Groove Korea 2016 September

issue 119

September 2016

Zandari Festival The competition is on

seoraksan seclusion Perfect Weekend Getaway

jeonju night walk

Embrace a thousand years of history and culture with a moonlit walk through Jeonju

Education Hagwon Habits

Dwight School

hints & tips for survival

Class from a student's perspective

University Elementary Regional Education Education Conferences What To Expect

A Weekly Routine

Getting Your Ideas Heard

www.groovekorea.com

Editorial Vol. 119 September 2016

Editorial September 2016

Education is one of the most precious things that parents can provide for their children in Korea. Now leading the way globally with their educational methods, it’s time to take a look at what really happens behind those Korean classroom doors.

Groove Korea has put together an education special this month to offer an insight into every corner of Korean education. Steve Lemlek gives some advice to new teachers starting out in a hagwon environment while Jessica Sundstrom offers us a peak into her weekly endeavours at elementary school.

The students of G11 at Dwight School talk about their educational experiences and share their thoughts on a recent global warming project while Kilgore

O n

ct ohv ee r

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

September 2016

Fall’s in and so is school. Now, half way into the school year, Groove Korea looks at what’s education is like from Elementary to University and also hints at what teachers can do to make that classroom experience a little bit better.

Cover Photo by David Wellbaum

Trout reveals what really happens behind tertiary level doors. If looking for professional development, then Naheen Madarbakus-Ring offers some advice about how to get on the TEFL conference ladder.

Aside from school, there’s still some vacation time in store with Chuseok around the corner and some much needed cooler evenings ahead. That gives us enough time to get excited with Emma Kalka about the forthcoming Burlesque festival and also look ahead at this year’s Zandari Festa. Seolhui Lee goes back to being a student at the Gwangju Biennale while Ali Saleh experiences something difference while checking out what all the fuss is about in Fake Funerals .

Our foodies have also been exploring for new and exciting treats for those taste-buds as Casey D. Mann goes to Gangnam to see what all the hype is about behind Shake Shack. Jordan Redmond hits Rye Post for their All American Burger while Ashley Heil heads to La Marmite for a treat. Julia Mellor shares her historical insights into Makegeolli origins while Jason Newland experiences something new in the Korean-Chinese Potato chips.

Although the vacation may be over, back to school can also be so much fun.

There’s still lots to do around the city this Fall and with the sun cooling down and festival season coming to an end, it’s time to relax and enjoy some timeout with Chuseok. Have a great Fall.

BUSAN FOREIGN SCHOOL www.busanforeignschool.org

WE CARE FOR THE WHOLE LEARNER

The American International School of Busan

Embracing Diversity, Striving for Excellence

What's in this issue Vol. 119 September 2016

34

What should we expect from tertiary level teaching?

04

EDITORIAL

10

Key People Meet Groove’s editorial team and a few of our talented contributors

14

What's on Festivals, concerts, happy hours, networking and events for every day of the month

18-22

National News national news with Korea JoongAng Daily

sponsors 14

Moon Won Clinic More Hair-Raising tips from the clinic

24

Entertainment 40

education

42

Keeping It Stress-Free in the Korean Classroom Getting to grips with Korean Education culture

30

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Regional Conferencing From Classroom to Conference, how to make your mark

The International Class The local school with the international presence

28

6

38

The Grade 11 English B “Crying Ice” Poster Project Looking at global warming from a new direction

32

The Weekly Schedule A weekly insight into Elementary education

34

Higher Learning What should we expect from tertiary level teaching?

Three By… K-Film explores its historical roots A festival for musicians The biggest music competition in town

44

a weekend of Glitz, Glamour and Spectacle Get your gladrags on - it's showtime

46

Becoming An Art Student Again Training with the best in the Art World

48

In a Mock Funeral Death... with a twist p30

Looking a global warming from a new direction

What's in this issue Vol. 119 September 2016

52

Bahn mi sandwiches and vinyl.

What's not to love?

Food & Drink 50

Create Your Own Monster Pizza Magnificient Italian pizza near Konkuk University.

51

Korean-Chinese Favorites in Chip Form What to snag on your next mart jaunt.

52

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Spin Records, Bottles at Mmm Records Bahn mi sandwiches and vinyl.

What's not to love?

55

Adventure Awaits at Jungang Eco Adventure Park A park with a difference

56

66

Not the Usual Moscow Cake Russian cake magnate opens first international shop in Seoul.

58

French Bistro Stirs the Pot Your new French connection in Haebangchon.

60

Makgeolli Origins Makgeolli, considered.

53

61

54

Travel

Rye Post's All-American Double The city's most irresistable destination dishes.

Shake Shack Burgers Sizzle Their Way to Gangnam Shake Shack has arrived but is it worth the pilgrimage?

64

Restaurant Buzz Comings and goings from Seoul's restaurant scene.

Don't Forget to eat Korean in Itaewon An overlooked Itaewon lunch spot.

62

Secret Seoraksan Enjoy a weekend of seclusion away from the city

Explore one of Asia’s top destinations under the moonlight Traveling around the region doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg

68

photoshop History comes alive at night in Korea’s largest Hanok Village p66

Traveling around the region doesn't need to cost an arm and a leg

Key people Vol. 119 September 2016

Seolhui Lee Seolhui Lee is a Seoul-based independent curator with a background in sculpture and a master’s in South Korean contemporary art with a focus on the 1980s political movement group “Reality and Utterance.” Seolhui has worked at multiple museums and galleries such as the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), Doosan Gallery’s Curator Workshop, and recently co-curated the exhibition Discrete Use of Reality. She’s also a researcher for Media Art Asia Pacific (MAAP) and an editor at the Association of Art History.

Michael Jones Michael Jones is an American currently teaching English in Seoul. In his free time he likes to read, drink unhealthy amounts of coffee, do crossfit, and travel to remote places around the world.

His dream is to become a writer and photographer for National Geographic and to travel the globe protecting and documenting endangered wildlife.

Julia Mellor Julia Mellor is a Korean traditional alcohol specialist who has been studying brewing techniques, tasting, history and everything there is to know about the modern makgeolli industry since 2012. She founded 'Makgeolli Mamas & Papas Korea' as a means to communicate the intricacies of Korean alcohol to a wider audience. MMPK offers tasting tour experiences, brewery tours, brewing education, and industry consulting for anyone looking to expand and deepen their knowledge of makgeolli, soju and all the other highlights of Korean alcohol.

Ali Saleh

10

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Steve Lemlek Steve Lemlek hails from the USA and is a teacher, a web designer, and an all around good dude who is based in Dongducheon. Most recognized as the more handsome half of Hal & Steve English, the education start-up he runs with his buddy, Hal, Steve is trying to change how English is taught in Korea and works on bringing some actual conversation to the classroom. Find out more at www.halandsteveenglish.com

A California native, Ali has spent the past two years meandering about the Korean peninsula, teaching English, and, occasionally, writing stories with the hopes that someone, somewhere, will give it a home for publication. When he's not wiping noses or singing nursery rhymes, Ali spends most of his time watching movies, procrastinating, and staying up way too late into a night out because Seoul has no issues with it. You can check out his movie/ travel blog here wait0what.wordpress.com/

Casey Mann Casey Mann has enjoyed residence in Seoul since 2010. A former web designer, movie blogger and film critic, he now spends his time playing guitar at bars – quietly, in a dark corner, so customers can’t hear. He also enjoys discovering new restaurants and hangouts to love, hate, or just plain disregard. Top priority dishes consist of good barbecue and Vietnamese food.

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Contact info (010) 5348-0212 / (02) 6925-5057 Advertising ads@groovekorea.com General inquiries info@groovekorea.com EDITORIAL DireCtor

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• Insurance documents for claims

W RITERS & CONTRIBUTORS

Liam Ring, Steve Lemlek, Grade 11 English B students Naheen Madarbakus-Ring, Kilgore Trout, Jessica Sundstrom Emma Kalka, Simon Mcenteggart, Seolhui Lee, Ali Saleh, Ashley Heil, Yoo Jin Oh, Julia Mellor, Jordan Redmond, Bobby Kim, Jason Newland, Rob Shelley, Michael Jones, Naomi Blenkinsop, Lee Moon Won, Dulwich School Seoul, Alessandro Rapesta, David Wellbaum, Robert Michael Evans, K I Photography, Zandari Festa, Han Cinema, Gwangju Biennale Foundation, Sojung Jun, Blair Kitchener, Kaegan Saenz, Hannah Green, Paul Argus, Casey D. Mann, Michael O’dwyer, Heather Allman, Dean Crawford ART & DESIGN

ART DIRECTOR seokyoung Jang design@a-grid.net

Dr. Keith Kim & Dr. Young Lee U.S. licensed dentist and periodontist (Diplomate, American Board of Periodontology)

MARKETIN G & ADMINISTRATION

CFO steve seung-jin lee ACCOUNTING su-jin PARK

English-speaking doctors and staff W EB & MOBILE

himes design www.himesdesign.com finch professtional services www.finchproservices.com

92-12 5F, Banpo 4-dong (Seorae French Village), Seocho-gu, Seoul 02-3482-0028 boston34820028@gmail.com www.e-boston.co.kr Mon - Fri 9:30am-6:30pm / sat 9:30am-2pm

PUBLISHER

sean choi sean@groovekorea.com

To contribute to Groove Korea, email submissions@groovekorea.com or the appropriate editor.

To have Groove Korea delivered to your home or business, email subscribe@groovekorea.com.

To contribute to groovekorea, promote an event or share your opinions, please email naheen@groovekorea.com or the appropriate editor.

Sinbanpo Station 4

Subway Line 9

Banpo Hillstate

Express Bus Terminal 5

Subway Line 3,7,9

Seorae French Village

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St. Mary's Hospital

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.

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All rights reserved Groove Korea Magazine 2016

What's on MON

WED

TUE

6

AGAINST THE CURRENT live in Seoul YES24 move hall @ Hongdae

The Age of Shadows

13

Chuseok (Korean

The Magnificent Seven

20

SULLY

ANDRA DAY first live in Seoul Sep 23 YES24 live hall @ Gwangjin-gu

14

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

27

PENTATONIX world tour Sep 27 / Jamsil Stadium

Andong Maskdance Festival Sep 30 – Oct 9

ZANDARI Sep 30 – Oct 3

CALENDAR September 2016 THU

FRI

SUN

SAT

4

SIMPLE PLAN live Sep 1 | Blue Square @ Hannam-dong

Gwangju Biennale Sep 2 – Nov 6

11

Bukchon Music Festival Bukchon | 9-10

16

18

Thanksgiving Day)

Bridget Jones's Baby

25

23

Lets Rock Festival Sep 24-25 / Han River Park Nanji area

Festa Hongdae

Jeonju Night Walk Sep 30

Caetano Veloso

Jarasum International Jazz Festival Oct 1-3

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

30

15

Seoul

Hair And Scalp Recovery!

Why the regeneration process of the scalp and hair is so important Story and Photos by Lee Moon Won Clinic

A

t Lee Moon Won Clinic, treatment follows two steps that lower the possibility of recurrent hair loss. It is similar to the actions following a war: damage needs to be quickly restored and the possibility of war breaking out again eliminated.

For as long as Dr. Lee Moon Won has been examining patients suffering hair loss, he has noted the redness and gradual thinning of the hair when looking at the condition of their scalp.

Why is the regeneration process of the scalp and hair so important?

Redness of the scalp indicates that there is inflammation. If this inflammatory reaction becomes more severe, greater redness, itchiness, and dandruff can easily occur. Even if there are no other symptoms, your hairdresser or even family, friends and colleagues may be able to notice the redness of the scalp. In addition, as hair loss progresses, individual hairs gradually grow thinner as well. When observing the scalp using a microscope at a magnification of 60 times, you can distinguish between thinner and thicker hair. Fortunately, thinner hair can regain its thickness through effective treatment. In contrast, if we continue to let the hair thin without any treatment, then the hair’s condition will worsen. What is worse, empty pores will appear, replacing the weak thinning hair. It's possible to alleviate scalp redness by treating the inflammation. However, getting rid of inflammation is not all that needs to be done. It is also critically important that, after removing the inflammation, the new skin (and scalp) regeneration starts again. It is the same story with the hair. Eliminating the causes of hair loss is vital but it is also very important to regenerate the thinning hair so it becomes thick and bold again.

For example :

The important functions of the prescribed medication and natural herbs used in the two-stage treatment are:

Let’s compare battling the redness on the scalp and thinning hair to war. At the end of a war, repairing and rebuilding any damaged cities can be similarly understood as dealing with the consequences of the inflammation of the scalp and rejuvenating the hair.

1 Stimulating the secretion of recovery factors to improve the damaged tissue and hair follicles;

The treatment of scalp dermatitis can be largely divided into two steps:

3 Increasing the immunity levels and helping the patient to better endure the irritation from external infection;

Step 1

Step 2

4 Stimulating the secretion of substances involved in the growth of the hair;

Stopping the inflammation from occurring and halting its development Regenerating the damage due to the inflammation of the skin and vascular tissue.

As with scalp regeneration, hair regeneration can also be divided into two steps: Step 1 Preventing further hair loss and regenerating

thicker hair Step 2 Stimulating new hair growth from empty follicles.

This two-stage approach is characteristic of the Lee Moon Won Clinic. Following this two-pronged approach reduces the possibility of recurrent hair loss. It is similar to the actions following a war: damage needs to be quickly restored and the possibility of war breaking out again eliminated.

2 Reducing the causes of inflammation;

5 Promoting the regeneration of blood vessels and the smooth circulation of the blood supply.

During this treatment, the following is recommended: 1 7-8 hours of sleep a day 2 Drinking lots of water 3 Reducing the intake of coffee and alcohol 4 Trying to avoid eating fried food and reducing your overall food consumption 5 Ensuring the daily intake of vitamins B and C.

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Time 2 hours / Price 170,000 KRW

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Time 3 hours / Price 295,000 KRW *Every program includes relaxation massage and blow-drying with style.

LMW 4С COOLING GEL Cooling to 4oC with a one-hour effect!

Immediately decreases scalp temperature to 4oC immediately after absorption.

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Nati onal Ne ws

In association with September 2016 / www.koreajoongangdaily.com 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.

Chuseok spurs black market

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for train tickets W

ith the fast approach of Chuseok, a Korean national holiday similar to Thanksgiving, the black market for train tickets is emerging once again.

“It’s a quick way to earn side money,” says a 24-year-old student, surnamed Kim, of Hanyang University, who with four of his friends bought train tickets online in order to sell them at higher prices in the black market.

“One person can buy up to six tickets at once, and we can sell each ticket for about 30,000 won [$27] more online, which means we each make 180,000 won within 10 minutes.”

The state-run rail operator Korean Rail Corporation (Korail) opened the online and atthe-station sale of tickets on August 17 and 18 for those looking to travel during the Chuseok holiday, which falls between Sept. 14 and 16 this year.

At-the-stations ticket sales for the Gyeongbu Line began at 9 a.m. on August 17.

Tickets sold out within 20 minutes. Korail’s records show that as many as 290,000 people were buying tickets online at one point that day. Along with the official ticket sales, black marketers flooded online communities with the sale of tickets. Naver’s popular second-hand online market, Joonggonara, saw more than 70 posts by people trying to buy or sell train tickets. People even asked for money up front.

“You don’t have the time to stand in line or wait online to battle to get tickets,” said someone with the username wwr8972 on a blog in

Naver. “Why don’t I buy the ticket for you? You can pay me 10,000 won extra for that.”

“I know it’s illegal,” said Kim Sang-hyeong, a 33-year-old office worker, “but I have to go home to Busan during the holiday, and I just don’t have the time for a mouse-clicking battle online.” He added, “The extra 30,000 won I pay these people who buy the tickets for me is not much when I think about the hassle they saved me from.”

While it is illegal to buy tickets and sell them at higher prices, these so-called ticket hustlers have long been in Korea.

“They were there when I was in my 20s,” said Lee Jong-hyang, a mother of three children who is in her mid-50s.

“These people buy movie tickets and train tickets in advance, make them all sell out, and sell them to those waiting in lines at the theaters and train stations at a higher price.”

Part of the reason for their continued existence (and success) in the country may be that cancellation fees have never been very high, which means hustlers can buy tickets at low risk of losing money.

Korail charges nothing if customers cancel up to a day before the ride. It charges only 400 won if passengers cancel on the day of the ride, up to an hour before the train schedule.

After that, and before the train leaves, passengers are charged 10 percent of the ticket price for cancellation, and a bit more if they cancel after the train leaves.

“Our ticket prices range from 3,000 won to 45,000 won,” said Park Byeong-nam, a Korail

employee of the company’s PR department.

“The Seoul-to-Gwangmyeong one-way ride being the cheapest, and the one-way ride from Seoul to Busan being the most expensive.”

Given these prices, passengers will be charged from 400 won to a bit over 4,500 won for canceling their trips on the day of the ride.

Cancellation fees for train tickets in other countries are much higher. Deutsche Bahn railway company in Germany, for example, charges 17.50 euros ($19.80) for passengers who cancel tickets purchased online.

