Gwangju and South Jeolla International Magazine I December 2019 #214 Gwangju International Center Turns 20
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1 Gwangju & South Jeolla Intern ational Magazine
December 2019, Issue No. 214 Published: December 1, 2019 Cover Photo Gwangju International Center Turns 20 Photograph by Sarah Pittman
THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Production Editor Layout Editor Photo Editor Photographer Communications Proofreaders Online Editor Researchers
Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer William Urbanski, Karina Prananto Isaiah Winters Karina Prananto Sarah Pittman Kim Yunkyoung Park Min-young Tara Kulash, Ynell Mondragon Karina Prananto Melline Galani, Lee Younny, Yoo Yeonwoo
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 English-speaking communities.
The Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr GwangjuNews gwangjunews
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distinct chill penetrates the late-autumn breeze, twilight greets us earlier than the dinner table, the wall calendar is down to its last leaf – all signaling that December is stepping onto the stage for the final act of the year. December taking to the stage signifies the completion of a cycle and denotes a sense of maturation, much like the ripening persimmon on its leaf-bare branch. Maturation in its many forms surrounds us, and the December issue of the Gwangju News celebrates this maturation in multiple ways. From the cover of this issue, you have noticed that our mother organization, the Gwangju International Center (GIC), is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with festivities being held at the GIC on December 7. We will be celebrating maturation – 20 years of maturation – by the GIC. From an infant NPO with a single staffer, the GIC has matured into a vibrant institution with a full-time staff of 20, and numerous volunteers. Even the director of the GIC and publisher of the Gwangju News, Dr. Shin Gyonggu, is a volunteer in the true sense. Our cover story “Gwangju International Center Turns 20” features an interview with Dr. Shin, who has nursed the GIC through its infancy, through its adolescence, and into its dynamic young adulthood. This interview is complemented with the reflections of veteran GIC staff and a timeline of the major events and projects of the GIC. Maturation is a continuum. Our photo essay this month touches on a topic that is making headway on the path to maturation, albeit as yet rather small, but significant, steps. Recognition of the LGBTQ+ community is progressing with Gwangju recently holding its second annual Queer Culture Day. Our six-page photo essay captures the colors of the event – the pride of Gwangju. We like to think that the Gwangju News is also maturing. Now in our nineteenth year, the magazine has grown from two folded sheets of paper produced periodically to the 60 pages now published monthly. In addition to quantity, we take pride in the quality of what we now produce: a broad spectrum of topics, adeptness in writing, and professionalism in editing. But we do not stop and rest on our laurels; forward on the continuum we march.
For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.
Our two additional features introduce Azerbaijani carpet weaving, on display in Gwangju, and Shindogs Air, serving to send your pets home. Enjoy!
Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.
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David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News
December 2019
Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Join Adcom 조인애드컴 (+82)-62-367-7702
Our December issue brings you not one but four feature articles. One is about planting the seeds that will lead to maturation: the establishment of Gwangju Toastmasters. This self-development club has the potential to grow as the Gwangju KOTESOL chapter has done over the past 25 years. Read about both in this issue.
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Copyright © 2019 by the Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the written consent of the publisher.
From the Editor
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December 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
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Photo of the Month By Steve Robinson
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here were no less than five firework displays during this year’s Jinju Lantern Festival. Unfortunately, due to work commitments, I missed the first four but was fortunate enough to capture the fifth display on the final night of the festival. Normally, I would head up Seonhak Mountain to photograph from the high viewpoint, but I did not have enough time and so instead found a quiet place along the Nam River. I was trusting to luck somewhat with an untried location but was pleasantly surprised with how the shots turned out, especially the reflections in the water.
The Photographer
Steve Robinson is a native English-speaking teacher from Durham in the UK who is currently residing in Jinju. He has been living in Korea for seven years, mostly teaching in public schools. It was during his time in Korea that photography became a real passion for him, so he began to take it far more seriously. For more photos, visit his website at www.steverobinsonphotos.com.
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CONTENTS December 2019. Issue # 214 MONTHLY NEWS 04. Gwangju City News 54. December 2019 Happenings 56. Community Board FEATURES 06. Gwangju International Center Turns 20 13. Azerbaijani Carpet Artistry: An Interview with Lale Alieva 16. Introducing Toastmasters: The Birth of a Gwangju Club 18. Leo Mendoza’s Shindogs Air: Keeping Pets with Their People BLAST FROM THE PAST 20. The Penal Code in the Joseon Dynasty TRAVEL 22. Lost in Gwangju: Neighborhoods Rallying Before Death 26. Around Korea: A Visit to the Old Beach Town Slides 29. From Abroad: Toronto – Touring the Town
EDUCATION 31. Everyday Korean: Episode 24 – 집들이 (Housewarming Party) 32. Language Teaching: Bryan Hale Heads Gwangju KOTESOL – An Interview 34. Seven Reasons to Choose Gwangju for Your Academic Career FOOD & DRINKS 36. Fresh Wrap: The New “Fresh” Sensation 38. Gul-Jeon: Oyster Pancakes OPINION 42. Lessons for Canada from Korea ARTS & CULTURE 02. Photo of the Month 44. Photo Essay: Taking Pride 50. Book Review: Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents 51. Gwangju Writes: The Fermi Paradox 53. Gwangju News Crossword Puzzle
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December 2019
44 Taking Pride
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Gwangju City News
MONTHLY NEWS
Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall Photograph courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall
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December 2019
Gwangju Enhances Its Auto Parts Technology Competitiveness
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wangju Metropolitan City, which is leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution with eco-friendly cars and artificial intelligence, has begun to improve the technological competitiveness of its local auto parts companies. On November 19 at the Pyeongdong Industrial Complex, Gwangju’s city government held the opening ceremony of the Gwangju Automotive Technical Engineering (GATE) Center. On this day, more than 300 people attended the opening ceremony, including Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup; Hwang Hyun-taek, Chairman of the Industrial Construction Committee; Shin Jaebong, Chairman of the Industry–Academic Cooperation Association; and representatives from local auto parts companies and related organizations. The center was established in 2008 after remodeling the 1,112 sq. meter mold and die testing center in the Pyeongdong Industrial Complex to support the mold industry. At the center, 40 types of processing, molding
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analysis, and test evaluation equipment, such as large, surface-processing machines; large, metal 3D printers; high-efficiency, 3D processing systems; and thermal shock testers were built. To manufacture automobile parts and prototypes, equipment such as the following must be installed for automotive parts development and mass production reliability verification tests: (a) large surface-processing machines capable of precision grinding of large material parts, (b) large, metal 3D printers capable of 3D printing of steel materials such as aluminum, (c) high-efficiency, 3D processing systems for large parts processing and precision parts processing, and (d) thermal shock testers for performance tests against heat change. The management and operation of the center will be undertaken by the Gwangju Green Car Promotion Agency, a specialized automotive institute that will enhance the technological competitiveness of local auto parts companies and induce
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5 the activation of the Light Green Industrial Complex. With the opening of the center, equipment operation and effective support in connection with the Southwest Regional Headquarters of the Institute of Production Technology will be possible, enabling local parts companies to use production equipment and conduct research and technology development at affordable costs. Gwangju City expects that support for the industrial sites as construction of facilities for parts companies proceeds in the Pyeongdong Industrial Complex, which has in the past lacked specialized automotive support facilities and research centers. In particular, the center plans to build infrastructure for parts companies located in the Pyeongdong Industrial Complex and create a good environment for doing business by promoting the desire for enterprise support quickly and efficiently. In addition, Gwangju City is leading the way in fostering eco-friendly cars and future automobile industries by building high-tech equipment in the Light Green Industrial Complex. Gwangju City plans to settle Gwangju-suited jobs early by reinforcing fast corporate contact with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and expand the platform for corporate growth and performance creation when the ecofriendly automotive industry ecosystem is created. Mayor Lee stated that “as a result of the development of eco-friendly auto parts clusters worth 30.3 billion won, centered on the Light Green Industrial Complex, Gwangju will be the leading automobile city in Korea. Through opening the technical support center, we will do our best for continuous corporate growth and job creation.”
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Through this venture, Gwangju is looking forward to the positive effects of various AI-related technical industry developments in the future. Gwangju City Mayor Lee Young Sup stated, “Creating a cooperative system with R&D agencies under the government will help Gwangju go forward as an AI-centered city.”
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wangju City is in talks with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) for the creation of a tourism organization. The non-profit foundation will be the Public-Private Tourism Policy Platform according to the city. The organization will help to develop tourism contents, advertising, and marketing; provide professional human resources; and improve the tourism industry.
Asia Culture Center Chosen as “Unique Korean Venue”
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wangju’s Asia Culture Center (ACC) was recently selected as one of 2019–20’s thirty “Unique Korean Venues” by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. The “Unique Korean Venue” title refers to a special place qualified to host global festivals displaying and promoting unique regional and cultural merits on a continuous basis. This year alone, the ACC has held the 2019 Korea–ASEAN Special Summit, the 2019 25th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), the ACC Round Table, and others. An official stated, “This selection proved that the Asia Culture Center is Korea’s representative multipurpose culture facility. The city will proceed with many more global festivals to develop Gwangju as Asia’s cultural center.”
Gwangju to Receive Elderly Job Applications for 2020
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wangju City recently announced that it will receive job applications from elderly residents for 2020. The city has invested some 860 billion won in jobs for the elderly and social activity businesses to produce about 25,000 jobs. The city is planning to allot 21,000 jobs for public activities such as environment purification, 2,600 for markets, and 1,100 for social services. Compared to this year, the total amount invested increased by 41 percent, which is 25 billion won, with a 25 percent increase in participants, now numbering over 5,000. Applications can be submitted by November 22 for the current jobs in progress, and from the 1st to the 14th of December at local public offices for next year.
December 2019
wangju City signed agreements with the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, and Gwangju Techno Park for “Gwangju’s AI-centered City Project and Development.” The agreements include common technical development for AI and consulting research infrastructure, holding AI-related forums, seminars, conferences, and more.
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Gwangju City Signs Agreements for AI
Gwangju Plans to Create a Tourism Organization
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December 2019
FEATURE
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December 2019
Compiled by David Shaffer
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Gwangju International Center Turns 20
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ention “the GIC” to any foreigner in Gwangju, and they will most likely know instantly what you are referring to. For most, it has been here longer than they have, and it has played an important part in the lives of many. It is not an overstatement to say that it has played a very significant role in the Gwangju community. And this year, the Gwangju International Center turns 20. It celebrates this anniversary on December 7 at the GIC. This article marks the occasion with an extensive interview with the person who knows more about the GIC than anyone else, its director, Dr. Shin Gyonggu, and it is augmented with additional thoughts and impressions gleaned from the GIC’s present staff. First, the interview. INTERVIEW WITH DR. SHIN GYONGGU Gwangju News (GN): Thank you, Dr. Shin, for finding the time for this interview on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the GIC, the Gwangju International Center. Since you have been with the GIC since its beginnings, would you tell us just how the idea of a GIC was conceived?
▲ Dr. Shin Gyonggu, Director Gwangju International Center
1999~2002 May 1999 Kwangju Center for International Visitors (KCIV) established with Lee Jong-su as first chairman of the board.
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December 2019
September 1999 First Gwangju Foreigners’ Day held (now known as Gwangju International Community Day). June 2001 Gwangju News published as a monthly magazine. Korean language classes started. March 2002 GIC Library opened. April 2002 GIC office moved from the Jungang Ophthalmology Building to the Jeonil Building August 2002 English name changed from KCIV to GIC (Gwangju International Center).
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Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Frankly, the GIC was not my idea or initiation. I still do not know for certain who really conceived the idea or how it began. I was simply invited to the board at the end of 1998. There are quite a few who claim that it was their idea. I am sure that they got involved at the beginning of the project in one way or another, but now I am almost sure that the concept came from San Antonio, Texas. One of the junior officials at Gwangju City Hall visited San Antonio’s city government, and he brought that idea to Gwangju with him – that city official was Kim Byung-kyu. The original name of the GIC was KCIV (Kwangju Center for International Visitors). The then deputy mayor, Song Jaegu, brought that idea to Kwangju Citizens’ Solidarity (KCS) with financial support of 30 million won. KCS was one of the most prominent activist organizations in the late 1990s (but disappeared in the early 2000s). I was recommended to chair the board of 15 directors, but I declined since I had no experience in civilian organizations. Prof. Lee Jongsu of Gwangju University accepted, and I then also declined the executive director position when asked. Suh Eugene, a longtime social activist in the US, accepted the position, but he was not approved by City Hall due to his lack of Korean citizenship. At that time, the system was not open as it is now. All things considered, I was obliged to accept the directorship. GN: Not all the international centers in the major cities around Korea are the same. Can you tell us how the GIC differs? Dr. Shin: Sure. There are numerous differences between the GIC and other international centers. The GIC has the distinction of being the first international center in Korea, which officially opened in 1999. Now there are nine international centers nationwide with slightly differing names. All others are fully funded by their local governments, while we are independent and supported by fee-paying members of more than 1,000 Koreans and international residents, and by volunteers. I myself have been a fee-paying member and a volunteer for the last 20 years. Another significant difference is that we are providing services to both Korean and international residents in collaboration with volunteers and 20 full-time staff. Many international residents of Gwangju are not merely beneficiaries of GIC services but are service providers themselves. The best example of this international involvement is the Gwangju News,
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9 which would not have been possible without the international volunteers who comprise the majority of the staff and contributors. Many other GIC projects would also not be possible without both Korean and international volunteers. I am proud of the many independent projects managed mostly by volunteers, such as the GIC Talk, Gwangju Performance Project, Gwangju Free Cycle, GIC Citizens’ Choir, and the language exchanges for English, Chinese, and Spanish. The GIC is truly a platform where our international residents become mainstream members of Gwangju. Some projects are initiated and become active through volunteers, and some of them become inactive or even disappear when the leaders of the projects leave Gwangju. I would welcome even more projects being created by volunteer members. GN: What do you consider to be the highlights or the most notable of the many programs and projects over the years, as well as at present, that the GIC has been involved in?
