Gwangju News February 2023 #252

February 2023 #252

City

of Lights, Camera, Action Filmmaker Korosi in Gwangju

February 2023, Issue 252

Published: February 1, 2023

From the Editor

February is here, the shortest month of the year. But even though it contains fewer days, it is still filled with four full weeks, two of the 24 seasonal terms (Ipchun, “The Coming of Spring,” and Usu, “Spring Rain”), and the sweetest of sweet observances (Valentine’s Day).

Publisher Dr. Shin Gyonggu

Editor-in-Chief Dr. David E. Shaffer

Managing Editor William Urbanski

Chief Copy Editor Isaiah Winters

Layout Editor Karina Prananto

Photographer Kim Hillel Yunkyoung

Online Editor Karina Prananto

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.

Copyright ©2023 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.

The Gwangju News is published by the Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731

Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com

Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr

gwangjunews gwangju_news

Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315)

Registration Date: February 22, 2010

Printed by Jieum 지음 (+82)-62-672-2566

For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.

Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.

As somewhat of an analogy to February having fewer days but still retaining fullness, the Gwangju News is reducing its pages by four as a result of City Hall tweaking its distribution of modes of communication with the residents of this fine City of Light. But do not fret, stress, or grieve; the Gwangju News is still committed to providing our readership with the high quality of journalism that we all have been used to.

To confirm this hype, the first of our four feature articles is an interview with a Yugoslavian-born filmmaker who made his way to Hollywood and is now aiming his lens on Korea: Attila Korosi. This month, People in the Arts features an artist widely known for his wide array of materials and mixing of media: Yoon Nam-woong. In addition to the seasonal terms mentioned above, Prof. Park presents a couple of lesser-known pre-spring festive days of yesteryear – Have you heard of Hadeulet Day? And then there’s Valentine’s Day. Read how one Gwangju resident thinks we should best express love on this day in “All We Need Is Love.”

Our Travel section takes you to Pyeongchang for a report on one expat participant’s views on the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates [Around Korea]. An expat resident of Songjeong apprises us of what that area of Gwangsan-gu has to offer besides a KTX train station [Around Gwangju]. And Lost in Honam this month discusses the disappearance of a sledding slope near Gwangju in an atypical format than may make you think the author has lost his… (Oh, never mind).

In our Teaching and Learning section, we discuss board games for English teaching, the Montessori method for young learner teaching, and grammar and vocabulary for Korean learning.

I would be remis to close without mention of our new bimonthly column attempting to save our planet, Edge of Time. Read this month’s introduction to the breadth of sub-topics this column is expected to tackle. And our radical recipe of the month, aiming to contribute a morsel to this earth-saving task, is for proteinrich red lentil patties. Enjoy – the patties and the Gwangju News!

David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News

Cover Photo Attila Korosi

Gwangju

THE EDITORIAL TEAM

Photo of the Month

By Kim Hillel Yunkyoung

“Morning Sunrise”

Jindo

The

01. From the Editor

04. Gwangju City News

06. City of Lights, Camera, Action: American Filmmaker Attila Korosi in Gwangju

10. People in the Arts: Painter of “The Wind Flows Among the People” – Yoon Nam-woong

15. Contemplations & Ponderings: The Brave New World of 2023

16. Valentine’s Day: All You Need Is Love

18. Lost in Honam: Local Loner’s Longtime Sledding Dreams Dashed

23. Around Gwangju: Songjeong District, Gwangsan-gu

26. Around Korea: World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

TEACHING & LEARNING

28. Language Teaching: Never Bored with Board Games!

32. Everyday Korean: Episode 62. 가는 말이

곱다 What Goes Around Comes Around.

33. Montessori Education II: The Unimaginable Importance of Young Hands

34. Two Stories from KONA Volunteers

COMMUNITY

36. Opinion: Orange Parking Cones – The Heroes Gwangju Needs but Does Not Deserve

38. Edge of Time: Gwangju – Home of Hope and Climate Action

42. Rad Recipe: Red Lentil Protein Patties

44. Goodbye, South Korea

CULTURE & ARTS

02. Photo of the Month

46. Book Review: Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

48. Music: Top of The Drop

50. Comic Corner: Alan and Me – Episode 20. Family Holiday 1

52. Crossword Puzzle

Gwangju City News

Gwangju Commuter Train – Taking You Fast and Affordably Between Gwangju Station and Gwangju-Songjeong Station

The Gwangju Commuter Train runs between Gwangju Station and Gwangju-Songjeong Station 30 times a day. This shuttle train line was opened in December 2016 under an agreement between Gwangju City and Korail. It is a diesel train with a total of 166 seats among three cars.

It connects the 14-km distance spanning Gwangju Station, Geukrakgang Station, and Gwangju-

Songjeong Station in 15 minutes. It is probably the best means of transportation for residents of Buk-gu and Dong-gu in Gwangju to be able to use GwangjuSongjeong Station quickly and conveniently, as it usually takes about 45 minutes to travel from Gwangju Station to Songjeong Station by bus, but by using the shuttle train, the travel time can be reduced by 30 minutes.

The cost for the train is a mere 1,000 won. If you are transferring to the KTX, the fare is 900 won, and for senior citizens, children, and the disabled, the fare is 500 won.

The shuttle train operation time is linked with the time schedule of the KTX and SRT trains, as the first train departs from Gwangju Station at 5:02 a.m.,

▲ Gwangju Commuter Train. (Photo by Gwangju City Hall)

and the last train departs from Gwangju-Songjeong Station at 12:31 a.m. It is a great advantage in terms of time and money saved when the city buses are not running.

Over the past six years, a total of 863,258 users have ridden this train, with an annual average of 143,000 people.

Gwangju City is working hard to prepare countermeasures, believing that it is absolutely necessary to maintain the railway function of Gwangju Station and revitalize the area around Gwangju Station by continuously operating the Gwangju Commuter Train.

Gwangsan-gu Accepts Complaints for Noise Disturbances/Pollution from Military Airport and Pyeongdong Artillery Shooting Range

Gwangsan-gu District Office is accepting complaints and will distribute compensation for noise disturbances from the military airport and the Pyeongdong Artillery Shooting Range.

Residents, foreigners included, who have resided in the noise countermeasure area for one year from January 1 to December 31, 2022, can apply for compensation for noise pollution at military airfields.

In addition, from November 27, 2020, to December 31, 2022, residents and foreigners who resided in a noise countermeasure area with a resident registration card can apply for compensation for noise disturbances at the Pyeongdong Artillery Shooting Range.

The compensation application period is from January 9 to February 28, 2023, and the compensation will be paid based on the level of noise pollution.

Gwangsan-gu plans to notify the final compensation amount in May and proceed with payment of compensation by August.

If you are a Gwangsan-gu resident that falls into the categories above, then you can make your complaints through the Gwangsan-gu District Office.

Gwangju Intra-City Buses Will Reduce Service During Winter Vacation

City buses operating in the Gwangju area will be reduced during winter vacation.

Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Gwangju Bus Transportation Business Association decided to save energy and reduce operating costs for city buses, which experience a drastic decrease in passengers during the winter vacation. On weekdays between January 9 and February 28, 101 routes will reduce the frequency of their runs. These routes will see reductions of 96 units (9.6 percent).

As a result, the operating interval of trunk lines with a large number of units will be around 10 minutes, and branch lines with a small number of units will operate at around 20 minutes, which is longer than usual.

The city also plans to conduct flexible operation of bus services to minimize inconvenience to citizens in consideration of commuting time, although the interval between buses in the city will increase.

You can check the timetable for each route under “Gwangju Metropolitan City Bus Service Information (http://bus.gwangju.go.kr).

▲ Gwangsan-gu Office (photo by Umesh Mansukhani

City of Lights, Camera, Action

American Filmmaker Attila Korosi in Gwangju

By Jana Milosavljevic

Attila Korosi was born in Yugoslavia and is the director, writer, and producer of the feature film Maze of Fate Maze of Fate is a crime drama, filmed in one of America’s most dangerous neighborhoods. The film is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2023, and Mr. Korosi is currently working on his new projects while based in Gwangju. Upon coming to Korea, he created a short documentary about the May 18 Democratization Movement and received a special award for it. Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Korosi took the time to meet our team in person and shared his interesting story.

Gwangju News (GN): Thank you for kindly making time and joining us here at the Gwangju International Center (GIC) for this interview. While preparing for today, I came across an online article about you subtitled “Attila Korosi does the impossible from growing up in a war-torn country to pursuing his filmmaking passion in L.A.” Myself growing up in the same war-torn country that no longer exists and knowing the reality, I must say your life itself does seem a bit like a movie. Could you tell us about your per aspera ad astra (Lat. “through hardships to the stars”)?

Attila Korosi: Thank you very much for having me. It is great to meet somebody else from my country here in Korea. I remember when the military came to my house and took my father away. I remember crying. I think I was four or five years old. It was a very scary and surreal experience. One thing I noticed is that it is actually not so bad growing up in a war. It seems like people are friendlier, they seem to be closer, neighbors help each other. It is all a matter of perspective.

I went to America in 2007 on a full athletic scholarship. I always wanted to make films, and I wanted to do it in the States. But I did not study film. I chose to study business, and I got my degree in accounting because I believed accounting would provide me with a very good set of skills that can help me with a different side of movie making: budgeting – the side that not many artists are usually familiar with.

So, I got my bachelor’s degree in accounting and then I got a very good job offer at a prominent accounting company at the time. Nevertheless, that was when

I thought – you know what, life is too short! I do not want to be 50 or 60 years old and have regrets wishing I could go back in time and take the risk, wishing I would have pursued my dreams.

I moved to Los Angeles without knowing anybody and made a couple of short films when I finally decided it was time for me to produce a feature film. Everyone always talks about the “American dream,” people having guts and not being afraid to pursue big things. What really surprised me was the mentality that even in the U.S., everyone around me was telling me it was impossible to make the film that I wanted to do because I had no budget.

At first, I bought a camera for $1,050 and made a whole movie by myself. At the time, I thought it was the best movie in the world. But after watching it again, I realized it was garbage. I was so embarrassed to show it to anyone. I kept repeating the process for two or three years until I learned that I needed a good cinematographer, I needed an editor, I needed the colors retouched, the sound designed – so many things needed to be done on a high level. Then I assembled a team of almost 200 people to make my first legit feature film, which was Maze of Fate. The team that worked on it was made up of wellestablished professionals in their respective fields as well as actors such as Richard Cabral from American Crime; Robert LaSardo from Léon: The Professional, which is one of my favorite movies; and also Corina Calderon from Suicide Squad. It took three and a half years to finish, and then just two months ago, in December, it was sold to a reputable distributor and is going to be released in the first quarter of 2023. I am very excited for the world to see it.

GN: In a brief introduction video that can be found on your YouTube channel, you mentioned watching movies was your escape from the war zones around you. In what way do you think growing up in troubled surroundings influenced your filmmaking? Attila Korosi: I think people who grew up in a war like I did or those from impoverished neighborhoods have a great advantage as opposed to those more well-off. I think we are not afraid to take risks or hear “no” for an answer. Conquering insurmountable obstacles, like surviving a war, for example – what else can be more challenging than that? In a war, you do not have resources, but our

parents, they taught us how to make something out of nothing. People say you cannot make a movie unless you have 10 million dollars. I say – what are you talking about? There are movies like Paranormal Activity or The Blair Witch Project that were made on micro budgets, eventually were a huge success, and made hundreds of millions of dollars. The sky is the limit!

GN: You often quote Orson Wells saying, “A writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army.” Could you elaborate a bit on how you connect to this quote and what meaning it has for you?

Attila Korosi: Oh, absolutely, that is a great question! In short – nobody can make a movie on their own. It is a team effort, and so many different variables have to work out perfectly to make it happen. As a director, I am the general, and I need a military of very reliable people. I have to encourage teamwork with my leadership and inspire the whole military to work efficiently to transfer my vision onto the big screen.

GN: Your first feature film, Maze of Fate, was screened at Sony Pictures. How did you feel at that time?

Attila Korosi: Sony Studios is one of the biggest, most prestigious studios in the world. I got a standing ovation for the first time in my life. I cried. It was an amazing and surreal experience. You are always biased in favor of your own movie because it is your baby. But when complete strangers and professionals praise you and help you down the line later on, that definitely gives you confidence.

GN: Now, everyone must be curious – what brought you from Hollywood to Gwangju?

Attila Korosi: In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, in the States, everyone was in a panic. The whole movie industry was chaotic, and everything was shut down. My girlfriend, who is originally from Korea, suggested that we come here, as Korea was still open, everyone was wearing masks, and the situation seemed to be more under control.

GN: What was your first impression of Gwangju and Korea in general? Did your opinion of Korea change after coming?

Attila Korosi: Well, prior to coming, my knowledge was very limited. I was very surprised by how clean and safe it is. People are usually very polite and quiet compared to the U.S. One thing that surprised me, with Korea being one of the most developed

countries in the world, is that people are not so open to communicating in English. I find it a bit difficult to communicate because of that.

