Photo courtesy of World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat
THE EDITORIAL TEAM
Publisher Dr. Shin Gyonggu
Editor-in-Chief Dr. David E. Shaffer
Copy Editing Dr. David E. Shaffer, Catherine Sasmita
Layout Editor Lee Hwadahm
Online Editor Lee Hwadahm
The Gwangju News is the first English monthly magazine for the general public in Korea, first published in 2001. Each monthly issue covers local and regional issues, with a focus on the roles and activities of the international residents and local Englishspeaking communities.
The Gwangju News is published by the Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea
Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731
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Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315)
Registration Date: February 22, 2010
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For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr
From the Editor
Walking along the streets of Gwangju, I notice the newly fallen ginkgo nuts on the ground; looking up, I discern the golden hue overtaking the leaves of the many ginkgo trees lining the city’s avenues – surefire harbingers of October! The ginkgoes, though, are by no means the only seasonal beauty that our city has to offer. For must-see spots around the metropolis, see our article “Fall in Love with Gwangju This Autumn.”
There are many reasons to fall in love with October – it is chock-full of major events. One of these is Gwangju’s signature World Human Rights Cities Forum (Oct. 9–10). See our cover feature for our interview with the Forum’s keynote speaker, Dr. Kim Dong-choon. Ongoing throughout the whole of October is the Gwangju Biennale. Be sure to read our interview with the Biennale’s artistic director, Nicolas Bourriaud. Another personage to have recently visited our fair city is the representative of the Philippines. Enjoy our interview with Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega.
Oh, but there’s much more happening this month! Gwangju’s 3rd Busking World Cup Festival runs from October 2 to 6, and the city’s 21st Chungjang Street Festival of Recollection overlaps these dates (Oct. 2–6). This same weekend features Gwangju International Community Week (Oct 5–6). There’s more: The ESBB and Korea TESOL international English teaching conference is on the following weekend (Oct. 12–13). The festivities do not end yet: The following weekend hosts the 31st Gwangju Kimchi Festival (Oct. 18–20). For details on all these events, see this issue and/or last month’s issue of the Gwangju News.
One of the memories that the Chungjang Street Festival of Recollection brings to mind is how wedding ceremonies have changed over, say, the last fifty years. Read our feature on a comparison of past and present weddings – the author is in the know; she’s getting married before the month is out [Planning a Modern Korean Wedding]!
We have much more for you: Geogeum Island adventures, the hardships of the international student, women-friendly neighborhoods, bicycle-friendly cities... See for yourself on the Contents page. We hope you enjoy October and this month’s Gwangju News!
David E. Shaffer
Editor-in-Chief
Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.
Gwangju News
Gwangju & South Jeolla
Taken from the Yeojaman Haeneomi Observatory in Yeosu, this view was the ultimate highlight of a memorable summer trip.
The Photographer
Shivani Kolekar, from the western part of India, is a doctoral student in the Department of Artificial Intelligence Convergence at Chonnam National University. Besides her studies, she finds joy in photography and travels to different regions of South Korea, where she explores and expresses her passion for photography.
Photo Credits 08. Kim Dong-choon 14. Gwangju Biennale Foundation 17. Wedding Maps 23. Isaiah Winters 28. Dhivyaa S. P.
Gwangju City News
Gwangju Provides Autumn Pet Vaccinations
Gwangju City conducts rabies vaccination programs twice a year, in May and October. Dogs and cats that are registered in Gwangju and have completed their registration are eligible for vaccination. The rabies vaccination is available for dogs and cats that have completed their registration. When visiting a designated animal hospital, be sure to take your animal registration certificate or animal registration device. If the animal is not registered, you can register it by presenting your ID. Since each hospital may have different capacities and availability, you can call a designated hospital beforehand to confirm whether they can accommodate your visit.
• Period: October 1 (Tue.) to October 18 (Fri.), 2024 (First-come, first-served for 4,000 animals)
Note: The program may close early if supplies run out.
• Location: Designated Animal Hospitals (see below)
• How to Get Vaccinated: Visit a nearby designated animal hospital.
• Fee: 5,000 won per animal (cost borne by the owner)
• 24-Hour Noah Animal Medical Center (24시노아동물메디컬센터): 292 Dongnip-ro, Dong-gu. 062-222-0075
• Modern Veterinary Clinic (모던동물병원): 2 Jungang-ro 290-beon-gil, Dong-gu. 062-226-0075
2024 Gwangju Kimchi Festival
The 31st Gwangju Kimchi Festival will be held from October 18 to 20 in the Gwangju City Hall area. The festival will feature various events, including a kimchi-making contest, a star chef food show, concerts, and food trucks.
Visitors will have the opportunity to taste iconic and innovative kimchi-based dishes. They can also purchase high-quality, HACCP-certified kimchi and local agricultural products produced in Gwangju. In addition to these culinary experiences, the festival will offer various kimchi-themed
attractions, such as concerts and contests. This is a special opportunity to experience the authentic taste of Gwangju kimchi, with participation from carefully selected companies based in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do, chosen through a competitive public selection process. Detailed event schedules for each day can be found on the official website.
Meanwhile, Gwangju has signed an MOU with the World Korean Food Federation in order to cooperate in the expansion of Gwangju’s kimchi and foods overseas. Gwangju and the World Korean Food Federation will establish a network for overseas expansion of Gwangju kimchi and other foods; sell and supply Gwangju kimchi and foods linked to overseas Korean restaurants and specialty stores; and cooperate to promote overseas Korean events, Gwangju kimchi, and kimchi festivals.
Gwangju Designates ForeignerFriendly Medical Institutions
Gwangju City is set to designate approximately 20 hospitals as “foreigner-friendly medical institutions.” To be designated as a foreignerfriendly medical institution, hospitals must meet certain criteria, such as providing informational materials in foreign languages and ensuring that they do not refuse treatment to foreign residents. Medical institutions that receive this designation will be allowed to display a plaque indicating their status as a foreigner-friendly hospital and will be eligible for support such as financial assistance for medical expenses and medical interpretation services. This initiative is expected to be of great help to foreign residents who have faced difficulties when visiting medical institutions due to language barriers.
Meanwhile, Gwangju City has been making significant efforts to reduce the challenges faced by foreign residents when accessing medical services. Since the first half of this year, the city has recruited and trained medical interpretation service volunteers covering 11 different languages.
Gwangju has signed an MOU with the World Korean Food Federation. (Photo: Gwangju City)
Civic Space and Human Rights Cities - Keynotes the 14th WHRCF Kim Dong-choon
The 14th World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) will take place in the human rights city of Gwangju for two days starting on October 10, under the theme of “Civic Space and Human Rights Cities.” During the forum, international organizations, local governments, domestic and global experts from various fields, as well as citizens will gather to explore the issues regarding civic spaces shrinking around the world, from the viewpoint of human rights. Also, multifaceted discussions on how to maintain and expand the civic spaces will be conducted.
This year’s keynote address at the opening ceremony will be presented by Dr. Kim Dong-choon, professor emeritus of the Department of Social Sciences at Sungkonghoe University. He has examined the issues of state violence and ideological conflicts experienced in Korea. As a sociologist, he has also actively engaged in addressing the issues regarding human rights and justice that citizens may struggle with as a result of such violence and conflicts. The WHRCF secretariat has recently had the opportunity to explore Dr. Kim’s views on the theme of this year’s forum through the following interview.
WHRCF: First of all, thank you for taking time to do this interview for the Gwangju News. Would you please briefly introduce yourself to the readers of the Gwangju News?
Dr. Kim: Since retiring from Sungkonghoe University, I have been serving as the representative of the organization Good World Institute. As a sociologist, I previously led investigations and fact-finding activities on cases of state violence and massacre during the Korean War for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Korea.
WHRCF: The 14th World Human Rights Cities Forum has chosen the theme “Civic Space and Human Rights Cities.” In the current global context of the growing influence of extreme rightist groups, backsliding of democracy, and worsening polarization, could you elaborate on the significance of this year’s theme?
Dr. Kim: In the past, state and political powers put almost all spaces for living and activity under their control. As a result, spaces that could protect human dignity and intrinsic human rights were greatly diminished. However, nowadays, the global capitalist market and competition theories have driven the reduction of spaces that could secure basic human rights in the great majority of all living and working spaces. Given these changing circumstances, I think we need to figure out ways to ensure that human rights can be secured through expanding civic spaces.