2003~ 2005 March 2003 GIC Culture Tour (now GIC Tour) began operation. May 2003 First May Concert held. August 2003 Yun Jang-hyun appointed as second GIC chairman of the board. September 2003 GIC Talk program of presentations began.
Dr. Shin: I don’t have regrets about any of the programs that I just mentioned. However, in terms of impact, the Gwangju News, which we started in 2001, deserves to be considered the most important GIC project. We started it to promote Gwangju as an international city. I thought that an English monthly would be a great international asset to the city, so I did not mind when we suffered large annual deficits for printing up until 2010, when it began to be supported by City Hall. It also provides good publicity for the GIC itself. The GIC Talk has been a great asset by inviting both Korean and international speakers to the GIC. It has lured people to fill the GIC spaces with visitors on weekends. I love choir music, and I was extremely happy when we began to sing in the GIC Citizens’ Choir every Saturday morning since last year. I hope that more international members join the choir. [Dr. Shin is himself a member of the choir. — GN]
May 2005 May Concert held to raise funds for Asia’s earthquake victims.
The biggest project of the GIC is now the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF), which Gwangju City Hall created in 2011. City Hall was not able to find a suitable organizer of the forum in 2014, so they came to the GIC as the last resort. We accepted the project in the hope that we could develop it into the most important annual international event of the city. Since then, it has grown about ten fold in number of sessions and participants. Participants in 2013 numbered about 250; we had around 2,000 this year, with 250 of them being international participants. Fewer than half of the international participants were supported by the WHRCF. Many sessions are now being organized by national and international organizations rather than solely by Gwangju. One of the most important aspects of the forum it that the event has grown so remarkably in the last six years – and with a budget increase of only 18 percent. Another, more important aspect is that the forum is successfully branding the City of Gwangju as a human rights city while promoting the concept of human rights and city rights around the world.
2006~2008
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October 2007 GIC Internship Program started. March 2008 Long-term volunteering program started. May 2008 Gwangju Guidebook – English version published.
December 2019
Dr. Shin: About ten years ago, the Korean government began to increase support for international residents, focusing mainly on migrants married to Koreans. Though intentions were good, it resulted in these families being distanced in some aspects from the Korean community. The GIC
October 2007 Gwangju Experience Program for International Students held.
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GN: In what ways do you think the GIC has contributed most to the international community in the Gwangju area?
July 7, 2006 Music concert held at Geumnam Park to raise funds for Indonesian earthquake victims.
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2009~2012 October 2009 Gwangju International Homestay Feel@ Home started. December 2009 Gwangju Guidebook – Chinese version published. June 2010 Gwangju News 100th issue anniversary celebrated. April 2011 GIC Tour with Warren started (once a month).
is providing spaces for both local and international residents to carry out activities together or separately as they choose. I am very happy to find that the English teachers group created by the Filipino community now includes both local and international members. I would like to see if the GIC can be more effective in assisting our international community in becoming more of an integral part of mainstream Gwangju with more international community initiatives. The GIC also hopes to have more members of the international community as GIC members, volunteers, and staff coordinators. In the long run, I hope that the citizens of Gwangju are so open-minded and global-minded that the city’s international residents can obtain routine services anywhere in town and that there will be no need for them to have to search out the GIC for these services. GN: You mentioned the GIC Talk. The GIC attracts dignitaries from around the world. Would you share with us some of the most memorable ones? Dr. Shin: We have been privileged to invite many diplomats, highranking government officials, scholars, and journalists to be speakers at our GIC Talk events and to be featured in the Gwangju News. The first GIC Talk speaker was the Norwegian ambassador in 2006. The first ambassador to stay at my house was Chilean Ambassador Adolfo Carafi. His talk on the Chilean people’s struggle for democracy impressed an audience of around 100. He also paid tribute to the heroes buried at the May 18 Cemetery. Then in 2007, Indian Ambassador Parthasarathi gave a powerful presentation at the GIC Talk without the aid of a PowerPoint file or even a note in hand.
2013~2015
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December 2019
May 2013 “Save GIC Day” held to raise funds for GIC office moving. October 2013 Lee Geun-woo appointed as third chairman of the board. January 2014 Office moved from the Jeonil Building (Geumnam-no, Dong-gu) to the Samho Building (Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu). March 2014 Gwangju Freecycle started. May 2014 4th World Human Rights Cities Forum organized by GIC. April 2015 GIC Global Lounge opened. October 2015 First issue of Chinese Gwangju News magazine published.
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The 2009 GIC Talk by German Ambassador Seidt on German unification attracted a large audience to which he gave relevant advice on North– South Korea rapprochement. In 2010, it was enlightening to see the husband of the representative of UNHCR Korea helping his wife as if he were her assistant. I have stayed in touch with Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Trong Toan ever since he gave his GIC Talk in 2012. In 2015, pop musician-turned-diplomat, Ambassador Lars Danielsson of Sweden made the GIC Talk audience envious of the cooperative relationship between his country’s employers and workers. Journalist Tim Shorrock and Prof. George N. Katsiaficas seem to have been the two most ardent advocates of the May 18 Democratization Movement and friends of Gwangju among those whom I have met at the GIC. GN: That is an impressive group of visitors. What about the GIC staff? Some look young; others not so young. Some are Korean; others not so Korean. Dr. Shin: Yes, there were four early GIC staff members that I must mention: Kim Namsuk (1999–2000), who now lives in New Zealand; Kim Soo-a (2000–2003), who is now the head of the Human Rights Office of the Korean Ministry of Justice; Park Geun and Kim Singsing (2002–present) and Kim Minsu (2005–present). The GIC would not now exist without them and their dedication. I am also proud of our other talented coordinators who have joined more recently: Kim Taehyung, who has been leading the WHRCF
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11 team so successfully since 2014; and Lee Boram, Lim Eunjung, and Lee Jeongmin, who are managing difficult projects of the International Support Team. I was eager to have an international resident as a coordinator, so I was very happy when an Indonesian lady began to work with us as a volunteer and then finally became a full-timer; that lady is Karina Prananto. Joey Nunez was the first American who worked at the GIC. He was with us for two years, even though his salary was very low at the time. He loved his work at the GIC, and so did we. I am thrilled beyond description when our young coordinators meet a partner, get married, and begin to have children. I encourage them to bring their children to the GIC as early as possible. I like the noise the children produce in the office. It is also great to see the young staff grow and mature in diverse ways. So many of them are doing great at their jobs – much beyond expectations. GN: What is it about the GIC that keeps you here? Is it the staff that you have to work with? I know that you have worked with no salary for the two decades that you have been at the GIC. So it isn’t that.
2016~2018 March 2016 Gwangju Tour with Global Friends started. December 2017 1st Gwangju Urban Design Forum organized. March 22, 2018 David Shaffer appointed as fourth chairman of the board. August 16-24, 2018 Volunteer team dispatched to Cambodia for Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) project (August 16-24). October 5, 2018 Gwangju News 200th issue anniversary celebrated.
Dr. Shin: In the early years, I probably thought about quitting hundreds of times and for many reasons. There was so much work to do, and on top of that, I was still teaching full-time at Chonnam National University. There was the financial burden, job stress, and a variety of conflicts to deal with. But I feared that if I would have quit, the GIC would have disappeared. I did not want to disappoint the young coordinators and our GIC members who put their trust in me. In addition, I was aware of the value of the services that the GIC was providing for the community. In the beginning, there were more challenges than joys. As the GIC grew, I began to have more joys than challenges. GN: So far, my questions have been about what the Gwangju News thinks our readers would like to hear about the GIC. What would you like for our readers to know about the GIC?
GN: Thank you for the Gwangju News compliment. Going forward, what plans do you see in the cards for the GIC, and what do you see in the stars as the future of the GIC? Dr. Shin: This is a perennial question that I have been asked over the past ten years, even by my own staff. I did not have any plan for the GIC in
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May 26, 2019 25th Gwangju International Community Day organized to celebrate Together Day (co-hosted by Gwangju Metropolitan City and Gwangju Immigration Service). June 22, 2019 Special GIC Talk held to celebrate GIC’s 20th Anniversary. Special music concert held to celebrate GIC’s 20th Anniversary. September 30, 2019 The 9th World Human Rights Cities Forum organized. October 24-25, 2019 Asia Culture Plaza organized, hosted by Asia Culture Center and co-organized with Asia Culture Institute.
December 2019
I have talked mostly about the positive side of the GIC. However, there are clear limitations in our capacity, especially in mobilizing the community to actively participate in GIC projects and exercising ownership. In this regard, I point to the Gwangju News as the best model of member participation. I also like the GIC Citizens’ Choir and the GPP since they are fully managed by the participants.
2019 www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Dr. Shin: First and foremost, I would like the GIC members and the community to make the most of the GIC space and its resources. In this regard, the Gwangju Performance Project (GPP) is the best model. In the past, I often heard my staff complaining: “Why are we busy doing what other people or organizations ask us to do instead of having our own projects?” My response was: “We do not need to exist for our own needs. We exist for the needs of the community.”
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12 the beginning when I was coaxed into being the director. But things have changed since then. It may sound rather pompous, but I would like to continue to be a facilitator for the GIC staff and our members, as well as for the people working with us. Of course, there are many small and wild dreams that I would like to realize if circumstances permit: more engaging educational activities for young children together with their parents, international youth exchange courses similar to the International Summer Session I created at Chonnam National University, human rights tours with focus on but not limited to Gwangju, developing the World Human Rights Cities Forum into a world-class event, while providing more enjoyable and self-enriching job opportunities for young people in Gwangju. I would also like for the GIC to be more than just a democratic organization where people respect each other. I would like to see it grow in its efforts to help the community in helping themselves. GN: Thank you, Dr. Shin, for your time, for the wealth of information, and for your insight. We hope that in the next 20 years, the GIC will be a force in contributing to the international and Korean community just as much as it has in the past two decades.
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REFLECTIONS: THE GIC STAFF While Dr. Shin is a reservoir of information on the GIC, I was also interested in getting the thoughts of some of the 20-member staff that he speaks so highly of. Catching up with them is not the easiest thing to do, as their work on various projects often takes them out of the office and keeps them busy when they are at their desks. One thing that stands out for me is that so many of the staff started out as GIC volunteers. Park Minyoung discovered the GIC in 2013 and soon became a volunteer translator. Now she is a coordinator on the International Support Team (IST). Similarly, Lee Boram started out in 2010 as a volunteer and is now an IST coordinator. And Kim Minsu, who started out as a volunteer in 2003, is now the general manager of the GIC. This volunteer spirit is poignantly evident throughout the GIC staff. Karina Prananto relates that she views the Korean staff as selfless individuals “who work not for money but for service to the community.” Prananto is herself an IST coordinator who dedicates much of her time to Gwangju News activities. Lee speaks of how the GIC has grown “from only a handful of international residents two decades ago to a drastically increased community of about 35,000, who now have their own voice in Gwangju society. Kim iterates how the GIC is the leader in fostering the paradigm of local residents and the foreign community working together in international exchange activities rather than merely offering government hand-out services to foreigners. She feels a sense of
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gratification when foreigners decide to extend their stay in Gwangju because of the GIC. While Dr. Shin has words of praise for his GIC staff, they equivocally speak highly of him. Park recalls how it was Dr. Shin’s firm handshake and eyes gleaming with enthusiasm that convinced her to accept his job offer on the spot. That handshake, she recounts, “completely changed her life.” Prananto describes Dr. Shin as a “volunteer director” who is “selfless” in promoting Gwangju, his second hometown. Lee describes him as always being busy, donating his time, efforts, and even funds to the GIC. “Without his contributions,” Lee suggests, “the GIC could not exist.” Lim Eunjung is another IST coordinator at the GIC. She first met Dr. Shin at Chonnam National University where he was a professor and dean, and she was a part-time office assistant. This segued into three years of work at the GIC, which she then left to “experience different fields of work” and “travel the world.” After a four-year hiatus, she returned because of Dr. Shin, the selfless staff, and what the GIC stands for. Through its first twenty years, the GIC has grown from a single desk in KCS office space to three floors of a downtown office building. This growth is due in no small part to the dedication of its long-time director and staff. In part, it is due to the GIC’s paradigm for success: local resident and the international community collaboration on projects of mutual concern. And in part, the success of the GIC can be attributed to the support it receives from the Gwangju community. As it has for Park Minyoung, the GIC has changed my life, and it has had a positive effect on the lives of many more over the first 20 years of its existence. With its concept of service and the collaborative support of the local and international community of the city, there is no reason to believe that the contributions of the Gwangju International Center over the next two decades will not be able to exceed the extraordinary achievements of its first twenty years. Happy 20th, GIC. Photographs courtesy of Gwangju International Center
The Author
David Shaffer is presently the board chair of the Gwangju International Center and editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News. He was for many years a professor of English at Chosun University and has known Dr. Shin Gyonggu for more years than he wishes to reveal. Both he and Dr. Shin invite our readers to the GIC anniversary event on December 7.
