Gwangju and South Jeolla International Magazine I May 2018 #195 I The Spirit of May 18: Stories from Gwangju and Beyond
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From the Editor May 2018, Issue No. 195 Published: May 1, 2018
Cover art by Lisa May Casaus The Fire of Hope 2018
Mixed media collage on paper 59.4 cm x 84 cm
The Spirit of May 18: Stories from Gwangju and Beyond. Stories begin on page 10.
THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Chief Proofreader Layout Editor Photo Editor Online Editorial Team Creative Advisor Copy Editors Researchers
Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer Wilson Melbostad Isaiah Winters Karina Prananto Lorryn Smit Karina Prananto, Nguyen Huong (Sen) Joe Wabe Joseph Nunez, Gabrielle Nygaard Han Saebyeol, Yoo Yeonwoo
The Gwangju News is the first public English monthly magazine 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 by 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.
Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Logos Color 로고스칼라 (+82)-62-672-2566 GwangjuNews
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GwangjuNewsGIC
For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the Editor at: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.
Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors.
For those looking for adventure, we were lucky enough to have HIKEKOREA founder Roger Shepherd share his journey with us through the Baekdu Daegan mountain range, running a total of 1700 kilometers through the divided Korean peninsula. This issue also features deeper looks into Gwangju-based destinations including the abandoned Honam University campus in Ssangchon-dong, a scrumptious new ice cream parlor, the five gemi restaurants of Gwangju, one of the most recent art installations at the Asia Culture Center, and a look into the popular weekly soccer matches held by the Asia Migrants Center in Pyeongdong. A special thank-you to all the readers, writers, and staff who make the Gwangju News possible. Your support and dedication help ensure this wonderful community resource continues to assist and inform those in the Gwangju/Jeollanamdo area and beyond. We are particularly proud of this month’s edition, and hope you enjoy accordingly! A happy month of May to all of you.
Wilson Melbostad Managing Editor Gwangju News CORRECTION The article entitled, Waldorf, It’s Not Just a Salad, which appeared in the March issue of the Gwangju News, incorrectly stated that Mr. Dharma Kim was a homeroom teacher. He is a subject teacher and teaches multiple grades in the school. We regret the error.
May 2018
For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contact karina@gic.or.kr or 062-226-2733.
Our feature piece looks at the miraculous story of Lee Jae-eui, whose book, Gwangju Diary, was not only critical in informing the majority of unaware Korean citizens of what really transpired in the May 18th uprising but also helped pave the way towards the June Struggle and the ultimate democratization of South Korea in 1987. We follow our feature story with similar international examples of democratic struggle by way of four short stories featuring the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Sharpeville Massacre and Soweto Youth Uprising during the reign of South African Apartheid, and Taiwan’s 1979 Kaohsiung Incident.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com E-mail: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr
G
reetings readers, it is with pleasure that I present to you this special May edition of the Gwangju News! As one might have been able to discern from the cover, this month’s issue not only focuses on the May 18th uprising in Gwangju but also showcases international examples whereby citizens similarly came together to defend their freedom and dignity in the name of democracy.
May 2018 Schedule Every Saturday, 4 p.m. GIC 1F Lounge @GICTalk
GICTALK
MAY 5 No GIC Talk today because of
Children’s Day
MAY 26 MAY 12
MAY 19
Understanding Your Own and Others' Deep Motivations as a Tool to Peaceful Conflict Resolution
The then Bangladesh-India Enclave: History, Struggle and New Life
By Dana Han Director V-Day Gwangju Project
By Narayan Chandra Paul, (Bangladesh) Researcher, Bioenergy Crop Research Institute, National Institute of Crop Science, Muan
Gwangju Uprising: Personal Experience and Witness The speaker co-authored Gwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age. This is the first comprehensive record of the event, which exerted a tremendous impact to the process of democratization of Korea. You will enjoy a rare moment of listening to a direct participant of the event, who recorded it.