WHRCF: From your own perspective as a professor who has studied the democratization process and human rights development in Korea, what role do you think community-level civil society organizations and grassroots movements can play in creating and sustaining a vibrant civic space?
Dr. Kim: The movements for democratization and human rights in the past were also seen as struggles to secure spaces free from the state’s exercise of power, violence, surveillance, and scrutiny. Now, it seems that efforts to create such spaces continue through local community and grassroots movements at the neighborhood level.
WHRCF: How do you think we could ensure that local governments are not marginalized and that vulnerable groups have equal access to civic spaces without being excluded from public engagement?
Dr. Kim: First of all, citizens’ participation has to be guaranteed, especially in the context of practical local autonomy, substantial decentralization, and the local community’s decision-making process. Speaking in more detail, it seems necessary to implement an electoral system at the town and village level and to guarantee the voting rights of residents’ assemblies.
WHRCF: Let’s think of a case where the governance and operational system of a state,
Founding ceremony of the Good World Institute. (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy)
the upper-level administrative unit, is quite conservative. In such a case, when political and legal restrictions are implemented on citizens’ engagement, what can local government do in order to expand and protect civic space?
Dr. Kim: The top priority is to make sure that the local government does not become an arena for power dominance by local oligarchs. To that end, we have to ensure that the nomination and election of local council members and heads of local governments are not influenced by major interest groups of large political parties in the central government and Seoul.
WHRCF: There are growing concerns over the advancement and expansion of technologies such as AI and social media platforms such as YouTube. Can these advancements in science and technology be positively utilized to expand and protect civic space for citizens’ participation?
Dr. Kim: Technology is always just a tool and what matters is which group uses it for what purposes. Social media networks and AI could serve as media for equal communication or just as a means for manipulation. Eventually, democracy and citizen participation will be the key in designing these technologies to benefit humanity.
WHRCF: How can global forums such as the World Human Rights Cities Forum contribute to the development of civic space in diverse cities around the world?
Dr. Kim: I think this contribution is possible when we come together to engage in discussion on severe human rights infringements and the shrinking spaces for human rights in various cities.
WHRCF: Last question. I understand that you have just recently established the Good World Institute. Could you briefly introduce the purpose of the institute and the activities you are planning to undertake?
Dr. Kim: Since the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, civic education initiatives have been completely halted. Therefore, I opened the institute in an effort to create a kind of social space aiming at reviving and spreading civic education at schools and local communities. Our main activities include civic education for teachers and youth, and building a community for civic learning.
WHRCF: Thank you so much for this interview. We really appreciate you taking the time for it, and we are looking forward to seeing you at WHRCF 2024.
Interviewed by the WHRCF Secretariat. Photographs courtesy of Kim Dongchoon and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega Visits Gwangju for Filipino Family Day
By David Jona Richter
In connection with her recent visit to Gwangju for the Filipino community event Palarong Pinoy at Family Day, David Richter had the opportunity to interview H. E. Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, the Philippines’ current ambassador to South Korea. The interview that follows focuses on Korea–Philippine relations and the Filipino community.
David Richter: Today is a big event for the Filipino community, especially in the Jeollanamdo area, but there’s obviously different events taking place in different regions. Thank you, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega, for granting us the honor of this interview.
Today’s event has brought together members of the Filipino community from across Korea, making it a meaningful occasion. Could you share your reflections on visiting and engaging with the various Filipino communities active here in Korea?
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: One of the main pillars and flagship programs of our embassy is engaging with the Filipino community in Korea. This community comprises over sixtythree thousand individuals from various sectors. The largest sector is the EPS [Employment Permit System] workers, followed by marriage migrants, who are part of multicultural families.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega.
Additionally, we have professionals, students, teachers, academics, and entertainers among the community. This diverse group underscores the importance of reaching out and engaging with all its members, especially as Korea becomes increasingly diverse and multicultural.
Projections indicate that by the end of this decade, Korea will become a fully multicultural country, surpassing the OECD’s required threshold. It is crucial for us to empower these communities by providing programs that inform them about their rights, responsibilities, and reintegration options if they decide to return to the Philippines or move elsewhere in the world.
Activities like today’s Family Day, which includes opportunities to participate in traditional Philippine games, are essential. Such events not only celebrate Filipino heritage but also aim to empower community members to be engaged and active participants in their current environments in Korea. Maintaining a connection to the Philippines is very important for us, as it helps these individuals stay connected to their roots while integrating into their new communities.
Richter: As the ambassador of the Philippines to South Korea, what unique opportunities and challenges have you encountered in fostering diplomatic relations and supporting the Filipino community?
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: This year, we are commemorating seventy-five years of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea. The Philippines was one of the first countries in the world to recognize the independence of the Republic of Korea and the first ASEAN country to do so. We also participated in the Korean War. These are significant milestones in our relationship and serve as strong foundations for a dynamic and forward-looking partnership. Our relationship is built on enduring partnership and deep ties, including shared sacrifices during the Korean War. These elements have fostered stronger relations across various fields, including politics, defense and security, economics, and trade and investment, as well as cultural and
academic exchanges. We also collaborate on addressing new challenges, such as food security, migration, and climate change. Currently, our relationship is in a very positive state. We are working closely to elevate it to a strategic partnership by the end of the year. I am optimistic that we will achieve this goal.
Richter: With approximately 64,000 Filipinos residing in Korea, what areas of cooperation do you believe are most critical in further strengthening the bond between the two countries? I think you’ve already touched on some of these aspects.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: In terms of our people-to-people relationship, one very important aspect is our labor engagement with Korea. The Philippines is one of the primary sending countries under Korea’s Employment Permit System, which is a government-to-government program for temporary labor in various sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and fisheries. Labor and migration are critical areas of engagement for us, and we have regular dialogues and mechanisms to collaborate with our Korean counterparts.
We also have a Migrant Workers’ Office here, which serves as the labor office of the Philippine government, ensuring that we are fully represented in this sector. Another significant aspect of our people-to-people relations is academic and cultural exchange. We are actively cultivating these exchanges through student programs and academic partnerships. For instance, we recently launched a Philippine Studies program at Busan University of Foreign Studies and are exploring similar arrangements with other universities across Korea.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, we are organizing a joint academic colloquium at Seoul National University. This event will highlight the research contributions of Filipino students, faculty members, and researchers in Korea. These initiatives are crucial for strengthening the bonds between our two countries.
We are particularly active here in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do, where there is a growing community composed of workers, marriage migrants, and a diverse multicultural population. We are pleased that the local government in Gwangju, including the provincial government, has been very supportive of our migrant community, not only Filipinos but also other migrant groups. Every year, we hold a Philippine festival in Gwangju, usually in this particular park, Wolcheon Park.
Richter: Would you be open to attending similar events and programs in Gwangju in the future?
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: Personally, I have visited Gwangju many times for various events, and I always enjoy coming here. I believe that Gwangju has extended a welcoming hand to our Filipino community and to migrants from various countries. We hope to continue coming here and to be more active in ensuring that we have representation at events, particularly those for migrants.
Richter: This is a major event, especially for the Filipino community, and it makes sense that you're here. However, outside of such large or targeted events, what other types of events do you usually travel to Gwangju or other cities for?
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: I travel to different parts of Korea quite frequently for various reasons. Some trips are related to Filipino community events, while others involve different aspects of our work, such as political, security, and maritime cooperation. I also attend trade events and expos focused on agricultural exports, seafood, gaming, digitization, and smart agriculture.
Additionally, I participate in cultural events. For example, I will be in Gwangju for the opening
of the Gwangju Biennale. This year, we have a Philippine pavilion showcasing works by some of the most outstanding contemporary artists from the Philippines.
Richter: One thing I’d like to add is that this event is open to everyone. Perhaps next year, we could see a few more non-Filipino migrants or even Korean people joining in and enjoying the festivities.
Ambassador Dizon-De Vega: We brought the Wish Bus to South Korea. The Wish Bus is a very popular radio platform in the Philippines for contemporary and pop music, and many of our Korean friends are familiar with it, especially those who have visited the Philippines. We held the launch event in Busan last June, and this is their second engagement here in Gwangju. In addition to showcasing Filipino talents and popular music, the Wish Bus also features some K-pop acts. It’s a very unique platform where live performances take place inside the bus. It is fully equipped and set up like a studio.