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FEATURE
An Interview with Lale Alieva Written and photographed by Cami Ismanova
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December 2019
Azerbaijani Carpet Artistry
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Azerbaijani carpet artist Lale Alieva.
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A
zerbaijan is a gorgeous country in the south Caucasus region of Eurasia. Baku, the capital, is known for being a city where the East and West intersect. Carpet artist Lale Alieva comes from this amazingly hospitable country. Mrs. Alieva began to weave carpets (halcha) when she was fifteen years old. Since her early teen years, Alieva has been very interested in art, and it made her incredibly proud to think that one day she might share her culture with others. Alieva is a representative of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, and it has been more than thirty years since she began weaving beautiful Azerbaijani carpets. Alieva inherited her carpet-weaving talent from older women in her family. They taught her how to weave and how to master her skills. She believes that innate talent and hard work result in high-quality products, and after completing each and every one of her carpets, she feels immense pleasure. After all, very carpet has its own story. Alieva gets her inspiration from the artworks of her favorite artist, Eldar Mikailzade. “His carpets are like a path to Wonderland,” she said with a warm smile. In this feature, we were fortunate enough to interview Alieva about her incredible works of art. Gwangju News (GN): Could you tell us more about the project you are participating in at the Asia Culture Center (ACC)?
GN: The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum held exhibitions in more than thirty countries including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. What do you think is the key to such an interest from the international community? Lale Alieva: It all goes back to our history, starting from the agriculture of ancient times, when our ancestors washed and dried wool. Then they used fruits and herbs to color the wool organically. Natural fabric and natural coloring is the trademark of high-quality Azerbajaini carpets even nowadays. Also, it is important to remember that the techniques of weaving the carpet were handed down from generation to generation. The Silk Road contributed a lot to spreading our national carpets, of course. Merchants that came to our lands were amazed by the beauty of our carpets. So they bought them either to take back home or to sell in some other countries. This trade made Azerbaijani carpets popular abroad at that time. We try to preserve our national art these days as well by participating in various exhibitions. GN: Could you briefly tell our readers about the process of weaving Azerbaijani carpets? Lale Alieva: Once all of the necessary materials are ready, such as woolen threads and iron flooring purposefully mastered for making a carpet, an artist gets a pattern for the carpet from a designer. Then the work begins. Usually, it takes around two months to complete an average-sized carpet. Of course, time might vary depending on the size
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December 2019
Lale Alieva: I have the honor to participate in the ACC’s Cultural Product Program. First, the ACC approached the Azerbaijani embassy in Baku. Then, I was chosen as a candidate to represent my culture and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum here in Gwangju. The project
itself is about inviting artists from different parts of the globe and letting them share the traditional arts of their nation.
Beautiful design currently being made by Alieva.
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Azerbaijani National Carpet Museum
and the complexity of the designs. Designers create design samples based on ancient designs. They can add some modern abstract designs to the original ones. These days we use the service of the designers, but in the past, artists used their surroundings and imagination to create unique designs. It could be a garden full of flowers, animals in the wild, or just people from their communities sitting and chatting. Whatever artists could see in front of them could become art! GN: Are there any national customs or traditions related to making or purchasing carpets?
GN: Do you think it is important to cultivate and integrate art into education in our contemporary world of technology?
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GN: Well, Alieva, thank you for this wealth of information about Azerbaijani carpet artistry and for making time for this interview. Alieva is an extremely talented artist, yet so modest. During our interview, she contributed to the creation of a warm, friendly atmosphere. The interview with her was so inspiring and informative. If you, the readers, had been there with her, you would have fallen in love with Azerbaijani art, culture, and people like I did. Alieva will stay in Gwangju until December 11. She will present as a gift one of her carpets to the ACC. Thanks to her generosity, we, the people of Gwangju, will be able to go and see Azerbaijani art any time we like. For all inquiries about the upcoming exhibition, check the ACC’s website.
The Author
Cami Ismanova is a student in Chonnam National University majoring in economics. Cami writes poems both in English and Russian as one of the ways to express herself. She loves traveling around and reading classics.
December 2019
Lale Alieva: I strongly believe that technology makes the whole process of weaving carpets easier. Of course, we stick to using organic products, but technology contributes to the improvement of techniques and the creation of new designs. I believe that technology and the internet are quite useful in preserving and promoting national art. It is the era of information. In Azerbaijan, many educational centers provide courses where young people can easily learn carpet-weaving. I can tell that their interest is rising year by year, for carpet-weaving is a part of history.
Lale Alieva: Yes, of course! We all share common human values despite our different cultures, and I would say the most prominent one is hospitality. Azerbaijani culture is known for its hospitality, and I am pleasantly surprised by how friendly and hospitable Korean people are. In addition, both cultures cultivate respect for the elderly. There are many such similarities.
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Lale Alieva: In the past, there was always at least one carpet in each home. It demonstrates how essential and natural it was to have a carpet. Brides usually would weave their own carpets, and people could judge her personality by the way her carpet looked. If it was beautiful, then a bride had inner beauty. During weddings, family and friends threw sweets on the carpet of the bride to wish her happiness and success in marriage. Also, Azerbaijani carpets were used in our culture to measure the wealth of the family. The more carpets you had, the wealthier you were.
GN: Did you have a chance to find any similarities between Azerbaijani and Korean culture while staying in Gwangju?
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FEATURE
16
Dong-Wan Lim (center, red shirt), introducing the club to the attendees.
Introducing Toastmasters The Birth of a Gwangju Club Written by Seol Yun-hee
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December 2019
“E
verywhere and anywhere, in whatever field you work, there are two fundamental skills that are required for you to be successful: communication and leadership,” says Dong-Wan Lim. Currently a 2019–2020 Toastmasters area director and a member of the District 93 Executive Committee, Lim joined his first Toastmasters club in Canada 15 years ago. He first wanted to improve his English communication skills, but he soon found himself benefitting in other areas and with new opportunities. This article aims to introduce Toastmasters and its new Gwangju club to readers with the help of Lim, who was kind enough to provide his input on the organization.
members and has 16,700 clubs across 143 countries. When asked about how Toastmasters has affected him, Lim said, “I thought it was an amazing club. Before, my English was really dry, but then I started becoming more comfortable speaking and saw a big difference in myself in many aspects.”
WHAT IS TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL? Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization that teaches interpersonal skills such as communication, management, and leadership. In order to aid people to become better public speakers, Toastmasters provides its members with educational programs and holds highly experimental and dynamic meetings to develop interpersonal skills. The organization now exceeds 358,000
STORY OF PERSONAL GROWTH After one year with Toastmasters in Canada, Lim returned to South Korea where he continued his membership. He joined a club called South River Toastmasters (SRTM), one of the oldest and most popular charter clubs in South Korea. Then he put his improved public skills to the test by participating in a nationwide English speech contest. He was fortunate to win two first-place prizes,
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As there are many different Toastmasters clubs conducting meetings in multiple languages in Korea, Lim also emphasized that Toastmasters is not “just about language learning or English.” Native Korean speakers are also expected to attend meetings in Korea in order to improve their own communication or leadership skills.
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one awarded by the Korea Herald then one by the Joongang Ilbo. Of these successes, Lim said, “I consider my personal growth as one of the very many success stories out there, so the program definitely works.”
he emphasized the endless number of educational programs and manuals offered: “There are some Korean Toastmasters members who have completed multiple DTMs. So they continue to learn more and more. It’s a lifelong journey.”
In 2004, Lim started his first Toastmasters club called Sinchon Toastmasters (SCTM), located in Seoul. After serving as president for two terms, work and family life took over, and he stopped attending meetings. SCTM continues to hold club meetings today. “Even though I couldn’t always attend meetings due to work or family life, I never stopped being a member and worked on my educational manuals,” Lim recalls.
THE BEGINNING OF GWANGJU TOASTMASTERS Today, Lim hopes to benefit others with the program. “This is definitely the most efficient educational program that I can recommend for those interested in developing their communication and leadership skills,” he says. Starting in November 2019, Gwangju Toastmasters will hold its meetings every Friday in English at the Gwangju International Center.
LIFELONG LEARNING Toastmasters members can expect to receive many educational materials such as speech manuals and monthly magazines. Members pay a minimal fee, but Lim believes the benefits are endless. About six years into his membership, he finished his communications track by completing 40 different manuals and projects. He then continued his education by starting the leadership track, which encourages members to take officer roles in clubs or area districts. “Somehow, I got a new opportunity to serve as area director, and now I find myself with an opportunity to start a new Toastmasters club in Gwangju,” says Lim. Once Lim finishes his leadership track, he will receive the final certificate of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). Focused on self-improvement,
The Gwangju News would like to thank Lim for sharing his personal growth and Toastmasters journey. For more information about Toastmasters International go to https://www.toastmasters. org/about/all-about-toastmasters.
Photographed by Park Min-young
The Author
Seol Yun-hee recently returned to South Korea after studying abroad in the United States. She is enjoying connecting with her Korean culture and is exploring her passion for writing.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
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December 2019
Preparation before the meeting starts.
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www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
FEATURE
18
Shindogs Air’s custom van for custom shipping.
Leo and a boxer dog.
Leo and a French bulldog.
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Getting ready to ship out beloved pets.
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I Leo Mendoza’s Shindogs Air Keeping Pets with Their People
Written by Sarah Pittman
shindogsair
The Author
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Shindogs Air was a natural expansion to running the shelter for Leo and his wife because, over the years, they noticed how much other pet shipping companies had marked up the actual costs of flying pets overseas. The main objective of Shindogs Air, Leo said, is “to earn a living from doing what we love – working with pets – and being able to send rescues anywhere without fear of losing the adoption
Leo and his wife provide a much-needed service by giving pet owners options. Leo said that there are so many people that have abandoned pets in Korea because many other pet shippers would quote them ridiculously high prices. Shindogs Air aims to help people move their pets when they need to send them, even if that means not using a pet shipper! When I asked Leo what he would suggest for pet owners to do before coming to him, he said to “research your destinations requirements early and double-check them. So many people leave planning for their pet until the last minute, or get outdated information from acquaintances. Then when the time comes to ship, they get caught without having done the proper preparation.” My favorite answer that Leo gave me was to the question “Looking back, what would you say is your best rescue story?” He said, “Honestly, for me, the best rescue is always the next one I’m planning to do. Rescuing is a never-ending revolving door, and if you are doing it for the passion of saving pets that are in danger, the moment we send out that pet to its forever home, we move on to the next one that needs our help. It is a feeling of restlessness, where you feel that the task is never truly completed. Many of our animals have gone on to have beautiful lives all across the world, but all we can see are the ones that need us next.” Photographs courtesy of Leo Mendoza
December 2019
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher with a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love for photography while working at Disneyland and has been honing her craft with practice and YouTube videos ever since.
Leo Mendoza’s story starts off like that of many of us in that he came to Korea for a teaching job. He and his wife fell in love over their mutual love for animals. Leo decided to settle down in Korea when he and his wife began rescuing and re-homing pets in 2008. There were a lot of people that wanted to adopt the dogs that Leo and his wife rescued, which led to them opening an animal shelter in Busan. Unfortunately, due to rising business costs associated with renting land in Korea, they had to close the shelter. They still rescue, but now they do it in the extra space of their home, and with help from foster volunteers. It is on a much smaller scale than before, but they hope to someday be able to afford buying their own land to re-start the shelter in the future.
because of inflated costs.”
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“The best rescue is always the next one I’m planning to do. Many of our animals have gone on to have beautiful lives all across the world, but all we can see are the ones that need us next.”
f you have spent any time in one of the many Facebook groups dedicated to living as a foreigner in Korea, you are sure to have seen either Leo Mendoza or Shindogs Air being recommended to other people online. Being a dog owner myself, and looking to move back to the US soon, the first person I thought of to contact was Leo because of how highly he is recommended in the online community.
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20 Blast from the Past
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December 2019
blast from the past
The Penal Code in the Joseon Dynasty Capital punishment is a legal penalty in South Korea, and executions are carried out by hanging. While this may seem inhumane and outdated to some, it does not compare to the severity of sentences meted out during the Joseon Dynasty. Prof. Shin Sangsoon (1922–2011) details in this first part of a two-part article forms of capital punishment and lesser sentences in Joseon Korea. This article was first published in Prof. Shin’s column, The Korean Way, appearing in the November 2007 issue of the Gwangju News. — Ed.