GN: You received a special award (and a distribution deal with KBS!) at Seoul City Hall for your short documentary about the May 18 Democratization Movement on its 40th anniversary after a selection process covering over 300 films. How did you learn about the movement and what inspired you to make a short film about it?

Attila Korosi: My girlfriend first told me about May 18, and actually, I saw and enjoyed the movie A Taxi Driver a lot. That is what got me more interested, and then I visited the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives. I met a very knowledgeable lady there, I think she is also a professor, who gave me a tour of the Archives in English. She showed me some of the evidence and explained about the movement. I also went to the May 18th National Cemetery and other related places. What finally inspired me to make the short movie was the piece composed about the movement – the March for the Beloved, which I also ended up using as the score in my short documentary. I submitted the piece to several festivals, and a couple of months later, when I had completely forgotten about it, I got a call saying that I had won a special prize! I still remember I did not even have a suit for the ceremony – I needed to run to the store in Itaewon just before the start and, because as you see, I am a tall man – I could not find my size. I was nearly late! (laughs)

GN: As far as I am aware, you were the only nonKorean awarded. Do you think recreating Gwangju’s path to democratization through the eyes of an “outsider” gave you a different perspective? What was your approach to creating the documentary?

Attila Korosi: Well, every time when I create something, the most important step for me is research. If I want to portray something well, I really want to make sure that I do the research to the best of my ability, especially when it is a sensitive topic. So, I did lots of research – as I mentioned, I went to different museums, met with different people and, putting that all together, delivered a short piece that seemed to have resonated well with people.

GN: Finally, could you share with us a sneak peak into your future plans on projects both inside and

outside of Korea?

Attila Korosi: Currently, I am developing several projects. Thanks to Maze of Fate, for the first time in my life, a big producer reached out to me. I was not out hunting for producers, but Peter Billingsley, who is the executive producer of the first Iron Man that launched the Marvel cinematic universe, reached out to me, and I have been working with him for almost two years now. I was developing stories, writing outline screenplays, learning the details, and seeing how the big Hollywood filmmaking structure works. It was a great experience. I do not think you can learn this going to a film school.

I also have a first look distribution deal with a distribution company in the U.S., which means every film I wish to produce right now, I can take it to them and have a worldwide distribution. I would really like to put a team together here and make a film, like a co-production between America and South Korea. I have in mind an action horror screenplay that I think can be a perfect story for this market. That is one of my goals for the year 2023.

GN: Is there anything you would like to share as a final comment for our Gwangju News readers?

Attila Korosi: I think what you guys here at the GIC are doing is great. I think foreigners that come to South Korea do not have many outlets such as the GIC where they can communicate, where they can learn about the culture. And I think having that is very important because I believe South Korea is a fantastic country with great opportunities, with great people. Another reason why I want to make a movie here is because I want to show that in South Korea, even if you are a foreigner, it is not an obstacle – you are welcome here, you will be supported, and you can make big things happen.

The Author

Jana Milosavljevic was born and raised in Serbia. She currently lives and works in Gwangju as one of the GIC’s coordinators. She loves exploring new places, learning about new cultures, and meeting new people. If you are up for a chat, she can talk to you in Serbian, English, Korean, Japanese, or German.

Photographs by Kim Hillel Yunkyoung.

Painter of “The Wind Flows Among the People”

Artist Yoon Nam-woong

By Kang “Jennis” Hyunsuk

DAEIN MARKET

The place where I first met Yoon Nam-woong’s artworks was at Daein Market in downtown Gwangju. When the old market, where I used to go grocery shopping with my mom as a child, was gradually emptying out because of the newly emerging shopping malls, young artists came into the vacated shopping areas and created their own work spaces. One by one, small, unique galleries were created like nothing I had seen before, and people began to visit Daein Market to see their artworks. I remember that “The Arts Market” was opened every weekend and that my family also went

to Daein Market to enjoy the various artistic works as well as the fresh foods.

I remember us sitting on street chairs and asking one of the artists to paint our portraits on paper with indigo ink. It was a good memory. For this issue of People in the Arts, I introduce the artist who played a major role in transforming the Daein Market into the Daein Art Market. This artist, Yoon Namwoong, gave lots of joy to the visitors of the Daein Art Market with his witty and humorous artworks. I heard that he returned to his hometown in Jindo a few years ago. Thanks to the Gwangju Museum of

▲ Pieces of Fish Scales, 2007. Eight-panel folding screen.

Art, I was able to contact him and visit his studio in Jindo for this interview.

THE INTERVIEW

Jennis: Thank you for allowing me to do this interview for the Gwangju News

Yoon Nam-woong: Thank you for coming this far from Gwangju.

I learned in art class at school was also interesting, so my father was proud of me when I sat on the floor and did calligraphy with my ink brush. My father was a farmer, but he learned Chinese characters while attending a traditional village school or seodang (서당), so he could read newspapers, which were rare in the countryside. The newspapers at that time were written almost entirely in Chinese characters, so I learned Chinese characters from the newspapers and tried to write them with a brush and ink. When I was in art class in middle school, my art teacher saw my artwork and encouraged me to join the art club, so for my six years of middle and high school, I drew and painted as a member of the art club.

Jennis: You entered Chonnam National University in 1983. What was the university atmosphere like at that time?

Jennis: When I entered the village, I could guess that this extraordinary building standing tall on the hill was your studio. Is this your hometown?

Yoon Nam-woong: Yes, this is where I was born. As you know, in Korea, there was a custom of burying a baby’s umbilical cord when it was born. My umbilical cord was buried over there. I was born here and went to Jindo Middle School and Jindo High School, so I never left here before going to university.

Jennis: In Jindo, the Unlim Sanbang art house has been famous for oriental paintings for generations. Many people visit the place from all over the country. Did you have any connection with the Unlim Sanbang?

Yoon Nam-woong: None. Oh, when I was in my first year of high school, my brother bought me a book of paintings by the artists of the Unlim Sanbang as a gift before he went to the army. It would be the only relationship between the Unlim Sanbang and myself. I think I was never influenced by the traditional paintings of Jindo.

Jennis: You graduated from Chonnam National University’s College of Arts. When did you start painting, and how did you prepare to enter the College of Arts?

Yoon Nam-woong: Painting, for me, came naturally. I liked painting from an early age, and the calligraphy

Yoon Nam-woong: At that time, the vestiges of 5.18 [the Gwangju May 18 Uprising] remained all over the campus. We sat in makgeolli bars longer than in the lecture room. I majored in ink-and-wash painting, but the elite-oriented university education and “art only for the sake of art competitions” did not interest me. I thought I should be able to make my own paintings after reaching the age of twenty. So, it was hard to adapt to the apprenticeship learning system for oriental paintings that consisted of identically copying famous artists’ paintings. But I made friends who had the same worries, and I think I was able to get started at painting thanks to those old friends. Though we argued fiercely at times, through this, we guided each other on the tough road of art when our future was vague and blurry. So, when I go to teach young art students, I encourage them to make friends with others like themselves.

Jennis: What was your life like after you graduated from the College of Arts?

Yoon Nam-woong: When I was 29, I rented a village warehouse in Damyang and lived alone like a wild dog for about three years. I sometimes went to the village cemetery with my painting paraphernalia. One day I saw that the mountains were bare because the pine trees had gotten diseased and had to be cut. That lead me to paint the True Colors of Terra. I wanted to express the color of the Jeolla region, the sentiment of this land. In fact, a boat floating on a calm lake and the old Taoist walking along a path with a cane in oriental paintings have few

▲ Artist Yoon Nam-woong

connections to our present lives. I wanted to depict the culture around me and my life with my art. I had my first exhibition with the True Colors of Terra in black ink and clay water. Thankfully, many people visited and liked my paintings.

Jennis: How were you able to use clay water as one of your materials?

Yoon Nam-woong: At the time, there were no paints available containing natural mediums, so some artists used to experiment with diverse mediums in their painting, myself included.

time. I went to China to see Chinese realism art, their ink-and-wash paintings, Chinese calligraphy, and their art of character carving. I studied at Lu Xin Art School. As Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, former leaders of China, finished the Long March, they entrusted the creation of an art school to the art team that had been engaged in cultural movements during the Long March. So, the art school, named after the famous Chinese writer Lu Xin, was established. Starting with basic drawings, I had the opportunity to broaden my perspective through academic classes and various materials presented by professors. However, I was still constantly concerned about my paintings, pondering how to express the culture of my own birthplace to carry me through life.

Jennis: What has changed in your paintings since you came back from China?

Yoon Nam-woong: I had the studio in Damyang and still spent my time thinking about my paintings. What was different was that I started to put people in my paintings instead of doing landscapes. On a late summer day, I was walking along a stream, Gwanbang-cheon in Damyang, and I saw several young men of the town sitting under a tree, drinking coffee from a tearoom delivery girl. I saw them from across the stream. I felt how blithesome life could be and painted the scene, which I named Song of Gwanbang-cheon. The change in my paintings began with this painting. Some people might say my paintings are third-order art.

Jennis: Song of Gwanbang-cheon reminds me of Kim Hong-do’s traditional genre paintings that featured everyday lives of people in the Joseon Dynasty. I wonder why you say your artworks are like thirdorder paintings?

Jennis: After your first successful exhibition, you went to China to do a master’s program in art. What made you decide to go there?

Yoon Nam-woong: From the time I graduated from college, I had a thirst to know more about the society in which I lived, and I thought that I would need to study something different to mature my thoughts and skills. Luckily, the diplomatic relations between China and Korea had just been established at that

Yoon Nam-woong: Third-order things are those that have already passed by us. When we were young, jjajang-myeon (짜장면, black bean-sauce noodles) was a much-awaited treat, but now it is just a so-so meal. Like jjajang-myeon, there are so many things that have left our daily lives. But I want to bring back memories with my artistic language using the five senses. I think that third-order paintings can be quite progressive and innovative, focusing on culture that the public can enjoy rather than that elite culture that only a few can actually enjoy. I just hope people can enjoy my paintings.

▲ Flowers, 2013. Mixed media, acrylic, 166 x 116 cm.

Jennis: I was delighted when I saw your witty works in the Daein Art Market. How did the Daein Art Market come into being?

Yoon Nam-woong: The art market of Gwangju was small at the time. So, I put into practice the idea of bringing cultural democracy to the art community in Gwangju with my friends who had also been concerned about it. One goal was to allow anyone to express themselves freely about 5.18 in Gwangju [which was stifled at the time], and another was to release the artistic sensibilities of young artists on the streets of Gwangju. The Daein Art Market was a revolutionary art space, the likes of which are hard to find in the annals of Korean art history.

Jennis: What made you go back to your hometown, in Jindo?

Yoon Nam-woong: There were many things that occurred after the Daein Art Market. Suddenly my wife became seriously ill, and I hurried back to my

hometown, seemingly running away from so many kind people around me. I built this studio and house for two purposes: to take care of my wife and to work as a farmer and artist. And this year, we had our first successful harvest of peaches and figs in four years!

Jennis: What do you consider art to be for you?

Yoon Nam-woong: I remember when my grandmother passed away; we sent her on her way with a traditional funeral. The funeral bier was decorated with white paper flowers and some small wooden dolls. The bier singer led the chant of the funeral march with ringing bells. Within the sadness, beautiful majesty was clearly etched in my mind. The villagers who led the funeral were not professional artists by any means, but they all performed artistically for their departing neighbor. I came to think that art is not very far away from our daily lives. I think that art is always with us, contained within our reality.

Jennis: I saw a pile of calligraphy paper in your studio. What kind of relationship can there be

▲ A Painting for the Wind, 2021. Acrylic on hanji paper, 150 x 211 cm.

▲ Song of Gwanbang-cheon, 2007. Color ink wash on hanji paper 148 x 235 cm.

between calligraphy and oriental painting?

Yoon Nam-woong: Oriental painting and calligraphy are very similar with respect to brushwork. In calligraphy, it is important to understand and create harmony between letters or characters. Sometimes fast and sometimes slow, the brush stokes have rhythm in calligraphy. And this is also true in oriental painting. Calligraphy is an attractive artform in itself, but I think it is a very important foundation for oriental painting. I often do calligraphy these days while thinking about what words would touch the hearts of people today.

Jennis: I think you have your own style of painting that no one can imitate. I believe you will soon have new artworks to show us.

Yoon Nam-woong: Now, I am getting used to working as a farming artist. I will work hard for the next two years, and I want to invite you to my next exhibition.

Jennis: Thank you! I will be eagerly waiting for that exhibition invitation, and I thank you for this extensive interview.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW…

Like coffee and wine, all crops have different scents depending on the soil they grow in. People can also be said to have their own scents, depending on the “soil” they live in. Artist Yoon Nam-woong is maturing his thoughts on painting in his hometown now. Throughout his The Wind Flows Among People

series, he tells us that we are all connected by the wind in the air. And through his artworks, I could also read his respect for the common folk. I am sure he will soon show us another distinctive scent in his paintings.