By Lee Jae-eui
Have an idea about a GIC Talk? Email us at gictalk@gic.or.kr 5, Jungang-ro, 196beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju｜062-226-2733｜gic.or.kr
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CONTENTS MAY 2018 #195
FEATURES 10. The Book That Sparked a Revolution: An Interview with Lee Jae-eui, Author of Gwangju Diary 14. Recalling the Romanian Revolution of 1989 16. From the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre to the Declaration of Power for Life 18. When the Rain Clouds Darkened: Apartheid South Africa 20. A Look Back at Taiwan’s 1979 Kaohsiung Incident
GWANGJU NEWS
GWANGJU NEWS 04. Gwangju City News 05. Gwangju Theater Schedule 06. May 18 Movies 08. Upcoming Events: May 56. Community Board
COMMUNITY 22. Sing a Song, Sing Along: Introducing the GIC Citizen Choir TRAVEL 25. Lost in Gwangju: Inside Honam University’s Ssangchon Campus 29. Around Korea: The Baekdu Daegan (백두대간) as a Symbol of Unity 33. From Abroad: The Beauty of Thailand – Outside Bangkok
EDUCATION 38. Korea TESOL: English Encounters of the Classroom Kind 43. Everyday Korean: Episode 5 – Gwangju and May 18 FOOD & DRINKS 44. Where to Eat: Glacier Hong 46. Korean Food: The Five Gemi Restaurants
May 2018
ARTS & CULTURE 48. Photo Essay: April in Gwangju 52. Photo of the Month 54. A Juxtaposition of Moving Optimism 55. Book Review: Legacy of an Uprising – Human Acts by Han Kang
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES 36. Soccer for the Soul
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Gwangju City News Compiled by Han Saebyeol and Karina Prananto Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City
GWANGJU NEWS
Gwangju City Publishes “Gemi-matjip Stories”
Gwangju City is publishing a culinary guide entitled Gemi-matjip Stories (게미맛집 이야기). Gemi-matjip are restaurants that serve local foods with distinct and intense flavors. Last year, Gwangju City initiated the Gemi-matjip Project to choose five restaurants that serve foods that can only be experienced in Jeollanam-do. The project’s candidate restaurants were evaluated by academics and food service industry experts. Gwangju City is planning to distribute this 47-page guidebook to places such as media outlets, travel agencies, and lodging establishments where international travelers often visit. (See related story in the Korean Culture section of this issue.)
Gwangju City Enforces Emergency Policy on Fine Dust
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
From April 16, Gwangju City puts into effect a new policy for protecting the health of its citizens. The policy, known as the Emergency Policy for Decreasing High-Density Fine Dust, has hitherto only been in effect in the capital area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do. Since early February, Gwangju City has created 17 organizations, departments, and cooperating teams to consider the frequency and effects of stagnant, high-density domestic and foreign air pollution. Gwangju City is planning to decrease the amount of fine dust by analyzing the data available and improving existing policies in conjunction with the Fine Dust Treatment Team, which has already been practicing a similar policy.