C
orporal punishment during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) was in many ways a carryover from the prior Goryeo Dynasty (935–1392), which took its penal code from the administrative code of China’s Ming Dynasty. With the change from a Buddhismoriented dynasty to a Confucianism-oriented dynasty, Joseon tried to establish a kingdom based on Confucian ethics, which was followed by the sadaebu (sa = scholar or well-read person; daebu = government official or bureaucrat). They were well educated and knowledgeable, and adept in the administration of government affairs. Their aim was to set up a harmonious and stable society steeped in benevolence with appropriate legal, ethical, and social rules and regulations. The penal code of the Joseon era, as in the preceding era, was based on five types of punishment: whipping, flogging, hard labor, banishment, and the death penalty. For the first two punishments, a written law regulated the size of the implements used and the procedure for their use to ensure uniform application of the penalty everywhere. A supervisory system was in force to prevent arbitrariness and over-punishment by any penal officer. Offices that had the right to arrest and detain a criminal were specified in the National Code. A three-tiered review system was required for a death penalty and the offender was executed only with a royal sanction. Criminal laws were provided with compassion clauses to safeguard the offenders’ rights, and kings attached much importance to compassionate administration of penal laws as a symbol of royal benevolence. However,
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toward the end of the Joseon Dynasty, political corruption, power politics, and the severe persecution of Catholics left an impression of harsh, merciless, and even erroneous administration of the penal code. Whipping, the lightest penalty practiced since Goryeo times, was divided into categories: from 10 lashes to 50. A fine could be paid for those over 70 and under 15 years of age, pregnant women, and those with serious illnesses. Whipping was kept as a form of punishment long after flogging was abolished at the end of the Joseon period and was finally abolished in 1920. Flogging was a more serious penalty and the implements used in carrying out the punishment were larger than those for whipping. It was the flogging that was the most maladministered of penalties because there was a lot of room for arbitrariness in flogging on the part of the penal enforcer. So the size of the rod and the method for using it, over time, became strictly regulated by law. Hard labor was similar to present-day hard labor. The offender was detained in a prison and served for a certain term doing strenuous work. The terms ranged from one to three years and flogging was usually affixed to the hard labor. There were laws punishing any prison officer who committed irregularities regarding prisoners sentenced to hard labor. Those prisoners who were sent to a salt yard or an iron foundry had to make a certain amount of salt or temper a certain amount of iron every day and remit the wages earned to the government. If there were no salt yard or foundry in the area, they were sent to a paper mill or roof-tile yard, or to a government office to do tasks there. Prisoners were allowed home leave and sick leave. When a parent died, the prisoner was allowed home leave to mourn, and any period of sick leave was later made up after the prisoner’s return to health and to prison. Banishment was the sentence for offenders of grave crimes, exiling them to remote isolated places and not allowing them to return home until they met their end.
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21 Banishment was meant to be a reduced sentence or mitigation of capital punishment which was imposed rather widely throughout the Joseon era and, unlike for hard labor, its term was not set. The convict could only be released from the sentence by a royal pardon. Political strife centering on political hegemony during the Joseon era produced many political prisoners, and those who were spared capital punishment were sentenced to banishment. Political offenders among the banished were provided with foodstuffs and daily necessities by the government. Wives, concubines, and family members were allowed to accompany the prisoners.
Whipping. (Image courtesy of Encyclopedia of Korean Culture)
The death penalty, the gravest punishment, was of two types: strangling and beheading, both adopted from the Ming Dynasty Administrative Code. Death by strangulation was by choking and leaving the body intact. Beheading was literally severing the head from the body. Depending on the nature of the offence, the offender was put to death by neungji-cheocham (능지처참, lingering death by slow slicing). Sometimes for the purpose of striking terror into the general public, the head and body were displayed in a public square in a practice called hyosu (효수), hanging the severed head on a pole. Execution was in one of two time frames: delayed and immediate. The former was applied to ordinary convicts, those who waited for a certain period of time to be executed on a date set between the autumnal equinox and the onset of spring. The latter was applied to those convicted of such grave crimes as rebellion, high treason, insurrection, blasphemy, and unfilial behavior as soon as the death sentence was announced. Of course, the three-tiered review procedure was required before a final royal sanction.
Flogging – Janghyeong.
[We hope you return next issue for more on the Joseon era criminal sentences.] Beheading. (Image courtesy of Kim Yunbo Penal Administration Collection)
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Arranged by David Shaffer
December 2019
In addition to these forms of capital punishment, there were two very unusual death penalties: sasa (granted death) and bugwan-chamsi (부관참시, beheading of exhumed body). The king could benevolently grant that death be by sasa (사사) by giving the convicted a deadly poison to swallow. This was applied to royal families and high-ranking officials involved in treason. Bugwan-chamsi was a kind of posthumous “execution” that could be carried out when the commission of a serious crime was revealed after the perpetrator’s death: The body was exhumed and decapitated, and the limbs could also be severed. Two such cases occurred during the Joseon era as a result of court intrigue and political strife. They were intended as a show of hatred and rage by the king.
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As to the method of execution, the penal code simply stated strangulation, beheading, and neungji-cheocham. The first two were rather simple, but the third was applied mainly in cases of high treason and amorality to give warning to and strike terror into the general public. Execution was carried out as yuksi (육시, dead body severing), osal (오살, death by five severings), geoyeol (거열, body ripped apart by oxen). In the case of yuksi, when the conviction for a serious crime was concluded after the perpetrator’s death, the dead body was decapitated and possibly the arms and legs severed. In the case of osal, five body parts were severed: first, the head; next, the legs; and last the arms. But in more heinous crimes, the order of severing was reversed! Geoyeol consisted of pulling apart the body of the convicted person by having their arms, legs, and head tied with ropes to oxen moving in opposing directions. These methods of execution were so cruel that people shuddered at the mere mention of them, and these terms came to be used in cursing.
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22 22 Lost in Gwangju
Neighborhoods Rallying Before Death
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December 2019
TRAVEL TRAVEL
Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
E
very year in Korea, autumn foliage treats us to one last gasp of life before the bleak onset of winter. I can’t help but liken this to cases of terminal lucidity, when patients on their deathbeds regain a fleeting clarity of expression before suddenly passing away. In much the same way, Gwangju’s old neighborhoods sometimes rally before death, affording ephemeral vignettes of living history to anyone who cares to notice. Recently, I’ve noticed a few local neighborhoods exuding gleams of terminal beauty and charm in the face of redevelopment. In this article, I’ll share with you some of this final rallying which, like the autumn foliage, will likely be gone by the time this issue of the Gwangju News goes to print. The aged and depleted alleys of Yu-dong are a poignant place to start our journey. Located alongside the Gwangju Stream (catty-corner to Yangdong Market), the empty homes of recently evicted tenants are now being stripped
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of any remaining value, mostly in the form of scrap metal. To the best of my knowledge, Yu-dong is one of only three remaining high-density refuges of traditional, hanokstyle sweeping roofs in the city. Once it and the gutted remnants of Gyerim-dong are razed, Yangsam-dong (located directly across the stream from Yu-dong) will be the last place in Gwangju to see an authentic clutch of tiles, timber frames, and upturned eaves that, architecturally speaking, leave no doubt as to where in the world you are. For my money, the most beautiful vestige still in Yudong is the old Journey Inn (여로 여인숙), which used to provide humble accommodations and meals for travelers, vagrants, and those on the lam decades ago. Just beyond its beautiful, brick-red doors is a gabled frieze featuring a white flower flanked by two peacocks upon charcoalgray stucco. Draped with lush strands of red berries, the inn’s timeworn facade is framed with wooden beams the
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◀ Branches laden with persimmons drape over sky-blue tiles in a condemned area of Yu-dong. ▼ An elderly man walks by a narrow alley along the Gwangju Stream. ▼ Most bottom: The professor’s hanok-style rooftop sits tucked away from Gyerim-dong’s encroaching redevelopment.
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December 2019
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24 color of rust. Beyond its quaint aesthetics, the old inn, which was likely named after the famous Journey TV drama from the early 1970s, was also notable for serving ostrich meat as its main dish. When Journey Inn was last in operation, a single portion of raw ostrich meat cost only 3,000 won. What a cool place it must have been in its heyday.
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December 2019
Moving on to Gyerim-dong, there’s a neighborhood located just south of Seobang Market where the last vestiges of the area’s hanok-style houses are being bulldozed today. The condition of both the market and the neighborhood have been written about in the Gwangju News before, but with redevelopment expanding into the area’s few untouched quarters, an update seems appropriate. Under siege for the sake of new high-rise apartments, the area has been patrolled by security guards somewhat more aggressively than other areas of Gwangju that I’m familiar with. A friend of mine got searched there by two black-clad rent-a-cops on scooters for merely taking photos in the area. When taking my own photos there on repeat visits, I had to play a game of cat and mouse with security to avoid any similar run-ins. During my visits, one home in particular caught my attention for its seclusion and unique design. Walled-off behind two high gates and nestled beneath a throng of taller structures, it’d always seemed inaccessible and so was the last home breeched before this article’s submission deadline. (As it turns out, both gates had been left unlocked, likely by the wrecking crew, so there was no difficulty in entering.) The impressive wooden gate stood some eight feet high with a heavy sliding latch on the inside, along with a more convenient side door likely used on a quotidian basis. Beyond this gate stood a beautiful home with numerous hanok influences, including exposed lacquer-finished beams, sliding lattice doors, and a beautifully preserved tiled roof with flying eaves. It was undoubtedly the neighborhood’s finest home at one point. Adding to its mystique, the home was also filled to the rafters with clues as to who its owner was. Among the most prominent clues were awards for four decades of university-level teaching and textbooks on both molecular-orbital theory and quantitative inorganic analysis. An even clearer image emerged after a stack of business cards surfaced – one side in English and the other entirely in hanja (Chinese characters). After
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reaching out to a local scholar (and dear friend) with a vast social network, it turned out that the home belonged to a certain professor emeritus of chemistry at Chonnam National University who taught there from the university’s very beginning in 1952 until at least 1987. Imagine that – teaching chemistry at the same institution through the Korean War, the 5.18 Democratic Uprising, and the democratic reforms brought about by the June Struggle. The country’s metamorphosis must’ve been staggering. The last gasp of Gyerim-dong has been fairly vociferous, with locals putting up banners that mince no words as to what’s been plaguing their neighborhood. Their messages include claims such as “Robbed without a knife – how dare you offer only half compensation,” “Redevelopment in sheep’s clothing,” and “We’ve saved our whole lives for our property.” At the bottom of each banner is the coda “Compensate at the current market rate!” Of course, I have no idea what kind of buyout was really offered to local residents, but it’s clear many left their homes feeling cheated. The wreckers, excavators, and hazmat crews are making short work of the neighborhood anyway, as now very few of the area’s oldest homes remain. By contrast, the streamside residents of Yu-dong seem to have put up no such fight, possibly because they were evicted on better terms. One of the last residents to be forced out of Gyerim-dong was an old retiree who lived in a corner house and collected scraps of cardboard to supplement his pension. I asked him what he thought of the redevelopment about to tear through his street. Looking out over the laborers in hazmat suits ripping up asbestos, he shrugged his shoulders and got back to work. Two weeks later, his home stood vacant with the windows smashed out. And just like that, all the color drained from the façade.
The Author
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah Winters is a Gwangju-based urban explorer who enjoys writing about the City of Light’s lesserknown quarters. When he’s not roaming the streets and writing about his experiences, he’s usually working or fulfilling his duties as the Gwangju News’ heavily caffeinated chief proofreader.
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New apartments overlook the remnants of Gyerim-dong. A vast swath of Yu-dong sits evicted and ready for demolition.
Despite its age, Yu-dong’s Journey Inn knows how to pose for its final photo shoot.
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December 2019
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Late summer at the abandoned water park.
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December 2019
TRAVEL
TRAVEL
26 Around Korea
Kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) begins to take over the slide.
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A Visit to the Old Beach Town Slides Written and photographed by Ryan Berkebile
A
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The music of Say Sue Me has a similar dynamic at work on their album When We Were Together. Say Sue Me play jangly, indie rock with bouncy bass and upbeat tempo. On the surface, it is excellent music for a day at the beach. It is sunny, carefree, and full of life. However, behind the pleasant sound lie melancholy, yearning, and alienation. Lyrical subjects often include a longing for the past, restlessness, and drinking alcohol as a salve for a troubled mind. The band wears their love for U.S. indie bands Yo La Tengo and Pavement on their sleeves. Listen in closer, and you will also hear their appreciation for the Ramones and Velvet Underground. If you like those bands, then you will dig Say Sue Me. They are a soundtrack for looking back at my personal history. When I listen, I am transported back to the mid1990s when alternative/independent/D.I.Y. (Do It
December 2019
In the background, a series of apartment buildings labeled “Beach Town” appears to recede into infinity. I am surprised by how bright and vibrant the flats are, as minimalist high-rises dominate the skyline these days. The pure cream color mixes harmoniously with the red, yellow, and blue trims of each building. It is as if a child’s birthday cake had been cut evenly into sixteen rectangular pieces. The dreamy album cover looks like an Instagram photo, yet the spirit of the composition still
shines through. The loneliness or bleakness one might feel when coming across an abandoned water park is balanced out by the blue sky, clouds, and the brilliant apartment complex. After discovering this album, I knew I had to visit.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
ll the articles I have written for the Gwangju News have either been about urban exploration or Korean music that is not K-pop. I have plenty to say on both subjects, yet never had the two seemingly separate worlds overlap until recently when I came across an album from the Busan indie band Say Sue Me (세이수미). The album cover for their second fulllength album, When We Were Together, shows three people wandering around an abandoned swim park in fall or winter. One person is climbing a ladder to an old lifeguard post. Another individual is taking a picture of the climber atop the structure. The third member of the group is walking away as if to avoid being in the photo.