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We would like to thank Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega for taking the time to sit down with us to conduct this interview. We hope that this interview is insightful to anyone who reads it. Additionally, we hope that next year even more international Gwangju residents will make their way to Palarong Pinoy at Family Day and participate in its various activities.
The Author
Photographs by Kim Minsu.
David Jona Richter, born and raised in the very south of Germany, is a current graduate student at Chonnam National University. Before coming to Korea in late 2022, he spent about three years in the U.S. Midwest in Chicago. Besides his studies, he tries to engage in local communities in Gwangju and Korea.
PANSORI:
“A Marriage Between Sound and Space”
Interview with the Director Nicolas Bourriaud
By Kang Hyunsuk (Jennis)
The current biannual iteration of the Gwangju Biennale runs from September 7 to December 1 for its 15th edition. The artistic director for this year’s Biennale is Nicolas Bourriaud, a French curator and art critic, who has curated numerous exhibitions and biennials across the globe. Despite his busy schedule preparing for the upcoming three-month-long exhibition – which will manifest itself not only at the Biennale Main Exhibition Hall but also at an additional 30 “pavilions,” or art projects, throughout the city – our People in the Arts columnist, Jennis Kang, was able to recently connect with the artistic director at the Biennale’s unpacking ceremony for this interview for the Gwangju News. — Ed.
Jennis Kang: To begin with, Director Bourriaud, why did you choose pansori – which is thought more of as being narrative song and music than art – as the theme for the 2024 Gwangju Biennale? What message do you want to convey through pansori?
Nicolas Bourriaud: Personally, I have visited Gwangju many times for various events, and I always enjoy coming here. I believe that Gwangju has extended a welcoming hand to our Filipino community and to migrants from various countries. We hope to continue coming here and to be more active in ensuring that we have representation at events, particularly those for migrants.
Jennis: What was the most important element when setting the theme of the Biennale – “Pansori, a Soundscape of the 21st Century” – and how did you connect it with contemporary art?
Nicolas Bourriaud: The main issue that the exhibition intends to address is the historical period we live in, which is marked by climate change. And I wanted to address this topic through a very wide angle, which is space. The
question is today, how do artists represent the world we live in? How do they see the space around us, or the planet, or the political aspects of space? How are cities divided: Which invisible or visible lines are crossing our cities? All wars start because of border problems, because of conflicts about the delimitation of space. Art is about representation – about forms – and the way people see space is influenced by representations, either from TV, cinema, or artworks.
Jennis: What is your curatorial philosophy, and how did you realize it in this Gwangju Biennale?
Nicolas Bourriaud: For me, an exhibition is like an opera: You have the music, hear the voices of the artists, and you also have a text, a narrative, a kind of subtitle that holds them together and links their works to each other. I structured “Pansori” in different sequences, in five floors that all have a distinct atmosphere, and the visitors will pass from a very saturated, very urban space to a very desertic feeling. It is like a journey.
Jennis: What was the most challenging part of preparing this Biennale? How did you overcome that challenge?
Biennale Unpacking Ceremony on August 19 with Director Nicolas Bourriaud (second from left).
Nicolas Bourriaud: Every exhibition brings its challenges. Here, we have a lot of newly produced works, big and ambitious projects, which took a lot of time to coordinate. Fortunately, I gathered a team of curators following each one of them, and the exhibition team of the Biennale also did a tremendous job. For the 30th anniversary of the Biennale, we had to propose something different. That is why the opening ceremony will end with a performance of contemporary pansori, whose text has been written by Han Kang, and performed by many musicians and artists from the Biennale. Also, the Madang Food Lab will open its doors within the Biennale Hall, proposing a different take on Korean food.
Jennis: What is your perspective on the fusion of traditional Korean art and contemporary art? What influence do you think it will have on the art world in the future.
Nicolas Bourriaud: I originally wanted the exhibition to end on a traditional painting from the 15th century, “Dream Journey into the Peach Blossom Land,” by Ahn Gyeon. Unfortunately, the Japanese museum that owns it would not allow us to borrow it. But it is a very important image for me, which helped me to conceive the exhibition. It might be the first-ever dream painting, and it also is a landscape. I don't see any difference between today’s art and yesterday’s art; the stakes are the same since prehistoric times. The art of the future will certainly take into account its memory.
Jennis: This might be a difficult question but, if I had time to visit only one or two of the pavilions across the city, where would you recommend?
Nicolas Bourriaud: : I did not see them all yet, except the Japanese pavilion, and the German one, which both are very interesting. The Swedish pavilion seems to be ambitious also, as is the Indonesian one.
Jennis: I think the boundaries of art are becoming blurred. How can we differentiate between the works of professional artists and those of amateurs, such as between a professional photographer and a hobbyist? (Are such distinctions necessary?)
Nicolas Bourriaud: It is very simple: A great artwork has an intensity that mediocre ones don't have. By “intensity,” I mean the capacity of an artwork to prolongate the discussion, to have multiple layers of meaning – its complexity. It is the same with people, no? When someone bores you after one hour, he or she certainly won’t become a friend... That is where beauty is also important: not a shallow type of beauty, not cuteness, but an aesthetic intensity. Important artworks are the ones that develop this intensity in time. It is like life: When you meet someone, it is not only about physical features but about the relationship between the mind and the body. Art functions the same way.
Jennis: “The relationship between the mind and the body” – food for thought. Thank you, Director Bourriaud, for a look into the 15th Gwangju Biennale before we view it.
Photographs courtesy of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation.
The Interviewer
Kang Hyunsuk (Jennis) grew up in a place known as the City of Art – Gwangju. As a hobby, she took art classes at the Gwangju Museum of Art for several years. Through these experiences, she realized that there are so many wonderful artists in this area. Visiting exhibitions became her much-loved hobby. She has been contributing art articles in this column since 2020. Instagram: @jenniskang
Director Nicolas Bourriaud.
Planning a Modern Korean Wedding
By Diane Dooley
The marriage ceremony is a significant aspect of nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. Weddings are the ceremonies that mark an official or public declaration of a marriage between two people, but what these ceremonies involve can vary greatly by culture and religion. No matter what or how much is involved in a wedding ceremony, though, planning one is certainly not an easy task for the couple or their families.
With my own wedding set to take place at the end of this month here in Gwangju, in this article, I outline some of the steps involved in planning a modern Korean wedding and how they came to be from the perspective of a non-Korean bride planning a wedding in Korea.
In traditional Korean Confucianism, there is an importance placed on symbolic rituals and ceremonies. Historically, the most important of these were coming of age, marriage, mourning, and ancestral rites. The coming-of-age ceremony was abandoned during the early twentieth century while the others have undergone varying degrees of modernization over the last onehundred years.
Jennifer Jung-Kim observes that modern Korean wedding ceremonies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a “fusion of different cultures or practices that are both familiar and dissonant.” From the late ninetieth century, weddings in Korea began to incorporate forms of Christianity, Buddhism, and other “modern” wedding ceremonies. These were coined sinsik gyeolhon (신식결혼, new-style weddings) (Jung-Kim, 2008). Weddings also became highly commercialized affairs in line with the rise of consumerism in general during the colonial period.
These “new” weddings continued to adopt and adapt different practices during the twentieth century, and just as in the past, Korean weddings today not only reflect social change and trends but also the broader anxieties of the day. Korean weddings in 2024 have generally always involved a set number of specific steps and processes that have been adapted to contemporary situations.
Choosing a Wedding Venue
Traditionally, Korean weddings took place at the home of the bride and included a variety of ceremonies. However, the rapid urbanization of Korea made it impractical to have large gatherings at home due to the lack of space and the breakdown of rural communities (Jung-Kim, 2008). During the colonial period, common wedding venues were at home, in churches and Buddhist temples, in assembly halls, and upscale restaurants.
Today, the majority of weddings take place in large, multi-storey wedding halls. Wedding halls are often compared to factories due to the speed and efficiency by which the ceremonies unfold and the next begins – usually the next couple is waiting to enter while the previous ceremony is still in full swing! Wedding halls run several weddings simultaneously. If you walk into any wedding hall lobby, you will see a flurry of brides, grooms, and their entourages as they move from room to room, and guests shuffle in to deliver cash gifts, in envelopes to the families’ representatives, pick up wedding favors (usually gift sets), and then move to the venue’s buffet hall.