The United States’ Amtrak charges 10 to 20 percent of the ticket price as a cancellation fee.

Given that their one-way tickets cost something between $50 to over $200, depending on the travel distance and dates, their refund fees will still cost more than most of Korail’s refund fees.

“We have no plans to increase the refund fee,” Park said. “I am sure authorities can investigate illegal sales online and such, but there isn’t much Korail can do since it’s not a law enforcement body.”

Stress causes more police officers to take their own lives

Yeoksam business hotel

reasonable stay

T

he number of police officers committing suicide is increasing.

The National Police Agency revealed that 19 police officers have killed themselves from January to July - a monthly average of 2.7 officers - surpassing the number of police suicides for all of last year, which was 18. A total of 106 have killed themselves in the past five years. The police suicide rate far exceeds that for the population as a whole. In 2014, the police officer suicide rate was one out of 2,000, said Rep. Cho Won-jin of the Saenuri Party based on the data from the National Police Agency. The rate for the population as a whole was one out of 3,300.

The higher suicide rate is explained by the nature of police work: the stress of dealing with brutal cases and violent criminals. When the National Police Agency conducted a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) test with 17,311 police officers in 2012, 82.4 percent were found to have experience of psychological shock at work. Out of the 82.4 percent, 37.2 percent were considered high-risk for trauma.

“I can’t stop thinking about the look in the murderer’s eyes,” said one police officer. “The murderer even appears in my dreams sometimes.” Long hours can rupture policemen’s marriages.

“Police officers nowadays suffer from discord with their families and loved ones, who do not understand why they need to work day and night and be called on unexpectedly,” said a police officer under anonymity.

Park Oe-byeong, a professor of police administration at Dongseo University, points out that all of Korean society, not only police officers, is losing its resilience to stress.

The strict hierarchy and internal inspections within the police also are cited as causes for distress. On July 29, a 56-year-old lieutenant at Hwaseong Dongbu Police Precinct in Gyeonggi, killed himself. He was depressed at being investigated for breach of office regulations. “We’re in the special inspection period right now. Even the smallest problem is disclosed in the local network, including the officer’s name, affiliation, and type of punishment,” said a police officer at Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency.

The National Police Agency has been running special trauma centers for police officers since 2014 in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Daejeon. However, the total number of police officers is nearly 120,000, and the budget for stress care isn’t big enough.

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Nati onal Ne ws

Korean restaurant boom creating a bust in profit

20

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

E

arlier this year, a 58-year-old restaurateur surnamed Kang cut two of her staff at the Korean traditional restaurant she has been running for 28 years in Myeong-dong, Jung-gu in central Seoul. She made her decision due to intensifying competition, as the number of street vendors increased and shops nearby shifted their business from cosmetics or fashion to food service.

“The competition has gotten so intense that not only are there more restaurants that hire people to tout, there are also stores that lie to customers who come to eat at a specific restaurant, telling them the place they came looking for is closed,” said Kang.

“Now that last year’s Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [MERS] crisis is over, we expected an increase in sales this year. But so far, this year’s numbers were disappointing.”

The situation is worse for restaurant owners who’ve recently opened shop.

In 2014, a 65-year-old retiree surnamed Lee opened a steak house in Sinchon-dong, western Seoul, only to close it after two years.

As sales were poor, even the monthly bank interest fees of 500,000 won ($451) became difficult for him. Monthly fixed costs, including rent, left him with almost nothing at the end of the month, leading him to close the business.

Despite the sluggish economy, the number of restaurants is climbing, making it difficult for owners to succeed.

The number of food service operators in 2014 was 651,000, which means there’s one restaurant per 78.8 people, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The number increased by an average of 7.2 percent annually for the past three years.

By category, Korean restaurants were the most popular with 301,939 operators, followed by coffee shops (55,693), street food (46,221) and chicken restaurants (31,529).

Western and Japanese-style eateries had just 10,397 and 7,740 operators, but the highest sales. As for yearly sales, Western restaurants made 363.5 million won, followed by Japanese (305.1 million won) and Korean (121.1 million won) establishments.

On the other hand, yearly sales of chicken restaurants (99.9 million), coffee shops (77.1

million) and street food (74.9 million) did not exceed 100 million won.

The influx of job seekers in their 20s and 30s is also heating up competition in the food services industry, experts say.

They also mentioned the fact that the restaurant business has low initial costs and do not require specific skills or techniques, making it also attractive for retirees. The deregulation of food service business on the streets or in traditional markets is also known to have also contributed in luring in younger generation to launch businesses.

“After the entrance of young operators aged from their 20s to 30s, we are seeing a noticeable development in the commercial districts of traditional night markets such as the Seomun market in Daegu,” said Cho Bohyun, member of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Korea Foods Industry Development Association, “whereas 10 years ago there was only one restaurant operator from this age group, now we have four to five.”

However, the increase in restaurants intensified competition, making it harder for businesses to survive.

“Although owners that fail to withstand leave the market, there is a constant influx of fresh retirees,” said Kim Young-ju, regional president of Jung-gu for the Korea Foodservice Industry Association, “therefore although the total number of operating restaurants

seems largely unchanged, the market is actually much tougher.” “Whereas Japan has one restaurant per 170 people, Korea has twice that number,” said Choi Kyu-wan, a food service management professor at Kyunghee University. “Profit aggravation results in excessive competition; it’s a vicious cycle.”

Laws prohibiting unlawful request and bribery, or the so-called Kim Young-ran Act, will be implemented Sept. 28, a move expected to be unfavorable for the food service industry. Not only will meal expenses be limited to 30,000 won per session, meals between people with close business connections are predicted to decrease.

“Although splitting bills is a common practice in Europe, they also have globally acclaimed, high-end restaurants,” said Yeo Kyung-rae, CEO of the Korean Association of Chinese Food. “Likewise, the Korean food service industry should find a breakthrough by increasing product and service quality.”

Choi also warned of overheated competition in the industry sector. “As food service is an business that has a high possibility of closing down within the first year of operation, jumping into the market without preparation is highly risky.

“Therefore expanding knowledge in the food service industry and analyzing the commercial district are a must before starting anything else.”.

Nati onal Ne ws

North executes

two top officials

Kim Jong-un made the order, source says; anti-aircraft guns used

22

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

N

orth Korean leader Kim Jongun executed two top officials publicly, killing them with an anti-aircraft gun, a source with special knowledge of North Korea told the JoongAng Ilbo.

One was apparently killed for nodding off during a meeting with Kim. The executed men were Hwang Min, former agricultural minister, and Ri Yong-jin, who had a senior position in the education ministry, possibly as high as minister level.

“I have the information that ministers of agriculture and education were publicly executed on a special order from Kim Jong-un,” said the source. The executions took place at a military academy in Pyongyang, he said, and an anti-aircraft gun was used.

If the report is true, it would mark the first execution ordered by Kim Jong-un from outside the Workers’ Party and military.

The report may be interpreted as a new reign of terror in North Korea prompted by a series of defections by senior officials that has rekindled talk of instability and disunity among the North Korean elite.

“One of the executed is Hwang Min, a former agricultural minister,” said the source. “I understand he was executed because policy proposals he had pushed for were seen as a direct challenge to the Kim Jong-un leadership."

The source did not elaborate what the proposal was or why it was seen as a challenge to the leader. Hwang was replaced by Ko In-ho at a meeting of the rubber-stamp parliament in late June before apparently being executed.

The other ill-fated official was Ri Yong-jin, who the source said was a ministerial-level official at the education ministry.

“He incurred the wrath of Kim after he dozed off during a meeting presided over by Kim. He was arrested on site and intensively questioned by the state security ministry. He was executed after other charges such as corruption were found during the probe.”

In North Korea, there are two ministries related to education: the Ministry of Common Education and Ministry of Higher Education, which are headed by Kim Sung-du and Thae Hyong-chol, who is also president of Kim Il Sung University. A government official said the ill-fated Ri could have had a minister-level position at one of the two.

Since taking over after his father’s death in late 2011, Kim has carried out a series of executions of party and military officials. The most high-profile was the December 2013 execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim’s uncle and former political guardian. Another high-profile execution was that of Hyon Yong-chol, North Korea’s former defense chief, who South Korean intelligence said was executed by firing squad in April 2015 on charges of dozing off during a meeting attended by the supreme leader.

If the report of the two executions is true, they may have been related to a series of defections by senior North Korean officials with privileged backgrounds.

The recent defection of Thae Yong-ho, formerly No. 2 at the North Korean embassy in London, sparked speculation that there is disunity among the North’s inner circle and a

decline in faith in the Kim regime. The young leader could have felt the need to impose a sense of terror among elite officials to reinforce their loyalty.

“The recent series of defections by top officials is less a looming sign of the collapse of the North Korean regime than the outcome of the North’s wrong policies for its overseas officials,” said Kim Byung-yeon, professor of economics at Seoul National University, who specializes in the North Korean economy.

North Korean officials overseas are said to be under growing pressure to find source of hard currency to be transferred to Pyongyang after sanctions were slapped on the country in March, following its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile launch the following month. Such pressure could have driven elite officials like Thae to opt to defect to the South rather than face dire consequences back home after failing to find the motherland extra sources of foreign exchange, observers say.

President Park Geun-hye said that her government would continue to “send a message of hope for North Korean people for the life of liberty and dignity.”

At a meeting with senior secretaries at the Blue House, Park said, “Improving human rights conditions in North Korea is a humanitarian issue that cannot be put off any more and a cornerstone to bringing about an era of peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

She called on the military to maintain readiness so the North Korean regime can be brought to “self-destruction” should it choose to provoke the South violently. .

Sponsor s Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

The International Class Dulwich College Seoul looks to bring a balanced view to education in a globalized world Story by Liam Ring Photos by Courtesy of Dulwich College Seoul

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verseeing the education of over 600 two to eighteen year olds would seem like a sizeable responsibility for any individual. However, for Dulwich College Seoul Headmaster Graeme Salt, a man who has worked in international schools on three continents, it is the culmination of what he terms “a long and fulfilling career in education.” Now enjoying the Dulwich College Seoul headmaster position, he runs a Seoul campus with an academic and support team of 150 professionals to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible from before the first bell until lights out.

staff who are over 70% British.

A seasoned veteran of life in international Located near the Han River in Banpo, schools with postings in London, Brazil, ChiDulwich College Seoul’s opening in 2010 saw na, and Malaysia before his arrival in Seoul, it become the fourth of ten schools managed Salt is a strong supporter of the school’s ethos: in Asia by Dulwich College International. “an academically challenging curriculum Students are immediately recognisable in the within a broad programme of character buildarea by a uniform that emphasizing and life enhancing oppores the school’s British roots. Salt tunities.” Salt began life in inFinding meaning believes that this is one of a range ternational schools as a biology in life, personal of ways in which the school fosand science teacher, while also wellbeing, ters a disciplined, safe academic involving his students in sports and happiness environment where “both physand adventure expeditions outare important ically and visually smart stuside the classroom. Experience elements of an dents can safely explore a range has taught him that an all-eneducation for us. of academically challenging compassing view of education and broadening activities”. The that develops intellectual skills school’s ethos and up-to-date facilities allow in tandem with personal, emotional, and sostudents to fully develop in an atmosphere cial skills are vital in a world rapidly requiring designed “to challenge [themselves] to be their new skill sets as it becomes ever smaller and best”. A beginning to a semester is characmore competitive through globalisation. Thus terised not only by a return to class but also inspired, he began his professional journey in by sports trials, visits to universities, coffee earnest, finding such like-minded esteemed mornings where the parents of newly enrolled colleagues at posts across the globe before pupils can meet each other, and welcome back finally reaching “home” at Dulwich. And depicnics for returnees. Such activities look to spite his travels, he has remained staunchly create a more fully-rounded base for student British at heart through his love of tea, crickdevelopment while also fostering a socially et, and West Ham United. A good thing too, inclusive atmosphere for both the students as he now works with an excellent academic

Sponsor s Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

from across all campuses will have the opportunity to travel to the spiritual home of Dulwich for celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the school’s opening in 2019; another advantage of all schools being governed by Dulwich College in London. These offer experiences of life far beyond the four walls of unrealistic expectations and competition often found in the Korean educational system, and are part of an educational ethos underlined by Salt. “Finding meaning in life, personal wellbeing, and happiness are important elements of an education for us.”

For the road ahead, Salt is confident that Dulwich College Seoul’s student body is destined for great things with a campus providing “thorough preparation for life beyond school.” With a dedicated staff, purpose-built campus, and a network of fellow colleges that offer a broad horizon of new experiences, students are given the encouragement and opportunities to “really make their mark on the world.” Salt attests to the fact that the Land of the Morning Calm offers a melange of wonderful local experiences along with international flavors. However, the country can be a challenging place to find your niche. Your children’s education needn’t be part of that challenge. contact admissions@dulwich-seoul.kr website www.dulwich-seoul.kr

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

and families. Once the semester starts, the college offers challenges and opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. With a curriculum based on the English national curriculum, students can take International GCSEs at 16 followed by the renowned International Baccalaureate Diploma. These externally-assessed qualifications can be combined with the SAT or ACT should they wish to apply to universities in the United States, Canada, or a range of other countries.

Among the extra-curricular programmes, team and individual sports are catered for in addition to eight music groups, theatre, visual arts, Chinese and Korean culture, robotics and environmental clubs to name but some. The school also offers full courses in Mandarin.

The Seoul campus has benefitted hugely from being part of a network dotted throughout Asia. One of the highlights was an opportunity for the students to travel to Beijing for a sporting and cultural Olympiad where Dulwich College’s London parent school was represented by 100 England-based students.

Visits from actors and musicians, meeting Michelin-starred chefs, and involvement in Model United Nations and sporting contests in China and Singapore are just some of the experiences open to the Seoul student body. In addition, student representatives

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The school’s ethos and up-to-date facilities allow students to fully develop in an atmosphere designed “to challenge [themselves] to be their best”

E d u c at i o n Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

Education S pe c i a l

It’s back to school this fall and its time to get back into the weekly routine. Whether starting out in a hagwon, going back to elementary or high school or beginning a new job at a university, Groove Korea have rounded up some of the best in the business to give an insight and some trusty advice into school life in Korea. Students, teachers, trainers - make your expat education experience count.

Hagwon Habits

Steve Lemlek looks at the Hagwon teacher survival guide

Dwight School

The students of G11 talk about their project collaboration in working with others to find out more about global warming

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University Education Kilgore Trout reveals what really goes on behind tertiary level classroom doors

Naheen Madarbakus-Ring shares some advice about how to get your ideas heard professionally at TEFL conferences around the region

Keeping It Stress-Free in the Korean Classroom

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

E d u c at i o n

You’re Going To Get Angry At Your Korean Co-Workers…

Here’s How To Handle It. Story and Photos by Steve Lemlek

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o… you’re teaching English in Korea? How do you like it so far?

Really… how do you like it?

Have you experienced the wonders and glories of Korean cuisine? Or the incredibly gregarious Korean old-timers who love to make small talk at their local watering hole? Maybe you’ve had a bit more of a tepid reception to these East Asian shores. Perhaps hit by culture shock or in constant small squabbles with your coworkers? I’ve been here just about 3 years. That’s not too terribly long, compared to some of my Native English colleagues. But it’s a fair bit more than the frequent “1-year and done” friends I’ve made here. I’m not exactly an expert on Korea, but I think I’ve been here long enough to know a few crucial tips and tricks for navigating work life and culture. If you’re a new English teacher in Korea, or if you’ve been here for a while and still find yourself embroiled in problems, take a peek.

You’re in another country teaching! Enjoy it!

First… remember that you’re in a foreign country. You’re working abroad. How awesome is that? Very few people find themselves with this opportunity. I know my father’s generation could never hope to travel and earn such a decent wage. That luxury was saved for a special few. So treasure your time here. It’s

certainly not a luxury afforded to many. It’s really a unique experience. Don’t squander your time.

Work life gets hectic, roll with it Everyone experiences this.

The last minute schedule changes. The sudden requests for random paperwork. The surprise work dinners and never-ending overtime. Work life can get pretty hectic. That’s just the way it is. Not so dissimilar to Western culture, Korean work culture is fast-paced. I assumed I would have a fairly calm daily routine: receive all of my teaching material, a bit of prep, and calmly proceed from class to class. Nope.

A litany of last minute requests and deadlines muddled my days.

It can become pretty mentally taxing. I would’ve loved to roll into school, enter the classroom, and roll through curriculum. I couldn’t. Perhaps you can’t, either. But roll with it. If you think you’re busy, then your Korean co-workers are 10 times more so. If they forget to tell you about deadlines, it’s due to their own hectic work. I know you would expect a bit more structure and accountability in Western culture, but this isn’t the West.

If you calmly point out that you were hired to be an English teacher for 26 hours per week and you want to do nothing more than that, then you probably won’t convince your opponent of much.

But let everyone know it’s not 100% fine. Establish your expectations.