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28 swim park fell victim to this hyperdevelopment, as there are newer, cuttingedge water park options available. Fewer people paid to visit an aging dinosaur, so Beach Town management decided to shut the place down.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
▲ Say Sue Me’s album cover for When We Were Together. (Photo courtesy of Electric Muse/Damnably Records)
Yourself) music was central to my identity. I can look back fondly at my transformation into adulthood. As a man rapidly approaching the big four-oh, music plays a lesser definition of me. I am captivated by other things like urban exploration and Korean history. It takes a lot more effort for me to listen to new bands. Even though Say Sue Me’s second full-length album cover captured my interest, it took me a while to put in the time to listen. I am glad I did, as it gets progressively better with each listening. Most of the music I listen to these days is from the past, usually being reissued on record labels documenting the popular sounds of yesteryear. Discovering old recording artists is a gateway to study Korea’s history. Listening to the music of Lee Nan-young (이난영), Shin Jung-hyeon (신중현), or even Jeju shamans (제주 무속음악) fuels my historical and urban explorations around the country. Lee and Shin provide a soundtrack to my favorite areas of study related to Korea: the Japanese colonial era (1910–1945) and the “Miracle on the Han River” period (1961–1997). Busan’s Beach Town apartments are an example of high-rise apartment complexes that sprouted up around the country in post-war Korea. They are a monument to the hardworking mindset that brought Korea from a third-world to a first-world country in a short amount of time. It takes a certain mindset and discipline to work hard to escape poverty. While people generally live more comfortable lives these days, the drive for modernization still runs strong. The push for newer state-of-the-art amenities means that working-class neighborhoods are being cleared out for “progress.” That means older, traditional houses like the hanok (한옥) or Japanese colonial buildings are getting razed. Apartment complexes less than forty years old are being torn down. I think this abandoned
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Hyper-modernization also affects young Koreans’ quality of life. High expectations have left kids and young adults feeling disillusioned with life. Society’s expectation to over-study, work for a large family-owned corporation called a chaebeol (재벌), and buy a top-ofthe-line, modern apartment weighs down on members of the band. The song “Old Town” expresses the alienation of being left behind by friends and society with the lyrics “All the friends I used to know left this town / Only I’m getting old with this town.” Yet the pull of nostalgia keeps singer/guitarist Choi Su-mi (최수미) put as she sings, “I just wanna stay here / But I wanna leave here.” Do members of the band have fond memories of the park when they were children, or is the park itself representative of simpler, carefree days? The album artwork for When We Were Together depicts young adults merrily exploring an abandonment temporarily free from their daily pressures. Say Sue Me has been able to channel the angst, anxiety, and rage of living in “Hell Joseon” (헬조선) to create meaningful, inspiring music. Their music speaks truthfully about their experience and allows me to reflect on my youth. Their music is a joyful, challenging soundtrack for people who refuse to be round pegs squeezed into square holes.
The Author
When Ryan Berkebile is not taking pictures of abandoned hanoks, he likes to read books about Korean shamanism and write blog posts for his website, Long Distance Runner. You can see what he has been up to at longdistancerunner.org and on Instagram at @l0ngdistancerunner and @naturaryan1600.
2019-12-02 �� 8:25:56
From Abroad 29 29
TRAVEL
Toronto Touring the Town
Written by William Urbanski
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CANADA’S WONDERLAND This is pretty amazing overall even though it is a bit out of
December 2019
CN TOWER This one is hard to miss and close to Union Station at the bottom of the subway line, so no car is required. It is the
symbol of Toronto and offers astounding views of the cityscape, but the CN Tower is quite pricey to go up at over $40 Canadian a pop. My wife and I visited on a rainy, cloudy day, and even though we technically could have gone up to the observation deck, we ultimately decided to heed the advice of multiple employees who said it would be better to just come back another day. We got our tickets refunded – no problem – and even though we never had time to come back, I do not feel like I was missing out on much by not going up the tower since it is cool enough to just check it out from the ground. Right next to the tower is Ripley’s Aquarium, which is apparently the bee’s knees, but having seen fish many times before, I decided to take a pass on this trip.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
U
pon arriving in Toronto, one of the first things that sticks out is how much of a cultural melting pot it is. Step out onto any street and one will quickly encounter a slew of different languages as well as people from all walks of life. The other thing that one will quickly realize is that unless you plan on staying within the city (and I mean the downtown area, not the GTA, Greater Toronto Area, which is actually quite vast), you absolutely, 100 percent, without question, need a car. But do not fret: Whether you have access to wheels or not, if you are visiting Toronto, there is no shortage of things worth checking out. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
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30
▲ Toronto Argonauts
the city. While I am sure there are technically some public transportation or shuttle bus options, I would say that without a car to just forget it.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
Canada’s Wonderland has an interesting system whereby a park visitor can buy a “fast lane pass” and just walk to the front of any lineup. The fast pass is very expensive, tripling the price of a daily visit, so when I first heard about this scheme, I was somewhat incensed, as if Wonderland were profiteering from a problem that they helped create. But, boy-oh-boy, was I wrong about that one because I shelled out for a fast pass and it was awesome, bordering on “radicool.” The feeling of smug satisfaction that came with being able to jump the queue was a privilege worth paying for. But buyer beware, because it also created the interesting problem of being able to ride too many times, too quickly, resulting in a feeling of nausea usually reserved for the morning after a night at the norae-bang [karaoke]. Speaking of the rides, Laviathan and Bohemeth are two of the biggest, baddest, and fastest rollercoasters in North America. THE TORONTO ARGONAUTS While everyone is always yipping about how good the Raptors are, and humming and hawing about how bad the Maple Leafs are blowing it, Toronto’s most overlooked sports team has gotta be the Argonauts: the city’s offering to the Canadian Football League (CFL). Because attendance at Argonauts’ games has been, ahem, dwindling as of late, you can usually get really good tickets for cheap. In addition, much more so than other pro sports teams in the T-Dot (Toronto), the Argos have interesting promotions such as “country western night,” which, while making absolutely no sense whatsoever, was an opportunity for me to score a few free cowboy hats. An Argos game can be a great value as long as you do not scarf down four hotdogs, a bag of popcorn, and five beers like the guy my dad invited to the game. If you are not into theme parks or sports, walking around downtown, particularly along Queen Street, is always
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▲ Canada Wonderland
interesting. Toronto City Hall and the Eaton’s Centre are popular sites with tourists who love to take selfies. As well, much like the space-time dimensions postulated by string theory, the downtown core of Toronto is “compactified,” meaning you can easily get around on foot. If you ever find yourself in Toronto, it would be easy to spend a week just taking in the sights around the city. Of course, there are numerous other fantastic attractions within a two-hour drive of the city, such as Niagara Falls and the Muskoka region, but for now, I hope you have gotten a sampling of what the 6ix* has to offer. * The 6ix – Slang for Toronto, following the amalgamation of the six former boroughs of Toronto, Scarborough, York, North York, East York, and Etobicoke. Photographs by Osama Saeed (Unsplash) and William Urbanski
The Author
William Urbanski, managing editor of the Gwangju News, has an MA in international relations and cultural diplomacy. He is married to a wonderful Korean woman, always pays cash, and keeps all his receipts.
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:00
31 31
TOPIK GUIDE (topikguide.com) is the most comprehensive website devoted to the TOPIK exam. It has been helping Korean language learners pass the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) for more than eight years. On our website, you can get all the TOPIK updates, grammar and vocabulary material, and study tips.
Everyday Korean Episode 24: 집들이
(Housewarming Party) By Harsh Kumar Mishra
안나: Ana:
[Ibeon ju geum-yo-ire jip-deuri-reul hal-kka haeyo. Shi-gani is-seu-myeon nol-leo o-seyo.] I’m having a housewarming party this Friday. Please come if you have time.
EDUCATION
정민:
이번 주 금요일에 집들이를 할까 해요. 시간이 있으면 놀러 오세요.
기숙사에서 이사했어?
[Gi-suk-sa-eseo isa-haes-seo?] Jeongmin: Did you move out of the dormitory?
안나: Ana:
정민:
네, 지난 주말에 원룸으로 이사했어요. [Ne, ji-nan juma-re weon-roomeu-ro isa-haes-seoyo.] Yeah, I moved to a studio apartment last weekend.
우와! 축하해. 거기 원룸이 비싸지 않아?
[Uwa! Chuk-ha-hae. Geogi weon-roomi bissaji a-na?] Jeongmin: Wow! Congratulations. Aren’t studio apartments expensive there?
안나: Ana:
정민:
학교 근처라서 그렇게 비싸지 않아요. 보증금 100만원에 35만원 월세예요. [Hak-kyo geun-cheo-ra-seo geu-reok-he bissa-ji a-na-yo. Bo-jeung-geum baek-man weo-ne sam-ship-o-man weol-se yeyo.] It’s not that expensive, as it’s near the university area. It’s 350,000 won monthly rent with a 1,000,000 won deposit.
괜찮네. 관리비는 따로 없어?
[Gwen-chan-ne. Gwal-li-bi-neun tta-ro eop-seo?] Jeongmin: Sounds good. Are there no utility fees?
Ana:
정민:
네, 없어요. 가스비하고 전기비만 내야 해요. [Ne, eop-seoyo. Gas-bi-hago jeongi-bi-man nae-ya hae-yo.] Yeah, there aren’t any. I only have to pay the gas and electricity bills.
좋아, 좋아. 놀러 갈게. 카톡에다가 주소를 찍어줘.
[Joa-joa. Nol-leo gal-kke. Kato-ge-daga juso-reul chi-geo-jeo.] Jeongmin: Good, good. I’ll stop by. Send me your address via KakaoTalk.
Grammar ~ ㄹ까 하다: Use this grammar construction
I’m planning to exercise from next month.
~ 에다가: This grammar point’s usage is most similar to “~ 에” and can mean one of the following: to, in, on, at, for, and. Ex: 땅에다가 그림을 그렸다. He drew a picture in the dirt (ground).
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Additional Vocabulary Related to Housing
기숙사 이사하다 원룸 비싸다 보증금 월세 관리비 가스 전기
아파트 주택 임대 고시원 전세 빈방 분리형 반지하 환기
dormitory to move (one’s residence) studio apartment (lit. “one room”) to be expensive deposit money monthly rent utility fee, maintenance cost gas electricity
apartment building detached house to let, for rent guest lodge key money vacant room separated style (referring to kitchen and living area) semi-basement room ventilation
December 2019
with verbs to talk about a plan (but lacking certainty). Ex: 다음 달부터 운동할까 해요.
Vocabulary
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
안나:
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:00
32 Language Teaching
Bryan Hale Heads Gwangju KOTESOL An Interview
Interviewed by Dr. David E. Shaffer
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
EDUCATION
This November, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL) elected Bryan Hale to a second one-year term as president of the chapter. The Gwangju News recently connected with Bryan to find out more about him and more about the past, present, and future of the local chapter of KOTESOL. — Ed.
G
wangju News (GN): Hello, Bryan. First of all, congratulations on your re-election as president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL. I want to ask you many things about the chapter, but to begin with, would you tell our readers a little about who Bryan Hale is? Bryan Hale: Hello, and thank you! It is a real honor to be interviewed by the Gwangju News! Maybe aspects of my story will be shared by a number of readers. I originally came to Korea because I was unsatisfied with my job in Australia and wanted an exciting experience in a new culture. But I quickly discovered that I find teaching fulfilling, so I have been here ever since!
▲ Bryan welcomes the group at the 2019 Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional KOTESOL Conference.
I first worked at a hagwon in Gwangju for a few years before moving to my current position at a high school in Yeongam, near Mokpo. When I first came to Korea, I planned to move closer and closer to Seoul. That plan really has not worked out! Luckily, this is a wonderful part of the world to live in.
GN: You are beginning your second year as chapter president. Could you tell us what has transpired within the chapter during your first year at the helm of the Gwangju-Jeonnam vessel?
GN: I think that although many English teachers in the area may have heard of Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL, they really are not sure of what it is: a TESOL certificate course, an expat teachers’ union, or what. Could you clear this up for us? Bryan Hale: KOTESOL is for any language teacher who is interested in developing professionally. If you are passionate about teaching, or want to learn some new ideas and techniques for your classroom, or you are interested in doing research, or you have ideas about how our profession could improve – or even if you are just kind of curious – then you should definitely come check out one of our local monthly meetings!
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I think you are right about misunderstandings about what we are. We are a non-profit organization powered by volunteers. We are basically a network of people interested in doing our best as teachers and in seeing the English teaching profession in Korea do its best.
Bryan Hale: It has been lucky for me as incoming chapter president that Gwangju-Jeonnam is one of the most well-established chapters of KOTESOL! That is because of the years of hard work its leaders have put in, and because Gwangju-Jeonnam teachers are a committed and passionate community. So, I am proud to say that I have been doing my best to continue the chapter’s proud history of service to its members. In March this year, we held our annual Regional Conference at Gwangju National University of Education. It was a blast! We had a really diverse range of workshops and discussion sessions in several strands, and we also had the GNUE Teacher Training Center foyer full of poster sessions and booths (and people from all around our province and across Korea mingling and chatting, too!).