EXHIBITIONS

2022. The 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Second Spring, Gwangju Museum of Art

2022. Puppet for You, Dongguk Museum of Art, Gwangju

2022. Seeing Again, Boseong Art Hall, Boseong, Jeollanam-do

2021. The Shadow on the Water, Baekmin Museum of Art, Boseong, Jeollanam-do

2021. Island of Wind, Solmaru Museum of Art, Jindo, Jeollanam-do

2021. The Hope for Opening the World, Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju

2019. Delicious Art Museum, Gwangju Museum of Art

2017. Local Bus, Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art, Gwangju

2017. Microscopic Description, Oh Seung-woo Museum of Art, Muan, Jeollanam-do

MAIN COLLECTIONS

Jeonnam Provincial Museum of Art

National Museum of Contemporary Art

Hampyeong County Museum of Art

Gwangju Museum of Art

AWARDS

2005. Excellence Award, Gwangju MBC Ink Competition

2003. Grand Prize, The 6th Gwangju New World Art Festival

Jennis Kang has been living in Gwangju all her life. She has been doing oil painting for almost a decade, and she has learned that there are a lot of fabulous artists in this city of art. As a freelance interpreter, her desire is to introduce these wonderful artists to the world. Email: speer@naver.com

The Interviewer

▲ We Are All Connected by the Wind in the Air, 2016. Mixed media, 180 x 126 cm.

The Brave New World of 2023

By Nahm-Sheik Park

January 2023 was a bit exceptional in that it got to host two New Year’s Days. Sunday, January 22, was Lunar New Year’s Day, officially ushering in the Year of the Rabbit. Interestingly, January is named for Janus, the Roman god of transitions. Like its namesake, January is at the nexus of the year past and the one just emerging with a bidirectional range of sight seamlessly linking the two. It’s where we can look back over the old year and ahead to the new.

Twenty-twenty-two’s legacy for 2023 is a sentimental walk down memory lane. For one thing, we’re already beginning to wax nostalgically about Christmas Eve. We’re also feeling nostalgic for the winter solstice, with its trademark red-bean porridge, and about Lunar New Year’s Eve with a white night, either attempted or attained. Per folklore, the porridge here is a sturdy fence against winter weather.

The Lunar New Year also comes with its own festive fare: a bowl of sliced rice cake augmented with beef, poultry, oyster, or choice mushroom, which may be replaced by a bowl of dumplings. Either way, this fare provides an extra layer of protection against the elements.

No observance of either New Year’s Day would be complete without New Year’s resolutions, would it? Some vow to quit smoking or to never touch another drop of alcohol ever again. Some resolve to swear by vegetarianism. For some ultimate vegans, anything even remotely resembling meat (think eggs) is an absolute no-no. They all desire to place top priority on a completely wholesome diet regimen for the sake of perfect health.

Oh, and what about the Gwangju International Center’s 2023 resolution? Either “Aim High” or “Hitch your Volunteering Wagon to a Star” sounds

good, doesn’t it? Volunteering is an elixir for its practitioners, ethically as well as health-wise. Per some recent research, it helps moderate stress levels and hypertension risks for everybody involved. Volunteers can thus do well by doing good. Be that as it may, my wish is for the GIC to take its activism to the next level and shoot for the stratosphere of humanitarianism in 2023.

Well, so much for the first month of 2023. Winter’s last gasp is almost palpable now. Ipchun (입춘), or the “gateway to spring,” falls on February 4. And Usu (우수), or “spring rain,” is on February 19. The arrival of spring is just a matter of time. It’s time now to get our tools out and ready our gardens for spring sowing and planting. Let’s all get set to welcome the fragrance of spring.

Two more pre-spring lunar festive days are jeongwol-daeboreum (정월대보름) or the “first full moon” (February 5) and “Hadeulet Day” (하드렛날) or “lower-classes day” (February 20). The festive fare for the former is the traditional five-grain meal featuring millet, sorghum, red beans, and other ingredients. The latter is typically marked with baked beans. By the way, Hadeulet Day is a degraded form of Haindeului-nal (하인들의 날, Servants’ Day). Both festive fares are believed to be solid immunity boosters, something we can all benefit from in the new year.

The Author

Nahm-Sheik Park has a BA in English from Chonnam National University, an MA in linguistics from the University of Hawaii, and a PhD in applied linguistics from Georgetown University. He is now a professor emeritus after a long and illustrious career at Seoul National University.

Valentine’s Day: All You Need Is Love

By Ellie Goodwin

It is clear that Valentine’s Day has cemented itself as a day to be celebrated in Korea and with more fervor than other Western derived holidays, such as Halloween. In Korea, it is customary for women to give chocolate on February 14, a gesture which is then reciprocated by men a month later on a day known as “White Day.”

“I was surprised to find out that Valentine’s Day was celebrated here – I thought it was just a Western thing,” said Sarah Tisdall.

In fact, the 14th of each month marks a romantic celebration between couples in Korea, such as Green Day in August, Wine Day in October, and Hug Day in December, with February 14 being the most important date on the calendar for people in relationships. Unfortunately, the meaning of the day is somewhat lost to consumerism, with many choosing to lavish one another with extravagant gifts.

Those choosing to celebrate Valentine’s Day are in a position to reintroduce the true nature of the day, rather than what it has started to become.

Chatting with Gwangju News, Sophia Amchi said, “I celebrate the day with my boyfriend – we don’t do anything over the top – sometimes it’s just something simple like a picnic spread in our apartment. We make presents for each other, too.”

Making your own gifts certainly adds a personal touch, as opposed to a mass-produced, store-bought

gift. Spending an exorbitant amount of money on your “valentine” to display your affection is fast becoming a norm. It is a narrative that we need to steer away from. Needless to say, love does not have a monetary value, nor should we try to give it one. The Suwan-based restaurant Baden Baden is a perfect place for couples looking to dine out without breaking the bank, as is Gungjeon (궁전), a downtown bakery.

“Me and my sister always gave cards to each other. We were taught that Valentine’s Day was about showing love – doesn’t matter if that’s for a boyfriend, girlfriend, relative, or friend. I liked that my parents did it this way – my sister and I argued a lot, so it was nice to be reminded that there were times when we actually really liked each other,” said Eleanor Baumber.

Presently, Valentine’s Day in Korea is stubbornly couple-oriented, which does not do justice to the multifaceted nature of love, thus excluding many. Celebrating love in a family setting is equally important. When teaching this to my students, I go to one of my favorite quotes from the classic comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire to help me get my point across: “Some families have one mommy, some families have one daddy, or two families. And some children live with their uncle or aunt. Some live with their grandparents, and some children live with foster parents.”

“I love my friends, and we’ll all go out together –some of us are single, some of us aren’t. We just have

a self-care day. I think love for friends is something that is massively undervalued – there’s way too much attention on romantic love .”

Again, there are many different forms of love to be acknowledged on Valentine’s Day, and celebrating love between friends is a great example. The Korean equivalent, Black Day, should be a day to celebrate self-love and friendship but rather is synonymous with being depressed about singledom, as the name would suggest.

Downtown Gwangju and Dongmyeong-dong with its many fancy cafes and various flower shops are just some sure-fire places to show your friends love on Valentine’s Day.

Regardless of your stance on whether the day should be celebrated, it does not change the fact that it is widely commemorated by many. Still, the narrative an individual employs can be given some consideration if, like me, you do not like the present message or want to deviate from conservative standpoints. After all, many Koreans study English as a second language, some with the intention of attending English-speaking universities or temporarily relocating to an English-speaking country for work. Prior knowledge about the culture (be it food, geography, or significant dates) is a useful

tool for these individuals. The same can be said for those who have moved to Korea.

“I knew the basics – the basic history of Korea, the holidays celebrated here, the language, the food – that kind of thing. Knowing this kind of stuff beforehand definitely helped me out, but I’ve also learned other random things here, too,” said James Anchor.

Korean society is becoming increasingly diverse, and with this comes a plethora of cultures to be learned about. It invites the chance for other significant dates such as Black History month, Pride, or Mental Health Awareness Days to be acknowledged even though they are, sadly, still overlooked at present.

Regardless of how you interpret the meaning of Valentine’s Day, there are lots of opportunities to celebrate it in Gwangju in a way that suits your own ideals.

The Author

English teacher by trade and keen traveler the rest of the time, Ellie Goodwin has been to 36 different countries, lived in China for over three years, and has been in Gwangju about a year. In her free time, she enjoys (you guessed it) traveling, hiking, reading, and the occasional soju. Instagram: @elliee_goodwin

▲ The Mudeung Mountain monorail is a favorite Gwangju couple’s spot. (Gwangju City Blog: https://blog.naver.com/dodreamgj)

Local Loner’s Longtime Sledding Dreams Dashed

By Isaiah Winters

The view from Taecheong-san with Mudeung-san off in the distance.

Alittle-known sledding haunt frequented by a Gwangju local has recently been demolished, denying him his main form of free winter entertainment – more at 11.

Sensing faint pangs of discontent across social media, the ever-perceptive Gwangju News dispatched its crack team of reporters to pursue a bevy of disparate leads, all of which culminated at the Cheetos-strewn bedside of a gaunt, woebegone loner for further elucidation. What follows is our earth-sundering report.

Gwangju News (GN): We must be close… the stench of Cheetos and Mountain Dew is overwhelming. (God, how prole.) Oh, there you are, sir! Hi, we’re from the Gwangju News. Thank you for buzzing us in for this interview. We think it’s crucial that the

community knows your story. So, how did it all come to this? We hear you’re grief-stricken by the loss of, quote, “a mountain slope I didn’t get to take advantage of enough.”

Earnest Sledder: Yes, yes that’s right. The slope… it’s… it’s all gone. [wheezed with cheese-tinged halitosis]

GN: Please stay with us, Earnest. Your story is absolutely crucial for everyone. Plus, there’s really nothing else going on for this column in February. Tell us how you first discovered this abandoned recreational facility.

Earnest Sledder: It was December 2020. I was isolated by the virus, lost really. Covid-19 had prevented me from visiting family that Christmas, so I indulged the worst aspects of my introversion and took to nerding out on the computer, scouring

KakaoMap for abandoned places in Honam. I was combing through the foothills of Taecheong-san in Jangseong-gun when I found it – my diamond in the rough – a water park and sledding slope dualuse facility, all of which was abandoned. My winters were never the same again.

GN: Understood. If our research is correct, this became a sort of winter tradition of yours – a grown-a** man in his mid-30s sledding alone down a mountain slope multiple times every winter, correct?

Earnest Sledder: Yes, that’s right. Believe it or not, I even took a friend once. He’s real. [squints one eye and burps the Dew in mouth]

GN: Our… our sleuths found that you’re in fact married, too. How’s that even possible? And can you please turn the wrestling channel down a bit for the love of God?

Earnest Sledder: Ah, the wife. Yes, when I met her, she loved rescuing animals. Somehow, we just hit it off. [wipes Cheeto dust on bedside curtain] Anyway, over the years, I came to really enjoy that slope and the surrounding area. The hikes up Taecheongsan, the free sledding afterward, and the traditional architecture nearby always kept me coming back.

GN: Well, let’s take each of those in turn. First, what was great about the hikes in the area?

Earnest Sledder: It’s a nice mountain if you want to hike alone. Almost nobody goes up there. That fact came in handy one time when I had a sort of, well, medical episode near the top. [cracks open a new can of Mountain Dew and swills it like wine]

GN: Wait, why would being alone on a mountain be good during a “medical episode?” What happened exactly?

Earnest Sledder: A few winters ago, I was badly

hung over one day and decided to beat my fever chills with a rigorous hike. Everything was going well until I got a severe case of the bubble guts just before the peak. We all know what that portends. Nobody was around, so I ran behind a snowy boulder and, elbows on haunches, made a few piles as discretely as possible. The snow helped with the clean-up process, which sure beat using dry leaves. I call that episode “Snow Wipe and the Seven Peaks.” [blows snot rocket into can and sets it aside]

GN: That’s utterly disgusting. And why would anyone share such a story so freely?

Earnest Sledder: I’ve never told anyone this, but one downside was that it was that hard, old, crystallized

snow that feels like a jagged rock in your hand. …

GN: …Nobody asked. And that question was merely rhetorical. Let’s move on quickly to the sledding slope. What was your favorite sledding memory before it was all torn down?

Earnest Sledder: Probably bringing my friend up there to sled with me. I lied that day and told him I’d buy him lunch at an expensive hipster joint in Dongmyeong-dong. The look on his face once we hit the highway – ha! I love treating people to my hobbies. We had a great time, I think. Poor guy’s been really busy since that day, I hear. [snorts sharply, swallows, then exhales]

GN: O…kay then. Let’s wrap this up

▲ The good old days before the slope was torn up.

before you foist more of your antisocial behavior on any of us. So, you also mentioned traditional architecture in the area. Maybe you can redeem this interview by talking about that. Try a little pivot to sincerity at the end, if you can.

Earnest Sledder: Sure. There’s an old ancestral shrine near the sledding slope that’s beautifully painted but falling apart. I like to stop by and take pictures of it as it decays year by year. The main beam holding up the roof has an amazing dragon painted on it. It’s truly mesmerizing.

