, Gap, Starbucks and all the standard mall fare, not to mention a swank IMAX theater and an oceanarium. Another great shopping spot is the crazy Prathunam flea market, which is near the tallest building in Bangkok: Baiyoke Tower. Easily accessible from downtown, the tower’s awesome 360-degree view of the city from the 84th floor must be seen to be believed — a great way to spend a quiet evening in high style. If you’re all partied out and tired of the crowded streets, the Asiatique complex on the river is another nice place to chill out in the middle of an otherwise very chaotic city. Bangkok is so much more than the Amsterdam of Asia; it is the heaven, the hell and everything in between for party-goers, shoppers, sun worshippers and those who just want to dive into something very different. Many are so awestruck by the availability of every indulgence that they let themselves go the moment they land. Bangkok is crammed with clubs, bars and massage shops where you can meet all kinds of interesting people (and a few prostitutes that’ll make you do a triple take). Gay, straight, open-minded, just go yonder and explore — Bangkok awaits.

Getting there c Most of the major Korean airlines run multiple daily flights to Bangkok from Seoul, but

the cheapest options will be through smaller operations; Jin Air, in particular, offers a super deal: nonstop Seoul to Bangkok for around 350,000 won. Check out skyscanner.com for more details.

Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

Reflections on a restaurant A Korean ponders his n ation al identit y in Estonia Story by Haeryun Kang / Photos by Gyuho Lee

he owner of the Korean restaurant on 62 Pärnu Street just turned 29 in March. Gyuho Lee is from Jeonju, North Joella Province, and before moving to Tallinn, Estonia, the farthest he had lived from his hometown was Seoul, where he went to university to study hotel management. So why a Korean restaurant, and in Estonia of all places? Estonia isn’t a household name in Korea. Tell people that it used to be a part of the USSR and you’ll get a few nods. Add that it’s right below Finland and people vaguely place the country somewhere up north in Europe. Finish with “The inventors of Skype are Estonian,” and most young people exclaim, “Really?” Korea isn’t exactly well known in Estonia either. Not

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many Estonians are familiar with kimchi, and most people gasp when they discover there are more than 50 million people in a country only twice the size of their own (Estonia has just 1.3 million). There are only 160 Koreans living in Estonia, and many of them are only temporary. So again, what’s Gyuho doing here? It was an accident. In 2009, he applied to study abroad in Latvia after traveling to Poland once, wanting to visit one of its bordering countries next. But someone else got placed there and Gyuho got Estonia, where nobody had applied, so he spent a semester in Tallinn, later returning in 2010 after finishing the rest of his degree. “When I was in Jeonju, all I wanted was to go to Seoul,” he says. “But after coming back from Estonia, I couldn’t live in Seoul anymore.” He felt “dap-

dap,” or suffocated. It wasn’t just the crowdedness; it was also the social pressures young people face, particularly after graduation, to get a life Korean-style — “a prestigious job, a respectable marriage, conventional success, blah blah blah.” So he left, and after less than a year of preparation he formally registered Gotsu as an Estonian business. The restaurant opened on the outskirts of Tallinn on April 19, 2010, which also happened to be the 50th anniversary of South Korea’s popular uprising against its dictatorship. It was an auspicious date to choose, and one that somehow brought him good luck: A year after opening, Gotsu moved to a bigger location on 62 Pärnu Street, a busy street in the city center. “I don’t intend on going back to Korea,” Gyuho says confidently. Between his business’ reasonable success and the breathing space Estonia offers — both physically and psychologically — Gyuho now feels at home in Tallinn. His cynicism about Korean society also stops him from returning: “When (former president) Roh Moohyun committed suicide in 2009, I lost ‘When I was in Jeonju, all I hope. I’m not particularly pro-Roh, but wanted was to go to Seoul,’ how can things change for the better in he says. ‘But after coming a country like this? I didn’t see a future. I back from Estonia, I couldn’t also didn’t want to raise my kids in (the) live in Seoul anymore.’ He felt educational environment that Korea of‘dap-dap,’ or suffocated. And fers.” it wasn’t just the crowdedness; But don’t dismiss Lee as simply a it was also the social cynical escapist. His ability to leave evpressures young people face, erything familiar and make a home in particularly after graduation, a new place lies in how freely he looks to get a life Korean-style — ‘a at his own nationality. To Lee, “being prestigious job, a respectable Korean” is about neither patriotism nor marriage, conventional being physically tied to the country. “I’m not particularly passionate about nationsuccess, blah blah blah.’ ality and motherland; these concepts change,” he explains. “South Korea wasn’t always South Korea, so I don’t think it’s really important to talk about what nationality everyone is and divide sides. This doesn’t mean I forget where I come from. Where I come from is part of my body, but I don’t feel obligated to promote Korean culture just because that’s what Koreans should do.” Rather ironically, however, that’s exactly what Gyuho ended up doing with Gotsu. As one of the two Korean restaurants in Tallinn, Gotsu has more than 3,000 likes on Facebook. It has been featured on a cooking show on Estonian television and recently appeared in cooking magazine Toit & Trend, which also introduced some simple kimchi recipes. The interior of the restaurant has bits of Korean culture showcased on its walls too: Korean calligraphy, miniature models of hanok (traditional Korean homes) and pictures of Gyuho’s parents on their chili (gotsu) farm in Jeonju. He may try to distance himself from the idea, but that’s how he’s making his living — by promoting his nationality. Whether or not we can distance ourselves from our own nationality is a question that resonates with citizens all over the world today, whether they come from a herd of 1.3 million or 50.2 million. Being the owner of a Korean restaurant in Tallinn represents a modern contradiction: He is a global citizen, someone who has left the boundaries of the motherland, but he’s only free to live in this world as long as he plays the right national cards. Maybe this contradiction represents the problem of nationalism today, its dilemmas and its limits.

Destinations Edited by Shelley DeWees (shelley@groovekorea.com)

This summer, pl an on Songtan

Eat, hike, swim Story by Ron Roman / Photos by Ron Roman and Merissa Quek

juxtaposition of old world and new, Songtan (population: 171,000) is an eclectic blend of 21st-century architecture and old-time farmhouses, many of which are now dilapidated and vacant. Devoid of mega-attractions like nearby Yongin City’s Everland Park, greater Songtan manages to offer surprisingly quirky diversions for anyone willing to venture a bit off the beaten trail. That said, you don’t need to travel far: The city is only a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Seoul on the Gyeongbu Expressway; a 50-minute bus ride from Gangnam’s Nambu Bus Terminal; or a subway ride straight to Songtan Station on line 1. Regardless of how you get there, you’re sure to experience the most offbeat urban-rural contrasts in all of Gyeonggi Province. Start near Sinjang Mall, opposite the Osan Air Base’s main gate in central Songtan, and The street is lined with trendy walk east under the archway and down the shops and noisy clubs blaring main pedestrian drag; here the street is lined with trendy shops and noisy clubs blaring rock ‘n’ roll, bustling with rock ‘n’ roll, bustling with activity seven days activity seven days a week. a week. You’ll find a range of major cuisines: Filipino, Vietnamese, Mexican, Thai — there were five Thai eateries alone at last count — and, of course, pizza. Sinjang Mall is one of the few spots outside Seoul or the U.S. military facilities that can offer authentic pizza. If you’re really keen on the comfort food, check out Miss Jin’s legitimately famous hamburger stand immediately on the left before the archway. Managed by Jin and her daughter, the stand has been featured in national media since it first opened in 2002. While many places offering Western-style food make you pay a premium for the luxury, Miss Jin’s also has the distinction of being inexpensive. Cheeseburgers are 3,500 won and hot dogs go for 3,000. Want cheese? No problem. Just fork over another 500 won; they’ll customize your entire meal if you like. Artery-clogging, absolutely, yet still worth trying at least once for a nostalgic snack.