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:01
33 It has been great fun to organize our monthly workshop meetings. I think this year we have had a great mix of practical teaching ideas, career development-focused sessions, and discussions on diversity and social justice from a wonderful array of presenters. GN: And the obvious question to follow up with is “What are your plans for the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter for the coming year?” Are you planning on turning the captain’s wheel or changing the ship’s speed? Bryan Hale: I try to be a considerate and collaborative chapter leader, so I am not planning any sharp turns of the wheel (unless maybe some kind of iceberg looms.... Am I taking the metaphor too far?). We already have a lot of great things planned for the upcoming year, including some exciting monthly workshops and what promises to be another invigorating Regional Conference on March 14, 2020. The truth is that KOTESOL is driven by the energy and contributions of its members, and a lot of my role as chapter president is about helping to create opportunities for members to engage and shine. GN: Why should local English teachers be interested in the professional development on offer through KOTESOL, and what are some ways in which you think you have become a better educator through KOTESOL? Bryan Hale: I think English teachers in GwangjuJeonnam care about professional development, but they might be wary because they have had bad experiences with mandatory teacher workshops that perhaps were not totally focused on helping them become better educators. At KOTESOL events, the focus is all about developing our teaching, caring about our students and their learning, and improving our profession.
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GN: Well, thank you, Bryan, for doing this interview with us. I wish you, the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter, and Korea TESOL the best in the coming year.
GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL MONTHLY MEETING Date: December 14 (2nd Saturday) Place: Gwangju National University of Education • Representation and Racism: Focusing on English Textbooks in Korea. Presenter: Travis Frank (Kaplan English) • Presentation 2 to be announced. • SwapShop Mini-Presentations – All are welcome to contribute. • Year-End Dinner For full event details: Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL
The Interviewer
David Shaffer has lived for many years in Gwangju and taught for many years at Chosun University. He has been associated with KOTESOL since its beginnings. As vice-president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of KOTESOL, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings. Dr. Shaffer is presently the chairman of the board at the Gwangju International Center and also editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.
December 2019
To be totally honest, professional development is not valued enough by many employers of English language teachers in Korea – but that does not mean that it is never valued, and good employers definitely value teachers who demonstrate professionalism and growth. And possibly the most rewarding part of professional development is feeling that you are providing your students with better learning opportunities.
Bryan Hale: Oh no, there is so much I forgot to talk about! I did not even mention the KOTESOL International Conference in Seoul every October – the biggest English language education event in Korea. Or how valuable KOTESOL networking can be for finding out about job opportunities, research opportunities, and all kinds of exciting projects. Or the members’ discount at The First Alleyway! But I hope curious readers will check us out at koreatesol.org/gwangju, or search for “Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL” on Facebook.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
I feel that my involvement with KOTESOL has allowed me to take control of my own development. It has opened me up to an array of ideas and approaches to language teaching, it has introduced me to all kinds of theories and debates and fascinating conundrums in our field, and most of all, it has put me in touch with a fantastic network of people with diverse areas of expertise. Through KOTESOL, I have become a better prepared, more confident, and more thoughtful and reflective teacher.
GN: Thank you. It is almost time to wrap up our interview, but first, are there any final comments you would like to convey to our readership?
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:02
34 Expat Living
EDUCATION
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. — Malcom X
Seven Reasons to
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
Choose Gwangju
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for Your Academic Career Written and photographed by Baha Komilov
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:08
35
I
t is very important to select a comfortable place for education and living in everyone’s life. It is very personal and the options are endless, indeed. For certain people, the cost is the most significant factor, while others favor high-quality education before applying to any college. Statistics show that students choose a city or place based on its location, safety, job opportunities, and ranking. As an experienced international student living in Gwangju, I have decided to share seven reasons why Gwangju should be the destination for your study abroad program. 1. AFFORDABILITY It is a fact that Seoul is more popular for international students to study in, but the cost of living and tuition fees are not going to make you happy. Seoul-level tuition fees might be cheaper for North American students compared to their home country, but Gwangju is definitely the right choice when it comes to cost. I have lived in both Gwangju and Seoul, but Gwangju is still the smarter choice for me. The cost of housing is the equivalent of US $200–400 per month (including bills), and tuition fees are $3,000–$6,000 per year (depending on the program) for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
3. AUTHENTIC KOREAN FOOD After four years of living in Gwangju, I have realized that Gwangju has the best and most authentic cuisine in all of Korea. Gwangju is particularly renowned for its kimchi, which is the most well-known food among foreigners, so international students are welcome to visit Gwangju’s very own Kimchi Town. In addition, Gwangju is well known for its numerous side dishes, which often number 7–12 at many restaurants.
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6. KOREAN DEMOCRACY Gwangju is often considered the birthplace of Korean democracy owing to the May 18 Democratic Uprising, which occurred in 1980. It was a mass movement against South Korea’s then authoritarian military government. Today, it endures as a strong part of the city’s identity. If you are a political science or international studies major, it might be a great choice to study and do research here related to your major. 7. HOME AWAY FROM HOME Last but not the least, despite all the above, there is still one thing that disturbs anyone who lives far from home: homesickness. Honestly, since I arrived, the city has been quite amazing, thanks to all the kind people, the foreignerfriendly environment, and the community support. As the city is not huge, almost all foreigners know each other and interact with each other very actively. There are places of worship for people of all beliefs, foreign restaurants for people of all palates, and gatherings of all sorts that make you feel at home. Moreover, there are so many social activities to get involved in to meet awesome people with different backgrounds.
The Author
Baha is originally from Uzbekistan, but he considers himself a global citizen. He is currently a student at Chonnam National University and an honorary reporter for Korea.net (South Korea’s official web portal). He has been in Gwangju for almost four years and is about to graduate from his school. Traveling is his middle name, and he travels around Korea almost every weekend.
December 2019
4. CRADLE OF THE ARTS If you are majoring in art or just like art-related subjects, you are in the right place. Asia’s largest culture complex is located in Gwangju. At the Asia Culture Center, you can see the latest art exhibitions and musical performances. Another big art center is the Gwangju Biennale – a home for contemporary art. There you are able to experience
5. LANGUAGE It is a fact that most people go abroad to learn a new language or improve current ones. If you have this goal, Gwangju is the best choice. I came here with zero Korean language abilities, and I am already fluent, without doing any book study since my arrival. This is because, if you are off campus, not everyone speaks or understands English. Furthermore, there are plenty of opportunities for you to improve your language skills by just hanging out with locals. In bigger cities, people have better English skills and may interact much more in English, so much so that you may never learn Korean. Also, the Gwangju accent is close enough to that of Seoul that you will not have any problem understanding each other.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
2. THE KOREAN LIFESTYLE Gwangju is the sixth largest city in Korea. While it is not as big as Seoul or Busan, at the same time, it is not a small city either. Bigger cities have developed so fast that you will not get a chance to see the real Korea as it is on TV. Compared to other city people, Gwangju residents are less Western, and they are eager to talk with people who come from other countries. Living in a big city definitely will cost much for transportation but not here, wherever you go in the city, the taxi ride is around $10 or less, and you can use all types of transportation: subway, train, KTX, and airplane in the city. The city is full of fashion streets, shopping centers, and unique Korean cafes that you expect to find in Korea.
both Korean and global contemporary art. In addition, Gwangju offers museums, temples, traditional Korean houses, and street art in each corner of the city that is sure to attract you.
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:11
36 Where to Eat
FOOD & DRINKS
Fresh Wrap The New “Fresh” Sensation
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
Reviewed by Melline Galani
L
ocated in the Sangmu area of Gwangju, Fresh Wrap is the new sensation for salad and sandwich lovers. I must say I’m kind of picky when it comes to sandwiches in Korea since I don’t like to have a lot of sauces on my food or strange combinations of flavors. Therefore, when I first went to Fresh Wrap with my colleagues, I kind of had low expectations, but I was wrong. Besides salads and sandwiches, they also serve brunch, juice, and coffee. One can eat at the store or get takeout, but ordering online is also an option. There are 1-meal, 2-meal, or 3-meal daily options, as well as dietary counseling and personalized services, but only in Korean, for those interested in losing weight or just healthy eating. . Everything is handmade with fresh and carefully selected ingredients. Here all the food is just amazing and reminds me of a European-style brunch. The moment I entered this place, two words came to mind: “green” and “fresh.”
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They perfectly describe the entire atmosphere and taste of Fresh Wrap’s food. Sandwiches vary every day because they have a sandwich of the day, which can be found on their Instagram account. Salads may be customized, and all food is prepared in front of the consumers. Though there are toppings that can be added, salads here keep a simple, juicy, natural flavor due to their delicious, handmade and natural dressings. The cheese salad is full of tomatoes, sweet pumpkin, sweet potatoes and, obviously, cheese. The chicken breast salad has plenty of avocado, nuts, and cherry tomatoes. Even if it seems a little pricy, the quality and taste are worth every bite. The sandwich of the day costs 7,000 won, while salads range between 9,800 and 11,800 won. I think both vegans and non-vegans would find this place most appealing.
2019-12-02 �� 8:26:18
37 The venue is small and cozy, so it can get rather crowded during lunchtime since there are many offices around. Many of the customers make phone reservations or order delivery to their workplace. There’s also a special “diet lunchbox” for ladies, which has gained a lot of popularity recently. Since diet refers to low calories and healthy food this is exactly what the “diet lunchbox” offers but with something more: deliciousness. If you’re into a more natural, healthy, and fresh brunch, then Fresh Wrap is a must-try.
The Reviewer
Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, and currently lives in Gwangju. She likes new challenges, learning interesting things, and being incurably optimistic. She is also currently doing volunteer work at the GIC and the Kim Daejung Convention Center, as well as working on some projects with the Global Family of Gwangju.
Photographs by Melline Galani and courtesy of Fresh Wrap
Fresh Wrap 프레쉬랩
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
t Monday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Closed on Sundays. P 62 Sangmu-pyeonghwa-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju 광주 서구 상무평화로 62 À 070-8803-4580 fresh_wrap
December 2019
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2019-12-02 �� 8:26:31
FOOD & DRINKS
38 Korean Recipe
Gul - Jeon
Oyster Pancakes
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
E
njoying oysters in other countries could be a little extravagant, as prices can range to almost five times as much as in Korea. Nonetheless, their popularity and high production throughout the year on many farms in the west and south, in addition to the large demand by food enthusiasts, make them very affordable here. Even though they can be consumed all year long, the best time for consumption and enjoyment is during the “oyster season,” which starts in late fall and runs to early spring. During summer, due to high temperatures, oysters can spoil easily and bacteria can cause food poisoning (believe me, it happened to me!). Therefore, for safer enjoyment, we must
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Written by Joe Wabe
follow the rule of thumb: “Enjoy raw oysters only during months containing the letter R.” Enjoying oysters during colder seasons is delicious and safe. Their softness, quick digestion, and nutritional value make them a very delightful dish, especially for young children and older people. Oysters can be enjoyed in many ways: in porridges, rice soups, hot pots, and pancakes, or raw, deep fried, and my all-time favorite – grilled. Our recipe for this month brings a very easy-to-prepare process that is savory, effortless, and fun to make: small oyster pancakes or gul-jeon (굴전). Gul (굴) means “oyster” in Korean, while jeon (전) means pancake (I added the word “small” because they are cooked individually and
not in a normal-sized package.) Considered as a side dish, guljeon is a treat you can enjoy as a companion with any meal or on its own as a snack during cold winter days. It goes well with rice wine (막걸리, makgeolli) if you are looking to feel extra warm in winter. If you wish to appreciate the oyster-eating experience further, a popular oyster festival is held every year in mid-December in Cheonbuk-myeon on Chungcheongnam-do’s west coast to promote the diverse dishes and traditions attached to this delicacy in the area. One of the highlights of the festival is enjoying grilled Cheonbuk oysters, the pride and joy of the Boryeong area.
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(Serves 3) 300g of unshelled oysters 2 eggs 1/4 tbs. mirin (rice wine) 1/2 tbs. anchovy sauce (use little salt if not available) 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp black pepper Garlic or onion chives finely chopped 1 red pepper thinly sliced Cooking oil
Preparation
Joe Wabe is an established photographer and Gwangju local business entrepreneur. He has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than eight years.
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The Gwangju News has been serving the community since 2001 by delivering news and information to the international communities of Gwangju. Send the Gwangju News to your family and friends back home, and let them know about Gwangju! Annual Subcription Rates: • Asia and Australia: 40,000 won (US $40) • Europe: 50,000 won (US $50) • America, Africa: 60,000 won (US $60) Payment can be made through bank transfer, cash, or Paypal. Bank Transfer: Kwangju Bank (사)광주국제교류센터: 134-107-000999 Paypal: gic@gic.or.kr Inquiry: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr or 062-226-2733
December 2019
The Author
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Rinse and drain the oysters in cold water. Let them rest in the strainer for a few minutes. In a container or with a plastic bag, add the flour and coat the oysters well until they become completely covered with flour. In a different bowl, beat the eggs and add the rest of the ingredients (rice wine, black pepper, sauce, chives, and red pepper) and mix well. Add the oysters in the bowl and coat them with the mixture. In a medium-high-heat pan, add oil and fry the coated oysters, turning them over on both sides until golden crisp (takes about three minutes). Serve on a plate and pair with soy or chili sauce.
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Ingredients
The Gwangju International Center (GIC) is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to promote cultural understanding and to build a better community among Koreans and international residents. By being a member, you can help support our mission and make things happen! Join us today and receive exciting benefits! • One-year free subscription and delivery of the Gwangju News magazine. • Free use of the GIC library. • Free interpretation and counseling services from the GIC. • Discounts on programs and events held by the GIC. • Up-to-date information on GIC events through our email newsletter.