How do you choose a wedding hall? The first thing couples should consider is their budget. Wedding halls typically offer a variety of packages. The cost of renting a wedding hall here in Gwangju for a one-hour ceremony, including a buffet meal for 150–200 guests, ranges from eight to ten million Korean won. Any extras you choose to add to your package can increase this range significantly.
However, there are many other venue options for a modern Korean wedding ceremony. In addition to dedicated wedding halls, there is a market for smaller weddings held in local cafes and outdoor venues (“house weddings”) such as hanok. As in the past, Buddhist temples and churches also remain options. However, some of these venues tend to have a smaller capacity for guests and be more expensive because they do not offer packages – catering, formal wedding attire, décor, and photography have to be arranged separately, which can be more expensive depending on
A present-day Korean wedding. (Courtesy of Younglee Han & Wilson Melbostad)
the vendor. Korean weddings were traditionally communal celebrations with everyone in the couple’s community invited to join in the celebrations, even if they had no personal relationship to the family. Therefore, venues with a low capacity for guests are generally not preferred, particularly by the older generation. Every guest is considered an important part of the celebrations.
This contrasts sharply with Western-style weddings. The majority of guests at a Korean wedding will likely be friends, colleagues, and distant relatives of the couple’s parents. It’s not uncommon for guests who do not know the couple, but know the family, to show up at the wedding hall, hand over their cash gift to the family’s representative, quickly eat at the buffet, and leave without seeing the bride or groom. This would be a lot more inconvenient at a smaller venue with a limited catering. With this in mind, it is easy to see the appeal of dedicated wedding halls. Wedding halls are more affordable and cater to the communal nature of the Korean wedding.
The increasing costs associated with weddings has been an ongoing topic of debate since the emergence of new-style weddings in the early twentieth century. Many couples in Korea cited the rise in wedding expenditure for either postponing their ceremonies or forgoing one entirely. Today, there are still some measures in place to reduce the financial burden of weddings – for example, there are many governmentoperated wedding halls that can be rented for a reduced cost. It costs only thirty thousand won to rent the wedding hall at the Gwangju Metropolitan City’s Public Servant Training Institute (공무원교육원).
Pre-Wedding Studio Photography
One of the most important components of a Korean wedding doesn’t even happen during the ceremony! In a typical Korean wedding hall ceremony, there is very little time and few private locations to take professional photographs of the couple. So, most couples have a pre-wedding photo shoot at a large studio some time before
their wedding ceremony. Weddings halls usually provide pre-wedding photography as a standard part of their packages. This includes hair, makeup, a fixed number of outfits and a fourhour photo shoot at your choice of studio from a list provided by the wedding hall. These days, many couples are choosing to do things a little differently. My husband hired an excellent local photographer, we went to Jeonju’s Hanok Village, borrowed hanboks for twenty thousand Korean won, and had a fantastic day together without the pressure of studio lights and a large team fussing over us!
The Order of Ceremonies
What exactly happens at a Korean wedding ceremony? The first ceremony in a Korean wedding is the “main” ceremony and, on the surface, looks similar to Western-style weddings. Brides wear white wedding dresses with veils and carry bouquets, and grooms typically wear a black suit or tuxedo. Wedding halls are decorated with flowers and many draw inspiration from European churches. There is usually a high walkway running down the center of the hall for an aisle that is surrounded by round tables for guests, leading to a stage area at the front. During the early colonial period, pictures show that brides wore white hanbok (replacing the earlier bright, multi-colored hanbok) with veils and that white wedding dresses came onto the scene a little later.
Entrance of the bride in a traditional-style wedding ceremony. (Matt and Nayoung Wilson)
New-style wedding ceremonies in colonial Korea followed a similar format whether they were secular, Christian, or Buddhist. Today, this order of ceremonies remains almost entirely unchanged. Today, it’s common for the couple to write the script for their own ceremony based on this established order of ceremonies.
To start, there is music and opening remarks from either an officiant or the master of ceremonies, the introduction of the bride and groom and their parents, the bride and groom face each other and bow, the bride and groom’s vows, the reading of congratulatory messages or a congratulatory song or both, the bride and groom bow to their guests, and closing remarks. A Christian wedding will include prayer and reading Bible passages, and a Buddhist wedding includes lighting of incense, but traditional Korean elements usually remain, such as the bride and groom bowing to their parents and guests.
However, despite their short length and established structure, the modern Korean wedding ceremony does allow for a surprising amount of creative input from the couple, such as bride and groom dance routines or grooms who choose to do push-ups to demonstrate their commitment to their bride instead of the traditional bow!
There are no traditional Korean vows as in Christian ceremonies in Western countries; couples have almost complete creative freedom with how to craft their vows. This was a highly praised addition to the Korean wedding in the early twentieth century; prior to this, the bride and groom were largely silent.
In Korea, the bride and groom usually face their guests as they make their vows – they are making promises to each other with their community as witnesses. In recent years, the trend has been to make these vows entertaining. Remember, many guests will likely have no personal relationship with neither the bride nor groom, so will be unhappy to sit through a long history of the relationship or anecdotes that only the couple
understand. Similarly, many couples may feel uncomfortable about the prospect of pouring their heart out in front of strangers. Instead, many recite a short list of specific promises to each other, and try to make it a little bit entertaining, often while providing insight into their partner’s quirks or hobbies to people who may not have met them before the wedding. Prior to the rise of this trend, vows were simpler, such as “I promise to be a wise and kind wife.”
After the vows, it’s time for the Declaration of Marriage (Seong-hun Seong-eon, 성훈성언).
Unlike in many Western countries, you don’t need a license to officiate a wedding in Korea. In fact, many Korean weddings do not feature an officiant at all! Previously, couples would choose a prominent figure from their community, such as a professor to the family or, if they have a religious affiliation, a prominent figure from their religious community. In recent years, it’s become more common for one of the couple’s parents, or another elder from their extended family, to read an abridged Declaration of Marriage while providing general relationship or life advice to the couple.
The couple will then bow once to each set of parents to express their gratitude for raising them and their spouse. This has remained a key part of Korean wedding ceremonies regardless of their hybridity since the early colonial period. Then, the couple bow to their guests and leave the main stage area to a final round of applause. Finally, large commemorative group photos are taken with the couple and their friends and families. A quick change of clothes into something more comfortable – or, more commonly, a hanbok, and everyone shuffles into the banquet hall for a large meal.
Wedding Invitations
The pre-wedding studio photo shoot serves several different functions. The studio provides professional photographs and an album to use as decoration at the wedding venue. The photographs are also keepsakes for the bride and groom and their families as the number of
photos that can be taken during the ceremony itself is limited by time constraints. Interestingly, the most popular form of wedding invitation in Korea is electronic. Companies that make the standard paper wedding invitations usually provide a mobile wedding invitation as well.
Old Meets New: The Pyebaek Ceremony
A second, traditional Korean ceremony is optional. This ceremony is known as pyebaek. Generally, wedding halls only recommend doing this ceremony in one of two situations: the family of either the bride or groom is very traditional, or either the bride or groom is not Korean and would like a traditional Korean experience. This is due to the time constraints – pyebaek is included in the one-hour wedding hall rental slot.
Pyebaek is a modern translation of the final rites of the old Confucian wedding. Historically, it was a ritual where the groom’s family formally accepted the bride into their home. The bride paid her respects to the groom’s parents and relatives by bowing deeply and pouring alcohol for the elders in the family. Now, this all takes place in a separate room at the wedding venue. Family members, starting with the groom’s parents, followed by the bride’s parents, and then on to more distant relatives take turns sitting in front of a table that is covered in various traditional dishes, teas, and alcohol to receive a bow from the couple. After they receive their bow, they often give the couple words of wisdom or a simple congratulation, as well as cash gifts. The parents will throw dates
and chestnuts, which the bride and groom will attempt to catch with the bride’s clothing. The number of dates and chestnuts caught is said to foretell how many boys and girls, respectively, the couple will bear. Finally, as a public display of strength, the groom carries his new wife around the pyebaek table on his back, followed by his mother-in-law and then his own mother.
The pyebaek ceremony is often considered an extra to the standard wedding package – several thousand Korean won extra for the traditional hanbok outfits, and even more still for the food, teas, and alcohol. The declining popularity of the pyebaek ceremony was evident in every wedding hall we visited – the rooms looked slightly neglected and are being used as a makeshift changing room for the wedding party. One of the reasons we chose our wedding hall was its vibrant and well-maintained pyebaek room.