GN: Hey, that wasn’t such a bad answer! I think we’re finally getting…

Earnest Sledder: …The dragon reminds me of Dragon Ball Z, the greatest anime

series of all time. I got something similar to it tattooed from my inner thigh all the way up to my tailbone. Here, check it out. [raises a leg, struggles with zipper, then emits a cheese-flavored eructation]

GN: Dear God, don’t. Please keep it for your wife.

Earnest Sledder: Ha! Okay then, buddy. I’ll save it for the missus. Too bad she and I never got to hit the slope together.

GN: Oh, really? Why not?

Earnest Sledder: That was the goal this winter. We’d talked about it. So, in anticipation, I stopped by the ol’ slope one day just to make sure everything was still there, and that’s when I saw someone had taken an excavator and dug it all up, as if out of sheer spite. They even knocked down the water slide at the swimming pool. No idea who’d do such a thing. Right then and there, I fell to my knees, tore open a bag of Flamin’ Hots, and haven’t stopped gorging my bedridden self on them since. As you can see, my limbs have all but wasted away.

GN: Yeah, by the looks of it, you’re in the advanced stages of skinny-fat physique. We lost our first ad sales manager to terminal SFP. The magazine still hasn’t fully recovered, and this interview hasn’t helped. Anyway, we’ve got enough to fill a few pages. Thanks for the revolting content. Is there anything you want to add before we never see you again?

Earnest Sledder: I’ve got a YouTube channel with all my sledding…

GN: …Cool, thanks.

The Author

Born and raised in Chino, California, Isaiah Winters is a pixel-stained wretch who loves writing about Gwangju and Honam, warts and all. You can see some of his unique finds on Instagram @d.p.r.kwangju and YouTube at Lost in Honam.

▲ The ancestral shrine’s dragon beam.

Songjeong District, Gwangsan-gu

By Umesh Mansukhani

In this new column, our correspondent, Umesh Mansukhani, visits areas around Gwangju to give our readers an overview of what makes each and every district great in its own way. — Ed.

Gwangju-Songjeong Station is located in Songjeong-dong, Gwangsan-gu. The station opened on November 1, 1914, and the building was moved to its current location on September 18, 1988. The station serves the KTX, SRT, Saemaeul, and Mugunghwa trains on the Honam Line. This station is also currently on Line 1 of Gwangju’s subway network. There are good

amenities in the station such as a Korean restaurant, Issac Toast coffee shop, a convenience store, a clothing store, and a lovely flower shop.

One of the oldest traditional markets in Gwangju, located right across the street from Songjeong Station, is the 1913 Songjeong Station Market. It is a street with retro-looking shops occupying the

1913 Songjeong Station Market

original old buildings along with bright, modernstyle architecture and signboards detailing the history of the various shops. The street has a bit of a theme-park vibe and is cool to walk through. It is a good market where we can get in touch with local people and local food culture. Visitors can enjoy all the classic market foods here such as hotteok (hot griddle cakes), gyeran-bap (rice with egg), fried chicken, eomuk (fish cake), and sundae gukbap (pork rice soup). One can also buy fresh vegetables, fruits, bread, and traditional Korean sweets and cookies.

The most famous lane in Songjeong-dong is Gwangsan Street. This street has shopping, services, and entertainment. Here one can find stores selling branded clothing, furniture, jewelry, watches, leather goods, accessories, toys, and stationery at very reasonable prices. Freshly cooked bread and sandwiches can be tasted at the lovely bakeries. Talented hairdressers will give you the latest Korean hairstyle at the hair salons there. Services such as the post office, foreign exchange, and photography are available. You can play new video games at local internet cafés, too.

For the foodies, we have come up with popular restaurants in the Songjeong area, where one can experience the best flavors of Gwangju. Starting with Songjeong Tteok-galbi (specializing in grilled short-rib meat patties), Jongga-jip Seolleong-tang (whose speciality is beef bone soup), Yeongmyeong Gukbap (serving boiled pork with rice), Songhak

Hanjeongsik (offering a Korean set menu with 20 tasty varieties), and Songjeong-gol (where you can order stewed fish, crab, clams, and oysters).

A coffee lover could be called a coffee aficionado, coffeeholic, or coffee addict. In the Songjeong area, one can get traditionally brewed coffee at Café Deunadelda, Café 1913, and Jeongja Dabang. Right across from Songjeong Station, you will also find Starbucks, Ediya Coffee, Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee, and Bulk Coffee, where one can have a good time with friends.

As an international resident, after entering Korea, one will need to open a bank account. The banks around the Songjeong area are Kwangju Bank, NongHyup Bank, and MG Saemaeul Geumgo (Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives). Now the banks are offering 5.5 percent interest per annum on a one-year savings deposit.

Excellent medical care is also provided in the Songjeong area with many good clinics and hospitals. The Gwangsan-gu Health Center is a public facility which provides vaccination and Covid-19 testing. For medical reasons, one can visit the Sarang Hospital, Lee Internal Medicine Clinic, Kiyoung Dental Clinic, Haengpok Oriental

▲ Gwangsan Street

▲ Gwangju-Songjeong Station

Medicine Clinic, Guchimga Oriental Medicine Clinic, Saehan Dermatology Clinic, Shinsehwa Gynecology Clinic, Choi Mental Health Clinic, and the Choego Eye Clinic. In addition to all these, the Gwangsan-gu Mental Health Center provides free consultation for depression and stress.

Gwangju also gives a very generous and friendly treatment to visitors and guests at their hotels. There is a good variety of lodging and boarding accommodations in the Songjeong district. One can get the best hospitality at Aura Hotel, Madrid Hotel, Songjeong Hotel, Gwangju Sepde, and the Dasomchae hostel.

And last but not least, the Gwangsan-gu District Office located in Songjeong-dong supports foreigners and international residents by providing various kinds of services. These include but are not limited to multicultural family support, provision of employment support for public jobs, issuance of civil affair documents, family relation certificates, certificates of registered seals, maternity help services, nutrient support for married immigrants, changes of address, certificates of domestic residence, national tax certificates, receipt for payment of utility charges, registration of births, marriage and death certificates, and free legal counsel.

All in all, the neighborhood of Songjeong is wonderful and provides a serene environment as well as a safe and secure atmosphere where the international residents can lead happy and joyful lives.

Map courtesy of Gwangsan-gu District Office.

The Author

Umesh Mansukhani is from India and is a freelance English tutor. He loves traveling, playing carrom, ping-pong, and watching Korean dramas.

Gwangsan-gu District Office

Songjeong Station Tteokgalbi Street

Gwangsan-gu Office

World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

Maybe We Can Change the World with a Pen and a Pad

By Yousra Feriel Drioua

Let go of your pre-existing prejudices and beliefs concerning the discussions we’ll be having during the summit.” These words are quoted from the welcoming speech of the 18th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates (WSNPL) by its president, Ekaterina Zagladina. Packed with a variety of seminars, workshops, panels, and thematic forums under the theme of “Stronger Together,” the 18th WSNPL was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, at the Alpensia Convention Center last December 12–14.

This year under the slogan of “Leading by Example,” it welcomed over 200 student attendees from 47 countries of different academic backgrounds, pushing for the inclusion of youth in the “making” of peace and involvement in the political sphere. The summit had three programs: The general one was for social activists and peace enthusiasts of all ages. The Press Program, was joined by both junior and senior journalists officially affiliated with a media entity. And the one I was a part of was the Youth Program.

The WSNPL earned the label of “world” in its name. The sheer differences between people present there almost forced us to adapt new mindsets to “co-exist.” One could disagree with others but had no liberty to force said others to abide by one’s rules: Both freedoms were assured by peace. That is poetic to me. It was one of the rarest occasions where religions were discussed based on curiosity and a seeking of understanding rather than disdain. It allowed for an open conversation about different perspectives on the queer community, where no side was persuading the other and ensuring an environment for genuine

bonding between participants. I sincerely believe that if one really opened their hearts during the summit, they wouldn’t have left the same person they came as. Sure, three days is a short period of time, and people do not change that easily. But a combination of embracing hearts and flexible minds guarantee boundless room for growth and change. At least, they pave the way for the latter.

Speaking of embracing, the WSNPL brought two artists from Ukraine and Russia to create a painting for the closing ceremony. The artists, with the participants, made a raw piece of art. I refer to it as such because of the inspiration behind it. The artists had already done some work on the canvas; however, it was blank. Why? The participants were meant to create their respective “ideal world,” and altering it throughout the summit. Looking at a blank canvas with this perspective in mind should inspire, dare I say, even a philistine to grab a brush to at least make a stroke. One could learn and develop their idea as they mixed the palette colors. Again, this is an anecdote from the summit.

What the summit is notable for is the participation of Nobel Peace Laureates. Besides the background differences they share, it was their opposing mindsets that left me in awe. For example, Tawakkol Karman finds that in a united world, nations have a responsibility to fulfill: that at some point they must get involved in each other’s matters if it concerns peace. Other laureates such as Shirin Ebadi were almost entirely opposed to this. I appreciate that it opens doors for inclusivity in the thought process, which cranks the policymaking. At the end of the day,

the laureates’ views on the world may not be the same, but they were united with two qualities: speaking from personal experience and preaching for peace. Whilst many young participants perhaps saw themselves more like the sterner laureates, I was moved to tears by Leymah Gbowee when she said, “We must re-imagine peace through sensitivity and human emotions, for that is the humanitarian perspective of peace.” It inspired me to continue being “sentimental” and “emotional” in my individual pursuit of justice.

Another thing to note from the summit was PeaceLab, a forum that brings together youth, academics, organizations, and experts from around the globe to propose and discuss implementation of programs and projects addressing challenges in their communities with the end goal of positive social change. The topics varied from civil rights to economy, technology, and sports as tools for building diplomacy peacefully. The one that left an imprint on me was the Social Justice Desk’s workshop, “Everyday Activism is the Key to Empowerment, Justice, and Sustainable Development.”

Overall, if we are to be frank, the summit cannot create the change we seek to see in the world nor can it implement peace. Its importance lies in the fact that it provides a pedestal for unity. People of all ages and of all spectrums of life gathering together can generate powerful elements. These elements can go from revolutionary ideas to sheer influence – both assuring a force not to be reckoned with. What’s that

force? It is a complex, rather bittersweet mixture of anger and hope.

Ultimately, since world peace is too unordinary for our current state, what the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates can implement is in fact a positive impact on ordinary people, for it is they who have been bringing visions to life for decades – ordinary people, who dedicate their lives to the causes they believe in and, in return, inspire others to carry on their lifelong missions. Now, who is more capable of achieving the unordinary than ordinary people with burning hearts?

The Author

Yousra is a 23-year-old Algerian, currently residing in South Korea and majoring in mass communication and journalism. As she figures out her calling in life, she is mostly interested in writing, radio, and media. She enjoys intriguing conversations, meeting new people, and being an active community member. Oh, and she is a long-time member of the BTS Army.

▲ Youth Program participants at the Closing Ceremony.

▲ Nobel Peace Laureates and the Peace Declaration Youth Program participants.

Never Bored with Board Games!

By Ingrid Zwaal

At a recent workshop of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL, the invited workshop presenter was Ingrid Zwaal. Her workshop was on using board games in the EFL classroom. Her presentation was interesting, informative, and full of tips (using a coin instead of a die). If fact, it was so useful that we have asked her to write this piece about board games to reach a wider audience. — Ed.

Games have always been a part of my life. Under the Christmas tree, we would find craft kits and games, mostly board games. My sisters and I spent hours playing these games. We played these games for more than to prevent boredom and give my parents’ some space: My parents were immigrants to Canada, and we used these games to learn about the society we were growing up in. We learned a variety of skills through some of these games – snakes and ladders for counting and fate, Monopoly for real estate, the memory game for how to quickly memorize where the different cards are, among other things. My mother made up games for us when we were doing chores, and my sisters and I made our own games together when we got older. The last time the three of us were on a three-hour road trip, one of them hosted a “name that tune” game she made for her senior patrons at the public library.

Think about your education, if you can remember back that far. Kindergarten was full of games and songs to teach you how to do things. I can remember Grade 1, when my teacher made sitting up straight to answer questions in class fun and exciting. She taught us to behave and be quiet through games like this. I even remember us crowded around each other, trying to barely breath so we could hear a pin drop. I swear I heard it. When did we stop making class and learning a good time?

I have not grown out of games. In university, I started playing Dungeons and Dragons, and I still do. On my own, when I am bored, I make up my

own challenges and games to keep myself motivated. And I feel the same way when it comes to class. Sure, learning is a serious business and we charge for classes, but are learning and fun exclusive from each other? I started teaching in a language academy in 1994. Although we had a book to follow, most Fridays saw my adult classes doing other activities or playing hot seat. The internet was barely a thought then, and I had to come up with games more useful or exciting than hangman. Then I was given three children’s classes. Getting the kids to study for tests was an impossible task. Out of my own frustration, I began to give the students and myself a break by playing games on Fridays. It is not easy to come up with new answers every week, so I started to use the grammar and vocabulary we studied all week for the Friday games.