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With numerous gift, souvenir and clothing stores at Sinjang Mall, you’ll have your hands full of things to do until 1 a.m. (the military curfew), when most establishments close down for the night. Before final call on almost any evening, though, you’ll find a lone Korean ajumma hawking bouquets of flowers. Buy some for yourself or your main squeeze, and then get a good night’s sleep. You’ll want to rest up before tomorrow’s big draw: Market Day. Since 1995, every calendar day ending in four or nine has been designated a Market Day, regardless of the day (or holiday) it falls on. Behind the post office, a 15-minute walk from air base, you’ll find During warm weather the fresh produce from nearmonths you’ll find by farms lining the streets and others from as far oddball items like away as China. (Keep in exotic, brilliantly mind, however, that most colored birds inside of the Chinese products have a bad reputation due equally beautiful cages sold alongside to reports of contaminated preservatives.) During those for eating — warm weather months keep an eye out for oddJapanese button quail deep-fried in a ball items like exotic, brilliantly colored birds inside skillet makes a nice equally beautiful cages midday snack. sold alongside those for eating — Japanese button quail deep-fried in a skillet makes a nice midday snack. Fueled and ready, you can choose how to spend the afternoon. There’s Ojwa-dong, home to the shrine honoring mid-15th-century homeboy hero Lord Suseong, or Mangisa Temple and its impressive iron Buddha. (Just don’t drink from the public fountains, as many of them are contaminated.) But if shrines and temples aren’t your thing, you can swing over to the Jinwi River Recreation Area. Admission is reasonable (about 5,000 won for adults), there’s plenty of parking and the facilities are impressively well maintained. Construction for the park began in 2000 in order to

give residents the opportunity to cool off during summers, as Jinwi River is far too dirty to swim in. There are several lovely swimming pools and refreshment stands, and a self-pedaling trolley car ride on the nearby train tracks. It’s fun for kids and adults alike, but bring a swimming cap — the lifeguards insist upon it. If the weather isn’t swim-worthy, then try a hike. Mubong is a good place to start: Snap a photo of the signboard map with your phone, plot your trek and head for the hills. They cover a widely forested area, but don’t worry, you won’t get lost; trails are well frequented with many informational placards. Mubong is more arduous than its 682-foot summit indicates, yet the open-air pavilion at the top is well worth the effort. There’s also plenty of hiking and biking on Buraksan Trail. Buraksan’s main entrance is on the left side of Route 1 heading south in central Songtan, near the three-story Buraksan Barley Rice restaurant. The trail runs longitudinally across the ridgeline of Buraksan and is an easier hike than Mubong, making it very popular and crowded year-round. Keep in mind, however, that many turn back at Heunchi Rest Area about 2.5 kilometers in, so if you need a break from people you’ll be able to continue on in virtual solitude. But before you do, hit up the food stand at the far end of the rest area, toward Eco-Bridge, for a cup of hot yam tea. It’ll be the best you’ve ever had (the woman who runs it is a pro — she calls herself the Buraksan coffee ajumma). After your big hike, head over to greater Songtan’s best-kept culinary secret: Italiano Restaurant, open daily from noon to 9 p.m. Here, you can get the best home-cooked Italian meal for your money in Korea, which includes wine, soup, salad, entree and either coffee or green tea for only 15,000 won. An after-dinner stroll around the restaurant grounds will bring your perfect meal to a close, and the singing rooms near Pyeongtaek City Hall’s Songtan Annex serve as an excellent night cap. At twilight, the area lights up like the Las Vegas strip, with neon signs beckoning you and your friends to belt out your best solos all night long.

Getting there Buses run all day from Nambu Bus Terminal. The journey costs around 4,000 won and takes 40 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic. You can also take the subway directly to Songtan Station (line 1).

Getting to Italiano Restaurant Go straight east on the highway opposite Jinwi Station along the Jinwi River for about 300 meters past the entrance to the Mt. Mubong complex; it’s hidden on the right.

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com)

Fashion forward Sharing Seoul’s street style with the world Interview by Remy Raitt / Photos courtesy of Sol Sol

ith over 10,000 followers on Instagram and more than 4,000 likes on Facebook, the Sol Sol street fashion photographers are carving a serious place for themselves in the Seoul fashion scene. Run by a “bunch of dudes from South Africa,” their blog is updated daily with beautiful photographs of the hottest and kookiest fashions in Korea. The guys say one of their goals is to share Korean style with a Western audience, something they’re definitely delivering on. Late last year, Sol Sol also introduced their own line of slick and simple menswear. Groove Korea had a chat with them to find out more.

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‘Living in Hongdae, it’s something you are exposed to every day. We thought it was something a foreign audience would dig to see because we dug seeing it, so we started documenting and sharing it.’ Sol Sol

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com)

Groove Korea: What came first: designing and making clothes or photographing fashion on the streets of Seoul? Sol Sol: The photography came first. The clothes only came later when the street style page was up and running. When did you begin these projects? The street style blog started in March 2013 and the clothing followed in September. What inspired you to start capturing fashion-forward people in Seoul? Well, living in Hongdae, it’s something you are exposed to every day. We thought it was something a foreign audience would dig to see because we dug seeing it, so we started documenting and sharing it. What makes you stop a person in the street to photograph them? Basically that instant gut feeling as soon as we see someone from a distance. They can be plain and simple or loud and out there, but whatever it is, it catches our attention. How do they usually react? It’s always a gamble approaching a complete stranger and asking them if you can take their photo. First of all, I use horrific Korean, so this can sometimes scare people away. Some people are really taken aback and are super stoked that you picked them out of the crowd. Most of the time people are pretty amped and go with it. It’s gotten a bit easier as time has gone on. It has also gotten easier to absorb the rejection. Have you had any funny, awkward or surreal experiences when asking people if you can photograph them? At the time, getting rejected is always super awkward, but looking back at it once we have both parted ways, it’s usually pretty funny. The communication breakdown is usually a circus act in itself and we can often find ourselves miming our way into getting a photo. One time I asked this couple if I could take their photo and I dropped down on one knee, into my usual shooting position. As I was fiddling with my camera and getting the nitty gritties down, a car reversed out of an alleyway and didn’t see me. Luckily I only took a light bump. It ended in giggles and multiple bows from all parties.

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‘The communication breakdown is usually a circus act in itself and we can often find ourselves miming our way into getting a photo.’ Sol Sol Other times we have put photos up of people or couples, and almost as soon as it has gone online, we get messages asking for it to be deleted. Either because they hate the photo or the couple has broken up. Classic. It seems you post on Instagram almost daily. Where do you find these incredibly dressed people? Always having your camera on you and keeping a beady eye out is part of it. We mainly shoot in Hongdae, and people seem to put pride into their appearance this side of town. How would you describe the aesthetic of your clothing line? Good-quality menswear basics, with our roots being in the surf, skate and street-wear cultures. Where are these items sold? They are being sold in South Africa and Hong Kong, and the online store is coming soon. We also had one pop-up store. It was a very rushed, last-minute pop-up at our friend’s garage in Hongdae. A limited range of T-shirts, pants, beanies, caps, parkas and sweatshirts were sold. We were really stoked with the support and being able to hang out with our members. What trends do you predict will be big this season? Keep your eyes on the blog — the good people of Seoul city decide that, not us.

More info Check out the Sol Sol blog at sol-solstreet.tumblr.com and browse their online store solsolmenswearstore. bigcartel.com. Find them on Instagram @ solsolstreet and @solsolmenswear.