Prioritize What Matters
As emotional and anxious as brides and grooms can get about every choice they make when planning their wedding, which will only be heightened when planning a wedding in a country other than the one that one was born and grew up in, very few of those decisions are worth the stress. I would argue that the only decision you need to spend any time worrying about is who you are marrying!
Reference Jung-Kim, J. (2008). The new woman and new-style weddings in colonial Korea. The Review of Korean Studies, 11(4), 15–40.
The Author
Diane Dooley is originally from Glasgow, Scotland. She has a BA in Korean and an MA in Korean literature. Diane enjoys, reading, exploring, and talking about Korea to anyone willing to listen, She is getting married at the end of this month in Gwangju to the love of her life! Instagram: @yeloodenaid // Email: dianedooley@naver.com
Modern pyebaek ceremony. (Wedding Maps)
Mind Over Matter!
By Park Nahm-Sheik
Mind over matter – This line makes a neat and tidy guidepost for seekers of wondrous things in life such as fitness, hipness, and contentedness. The mind is a fertile seedbed of all the riches that count in our quest for true fulfillment. It holds the key to getting our physical self to fully participate in translating all our worldly wishes into reality. Hopeful people tend to live better, happier, and longer than their less hopeful companions. In fact, hypertension, diabetes, and other serious medical conditions are more often attributed to negative turns of mind than to positive ones.
It is enlightening that a cheerful disposition is thought to be instrumental in speeding up recovery from adverse medical events. Also, the quality of the recovery observed here is normally a function of the power of hope in play. Additionally, worrywarts are considered more likely to be cancer-prone than their easier-going counterparts. These observed interconnections between mental dispositions and various health issues apparently cast huge shafts of light on correlations that link mind and body into one and the same entity.
Worth tons of efficacious medication, a sunny disposition appears to be capable of helping to tackle myriad medical issues that stubbornly refuse to respond to other remedies attempted. This is a truly miraculous phenomenon, far from easy to account for without recourse to something like “mind over matter.” It may very well be the case that mind is innately omnipotent, which is seemingly simply beyond analytic interpretation or rationalization.
Of apparent relevance to the topic under discussion here is the rationalist philosophy of
Renee Descartes (1596–1650). His theory centers around the underlying principle that is quite eloquently summed up in Latin as Cogito ergo sum (“I think; therefore, I am”).
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) also comes to mind here. In his philosophical magnum opus The Pensees, this French philosopher cum mathematician pontificated, “Man is but a reed (the feeblest thing in nature); but (he is) a thinking reed.... All our dignity consists, then, in thought. By it we must elevate ourselves, not by space and time we cannot fill. Let us endeavor then to think well; this is the principle of morality.” Humankind’s innate capacity for cognition and cogitation is genuinely a one-of-a-kind heavenly blessing. Humanity is gifted with this serene, sublime blessing by boundless divine grace.
The amazing power of the human mind is convincingly attested to by the popular saying “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Also bearing witness to the extraordinary traction of the mind: Nothing is impossible to a willing heart; Where your will is ready, your feet are light. Whatever the mind/heart bids, the body is always there ready to do that in the blink of an eye. The body is to the mind what a foot soldier is to the commanding officer.
The Author
Park Nahm-Sheik is a native of Gwangju. After graduating from Chonnam National University, he went on to receive a master’s degree at the University of Hawaii and a PhD (applied linguistics) at Georgetown University, both in the U.S. Upon completing a long career at Seoul National University, Prof. Park served as president of the International Graduate School of English.
Geogeum-do Death March
By Isaiah Winters
Every year, I subject myself to a figurative death march. These punitive pilgrimages always take place on one of Honam’s beautiful islands, and my patented poor planning ensures these treks are always too long, too hot, and ultimately underwhelming. Last October (issue #260), I turned a day at Myeongsa-simni, Wando’s most famous beach, into a death march to a distant deserted beach that was polluted, smelly, and a complete waste of time. My reward was to return to the baptismal waters of the main beach and cleanse myself of the sin of stupidity.
This year is no different. For our October issue, I’ve turned my most beloved Korean island into a hellscape of deep regrets and even deeper muscle pain, both of which persist as I write this ten days later. Located off Goheung’s southwest coast, Geogeum-do is the only place in Korea where I
actually considered buying a home, that is, until the homeowner suddenly took it off the market. For such a small island, it boasts an impressive array of beaches, with Ikgeum Beach having light-colored sand, Geumjang Beach being a mixture of darker sand and pebbles, and Ocheon Beach featuring large pebbles of various hues. The island even has a nearly 600-meter-high peak with a network of long ridges offering islandstudded panoramas. Basically, ruining a visit to Geogeum-do takes effort, which I certainly managed.
The “plan” was to park as close to the trailhead as possible and hike to Jeokdae-bong, the island’s highest point at 587 meters. From there, I’d take the southernmost ridge down, which terminates near Ocheon Beach. Once there, I’d stock up on water and food in the nearby village and then go
Geumjang Beach.
Finally taking in the melodic whoosh and crackle of Ocheon Beach after a long hike.
for a well-deserved victory dip while listening to the waves and pebbles whoosh and crackle in their perennial ebb and flow. Once cooled off, I’d stroll along the island’s scenic coastal road to Geumjang Beach, where I’d take a gratuitous second dip before following the road back up into the mountains to where my car was parked. With a plan as foolproof as this, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, I didn’t check the distance between these locations beforehand – I just glanced at the map and thought, “Meh, looks doable.” Little did I know, I was embarking on a nearly 18-kilometer death march at noon during the peak heat of summer. Sweating buckets in the first ten minutes, I wisely skipped Jeokdae-bong and just went straight down the southbound ridge to Ocheon Beach, which saved me two kilometers. Even still, it took me six kilometers and two liters of water over a three-hour period just to get off the mountain, and then it was another kilometer slog to reach the nearby village for more sustenance,
followed by an additional kilometer to Ocheon Beach. To be honest, I struggled to fully enjoy my swim because I kept remembering I was only about halfway through the death march.
The stroll along the scenic coastal road to Geumjang Beach soon turned ugly: I developed a nasty rash between my thighs, the swollen soles of my feet had worn through my socks, and my right knee was failing to bend to my will. With every step making things a little worse, I knew long before reaching Geumjang that I’d have to skip the second dip and just tuck-tail straight to the car, which was now 150 meters back up the mountain and nearly eight kilometers away. During my footslog of shame, the only memorable moment was when
Southeast view from the ridge toward Ocheon Beach.
a 40-something ajumma rolled down her passenger-side window and said “yeppeo” (예뻐) to me. This confused me, especially since a man was in the driver’s seat, and when I asked her what she meant, she just said “yeppeo” again. Another car approaching behind them didn’t like our chitchatting and honked in frustration, so the couple just inexplicably drove off. Guess I wasn’t that cute after all.
storm of my life with torrents of rain I never knew nature could produce. With the roads taking on too much water, I hydroplaned several times. On three occasions, I briefly hydroplaned while simultaneously having my windshield completely doused by idiots passing too fast on the left. This left me both blind and unable to steer for split seconds. Those moments of sheer terror were like some final karmic punishment for all the day’s cumulative hubris. I can’t say I deserved any better.
The Author
and lightning
Following the 15-kilometer death march, I was grateful to be back in my car before nightfall. The drive home was initially expressionless and quiet, but then the sky turned dark and ugly. I ended up driving for two nightmarish hours through the heaviest
Born and raised in Chino, California, Isaiah Winters is a pixel-stained wretch who loves writing about Gwangju and Honam, warts and all. He’s grateful to have written for the Gwangju News for over six years. More of his unique finds can be seen on Instagram @d.p.r.kwangju and YouTube at Lost in Honam.
thunder
Photographs by Isaiah Winters.
Southwest view from the ridge toward Geumjang Beach (closer) and Ikgeum Beach (further).
The Alternative Platform
A Space for and by International Students
By Yousra Feriel Drioua
“Alternative” – What comes to your mind upon glancing at this word, or what do you relate it to? Is it an innovative method, meant to replace an old one? Is it a less important, secondary option to a service of some kind? Or is it creative practice born out of need in a continuously modernizing world? Whatever you take it to mean, it falls into the “other” category. If you’re an international student, at some point or other, this must have resonated with you.
Today’s piece is about a collective action group, Alternative Platform, created this past summer and initiated by international and Korean students as well as professors in Korea, but concentrated at Chonnam National University (CNU).