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The 2019 Gurye Ironman Race Written and photographed by Mary Wagner
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
SPORTS SPORTS & ACTIVITIES & ACTIVITIES
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R
acers have many different reasons for choosing a specific event; for me, the Gurye Ironman race was the chance to come home again. Months of difficult training brought me to this point, ready to line up at the start line of a race that was taking place in what was once my backyard. This, the third year of the Gurye Ironman race, was scheduled for September 22, 2019, winding in and around the town of Gurye and the villages of Masan and Sandong, on the outskirts of beautiful Jiri-san National Park. Ironman, a feat of triathlon endurance, begins with a 3.8 kilometer swim, followed by a 180-kilometer bicycle race, and finishes with a full marathon: a run of 42.2 kilometers. Its origins date to 1978, when it was conceived on the island of Oahu, but it has become a worldwide brand that is now synonymous with athletic endurance and perseverance. The fastest athletes can finish the entire race in fewer than eight hours, while the slowest have 17 hours in which to complete all three events. The Gurye race in particular draws an international pool of racers, primarily from Korea, but also from all over the Pacific Rim: Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and China, as well as North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
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In the morning, we carefully made our way back through the rough weather to the Gurye Stadium, which was to have been the race’s finish area. There Mr. Moon shared our laughs and bravado as we picked up our finisher shirts and towels. In Ironman, simply making it through the months of training to the start line can be an achievement in itself, and while some athletes disagreed with taking the finisher gear, it was too beautiful not to appreciate. We were happy to hear that the contract between Ironman and Gurye had been renewed, so racers will be able to return to this beautiful site. The next day, many of us enjoyed swimming at the Gurye natatorium, cycling through town or around the villages, and running the Seomjin-gang’s riverside paths, as well as hiking up to Hwaeom Temple, with some even making the ascent of Nogodan peak. Many of us hope to return to race in Gurye in future years, and for those considering their first Ironman, or looking for a new race site, this location has all that could be desired: a beautiful course, good organization, and a hospitable community!
The Author
Mary Wagner lived in Gwangju from 1968 until 1981, with a few fortunate visits back home to Korea in the years since then. She now lives in Virginia, USA, and is an avid traveler and triathlete whose first international race was planned for Gurye. Despite the unfortunately timed typhoon, that experience was outstanding!
December 2019
Race opening ceremonies on Friday evening featured dancers, laser lights, and PSY performing Gangnam Style. Unfortunately, the weather forecast already showed Typhoon Tapah heading for the Korea Strait, timed to arrive on Sunday, race day. Race officials had already started making contingency plans for a possibly shortened race. On Saturday morning, Jirisan Lake, the race’s starting point, was crowded with swimmers arriving via the well-organized shuttle buses. The course was beautifully marked with buoys and rope to follow, and the water fresh and inviting, despite the drizzling rain overhead. It was a delightful and fast swim course, and we all hoped for raceable conditions for the following day. At the race expo, I was impressed with the number
Unfortunately, weather conditions continued to deteriorate, and by evening, the race organizers sadly informed us that there would be no race in the morning. As Hasib from Indonesia said to me, “We will all cry for five minutes,” and there were tears. There was also generosity and comfort. I spent the rest of the evening with the Dossa Triathlon Club, a remarkable group of friendly athletes, with a wide array of experience, from a first-time Ironman racer to a man who had planned for this to be his fifteenth.
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Among this year’s racers were Dougin Walker and Jill Kralovanec of the United States, race partners who were looking to set a new record for the number of Ironman races done worldwide: ten races, in ten months, in ten different countries, on six continents. Vicky Jones, the Wales women’s sprint triathlon champion, was also in attendance. Korean racers included the spirited Dossa Triathlon Club out of Seoul. And then there was me, a slow-paced but determined Ironman-aspirant, and former missionary daughter living in Gwangju, who hiked Jiri Mountain nearly every summer or fall between 1972 and 1980.
of bike mechanics present. Any possible mechanical problem could be handled, including replacing an entire bike frame, as a visitor from Indonesia found he needed. A missing wetsuit was quickly located at the information desk, with assistance from Mr. Moon, one of the athlete services coordinators. We were all impressed with the attention to detail and hospitality of the race organizers.
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42 Opinion
Lessons for Canada from Korea Written by William Urbanski
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December 2019
OPINION
O
ne of the major reasons I think people should travel and live abroad is so that they can see how things are done differently, and often better, in other countries. Ideally, these better ideas, systems, and concepts from foreign places can be imported to ameliorate life in our native countries. Whenever I get a chance to visit my home country, it’s an opportunity to reflect on some of the differences between Canada and Korea. My recent trip back home was no exception, and for some reason, several things really stood out this time and made me realize that Canada could stand to take a few lessons from Korea in a couple of key areas.
units (such as the somewhat uncommon li, meaning about 4 kilometers) haven’t been completely usurped by the metric system because they have a specific utility or cultural purpose. But for those of you unfamiliar with the situation in Canada, the mixed-measurement system is on a whole different level, and it’s ridiculous. On one of my first mornings back in Toronto, I walked to the grocery store to buy some apples. The price was listed in pounds, while the scale right beside it weighed kilograms. So, a few minutes later, I found myself in the position of being charged nine dollars for five apples, which I refused to pay. Apples and most fruit are cheap in Canada, and I know that a huge bag should cost less than five bucks. The mistake I’d made was to not convert from pounds to kilos because I’d assumed the scale measured the units described in the price. Even though everyone in Canada knows that this isn’t the case all the time, since I’ve lived abroad for so long, it slipped my mind to make the unnecessarily convoluted conversion between pounds and kilos.
CAN WE PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, DOG THE IMPERIAL SYSTEM IN CANADA? While Korea uses the metric system, Canada still relies on a hodgepodge, mixed-bag of weights and measures that in my mind would be best done away with. A country should only use one measurement system, and it’s always struck me as odd that Canada, a country that’s a leader in so many other areas, still uses Measurement two measurement systems so prominently. And yes, while officially Canada adheres to the metric system, in practice, use of the imperial system is extremely commonplace, leads to unnecessary confusion, and is also super annoying.
Systems Fact Check
As a side note, yes, I’m quite aware that most countries use different measurement units at times and for very valid reasons. For example, everyone in Korea uses pyeong when talking about floor space in buildings and homes. Pyeong and a handful of other vestigial
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43 As a second side note, it’s my strong personal conviction that the imperial system (inches, feet, yards, miles, gallons, and pounds) is trash. The only reason it’s used is because of convention and not because of some inherent logic or purposeful design. But I digress. CANADA’S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS A HUNK OF JUNK A second area where Canada has really gotta pick up its game is its abysmal public transportation system. Compared to Korea, where public transportation, even in rural areas, is quite good, Canada’s public transportation infrastructure is, for a lack of a better explanation, an antiquated, dilapidated, dated, absolute joke of a public service and a relic of the 1800s when people had little reason to venture far from home. A personal example will illustrate my point. My family’s homestead is a good 90 minutes north of Toronto in a village of about 1,000 people – a place where the local bowling alley/laundromat is the best place to access Wi-Fi. This countryside town is serviced by a bus that runs exactly twice a day, and I thought it’d be quaint and somewhat convenient to ride the bus down to the city. For apparently the first time in history, said bus was sold out, so my one-hour roundtrip (uphill-both-ways walk on a country road in the snow from my house to the gas station/bus terminal) was all for naught. In this case, I had other options and wasn’t in a tremendous rush, but anyone who would’ve needed to be on that bus would’ve been in a pickle. Perhaps this is overstepping, but I feel like having access to good public transportation is basically a human right
at this point in history. If you have to get around, you shouldn’t be forced into buying a car or living in a city. It’s tempting to point to Canada’s geography to explain why the public transportation there is so sparse, but the automobile industry should actually shoulder a lot of the blame. Aggressive automobile marketing (and other reasons such as incessant lobbying to public officials, which is a topic I won’t get into here) has people in Canada convinced that unless they have a new whip every three to four years, or ride the bus or subway by choice, they’re some sort of weirdo. So there it is: If you visit Canada, mentally prepare yourself for a bunk public transport system and brush up on your weights and measures. In the interest of fairness, though, let’s talk about something for which Canada, specifically Toronto, could be seen as a cultural ambassador to Korea: believe it or not, people in Canada, more or less, follow parking laws! To combat the few rebellious souls daring to park where they shouldn’t, Toronto has started an interesting pilot project whereby illegally parked cars are towed onto nearby side streets, forcing offenders to call an officer, find out where their cars are, and walk their lazy rumps a few blocks away like they should’ve in the first place.
The Author
William Urbanski, managing editor of the Gwangju News, has an MA in international relations and cultural diplomacy. He is married to a wonderful Korean woman, always pays cash, and keeps all his receipts.
No Man’s Land
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
A Tale of Two Subway Systems: Toronto vs. Seoul
December 2019
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December 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
44 Photo Essay
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Taking Pride Written by Colin Farabee
G
wangju’s second Queer Culture Festival took place recently, a wonderful celebration of diversity and a chance for the people of not only Gwangju but all of Jeollanam-do to come out and celebrate their community’s growth. Living in Korea as an LGBTQ+ person is still not the easiest thing to do, so there was a mixing of emotions written on everyone’s face. During the march around the downtown area, when the flags were waving and people were dancing, where two men or two women could walk holding hands in the street, there was explosive celebration. Every single asexual, transsexual, and queer person had a few sweet hours of being themselves with no judgment and, aside from a few protesters, no hate.
Photographed by Kim Yunkyoung, Isaiah Winters and Sarah Pittman
The Author
All photos on these pages are courtesy of Kim Yunkyoung.
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December 2019
Colin Farabee is a 27-yearold Californian working as an English teacher in Gwangju’s Sangmu District. His hobbies include extreme sports, riflery, and teaching historical European martial arts. He also writes adventure modules and plays lots of nerdy games, such as D&D and WH40k.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
There were, however, more emotions there than just happiness. Wandering through the crowd, looking at all of the different faces, I sensed from them a feeling of relief and hope. Relief at the chance to march and sing and be themselves for a few short, sweet hours, and hope in looking to the future, towards a Korea that they believe can love them the way they deserve to be loved, as all human beings deserve, and desire, to be loved.
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December 2019
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All photos on these pages are courtesy of Isaiah Winters.
December 2019
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December 2019
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All photos on these pages are courtesy of Sarah Pittman.
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ARTS & CULTURE
50 Book Review
Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents by Mark Sakamoto Reviewed by Kristy Dolson
F www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
orgiveness.
As we come to the end of 2019, this is a word I find myself contemplating often. Forgiveness: It is the intentional decision to let go of negative feelings in order to move on from harmful actions done to us by a person or group. We grant forgiveness whether the offender(s) deserve it or not, because shedding the psychological weight of resentment or vengeance is critical for survival. But the road to forgiveness can be long and difficult. For Mark Sakamoto and his family, it took generations.
Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents is the haunting tale of WWII survivors from two very different sides of the Canadian war story. Sakamoto’s maternal grandfather, Ralph MacLean, was a young man living a life of isolation and abuse on the Magdalen Islands of Canada’s east coast. To escape this life, he and his closest friend signed up to join the army when war in Europe broke out. Unfortunately, they were sent to the Asian theater, specifically to Hong Kong. There Sakamoto and
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the other surviving Canadian soldiers were soon captured by the Japanese and kept as POWs for the remainder of the war. His friend could not endure the harsh prison conditions, but MacLean withstood every hardship, and when Japan surrendered, he was sent back to Canada via Vancouver. During a stop in Alberta on the train journey home, he met a young woman who would later entice him to return west and become his wife. On the other side, Sakamoto’s paternal grandmother, Mitsue Sakamoto, was a second-generation JapaneseCanadian living a happy life in Vancouver when Pearl Harbor was attacked, dooming all people of Japanese ancestry on North America’s west coast. She and her family were sent east to Alberta to work as farm laborers. In a series of cruel legislations, during and after the war, the Canadian government saw to it that none of these displaced people could easily return to their coastal homes. She and her husband resigned themselves and their young children to a life of farming and adversity. This brave woman gave up everything she loved in order to keep her children safe and to give them a future full of the opportunities that had been taken from her.
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Gwangju Writes 51 Sakamoto has taken his grandparents’ stories and demonstrated the power of living history. It is a testament to the power of forgiveness that these two individuals, witnesses to the worst of humanity, never lost their own. They forgave but did not forget. And eventually their lives were brought together in the union of their children. This union in turn begat grandchildren who listened to their stories and discovered the profound wisdom and strength needed to navigate an often harsh and cruel world populated with broken, fearful, and greedy people. The book was easy to read but at times difficult to digest. The general events and orders of history are made intimate and visceral, as were the psychological impact and consequences of a massive war and forced migration.
The Reviewer
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On distant planets, beings that have developed the ability to cooperate and collaborate may be quite different than our opportunistic scavenging ancestors. Predators, it has been posited, may have the most to gain from working together. Millions of years of evolution have allowed them to hone their ability to communicate beyond speech, silently conveying meaning to one another with the subtlest gesture. Such creatures wouldn’t be reliant on brute force to ensnare their prey in strange jaws or beaks or venomous mandibles – the most elegant form of slaughter is when the prey does not know it is coming. The predators of our world will lie in wait for hours for the perfect moment to strike. And they will seldom pounce at the heart of the herd, where the prey is strongest. They will wait for the stragglers, the sick and the lame, and the helpless young to wander away from the safety of the group. That is when they strike. And why would we assume that a predatory species that has risen to the level of civilization would abandon these long-honed instincts? Instead, just as with humanity, their natural impulses would shape their culture, mold their laws and customs, and define their ideals. Patience in a hunt would be the ultimate virtue, knowing the perfect moment to strike; the utmost wisdom. And what might they think of a small blue-green world, peopled with soft creatures without fangs or claws
December 2019
Kristy Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read, and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and now lives in Yeosu, where she splits her time between teaching at the new Jeollanamdo International Education Institute and reading as much as she can. (Photo by Cheyenne Taylor)
M
any species in our world show signs of intelligence, but some scientists have suggested that humans may be an unusual type of creature to develop this trait.