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com)

Want real films? Go FANTASTIC Puchon Fantastic Film Fest gives marginalized genres the spotlight Story by Ian Henderson / Photos courtesy of PiFan

ilm fests and foreigners on the peninsula (okay, my friends and I) have a tenuous relationship. One attempt at the Jeonju International Film Festival resulted in spending the better part of a long weekend sitting in DVD bangs due to every ticket being gobbled up far in advance via foreigner-inaccessible websites. The few films we could see included a puke-worthy romantic comedy and an art-house flick about migrant labor in Suriname. That could actually be considered a rousing success compared to a Busan International Film Festival trip in 2009 when we arrived to the southern beach city to not only find all showings sold out, but where we proved incapable of even finding a hotel room, leaving The method of categorizing us drunk and lying on the the films is wickedly fun, beach, cursing the gods for our plight. such as ‘The Forbidden But for the last two weeks Zone,’ which features only of July, the city of Bucheon, controversial or shocking not far west of Seoul, transflicks. The treats on offer forms into what is arguably can be as far-out as an the most dynamic and creIslamic Malaysian vampire ative film event in the counsaga. try. More importantly, it’s totally accessible to foreigners. The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival, running July 1727 this year, is Korea’s only genre film fest — meaning it highlights specific genres such as horror, sci-fi, action, fantasy and documentaries. In addition, the method of categorizing the films is wickedly fun, such as “The Forbidden Zone,” which features only controversial or shocking flicks. The treats on offer can be as far-out as an Islamic Malaysian vampire saga. “PiFan shows some seriously heavy stuff that you can’t find at most fests in Asia,” says Frej Karlsson, who attended the last two PiFans and saw the Asian premiere of “The Human Centipede 2” in this section.

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It’s also a rare opportunity to see many films’ Asian — sometimes even world — premieres, and meet the directors and crews for Q&A sessions after screenings. For documentary fans, the sheer number and variety are amazing. A favorite PiFan memory was seeing “Paul the Psychic Octopus” by the same crew who did “The People versus George Lucas,” and getting to pick their brains after the screening. There are also animation showcases and short films, with specially themed sections unique to each year’s PiFan. Last year’s concepts included “The Dark Side of the City” and “The Thin Line between Humans and Robots.” Besides some awesome original works, this also gave people the chance to see such classics such as “Escape from New York” and “THX1138” on the big screen. Also, every year both Korean and international directors showcase retrospectives of their filmography, along with PiFan screens flicks that are the talk of larger fests around the globe. “Puchon Choice (the feature competition lineup) was very strong last year and I really enjoyed the Indian crime film ‘Ugly’ and the Filipino hit-man flick ‘On the Job,’ both from Cannes,” Pierce Conrad, editor of Modern Korean Cinema and member of the Korean Film Council, says of last year’s event. “I was also thrilled to see a retrospective on cult surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. ‘The Holy Mountain’ on the big screen is a must.”

‘Don’t be scared to take a chance on a film you haven’t heard about. These often lead to the best discoveries!’ Pierce Conrad, editor of Modern Korean Cinema

More info Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival When July 17-27 Where CGV, City Hall, Lotte and the Manwha Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province Website www.pifan.com/eng

By far one of the most appealing aspects of the affair is that it’s on the Seoul subway system. All the showings take place at one of several cinemas — CGV, City Hall, Lotte and the Manwha (Korean anime) Museum — accessible by subway, bus, cab or on foot. Most of these are next to the recently extended line 7, but line 1 also goes to the south side of Bucheon, where there are shuttles going straight to the action. You can go to the film fest and still make it home, or stay for late showings and party the night away, as the area is rife with jjimjilbangs and cheap motels. In fact, one saving grace in the summer heat is to take breaks between showings and slink right from the cool darkness of the theater to the soothing pools of the saunas, to preserve strength for evening festivities. Plus, PiFan hosts camping grounds and offers equipment for rent for large parties and even families. This year the fest has appointed Jangwan Pyeon — the head of Korea National University of Art’s School of Film, TV and Multimedia — as chief programmer. In addition, this year’s press and marketing director, Sidney Jang, told Groove Korea that the slogan this year is “Yes, Smile! Go, PIFAN!” While this epic-fail of Konglish will undoubtedly leave many of our readers scratching their heads, don’t let it scare you off: PiFan is the one and only genre film festival in Korea and is a supporting member of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF), plus a member of the Network of Asian Fantastic Films (NAFF), which celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. Joseph Seo, last year’s publicity manager, said, “I’ve been to Busan, and I’ve been to smaller ones like Mise En Scene, and they are all either really commercial or they’re really raw. PiFan is just strictly dedicated to giving marginalized genre cinema a spotlight for the world to see.” Nothing is without caveats, however. For weekend showings or very popular films, buy your tickets in advance. You can do this in person for any future showings as well as online. Secondly, sometimes the elevators or crowds can slow your roll, so give yourself ample time. Finally, Conrad of Modern Korean Cinema gives sage advice: “Don’t be scared to take a chance on a film you haven’t heard about. These often lead to the best discoveries!”

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

Korea off the beaten track ARC magazine provides outlet for country’s quirks and contradictions Illustrations by Niall Ruddy and Clint Stamatovich / Photo and interview courtesy of ARC

RC is a new Web-based magazine full of free content that explores offbeat and interesting ideas, and was born on a cold winter day last year. Created by Niall Ruddy and Conrad Hughes, it was inspired by the Korea they know and love, and its name comes from the acronym every foreigner will associate with the Alien Registration Card. Beyond that, however, they associate the word arc with the evolution of a story; a developing parabola, with no one knowing where it will end. Groove Korea: What was the inspiration for the magazine? Niall Ruddy: Korea has provided the free time, the financial security and the opportunity to meet like-minded, creative individuals, so in some respects she is the reluctant mother of this venture. Most importantly, however, Korea has proven to be the inspiration for the philosophy behind the magazine through bizarre quirks, unique humor, contradictions, glorious wilds and superfluous centers.

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Conrad Hughes: Two, three or 10 years can pass and still the unsuspecting resident will collide with unexpected experiences on street corners, mountain paths or river beaches. It seems that everyone and their dog has a blog these days — not merely a cliché, considering the number of actual pet blogs. With so many outlets to compete with in a world apparently experiencing the gruesome death of the print media, why start a Webzine in the first place? And isn’t a Webzine just a fancy name for a blog? Ruddy: The simple answer is because we can. This is a transitional period in many ways; the world has never been smaller. Society is still trying to get to grips with the unexpected ubiquity of the Internet. For some, it is a deeply frightening, unknown beast we have awoken; others know it as an expansive world where you can collect the best minds and set them the task of creating purely and simply for the joy of it.

‘For some it is a deeply frightening unknown beast we have awoken; others know it as an expansive world where you can collect the best minds and set them the task of creating purely and simply for the joy of it.’ Niall Ruddy

Column by Dr. Limgwarn Kang

The new quarantine requirement for importing dogs & cats to Korea

Dr. Limgwarn Kang DVM

Microchip Implantation and Rabies Antibody Test

How did you get started? Ruddy: Like most media organs, ARC came about when I contacted potential writers and built an initial team of six people. Once a solid voice has been developed, we’ll attempt to expand. Hughes: We’re now beginning to accept submissions to editor@ arc.pm. We feel like there’s enough space out there for our distinct voice to be heard and that there are endless channels of curious, intriguing and fascinating stories in this beautiful world. Ruddy: We’d like to provide an outlet for that. Amongst the dozens of page “like” requests, suspiciously well-targeted advertising and click-bait headlines such as “This man got trapped in a viaduct with a tiger and you won’t believe what happened next,” why should a person spend time reading ARC? Ruddy: We aren’t here to dupe anyone into supplying us with advertising revenue or become some form of established media, so ultimately we have no agenda. As long as we continue to enjoy the work, we will do it and hopefully we can make our audience ask questions of their situation, try something new or even just laugh on a Monday morning, we’ll be happy. What’s next for the magazine? Ruddy: So far we have been attempting to tie each issue together with a loose theme, which includes articles roughly categorized as opinion, experience, media and et cetera. Hughes: We feature a different cover every month. This month is street artist and illustrator Michael Roy. The magazine is pretty fluid, so here’s a cross-section of our prior topics: travel, hoarding, drinking, power violence music, language learning, teaching, microaggressions, Thomas Pynchon, hormone-adjustment drug experiments with breast cancer drug Letrozole and an “asp-ucational” Twine game in which you can choose to be human or elevator. Ruddy: As we work and learn more about what we are doing and what we want, we’ll strive to diversify and improve. The last issue was all about music and features, among others: the power violence guitarist at a K-pop concert, an interview conducted in the midst of a custard pie fight and some things about transgender cabaret. Hughes: That is all we have to say, to offer, so feel free to climb on board ARC as we set off two by two by two by two by two. More info Website: arc.pm

-A microchip should be implanted into the animal’s body and the ID number should be stated in the veterinary health certificate issued by the Quarantine Authority. -Microchips implanted in cats and dogs must be ISO-compliant (ISO11784 and 11785 Standards). For any other chips, importers must bring their own microchip scanners. -The rabies-neutralizing antibody test must be administered by an internationally approved laboratory from the exporting country, from 30 days to 24 months prior to boarding, with a positive result equivalent to at least 0.5 IU/ml or higher. The test results should be stated in the veterinary health certificate issued by the Quarantine Authority. -Dogs and cats younger than 90 days or originating from rabies-free countries do not require rabies-neutralizing antibody tests.