Then something bizarre happened: Students started to come an hour early on Fridays and had their textbooks open. I sent my assistant over to see what they were doing. She said they were studying. “Oh, for a test in school?” “No, for our class.” I looked at her. “Seriously?” “Yep.” My students were studying so they could win the games. Motivation. They were actually learning. Well, I guess they were excited enough to tell their parents, and then I was told no more games. I actually had a master’s in education. I rejected the school’s and the parents’ demand. I was not about to stop doing something that made them study and made my life easier. I told the kids that from now on the only thing they were allowed to say about Fridays was “grammar activities.” I got two thumbs up from parents, even though the students

were doing the exact same thing. They saw their kids’ grades improve at school.

I moved to a university in Gwangju, where I was given children’s classes in addition to university classes. But they had a budget, and I was given phonetic and alphabet board games to use in class. The board games divided the alphabet into six parts and repeated the letters over and over again. We practiced the names, the sounds, and the colors on the squares. The kindergarten students were learning the names and sounds quickly and happily. Then I got a new student who agreed (with a ton of pressure) to try the class, and if he did not like it, he could take taekwondo the next month instead. He sat in a corner with his arms crossed in front of him, determined not to learn. If I asked him a question the only response he would give was “green.” So, “Mr. Green” sat away from the other four students, but when we played the alphabet board game, he became intrigued and asked the students if it was fun. They enthusiastically answered

him. He moved closer. I offered him a token, and he started playing the board game. Soon he was participating in class. He left at the end of the month – hey, games and I are not miracle workers –but we did sucker him into trying for a while.

I moved on to teaching students who were going to become elementary school teachers. I started to provide games (activities that have winners) to teach them grammar and later games for them to use to teach their future students. My senior English department students started making games that we put in a book for the students to take with them based on specific lessons in the elementary students’ textbooks and later worked on how to teach these activities in class. Some former students have visited me after entering their teaching careers and have told me how important these books had become in their teaching.

Now, I teach daily conversation classes at a different university to mid-level students. We went from a two-hour class once a week to three hours a week. Suddenly, I did not have enough content. I did not like the price of the designated workbook for the amount of work in it. So, I incorporated the textbook and workbook exercises into a lesson on PowerPoint slides and made worksheets to be done individually so that the students would get some practice thinking through the grammar. In the second weekly class, I assign another worksheet; this one is a little more difficult than the first. The rest of the class consists of activities. There is not a board game every class. I make other activities, like find someone who…, a card game, or matching sentences, often things that force the students out of their seats and in order to interact with each other. But the easiest thing to make is a board game, and there is always

▲ The b-d-g-p-q Board Game

a potential winner, especially for the topics that do not easily lend themselves to other activities.

Why should we play games in class? Most students enjoy competition. It gives them a chance to talk and share in class. Most of my classes have students from different departments, and they do not know each other. Answering questions is a way to share and meet new people, and to get them talking for a reason. They can get help from each other, so this is an opportunity for cooperative learning. Some teachers swear that students are comforted by routine, but what is wrong with a change of pace? When did learning become so serious? I want my classroom to be a place of fun and laughter, but my standup routines do not always kill because of culture and language – so the games will have to do. But the students are practicing the grammar and vocabulary we had just studied in our lesson – sometimes they even look up additional vocabulary, without complaint. They practice some of it over and over in certain games, so in this way, we have returned to “listen and repeat” exercises without complaints or eyerolling, but with actual enthusiasm.

After I am sure they are used to playing the game, I usually join in. This usually is framed as a punishment at first, but the students seem

to love it. It gives them a chance to try to beat me and to talk to me casually. I do not need to police them to make sure their answers are perfect every time. Most native speakers do not use perfect English all the time, either. Competence comes with confidence. If the students enjoy my class, my stats go up because I get better student reviews and a waiting list to get into my class. But the primary reason for playing games is “I want to have fun.” If I am bored in my class, I have failed as an educator.

Board games are easy to make once you have a game template. Copy someone’s, buy it off the internet, or make your own by making a grid and then making some lines invisible. They can be as complex or as simple as you want. You can use some of the same questions in the board games that you used in class or similar ones, “borrow” questions from other sources, or get super creative and ask more personalized questions. You can also use pictures for students to recognize and then use the vocabulary they were supposed to have memorized. Make one board for four to six students. Then photocopy it. I laminate the board if it is complicated, but the first time I use simple boards. I do not laminate them at first because after the students play each game, I find my mistakes or come up with better material. Then, after making the fixes, I laminate them.

One more thing: Add chance spaces. This gives lower-ability students a chance to win and gain some confidence. The standards are (a) go back to “start,” (b) lose a turn, (c) roll again, (d) go

back two squares, and (e) go ahead one square. If students make a mistake, I only make them go back one square so that they can still feel some success. Otherwise, some of my students might never move! You also need dice and one token per student. I used to depend on students to have an eraser or use jewelry as a token, but I cannot seem to count on them to bring things, so I have a box with little colored plastic magnets or animal-shaped erasers that I hand out with the board games as well as one die per group. I buy these things at stationary stores or Daiso. If I want to slow down the game, I use 100 won coins instead of a die. The head side is “move one space,” the 100 side is “move two spaces” (two zeroes). I provide the coins because most students do not carry coins anymore. No, nothing has ever disappeared. Yes, there are many dice apps for cellphones, but I am trying to get the phones out of their hands. So, buy the dice; they are cheap.

has answered a question, anyone can ask additional questions if they want. Sometimes games become conversation starters, and I think that is great. If the students never finish the game because they are talking so much in English, then my work is done. And instead of answering a question, the person who landed on the square can ask anyone in the group that question, but no one has to answer more than two questions in a row from the board game. I use personal questions within reason. Do not use yes/no questions on the board because the students tend to provide the shortest answers possible. I try to ask things they may want to talk about. I feel that the use of board games is pretty successful because most students do the worksheets without too much complaint. This is because they have realized that doing the sheets will help them win the board games. They win the board games, and I win at teaching because they actually learned. And you cannot beat that!

Ingrid Zwaal is a professor at Jeonju University with almost thirty years of experience teaching EFL in Korea. She is an officer in the Jeonju-North Jeolla Chapter of KOTESOL and has been a board game enthusiast for many years in and out of the classroom.

GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL UPCOMING EVENTS

• February 11, 2023: Monthly Workshop (at GNUE)

When I made board games for children, specifically the letter and phonetic boards, I chose only five to six letters for a board and repeated them. The repetition helps them to memorize the names or sounds. I did the same with pictures for vocabulary. But I can reuse the letter boards and use them for words that start with certain letters; one-, two-, or three-syllable words; nouns; verbs; and plurals, and I color in the squares to use them to teach colors. When you put in the letters, always underline them so that p, d, q, and d do not get confused. And be careful with a and a, and with g and g. Always use lowercase letters, because we use them the most.

For older students, I encourage them to develop further after they get used to playing. After someone

• Presentation: How Should Phonics Be Taught, and to Whom (T. Wyatt)

• Super SwapShop: Back-to-School Bargains, According to Teachers

For full event details:

• Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju

• Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL

“I want my classroom to be a place of fun and laughter, but my standup routines do not always kill because of culture and language – so the games will have to do.”

The Author

Everyday Korean

Episode 62

가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다 What Goes Around Comes Around.

By Harsh Kumar Mishra

The Conversation

멍지에: 언니, 수미 때문에 너무 짜증나요.

Meongjie: Eonni, I am fed up with Sumi.

정민: 왜 그래? 또 무슨 짓을 한 거야?

Jeongmin: Why so? What did she do this time?

멍지에: 아니… 저보다 한 살 어린데도 계속

반말을 해요.

Meongjie: She is one year younger than me but still talks down to me.

정민: 너도 그 얘한테 처음부터 반말을 했잖아.

Jeongmin: Have you not also been using informal speech with her from the beginning?

멍지에: 제가 더 나이가 많으니까 해도 되죠. Meongjie: I am older, so I can, right?

정민: 아니야. 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말도 곱다는 걸 알지? 처음에는 서로 예의있게 존댓말로

얘기하는 게 좋아.

Jeongmin: No. Do you not know that what goes around comes around? The etiquette is to start with honorific speech for each other from the beginning.

멍지에: 아 그래요? 그럼 저도 실수했네요. 앞으로 이 점 조심해야겠어요.

Meongjie: Oh really? It seems I made a mistake there as well. I will be careful about this in future.

Grammar Points

~는데도: This grammar point is used with verbs and adjectives to emphasize that the state or action of a first clause does not have much effect on the second. It is similar to English’s “even though…,” “even if…,” and “despite….”

Use ~는데도 with verbs and ~은데도 with adjectives when they end in a final consonant (known as a batchim, 받침) and ~ㄴ데도 when adjectives end in a vowel.

Examples:

바쁜데도 이렇게 와 줘서 고마워요 Thank you for coming despite being busy.

한국어를 오래 공부했는데도 아직 잘 못해요 Although I have studied Korean for a long time, I still cannot speak it well.

가는 말이 고와야 오늘 말이 곱다: This frequently used proverb literally means “the words which go pretty, come pretty” and is an equivalent proverb to English’s “What goes around comes around.” Both are much like the idea of karma.

ㄱ: 다들 다들 민지를 아주 잘 해 줘요. Everyone treats Minji really well.

ㄴ: 민지도 모든 사람한테 착하고 잘 해 주잖아. 가는 말이 고와야 오는 말이 곱다. Because Minji is also kind to everyone. As they say, what goes around comes around.

Vocabulary

짓: act, 어리다: to be young, 반말: talking down; informal speech, 계속: continuously, 얘: kid; guy, 처음: the beginning, 나이: age, 많다: to be many, 곱다: to be pretty, 예의: etiquette, 존댓말: honorific speech, 실수하다: to make a mistake, 조심하다: to be careful

The Author

Harsh Kumar Mishra is a linguist and Korean language educator. He volunteers with TOPIKGUIDE.com and Learnkorean.in. He has also co-authored the book Korean Language for Indian Learners.

Montessori Education II

The Unimaginable Importance of Young Hands

By Kim Yul

People often say that humans are the only animals that use tools. With tools, we express our superiority as a species and differentiate humans from other animals. If this is so, how do we use tools? The answer to this question is “with our hands.” We do everything with our hands. All the things we use are created by someone’s hands, and through the process of using them, we discover other ways to do things or come up with new ideas. Because we know how to use our hands properly, we learned how to use tools through repetition, and that enabled us to stand as humans, not animals.

The most common thing observable in a Montessori classroom is every child working with materials. They are using their hands to move objects, fold clothes and towels, tie shoelaces, and even wash desks. In this way, through work activities related to daily life, they stimulate their various senses, form life habits, and have opportunities to learn through trial and error. The use of the hands is not just for the purpose of developing small and large muscles but has an unimaginable importance. One of the things commonly mentioned in the numerous books written by Dr. Maria Montessori is the importance of the hands. She said, “What the hand does the mind remembers.” Children learn, remember, and develop through every action they do with their hands. The

information received by using the hands is transmitted to the brain, and the brain delivers commands back to them. The greater the interactive stimulation that occurs between the hands and the brain, the greater the quantity and quality of information they process –and the more these exchanges are repeated, the more children’s intelligence develops. Literally, the hand is the window through which everything is received for development.

I feel that the hand muscles of many children these days are not as developed as they used to be. It is natural that every muscle in our body develops and becomes stronger the more we use them. If a child’s muscles do not develop, it may be because they may not be used enough. This may be a side effect from the advanced social environment in which touch screens are everywhere, or it may be a problem of our education, which no longer recognizes the importance of our hands. It must be remembered that hands are not used merely to manipulate tools but as a window through which we accept everything as we go through life.

The Author

Kim Yul is originally from Gwangju and has taught in Cincinnati, Ohio, for many years. He is a Montessori elementary school teacher who believes education can change the world.

“Hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence.” — Maria Montessori

Two Stories from KONA Volunteers

Seven Years with KONA

By Nayan Das

It has been more than seven years that I have been in Korea. I came to Korea as a PhD student and am now a researcher. In the seven years, many things have changed in my life. I lost some people near to me and also gained many things. But one constant thing was volunteering with KONA. It has been a wonderful life-learning journey. Officially, I joined KONA in 2016. Since then, I have met many amazing people through this volunteering experience and had many opportunities to experience Korean culture.

As KONA volunteers, we met in person at the KONA Storybook Center, read storybooks, and shared lessons with children prior to Covid-19. Kids also read storybooks according to their level, made story maps, shared them with other kids, and presented them in front of all participants. They were also encouraged to express their opinion about what they felt after reading a book. It was always entertaining. The senior children were trained to teach junior children in what was essentially leadership training. We also took the time to celebrate special cultural and historical events of different countries. However, after Covid-19 hit the world, everything became chaotic, and our volunteering moved from offline to online.

Online volunteering was a new experience for me. Through online fora, we started teaching English to

adults and kids. KONA volunteering switched from being local to global. People from different countries (Canada, USA, India, etc.) were able to join in the live online storybook readings and discussions. It was a great experience to see people of all ages and backgrounds come together in one screen. We are still doing story maps presentations and story sharing in this way. We can now do volunteering from our home and office through Zoom.