Just because you’re willing to be a team player, and acquiesce (just a teeny bit) to the expectations of your Korean co-workers, it doesn’t mean they can ride you into the ground. You are a native English teacher and you are here to teach. Let them know your expectations. That’s the most important aspect of any business relationship. Let them know which tasks you’re willing to do. But also let

them know which tasks you’re unwilling to do… and why. “No Mr. Kim, I can’t proofread documents for 4 hours on Friday night because I have to go to a private event.”

Boom… done.

Your contract isn’t a concrete agreement. You’ll have to do more.

I don’t mention this as a wholly negative criticism of the English teaching game in Korea. Based on the anecdotal experiences of my peers, your school will often ask (or demand) more than you’ve agreed to do. It might be something small. Perhaps an extra class here, or an adult 1-on-1 tutoring gig there… or even something as mundane as after-work parties (which are pretty much obligatory). If you refuse to do any of these, no matter how large or small, you risk insulting your coworkers. They believe in working for a common goal, and if you’re the one unwilling member of the community, then you’ll quickly become a pariah.

For some English teachers, being compelled to say “yes” sucks. It can be shocking.

It might feel downright dirty. When I first arrived here, I was contracted to work 20 or so teaching hours per week, with the remaining time devoted to office work and preparation. I

actually sometimes only ended up teaching 12 hours per week, but that was rare. Often, I wouldn’t teach for the entire week. Since my school reduced my active teaching hours, they deemed it fair to assign me a writing task. My principal wanted a beautiful, shimmering English conversation textbook that she could proudly display at her regional conferences. I was pissed. Why would you hire me to teach and then suddenly ask me to write a damn textbook? I just couldn’t figure out why my school would so drastically change the expectations they had laid out in the contract. But you know what… as dastardly as it seemed, I think I was in the wrong.

Suck it up. Do some of it to show you’re a team player Sometimes you just have to suck it up. Especially when it comes to tasks that exceed the scope of work you agreed to do in your teaching contract. Honestly, you’ll likely get more out of it than what you put in. Korean people are generous. They just want you to try to be a team player. If you can show those attributes, then they’ll happily share time, food, and gifts with you. Again, don’t be a workhorse.

If your colleagues dump countless hours of work on your desk and you meekly accept it, they won’t understand the toll it takes on you.

Let them know that these extra assignments take a toll on you - but be willing to do some of it. Just don’t forget to tell them that you have a limit.

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You’ll get fed up. You’ll have conflict. But don’t rely on logic You’ve tried using all problem solving skills to address any issues.

You’ve maxed out on your tact. You’ve had enough. Any issue might put you over the edge. Maybe your co-teacher isn’t pulling their weight in your class. Perhaps your principal or director has asked too much of you. “No, Mr. Kim. I cannot and will not teach an adult class… I’m supposed to teach children here.” For whatever reason, you won’t budge beyond what you’ve contractually promised to do.

It’s time for some good old-fashioned conflict resolution. But please, by all means, don’t rely entirely on logic. If you calmly point out that you were hired to be an English teacher for 26 hours per week and you want to do nothing more than that, then you probably won’t convince your opponent of much. They’ll think you’re a selfish Westerner who doesn’t want to pull their weight. You need to have more in your arsenal than just logical points and counterpoints.

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When you argue, tell Koreans the emotional toll an issue will take on you Korean folks are amazing in their ability to empathize. Perhaps we Westerners rely too much on logic to win any argument. Again, let’s assume that you’re arguing about working beyond your contracted terms. If you’re to just plainly point out, in logical fashion, that you’re contracted to work 26 hours per week, you probably won’t win the heart of your principal. I can almost guarantee what your director would be thinking “Well, I work extremely hard and extremely late. All the Korean teachers work extremely hard and extremely late. Why can’t you?” In the face of this type of rationale, you should reference the emotional toll that enduring more work would take. Explain what you expected when you started working here. Explain that you’re unhappy, stressed out, and overloaded with the increasing work that you’ve been inundated with. Help your director empathize with your position and I guarantee that he’ll be happier to help you out.

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The Grade 11 English B “Crying Ice” Poster Project

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

E d u c at i o n

The Grade 11 and Grade 4 Dwight School Seoul students talk about their English B project.

Story by The Grade 11 English B students (Zhuxian Min, Mai Takahashi, Alessandro Rapesta, Yuna Matsuo, Liloiu Delatte, Yazeed Alharby).Photos by Alessandro Rapesta, Grade 11

S

urely everyone acknowledges the issue of global warming, but have you ever taken any action to overcome this problem? Maybe you have, but maybe not everyone has had this opportunity. And this is why the organization “Crying Ice” was established by the Grade 11 students at Dwight School Seoul in order to take action. We didn’t want to just talk about the issue, we wanted to do something meaningful to combat global warming.

We are high school juniors studying in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and almost every member of our group comes from different countries, including Italy, Saudi Arabia, France, China and Japan. “We all have different perspectives on this issue, and that was something that we weren’t fully aware of” says Mai Takahashi, who hails from Kanagawa, Japan. As a part of our CAS (Creativity, Action and Service), we decided to run a campaign in which we collaborated with Grade 4 students to raise awareness about global warming in our school. Moreover, we really wanted to encourage students in this community to realize the importance of their individual actions, and learn that there is a big difference between understanding and actually taking action.

CAS is at the core of the International Baccalaureate Diploma, encouraging students to demonstrate engagement with different issues of global significance and to consider the ethics of choices of actions through collaboration.

“CAS has been really important for improving our personal skills, particularly in terms of creating our ideas regarding our role in the community. It’s also been really important for me in terms of expanding my imagination, because we can take an idea and we can turn it into something real” says Zhuxian Min, a student from Shenyang, China. The reason we chose the topic of global warming as the main focus of our project is that we realized that it is our current generation’s responsibility to acknowledge that some of our activities are harmful to the planet and that they will eventually undermine our habitat.

In order to raise awareness on the consequences of our actions on the Earth, we decided to promote our campaign “Crying Ice” by engaging with the school community using a number of methods, including posters, videos, and presentations, which were displayed or announced to all the students

in Dwight School Seoul through a number of exhibitions and on our morning announcement channel (Dwight has its own set of TV channels broadcast within the school campus).

To ensure our campaign was a success, we decided to get some more help, and so we asked the Grade 4 students to help us in our campaign by designing creative posters which would then be exhibited around the school.

Since the Grade 4 students had just studied their unit of inquiry on planets and the solar system, some were able to answer the questions we raised when we came to visit them.

For example, when we asked “What is global warming?” and “What can we do to help to reduce the harmful effects of global warming?”, hands shot up as they enthusiastically jumped to answer all at once. After our presentation, they worked in groups of two to four students to brainstorm ideas on what to include in their

E d u c at i o n Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

We didn’t want to just talk about the issue, we wanted to do something meaningful to combat global warming

audience a picture so people will know what [the world] will look like if global warming happens”, said Daniel Cho of Grade 4.

The Grade 4s actively demonstrated their creativity, which can be taken advantage of for the promotion of other issues to attract people’s attention and encourage their actions to resolve the problem. “This interaction between Grades 4 and 11 was so fruitful that both grades were able to demonstrate their distinct advantages,” said Grade 11’s Yuna Matsuo, a member of this project. Grade 4 students drew impressive posters that have been placed on the walls in school using their creativity and energetic curiosity while we Grade 11 students promoted our project with our academic skills in writing and sharing – not only in the classroom, but also within our community. website www.dwight.or.kr

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

utes to the increased emission of carbon dioxide, thus worsening global warming. Although we are familiar with the disadvantageous effects of cars, we do not stop using cars since we usually leave the solution to the other 7 billion people in the world. This tendency is human nature, but we recognized the importance of encouraging others to act now and care about our planet as well as simply raising awareness.

Additionally, doing the project with grade 4 students allowed us to realize that they have the ability to visualize what they think and want to say by using effective colours, balance and slogans much more than we do. “I also learned that when we make a poster, we don’t just put the words, but instead show the

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posters which could contribute to an increased awareness of global warming among students in the school. They effectively took advantage of their creativity to draw impressive posters in just one week. The Grade 4s showed us that we could enthusiastically raise awareness, with Jeremiah Oh affirming that it was “a fun experience to learn about what was going on around the world.” Although they wanted to raise awareness of global warming, they also focused on solutions, such as what we named the 4Rs: Repair, Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce. It was important to us that the 10-year-olds understood and demonstrated a deeper knowledge on this global issue, but it was more important that they were able to apply what they had learned and could convert it into meaningful action.

We were initially aware that many people know what global warming is and what we, as human beings, should do to mitigate it because global warming is such a significant global issue. Grade 4 students who we worked with knew well about global warming, as we had expected. In spite of the fact that many people in the world are aware of global warming regardless of their age, the phenomenon is not slowing down. This is because we tend to be irresponsible regarding individual actions that are actually harming the Earth. Some of the students said that too much use of private vehicles contrib-

The[Weekly[Schedule[

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

E d u c at i o n

Remembering the Daily Routine…

Story and Photos by Jessica Sundstrom

“H

ey Director Im, are you free?”

“Yes, what’s up?”

“We had a bit of a bad word incident today. I didn’t hear it, but apparently during English group work, two of my boys were saying ‘motherf**ker.’”

My director’s eyes widen in surprise while her lips pinch in the corners. I felt the same when I heard about it. We discuss what I need to do in order to address my students’ inappropriate behavior. I hope none of my students repeat the words at home. Welcome to Monday.

I’m one of three 3rd grade English teachers at a private elementary school in Seoul. I have 31 students and I get to teach them in groups of 15 (a half class) or the whole 31. I have a great group of students. They’re smart, funny, and filled with personality – charming, creative, and often rebellious. Teaching them in half classes is usually nice. We stress group work in the 3rd grade, and group work is best in a half class. It’s much easier to keep the attention of 15 than it is to keep the attention of 31. Any little thing can derail my kids from the lesson – a student interruption, a funny video we watch that they can’t get over, a class clown acting out. Whole classes often make me want to jump out of my second story window. Like I said, my students have a lot of personality, and they like to show it. Yet Mondays are usually pretty easy. Here’s an insight into my week.

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Mondays

On Mondays, I teach two half classes of science and one whole class of vocabulary. Many of my students are very science-oriented, and currently they’re learning about the different forms of energy.

They’ve enjoyed doing small experiments, creating origami that can move, and occasionally watching Ms. Frizzle whisk her kids away on The Magic School Bus. Vocabulary is usually pretty easy. We go over the homework, review pronunciation, and look at pictures that describe our new words.

A student raises his hand (please note that it is the 20th week of school).

“What does vocab mean?”

“It’s the shortened word for vocabulary.”

“But what does it mean?”

“Vocabulary means words and their definitions.”

“But… what does it mean?”

Did I mention it’s the 20th week of school? It’s definitely a Monday.

Teaching the 1st graders brings me back to my kindy days, and I like it, but man do I need that 40 minutes to just try and get my desk together.

Wednesdays

On Wednesdays, students use their vocabulary in a speaking class. They create skits, plays games, and answer questions. We really do play a lot of games in the 3rd grade. We like the students to work together and the teachers simply monitor and help out when needed. I’ve made a new classroom rule: One, Two, Three, Then Ask Me. There are usually four members per group, so if they have a question they need to ask each other first. I want them to at least try and work out their answers before relying on the teacher. Later in the day after their Korean art class, my students will come back to me for reading. We’re reading an informative non-fiction about a police dog, and the kiddos are enjoying it. On Wednesday, school ends a couple hours early and I joyfully send my students packing. The mountain growing on my desk isn’t going anywhere by itself.

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

On Tuesdays, I teach reading, grammar, and I also duck down to the 1st grade to teach phonics. Grammar can be challenging, but my students are pretty good at asking for help, and occasionally my kiddos think of a way to explain something approximately 10,000 times better than what I would have said. The grammar lessons are usually pretty interactive, and I happily teach the lessons in two half classes, back to back.

By 1:55pm, the work is piling up. My desk has been hit by a hurricane. Grading, lesson plans, materials for lessons, and confiscated items are everywhere and I lament my lack of organization while simultaneously telling my students their cubbies are too messy. I have to make homework questions and read my students’ diaries, but unfortunately it’s time for me to go down to the 1st grade to review short /u/. Teaching the 1st graders brings me back to my kindy days, and I like it, but man, do I need that 40 minutes to just try and get my desk together.

Before I go down to the 1st grade, I write what my students need to have prepared on their desks when I get back. I am often a couple minutes late to the last period on Tuesdays because it takes a while to settle the first graders when they are taught as a whole class. I always wonder what will greet me when I walk through my classroom door. Sometimes the students are ready, sitting in their groups with nothing on their desks but their pencil bags. Other times, they’re eating snacks, running around, screaming and playing games. The countdown begins the moment I walk in… “FIVE… FOUR… THREE… TWO… ONE…” All but the most rebellious or inattentive of my students are in their seats, sitting nicely, and hoping for some team points.

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Tuesdays

Thursdays

Thursdays are my busiest teaching day, but they’re also the days I enjoy being a teacher the most. I have four half classes and only one whole class. I usually try to save fun reading activities for Thursday so that I can help the students do a craftivity or a reading activity without feeling too frazzled. We also have writing on Thursdays, and for many of my kiddos, this is their favorite class – and most weeks, it’s my favorite, too. We’ve learned about paragraph writing, autobiographies, haikus, and idioms so far. The haikus and idioms were particularly fun. Writing is where I get to see the most of my students’ personalities. Each writing unit ends with a project and the students usually put a lot of effort into them. The final class on Thursdays rotates every week between author study and song. Song might be the class where I can relax the most and just watch them. They really like learning the English songs, and sometimes during Korean quiet work time I’ll hear a student singing “Try Everything” or “Happy” under his or her breath.

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Friday, finally. This day is easy. There are two half classes of math, where we focus not so much on teaching math itself but on the language of math. The last class of the week is called Flex Class, where we do whatever we need or want to do. I’ve used this class to do bullying role plays, and activities about the differences between reporting and tattletaling. Sometimes, when we have extra time, we watch fun videos or sing songs. The majority of this class, however, is dedicated to assigning the diary topic for the weekend, going over homework, and reducing that mountain of paperwork on my desk by giving back their assignments. I take my students down the hill, try to say goodbye to them all before they run away, bow to parents that are waiting, and make sure my students cross the street safely. I’ll see you Monday, kiddos.

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Fridays

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Navigating freshmen EFL classes in Korea Story by Kilgore Trout Photos by David Wellbaum

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

Higher Learning

E d u c at i o n

tion itself), on the other hand, motivation may drop for the opposite reason, that they have nothing really else to aim for having missed out on those name universities that have been ringing in their ears from the moment they could understand the proclamations their grandparents had made for them.

In addition to this, performance may drop because university teaching styles, especially those of overseas instructors, can be a million miles away in philosophy from the factbased grind that is the high school classroom.

The adjustment period may be quite long, and in some cases, adjustment may never happen at all. Finally, most departments have a minimum suneung score for admission, though this varies between the departments within a university. So what often happens is that

E d u c at i o n Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

many other variations in the standard freshman EFL program to be found: for instance, my university targets an English for academic purposes (EAP) program with an emphasis on practical skills that can be used to navigate English-mediated courses and future employment, others follow an English for specific purposes (ESP) track (i.e., business English for business majors, medical English for medicine majors...well, you get the picture) and still others can’t be torn away from the allure of aiding and abetting the TOEIC and TOEFL industry.

For all instructors, especially those looking to make the most of their experience, adaptability is key.