Quarantine and Inspection All countries have different regulations and preparation periods to let pets from Korea into the country. See below and get it started at the right time. Otherwise, your pet might end up being quarantined. Japan, Australia and New Zealand Preparation period: 6-7 months before entering the country; Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test, specific parasite tests and import permits are needed, 180 days before departure. EU countries (except the U.K., Ireland, Sweden and Malta) Preparation period: 3-4 months before entering the country; Rabies Neutralizing Antibody Titer Test is needed 90 days before departure. UAE, South Africa, China and the U.K. Preparation period: 1-2 months before entering the country; Specific tests for each country and import permits are required. USA and Canada Preparation period: 1 month before entering the country; Valid Rabies Vaccination, at least 30 days before the departure date. Countries that ONLY allow live animals in Manifested Cargo The U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, UAE, South Africa, among others

Korea Animal Transport (KAT) & Chungwha Animal Hospital (02) 792-7602 21-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul chungwha77@gmail.com j www.cwhospital.com

The Pet Hotel M 02-797-3040

j www.thepethotelm.com

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Emilee Jennings (emilee@groovekorea.com)

rock n roll seoul

‘ T he r e ar e s o m e p e o p l e wh o ex pect th e same th in g f rom u s t hat t he y s e e f r o m t y pical K-pop g irl g rou ps at f irst, an d th e n t he y ge t d i s a p p o i n ted becau se we’ re d if feren t. Bu t some p e o p l e d o l i ke us f or th at same reason.’ Grace Kim

T h e Bar b e r e t t e s

Doo-wop ladies of the 21st century Column by Sophie Boladeras / Photos by Dylan Goldby

heir matching ‘60s-inspired outfits and hairstyles, crisp yet sultry voices and beautiful harmonies ensure that The Barberettes stand out in Korea as a girl group with an edge. The trio came together when So Hee began taking vocal lessons from Shinae, who was already singing in a jazz band with Grace. Shinae then got the wonderful idea of creating a retro-inspired girl group. Initially they just wanted to have fun with it, but their friends started asking them to play at gigs. Their first was at a fundraiser held by their close friend Roh Young-shim, a hit songwriter/pianist, but the girls spent too long creating their elaborate retro hairdos and had to hurry to get to the venue. They were a little late and unprepared for their first show, but times have changed and now their gorgeous look is put together in a flash.

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Groove Korea: Has the group undergone many changes since you got together? The Barberettes: Yeah, we have experienced so many changes. In the beginning it was more about just reenacting the band’s theme, but lately we’ve been focusing on finding our own style. As our bond grew stronger we could feel things around us changing. Our musical tastes expanded and we learned the importance of listening to each other’s voices when we sing. Our respect, love and understanding as a band have grown so much since our beginnings. How would you describe your sound and style? We are inspired by doo-wop, Motown, barbershop and pop music that was created prior to the 1960s. We have interpreted these genres and sounds in the spirit of the 21st century, with our own Korean twist.

Barberettes Shinae An Wheeler / 안신애 I am the bossy Barberette. I play guitar and write songs. Being bossy is my role. I choke the other girls. Grace Kim / 김은혜 I usually sing the main melody, and I am the playful one with a big smile — because I have a big mouth. So Hee Park / 박소희 I am the baby Barberette. I sing the low harmony and keep the harmony stable.

What groups and musicians inspire your sound? The Kim Sisters, the Andrews Sisters, the Chordettes, the Ronettes and most of the harmony-based girl groups from that era — especially the Kim Sisters, because they were three talented Korean singers who didn’t have much recognition in Korea until recently. They were signed with Motown before the Supremes and they performed on “The Ed Sullivan Show” over 22 times. We discovered them on YouTube and we were stunned by their performances. They have had a huge effect on us and are our biggest idols. You have just finished recording an album. Tell us about it. This album introduces us to the audience for the first time, so we tried to be true to ourselves and our sound. It was a fascinating experience to make the album. Through the process of recording the songs one by one, we felt a different sense of achievement that we couldn’t get from playing shows. It was an awesome thing to see the incredible session musicians elevating our album’s sound to a new level. Also, we cannot miss mentioning our two great sound engineers, B.A. Wheeler and BK! of Astro Bits. We were so honored and blessed to have them work with us because they’re such talented and passionate musicians. They helped to make our sound so much richer and fuller. What has been your most memorable moment as a group? At the end of last summer, we went on a “woodshed” trip by ourselves to get away in nature. We stayed in a cabin at a flower farm where we practiced, cooked, wrote songs and sang for the local people. It became an unforgettable memory. On the last night of the trip, there was a local festival going on. When we spontaneously went on stage, all of the local people gathered to sing along and dance with us. We were the only young people in the whole town, but age didn’t matter at all. It was so much fun. Have you faced any challenges as an all-girl group in Seoul? Kim: There are definitely some challenges and expectations being a girl group in Korea. There are some people who expect the same thing from us that they see from typical K-pop girl groups at first, and then they get disappointed because we’re different. But some people do like us for that same reason. It is pretty interesting for us to see peo-

ple’s reactions in contrast. But we’re having fun with it mostly. An Wheeler: Too much male attention! WE LOVE IT.

‘Good f eelin g s ar e con tagi ous. We wan t to be “h appy g erms” t o our mu sic fan s — in a h y g ieni c way.’ The Barberettes What types of things do you sing about? Are there any recurring themes? We have many different things to sing about, such as love, seasons, loneliness, comfort, harmony and friendship. Recently we’ve been singing songs about spring quite a lot, because we love the spring season. We usually like to make the song set list right before the gig, depending on the occasion, the audience and the weather that day. Do you get nervous before performing? If we practice enough before the gig, we feel very comfortable before the show. But if we feel like we didn’t practice enough or if there’s a new number in our repertoire, we get nervous. Since teamwork is really important in our style of music, we really have to focus on our personal parts to ensure we don’t break the balance. The harmony only sounds the way it should when the individual parts are right. So it takes a lot of work. What do you have planned for the future? We want to keep the joy of harmony in every part of our lives, by helping and loving each other. We truly believe that the energy that we share in everyday life goes straight into our music and people can hear it directly. Good feelings are contagious. We want to be “happy germs” to our music fans — in a hygienic way. More info Website: facebook.com/TheBarberettesKorea

MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

AT THE BOX OFFICE THE BIG SCREEN Preview by Dean Crawford

Guardians of the Galaxy Directed by James Gunn

July

Action / Adventure / Sci-fi U.S.

With the Internet seemingly focused on the furor surrounding Edgar Wright’s departure from “Ant-Man” (2015), one could be forgiven for forgetting that Marvel actually has a movie coming out this month. But with the confirmation that Payton Reed has taken Wright’s place, Marvel can now firmly focus on the release of its newest, and arguably riskiest, title yet: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” directed by James Gunn. The movie follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Star-Lord, and his group of fellow outlaws Drax (Dave Bautista), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) – who together are otherwise known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. After Quill steals a mysterious orb, he finds that the fate of the world is in his hands, which sees him at the center of an intergalactic manhunt led by the evil Ronan (Lee Pace). If the rumors are to be believed, Wright’s departure from “Ant-Man” was due to the fact that Marvel was worried his signature style would veer too far from the rest of the Marvel

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Directed by Matt Reeves

July

Action / Drama / Sci-fi U.S.