The year 2022 was a very eventful one for me. I graduated with my PhD from GIST, had an accident and broke a leg, had an operation, and got a job as a postdoctoral researcher. I have become busier than before. However, I am still doing KONA volunteering and learning something new every time. I am grateful to the founder, professor Kim Young-im, for allowing me to be a part of the KONA volunteering group.

▲ Storybook Mentoring

My KONA Experience During 2022’s GIC Week

By Alexander Boling

Recently, I was given an opportunity to experience a wonderful event centered around international communication and cooperation through my amazing volunteering group, the UNESCO KONA Storybook Center led by Professor Kim Young-im.

I originally joined the KONA Storybook Center to improve my ability to teach English and aid those in need. I was introduced to the Center through a friend I had met at another volunteer event by the name of Nayan. After meeting with Professor Kim, we established a strong bond and saw many similarities in life philosophies. The KONA Storybook Center provides learning services for both vulnerable youth as well as elderly learners in both online classes as well as in-person meetings at various locations in Gwangju.

In October 2022, we started in the afternoon under the hot 2:00 p.m. sun setting up our booth in the international village of the festival grounds at the Asian Cultural Center in Gwangju. I met with the other volunteers, and we invited passing families to listen and share stories. Soon, we had people eagerly lining up to speak with our volunteer group. My story was the American folk tale Johnny Appleseed, which I had grown distant from over many years but remember fondly from my childhood. The moral of the story involved a lesson I could easily share with my listeners: Share and provide for those in need whenever possible regardless of whether you will receive immediate benefit, and others will appreciate your work.

I taught KONA’s English teaching method using story maps and storyboards. Both tools are designed to reinforce English skills through memorization, reinforcement, image recognition, and utilization of grammar. Through these methods, students quickly develop an understanding of sight words, allowing them to quickly fill in the gaps of their

story maps and build confidence with speaking and sharing their skills amongst their peers. What I feel is most important is that people learning through the KONA Storybook Center are provided with a wealth of resources that allow lessons to remain fun, challenging, and engaging, as well as variegated in content, with consistency in availability.

The GIC Week event gave KONA Storybook Center and me an opportunity to meet and greet many people to educate and provide outreach to those in need of our services. I met dozens of brilliant and stunningly skilled English speakers between the ages of four and twelve years old. We spoke briefly to discuss their age and how well they could speak English before reading through Johnny Appleseed together. Many could follow along, and a few were capable of easily reading through the rather daunting story on their own! Afterwards, I asked participants where they wanted to travel in the world and why as an opportunity to foster conversation about our international involvement and opportunities.

In addition, I was able to meet with other volunteer leaders of various groups around the city of Gwangju. We were able to share stories, build connections, and discuss how to better provide for our communities together.

These opportunities would not have been available had it not been for both the GIC Week event and KONA Storybook Center, both of which I am extremely grateful for. I look forward to providing continued services whenever possible in the future!

▲ KONA group portrait before volunteering begins.

Orange Parking Cones The Heroes Gwangju Needs but Does Not Deserve

By William Urbanski

As you may have noticed, Gwangju exhibits an extremely high level of permissiveness when it comes to allowing people to park on sidewalks. Apps that encourage citizens to snitch on such terribly parked cars do nothing. The police and tow truck drivers, it seems, are both powerless to fix this problem. In what seems like a hopeless situation, a lone hero has emerged to fight this chaos and lawlessness: a tall orange parking cone that is bolted into the ground. Truly, a tall orange parking cone that is bolted into the ground is the hero Gwangju needs but does not deserve.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PARKING

To understand the importance of not parking any which way one pleases, we can roll back the hands of time by over twenty years to when I was nothing but a scrappy and ruggedly handsome young lad working my winter part-time job in Canada. This job involved me standing in a snow-covered ski resort parking lot in the middle of winter from 7:00 a.m. until roughly 2:00 p.m. and using a carefully

orchestrated sequence of arm signals and verbal commands to ensure that each and every resort guest parked their car in a precise location. The purpose of this seemingly Kafkaesque endeavor was to make sure that the rows of cars in the parking lot remained straight and orderly.

My boss always used to tell me that even though the job might have seemed silly at times, it was actually a key position for a number of reasons. The parking lot was generally the first thing people would see when entering the resort, so having it appear organized gave a good first impression to the guests. As well, left to their own devices, people could not be counted on to park in a manner that did not resemble pandemonium since the parking lot lacked any sort of lines, it being covered with snow and all. A disorganized parking lot was simply not allowable since ambulances and emergency vehicles had to regularly access the main buildings. In particular, it was extremely important that the first ten or so cars to arrive were guided to park in the proper places

because the hundreds of other cars that arrived each day would follow their lead.

Despite the fact that this job involved me, well, standing outside all day in the freezing cold, telling cars where to park, it did have several advantages. Among these was that it gave me ample opportunity to reflect on the best practices for parking cars as well as ample opportunity to wonder exactly what the hell I was doing with my life.

While the answer to the latter question is still up for debate, contemplating the former has led me to an intricate, all-encompassing theory of how, why, when, and where automobiles should park. And it is that theory I wish to share with you today.

ORANGE PARKING CONES: THE ANSWER TO ALL OF GWANGJU’S PROBLEMS

I used to naively believe that there was a universal system that all people of earth could follow to park their cars in harmony. Such a system does not exist. What works in one culture does not and cannot work in another simply because the act of parking a car lies at the focal point of culturally specific mores and norms. So, it is foolish to believe that a parking system that works in Toronto (like, you know, issuing fines to cars parked on sidewalks) would ever work in Gwangju .

To get right to the point, the solution to Gwangju’s parking problems, beyond any reasonable doubt, is to slam a million orange parking cones in any place a car should not go. End of story.

THE STORY CONTINUES

As I learned as a teenager just trying to earn an honest buck in Canada, people cannot be left to their own whims and fancies when it comes to parking their cars. They need some implicit or explicit directions. In some places, signage and written rules are sufficient. In Gwangju, the answer is to bolt forty-thousand reflective parking cones onto each and every sidewalk in the city so that people are physically blocked from driving their BMWs up and onto the curb.

THE HEROES GWANGJU NEEDS BUT DOES NOT DESERVE

I dream of living in a city in which the lanes of every road and the edge of every sidewalk are lined with meter-tall, orange parking cones. I dream of living in a city where people park their cars in safe, sensical places because there is no other option. I dream of living in a city where it is not necessary to push double parked cars out of the way at 6:30 a.m. so that my wife can leave for work. I dream of living in a city where orange parking cones become the symbols of respect, unity, and love for your fellow man.

I dream.

The Author

William Urbanski is the managing editor of the Gwangju News and a parking regulation aficionado. Instagram: @will_il_gatto

▲ This street view via daum.net shows the chaos that reigns when there are not a billion orange parking cones protecting our sidewalks.

▲ No car, no matter the size, price, or country of origin can overcome a row of orange parking cones bolted into the street.

Gwangju: Home of Hope and Climate Action

By Julian Warmington

Hello. Welcome. Please come in, sit down, and be comfortable. We have a lot to chat about and no time to spare, nor much space within these pages.

The time has already begun in which we need each other’s skills and support to survive. Local community bonds grow all the more vital. Yet this is one paradox of many we must confront: This need for face-to-face community connection comes at a time when industrial-strength distraction by glowing electronic devices results in increased isolation and disastrous disinformation.

The last three years of the pandemic have not helped. The virus appears to be on the wane, outside China, at least. Our industrial climate crisis, however, is only just getting warmed up. Or is it? What is it? Why do some folks so steadfastly disbelieve it, and how can others think recycling their little bit of plastic can somehow help?

What causes our industrial greenhouse gas effect and what can we really do about it, especially if the largest cities and the national governments are full of industry-paid science deniers? In a mediascape so awash with false information, whom can we trust for a true-north sense of direction? What value is hope when so many speak of the ugly reality of our situation, even in and around the good city of Gwangju?

These are the types of topics we’ll share in these pages over the next issues of the Gwangju News. I’d love your company for the journey and feedback on content, even if you think my views and information are all simply hogwash and chicken spit.

Let’s start on the topic of hope, because the good city of Gwangju offers a history of naturally working together when faced with massive danger. I’ve lived in Gwangju for most of a decade’s worth of May 18 commemorations. It always seems to be a time of both mourning, and yet also – at least in some small part – a celebration of how people within the great town of light spontaneously worked together against the dark northern forces that surrounded and directly threatened the people and place.

Author Lee Jae-eui survived the massacre and was tortured for his activism. He says in Gwangju Diary (1985), a sense of unity and purpose was inspired by brave and hardworking taxi drivers: “The taxis’ bonding together was such a strong display of people power that it inspired others to join in the movement and defend their freedom.” Despite the trauma of seeing friends and fellow citizens killed

▲ The challenge to the people of Gwangju on May 18, 1980 was direct and deadly. The people responded with courage and in unity. But our industrial greenhouse gas crisis is more dangerous because it is not an external threat that wears an easily identifiable uniform. It is our own industrial lifestyles and the people within governments and corporations that do not provide better alternatives.

in front of them, Mr. Lee and many other citizens went to City Hall to organize the defense of the city. The people took the initiative to think creatively, to problem-solve together, on an emergency basis, and take great risks because it was a life-or-death emergency. It is exactly this type of sense of urgent unity we need to develop and promote, for it is the greatest asset in our new struggle.

And we have already tipped over the edge of this ledge of time, into the life-or-death era of our industrial greenhouse gas pollution-based climate emergency: the West Antarctic ice sheet, Thwaite’s glacier, the Siberian tundra, and glaciers in Greenland and Iceland are all melting “faster than expected;” dangerously high heat temperature

they have done for decades. They do this in many ways: by providing places at these meetings for fossil fuel industry-based lobbyists and then listening to them far too closely; and by spying on governments from other countries and then brainstorming and coordinating ways to defeat their plans to reduce industrial greenhouse gas pollution. Given the huge challenge of this set of problems, what change can we possibly hope to make?

Well, despite all the many problems we face, Gwangju is also ground zero for hope and climate action within South Korea, and here are some reasons why.

records are being broken ever more quickly all around our global village, and most recently with this winter’s heatwave in Europe; flora, fauna, and other living species are migrating to unusual new homes, disrupting old ecosystems; Seoul flooded twice in the last six years; tornado season is increasingly dangerous; drought and heat exhaustion are regular threats to our basic health; and food price shocks will continue to spike and shoot upwards.

As if these troubling new realities somehow still do not cause you alarm, maybe more frightening still is just how uncaring and clearly captured by corporate influence are our supposedly honestly elected politicians. They do much worse than nothing: English-speaking industrialized nations continue to work together to actively obstruct progress at international climate action meetings as

Firstly, our industrial climate crisis is a social justice issue nearly as much as it is environmental. Our climate emergency is a social justice issue because it is the longer-industrialized nations that have both created and benefitted from the most greenhouse gas pollution. These same countries have the best systems in place to withstand the effects of catastrophic weather events like floods or droughts, such as the insurance industry and early warning systems. Less industrially developed economies contribute almost nothing to the industrial greenhouse gas effect, and yet suffer the most. For example, the year 2022 saw fully a third of all land in Pakistan lost under floodwaters.

The privilege of benefiting from fossil fuel-based technology brings with it the responsibility to end the damage from those industrial strength impacts on the rest of the global village. The good folks of

▲ Gwangju International Day sees many locally based migrant workers and expats come together to share food, fun, and creativity with other locals and locally based people.

▲ The original hockey stick graph that charts how global average temperatures were trending downward until the burning of coal became common from the start of the industrial revolution within just a few countries. Note that the rate of increase in temperatures is not a slow, gradual “incremental” rise, but instantly, like the steepest part of an exponential growth curve. (Wikipedia.com)

Gwangju are most likely to understand and act on this challenge because they have a heightened awareness of social justice. The city has held the annual Gwangju Prize for Human Rights since the year 2000, hosting some of the most exciting and important social justice heroes from around our global village these days. Joining in and supporting demands for fairness and equity in our own towns and nations is possibly the most important thing we can all do for other humans.

Secondly, the Kia car factory in Gwangju produces pure electric cars. The move to make the world’s fleet of vehicles run on pure electricity as soon as possible is vitally important for three reasons: It reduces the toxic gas-powered car fumes that cause brain damage, especially in children; it reduces the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere; and it limits the financial power of older, more corrupt gas-powered auto car manufacturers who could and should have gone pure electric decades ago.

Kia and Hyundai cars are now in an elite set of just a few automakers in the world successfully producing and exporting large numbers of top-quality, pure electric cars. As a result, Kia and Hyundai are more likely to survive as car companies over the rest of this decade, which will see most older car companies merge or disappear altogether. Such is the benefit of doing the right thing before it is trendy. But this also means that Gwangju’s economy will remain relatively stable while also contributing some very real climate action.

But not everyone can afford to buy nor even rent a pure electric car. There are, however, other ways

we can all contribute to the cultural and political changes we need to see happen immediately. Just as Chung Hyun-hwa pointed out in her Gwangju News column in November 2021 (issue #237), our daily mealtime decisions do contribute hugely to our regular weekly carbon footprint. Schools around Gwangju were joining in the Meat-free Mondays movement and going vegetarian more than ten years before this writing, leading the way in yumminess and awareness, proving it is not just possible, healthy, and smart but also very delicious to help the environment.