So how to describe the actual teaching of a class full of freshmen? Well, put simply: suneung casts a long shadow. The crushing pressure of the Korean university entrance exam has a number of academic and social ramifications for freshmen. At better universities, motivation may drop once the students reach college because they have already “made it,” surviving the drudgery of the suneung prep mill, and now it is time for a bit of an intellectual break. At “lower” universities (I use this term in a loose sense; it more refers to the perception of the students themselves with regards to the reputation of the university, rather than a comment on the quality of the educa-

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and that university teaching is universally an hen I first arrived in Korea educational paradise. It isn’t. But the good can a number of years ago to a be very, very good indeed. standard hagwon job with For those looking to join the university standard hagwon classes instructor fray, these days you pretty much and standard hagwon headaches, I quickly need a master’s in a related field, and past exfound there were three different groups of perience has become a huge factor in being hagwon teachers. The first group were in it for hired for the better positions (which pretty the year and then determined to leave Korea much means universities with a higher name in the rear-view mirror, the second group were value, though that won’t necessarily guaranthose who had married and had let Korea tee a pleasant working environment). This lowly wind itself around them like a cocoon, means some of the less reputable places, or and the third were those with a plan to seek universities out in the middle of the countryout the holy grail: a university job. side, become the only viable starting point for At first, I was firmly in the first group; that many new to the field because these places is, until the end of my first, supposedly last, will often hire instructors with an MA but no year rolled around, and I found I wasn’t ready teaching experience or sometimes, though it to go back. But I knew that I had no ability, is much rarer these days, teachers with only desire, or patience to teach young children a bachelor’s. But I personally know a number again, so I took a shot in the dark and applied of excellent teachers who started out in crappy to be an English instructor at a two-year colpositions and showed the effort lege in Gyeonggido, just south and commitment to the job necof Seoul, because...why not? I Let’s get the essary to be able to work their had heard enough from those obvious out of way towards whatever their plotting to do their time, get an the way first: end goals were. But I’ll leave the MA done online, and then fend conditions pep talks to someone else. off the job offers to know that I vary greatly There is no standardized was destined for low working across Korea in freshman EFL curriculum that hours, well-behaved students, terms of the job all universities have to follow, and months of paid vacation. specifications and nor are there many useful genAnd I already had a master's! the administration Sure, it was in a totally unrelatyou will work ed field (ecology), and I had zero with. experience in teaching that age group, and I wasn’t even sure I was that good at teaching in the first place. But I had a suit and a nice haircut. It was worth a shot. Now, eight years later, I’m still working at the tertiary level in Korea, and it is now what I “do.” And I know there are a lot of teachers out there who would like to join the ranks of university instructor. (I hesitate to use the term “professor,” though that is often what our official titles are, because to me that title denotes something different to what most of us are actually asked to do.) So what is the reality like?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: eralizations to be made about the English level conditions vary greatly across Korea in terms of incoming freshmen, which can vary greatof the job specifications and the administraly by university and major. Many instructors tion you will work with. A quick glance at the tend to find, however, that Korean students Foreign Professors and University English are relatively good at reading and listening Teachers in Korea Facebook group is enough (carry-overs from suneung and the obsession to illustrate the fact that university positions with TOEIC and TOEFL scores as a measure run the gauntlet from rewarding (featuring: of English ability) but are weaker at speaking interesting courses to teach, professional freeand writing, with the former compounded dom, professional development, supportive by a culturally fortified reticence to speak up administration) to foot-in-the-door, suck-it-up in class, whether it be to avoid personal emstepping stone (featuring: none of the above). barrassment over a perceived lack of skill or I’ve been lucky enough to have only worked an unwillingness to stand out in a peer group at two different universities in my time here; they are still getting to know. This is why the second (and current) one in particular many universities are happy enough to limit is very definitely near the top of the scale in the freshman program to conversation classes terms of working conditions and especially in and asking instructors to teach out of a generadministrative support and communication. ic conversation textbook. Happily, there are However, I won’t pretend that this is the norm

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016 36

a student will select the university they want to go to (often based on name value) and then choose their major based on what department will accept their suneung score, rather than what they are actually interested in. So there will often be a few students in your classes who are in the middle of realizing that the major that they have chosen is not really anything they are interested in, which does little to ignite the academic fires within. However, that said, in my experience, the vast majority of students are like any student anywhere around the world; there to learn. Then it is up to you to actually provide something worth learning.

But the most significant effect of suneung is one that is not academically related at all.

The pursuit of a high suneung score is necessarily accompanied by numerous restrictions on any kind of social life for most Korean high school kids, with high school administration and parents working together to squeeze every little last drop of time and effort from brains that have been stuffed with facts. This leads to a high school life for many (but not all, it must be stressed) devoid of the typical social experiences we remember from when we were growing up, such as playing in sports teams, hanging out after school with mates, experimenting with alcohol, navigating the minefield of having a relationship, and so on.

It is then hardly a surprise that, after entering university and all of that external pressure has been lifted, freshmen students are determined to make up for lost time on the social front. Entrance ceremonies, cheering competitions, “membership training” (an excuse for a class or a club to book out a room somewhere and drink all night), club recruitment days, school festivals, other schools’ festivals, lunchtime drinking with seniors… the list goes on. Most freshmen dive right in and make it their utmost priority to become the social butterflies they were meant to be, facilitated by the hierarchy system where seniors act almost as spiritual advisors (emphasis on

er than they deserve. Why would anyone do “spirit,” usually soju) in terms of how to best this? Well, this brings us to the spectre of unicram the day, week, and semester with events versity evaluations, which often play a huge and parties and drinking and “meetings.” This, role in whether an instructor gets re-contractof course, is not exactly conducive to academic ed or not (most universities offer 1-year conexcellence, and it is not uncommon for freshtracts to non-tenure track EFL instructors, men to arrive to class short of sleep, short of though there are some that offer 2 years). Now, homework, short of any semblance of cognithe student evaluations are generally centred tive processing. It also, in my opinion, makes around questions related to the course: organiKorean freshmen seem a lot less mature than zation, preparation, materials, instruction. But your typical freshman from Western counthe reality is, a number of students will not retries. But considering that they are finally ally look at the content of each question, but getting a chance to live the life of a teenager, will rather score you on just one maybe this isn’t so surprising. question each time: Did I like How an instructor deals this person? Now, the majority with the negative classroom For all of students will not do this, and consequences of the pursuit of instructors, in fact I find evaluations to be sociability often provides a very especially those very informative, especially the interesting insight into both their looking to make comments that are left behind, educational philosophy and their the most of but there will also be enough sense of self. Some instructors their experience, students who do score on popoverreact, taking anything less adaptability is ularity to have an effect on the than 100% enthusiasm for every key. overall average. And at some class as a sign that the students universities, you may not be are treating English as a joke, or rehired if your evaluation score that they don’t respect foreign falls below a certain minimum. The natural teachers, or that they are destined to be lifeconsequence of this is thus: if you want job long failures. This is, of course, pretty much security, you find ways to make the students nonsense; get to know your class to even a like you. And if you have a class that is not small extent and you will quickly realise that interested in studying? The temptation is althe typical freshman approach to the manways there. datory English class is very similar to their Personally though, I have found that being approach to pretty much all of their classes. firm and fair, being organized, and explaining Hangovers do not discriminate. Yes, apathy the reason behind everything we study, outto English is a thing, given their experience lining exactly how things will be graded, and as English students up to that point, but that providing a lot of feedback are the key factors is our job, pretty much: to show them that to get a class on your side. Being personable English does not have to be an obstacle to surhelps, of course, and a few jokes here and there mount in the pursuit of a number on an official are always welcome. (They don’t even have to piece of paper, but rather a useful skill and an be funny jokes. You get credit for trying.) But interesting subject that can have a multitude this has been something that I have slowly deof benefits in the future. veloped over the years, and as such, teaching Other instructors may go too far in the opat university is like anything else in this world. posite direction, indulging their students’ lazy Pay attention, have an open mind, be flexible, side and letting them get away with the bare and learn by doing. minimum before giving them grades high-

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

E d u c at i o n

Regional Conferencing Getting ahead with the five Ps.

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

E d u c at i o n

Story and Photos by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring

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or many, coming over to live and work in a new country begins as a year's experience. In Korea, that option (more often than not) begins in the classroom. Teaching students at kindergarten, elementary, all the way up to university is available all around the country.

Before you know it, however, five years, ten years have flown by. And it's time to start thinking more seriously about what you have been doing. And how you can make this your profession. Your career.

The first step is to identify what you have been doing in the classroom. The speaking game where the students pretend to be somebody else (role play), the task where the students write down things that you say (running dictation), the listening where the students tell you what they just heard (speed summaries) or the reading where the students have to write notes down the side of the text in front of them (annotations). It's all been done before, and it probably has a name or a theory behind it.

Reading about these techniques is a sure way to educate yourself on what you have actually been doing all these years. However, shorter recognised qualifications are also available for both experienced and inexperi-

enced teachers. Short courses can range from weekend online TEFL courses to the fourweek Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Certificate in TESOL, which are really the only two starter certificates that are recognised in the TESOL field when applying for decent jobs.

After that comes the larger commitment of the Cambridge DELTA or Trinity Diploma in TESOL - far more in-depth courses that cover a wide range of teaching approaches and methodology. Find yourself interested in what is uncovered here, and a master’s in TESOL is the next step, one that can almost guarantee a university job in Korea (once post-certificate experience has been gained).

As your level of qualifications improve, so do the opportunities.

By the master’s stage, there's a lot of action research taking place, possibly in your own classroom.

For some, doing empirical research of any kind is a terrifying experience when a write-up and a grade is involved. For others, it's another opportunity for sharing and to show what you have become good at. And it may just be time to present at a conference.

EFL conferences take place all around the world, with many countries establishing their own TESOL organisations. Regional organisations, including KOTESOL, JALT, and

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Do you want to show what you have become good at?

Then it may be time to present at a conference.

CamTESOL run established teaching conferences every year in different parts of their respective countries. The procedure is simple, and with the right submission, conference selection and material, you could be on the conference ladder by the end of the year. Here's five useful tips for conferencing.

The Proposal Research is key to a successful proposal.

First, look around. Which organizations are holding conferences in your region soon? Bear in mind that if you want to present at a conference, you should be checking these dates a good six to nine months ahead, even more in some cases. Conference programs are organized way in advance, especially as travel and accommodation may need to be arranged.

Then check the theme. There is no point submitting a presentation topic on student behavior if the theme is contemporary materials. Check the suitability of your paper before submitting a proposal. You can also decide what type of talk you are going to give. Most conferences seek research-oriented presentations, poster presentations, workshops,

So you've heard back and your proposal has been selected. Well done! Now it's time to put that idea into presentation form. Dependent on the type of presentation that was selected, plan and create your materials to showcase that idea. Poster presentations should have a clear image, not be cluttered and be engaging. Research sessions should clearly outline the research that was conducted, including the context, instruments, findings and discussion points - remember, your audience does not know your teaching situation. For workshops, make them as practical as possible. Attendees are expecting to get involved so don't hold back.

So now you have your idea and your plan, consider which slides you need to make to communicate

E d u c at i o n www.groovekorea.com September 2016

For workshops, make them as practical as possible. Attendees are expecting to get involved so don't hold back.

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The PPT

your thoughts the best. Whether if you spend only an hour there KOTESOL Prezzie or PowerPoint, use slides on the first day, get your pass when October 15 October 16, 2016 which are clear and simple. And and explore the site. Look for where Sookmyung ensure that every slide means your room and if possible, watch Women’s University, Seoul, something. There's no need to a presentation there. It will help South Korea have cute and ornate images for you get a feel for the room and website koreatesol.org/ the sake of it. Also, remember also think about the setup, the IC2016 to use a maximum of one slide computer, the acoustics. KnowJALT per minute. Even this may be ing your venue can help reduce when November 25 too much. The fewer slides you the nerves during your own November 28, 2016 have, the more attentive your presentation. where Aichi Industry audience will be in listening to If you only have a day pass, and Labor Center, what you have to say. register as early as possible and Nagoya, Japan Once the slides are made, do the same in exploring your website jalt.org/ conference take a look at the proposal again. room. Speak to the room assisAre all the points mentioned in tant and see if you can get tech Hong Kong the abstract included in the preshelp or add your files to the CAES Faces 2 entation? As there are several room's computer early or during when June 1 sessions on at the same time as a break. Many talks only have a June 3, 2017 yours, attendees will be choosten-minute turnaround between where University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong ing what to see based on your them, so it's a great idea to have website caes.hku.hk/ abstract text. Ensure that you deeverything in place a whole lot facesofenglish2/ liver and include those points as earlier. those who are interested in your Lastly, but most importantly, topic will be there - and this is where those prerelax. Watch a few of the other talks but if poscious networking opportunities come from. sible, keep the session before your own free.

Use this to have one last look through your notes and slides, be focused and think about The Practice what you are going to say. Bring your own The nuts and bolts have been ironed out handouts and materials and make your own but now the presentation needs to be checked copies before you get to the venue. If they have - and timed. The first practice can be done photocopy facilities, which not every venue on your own. Find an office, a classroom, or has, it can be manic on conference days. Have even your own apartment and let it out. Run a final check through any handouts or materithrough your notes, check through your PPT als and get those business cards at the ready. and ensure that you are hitting all the buzIt's show time. zwords and meanings. Does it make sense? Is it coherent enough? You are your own teacher now. Keep an eye on The Presentation the time and if you have a handy The last presentation has just finished copy of your PPT slides there, and the frantic scramble to get between classmake a quick note of the time you rooms for the audience to watch their next should be starting a particular chosen topic has begun. Ignore all of this. Go section. This can be a useful for up to your own computer, set up the files, set script notes or time markers prior up the screen and your pointer (if you have to the actual presentation. one). Make sure your script is in place and enOnce you are happy with sure that a bottle of water is within grabbing your own run through, round up distance (in case that coughing fit decides to a few colleagues and/or friends and conduct start up again). a mock conference. This provides a real-time The room assistant will give a clear indicarun through and the advice and feedback that tion of when it’s time to start and there will be your “audience” can offer will prove invaluamany clocks around the room to ensure you ble on the actual day. Although it may feel a finish when you are supposed to. Make sure little strange at first, it's a good idea to practice that you announce that questions will be dealt with those you know, to build confidence in with at the end and then begin. Remember, both your material and your presentation of it. you have practiced this so many times: you Practice really does make perfect. know it - just go with the flow and share the information you know so well with the others that have chosen to be there, to find out about The Preparation your ideas. Your presentation.

Although you have already prepared for At the end have a final slide with your the conference with your script points, PPT contact email and allow five minutes for quesslides and mock practices, the true prepations. And as the last person leaves the room, ration is conducted on the actual day of the take a deep breath and exhale. You did it. Welconference. If you are attending the whole come to the conference ladder. conference, register as early as possible. Even

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

forums, or meetings. Do your conference research and select the best format for you.

The proposal itself is quite straightforward and is either an online or email application.

The structure varies from conference to conference, but generally speaking, you'd be expected to write a 200- to 500-word synopsis and a 100 to 200-word abstract outlining your idea. The proposal is key to being noticed. Remember, in some cases, submissions amount to four times the number of slots available, so competition is tough. Make your idea stand out from the rest. Explain it simply and in an interesting manner. And most importantly, show how the idea can practically help educators and students.

A short biography written in the third person is also mandatory and should be between 50-100 words detailing a very brief resume of your current position, research achievements and interest areas. Ensure you check the cost of the conference (yes, even presenters have to pay) and that you are free for most of the conference (some offer a “blackout” day that you can choose as one of the days not to present). It is also important to double check the text you have written for typos and word count as the proposal will not even be considered if these simple criteria are not met.

If you have all the necessary documents and the text is ready, complete the online form or write the accompanying email. Then it's time to press send. Most organizers take up to three months after the submission deadline to reply, so be patient: the administration team will let you know if you have been successful or not.

Experience the diversity of Korean heritage this September Story by Simon McEnteggart Photos by HanCinema

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

ENTERTAINMENT

Three by Korean History

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istory and culture are the focus of September’s big three cinematic releases, with each film examining diverse elements of Korea’s heritage. The big film of the month is undoubtedly espionage-thriller Age of Shadows, which is director Kim Jee-woon’s return to the big screen, while The Map Maker is a period road movie of sorts depicting the creation of the peninsula’s first map, and documentary Breathing Underwater presents the lives of Jeju Island’s famous haenyeo female divers. Multiplexes will be offering plenty of entertainment this month as the country gears up for the Busan International Film Festival in October.

During the Japanese occupation of Korea in the late 1920s, the colonists task a Korean police officer to uncover the freedom fighters known as The Righteous Brotherhood. While he investigates, however, the leader of the Brotherhood is also conducting surveillance of his own. As information is leaked from both sides, the two men find themselves racing to Shanghai for a shipment of explosives that could tip the balance of power in the region. Age of Shadows is a landmark in Korean cinema as the first film financed and distributed by Warner Bros. It’s no surprise that Hollywood is making inroads into the K-film industry given how strong it is, and combined

Did you know? Age of Shadows is the fourth collaboration between Kim Jee-won and superstar Song Kang-ho, which began with the director’s debut film The Quiet Family (1998), followed by The Foul King (2000) and The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008).

The Map Maker Release date September Directed by Kang Woo-suk Starring Cha Seung-won, Yoo Joon-sang, Kim In-kwon Distributed by CJ Entertainment

When an incorrect map of the region leads to a man’s untimely death, his son Kim Jeong-ho dedicates his life to traveling the peninsula with one goal in mind - to create the first accurate map of the nation. Yet with the country in turmoil, it may be easier said than done. Set during the Joseon Dynasty, The Map Maker is based on Park Bum-Shin’s 2009 novel, which in itself is an interpretation of historical figure Kim Jeong-ho’s life and achievements. The film dramatizes Kim’s

ENTERTAINMENT

Release date September Directed by Kim Jee-won Starring Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-min Distributed by Warner Bros.

with director Kim Jee-woon, who previously worked in America with Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Last Stand, Age of Shadows looks set to be the first of many international collaborations.

The spy thriller also features a stellar cast, with A-lister Song Kang-ho (Snowpiercer), Gong Yoo (Train to Busan), and Han Ji-min (The Fatal Encounter) all starring.

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

Age of Shadows

journey across the country as he charts the region and forges wooden printing blocks to make the biggest and most reliable map constructed at the time.

Did you know? The Map Maker is director Kang Woo-suk’s 20th film, having previously helmed classics such as Public Enemy (2002), Silmido (2003), and Moss (2010).