I know I say this a lot, but I firmly believe that “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011) was one of the best and most unanticipated surprises in recent memory. Having walked in with rock-bottom expectations, imagine my genuine shock when I actually ended up caring about the welfare of a CGI monkey. I nearly shed a tear watching James Franco leave Caesar in monkey jail, leaving him to follow the archetypal path of someone who goes into prison “innocent,” learns what they have to do to survive and departs a criminal ring leader. The film was basically Jacques Audiard’s fantastic prison drama “A Prophet” (2009), but staged with primates. Another reason I felt the film was so well executed was the clear vision of the story it wanted to tell. I attribute this to exiting director Rupert Wyatt, who is being replaced by Matt Reeves, director of “Cloverfield” (2008) and “Let Me In” (2010). So what story are they going to tell this time?

GrooveCast GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and columnist Dean Crawford talk movies. Check out the podcast at groovekorea.com. www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

cinematic universe. So Disney requested several script rewrites and gave notes that Wright and his cowriter Joe Cornish were simply not prepared to adhere to. To say these demands came as somewhat of a surprise would be an understatement, not only because Wright had been attached to the project for over eight years, but because “Ant-Man” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” both seem like similar entities. Yet “Guardians” appears to have been made without any problems whatsoever. They both feature lesser-known characters and they both seem to have a great deal of comedy in them. The “Guardians” trailer has several gags and it, too, seems like a shift in tone from Marvel’s oeuvre, so why the sudden panic from Disney regarding “Ant-Man”? Here’s hoping “Guardians of the Galaxy” is a success, and will be a timely reminder to studios that allowing the director to have some sort of vision is what we, the film-goers, actually want -– not mindless explosion-fests devoid of all personality.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a sequel to “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (a prequel to the original 1968 “Planet of the Apes,” which itself had three sequels, excluding the 2001 Tim Burton reboot that wasn’t a sequel — try explaining that after a few bottles of soju!). “Dawn” is set 10 years after the events in San Francisco that saw Caesar and his newfound band of apes rise up and escape to freedom in the forest. In doing so, however, a deadly virus was released that wiped out half of the Earth’s population. The remaining humans are fighting for their lives to coexist with the apes as a battle for power ensues. Those left are led by Dreyfus, played by Gary Oldman, while Andy Serkis once again brings life to ape leader Caesar. Starring two quality actors who will no doubt deliver top performances, here’s hoping the new boy on the block, Reeves, is up to the challenge.

KOREaN DVD CORNER THE SMALL SCREEN Review by Dean Crawford

Rated

This month, I decided to go back a ways in an attempt to look at some Korean movies that may have been overlooked by most foreigners. This led me to Yang Hae-hoon’s 2007 drama “Who’s That Knocking at My Door.” The film follows the lives of several strangers: Je-hwi (Im Ji-gyu), a lonely recluse who was bullied at school; Pyo (Pyo Sang-woo), a thuggish bully who still thinks he’s living out his high school days; Pyo’s girlfriend Ro-mi (Im Ji-yeon); the hypochondriac Byeong-cheol (Jo Seong-ha), who is positive he is dying; and Jang-hee (Yun Chae-yeong), who takes a liking to Je-hwi. As we watch these relatable characters go on with their daily lives, we see a chance meeting between Je-hwi and Pyo who reminds protagonist, Je-hwi, of the constant torment he endured at the hands of Pyo as a child. When Je-hwi begins to confide in Byeongcheol, what starts out as a seemingly childish plan to take revenge on someone who was a source of such misery soon gets out of hand

Action / Thriller 88 minutes

and takes a terrible turn for the worse. I’ve seen a lot of films recently in which many of the actors and scenes felt easily interchangeable. The standard cycle of emotions often covers rage, goofball slapstick or a sea of tears, with most movies seeming to follow a generic path. But “Who’s That Knocking” is the total antithesis of those tropes. Between its slow build and understated acting, I would liken it to a Kim Ki-duk film, not in terms of content, but definitely in terms of style: Single camera setups, naturalistic lighting and restrained performances from the actors make it reminiscent of the British kitchen-sink dramas of old. The film was subtle and realistic, yet still managed to create tension as the plot unfolded and headed into thriller territory. If you have the time and care for a film that challenges you more than the average release, I’d definitely consider giving this little-known gem a chance.

Rated

Much like Yoo Ha’s 2012 film “Howling,” Jang Joon-hwan’s “Hwayi: A Monster Boy” (2013) is a film that sits firmly in one genre, but subverts audience expectations by dabbling in the conventions of another. “Howling,” for example, used horror film iconography to lead viewers to believe that something supernatural was afoot, adding an extra layer of mystery to an otherwise generic crime thriller. A similar thing happens in “Hwayi,” with the opening scene showing a terrified child being stalked by some kind of large-toothed beast. The audience can’t help but question the reality of the scene — whether it’s real, or whether it’s a foreshadowing of something greater to come. Fast-forward 12 years and that same child, Hwa-yi (Yeo Jin-gu), is now part of a crime ring run by five of the men who kidnapped him as a preteen. Having never received any ransom money in exchange for his life, the five captors, rather than kill him, begin calling themselves his father and raise him as one of their own to be the perfect criminal. But in an even more

Action / Thriller 126 minutes

Who’s That Knocking at My Door (저수지에서 건진 치타) Directed by Yang Hae-hoon

Hwayi: A Monster Boy (화이: 괴물을 삼킨 아이) Directed by Jang Joon-hwan

sinister twist, there is something not quite right with Hwa-yi. Does it have anything to do with the beast that appears to be following him? After a job goes wrong, Hwa-yi is forced to make his first kill. This sets off a chain of events that leads Hwa-yi to use the skills his fathers have taught him in a bid to get revenge and kill all of the members of his dysfunctional family. Once the film finally arrives at its main character arc, it picks up the pace and becomes a pretty decent, if not generic, Korean crime thriller. By that, I mean violent and brutal with a tense, dramatic finish, lots of tears and buckets of blood. The real draw, however, is Kim Yun-seok (“The Chaser,” 2008), who stars as the gang’s vicious leader, Seok-tae. A lesson in subdued characterization, he conveys more in one stare than most actors can say in a monologue. He is vicious and cold, yet somehow complicated in his feelings toward Hwa-yi. Kim’s Seok-tae is the embodiment of evil and his performance alone makes the film worth watching.

CAPTURING KOREA Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

Hidden treasures of an islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past Photos by Simon J. Powell / Interview by Dylan Goldby

84 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

CAPTURING KOREA Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

86 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

CAPTURING KOREA Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)

88 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

imon J. Powell is a self-described wanderer with an eye for detail. His forays into Jeju’s Seomun Market have helped him uncover hidden treasures in its narrow lanes, with his close connections to his subjects adding another layer of meaning to the stories behind the displays. Groove Korea: Give us an introduction to yourself and your photography. Simon J. Powell: I am photographer, violinist and educator — a kid out of school, another fool, just cycling around the world in search of cool. I am still taking my toddler steps in the world of photography, but I have learned that all the necessary ingredients can be found before my eyes and that skill in seeing is more valuable than the price of equipment. I am interested in shape, line, pattern, the heavy aesthetic impact of high-contrast monochrome and finding intriguing angles through which to view the world. Most of all I like to roam. Traveling forces us to view life from fresh and original perspectives. It engenders a childlike curiosity in me at even the smallest details of the day. Wanderlust and wonder are intimately intertwined. Before buying new gear, I would always choose to buy new experiences. Why Seomun Market? What makes it such an interesting place to visit? An ambience of mysterious gravity resides in Seomun Market. At first glance, it appears little more than a lonely alley, but a landscape that has faded into nostalgic memory elsewhere on Jeju remains preserved in this quiet corner of the city. Some stalls resemble little museums of the island’s past. At the heart of the market are the merchants, who for more than half a century have proudly fought to exist in the city’s old center. Their experiences and memories of bygone times, bitter and sweet, are woven into the fabric of Jeju’s history. The stories are told in broad, beaming smiles and written in wrinkles, tattooed on the smooth skin of hands that lovingly caress produce and are well-worn tools. To read it with your own eyes, you need only take a stroll down the market lane.