Students at Seoul National University, Ewha Womans University, and Oxford University in the UK are among the most famous to also support animal fat-free restaurants and options on the menu within their cafeterias. A five-year-long study published by Oxford University on the impacts of food saw the lead researcher go vegan within that first year of research. The Guardian explained the finding of Professor Joseph Poore’s study in an article titled “Avoiding Meat and Dairy Is the ‘Single Biggest Way’ to Reduce Your Impact on Earth.”

Gwangju students and teachers identified these facts long ago, acting upon them, thereby leading the way within the South Korean education system in caring for the beauty of the Korean countryside and the natural world beyond. This is important because choosing plant-based options and organizing our kitchens as well as school and workplace cafeterias to provide such delicious options regularly is the most achievable and affordable climate action we can all make happen, immediately and daily, however wealthy or less privileged we may be.

Hope is a verb: It is a thing we must do to make new opportunities for our shared tomorrows. Hope is

▲ In this still from the documentary Dark Snow, USA field scientist Jason Box “describes how human action is negatively impacting the environment. The most compelling proof comes from the ice sheet, which is three times the area of France.” (https://madfeed.co/video/darksnow/)

▲ The Kia EV6: A pure electric private autocar, and one of the best on the market around the world these days. (https://www.autodaily.com.au/ new-kia-ev6-specs-confirmed-sporty-ev6-gt-joins-line-up/)

(https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cofc.edu/)

also an antidote to the modern affliction of climate despair that so many people feel, however much they have the opportunity to express it within a media culture more interested in appearance and less in substantial matters.

But false hope is the curse of modern media. Thinking that doing our weekly recycling, buying soy milk, or driving an electric car will somehow re-freeze the eons-frozen glaciers and polar regions is a deadly dangerous delusion. Over the coming weeks, we will look at the false hope of greenwashing and also the role of media, in addition to surviving beyond the era of industrial-strength misinformation. It will be a challenge to live up to the high standard of articles Chung

has contributed with such good attention to detail on facts and figures.

But what do you think? How can we best contribute to a mass mobilization of effective action to reduce this city’s and nation’s greenhouse gas pollution by 10 percent per year? What do you actually do to reduce the enormity of our problem right now and prepare for more of the impacts? Does your cafeteria or cafe offer your favorite animal fat-free options? Have you convinced your principal or school board to put solar panels on your school rooftops yet? Or do you regularly demand and oversee calls for structural change at a national or international level?

Please send your ideas, information, and achievements to me at Julian.Gwangju@gmail.com, subject heading: GN Environment Column. I’ll work to include mention of your email in the next column. Until then please stay safe, sociable, and enjoy the year’s upcoming spring sunshine.

Julian Warmington taught for twenty years at the university level in South Korea, half of which he spent in Gwangju. He established and ran the Busan Climate Action Film Festival, has given presentations internationally on teaching about environmental issues within ESL lessons and curricula, and misses visiting downtown Gwangju’s vegan buffet restaurant.

Hyun-hwa

The Author

▲ The problems with animal fat-based foods. This infographic is from the Netflix documentary Cowspiracy, released in 2014. That year an Oxford University professor started a five-year-long study to disprove this information. He was an omnivore at the start of the research. He proved this information to himself and converted to eating purely plantbased within a year.

▲ Glaciologist Professor Jason Box sets up a rain gauge: a still from the recent documentary Into the Ice. (https://promice.org/2022/03/23/intothe-ice-documentary-follows-promice-to-the-ice-sheet/)

Red Lentil Protein Patties

By Julian Warmington

▲ Just three of the most common types of the many kinds of lentils: Puy, green, and red. Lentils are 25 percent protein and 11 percent dietary fiber, but only 1 percent fat. Lentils are second only to soybeans for the ratio of protein to food energy.

▲ Split red lentils and rolled oats. Whole red lentils barely take any longer to cook. Perhaps let them simmer on a low heat for a few minutes before turning off the heat and covering with a lid. Split red lentils, however, may simply be covered in boiling water and then left to soak while preparing other ingredients, just like the oats.

▲ Add all other ingredients into a frying pan and sauté only lightly, as they will be cooked again when mixed with the lentils.

▲ The lentils and oats are soaking as the other ingredients are prepared for a gentle pan frying. This mixture uses tomato and mushrooms as the main extra ingredients. When heated through, add all ingredients into a big bowl and mix. If the mixture is too wet, add a little flour, or if cooking for the gluten sensitive, use more oats.

The Author

▲ Form the patties by dropping a few large spoonsful of mixture onto a light frying pan or oven tray. Fry for a couple of minutes each side, or bake for about 15 minutes each side.

▲ Serve while hot with your favorite relish, dip, side, or salad, or within bread buns or bread slices for a burger or sandwich.

Julian Warmington taught for twenty years at the university level in South Korea, half of which he spent in Gwangju. He was the editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News twice, oversaw its development from a single-page leaflet newsletter to a full color magazine, and established Gwangju News Online.

Red lentils are available widely throughout South Korea. City dwellers can find them in local supermarkets or Asian food marts. They are also offered in online stores such as Coupang or iHerb.

Lentils come in many sizes and colors, and they all have their own nutritional profiles. According to a 2010 study comparing green, French green, and red lentils, red is best due to its polyphenol content. But it is also the smallest, cheapest, and usually the most commonly available. And being the smallest, it is also the quickest to cook.

People new to the idea of eating entirely plantbased often ask vegans and other plant-based eaters: “But where do you get your protein?!” The best answer is that almost all plant-based foods (fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as lentils, beans, and peas) do have protein but do not have cholesterol, saturated fats, or hormones such as the carcinogenic IFG1 found in cow’s milk. And, perhaps the best of all single sources of protein plus other nutrients is the lentil.

Like other lentils, the red variety is wonderfully versatile. Many cultures enjoy a range of recipes with the red lentil as the base ingredient, for example, the classic Indian dahl or the Yemeni soup often enjoyed as an entrée. But for anyone who likes a fritter or a burger and has other basic ingredients in their kitchen, the red lentil protein patty is quick, easy, tasty, and adds protein to your punch, not your paunch!

This recipe means a lot to me for two reasons. Firstly, when I was first learning to cook plantbased and looking for alternative recipes, this is one of the first recipes shown to me. I was surprised at how easy it was to prepare and then eat them!

Secondly, when I was “flatting” (or sharing an apartment) later on, I shared this recipe with my flatmate who was into competitive bodybuilding. He had never really thought about lentils as an alternative to all the bland, dry shredded chicken breast he was so sick of eating non-stop. When he researched about lentils for himself, he was astounded to learn that they had so much protein, are very yummy, and yet have virtually no fat at all.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of red lentils

• ½ cup of flour (or rolled oats or chickpea flour for gluten-free options)

• 1 onion

• 2-4 cloves of garlic, as to taste

• 1 inch of ginger root

• ½ cup of one or two other fresh vegetables (e.g., a carrot, a bell pepper, a few small mushrooms, cilantro, or a couple of green onions)

• Turmeric

• Black pepper

• Cumin and/or cayenne pepper

• Soy sauce and/or cooking oil

DIRECTIONS

Put a kettle or some hot water on to boil. Thoroughly rinse and drain the lentils. Pour the boiling water over them to a centimeter or two over their top, and cover the pot immediately with a lid. Crush the garlic and then finely chop it, the onion, ginger, and other vegetables. Place the garlic, onion, and ginger in a frying pan with some water, soy sauce, and/or oil, and steam fry them together until starting to soften. Add and mix in the spices, and then add in the other vegetables. Mix them together, and then turn off the heat.

By the time you have chopped and sauteed the vegetables, the hot water alone ought to have softened up the red lentils nearly to the point of being cooked. They will have absorbed most if not all of the water already. Add the flour and mix within the pot. Then add the softened vegetables. If the mixture is too runny like a liquid, add more flour until it only drips or drops slowly off your stirring spoon or fork into the pot or bowl. Pan fry or place on a baking tray and cook at 175 degrees for 15 minutes, and then flip them over.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Some folks say to chill the mixture within a refrigerator for at least a couple of hours first before cooking to let the mixture settle. Personally, I think it is more important simply to use as many fresh ingredients as possible. If you opt for pan frying, remember the magic rule: Be sure it is really hot before dropping in your first large spoonful of mixture to form into a patty.

Serve with your favorite burger bread, condiments, and fresh vegetables. I like to get fresh ciabatta, cut it in half, and toast very lightly. Then add fresh cracked pepper mustard, pickle, fresh tomato, and Marmite.

1. 2.

3.

4.

Goodbye, South Korea

By Lisa Ghilardi

When you ask expatriates about their experience abroad, one expression that sometimes comes back is the “bubble”: where your time there is like a pair of parentheses in your life, a pause outside of the norm. There is a feeling of unreality that lasts as long as the time before the bubble protecting you from everything else bursts. To me, my semester in South Korea was more like scuba diving: I took a breath of fresh air and dived in to experience a world full of wonder. I saw the equivalent of magnificent corals and vivacious fish that I never could quite touch. But one day I needed to come back to the surface. I had to break out of what in the end was like a dream world and learn to live again.

Why do I compare it to a dream? One might indeed say that instead of a dream, or a world under the surface, during an experience abroad you live more fully, more vibrantly; it is an opportunity to get more in touch with your adventurous side and do things you have never done before. But it is precisely because you do things that would normally be

out of character that the feeling of unreality that accompanies you like an aura does not go away. You go on adventures, you talk to strangers like you have not done before, you hitchhike… The world is suddenly full of possibilities that you had not considered. They say that “the sky is the limit,” but one should add, “especially when you are abroad.” You are free and strangely bereft of the habits you had in your day-to-day life in your country of origin, which allows you to create a new “un-routinely” routine, full of exploration and discoveries. In order to have order again in your daily life, you can try and take up new habits. It can be something mundane, like going to buy a coffee every day. But then the barista makes what is a polite sign when you give something in South Korea, with his left arm extended and his right arm folded over, and it is a vivid reminder of where you are, and where you are not. The Korean voices around you in the street can fade into the background, you think you got used to them; but the fact that you do not understand what is being said is a constant indication of the exotic land you are in.

I am going to miss being submerged in such a way in another culture. There is something special in being “the other,” the strange one in a sea of people who have roots in the place you are in. Especially in South Korea, being “the other” grants you a status that few get the honor to have. In my experience there, my impression was that except for a few, South Koreans are rather shy to talk to a stranger and not confident in their English skills. Therefore, they rarely approach you, and when they do, they are a weird mix of being both excited and circumspect about it. I remember meeting some friends of my buddy – a girl in charge of introducing me to the campus and Korean culture – and them being so giggly. You are special, and they do not let you forget it. The few South Koreans who are used to internationals take pleasure in introducing you to their culture, but they rather keep those different parts of their lives separate: They do not introduce you to their Korean friends. You are like an unfamiliar representant of some other part of the planet, and like in a zoo, they are fascinated by their meeting with you. But like how you do not bring back the animal you see in a zoo, they will not include you durably in their groups of friends, with a few exceptions.

This did not keep me from having rather deep discussions with South Koreans about the differences in our cultures. You see, I am entranced by the vision of life a lot of South Koreans seem to have, a mix of modern views with Confucianism-rooted ideals. I am particularly interested in the women’s situation in South Korea which, as I mentioned in my November 2022 article [Gwangju News, issue #249], one could argue was rather bad until recently. Since then, practically each time I was able to have a conversation with a South Korean, man or woman, I tried to have the subject of women’s situation come up in the discussion. It led to thrilling exchanges where I could clearly see the differences in our culture, at least the differences between the way I see things and my interlocutor’s view. I generally liked to start with the military service: It is mandatory in South Korea, but only for men. I was surprised that there was not more talk about it – both from women and from men, for whom, it seems to me, the situation is rather unfair. But it seems that it was only I who thought so: Of all the men I talked to about it, not one of them thought the situation

discriminatory. I often got the revealing explanation that service in the military would be too hard for women.

This is emblematic of a point of view that appears to be common among South Korean men, namely, that women, because they are physically weaker than men, are rather more fragile and less apt to do more physically demanding tasks. For example, I remember the incertitude on my South Korean friend’s face and his worry-filled remarks when he saw me about to leave with my big suitcase. In much the same way, a photographer friend of mine confided in me her difficulties in finding a job making documentaries, as photographers and filmmakers are expected to be able to lift cameras for long periods of time. Of course, those difficulties exist in my country, too. It is impossible to deny that women face those kinds of problems everywhere. But it still shows the diminutive image that women have in South Korea, an image that has to evolve if South Korea wants to catch up to the other developed countries in the world. This does not stop the corals from being beautiful and the experience from being such an intense one; I can only hope that one day the elusive fish let themselves be touched.