Breathing Underwater

Did you know? Breathing Underwater premiered at the Jeonju Independent Film Festival earlier this year, where it won the Special Mention Award as well as the CGV Arthouse Award for Distribution Support.

Film fans - remember to check The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) website regularly for updates on English subtitled screenings of Korean films occurring in Seoul. www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/schedule/subtitMovie.jsp

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Documentary Breathing Underwater explores the lives of Jeju Island’s famous haenyeo (female divers) who swim up to 20 m below the surface without using an oxygen tank in order to collect seafood from the ocean depths. Director Go Hee-yeong spent years documenting the lives of these incredible women, culminating in this celebration

of their achievements. Breathing Underwater is a fascinating and beautifully shot documentary. Director Go explores the lifestyle of the ladies who still brave the elements and risk death as they search for abalone, shellfish and more under the waves, while adhering to the strict hierarchy and rules set forth by their ancestors.

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Release date September Directed by Go Hee-yeong Starring Jeju Island Female Divers Distributed by TBC

ENTERTAINMENT Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

A festival for musicians

Zandari Festa helps bands and the music business connect globally

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Story by Emma Kalka Photos Zandari Festa

This year, the Zandari Festa theme is “Respect.” How can we [build] respect between the audience and musicians?

And the musicians and company people? We need to respect each other more.

- Dalse, founder

“At Zandari, culture is more important. So we increase the relationships and the talking between countries. I think it’s the most important situation, because when they make some relationship and then talk, they can do it themselves,” he says.

This opportunity is something that Tokyo folk duo Nature Airliner appreciated when they came to Zandari Festa last year.

“We got to meet a lot of great people and we were really impressed with the warm spirit and deep kindness of most Korean people, so we are looking forward to meeting even more Korean people, as well as building on the

Website www.zfesta.com/en/ Facebook www.facebook.com/zandarifesta

ENTERTAINMENT Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

friendships we have already started,” says guitarist Laurier Tiernan.

Little E from Korean electronic duo EE, who are performing in the festival for the first time, says they are hoping to discover other cool acts at this year’s event and take advantage of the networking opportunities.

“There are so many festivals nowadays, but Zandari is different. This festival gives lots of support to great new artists and tries to introduce them to the global market. I think this is amazing!” Little E says.

For Estonian band I Wear* Experiment, also playing in Zandari for the first time, while they are on the lookout for collaborations, they are also looking forward to meeting the Korean audience.

“Our experience has shown us that the further south we travel and give our concerts, the crazier the crowd gets in front of the stage. As we come from the very north of Europe, then we hope our experience will not fail us this time and the audience will put on their dancing shoes and it will be a very intense concert,” says keyboardist and guitarist Hando Jaksi.

But for many Korean bands, Zandari is an integral part of the indie scene here in Korea.

“Zandari Festa is a true representative of Hongdae. It’s the only indie festival in town that receives a lot of love,” says guitarist-vocalist Park Junhyung from psychedelic rock band Julia Dream.

For vocalist Kim Naehyun from Rock N’ Roll Radio, it is impossible to separate Zandari from the indie scene, saying, “I think that [Zandari] shows the creativity and self-sustaining power of the indie scene. Personally, I firmly believe that as Zandari grows more, it is the gateway to success for new bands or the turning point in the careers of older musicians.”

Zandari Festa runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 in around 10 venues in Hongdae, stretching from Sangsang Madang to Veloso to Gogos2. Performances will run from 5pm to 10pm all four days of the festival.

One-day tickets are 30,000 won and twoday tickets are 50,000 won.

Special VIP passes are available for 100,000 won and come with access to all showcases, including the special British and French showcase nights, opening and closing parties, music conferences and free Zandari merchandise. Tickets are available on Interpark.

The full line-up and detailed schedule for the showcases will be posted on the Zandari Festa website and Facebook page by the end of September.

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

too difficult for the audience – which reached about 3,000 last year – and delegates to catch most of the performances.

And despite so many music companies being present, Dalse says the festival is not about business, but rather creating the opportunity to build relationships and giving bands the chance to do that themselves rather than relying on others.

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ost music festivals focus on bringing in the biggest acts from around the world to attract more spectators.

However, local fest Zandari Festa, now in its fifth edition, places its focus on the musicians and how it can help them.

Zandari Festa is part indie showcase, part music conference with bands and industry folk from around the world. The goal, according to founder Dalse, is to help Korean bands go overseas and to help overseas bands come to Korea. In the process, local audiences are treated to a wide variety of bands and artists spread out over four days of performances in venues throughout Hongdae.

“Zandari Festa is especially for the musician, not for the audience. So we will make [conferences about] how can we support the musicians,” he said. “How can [Korean musicians] go overseas? And then, how can [overseas musicians] settle in Korea? We want to talk about many situations.

“This year, the Zandari Festa theme is ‘Respect.’ How can we [build] respect between the audience and musicians? And the musicians and company people? We need to respect each other more.”

The festival started in 2012 as a way to help Korean indie bands network overseas.

Dalse says at the time he needed to build relationships between bands here and music professionals abroad to help introduce foreign audiences to Korean bands. In 2010, he initially tried to take Korean bands overseas, but the endeavor was much too expensive. From there, the idea for Zandari Festa was born: An event that would bring together foreign and Korean bands and music professionals to provide the opportunity to expand globally.

And the idea has grown. Dalse says this year there are 150 bands playing in the festival, which runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

Of these, 100 were picked from Korea and 50 from overseas. Also, the French and UK governments have created special stages and are sponsoring five bands from France and six to eight from the U.K. as well as sending a delegation. In addition to the European countries, delegates from Chile, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries will be present.

“This is not just for the Korean music companies and Korean bands. We want to make relationships with other countries in Asia. So we will try [to bring] more Asian delegates and other partner countries,” Dalse explains.

Another difference this year is the number of bands. Past festivals have grown until there were well over 200 bands playing. Dalse admits that having that many bands made it

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

ENTERTAINMENT

f o d n e k a wee

d n a r u o m a l G , z t i l G e l c a t c Spe

Whitelies Burlesque Revue puts on the first-ever burlesque festival in Korea Story by Emma Kalka Photos by Robert Michael Evans, K I Photography

ENTERTAINMENT Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

Everybody wants to feel special.

And I can promise that this is a great opportunity for that. You don’t have to be a certain age.

You don’t have to be a certain race or body type or gender.

And I think in a conservative society, that’s really important to be able to have that.

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

It’s also about showing body positivity and mances by Nell Fox, Dahlia Doll, Flowerthat anyone willing to put in the work is bomb, Vita Mikju, Phoenix Envy, Sacre Bleu welcome in burlesque, no matter where their and Velveteen. talent lies.

Of course with any event of this size, “Everybody wants to feel special. And I there are sure to be hiccups. Nell admits that can promise that this is a great opportunity money and overall organizing have been diffor that. You don’t have to be a certain age. ficult, as well as pricing the tickets. While she You don’t have to be a certain race or body hopes to keep them affordable so that more type or gender. And I think in a conservative people will come to both nights and take part society, that’s really important to be able to in the workshops, they also need to cover the have that,” she says. Whitelies bare basics. has performers of all sizes and After that, managing the varying races and nationalities performers and deciding who performing in the festival. They gets a solo, who will be in the even have two men. group act and so on is also chalThe Whitelies Asia Burlenging. The set list for a normal lesque Festival Korea will take show is hard enough, Nell place on September 23 and 24 said, but multiplying by 20 and at Freebird in Hongdae. Doors adding in a small dressing room open at 9pm and the shows will makes things extra tricky. start at 10pm with a 30-minute She added that at least with intermission. the members of Whitelies, they Tickets are KRW 15,000 are implementing the principles per show in advance and KRW of Burning Man, not just for the 20,000 at the door. Workshops festival, but also in how they are KRW 15,000 each or KRW run the group in general.

10,000 if you have purchased “I really want to go back a ticket. The group also has to humble roots. It’s not about three special bundles available. me-me-me. It’s about gifting.

The Bountiful Bundle is KRW It’s about decommodification.

50,000 and comes with a twoIt’s about immediacy… It’s day pass to the performances, about radical inclusion, radical entry to three workshops, and self-expression,” she says - Nell Fox, co-founder of a signed poster and postcards earnestly. Though, for the sake of building the community, Nell Whitelies Burlesque Revue from the performers. The Burly Q Bundle is KRW 40,000 and says that other groups such as comes with a two-day pass, entry to two Seoul Players – who have helped promote workshops, and a signed poster and postcards Whitelies shows in the past – will be invited from the performers. The Bitty Bundle is to promote themselves during the festival.

KRW 30,000 and includes a two-day pass, “The point is, we’re trying to create a entry to two workshops, and a signed poster. community that’s supportive... It’s not about Advanced tickets are available from Auyou. Yes, you are wonderful, you are part of gust 28 to September 12 at Bedrock. There will why this is happening. But you are part of a also be online purchase options. For more whole,” she says. information on this and on the workshops, Besides building community, the imporcheck out the Whitelies Facebook page or tance of a burlesque event of this size is website at www.whitelies.me more than just simply entertaining the audience.

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he glamour. The poise. The sultry singing. The glitter. A flash of skin here. A bit of leg there. Performers on stage giving just a little bit at a time, teasing the audience.

For years, Seoul has been treated to such performances by local burlesque troupe Whitelies Burlesque Revue, and this September local crowds will have the opportunity to experience a true spectacle – Seoul’s first-ever burlesque festival.

Whitelies co-founder and leader Nell Fox has spent the past few months preparing the festival, inviting acts from Japan and China.

It’s an endeavor that she had wanted to do ever since she was invited to a festival in Osaka three years ago, however it wasn’t until recently that she thought it was even possible.

“It was just really cool. There were so many different people and I was like, wow, you know, I wish I could do something like that, but nah. We just got four performers at Whitelies… I could never afford to fly in all these performers,” she says.

However, since the troupe has settled at Bedrock in Haebangcheon – something Nell calls the “best f**king thing that could have ever happened” - and started doing more regular shows, their audience has grown, with several shows this year selling out. More performers have joined the troupe. And the group has had a helping hand from other expat groups in the community, such as Seoul Players.

“We have a lot of support… And with that kind of support, something on that scale is totally possible,” she says.

With this new resolve, the Whitelies Asia Burlesque Festival Korea was born. Nell explained that the logic behind the long name is the future. Hopefully over time the festival will spread and there could be a Whitelies Burlesque Festival Beijing or a Whitelies Burlesque Festival Singapore. The festival in Seoul could just be the start.

“Long-term projecting, praying, fingers crossed, maybe, wishing upon a star, and you know, pushing Pinocchio in the ocean for the whale to eat or something… maybe this will come true,” she says while laughing. “The point is to try and create a community.”

But what can folks expect from this first festival? Two nights of 20 acts by 12 performers, with each night different from the other.

Plus six workshops on the ins-and-outs of burlesque.

Three performers are flying in from Japan: Strawberry Cherie, who is a former member of Whitelies; Rita Goldie and Pachiko Kouno; and a professional burlesque performer originally from Russia but based in China, Leroux Swings, and her partner Yang Yang. From Whitelies, there will be perfor-

Becoming

An Art Student Again Story by Seolhui Lee Photos by Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale Foundation, Artist Sojung Jun, and Seolhui Lee

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

ENTERTAINMENT

Leaving the city for some hands-on art curator training in Gwangju.

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very other year, South Korea’s most recognized and celebrated art biennale takes place in Gwangju, a city with a strong connection to modern South Korean democracy as demonstrated by its 1980 uprising. As all art is a mirror which reflects important issues in society and history through visualization, Gwangju is a very appropriate choice as a location for a large-scale art exhibition, and the Gwangju Biennale was founded there in 1995 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. But while this liberation embodies and connects all Koreans to the bi-yearly event, the people and spirit of Gwangju’s Democratization Movement play the most prominent role in the meaning behind the biennale.

But as with any piece of art or art exhibition, beauty or meaning is often in the eye of

the beholder, and there are many ways to appreciate and curate artistic works and events. While most appreciators of art are amateurs, some train as students and/or draw from experiences at museums, galleries or conferences where art projects are being shown, sometimes with the added benefit of being able to participate in a course or have time to pick the brain of more well-trained experts. But for art specialists, museums and art organizations often hold special art programs to enhance the ideas and learning of the next generation of art curators and other experts through training and sharing of different opinions. In Gwangju, one such program was designed by the Gwangju Biennale Foundation for young and ambitious curators who demonstrate a strong aptitude for organizing exhibitions. For such participants who apply and are selected, the Gwangju Biennale International Curator Course (GBICC) provides

them with a month-long opportunity to learn about art with a particular focus on the South Korean art scene.

GBICC began in 2009 as a way for up-andcoming curators and art practitioners to gain knowledge and experience for organizing exhibitions. The course provides participants (21 this year) with a month of intensive training in specialized knowledge of contemporary art and hands-on experience in sharpening their curatorial skills. Guest lecturers share their art field knowledge with participants through lectures and discussion sessions whose topics are often are linked to the ongoing preparation for the upcoming Gwangju Biennale.

Each year, Gwangju Biennale curators and the director serve as faculty members for the GBICC participants, allowing them

ENTERTAINMENT

contemporary art discourse and how that could be used here in Gwangju to communicate with visitors and locals as well as to make programs with non-profit organizations for the benefit of the community. As I write this, my fellow GBICC participants and I are now looking forward to upcoming guest lectures by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) director Bartomeu Mari, e-flux art magazine editor Brian Kuan Wood, Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) art center curator Sofia Hernandez Chong Cuy, and countless others. And of course, we’re all eager for our scheduled field trip to museums and alternative spaces in Seoul which will provide us with a rather different atmosphere than what we’re used to here in Gwangju.

With such a busy month-long schedule, the actual opening of the Gwangju Biennale on September 2 seems rather distant in all of our minds. Running for two months until November 6, adult tickets are just KRW 14,000.

For more information on everything related to South Korea’s most famous biennale, visit www.gwangjubiennale.org.

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

behind-the-scenes access to biennale prepa- Art Do?) in an effort rations and discussions about the critical is- to question art’s active relationship with sues facing today’s visual culture. Alongside the future through group studies, workshops and other special its projective and activities, art site and artist studio field trips imaginative qualities. help heighten the participants’ collaborative During the first day studies and research. All of this is designed to of the GBICC, Lind allow them to widen their network of contemhighlighted an art porary art practitioners as they become more piece that embodies knowledgeable members of the international this questioning title art organizing community. In addition, the by Sojung Jun, a Korean artist who four years participants will remain in contact as they go ago produced a series of short videos. In Jun’s their separate ways, continuing to collaborate The Habit of Art (2012), the curator showed us and share ideas as they lay the foundation of several brief but intense reflectheir future careers. tions of “what art does” - inverse Personally, it is really quite This year’s images of nearby surroundings an honor for me to participate exhibition is titled seen on a glass sphere being held in the GBICC this year. I was The Eighth Climate in someone’s hand; a slowly built selected as one of the curators (What Does Art Do?) tower of matches finishing and from around the world, and in an effort to then falling over; a morphing am now currently attending question art’s lectures with 20 other young active relationship reflection of the moon displayed with the future on water until its liquid surface is professionals from 16 different through its broken, etc. countries. We all met for the projective and During the first several days first time on August 8 and will imaginative of the Gwangju Biennale Incontinue meeting daily until qualities ternational Curator Course, my the end of the program on Sepfellow participants and I then tember 3. We had never met visited several different sites around the city, each other before this course started, but I such as the studio of Gwangju Biennale artknow once we finish, we will remain connectists Seola Kim and Inseon Park, the Biennale ed for the rest of our lives. hall, the May 18 Gwangju Uprising archiving Maria Lind, a curator, art critic and director center, the Gwangju Museum of Art, and the of the Stockholm-based non-profit museum Gwangju Folk Museum. During all this, Maria Tensta Konsthall, is the current artistic direcLind spoke in-depth with us about her focus tor of the Gwangju Biennale. This year’s exhion using the local community to create new bition is titled The Eighth Climate (What Does

In a Mock

Funeral

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

ENTERTAINMENT

When Dying can Lead to a Better Life Story by Ali Saleh Photos Beautiful Life

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've now seen the paper tombstones.

The written wills. The coffins and chants of mourning. The photos of those who chose to “end” their lives with the hopes of beginning a new or clearer one. I've now seen and heard the argument that in order to live a happy life, we must first die a happy death.

It's no surprise that this relatively new practice, often referred to as a mock funeral or fake funeral, is trending in South Korea. The economic boom that took Korea from one of the most impoverished countries in the world to one of the most global and affluent ones didn't come without its repercussions. With its long working hours, high alcohol consumption, and a culture that revolves around—if not obsesses about—academic success, Korea is also home to one of the highest suicide rates in the OECD. When I ask Kim Gi-ho, program director and owner of Beautiful Life death experience, why South Koreans have become so drawn to the mock funeral, he says, “Unlike Westerners, Koreans are most concerned with their families and how they're viewed by their peers. In the West, people are more individualistic and can enjoy more personal freedoms. This puts

a lot of pressure on Koreans to live up to their surrounding expectations.”