Any technical tips and tricks for getting the best from the market with your camera? Keep it turned on and always be ready! Life in the market seems to saunter along sedately, but those perfect photogenic moments always flash past in a fleeting instant. Besides that, lighting can be a bit tricky when shooting indoors in dimly lit nooks, or outside under awnings that splay a patchwork of shadow and bright light across the stalls. I like to go at various times of day to learn when certain areas are illuminated or shaded. What is the most important thing for you when photographing people in the market? Too many foreign photographers shoot Korea from the perspective of an outsider peering tentatively across a divide. There is a palpable sense of physical and mental detachment. Photography can be a way for us to connect with people — to better understand their experiences, thoughts and emotions. If we are genuinely curious about our subjects, our images gain in intimacy and connect with viewers on a deeper level. Rather than shoving my camera willy-nilly in the faces of unsuspecting grannies while flying past, I frequented the market for several months, during which time I listened to their life stories and built genuine friendships. It would be easy to work up an appetite while photographing such a place. What’s around for lunch? Are there any local specialties there? Seomun Market is unique in all of Jeju for the partnership between the butchers and restaurants. There are several stalls on the street selling Jeju beef and black pork of unsurpassable quality. Buy the choicest, juiciest cuts, sliced from the bone to order, and take them inside to one of the many cozy restaurants where you can cook your own meat and enjoy tasty side dishes and soups made from fresh market ingredients. Another hidden treasure inside the market building is Halmoni Soondae. Kim Cheong-hyang makes the most delicious and flavorsome soondae on the island, the traditional way with buckwheat and sticky rice. She began working in Seomun Market at the age of 29. Now 85, she has been the last person to turn off the market lights for more than 50 years.

LISTINGS

Edited by Sean Choi (sean@groovekorea.com)

EMBASSIES American Embassy (02) 397-4114 • 188 Sejong-daero, Jongnogu, Seoul Canadian Embassy (02) 3783-6000 • (613) 996-8885 (Emergency Operations Center) Jeongdong-gil (Jeongdong) 21, Jung-gu, Seoul British Embassy (02) 3210-5500 • Sejong-daero 19-gil 24, Jung-gu, Seoul Australian Embassy (02) 2003-0100 • 19th fl, Kyobo bldg., 1 Jongno 1-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul Philippine Embassy (02) 796-7387~9 • 5-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Spanish Embassy (02) 794-3581 • 726-52 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul French Embassy (02) 3149-4300 • 30 Hap-dong, Seodaemungu, Seoul

TRAVEL AGENTS Fides Travel (02) 755 5470 • fidestravel.co.kr Prime Travel (02) 6739 3570 Shoe String Travel (02) 333 4151 • shoestring.kr/eng/abo01.htm Soho Travel (02) 322 1713 • sohoholiday.com Top Travel Service (02) 737 4289 • toptravel.co.kr/eng Unique Travel (02) 792 0606

DOMESTIC TOURS Adventure Korea (010) 4242-5536 • adventurekorea.com Discover Korea (02) 398-6571 • discoverkoreatour.com/en

Explore Korea sonyaexplorekorea.com Joy Leisure Service (02) 2307-8642 • joyleisures.com Panmunjom Travel Center (02) 771-5593 • koreadmztour.com Seoul City Tour (02) 774-3345 • seoulcitytour.net Tour DMZ (02) 755-0073 • www.tourdmz.com Travel Pants Korea (010) 9961 5765 • travelpantskorea.com

HOTELS & RESORTS Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul (02) 2250-8080 • San 5-5, Jangchung-dong 2-ga Jung-gu, Seoul Novotel Ambassador Gangnam (02) 567-1101 • 603 Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Grand Hilton Seoul (02) 3216-5656 • 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Somerset Palace Seoul (02) 6730-8888 • 85 Susong-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul

Seoul Samsung Hospital 1599-3114 • 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Asan Medical Center 1688-7575 • 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpagu, Seoul Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (053) 250-7167 (7177 / 7187) • 56 Dalseongro, Jung-gu, Daegu

Airlines Korean Air 1588-2001 Asiana Airlines 1588-8000 Lufthansa (02) 2019-0180 Garuda Indonesia (02) 773-2092 • garuda-indonesia.co.kr Jeju Air 1599-1500 T’way Air 1688-8686

Eton House Prep (02) 749-8011 • 68-3 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul A unique British-style Prep School for children of all nationalities from 2-13 years of age. A broad, challenging and innovative curriculum preparing pupils for senior school and life beyond. www.etonhouseprep.com Branksome Hall Asia (02) 6456-8405 • Daejung-eup, Seogipo-si, Jeju Island Daegu Intl. School (053) 980-2100 • 1555 Bongmu-dong, Donggu, Daegu

Dulwich College Seoul (02) 3015-8500 • 6 Sinbanpo-ro 15-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul admissions@dulwich-seoul.kr www.dulwich-seoul.kr The curriculum from Toddler to IGCSE (ages 2 years to 16 years) follows the best practice of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and English National Curriculum enhanced for an international setting.

Jin Air 1600-6200 D ETUR

Park Hyatt Seoul (02) 2016-1234 • 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnamgu, Seoul Lotte Hotel Busan (051) 810-1000 • 772 Gaya-daero, Busanjin-gu, Busan Park Hyatt Busan (051) 990-1234 • 51, Marine City 1-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan 612-824, Korea

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTERS Gangnam St-Mary’s Hospital 1588-1511 • 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul Yonsei Severance Hospital (Sinchon) (02) 2227-7777 • 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Seoul National University Hospital 1339 • 28-2 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

PO NS MU

NDO

British Airways (02) 774-5511 Cathay Pacific Airways (02) 311-2700

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Delta Airlines (02) 754-1921

Everland Resort (031) 320-5000 • 310 Jeondae-ri, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do

Emirates Airlines (02) 2022-8400

FAMILY & KIDS

Lotte World (02) 411-2000 0 • 240 Olympic-ro, Songpagu, Seoul

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Pororo Park (D-Cube city) 1661-6340 • 360-51 Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul

Yongsan Intl. School (02) 797-5104 • San 10-213 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Children’s Grand Park (zoo) (02) 450-9311 • 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul

Seoul Intl. School 031-750-1200 • 388-14 Bokjeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do

Seoul Zoo (02) 500-7338 • 159-1 Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do

070-7504-8090

Oriental massage spa in Itaewon at a reasonable price.

3rd fl. 124-7 Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 12pm-9pm

BOOKSTORES

Animal hospitals

What The Book (02) 797-2342 • 176-2, Itaewon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul • whatthebook.com Located in Itaewon, this English bookstore has new books, used books and children’s books.