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The very same lessons are being taught and learned in the USA today. Democracy has been hijacked by the fearful and corrupted by the power-hungry. Mexicans are being demonized in the media. People fleeing war zones are being caged by border security for trying to realize their dreams of a better life. Forgiveness is important, yes. But we should never forget. We must act. Regardless of your religious affiliations, as 2019 comes to a close, consider giving those in need the gift of your voice and your actions. Let’s ensure that no more generations need suffer in apathy and silence.
Written by Alan O’Doherty
ARTS & CULTURE
The gift of forgiveness strikes me as critical as we head into 2020. Over 70 years ago, the Canadian media and government waged a campaign to strip Asian immigrants of their humanity. It was successful: By the time the attack on Pearl Harbor gave the USA and Canada grounds to intern anyone of Japanese ancestry, no one protested. The protests, the formal apologies, and the restitution all came much later. Despite what Mitsue was taught about Canada in school, it turned out that the rights and freedoms of democracy did not apply to her.
The Fermi Paradox
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52 – creatures that even now overconsume and breed in abundance in the absence of capable predators, slowly turning that same world barren. Only the most naive hunter would act now – when these creatures number in their billions, when they are well armed and provisioned, and when they are still secure and safe in a world they are perfectly adapted to. Much better to wait another century or two. Let the prey tire itself, become desperate, and flee its now barren and dying world in tiny, primitive spacecraft, searching for a new home. Then would be the moment for sleek predatory ships to slide through the void, darkness against darkness, as the prey struggles out into the hostile environment of space. Strange alien eyes would hungrily watch our floundering vessels, weak and helpless in the empty, endless cold.
Whether in days or mere moments, eventually nothing would be left but scraps of jagged metal and a scattering of viscera drifting in the void. When we gaze up at the stars wondering whether we are alone in the universe, perhaps we should hope we are. Photographs by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
The Author
Alan O’Doherty is a Jindo-based ESL teacher, originally from London, UK. He is a sci-fi and horror enthusiast, poor Korean speaker, and international beerhunter who is currently doing his best to explore Jeonnam and getting the hang of oven-free cooking.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
We are prey so naive that we might even send out signals calling for help, just as an abandoned newborn cries in
distress. Picked off one by one, each ship would vanish in an instant, sending panic rippling through the herd.
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CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Created by Jon Dunbar
Look for the answers to this crossword puzzle to appear in January in Gwangju News Online (www.gwangjunewsgic.com).
ACROSS
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35 36 39 42 44 45 48 52 53 55 56 57 58 59 60 61
Samgyeopsal source “The King and the ___” Hanam-dong fusion restaurant Mighty tree Billy ___ Williams Waygook ___ cultural exchange program Mass emigration Johann Sebastian ___ Signed agreement Fine ramie for weaving SK chairman Tae-won Seoul’s river Denim Crown prince who died in a box One of the most common top-level domains It is headquartered at Camp Humphreys
December 2019
Chile canceled this in November GIs’ “home away from home” Water fowl El ___ weather system Comedian Hong-chul US safety agency Swine flu authority Cube Entertainment girl group Korean pancake Shisha Hunmin-jeongeum ___ Fib Inception actor Dileep Korea’s largest multicultural English teachers association 28 Goes with a fork 32 Shakespearean curse: “___ on him!” 33 Korean-American singer Eric
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1 5 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24
1 Egypt’s “key of life” 2 Novelist Iyer 3 Opposite of exo4 Bulgyo ___ Festival 5 Immigration office station 6 The sun 7 UN human rights body 8 Taejo’s courtier Jeong entrusted with describing eight regional traits 9 Operator 10 Bok ___ 11 Batwoman’s secret identity Kate ___ 19 Thinking computers 21 Korean court music 24 Popeye’s competitor 25 Black gold 26 Bbang Goom ___ 27 Install a carpet 29 Hoppy beer 30 Fish appendage 31 Ovum 34 Mudol-gil mountain 37 Temple located at 34 Down 38 Berate 40 Jinx spell 41 Gymnasium in Pungam-dong 43 ___ Asiana Group 45 Paperwork needed by foreign employees 46 Skull’s partner 47 Type of tea 49 Easy ___ it 50 Airspace defender 51 ___ or swim 54 Paddle
ARTS & CULTURE
DOWN
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Gwangju Happenings December 2019 Compiled by Melline Galani
THE 2019 BITGOEUL KIMCHI-MAKING FESTIVAL
MONTHLY NEWS
빛고을 김장대전 t P À `
November 18 – December 22 60 Kimchi-ro, Nam-gu, Gwangju (Kimchi Town) 062-676-3601~2 http://kimchi.gwangju.go.kr
THE 2019 KBC CHRISTMAS FAIR
2019 KBC 크리스마스선물전
t December 12–15 (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) P 30 Sangmunuri-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
PHOTO EXHIBITION: 2019 REPUBLIC OF KOREA 100 YEARS – 10 SCENES THAT CHANGED HISTORY
2019 대한민국 100년, 역사를 바꾼 10장면 사진 전시회 t November 11 – December 15 P 110 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju National Museum)
À 062-570-7000 ` https://gwangju.museum.go.kr/
2019 ACC NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT
(Kim Daejung Convention Center, Exhibition Hall 2) À 062-650-3374 ` https://www.kdjcenter.or.kr/eng/
2019 ACC 제야콘서트
2019 GFN’S BOYS & GIRLS CHOIR PERFORMANCE “CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILY”
À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/
t December 31 (7:30 p.m.) P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
(Asia Culture Center Theater 1)
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December 2019
GFN광주영어방송 제10회 소년소녀영어합창단 정기공연
performance/3602
t December 7 (3:00–4:30 p.m.) P 60 Bukmundae-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju Culture and Art Center)
À 062-460-0982 ` http://gjart.gwangju.go.kr/
NUSANTARA, THE COUNTRY OF ARCHIPELAGO
많은 섬들의 나라, 누산타라
t November 22, 2019 – June 21, 2020 P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
(Asia Culture Center Special Hall 3)
À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/
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exhibition/3516
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5555
Gwangju Theater Movie Schedule P 62 Chungjang-ro 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Two blocks behind NC Wave) ￦ 8,000 won À 062-224-5858 ` http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju (Korean)
* Synopses excerpted from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Hancinema. All English language films are presented with Korean subtitles; nonEnglish international films are presented with Korean subtitles only.
MARRIAGE STORY 결혼 이야기
South Jeolla Happenings DAMYANG SANTA FESTIVAL
담양산타축제
t December 13 – December 29 P 2-17 Gipeunsil-gil, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun,
Jeollanam-do (Damyang Meta Provence)
À 061-383-1710 ` http://tour.damyang.go.kr/
Comedy, Drama, 136 min., English (Korean subtitles)
A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes. Director: Noah Baumbach Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Merritt Wever, Adam Driver
LA VÉRITÉ 파비안느에 관한 진실
Drama, 107 min., French, English (Korean subtitles)
A stormy reunion between a daughter and her actress mother, Catherine, takes place against the backdrop of Catherine’s latest role in a sci-fi picture as a mother who never grows old. Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke
THE TWO POPES 두 교황
Drama, 125 min., English, Latin (Korean subtitles)
BOSEONG TEA PLANTATION LIGHT FESTIVAL
보성차밭 빛축제
t November 29, 2019 – January 5, 2020 P 775 Nokcha-ro, Boseong-eup, Boseong-gun,
Jeollanam-do (Korea Tea Culture Park)
À 061-850-5211~4 ` http://www.boseong.go.kr/tour/festivity/light_
festival
SUNCHEON STARLIGHT FESTIVAL
순천 별빛축제
t December 20, 2019 – January 27, 2020 P 47 National Garden 1-ho-gil, Suncheon-si,
Jeollanam-do (Suncheon Bay National Garden)
À 061-749-3114
SORRY WE MISSED YOU 미안해요 리키
t December 31, 2019 – January 1, 2020 P 7070-4 Hyangilam-ro, Impo Village, Dolsan-eup,
Drama, 100 min., English (Korean subtitles)
AT ETERNITY’S GATE 앳 이터너티스 게이트
Drama, 110 min., English, French (Korean subtitles)
A look at the life of painter Vincent van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France. Director: Julian Schnabel Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac
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Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do (Hyangilam Temple)
À 061-659-4743 / 1899-2012 ` https://www.yeosu.go.kr/tour/culture_festa/
hyangilam
December 2019
Hoping that self-employment through a gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hard-up UK delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of this modern-day form of labor exploitation. Director: Ken Loach Starring: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Nikki Marshall
HYANGILAM SUNRISE FESTIVAL
향일암일출제
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Behind Vatican walls, the conservative Pope Benedict and the liberal future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church. Director: Fernando Meirelles Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins, Juan Minujín
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Community Board Have something you want to share with the community? The Community Board provides a space for the community to announce activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information.
Calling All Dance Enthusiasts
The Gwangju Performance Project’s official dance troupe is back in session! Our troupe offers classes, workshops, and opportunities to perform for people from all walks of life. NO DANCE EXPERIENCE OR AUDITION NECESSARY. All we require is a strong desire to TWERK and SLAY as hard as humanly possible. * Classes are held twice a month on Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m. at the GIC or from 3 to 6 p.m. at one of our varying studio spaces. * Please Note: On occasion, our troupe holds classes at different dance studios throughout Gwangju. * Once added to our official Kakao group via our admin, we will be sure to notify you of the location. Access may be granted to our official Kakao group by sending a message to our admin, Iman Smith (Kakao ID: @Naima915). We hope to have you join us for this dance extravaganza!
Gwangju Toastmasters Club
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2019
Gwangju Toastmasters Club (TM) is a relaxed, alternative style Toastmasters club that focuses on building communication and leadership skills. We provide people with opportunities to improve and practice their communication skills with prepared and impromptu speaking roles. Guests are welcome! TM Open House Dec. 14 (Sat.) 3:30–5:30 p.m. GIC Hall @ Gwangju International Center *Due to limited seating, reservations in advance are recommended. For more information and reservation, please visit our Facebook page: Gwangju Toastmasters or call 010-46147434
Baseball in Gwangju
Are you interested in playing baseball? Do you enjoy the sport but haven’t had the opportunity to participate here in Gwangju? Well, you are in luck! For the past six years, the foreign baseball team, the Gwangju Bombers, has been playing competitively in a baseball league in the city. The team is always looking for players to add to the roster. The team consists of both foreign and Korean players, and plays every Saturday from March to October.
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Come, play, and have fun! If interested, contact Joel Klimas at joelklimas@gmail.com.
Gwangju Inter FC
The Gwangju International Soccer Team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, email seehand@naver.com, phone or text 0107126-1207 Facebook: Gwangju Inter FC
Gwangju Spanish Club
Every two weeks on Saturdays, 3:30–5:30 p.m., GIC Global Lounge (1st floor) Spanish – English – Korean language exchange No importa tu nivel de español. ¡Únetenos! Facebook: Gwangju Spanish Club – Int/Adv
GIC Citizens’ Choir
Are you interested in joining a choir? The GIC Citizens’ Choir is inviting sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. Send your application to gic@gic.or.kr with the following information: name, phone number, email, voice part, and brief self-introduction on your singing experiences. You can also visit and observe the GIC Citizens’ Choir rehearsing on the first floor of the GIC at 10:00 a.m. every other Saturday.
UNESCO KONA Volunteers
KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a registered small public library supported by UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV). UKV is a registered organization that helps disadvantaged children learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps. We guide families and children to develop a love of reading storybooks in English. We also give guidance to volunteers in using storybooks. We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month. For more information, please visit http://cafe.daum. net/konavolunteers or our Facebook pages for KONA Storybook Center and UNESCO KONA Volunteers. Also, you can contact Kim Young-im at 062-434-9887 or email konacenter@gmail.com.
2019-12-02 �� 8:28:10
Attorney Attorney Park’s Park’s Law Law Firm Firm We're ready to serve your best interests in legal disputes. We provide affordable consultation & representation.
▶ Areas of Specialty contracts, torts, family law, immigration, labor ▶ Civil & Criminal Attorney Park, Duckhee
former judge, GIC board member Services available in Korean, English & Chinese
#402 Simsan Bldg, 342-13 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Location: next to Gwangju District Court
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Tel: 062) 222-0011 Fax: 062)222-0013 duckheepark@hanmail.net
2019-11-27 �� 11:13:07
The GIC: Already 20 GIC Hall
Global Community Open House Anniversary Celebration and Performance Special Talk: 20 Years of GIC with the Local Community Appreciation Award Networking Party SPECIAL EVENTS The GIC: Already 20 Gwangju Art Class Community Art Show “Make a Wish to Santa” with 1,000 won!
Let's celebrate GIC's 20th anniversary and Adios 2019 together by attending our event and joining our membership!
More Info. 062-226-2733 (GIC)
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2019-11-27 �� 11:13:09