Kim, a PhD in Palliative Care, started the Beautiful Life program in 2002. He operates in a Buddhist temple in the south end of Gangnam. It's small and simple and sports a large, golden Buddha engulfed by a forest behind the temple.

“When we are mindful of death,” Kim says, “it takes us to a higher point. When we have one day to live, life is very short. Time slows down. We see our lives from a greater vantage point and this allows us to discern what is important and what is not.”

Kim stands before seven death-goers, mostly in their twenties and thirties, and asks them to think about what is most important to them. They have their pens and papers under their paper tombstone and photographs standing upright on their desks. One of the memorial quotes reads, “It was fun.”

During the break, Kim explained that the process started a week before their arrival.

“If you want to really experience this kind of death,” Kim said, “you have to start preparing a week before. You have to think about your death constantly and completely empty your life. Clean your room, throw out your food,

and organize everything as if you were never coming back.”

After taking their photos, receiving the lecture, discussing their lives, discomforts, fears, anxieties, and other personal matters, Kim asks them to close their eyes. He dims the lights and plays a bell recording on repeat.

“Watch your funeral,” Kim says. “Imagine everyone there. Imagine yourself in the coffin. Let death be your teacher, dying be your mentor.”

While they write their wills, I have another short chat with Kim. “Most people focus on meaningless things,” he says. “Their minds are limited by this big cloud that is our daily lives. In the coffin, they will see their lives moving slowly. They can examine what their purpose is. They can see, clearly, what is and isn't important to them.”

The participants are moved to a large, dimly lit room where they take a seat beside their wooden caskets on the floor. They sit cross-legged in front of a small box supporting their photo, flowers, and a burning candle.

They are then given the opportunity to read a portion of their will in front of their peers.

Lee Sang Ju, a 30-year-old participant, has written his will in English. He speaks, mostly, of his family. He apologizes to them and thanks them and acknowledges their bond.

Cost KRW 50,000 for individual Website www.happydying.com Address 1055 Gaepo-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul Korea TEL 070-4139-0337 FAX 031-758-1123 e-mail nde@hanmail.net

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

ENTERTAINMENT

side the coffin is “heavy.”

“The first five minutes were very dense,” she says. “They moved slowly and as I started to think more about myself, time began to speed up. Eventually, by the end, I was thinking about so much and time just flew by.”

While the aftereffects of peace, tranquility, and the silence of death reverberate throughout the room, Kim discloses a few details that reveal how not even meditation and contemplating death are enough to allow an escape from the bustle of a capitalist mega-city.

“Two to three years ago,” Kim says, “I obtained a copyright and patent for this service.

People I had trained had started copying my program and taking clients away.”

Kim plans to file a lawsuit against some of these companies and hopes to retrieve the rights to what he insists is his conception. In the meantime, he plans on continuing his service and attempting to branch out internationally when the opportunity reveals itself. After all, the desire for peace and tranquility transcends all boundaries. Even death.

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

almost everyone chiming in on each other’s “We stay tethered through life and after,” comments and reflections.

Lee says. “You matter. I matter. And together, Lee, the participant who read his will, we defeat death.” translates and says that everyone has exTraditional Korean funeral chants echo pressed satisfaction, and one of them menthroughout the room. After a short meditation, tioned wanting to bring his wife the following the participants put on their death robes and month. entered the coffin. Their arms and legs are I speak with another participant, 28-yeartied, as is tradition in Korean burial ceremoold Youna, who heard of the service from a nies, and their faces covered with a piece of friend. cloth; according to Kim, this is “My friend took the service done by mortuary workers who You have to a year ago,” Youna says. “She do this regularly to actual corpsthink about your realized that she needed to pries. The lid is then shut over them, death constantly oritize her husband more than hammered down, and left alone. and completely anything. Even more than her Kim mostly leaves them to empty your life. kids.” themselves, but occasionally he Clean your room, When asked about her own walks up to a coffin to offer a throw out your reasons for coming to the serwhisper. “Think about what you food, and organize regret most from your old life,” everything as if you vice, Youna says, “I want to priKim told them. “Think about were never coming oritize my life.”

“I found I can't organize what you want most from your back. anything in my life. What I got new one.” most from this is the beauty of After a certain amount of meditation. Even if it's just five minutes, puttime in the coffins—Kim insists on keeping ting aside time at the end of the day to reflect the amount of time they spend covered a on what I gained from the day is what I need secret—the participants are lead back to the to do. This didn't answer everything, but I see room to discuss their experience. Kim sits on it as a very practical tool for the overall goal of his table and allows the “reborn” to do most gaining control of my life.” of the talking. The discussion becomes very Youna's description of what it was like inconversational and seemingly sincere, with

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After a short meditation, the participants put on their death robes and enter the coffins. Their arms and legs are tied, as is tradition in Korean burial ceremonies, and their faces covered with a piece of cloth.

FOOD & DRINK Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

Create Your Own Monster Pizza

Gargantuan Italian pizzas and sinful sharing plates near Konkuk University Story by Yoo Jin Oh photos by Robert Michael Evans

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ed by Marco Gaspari, 300 Degree outshines many of the countless Italian options in Seoul with its signature one meter long pizza and their commitment to serving authentic homecooked flavours. From their freshly-baked doughs to their incredibly well balanced sauces, 300 Degree serves pizza as it should be: rich, savory, and unpretentious. They’re also open till late with a wide range of beers, wines, and cocktails, making it a great bar to rendezvous with friends for inexpensive and exceptional side dishes.

Although 300 Degree is more well-known for its pizzas, the various Italian side dishes are simply too impressive and unique to be overlooked. Olive all' Ascolana, a traditional side dish from Ascoli in central Italy, is an incredibly addictive fried meatball stuffed with green olives. Crispy on the outside and piping

hot and tender on the inside, it is the perfect balance of texture and flavor. For a richer and heartier option try the arancini, creamy cheese-filled risotto balls deep-fried until golden and flakey.

Taking up the entire length of a table, 300 Degree's iconic one meter pizza is both an impressive sight and smell. Diners can choose three different toppings from a list of over twenty tomato or cream-based options.

Despite a few unconventional names such as "Ladies" and "Awesomeness," the toppings are genuinely Italian (sorry, no sweet corn or pineapple). For a familiar classic taste, try the prosciutto crudo.

With the first bite, you can really taste the bold flavours of rucola, parmesan, and prosciutto coming together.

In the mood to indulge? Rustica bianca is a Sunday roast on a pizza. The rich

cream-based sauce is topped with minced pork and crispy fried potatoes and brought together by the striking flavor of rosemary.

Ladies, a meatless option, is also an excellent choice with fresh tomatoes, feta, eggplant, and mozzarella. For a smaller party, it is possible to order a single pizza (50cm) but it’ll definitely be a challenge picking just one topping (or two for an additional KRW 5,000).

Korean-Chinese

Favorites in Chip Form What to snag on your next mart jaunt Story and photos by Jason Newland

Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

Taking up the entire length of a table, 300 Degree's iconic one meter pizza is both an impressive sight and smell.

orean convenience stores are upping their game lately. Seriously, the sandwich aisle is suddenly littered with ones genuinely worth eating, and the chips aisle displays bags that don’t look cloyingly sweet. In fact, the sweet trend could be ending. If one looks beyond the bags of banana and honey butter chips, they may notice some newcomers such as jjajang and jjambbong chips.

That's right: jjajjang, the Korean-Chinese black bean noodle staple, and the fiery red noodle soup, jjambbong, have become even more inescapable, and it's a wonderful thing. These chips are shockingly good, as addictive as the takeout food they represent. The saltiness of each chip always making you think "just one more" and their lack of sweetness is a refreshing change from typical Korean snacks. Hopefully, they’re the shape of chips to come in Korea because salty, flavorful chips shouldn’t be hard to find.

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Add Seoul, Gwangjin-gu, Jayang-dong 510-16 1F tel 02-461-9344 time Mon-Tues 5pm-12am, Weds-Thurs 12pm-12am, Fri-Sat 12pm-1am, Sun 12pm-12am Recommended dishes olive all' Ascolana, arancini, rustica bianca pizza, porchetta Drinks wine by the glass KRW 8,000, wine by the bottle from KRW 40,000, cocktails from KRW 7,000 Prices One meter pizza KRW 44,000, pizzas KRW 20,00032,000, arancini KRW 8,000

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

If tiramisu is their dessert of the day, you’re in for a real treat.

300 Degree serves the most kick-ass yet elegant tiramisu (not the cheesecake variety). On top of biscuits beautifully soaked in rich espresso, the delicate and light mascarpone cream gives way to hints of cocoa and marsala wine.

Located a five minute walk from Konkuk University, 300 Degree is captivating Seoul’s appetite and Instagram accounts. From start to finish, 300 Degree will impress you with the quality of dishes often overlooked as simple or ordinary. Grab friends and pay a visit to 300 Degree. It’ll definitely be worth the trip.

Spin Records, Bottles at Mmm Records Music lovers rejoice over banh mi and Vietnamese coffee Story by Jordan Redmond photos by Kaegan Saenz

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Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

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stretches for several kilometers, the kind of anh mi, vinyl records, stylish view that might make you think of Rihanna's angst, all set in an up-and-coming "run this town tonight" aspirations from "Empocket of Itaewon. What could be pire State of Mind". With ample seating, artifimore "Seoul 2016"? Mmm Records cial grass, and a massive vintage 80's boombox, is essentially a hangout cafe and cultural space, one's mind instantly entertains the idea of the as much Pigalle puff paint tee as it is black turbacchanalian scenes that'll certainly occur up tleneck and beret. Underneath the hipster vethere in good weather. neer, however, is an egalitarian place where But what to eat and drink on these occavinyl lovers old and new can convene. Where sions? Mmm Record's banh mi are the most agelse in Seoul can you eat excellent bahn mi gressively meaty in the city. You while spinning Sade or several can choose from three options: hundreds of other records? Where The menu, duck rillette, mortadella, or pâtÊ. can Seo Taiji-referencing t-shirts philosophy, and Or, since it's 2016 and you like be found alongside for-sale used locale behind living on the edge, you can and records and vintage boomboxes Mmm Records... should opt to throw on all three while you slurp the foam off your make this a must of the proteins which carry over egg coffee? The menu, philosophy, visit for the Michot's charcuterie magic from and locale behind Mmm Records, multitudes of his Yeonnam-dong bistro, L'ima collaboration between L'imfood, coffee, and passe '81. The baguettes are hefty, passe 81's Gregoire Michot and music lovers in the city. definitely closer to French than Eloquence Magazine, make this Vietnamese, but hold up well to a must visit for the multitudes of the ample do chua, or pickled carrot and daifood, coffee, and music lovers in the city. kon, which top the sandwiches.

Mmm Records' location makes it a very As for beverages, you can't have a cafe neighborhood place but one you should go out without coffee. Mmm Record's Hanoi coffee of your way to visit. Perched atop a steep hill is exactly what you would expect, a thick Viand quite a way down Usadan-ro 10-gil, past etnamese brew with ample condensed milk, the mosque, past the hip new craft and coffee turbocharged chocolate milk for adults. Egg shops, past the deserted storefronts, it's quite a coffee, for the uninitiated, is a must try. An egg hike to reach whether you're coming from Hanis whipped into a dense foam on top of the banam or Itaewon Station(s). However, its altitude sic Hanoi coffee. It's so rich, it might as well be gifts it with one of the most stunning rooftops called butter coffee. For those looking to get a bit in the city, an uninterrupted panorama that

more sideways, very reasonably priced bottles of wine, red, white, and sparkling, are on offer.

The restaurant's interior is such that everything is something. The stripped industrial walls feature urgent declarative slogans and bleak humor. The space's official artwork is clipped song lyrics and there is even a shrine insisting on David Bowie's immortality. The furniture is kitsch vintage, mostly suggesting the possibility for seances or blood rites. Even the broom closet gives off a foreboding vibe.

And last, the toilet. Don't forget to check out the upstairs toilet. An impressive amount of thought has been put into everything inch of the space by interior designer/artist Lim Sumi.

So, as much as Mmm Records succeeds as very special, multi-faceted hangout space, the looming question is what, exactly, does it want to be? The fact that it is wonderfully formless, allowing patrons to choose a variety of paths, is a great strength allowing customers to create their own experience. Mmm Records is a oneof-a-kind space that should be treasured, no matter how you wish to do so.

Add Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong 620-152 Tel 070-8959-9999 Time Tues-Fri 12pm-11pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-2am Recommended dishes banh mi w/ duck rillette, pate, and mortadella Drinks egg coffee, Hanoi coffee, Urmeneta Chilean chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, Cordon Negro cava sparkling wine Prices Bahn mi KRW 7,000-9,000, wine by the glass KRW 8,000, wine by the bottle KRW 28,000-40,000

Summer

Bite of the mont h

Uncovering the city's most irresistible destination dishes Story and photo by Jordan Redmond

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very burger is a sandwich but not every sandwich is a burger. Unassailable logic, right? Rye Post, not content with just running the sandwich game with gangsta ease, agrees that burgers are indeed just another kind of sandwich: albeit one they have yet to master. Wading into the Seoul burger wars, the Itaewon sandwich stop is offering three new double stacks on their already lust-worthy sandwich menu: the All-American, the Texan, and the Californian. The All-American (KRW 9,500 for a burger, 14,500 for a set) is everything you want from a basic burger. Two thin, diner-style patties are chargrilled and truly achieve the taste that places like Burger King look to replicate en masse. Cheddar and Swiss cheeses drape the patties. Crunch is provided by dill pickle, red onion, and romaine lettuce; and a well-portioned tomato slice provides moisture. There is also bacon, the great harbinger of burger greatness, thick (but not too much so) and smoky. All this loving goodness sits between two freshly baked-on-site brioche buns.

As far as getting the little details right, this burger is spot on and instantly one of the best in the city. time Mon-Thurs, Sun 11:30am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-10pm ADD Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 72-34 tel 02-792-9991

스테이크

소세지

숯불

햄버거 패티

소스

양념

Take Exit 2 off Itaewon Station 2nd Floor, 737-24 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

www.highstreet.co.kr

Shake Shack Burgers

Sizzle Their Way to Gangnam

Korea’s first Shake Shack opens with frenzied fanfare and long lines, but is it worth the wait? Story and photos by Casey Mann

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FOOD & DRINK

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hen a new famous restaurant opens in Seoul on the heels of an aggressive promotional onslaught, it’s capable of whipping up a fan frenzy that matches a fever pitch typically reserved for major celebrity events. On July 22nd, Shake Shack transformed the summer heat into an oasis of cool enthusiasm, parting its doors in Gangnam amidst hungry crowds willing to wait hours in line for a taste.

Many have debated and questioned the value of waiting so long in line for fast food. It’s possible that some customers just want to go because it’s fun to share the experience with friends. Others go in hopes of finding a great burger and fries, with a good shake to wash it all down. Whether or not Shake Shack is worth a one to three hour wait is a resounding “No!” for some – but for many others it’s the journey, and not the food, that matters most.

a surprise to see how large it is once reaching Situated between Gangnam and Sinnonthe front counter. The seating area stretchhyeon Station, Shake Shack is easy to find; just es back into three partitioned follow the long line of customers dining sections, with ample incircling the block. For those that Whether or not terior lighting and comfortable don’t like the heat, it may be betShake Shack is seating. Kudos to the staff for ter to go earlier in the morning worth a one to their patient and friendly seror later in the day, when shade three hour wait is vice. They made it seem like we covers the front of the store. It a resounding “No!” were individuals, not just one of makes standing in line a little for some – but for several hundred faces passing more tolerable. The Shake Shack many others it’s through the door on the day. Afstaff hand out bags of ice to help the journey, and ter placing an order, they hand keep customers cool, and there not the food, that out a restaurant pager, allowing are two large fans at the front of matters most. time to find a seat before the the line. For those waiting at the food arrives. front entrance, the wait is about It can be easy to forget that a fast food burg45 minutes. er is by design uncomplicated, and meant to The interior has an open, spacious debe quickly consumed. Shake Shack isn’t aimsign that is both modern and inviting. From ing for gourmet burgers with subthe outside, it doesn’t seem that tle, flashy ingredients big. It can be a bit of

Story & Photo by Jordan Redmond

Restaurant Buzz Mazemen, meatless burgers, and massive lamb chops

Add Seoul, Gangnam-Gu, Gangnamdarero 452, Daeyon Building #1 tel 02-553-5576 time Open daily from 11:00am – 11:00pm Recommended dishes The burgers are the highlight of Shake Shack’s offerings, with the SmokeShack being the most flavorful. The hamburger allows additional toppings such as onion, lettuce, or pickles at no extra charge. For the adventurous types, there is the Shack Stack. The menu describes it as “Cheeseburger and a ‘Shroom Burger with lettuce, tomato, ShackSauce” – total cost is KRW 12,400.