Chunghwa animal hospital / Korea Animal Transport (02) 792-7602 • 21-1 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul www.cwhospital.com

Kim & Johnson 1566-0549 • B2 fl-1317-20 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Woori pet hospital (02) 393-6675 • 299-1 Youngcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

MUSEUM & GALLERIES

HEALTH DENTAL CLINICS

UPENNIVY dental (02) 797-7784 • 300-26 Ichon 1-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Mir Dental (053) 212-1000 • 149-132 Samdeok-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Esarang Dental Clinic (02) 701-2199 • 26-16 Singongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul Chungdam UPENN dental (02) 548-7316 • 131-20 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul SKIN CLINICS TengTeng skin (02) 337-4066 • 10th floor, First avenue Building, Nonhyeon 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul If you have a skin problem, Dr. Julius Jon will take good care of you. English is spoken. Nova Skin (02) 563-7997 • 2 floor A Tower, 822-1, Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul ORIENTAL MEDICINE Lee Moon Won Korean Medicine Clinic (02) 511-1079 • 3rd fl., Lee&You bldg., 69-5 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Specializes in hair loss and scalp problems and offers comprehensive treatments and services including aesthetic and hair care products. Soseng Clinic (02) 2253-8051• 368-90 Sindang 3-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul Yaksan Obesity Clinic (02) 582-4246 • 1364-7, Seocho 2-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul www.dryaksan.com

National Museum of Korea (02) 2077-9000 • 168-6 Yongsandong 6-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul The NMK offers educational programs on Korean history and culture in English and Korean. National Palace Museum of Korea (02) 3701-7500 • 12 Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul This museum has a program called Experiencing Royal Culture designed for English teachers to help learn about Joseon royal culture. Seodaemun Museum of Natural History (02) 330-8899 • 141-52 Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Don’t know where to take your kids on weekends? This museum exhibits a snapshot of the world and animals. National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (02) 2188-6000 • 313 Gwangmyeong-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do Leeum Samsung Museum of Art (02) 2014-6901• 747-18 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays Kumho Museum (02) 720-5114 • 78 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays Gallery Hyundai (02) 734-6111~3 • 22 Sagan-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul It’s the first specialized art gallery in Korea and accommodates contemporary arts. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays

Plateau (02) 1577-7595 • 50 Taepyung-ro 2-ga, FITNESS Jung-gu, Seoul Reebok Crossfit Sentinel 10 a.m.-6 p. m. Closed on Mondays. (02) 790-0801 • reebokcrossfitsentinel.com National Museum of Modern and exxl fitness Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA SEOUL) Gangnam Finance Center, 737 Yeoksamdong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (02) 3701-9500 • 30 Samcheong-ro, • www.exxl.co.kr Sogyeok-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul Body & Seoul 010-6397-2662 • www.seoulmartialarts.com Daegu Art Museum (053) 790-3000 • 374 Samdeok-dong, UROLOGY & OB Suseong-gu, Daegu Art space for local culture presenting Daegu’s Tower Urology contemporary fine arts and internationally (02) 2277-6699 • 5th fl. 119 Jongno 3-ga, renowned artists. Jongno-gu, Seoul

Restaurants AMERICAN & BRUNCH

JAPANESE

Jo’s Basket Grill & Dining (02) 744-0701 • 31-37 Dongsoong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Jin Donburi (02) 2235 1123 • 103-9 Jeodong 1-ga, Junggu, Seoul The chef here trained in Japan and serves an authentic Japanese-style donburi (donkatsu over rice) at an affordable price. Katsudon goes for 6,000 won.

KOREAN & BBQ Small Happiness in the Garden (02) 975-3429 • 28-3 Jeodong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

DONKATSU

Jang Sa Rang (02) 546-9994 • 624-47 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul The menu at this traditional Korean restaurant ranges from classic kimchi pancakes and stone pot rice to an array of meats and veggies.

Dr. Oh’s King-size Donkatsu / O Baksane Donkatsu (02) 3673 5730 • 131-32 Seongbuk-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul The place serves donkatsu the size of a car wheel. The restaurant dares you to finish it in one sitting.

Ondal (02) 450-4518 • 177 Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul Looking to impress a date or a business partner? Head to the premier traditional Korean restaurant in Seoul.

Myeongdong Donkatsu (02) 776 5300 • 59-13 Myeong-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul This is the most popular and oldest Japanese-style donkatsu restaurant in Myeong-dong. Try the wasabi.

Hadongkwan (02) 776-5656 • 10-4 Myungdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul This place simply has the best gomtang (beef soup) in Seoul.

Namsan Donkatsu (02) 777-7929 • 49-24 Namsandong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul Since 1992, this casual Korean-style donkatsu restaurant has been a favorite of Namsan hikers and taxi drivers.

Two Plus (02) 515 5712 • B1 fl. 532-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Served here is a high-quality beef loin at a reasonable price. Tosokchon (Samgyetang) (02) 737 7444 • 85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul A popular Korean-style chicken soup with ginseng is popular at this place. Former presidents enjoyed this restaurant. A soup costs just 15,000 won.

INTERNATIONAL Battered Sole (02) 322-8101 • 52-23 Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Battered Sole is a relative newcomer, but they serve up some of the best fish and chips in Korea. This is the real deal. Simply India (02) 744 6333• 1-79 Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

THAI & VIETNAMESE

VEGETARIAN

Pho Hoa (02) 792-8866 • 737-4, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Sanchon (02) 735 0312 • 14 Gwanghun-dong, Jongnogu, Seoul www.sanchon.com

ITALIAN & FRENCH Pizza Hill (02) 450-4699 • 177 Walkerhill-ro, Gwangjingu, Seoul The first restaurant to serve pizza in Korea. MEXICAN & TEX-MEX Dos Tacos (Gangnam) (02) 593-5904 • 104 Dessian Luv, 1303-35 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul The best and largest taco franchise in Korea; try out their shrimp potato burrito. Grill5taco (02) 515-5549 • 519-13 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Veggie Holic 070 4114 0458 • 204-59 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul www.veggieholic.co.kr March Rabbit (02) 3444-4514 • 560 Sinsa-dong, Gangnamgu, Seoul Daegu 5th Lounge (053) 764-3579 • 207-10 Doosan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu This fabulous lounge does just about everything right. If you’re in search of space for private parties, this is the place. G’day (American & Brunch) (053) 746-1217 • 980-9 Suseongdong 4-ga, Suseong-gu, Daegu This Aussie brunch cafe serves the best brunch in Daegu at the best price. www.facebook.com/CafeGday

Night clubS The Paris (Italian & French) (053) 763-8998 • 207-10 Doosan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu This place offers fine dining in one of the few authentic French restaurants in town. Dos Tacos (Mexican & Tex-Mex) (053) 255-4885 • 34-4 Dongsung-ro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Pan Asia (International) (053) 287-7940 • 2 fl., 21-9 Samdeok-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu South St. (American) (053) 471-7867 • 664-10 Bongdeok 3-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu Bagel Doctor (Café) (053) 421-6636 • Samdeokdong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Miyako (Japanese) (053) 761-5555 • 402-5 Sang-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Beyond Factory (Italian/café) (053) 255-7614 • 40-63 Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu Italy & Italy (Italian / French) (053) 423- 5122 • 22-2, Samdeok-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu

La Luce (European) (053) 255-7614 • 40-63 Daebong-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu

The Pho (Vietnamese) (051) 256-8055 • Saeabusan town, Sinchangdong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Busan

Ariana Boccaccio Hotel Brau (Buffet) (051) 767-7913 • 200-1, Dusan-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu

The Grill On The Beach (Pub) (051) 731-9799 • B1 fl. Sea star bldg., 1417-2 Jung 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan This submarine-themed pub carries international beer and a wide selection of wine.

Thursday Party (Bar) 21-23 Samdeok-dong 1-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu Busan Wolfhound (Haeundae, Busan) (051) 746-7913 • 1359 Woo 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Rock N Roll (Bar) • 2 fl, 56-5, Daeyeon 3-dong, Nam-gu, Busan Wolfhound (Irish Pub) (051) 746-7913 • 2 fl, 1359, U 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Fuzzy Navel (Mexican Pub) (051) 754- 6349 • 178-13, Millak-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan Farmer’s Hamburger (American) (051) 244-5706 • 35-1 Daechungdong 2-ga, Junggu, Busan

Paniere (Café) (051) 817-8212 • 225-1 Bujeon-dong, Jin-gu, Busan The European-style brunch restaurant/café serves fresh fruit juice and sandwiches.

DRINKS BEER AND COCKTAILS Big Rock (02) 539-6650 • B1 818-8, Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul This place imports premium beer from Alberta. Its comfortable atmosphere and huge space is perfect for just about every occasion. Once in a Blue Moon (02) 549. 5490 • 85-1 Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul A live jazz club Seoul that hosts renowned musicians from Korea and around the world.