“It was important to involve international students in the organization process,” said Ganies Oktaviana upon asking her how the platform reaches out to international students. She explained that “the approach we have taken has been research and public discussion, yet we are aware that this platform is newly created, so the process to involve other international students more in our activities takes time. Currently, we still need to introduce and socialize Alternative Platform to them.”
Ganies Oktaviana is one of the masterminds and founding international students behind Alternative Platform. I was fortunate to be invited to the first session conducted by the platform online on September 6 and wanted to introduce it to our Gwangju News readers as it is a one-ofa-kind initiative. As the platform is rather new, it was deemed best to have an interview with one of the founders for the clearest understanding of what it stands for, why it was founded, and what specific methods are used to ensure that students are aware of the platform and its work.
“First of all,” Oktaviana elaborated, “it is a fact that international students are already aware of their issues. But the thing is, those issues are mostly discussed by international students on a small scale, such as in their community of their country of origin, with other international students, or with close friends.” She added that these discussions, although similar, take place in small, closed groups. “Therefore, Alternative Platform exists to overcome this limitation where big issues are supposed to be discussed widely –not solely by those who are experiencing them
but with those who actually have authority in terms of law-making and social change.”
Oktaviana highlighted that in order for positive change to occur, international students and the challenges they face should be brought to the public’s attention: “Now, we are trying to use various methods, such as an exhibition titled ‘From the Lens of Strangers: Struggle to Humanize Ourselves’ at the Kim Daejung Convention Center on October 11 from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. This exhibition is a partnership with the World Human Rights Cities Forum [whose annual forum is taking place at that time].” In addition, a series of thematic webinars has been planned for the coming months. The first webinar in the series was held on September 6, and the dates of upcoming webinars will be announced as planning progresses.
Ultimately, Alternative Platform was created out of necessity, driven by a series of events that forced the founders to take action and not allow themselves to be bystanders. In May of this year, there was news of an international student nakedly cycling around the CNU campus. Later, the student was reported to have passed away. International graduate students at CNU reacted to the news with a surge of sadness. They then revealed their own personal struggles with adapting to the Korean academic system.
These personal struggles included things “such as unhealthy relationships with professors, inadequate time off, excessive pressure from both the institution and professors, and the unhealthy lifestyle of being both a researcher and a student. Some also raised issues about being migrant students and facing racism in general conditions, as well as unequal workloads and wages,” Oktaviana disclosed. On the same day (May 24), Oktaviana and others decided to organize an event to express their condolences for the tragic loss of their friend. Considering the administration and the time they had to prepare, they opted for a march on the CNU Gwangju campus.
We must understand that “the root causes are not personal issues, although some netizens on social media place the blame on the victim,” Oktaviana asserted. The group created a petition and gathered information from international students, particularly regarding mental health issues. Later, on May 27, the Silent Protest in honor of the deceased student, was held. There, more than 100 international students joined in signing a petition. In addition, almost 300 supporters signed online in English and Korean. In June, the petition was submitted to the Mechanical Engineering Department at CNU, the Office of International Affairs, and the CNU Graduate School. Campus authorities invited student representatives to attend a formal meeting. At the meeting numerous students related their experiences and stated their demands.
“The vice president of CNU promised to develop an online and offline system for reporting unfair working and learning conditions through anonymous methods,” Oktaviana related. “However, as yet, there has been no specific or significant improvement or feedback from campus authorities related to mental health issues.” Furthermore, many international students seem to lack an understanding of their own rights as students, as foreigners, and as humans. In response, the Alternative Platform was created on July 14.
All in all, this platform serves as an “other” way forward – an alternative initiative against neglectful institutions and ambiguous, unjust policies through the power of dialogue. The Alternative Platform aspires to provide a safe space for international students to share their problems and to leverage the platform for collective advocacy and problem-solving.
The
Author
Yousra Feriel Drioua is a freelance writer with an MA in media communication and journalism. She is an Algerian citizen residing in South Korea and loves writing, coffee, and going on spontaneous adventures. Instagram: @myyigli
Fall in Love with Gwangju This Autumn
Must-See Spots Around the City
By Dhivyaa S. P.
As autumn blankets Gwangju in vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow, the city becomes a perfect destination for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and those looking to relax in a beautiful setting. Whether you’re seeking an outdoor adventure or a peaceful retreat, Gwangju has something for everyone this season. Here are the top spots that I have personally visited during the autumn in and around this picturesque city. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Mudeungsan National Park: A Hiker’s Paradise
If you’re an avid hiker and want to immerse yourself in Gwangju’s autumn foliage, Mudeungsan National Park is the ultimate destination. With a variety of hiking trails, from easy walks to more challenging climbs up the mountain, the park offers something for everyone seeking both adventure and the beauty of fall. Must-Do: Visit Seoseokdae and Ipseokdae, famous rock formations that are particularly stunning against the backdrop of autumn foliage.
Mudeungsan National Park.
Gwangju Monorail: A Scenic Ride Through Nature
For a unique way to enjoy Gwangju’s fall beauty, take a ride on the Mudeung Mountain Tourism Lift in the Jisan Recreation Area. This hidden gem offers a bird’s-eye view of the city’s changing colors as you glide through the trees and over scenic spots. The ride is perfect for both tourists and locals who want to experience autumn from a new perspective without the effort of hiking. Best Time to Ride: Late afternoon, when the sun casts a warm glow over the landscape, creating a golden tunnel through the trees.
Gwangju Lake Waterside Eco Park: A Tranquil Escape
Gwangju Lake Waterside Eco Park is a perfect spot for those seeking peace and tranquility. The calm waters mirror the stunning fall colors of the surrounding trees, creating a serene environment. Whether you’re taking a peaceful walk along the lakeside or enjoying a quiet picnic, the lake offers a beautiful escape from the city. If
you’re traveling by car, you won’t have any issues. However, if you’re relying on a local bus, be sure to carefully check the bus schedule. We nearly found ourselves stranded on a chilly night after missing the 7 p.m. bus.
Why You’ll Love It: The peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty make this an ideal place to relax and enjoy the season’s colors.
Chonnam National University: Autumn’s Golden Pathways
Chonnam National University, known for its green spaces, becomes a breathtaking sight during fall. The campus is dotted with towering trees that transform into fiery shades of red and yellow, making it a wonderful place for a peaceful walk or even a casual study session outdoors. As you wander through the tree-lined paths, you’ll feel completely immersed in the seasonal beauty.
Don’t Miss This: You will want to stroll down the university’s Ginkgo Avenue, where the trees turn a brilliant yellow in the autumn.
Even if you don’t have the opportunity to explore more distant parts of Korea this fall, you can still spend your weekends enjoying Gwangju’s beautiful autumn spots. These destinations offer the perfect escape into nature’s beauty and the vibrant colors of the season.
P.
The Author
Dhivyaa S. P. is from India and resides in Gwangju, where she explores Korean culture and history. Living in the city for over two years, her interests include hiking, volunteering, and relishing green tea lattes. Her writings aim to intertwine her adventures with insights into Korean heritage and travel.
Photographs by Dhivyaa S.
Gwangju’s Women-Friendly Village Project Building Gender-Equal Communities
By Anh Nguyen
The Women-Friendly Village Project
Gwangju is leading the way in promoting gender equality with its innovative WomenFriendly Village Project. This initiative is a crucial part of the city’s commitment to fostering environments where women are safe and treated equally. Recognized as a Women-Friendly City by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Gwangju is taking proactive steps to ensure that women can fully engage in and benefit from all aspects of community life.
Origins and Purpose
Gwangju’s Women-Friendly Village initiative began in 2012 with a mission to create neighborhoods where gender equality is prioritized. The project emphasizes the importance of building communities that recognize and respect the needs of women, providing them with equal opportunities for participation in the social, economic, and political areas. Since it started, 71 gender-equal villages have been established in the city, making significant contributions to the spread of genderequal culture across Gwangju.
The project aims to help neighborhoods work together towards gender equality, encouraging residents to play an active role in shaping their communities. Gwangju’s approach reflects the belief that meaningful change can happen when cities empower their citizens to get involved.
Women-Friendly Cities
In 2023, all five districts of Gwangju were officially designated as “Women-Friendly Cities.” This recognition, given by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, highlights Gwangju’s efforts to create a safe, supportive environment for women. A Women-Friendly City certification lasts five years, during which time cities must continue to demonstrate their progress and dedication to promoting gender equity in their policies and practices.