Drinks Shake Shack offers lemonade, iced tea, and the “Fifty/Fifty” which is half lemonade and half iced tea for KRW 3,500. Shakes from KRW 5,900. There is locally brewed beer from Hand and Malt and Magpie for KRW 6,800. Red or white wines by Lafage Winery unique to Shake Shack are also available for KRW 7,800 a glass or a bottle for KRW 29,900.

Prices Burgers KRW 6,900 – 9,400 for a single patty, add KRW 4,000 for a second patty. Fries – KRW 3,900 Frozen custards – KRW 5,900 single, KRW 8,900 double.

Menya Hanabi Songpa-gu, Songpa-dong 57 02-2251-8520

Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

f you've ever asked yourself what kind of noodles Korea has been missing, you might have pondered the lack of quality mazemen or dry ramen noodles. Well, long no more because popular Nagoya-based ramen-ya, Menya Hanabi, has sprouted a branch near Seokchon Lake inJamsil. Dry ramen noodles are flanked by healthy chunks of chashu and combine with raw egg and spices to create a slick, delicious mess. Be prepared to wait though; Seoul's noodle masses are already clued into this gem. We here at Groove Food & Drink sadly neglect vegetarian food in favor of arguably less-sustainable pursuits and this sometimes makes us sad. If you're like us, then assuage your guilt by checking out Huggers, an Itaewon locale trading mostly in meatless burgers. Their patties are made of a mystical veggie and rice mixture and come with a wide variety of tasty toppings. On the flipside, if you don't deny your million years of conditioning to desire grilled animal flesh, you can't do better on a Monday than the lamb chop deal at Mozzie.

For KRW 10,000, you get two caveman-sized lamb chops with fried potatoes and coleslaw. All you have to do is purchase a drink (alcoholic or not) and dine-in to unlock this crazy bargain. Make Mondays less loathsome by getting over to Mozzie. They even have patio seating; a crucial fact as the weather is getting nicer.

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Huggers Yongsan-gu, Hannam-dong 686-22 02-3144-2501 Mozzie Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 126-7 02-792-7745

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

that request a slow dance of joy with your taste buds. Shake Shack is, simply put, a grab-n-go burger, and there is no shame in that.

For this review, items ordered from the menu include: The ShackBurger (double patty) with cheese, lettuce and ShackSauce; the SmokeShack with “Ranch bacon” and chopped cherry pepper; a single patty hamburger; french fries and cheese fries; a Shack-cago Dog; vanilla shake; and a pale ale from Korea's Magpie Brewery.

The burgers were presentationally challenged and tasted like a greasy but flavorful burger from a number of other fast food burger joints. The bacon on the SmokeShack burger was cooked into crisp, flaky strips. The patty was excessively greasy, but didn’t taste too bad. The bottom of the burger buns were soaked through, turning into an oil sponge, oozing juice down my hands and racing towards my forearms.

The Shack-cago dog might as well have come from a convenience store, with limp tomato wedges and soggy ingredients, lacking the crispy snap that comes from freshly cut vegetables. It was edible, but for anyone who has eaten a hot dog before, that previous hot dog was most likely better. The vanilla milkshake had the texture and flavor profile of many other restaurants similar to Shake Shack. The fries tasted alright when they were hot, but cooled too quickly. The cheese fries were the only item I’d recommend skipping completely.

In the end, Shake Shack matched my perceptions of standard fast food fare. None of the menu items were a standout performer but, most importantly, the dining experience was not a disaster. The validity behind standing in a long line for Shake Shack depends upon the individual. Do you want to go there to enjoy spending time with friends, and to tell other friends that you lived the “Shake Shack Experience?” If so, the biggest reward will come from the time spent waiting in line with good company. If you’re in search of a decent burger, one can certainly do worse. If you don’t want to stand in line for hours, it might be worth waiting a couple more months for the line to thin out a bit. However, if you’re looking for an outstanding burger and/or a unique dining experience, the time spent standing in line could be used to head over to one of those great tasting burger places you’ve heard about, but haven’t gotten around to visiting yet.

FOOD & DRINK Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

Not the Usual Moscow Cake

Famous Moscow baker’s first international shop lands in Garosugil Story by Jason Newland photos by Paul Argos

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akes of ascending layers abound at Conversation, the first international cake shop from Russian cake magnate, Nina Gudkova. These cakes ooze richness, held together with thick and creamy icings. Sweet fruit, handmade marshmallows, and candy confections are crammed onto each layered cake like the many layers upon layers of oil paint on a completed work of art. Conversation’s cakes capture the eye — their looks alone could resuscitate a knocked-out sweet tooth. A bite of their Whoopie Pie Cake (KRW 15,900) melts, crunches, and sponges between chews. It has layers of flavors and textures: sweetness and tart, soft and firm — an exercise of flavor that could satisfy the hardest sugar addict’s cravings for days. Cake is nothing new in Seoul, especially Garosugil, yet so many of those cake shops are designing beautiful Instagram-ready cakes that are surprisingly bland. This isn’t a problem at Conversation. Their cakes are frankly special.

Add Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Sinsa-dong 554-31 tel 070-5123-9398 time Mon-Sun 10:30am-10pm

n o h c g n a Haeb

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

FOOD & DRINK

French Bistro Stirs the Pot Prices and quality align at La Marmite Story by Ashley Heil photos by Hannah Green

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ffordable French food is continuing its rise in Seoul. This time, it's with La Marmite, a new French bistro located in the heart of Haebangchon (HBC).

La Marmite, or “The Pot” in French, celebrated its grand opening on August 7th and is a great addition to the eclectic variety of restaurants already in HBC. The highlights of the menu include pan-peppered duck breast, halibut served over risotto, and beef tagliatelle Emiliano ragu.

La Marmite is located on a side street near Bonny's Pizza in HBC. The restaurant is quaint, with a nice veranda on the outside if you'd like to relax and people watch on a cooler day. Inside, the appearance is nice but also comfortable and inviting enough to welcome you just as you are. The semiopen kitchen adds to the hominess of the restaurant. The French chefs’ passion for their cuisine becomes very apparent as the meal starts to tickle your taste buds. Each plate that was brought out was accompanied by explanations on how to maximize the taste of each dish. The chefs really want to make sure you enjoy French cuisine even if your knowledge of French food is limited.

You may want to start your meal with the duck rillette. It is served cold and is very refreshing to eat on a hot summer day.

Accompanied with house-made pickles and warm, freshly baked bread, it’s the perfect starter to a great meal. To accompany your meal, La Marmite serves a great selection of French wines. If you don't know much about wine, the servers are there again to help choose the perfect wine to go along with your meal.

Now, on to the main plates. For seafood lovers, one of the stars is the halibut served over risotto. This white, flaky, lemony fish does not have an overpowering taste and matches nicely with the prawn-head sauce and creamy risotto served. Next up for the main plates is the tagliatelle emiliano ragu served with tender pieces of beef. While the beef was great, the pasta was delicious by itself: comforting, satisfying, and sure to warm your heart and belly if you’re craving good pasta.

The star of the menu is the magret de canard or the pan-peppered duck breast. It is pan-roasted skin-side down, and served over polenta mixed with cheese and orange pieces. The sweetness of the orange is a very nice contrast to the fatty taste of the duck.

Extremely tender and juicy, this duck breast dish alone is worth a trip to La Marmite.

Finally, you can’t leave La Marmite without trying one of their fabulous desserts.

The deconstructed lemon pie is served over an Italian meringue, French meringue, and lemon custard. It’s light yet full of flavor, making it incredibly enjoyable for any fan of lemon dessert. Also, the crème brûlée should not be missed. The caramelized crust adds a nice, strong, crunchy contrast to the sweet custard underneath. All in all, the food served here is excellent and a great value for the quality of food. If you want to experience great French food in a comfortable setting, then visit La Marmite in Haebangchon.

Add Seoul, Yongsan-dong 2 ga Haebangcheon, 5-767 tel 010-4061-5571 time Daily 6pm-11:30pm. Weekends: 10am-2:30pm, 6pm-11:30pm. Tuesdays closed Recommended dishes pepper duck breast w/ polenta, halibut w/ prawn head risotto, tagliatelle emiliano Drinks French wine by the glass KRW 6,000. French wine by the bottle KRW 27,000-45,000 Prices Three and four course dinners KRW 30,00050,000. Mains KRW 20-35,000

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Makgeolli Origins The unknown history and unseen craftsmanship behind your bowl of makgeolli

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Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

FOOD & DRINK

Story by Julia Mellor photos by Robert Michael Evans

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While the scene and circumstances may differ, for many people their makgeolli experience ends with their first cheap bottle and a raging hangover. Even for those that are enviably immune to the next day struggles, expegeolli yet?” riencing makgeolli beyond the common vaNot one to deny a new experience, you rieties can be difficult and elusive. Makgeolli might have headed to the closest convenience more often than not gets put in the I-tried-itstore to fork out two blue bills for a green bottle once basket without ever getting initiation. At first sip, confusion its day in the sun. But truth be sets in. Sweet, fizzy, milky, and When you strip told, that’s kind of like drinking boozy, there aren’t a whole lot away all the a bottle of Carlo Rossi and comof other drinks that serve as a kettles and ing to the conclusion that all frame for descriptive reference. clichés, cutesy wine leads to aspirin.

After a few more cups the buzz marketing What actually goes on in kicks in, everything feels alcampaigns and the world of Korean traditional right and you think, "Hey, this controversial alcohol, unseen on convenience makgeolli thing ain’t half bad." health claims, store shelves, is a craft worthy of So much so that you go back for makgeolli is just and exploration. With a more, after all it’s only 6% alcoone part of the art respect complex and often tumultuous hol: what could be the harm? of fermentation. history, it’s no surprise that even Time clicks by and all of a sudmuch of the Korean population den you find yourself a little unhas yet to discover makgeolli in its true form. steady on your feet, stumbling towards where With soju far outselling its milky counterpart, you think is home, filled with thoughts of makgeolli gets relegated to the "rainy day happiness and good times. Laying your weary drink" category and is terminally paired with and dizzying head on the pillow, you think to pajeon or bindaetteok. In short, makgeolli gets yourself "makgeolli is awesome." unfairly short shrift.

And then you wake up. As your head What started my own love affair with Kopounds and stomach churns, a feeling of being rean alcohol was when I started to understand cheated washes over. You raise a fist to the sky even just a little of what it was all about. Beand cry "Makgeolli….Where did I go wrong?!" or many of us in the first days of our new Korean lifestyles, someone inevitably asks the loaded question, “Have you tried mak-

FOOD & DRINK

Solid Korean lunch specials at Chadol Jib.

Edited by Jordan Redmond (food@groovekorea.com)

eat Korean in Itaewon Story and photos by Michael Jones

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taewon is an exciting and popular place among expats and globetrotters. This area is especially known for its diversity and profusion of international cuisine. Amidst this multicultural splendor, Itaewon also has great Korean cuisine. The Chadol Jip is a prime example of authentic Korean cooking. In addition to serving Korean barbeque, this restaurant serves wonderful classics such as doenjang jjigae, ttukbaegi bulgogi, naengmyeon, and gamjatang. All of these dishes cost KRW 7,000 and are served with a bowl of white rice and unlimited side dishes. The food is fresh, the service is fast, yet friendly, and the interior is cozy and inviting. The value is outstanding. The gamjatang is a new addition to the menu and is a must-try here. Gamjatang is a soup filled with tender meat-covered pork bones and surrounded by rich, slightly spicy broth and golden potatoes. With restaurants like the Chadol Jip, Itaewon can satisfy every food craving.

Add Seoul, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong 544 tel 02-790-0789 time Mon-Sat: 11:30am-11:00pm, Sun 11:30am-10:30pm

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

What actually goes on in the world of Korean traditional alcohol, unseen on convenience store shelves, is a craft worthy of respect and exploration.

Don't Forget to

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yond those nights of endless metal bowls and hazy endings, when I got to know about the stories and processes of brewing, it was game over. I found myself constantly asking ‘Why don’t more people know about this?”

To get a better sense of what’s in that deep bowl of milky booze, we need to start from the beginning. When you strip away all the kettles and clichés, cutesy marketing campaigns and controversial health claims, makgeolli is just one part of the art of fermentation.

At the heart and soul of all Korean traditional alcohol is nuruk, without which rice and water would remain just that: rice and water.

Nuruk is the unique wild fermentation starter that is responsible for Korean alcohol brewing, and it’s what gives makgeolli its character.

Using nuruk is one of the fundamental ways Korean alcohol is set apart from Japanese sake. Nuruk is inoculated from the regional air in which it’s made, and therefore filled with a variety of flavor profiles. For me, it’s always somewhat reflected the character of Korea itself; bold and diverse with a fair dose of wild card in every batch.

When nuruk is added to rice and water, the magic of fermentation begins. Under the watchful eye of a careful brewer, the mash is filtered at just the right time and fresh booze is born. At an average alcohol percentage of 15-19%, this strong and smooth mixture is known to the homebrewer as wonju. It is out of wonju that Korea’s three most representative traditional alcohols are crafted. As the heavier sediment settles, clear golden nectar rises to the top. This often sweet and strong elixir is called cheonju or also yakju and was the favored drink of the kings of old. Cheongju can then be distilled to make soju in the traditional methods; some of the top shelf expensive varieties of which have been painstakingly extracted using ancient clay distilling equipment.

So where does that leave makgeolli? Traditionally, after the best cheongju was removed and thoroughly enjoyed by the upper class, the remaining sediment was cast off to the lowly peasants. Ever resourceful, water was added to dilute this thick liquid and then shared far and wide. In this way, makgeolli has always been the people’s drink.

Fast forward to today, and after a century of imperialism, war, rice shortages, and a historical disconnect with the deep traditions of brewing, Korean traditional alcohol has lost its way. In an industry dominated by cheap ingredients and artificial sweeteners, winning the respect of discerning palates remains a challenge. But there are people out there fighting the good fight. Cheongju, soju, takju, and makgeolli all have their own unique story to tell, and there is a growing foundation of the dedicated who are willing to tell it. Before you give up on makgeolli or even soju, know that what lies beyond the common scene is an artistry being reborn.

Secret Seoraksan A road trip to the hills and beyond

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

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Story and Photos by Michael Jones

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y stomach rattled in my ribcage as the bus stopped and started over. The road was heavy with family-packed cars leaving Seoul for the long weekend. A trip that was supposed to take three hours turned into a five-and-a-half-hour odyssey. My back was sticking to my leather seat, my knees were chafing on the seat in front of me and a man to my right was snoring tremendously with his mouth agape. This bus ride was a test of endurance, but then I saw the mountains. My anger transWe wanted formed into awe. My first glimpse two days of relief of Seoraksan National Park came from crowded through the steamy window on subway cars, my right; in the distance serrated grimy air, and loogie-covered peaks cut a jagged profile across streets. the darkening sky and for the moment I forgot the bus, the traffic, and everything else.

During Korean Memorial Day weekend myself, my girlfriend, and a friend decided to escape city confines and explore the natural side of Korea. We wanted two days of relief from crowded subway cars, grimy air, and loogie-covered streets. Seoraksan was our solution: The forest brimming with sharp-edged peaks, waterfalls, twisting rivers, and soaring pines.

TRAVEL Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

and swam about in small pools. The day was ate a Spartan breakfast of boiled eggs, salted peanuts, yogurt, and a banana. Then we gath- muggy, but occasionally a soothing breeze swept through the pines and provided relief. ered our bags and walked towards the park.

The terrain was steep and near-vertical secOriginally, we had planned on taking the local bus to the park entrance, a little over two ki- tions of stairs dominated the final approach.

At that point my forehead and lometers away, but then we saw back were soaked in sweat. The a gigantic line of neon-clad hiksun sat directly above us and ers and decided to walk. I would We stopped the tree canopy disappeared. rather walk than risk being for a moment to As the stairs took us higher and jostled by ludicrously colossal enjoy the stars, higher, the view became more multiday packs or skewered by silence, and the and more beautiful. From our sinister-looking walking sticks. sweet scent of pine lofty vantage point, we enjoyed On our left, a river bordered needles. After the the rolling greenery and rugby tall green pine trees flowed walk, sleep came ged beauty that make this park peacefully over white boulders quickly. unique. worn smooth. Behind the river, Finally, the stairs ended spiked peaks soared and waves and smooth walls of towering granite stood of mist rippled slowly amongst them. At the before us. At the summit, sweat-drenched main entrance we walked under a mighty wooden gate and bought our KRW 3500 ad- hikers gathered in swarms to take photos of the peak marker in order to justify their exermission to the park. tion and shattered quads. We opted to avoid We decided to hike Ulsanbawi Rock - a gorgeous yet short trek. Our hike to the sum- the chaos and ate a small lunch on the summit mit took us just under an hour and forty min- of a lower peak. As we chewed on our trail mix and gazed at the beauty expanding in all diutes. At the beginning, the pathway snaked through a lush valley and a small stream gur- rections, a fog from the Pacific came lumbering over the slopes and left us eating amongst gled calmly on our left. Chipmunks scampered the clouds. This dazzling view of Seoraksan and played on the rocks while large magpies croaked overhead. The magpies’ brilliant blue, National Park was worth the horrors of the cramped bus, the exhaustion, and jostling green, and black feathers shimmered in the with grouchy, neon-clad elderly hikers. sun. Bright green and orange toads hopped

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Many people consider Seoraksan to be the crowning jewel of South Korea’s national parks. This is a bold statement in a country teeming with mountains, but once you experience the park for yourself, it’s hard to disagree.