Octagon •175-2 Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Cocoon •364-26 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul Eden •Ritz Carlton 602 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnamgu, Seoul Elune •1408-5 Jung 1-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan Mass •1306-8 Seocho 4-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Massage, Spa & Beauty Lucy Hair (02) 325-2225 • 2 floor, 30-10, Chandcheondong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Look your best effortlessly with the help of Lucy. Her internationally trained hair stylists treat your locks with the best hair products in a modern and cozy environment.

COMICS

Games

EASy

Crossword - Sudoku

Medium

Across 1. Knight fight 6. Mastercard alternative 10. Number two 14. Saul’s army chief 15. Dark forces 16. Actor-songwriter Novello 17. Radiotelephony response 18. Tax 19. “The Godfather” co-star 20. Soaked thoroughly 22. Accedes 24. Carol starter 26. Sea route

27. Coercion 29. Mystery writer Marsh 31. Beverage server 32. Hence 34. Kingdom of Croesus 38. West of Hollywood 39. Wifely 41. Record label inits. 42. Tree of the birch family 44. Wrapped up 45. Rotter 46. Actress Moorehead 48. “You Can’t __ Again”

51. Tenant 54. Swain HArd 56. Chipped in 58. In proportion 61. Takes advantage of 62. Throaty utterance 64. Dominant 65. Spiritual mentor 66. Eye amorously 67. Be stationary, nautically 68. Uriah in “David Copperfield” 69. Dweeb 70. Terminated

21. Colchester’s county 23. Motionless 25. Absorb intently 27. Russian parliament 28. Caspian Sea feeder 30. Enter 33. Harassed 35. Adorned 36. Muslim priest 37. Helper 39. Pressed 40. Norse god of the sea 43. Lessens the pressure

47. Nerve cell 49. “Camelot” actor Peter 50. Interpose 51. Amused reaction 52. Follow 53. Cubic meter 55. Raised 57. Boy attendant 59. Carry 60. Like peas in __ 63. Camera type

Down 1. Peter Benchley thriller 2. Notice in passing 3. Ignorant 4. Break away 5. Figures of speech 6. South African grassland 7. “__ Got a Secret” 8. The Destroyer, in Hinduism 9. Actress Milano 10.Sovereign’s representative 11. Donald’s ex 12. Ring-tailed animal 13. German-born surrealist

Evil

Crossword Medium

HARD

EVIL

June AnswerS

Easy

Horoscopes July 2014

Aries

Libra

You’ll feel like screaming at work this month because everything you do seems to be causing problems. Don’t worry, it will be over soon. Just continue to resolve issues as they come up. Your family life is going well. Loved ones are there to lift your spirits after a long month.

Work can wear you out this month if you let it — don’t. When things get too hectic, take a step back and collect your thoughts. Take a walk if that will calm you. You have to stay focused to do your best. A loved one turns to you for help later in the month. Do everything you can to help.

Taurus

Scorpio

The month will seem to fly by. You’ll finish a project that you’ve been working on for a long time and it’s time to celebrate. Your personal life gives you ample time to relax. Close friends are busy, so you’ve got a lot of time to yourself. Enjoy it while you can — your phone will be ringing off the hook soon.

“When will it end?” You’ll be asking yourself this question a lot this month as your manager keeps pushing you harder every day. Don’t get frazzled. An old friend calls you out of the blue and wants to get together. This is the perfect opportunity to get your mind off of work.

Gemini

Sagittarius

Keep your emotions in check at work this month. It feels like a close friend and coworker is stabbing you in the back, but before you react, make sure you get all of the facts. A close friend shows up on your doorstep with a problem. Open up your home — and your heart — to him or her.

Everything is coming up roses for you this month. You’ll get a surprise bonus at work for all the hard work you’ve been doing. Family relations will remain strong and loved ones will thank you for the support you’ve been giving lately. A close friend introduces you to someone interesting.

Cancer

Capricorn

Remain calm this month as things get a little crazy. You’ll be working a lot of overtime to finish up a major project and your loved ones will be demanding your input in planning a family event. You can’t ignore your coworkers or your family, so just try to help everyone as much as you can.

You finally complete a rigorous task at work. Now is your time to relax. Take a day off and get an early start on a long weekend. You deserve it. As for your friends, they’re ready to celebrate with you. Plan a getaway for the group.

Leo

Aquarius

The lion wants to roar this month as everything goes well at work and at play. Superiors reward you for all of your hard work and friends will thank you for always being there for them. That special someone finally calls to ask you out. Taurus and Cancer play important roles.

Don’t get discouraged at work. While it seems like the month will never end, it’ll be over before you know it. A peripheral coworker will be there to help you with a problem. That special someone throws you a curveball at the end of the month. Don’t get upset.

Virgo

Pisces

While work is tedious this month, it is also rewarding. Even the most boring tasks can let your talents show. A close friend relies on you to be there for him or her during an important event. Even though you feel like a third wheel, he or she needs you. You can actually have a good time.

You’ll feel superhuman this month as you keep going without a break. Superiors notice your efforts at work and reward you. Loved ones are amazed at your energy. Try to get as much done as you can, because you’ll need your rest by the time the month’s over.

March 20 - April 20

April 21 - May 21

May 22 - June 21

June 22 - July 22

July 23 - August 23

August 24 - September 23

September 24 - October 23

October 24 - November 22

November 23 - December 21

December 22 - January 19

January 20 - February 18

February 19 - March 19

COLUMN â&#x20AC;˘ YONSEI UNIversity dental hospital

Recovering Jaw Health

For further information or reservations, call Ms. Kelly Soe, the English coordinator at Yonsei University Dental Hospital. +82 2 2228 8998 +82 2 363 0396 idc@yuhs.ac 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul www.yuhs.or.kr/ en/hospitals/dent_ hospital/Conserv_ dentist/Intro

n the realm of oral surgery, there are some procedures that are carried out for non-cosmetic reasons â&#x20AC;&#x201C; often related to very serious medical conditions. One such procedure, though rare, is jawbone removal. The circumstances that necessitate this type of operation are quite varied, including oral cavity cancer, surgical resection of a tumor appearing in the upper or lower part of the jawbone, external injuries caused by car accidents, side effects and complications from head and neck cancer radiation therapy or side effects caused by the treatment of osteoporosis. When the jawbone is lost, the patient will lose their teeth and will not be able to chew in the same way as before. Breathing will also become irregular, making it difficult to drink liquids. The changes in the structure of the face, especially around the lip area, will not only cause patients to lose their confidence, but will also make it impossible for them to absorb nutrition, thus having a negative impact on their overall health. In addition, a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental well-being is greatly impacted, mainly because of the jarring experience of no longer being able to chew. To overcome this disability, a new jawbone has to be made, designed to replicate the structure and the function of the original jaw. This prosthesis includes a foundation for future dentures and implants, which will allow the patient to return to a balanced diet, clear pronunciation and more natural respiratory function. A destroyed jawbone can be reconstructed using a variety of materials: a special metallic plate (pharmaceutical product for facial aesthetic reconstruction), homologous or heterologous bone or self-bone. Through the development of advanced image technology, three-dimensional CT can be used to create virtual surgical plans to reconstruct and restore the jaw in a way that is similar to its original shape. Beyond satisfying the functional dimension of the lost bone and tissue, these measures also cater to the aesthetic demands of the patient.

Reconstructive jawbone surgery offers the best results when the tumor resection surgical team and the reconstruction surgical team work alongside one another. Cooperating in tandem, the teams are able to establish a diagnosis and treatment plan before the surgery, plot out the surgery itself and coordinate post-surgical maintenance. For 15 years, our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical department has made it possible for these two teams to work together and deliver world-class results. The advancements in the field of reconstructive surgery have allowed patients to not only recover from serious medical conditions, but to return to a more natural facial form, vastly improving their quality of life.

Hyung Jun Kim, DDS, Ph.D. Professor and Chairman in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Yonsei University College of Dentistry

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98 www.groovekorea.com / July 2014

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