The recognition reflects the city’s commitment to ensuring women’s safety, equal participation in decision-making processes, and access to resources. Gwangju’s Women-Friendly Village initiative is a key part of this mission, bringing the larger goals of the Women-Friendly City vision to life on a community level.
Supporting Local Communities
For the 2024 project cycle, Gwangju is inviting local community organizations to apply for funding to create or enhance Women-Friendly Villages. These are voluntary groups of residents dedicated to promoting gender equality in their neighborhoods. The selected communities will receive financial support to develop gender-equal programs that meet their unique needs. These may include programs like community childcare, local job opportunities for women, and gender equality education.
In 2024, Gwangju selected several communities to take part in the Women-Friendly Village initiative. These include the following:
• Dong-gu Chungjang-dong Residents’ Association, which is documenting the stories of female shopkeepers to showcase the different roles women have played over time.
• Seo-gu Dreaming Small Library, offering afterschool programs and teaching fathers how to engage in playful learning with their children.
• Nam-gu Sipsi Ilban Sharing Village School, which connects local resources to operate a community learning center.
• Buk-gu Dream Tree Welfare Center, running a community-led childcare program.
• Gwangsan-gu Cheomdan Salon Yeomunson, which offers craft workshops that focus on gender equality to make education on this topic more accessible.
These communities were selected after a public call for applications, and each will receive a portion of the 75 million won budget to support their projects. The city is also working with the Gwangju Women’s Family Foundation to provide additional help to these neighborhoods by sending experienced activists to offer one-on-one guidance and training.
In addition, the city has launched various educational programs aimed at fostering leadership in these communities. One notable initiative is the Women-Friendly Village Leader
School, which provides training for local leaders on topics such as gender equality, effective communication, and community organization. This program aims to empower women and men alike to take leadership roles in shaping policies and programs that promote gender equality in their communities.
These efforts demonstrate that gender equality begins at the local level, and by supporting neighborhoods, cities have the potential to make meaningful progress. Gwangju is showing that when citizens are empowered to take the lead, significant changes are possible.
Gwangju’s Women-Friendly Village Project represents a transformative step toward building a more gender-equal society. By supporting local communities in their efforts to promote gender equality, the city is actively contributing to the larger goal of making Gwangju a WomenFriendly City. As the initiative continues to grow and expand, it might serve as a model for other cities worldwide seeking to create safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for all residents.
Photographs courtesy of Gwangju City.
The Author
Anh Nguyen (Anne) has been living in Gwangju for five years, studying journalism and communication at Chosun University. She fell in love with the city’s beautiful views, rich history, diverse culture, and delicious food. Her goal is to share her love for Gwangju and introduce its stunning natural scenery and attractions to everyone.
Residents’ Association of Chungjang-dong, Dong-gu, selected as a women-friendly village.
The Mental Burden on the Student
By Julien Laheurte
On May 24 this year, a 23-year-old international student at Chonnam National University in Gwangju took his own life on campus. The day before, he had been detained by police after riding his bicycle naked. Investigations revealed that the student was undergoing treatment for depression and struggling with academic pressure.
In response, international students organized a rally on May 27 to commemorate his death. They marched across campus, pausing at the engineering building where the student worked to observe a moment of silence. A petition was also signed, calling for “structural changes in mental health awareness at universities.”
On June 4, the Chonnam National University International Student Association (CISA) submitted a more formal petition, signed by 276 students and local citizens. The petition was delivered to the student’s department, emphasizing that his death was not an isolated
case but part of a larger issue within the Korean academic system. It urged the university to improve mental health support, particularly for international students who often face heightened risks of loneliness and social isolation.
This tragic case is not unique. Two years earlier, an Ethiopian international student in Seoul was found dead near the Han River after reportedly experiencing severe loneliness and isolation. Both incidents highlight a recurring and troubling pattern among international students in South Korea, pointing to a need for greater mental health support in academic institutions.
To better understand the challenges faced by international students and explore potential improvements in their mental health support, I interviewed Kim Dong-gyu, a South Korean freelance journalist who covered the Chonnam University rally, and an international PhD student currently at Chonnam.
Kim Dong-gyu, in his May 27 article for OhmyNews, highlighted two key points from his discussion with international students. First, he advocated for universities to establish “reliable, independent institutions” where students can safely report discrimination, bullying, excessive workloads, and human rights violations, providing a neutral space for students to speak freely without fear of judgment. Second, he cited a rally attendee who linked a student’s suicide to “extreme research pressure and harsh treatment” faced by international students and researchers (PhD students also being researchers), noting both intense competition and potential mistreatment. During my interview with Dong-gyu, I asked him to clarify the origins of those “harsh treatments.”
Dong-gyu explained that graduate students are viewed as “cheap labor” in Korea’s academic
Petition submitted by the Chonnam National University International Student Association.
system, working long, often unconventional, hours for minimal pay. He attributed this to the “power dynamics within these institutions,” comparing it to the army. He further noted, “The hierarchical relationship between professors and students is well-defined, making it difficult to change the system.” Students must “navigate” this rigid hierarchy to earn their degrees and secure competitive jobs. In other words, they feel compelled to accept all tasks from their academic advisors to succeed, even when those tasks exceed their contractual duties or breach decency.
He added that students felt their fate depended too much on their interpersonal relation with their advisor, lacking a structure to “address and resolve any rights violations.” He cited the case of two Nigerian students who felt helpless, as their advisor was their only point of contact within the university. Additionally, some students feared speaking out, worried that conflicts with their advisor could lead to their visas being canceled. This doesn't imply that advisors inherently exploit their students, but if they do, there is very little to prevent it.
During my conversation with the PhD student from Chonnam, we discussed claims of “harsh treatment and extreme pressure.” While he didn’t refute these statements, he clarified that he personally hadn’t experienced such issues. He felt fortunate to have a strong “support system” that made the work pressure manageable and noted that he hadn’t witnessed or heard of any abuse by advisors toward himself or others. He also implied that some people may push beyond their limits without being “forced” to do so.
Nevertheless, he admitted that competition can be intense, not only among students but also between advisors, who seek academic success and power within their department. This pressure can trickle down to graduate students, who may not be fully prepared for it. He also noted that the rigid hierarchical structure in the Korean system can solidify the student–advisor relationship into a strictly professional one. I contrasted this with the situation in Europe, where departments
often foster a community-like atmosphere, making it more common to develop friendships with advisors and fellow graduate students. This environment can provide “natural” support in case of personal problems or mental breakdowns.
Last but not least, when discussing the challenges faced by foreign students compared to Koreans, Dong-gyu suggested that they might lack a strong support network, such as family or close friends, to help share their burdens. He also noted that limited fluency in Korean can make it difficult to navigate society and find parttime jobs, especially during financial hardships. Interestingly, the PhD student saw the language barrier as a relative advantage. He explained that not being fully fluent in Korean allows him to avoid many “bureaucratic” responsibilities, giving him more time to focus on his research compared to local students.
As Korean universities continue to attract an increasing number of international students, particularly from Southeast Asia, they must pay greater attention to the vulnerabilities these students face, especially the risk of loneliness in a society that has yet to fully embrace multiculturalism.
Photograph courtesy of Kim Donggyu.
The Author
Julien Laheurte is a French literary translator who has been residing in South Korea for the past two years. After the completion of his master’s degree in Seoul, he moved to Gwangju with the intention of delving deeper into the history of the May 1980 democracy movement. His goal is to translate literary works that shed light on this pivotal moment in Korean history.
Doughnut Economics and a Bike City
By Chung Hyunhwa
The bicycle has a history of over 200 years, but its popularity soon appeared to be on the decline due to the advent of the automobile. Recently, however, more and more cities are incorporating bicycles into their transportation systems in an effort to deal with the rapidity of climate change. Bikes are completely free of carbon release, convenient and fast, good for the health, and very economical. I recently visited Amsterdam in the Netherlands on a business trip, and I would like to share how this bike riders’ heaven is providing a realistic vision of a sustainable future.