That night we shared a pot of gamjatang (pork bone and potato soup) and finished it with a bottle of local makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcohol made from rice. The soup was thick with succulent pork and golden potatoes.

The makgeolli was slightly sweet and creamy - a perfect balance to the rich, fatty soup. I was exhausted at dinner and committed a chopstick debacle. My final cup of makgeolli became the victim of an erratic potato. The makgeolli turned dark red and small strips of potato skin floated to the top. The drink would have looked more at home in a lab studying infectious disease than in my stomach.

After dinner we called a taxi and went to our hotel located near the park entrance. We checked in, boiled eggs ahead for breakfast, discussed our hiking route, and then took a nice walk down the road to stretch our cramped legs. The night was a sheet of onyx, but the stars were bright. We stopped for a moment to enjoy the stars, silence, and the sweet scent of pine needles. After the walk, sleep came quickly.

The sunrise washed our room in bright light, but we slept in anyway; nothing is more tiring than traveling. We woke up at nine and

Adventure Awaits at Jungang Eco Adventure Park Seoul’s first ever eco-adventure park has opened its doors

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www.groovekorea.com September 2016

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

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Story by Naomi Blenkinsop Photos by Michael O'Dwyer

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are prepared for the challenges of their course. outh Korea is considered by many After the training is finished, participants are as an ideal country for getting fit ready for the real thing. and healthy. There’s little need Foreign expats and tourists can expect to get a gym membership with all outstanding service when they visit the the free outdoor gyms and bike trails spread park. All foreign visitors to the park receive throughout the city. What’s more, South Korea a discount upon entering. An office is located boasts several national parks and challengwithin the park with specially trained facilitaing hiking trails with equally stunning views. tors who are able to provide instructions and South Korea is truly the perfect country for assistance in both English and Korean. Trainthe outdoorsy type. ing is also available in both KoThe intense popularity and rean and English. ever increasing demand for more Because the eco-adventure outdoor activities and advenIf you love courses are designed to be entures from South Koreans and spending time in the joyed by all, courses are ranked expats alike has led to many outdoors and want in difficulty from green being more outdoor themed parks popa new, exciting ping up all over the peninsula. It adventure, Jungang the easiest to red being the most should come as no surprise then Eco Adventure Park challenging. Each adventure course boasts fun and exciting that an eco-adventure challenge is your best bet. obstacles such as mini zip lines, park recently opened its doors in swing bridges, cargo nets, fly Seoul earlier this year. boxes, broken ladders, sky bridges, seesaw Newly opened Jungang Eco Adventure bridges, and much more.

Park offers outdoor activities for those interThis park has only just opened, so future ested in adventure courses. The park is conplans have yet to be established. Howevveniently located ten minutes from Yangwon er, visitors are welcome to plan their special Station in eastern Seoul on the Jungang subevents such as birthday parties or reunions at way line. This park is ideal for large groups the park. The operators will try their best to of friends or family and also has activities for accommodate special requests from expat or older children.

Korean visitors.

Challenge Korea Technologies opened this If you love spending time in the park to bring a new dimension to outdoor acoutdoors and want a new, exciting adtivities in Seoul. Initially, this unique park was venture, Jungang Eco Adventure Park intended to provide a friendly, family-orientis your best bet. ed atmosphere for families or large groups of friends. Eco-adventure courses were designed tel 02-432-2567 within the park to add more uniqueness to the Add Seoul, Mangu-dong 74 Jungrang Time 10am to 5pm (closed on Monday) park and also attract more expat and Korean Directions Subway ITX Jungang Line, Yangwon visitors.

Station, 10-minute walk from the train station.

Understandably, small children between the ages of 2 and 8 are restricted from participating in the adventure courses. A special playground has been built within the park so that the little ones can still have fun during their stay. Safety is of paramount importance at the park, so older children who wish to participate in the course must meet the minimum height requirement of 140 cm and a minimum weight of 105 pounds.

This park is quite different from other theme parks spread throughout the peninsula.

Visitors are free to enjoy the park itself but, in order to enjoy the adventure courses, visitors have four different times throughout the day in which to register. For this reason, it is highly recommended to reserve your visit to the park beforehand in order to ensure your spot.

Large groups are welcome so long as they do not exceed 30 participants.

Once you have booked your reservation for the park, groups must show up 20 minutes before their course for training. Training includes instructions on how to use the safety equipment and a mock course so participants

Explore one of Asia’s top desti Jeonju Night Walk showcases over a thousand years of history

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Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

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ju Night Walk, here’s what you can expect. eonju, a city nestled close to the cenThe opening ceremony begins at the National ter of South Korea in the Jeollabuk-do Intangible Heritage Center and features sevprovince, has quickly gained a name eral live performances showcasing Korean for itself across the country and the culture. The show begins with a comedic juworld alike. Named #3 on Lonely Planet’s ltagi (tightrope walking) act which keeps the “Best in Asia” list, which features the top desaudience laughing and engaged due to a comtinations to visit in the following year, it is bination of heavy banter and a flying display inevitable that travelers around the globe are of acrobatics. Next up, an exciting demonsetting their sights on Korea’s most traditionstration of daejeop dolligi (plate al city. But what is it about Jeonju spinning) ensues, as audience that makes foreigners and natives The Jeonju Night members clap their hands to the want to venture there? Is it the Walk presents sounds of live traditional pansori fact that the city’s name is synvisitors with music. As the sun sets and seats onymous with the internationally the unique fill, a luminous performance by recognized culinary sensation biopportunity to the Shadow Orchestra provides a bimbap? Or could visitors be looking for a chance to stroll through experience Korea’s glimpse into Korean history soleheritage in a way ly using lights and hands. Going Korea’s largest hanok village? they were unlikely with a Korean friend may help While these questions can easily to before. you get the most out of the openbe answered with a “Yes,” there ing ceremony, but those with only is so much more here than meets a moderate understanding of the language the eye. Luckily for us, Jeonju Night Walk’s will still enjoy the excitement of the acrobatics “Heritage Night & Heritage Story” gives visiand performances. tors and residents the opportunity to embrace Although the opening cerea thousand years of history and beauty unmony is the kick off of to the der the light of the glowing moon. Centered Jeonju Night Walk, other around the historic Hanok Village, the Jeonju events simultaneously Night Walk presents visitors with the unique take place around the opportunity to experience a rich history in a Hanok Village throughway they were unlikely to before. out the night. During If you have the pleasure of attending the Jeon-

both days of the walk, visitors will be offered the opportunity to get hands on with Korean history. Just a few highlights that guests can participate in are handcrafting a fan made from hanji (Korean style) paper, creating a bibimbap dish, learning the unique practices of Korean tea drinking, tasting free moju (a Korean style wine native to Jeonju), and taking part in the Escape Game. A loaded itinerary offers over 17 events, exhibitions and performances, some put on for free, while others carry a low price tag of around KRW 2,000 to participate.

While the Night Walk provides interactive activities throughout the weekend, its setting, Jeonju’s aesthetically pleasing Hanok Village, is the true star of the show. Even for those that may not be well versed in Korean history, it is easy to recognize the massive influence the Joseon dynasty had on the formation of the ancient village, proving it to be an ideal setting for this celebration of the ancient culture.

Gyeonggijeon Hall and Jeondong Catholic Cathedral, situated across from one another at the entrance of Hanok Village, are both preferred destinations for visitors that come to the area. While the church is a popular spot for pictures, Gyeonggijeon, which usually carries an entrance fee of KRW 3,000 for adults, is a lavish palace

nations under the moonlight

Website www.jeonju-night.kr Facebook www.facebook.com/jeonjunight/

Edited by Naheen Madarbakus-Ring (naheen@groovekorea.com)

a plethora of opportunities to enjoy and embrace Korean culture. The Jeonju Night Walk encompasses all of the finest aspects of Jeonju’s history and highlights them under a bright starry sky. The event offers attendees a glimpse into what the lands may have looked like in the past, and the ability to live and practice Korean culture firsthand. It is definitely an experience I will remember and I shall return to when it is restaged at the end of September, and so should you. Whether you are a traveler or a local, this event will show and/or remind you why people across the world are setting their sights on Korea’s most traditional city.

The two-night Jeonju Night Walk Heritage Night & Heritage Story will be held again on Friday, September 30, and Saturday, October 1. The event organizers say that it will follow the same format. Don’t worry about putting a price on your chance to experience history because, thanks to Jeonju Night Walk, almost everything on the itinerary is free.

www.groovekorea.com September 2016

firmed every reason that she came to Korea. Toemic stated that, “Sometimes living in Korea can feel like living in America. Everything Western is around you.

Businesses, restaurants, people speaking English.

But sitting here, listening to the traditional Korean music, watching this amazing band perform inside this beautiful temple, brought tears to my eyes.” The aim of the Night Walk is exactly that: to spread the knowledge and experience of Korean heritage and culture beyond what we can encounter every day on the streets.

For those seeking a more casual approach to the event, at the center of the village, guests can try Korean street food from hundreds of different stalls lining the main street. Some foods come on a stick, some are dumplings, some are frozen ice cream steaming as vendors pass it out to their patrons. Regardless of your taste, each dish offers a taste of Korean culture. Guests can buy souvenirs and, if they so choose, adorn themselves with a hanbok (usually rented by the hour) to mix a little bit of modernity with tradition.

The city of Jeonju, specifically its historic Hanok Village, already offers residents and guests

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to explore individually or with a tour guide.

During the Night Walk, however, entrance into Gyeonggijeon is free. The grounds are lit by lanterns as women and men in hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) provide information about Korean culture while soothing pansori music plays in the background. Walking into Gyeonggijeon will undoubtedly feel like a step back in time.

Having experienced the event first hand, a personal highlight was Hyanggyo, where quiet listeners fan themselves in the dead of the summer night heat with fans painted on location by a local artist. Lovers of music can sit upon cushions situated around a grand tree, listening to “Night of Sanjo,” a Korean jazz style of music. Park Kyungsu, of Seoul, will play a tranquil melody on the gayageum, accompanied by an instrumental ensemble, vocalist and dancers. When asked about the two-day Night Walk, Park said that Gyeongbokgung, arguably the most famous palace in Korea, always features bands and traditional shows, but she thought that it was a great experience for visitors to Jeonju, as “[the city] is so beautiful and has the largest Hanok Village in all of Korea.” She believes it is a great way to showcase the city’s culture.

Francesca Toemic, an English teacher from North Carolina, now residing in Jeonju, said that watching the sanjo performance reaf-

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Story by Heather Allman Photos by Dean Crawford

Edited by Steve Smith (photo@groovekorea.com)

PHO T O S h o p

Groove Korea welcomes PhotoShop. This section brings some of those special shots from our very own GK photographers to give you a snapshot into their world…

Photographer Argus Paul Estabrook

PhotoShop-grapher

Photoshop Critique

Photoshop Wrestling in The Streets

My name is Argus Paul Estabrook and I’m an emerging photographer and artist based southwest of Seoul, South Korea. As a Korean-American, I am deeply interested in Korean identity and the forces that drive it.

When I'm not investigating Korean culture, I shoot personal documentaries and street photography.

Pro Wrestling Fit is a South Korean wrestling group that fights anywhere, be it in a gym, club, or even a busy city street. In this shot, God Monz catches Mad One in mid-air by the throat and slams him down against other PWF wrestlers on the asphalt. As a photographer, I aim to tell stories and I think using a strobe helps capture the action of not just the wrestlers but also the spectacle of a typical Hongdae night.

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Website www.arguspaul.com

Photographer Michael O'Dwyer

PhotoShop-grapher

Photoshop Critique

Website www.facebook.com/ michaelodwyerphotos

Michael O'Dwyer showcases one of his favourite genres in this selection: portrait photography. He has a compulsion to frame things with a camera and is always thinking of ways to find a way to tell a story in a single image.

I really love underground and abandoned spaces. It was a challenge to get down to this tunnel but I think it was worth it.

LISTIN G S Edited by Sean Choi (sean@groovekorea.com)

HOTELS & RESORTS

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTERS

FAMILY & KIDS

American Embassy (02) 397-4114 • 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Novotel Ambassador Gangnam (02) 567-1101 • 603 Yeoksam 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Seoul Samsung Hospital 1599-3114 • 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Canadian Embassy (02) 3783-6000 • (613) 996-8885 (Emergency Operations Center) Jeongdonggil (Jeong-dong) 21, Jung-gu, Seoul

Grand Hilton Seoul (02) 3216-5656 • 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

Asan Medical Center 1688-7575 • 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Somerset Palace Seoul (02) 6730-8888 • 85 Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (053) 250-7167 (7177 / 7187) • 56 Dalseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu

EMBASSIES

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, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

HOTELS & RESORTS

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Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul (02) 2250-8080 • San 5-5, Jangchung-dong 2-ga Jung-gu, Seoul

Park Hyatt Seoul (02) 2016-1234 • 606 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, 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

Airlines Korean Air 1588-2001 Asiana Airlines 1588-8000 Lufthansa (02) 2019-0180 Garuda Indonesia (02) 773-2092 • garuda-indonesia.co.kr

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTERS Jeju Air 1599-1500 Gangnam St-Mary’s Hospital 1588-1511 • 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul

T’way Air 1688-8686

Yonsei Severance Hospital (Sinchon) (02) 2227-7777 • 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul

British Airways (02) 774-5511

Seoul National University Hospital 1339 • 28-2 Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Delta Airlines (02) 754-1921

Jin Air 1600-6200

Yongsan Intl. School (02) 797-5104 • San 10-213 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul Seoul Intl. School (031) 750-1200 • 388-14 Bokjeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Branksome Hall Asia (02) 6456-8405 • Daejung-eup, Seogipo-si, Jeju Island Daegu Intl. School (053) 980-2100 • 1555 Bongmu-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu

Dulwich College Seoul Dulwich College Seoul offers an exemplary British-style international education (including IGCSE and IBDP) for over 600 expatriate students aged 2 to 18 from over 40 different countries.

6 Sinbanpo-ro 15-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea. www.dulwich-seoul.kr admissions@dulwich-seoul.kr 02-3015-8500

Cathay Pacific Airways (02) 311-2700

Emirates Airlines (02) 2022-8400

D ETUR

PO NS MU

NDO

HEALTH

Everland Resort (031) 320-5000 • 310 Jeondae-ri, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do Lotte World (02) 411-2000 0 • 240 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul Pororo Park (D-Cube city) 1661-6340 • 360-51 Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul Children’s Grand Park (zoo) (02) 450-9311 • 216 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul Seoul Zoo (02) 500-7338 • 159-1 Makgye-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do BOOKSTORES 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.

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

HEALTH 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 FITNESS Exxl Fitness Gangnam Finance Center, 737 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul • www.exxl.co.kr Daily Morning Ashtanga Yoga Mysore Classes (English) Jivamukti, Forrest, Universal Yoga (Korean) Apgujeong Rodeo Stn, Exit 4 (02) 515-6011• www.taoyoga.kr

UROLOGY & OB Tower Urology (02) 2277-6699 • 5th fl. 119 Jongno 3-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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

Hair & Joy

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

Served as Art Director at London’s Renowned RUSH SALON and nominated by the Guardian for “Best Hairdresser”

MUSEUM & GALLERIES 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

Trained at Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon Academy in UK Color, Perm, Magic Straight, Treatment and more English Spoken For more info, call Johnny Phone 02.363.4253 Mobile 010.5586.0243

Seven Uniqlo Springs

HonhIk Univ. Stn. Line2 Exit8

www.hairandjoy.com Gangnam groove ads.pdf Apgujeong Branch

Qunohair

1 19/01/2016 17:14:37 Phone 02.549.0335

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.

www.qunohair.com

10-6, Dosan-daero 45-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

DRAMA

ART MUSIC

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, Jongno-gu, Seoul The first specialized art gallery in Korea and accommodates contemporary art.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed on Mondays, NewC Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.

M Y Plateau (02) 1577-7595 CM • 50 Taepyung-ro 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul 10 a.m.-6 p. m. Closed on Mondays. MY

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (MMCA SEOUL) (02) 3701-9500 • 30 Samcheong-ro, Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Hair&Joy

Mapo-gu Dong gyo-dong 168-3_ 3F

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SERVICE SPORT

COMMUNITY

ACADEMIC

CMY

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FRIENDSHIP www.groovekorea.com September 2016

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Animal hospitals

Daegu Art Museum (053) 790-3000 • 374 Samdeok-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu Art space for local culture presenting Daegu’s contemporary fine arts and internationally renowned artists.

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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

DETU

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