The Author

Lisa Ghilardi is from France and was an exchange student at Chonnam National University.  She is also addicted to cookies and udong noodles. Instagram: @lisa_gf

Velvet Was the Night

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Reviewed by Michael Attard

This book’s title is taken from a 1950s top-20 hit song. It has been re-recorded many times, and a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reached number one. It is a love song of a jilted lover who sings, “But when she left, gone was the glow of blue velvet ... I can still see blue velvet through my tears.”

The setting of the novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is Mexico City in the politically turbulent 1970s. But the reader needs neither an interest nor an understanding of Mexico at this time to become involved in the lives of the two protagonists with their unique but flawed characters. They are caught up in a storm whirling around them, but the real drama is imbedded in the dissatisfied lives that they lead. With no apparent options, they move with a flow that becomes increasingly dangerous.

Elvis, not his real name, is a 21-year-old ruffian who is recruited into a secret government-funded group called The Hawks, and after he fought bravely against thugs who interrupted his little business of selling stolen books and records. Thieving is his talent. Elvis is insightful enough to realize the irony in becoming a hoodlum who does not like to punch people. He does not know what he wants, but one thing is clear, there is no way he would ever go back to the place he came from.

Maite is a 30-year-old, bored secretary working at a lawyer’s office. She had had a couple of relationships,

but they did not work out. These days the excitement in her life comes from romance comic books. After work, she “put on music, and pored over each panel ... she gnawed at each word like a starving woman.” Her neighbor, a woman she barely knows, asks her to watch her cat for a few days and, needing the money, Maite agrees. In the woman’s apartment, “for all the Bohemian décor you could smell the money.” Maite likes to steal small things, and she looks around the apartment. She eyes a small plaster statue that already has a crack in it and decides to take it. Maite realizes that she does not really want the things she steals, but rather, “the thrill of possessing a secret.”

There are quite a few characters in the story, but they are introduced one at a time, so it is not difficult for the reader to keep track of who is who. The author gives us detailed information about each of these people, establishing a continually rising sense of personal involvement. As a chapter ends and the action moves to another setting, the reader holds a concern for these players until we meet them again. The author has fleshed out each personality to their optimal point of helping to tell the story.

After a few days, it becomes clear that Leonara, Maite’s neighbor, has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. We do not know if she is in hiding; perhaps she has been kidnapped or worse. Leonara purportedly has incriminating photos that rightwing government authorities want. Maite is

suddenly suspected of being a radical activist and in danger, entangled in the affair through the simple act of caring for the cat.

Elvis is not interested in politics, but he follows his orders and puts surveillance on Maite. His love life, like hers, has not been great, but he too has a romantic side. While looking for the photos in Maite’s apartment, he discovers the album Blue Velvet, which he also owns and enjoys. He creates a mystique in his mind about this romance-comicbook-reading woman with a taste in music much like his own.

I think it is fair to say that there is an element of cloak and dagger in the story. We encounter surprising but plausible accusations. There are revelations which introduce a twist, but it is not clear in what direction the twist will turn. Add in the shocking exposing of a hidden identity, and the path toward the conclusion remains unpredictable. Plus, the author is deft at keeping romance alive through all of the intrigue. There are also violent episodes that aid in making the story real, creating tension and suspense without detracting from the story-line. The stress that Maite experiences is palpable. She knows that “it was all turning into a mess.”

The protagonist is Elvis’s boss, who goes by the name El Mago. Their relationship is complicated. In the beginning, Elvis does not see his boss as a role model, but he wants to have the things that El Mago has. Their association is dynamic, and Elvis is smart enough to read between the lines. One day, El Mago told Elvis to study the word “pawn.” “In that brief sentence ... Elvis read the most cutting scorn. It reminded him of his mother, who called him a useless burden, of the teachers who called him stupid.”

People are killed, and the importance of the soughtafter photos, once resolved, means that life can go back to what it was like before. But too much has happened. Who wants to return to the psychological penury that was theirs? Elvis follows Maite onto the bus. “Am I under surveillance again?”

“No. That’s all over.”

It was odd how she was not nervous, sitting there, talking to a killer.

Velvet Was the Night is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s seventh book. She is a New York Times best-selling author. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Reviewer

Michael Attard is a Canadian who has lived in Gwangju since 2004. Though officially retired, he still teaches a few private English classes. He enjoys reading all kinds of books and writes for fun. When the weather is nice, you may find him on a hiking trail.

Top of The Drop

By Daniel J. Springer

In this monthly installment by Daniel Springer of the Gwangju Foreign Language Network (GFN), “Danno” picks his favorite newly released tunes that you may have missed, along with some upcoming albums and EPs that you might want to keep on your radar. — Ed.

EL MICHELS AFFAIR & BLACK THOUGHT –“GRATEFUL”

For those in the know, Leon Michels and his twin percussive engines of Big Crown Records and band El Michels Affair have been at the leading edge of experimental funk and soul sounds punched with a hip-hop ethic on the beat for years now, and this single announces a huge new project that is about to put this label into orbit. During the depths of the pandemic Michels and The Roots lead MC Black Thought got to work, the result of which is Glorious Game, which both drops in full on April 14 and promises some of the most personal and transparent verses we’ve ever heard from the legendary rapper. Do not miss this one, kids!

BOYGENIUS – “EMILY I’M SORRY”

After releasing their self-titled debut EP in 2018, the now supergroup’s three members in Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus have become some of the most interesting personalities and compelling musicians in the business on their own. All three have released critically acclaimed albums while dotting the audio spectrum with guest appearances galore. Now, we have the band’s debut album The Record, due out March 31, and if the absolutely gaga reaction to the announcement measures up to the quality, it might just be, in fact, THE record of 2023.

LUNAR ISLES (FEAT. NOGYMX) –“SHIMMER”

Two amazing artists who’ve been making great noise on their own in Cheongju, Korea, are David Skimming (Lunar Isles) and Jimmy Dunne (Nogymx…as in “no gimmicks”). While Skimming on his own tends to put out dreamy, guitar-centric, indie surf inspirations, and Dunne puts out stylistically bifurcated lo-fi beats, this is their first outright collaboration, seeing a nice melding of the two styles.

JOESEF – “JUST COME HOME WITH ME TONIGHT”

Based in Glasgow, this artist has absolutely exploded onto the scene as 2022 began to wrap up. This past month saw the release of the artist’s debut LP Permanent Damage, which is a lovely versatile collection of soulful electronica and odes featuring a lyrical force that is truly powerful. While this will most likely not be album of the year, it is an exceedingly strong debut that is proving immensely popular.

MISS GRIT “LAIN (PHONE CLONE)”

This is the work of KoreanAmerican artist Margaret Sohn and is one of the lead singles to the upcoming Follow the Cyborg LP, which is Sohn and company’s debut full-length. Previously, we’ve seen two EP’s that have been extra high in quality, which were 2021’s Impostor and Talk Talk from 2019. Miss Grit has this electronicized edge of

dark rock that is difficult to get right in the mix, but Sohn’s melancholy delivery and the production seem to nail it every single time. Follow the Cyborg seems like a huge breakout moment, and is out February 24.

THE NATIONAL – “TROPIC MORNING NEWS”

Everybody heard this when it dropped, and everyone can identify with the major theme of the song. Rolling out of bed, grabbing the phone, and “doomscrolling,” which must eventually be made an official new word in the English language as it captures the times to their very essence. Anyway, this tune announced Matt Berninger and company’s latest album First Two Pages of Frankenstein, which is out April 28.

LITTLE SIMZ – “ANGEL”

Admittedly, this single dropped on December 12, but it was very sudden, with the Londonbased rap royal dropping the No Thank You LP like a cluster bomb with barely a word of warning. Interestingly, this was put out via mystery label Forever Living Originals, and unsurprisingly, given the connection to Sault, features Cleo Sol on some vocal drops in the process. A sprawling 10-song record that clocks at just under 50 minutes, this is an incredible tour of hip-hop guided by gospel, soul, and electronic funk. Brilliant.

PHUM VIPHURIT – “WELCOME CHANGE”

One of the great discoveries of the past decade in South Asia has been this incredible Thai singersongwriter who went viral in 2018 with “Lover Boy.” This is the fourth single to be released from the oft-delayed sophomore LP from Viphurit, as The Greng Jai Piece was previously slated to drop last year, but is now finally ready for closeup on Jan 31.

ANDY SHAUF – “TELEPHONE”

This is the third teaser single to the upcoming eighth studio album from the famed Canadian indie folk singer titled Norm. The song, which to us feels like the ideal speed Shauf is at his best, features lyrics

discussing the desperate need to connect with somebody even though they absolutely detest being on the horn, which shows their true love. Norm drops in full February 10.

BENNY SINGS – “YOUNG HEARTS”

This is the title track to the upcoming LP from Dutch LAbased multi-instrumentalist Benny Sings. The sunny and deceptively simple arrangement are trademarks for the artist, and this track doesn’t surprise. However, after making a live debut in Korea, Benny Sings has found a deserved following amongst young people here, especially females. Young Hearts drops March 24 via Stones Throw Records.

JANUARY RELEASES

Joesef – Permanent Damage (Jan 13)

Belle & Sebastian – Late Developers (Jan 13)

Gaz Coombes – Turn the Car Around (Jan 13)

Biig Piig – Bubblegum (Jan 20)

Jadu Heart – Derealized (Jan 20)

Mac DeMarco – Five Easy Hot Dogs (Jan 20)

John Cale – Mercy (Jan 20)

We Are Scientists – Lobes (Jan 20)

Samia – Honey (Jan 27)

Johah Yano – Portrait of a Dog (Jan 27)

SG Lewis – Audiolust & Higher Love (Jan 27)

Paranoul – After the Magic (Jan 28)

Phum Viphurit – The Greng Jai Piece (Jan 31)

FEBRUARY UPCOMING (WATCH OUT!)

Andy Shauf – Norm (Feb 10)

Black Belt Eagle Scout – The Land, the Water, the Sky (Feb 10)

Tennis – Pollen (Feb 10)

Paramore – This Is Why (Feb 10)

Yo La Tengo – This Stupid World (Feb 10)

Screaming Females – Desire Pathway (Feb 17)

P!nk – Trustfall (Feb 17)

Gorillaz – Cracker Island (Feb 24)

Shame – Food for Worms (Feb 24)

U.S. Girls – Bless This Mess (Feb 24)

Logic – College Park (Feb 24)

Miss Grit – Follow the Cyborg (Feb 24)

The Author

Yun Hyoju was born and raised in Gwangju, and somehow ended up married to an Irish guy named Alan. She has been working on her short comic, “Alan and Me,” which is about their daily life. She publishes a new comic every week on Instagram. It can be found here: @alan_andme.

C R O S S W O R D P U Z Z L E

1 NK researcher Taylor

2 Web address

3 Come down with something

4 Sound

5 1976-founded punk band

6 Japanese cartoons

7 Multiple

8 School of 39 Down

9 International insurance company

10 Major Korean import

12 Born with the name

17 ___ Security Area

19 Luminescent material used in screens

20 Icy obstacles in the ocean

21 Consumed (2 words)

22 Iraq port

25 They can be girded or tender

26 Witch’s accessory

27 River mammal

29 Misery

30 “Sprechen ___ Deutsch?”

32 Member of both Fin.K.L. and Refund Sisters

GWANGJU INTERNATIONAL CENTER

For only 50,000 won/year, you help the GIC provide a space for exchanges for the local and international communities to learn and experience various cultures from around the world and to promote respect for diversity and inclusivity.

Bene�its as a GIC member:

Receive the Gwangju News every month by email. Priority for participation in programs. Get discounts on paid programs and space rentals.

Borrow books and materials from the GIC Library. Get receipts for contributions provided for year-end tax settlement.

(61475) 5 Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju, Korea Tel. 062-226-2732 Email. gic@gic.or.kr Web. www.gic.or.kr

GIC광주국제교류센터

through Kakao Talk Plus Friend “GIC광주국제교류센터.”

Add us now! :) GIC광주국제교류센터

H

Mon. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Lunch hours 1 p.m. – 2 p.m.

2023 Global Community Support

Application Period

Feb. 1 (Wed.) - Feb. 22 (Wed.)

Support Period

Mar. 1 (Wed.) - Jun. 30 (Fri.)

Fields of Activity

Activities related to culture, art, language, sports, workshops, seminars, etc. ex.) Gwangju Hikers, Language Exchange, etc.

Gwangju City your community supports

Support Fields

Subsidy Budget support for operation

Promotion promotion through GIC SNS

Space Free space rental at the GIC

Terms and conditions for application

- Non-profit communities with activities and events for cultural exchange.

Process

Submit application

ㄴ

Screening

Selection (Feb.28)

Pre-subsidy

Final report

Post-subsidy

※ Fill out the application form at the GIC website and submit it by email to community@gic.or.kr

- The group leader must have been living in Gwangju for more than 1 year.

- Members of the group must consist of both Koreans and foreigners in Gwangju.

- Open group for anyone who is interested in joining.

Inquiries JANG Suyun (062-226-2732)

Special Presentation

Date&Time : Feb. 18. (Sat.) 13:00

Place: Gwangju International Center

Contents:

- What is “Global Community Support”?

- How to make an application

※Anyone