Amsterdam is extraordinarily unique with its numerous bikes filling the city. I remember Namwon in Jeollabuk-do was like present-day
Amsterdam when I was young with its numerous bikes, but they were soon replaced by automobiles in the 1990s. Amsterdam was also a busy city with a lot of cars at one time, but there were two things that transformed it into the bike kingdom that it currently is. One was the increasing death toll from the numerous automobile accidents that also killed young children. The other was the oil crises of 1973 that led to banning the use of private cars on Sundays for three months. There were demonstrations to change the roadway system and the city transportation design, especially by the parents of the lost children.
During the car-ban period, people realized how nice it was to walk, to ride bikes, and to enjoy the car-free streets for various activities. These experiences led them to reach the social agreement to incorporate bikes into their transportation system, and as a result, the Netherlands became a country with 23 million bikes and 35,000 kilometers of bike paths covering the entirety of the country over the past 50 years. Considering the entire population is only 17 million and the land area is only one-third the size of South Korea, this is more than impressive. They changed their transportation system with their collective intelligence and wisdom.
In Amsterdam, it is faster to get anywhere on a bike than by car. The car lanes are often one way and the speed limit is strict. Parking a car is difficult and very expensive, too. Most bike lanes are as wide as car lanes, and bike lanes are respected by pedestrians and cars. For example, on a wide street, there are two bike lanes, twoway tram rails, and a car lane. There are cars, but they do not occupy the entirety of the streets. I
Bike riders of Amsterdam passing Central Station. (Chung Hyunhwa)
did not see any cars that are going fast or that were loud during my stay in the city. I even saw trams stop for pedestrians and bikes. Pedestrians and bike riders certainly have the right of way there. The streets in Amsterdam are always busy with walking tourists, citizens on bikes, and with trams and cars. I was impressed by the order in the streets, accompanied by a sense of freedom. The air quality is a plus due to there being so few cars.
The typical Dutch bike may be a little different in the way that you ride: One sits very upright without bending forward. Bikers use a lot of accessories for practical purposes – to carry children, groceries, and bags. Their bikes also have a part called the “coat guard” that keeps the rider’s change of clothes for the office or school from getting caught in the wheel. Their bikes may be a little different, but what is really different is not the bikes but the infrastructure and the system.
Besides the bike paths across the country, the Netherlands’ bike parking facilities are also very well organized in the form of bike racks on streets and bike parking garages. The Dutch also get actual tax benefits for using bikes. Even helmets
are not required, so they can ride without ruining their hair styles. The Dutch say that it is healthier to cycle without a helmet than to never cycle at all. They incorporate everything that will encourage people to ride bikes rather than drive a car. With this effort, 70 percent of the population use bikes to go to work or school, and of course, the Dutch are all fit and slim. If you ride a bike every day, it is probably more difficult not to be fit.
Amsterdam has recently been adopting “doughnut economics,” which focuses on a balance between life’s essentials and the ecological ceiling. Humans should consume to live, but only as much as they need. Based on this philosophy, policies are made, and people agree to follow them. The Dutch have always had challenges because their land is lower than sea level, but they have dealt with it by developing advanced technologies to control the water. Still, the rising sea level due to climate change is becoming a greater threat nowadays, so they continue to seek solutions. Biking is definitely one of their actions to fight climate change, and now Paris and London have joined in as well.
I think Gwangju should be the first example city in Korea to join this movement to show that bike transportation can actually create a lively and clean city environment. Some say there should first be more bike riders and that the infrastructure would then follow, but I think that advantageous infrastructure is needed to trigger a bike-riding culture. With our collective intelligence and volition, I don’t think it is impossible.
The Author
Chung Hyunhwa, a native of Gwangju, currently works for a horticultural company. She led the international ecohike group Gwangju Hikers at the GIC in 2020 and 2021. Previously, she taught English at Yantai American School and Yantai Korean School in China and worked in school administration at Branksome Hall Asia in Jeju. She holds a master’s degree in TESOL from TCNJ in the U.S. and a license to teach Korean. She loves plants, birds, and repurposing items creatively.
Bicycle paths in the Netherlands and Belgium, indicated by purple lines. (OpenCycleMap.org/)
October Upcoming Events
MUSIC CONCERTS
Gwnagju Food Fair 2024 2024 광주식품대전
Dates: October 17-20 (Thu.-Sun.)
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
(Admission closes at 5:30 p.m.)
Food Fair closes at 5:00 p.m. on the last day. (Admission closes at 4:30 p.m.)
Venue: Kim Daejung Convention Center
Admission: 1,000 won (Free admission with pre-registration / Website: www. foodshow.kr)
Age Restriction: 7 years of age or older
Purpose: This exhibition is to provide the best business platform for the food and beverage industry.
Admission: V seats 120,000 won, R seats 80,000 won, S seats 50,000 won, A seats 30,000 won, B seats 20,000 won, C seats 10,000 won
Age Restriction: 7 years of age or older
Reservations: By phone (10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.)
Phone: 062-412-2502
Gwangju Symphony Orchesrta Chamber Series VI
광주시립교향악단 체임버 시리즈 Ⅵ
Date: October 17 (Tue.)
Time: 7:30 p.m. (Running time 70 min.)
Venue: Gwangju Arts Center, Small Theater
Admission: All seats 10,000 won
Reservations: Gwangju Arts Center website
Age Restriction: 8 years of age or older
Phone: 062-613-8241
2024 Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival 2024 광주서창억새축제
Dates: October 17-20 (Thu.-Sun.)
Venue: Around the Yeongsan River (Geungnak Bridge – Seochang Bridge)
Admission: Free
Inquiries: 062-350-4792
Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival will feature various cultural and artistic performances, experience events, and walking events against the backdrop of natural silver grass along the Yeongsan River.
Major events include SG Secret Dining, drinking wine in a space surrounded by silver grass, picnics enjoyed at cafes in the observatory, and a national silver grass and sunset photo contest (photos taken by festival participants).
In addition, there will be performances and exhibition programs run by Seo-gu residents, silver grass photo zones, reusable-container food court zones, and spaces for pets. As a related event, a walking competition will be held on the 17th.
At the event, activities such as looking around the silver grass areas in an electric car, experience programs, and shuttle buses require a fee. The rest of the activities, including the large pinwheel experience and parasol loan, are free.
Have fun with the silver grass on an autumn day.
The first three people to complete the monthly crossword puzzle correctly and send us a photo of the completed puzzle will receive a cultural gift certificate for 5,000 won!
A gift certificate will be sent to prize winners online on the 5th of the following month.
- Email via gwangjunews@gic.or.kr or DM via Instagram at Gwangju International Center.
C R O S S W O R D P U Z Z L E
Created by Jon Dunbar
ACROSS
1 Education program for foreign residents 5 Green product of Boseong 8 GIC’s Milosavljevic 12 “Truth or ___”
Korean pub
Singer Tori 15 Korean pancake
16 1882 incident in Korea
17 Nam June or Jong-won
18 Multicultural city in Gyeonggi Province
20 UN human rights department
22 Early IM program
23 Informal farewell 24 Floor heating system
27 Stone statue of the reclining Buddha
31 Bloodgood or Ik-hwan
32 Artist Do Ho ___
35 “___ Kleine Nachtmusik”
Bounce into
“Crime does ___ pay” 43 Bank taken over by SC 45 Henchman
47 Monstrous heavy metal band
49 Mauna ___
51 Handle
54 Goes with Yoo or cha
55 “How adorable!”
56 Ms. in France
57 Pole-mounted pair of drums for Korean ritual music
58 Hawaiian flower necklace
59 “Minari” actor Steven
Look for the answers to this crossword puzzle to appear in the November 2024 issue of the Gwangju News.
1 KYS’ successor
2 UN nuclear regulator
3 Fe, on the periodic table
4 Private villa in the countryside
5 LG appliance brand with AI
6 Gwangju FC’s Ji-sung
7 “The game is ___”
8 Stir-fried starch noodle dish
9 South Asian caregiver
10 Pinot or film
11 State a question
19 Easily injurable knee part
21 Guffaw sound
24 Jeolla exclamation
25 Smaller version of 57 across
26 Fermented bean paste
28 Gwangju happening
29 Revert to an older state
30 “___ we forget...”
32 Lunar New Year
33 Lee Jae-myung’s popular policy
34 Chuseok
37 Baseball hitter’s stat
38 “Citizen Kane” studio
44 “Cogito ___ sum”
46 Radio show “__ Gwangju” (2 words)
47 Broadcaster of 46 down
48 Tving historical drama “Queen ___”
50 Be in debt
52 1918 pandemic
53 Two fives
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