Honam’s First Independent Film Theater Opens in Gwangju
The first independent movie theater in the Honam region opened at the Gwangju Visual Content Center on April 12. The Gwangju Independent Film Theater (GIFT) is a stateof-the-art video complex that can show 3D digital images and has a capacity of 105 seats. The facility will screen mostly Korean independent films, and the center is also planning on operating various programs such as events related to independent films produced in Gwangju, highly acclaimed short films, and film festivals. Besides film screening, it will
also play a role as a space for lectures, experience programs, and a theater for senior citizens. Website: http://www.gift4u.or.kr/ Address: 96 Jebong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Gwangju Visual Content Center, 6th Floor) 광주 동구 제봉로 96 광주영상복합문화관 6F
Telephone: 062-222-1895
Commemoration Events for May 18 to Be Held Nationwide
The Commemoration Event Committee for the 38th Anniversary of the May 18 People’s Uprising has recently announced plans for events to be held under the theme of “Gwangju’s May: Preserve the Memory, Embrace Peace.” Twenty organizations in Gwangju, Seoul, Sejong, Daegu, Suwon, Chungju, and elsewhere will hold individual commemorative events in combination with revealing truths of the historical 1980 incident and to advocate for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Specific schedules for the events will be released on the committee’s blog at http://blog.daum.net/518gj/33 (Korean only). The May 18 Democratic Archives will hold a Citizens’ Remembrance Exhibit in cooperation with the April 16th Archives to commemorate the Sewol Disaster’s fourth anniversary. With the theme of “Remembering,” the exhibit will be held in the May 18 Democratic Archives’ exhibition room on the third floor until May 10. Artist Kim Hyangdeuk has taken numerous photographs to record the pain of victims and the danger of government violence. The exhibit is free to all who visit the archives. The exhibit will be from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (for further inquiry, call 062-6138291.) The Asia Culture Center (ACC) announced that the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Hall will be open to the public from May 15 to June 17. The center will also present a special exhibit on the provincial hall’s history in cooperation with the May 18 Democratic Archives.
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Gwangju Theater
62 Chungjang-ro 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju (two blocks behind NC Wave) TICKETS: 8,000 won CONTACT: 062-224-5858 For more information, please visit http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju * Synopses excerpted from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Hancinema. All English language films are presented with Korean subtitles; non-English international films are presented with Korean subtitles only.
WONDERSTRUCK 원더스트럭 Genre: Drama Director: Todd Haynes Film Length: 115 minutes Language: English (Subtitles: Korean) Starring: Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams Summary: The film interlaces two stories set 50 years apart, switching frequently between them. Each tells the story of a child’s quest. PLEASE STAND BY 스탠바이, 웬디 Genres: Comedy, Drama Director: Ben Lewin Film Length: 93 minutes Language: English (Subtitles: Korean) Starring: Dakota Fanning, Toni Collete, Alice Eve Summary: A young woman with Asperger’s syndrome runs away from her caregiver in an attempt to submit her manuscript to a Star Trek writing competition. COLUMBUS 콜럼버스
THE TRIP TO SPAIN
트립 투 스페인 Genres: Comedy, Drama Director: Michael Winterbottom Film Length: 108 minutes Language: English (Subtitles: Korean) Starring: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan Summary: Steve convinces Rob to go on a trip through Cantabria, the Basque region, Aragon, Rioja, Castile, La Mancha, and Andalucia, retracing the journey Steve took as a young man.
May 2018
HINZPETER STORY 힌츠페터 스토리 Genre: Documentary Director: Jang Yeong-ju Film Length: 70 minutes Language: Korean (No subtitles) Starring: Jürgen Hinzpeter Summary: Jürgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist, came to Gwangju in May 1980 to document the Gwangju Uprising. See the event as recorded by him, which has been released to the public both nationally and internationally for the first time.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
Genres: Comedy, Romance Director: Kogonada Film Length: 104 minutes Language: English (Subtitles: Korean) Starring: John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey Summary: A Korean-born, American-raised man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, where his estranged architect father is in a coma. The man meets a young woman who wants to stay in Columbus with her mother, a recovering addict, instead of pursuing her own dreams. Together, the two explore the various architectural buildings in Columbus, all the while discovering in each other what they hope to be.
BACK TO BURGUNDY 부르고뉴 와인에서 찾은 인생 Genre: Drama Director: Cédric Klapisch Film Length: 117 minutes Language: French (Subtitles: Korean) Starring: Pio Marmaï, Ana Girardot, François Civil Summary: After a ten-year absence, Jean returns to his hometown when his father falls ill. Reuniting with his sister Juliette and brother Jeremie, they have to rebuild their relationship and trust as a family again.
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May 18 Movies Synopses excerpted from Hancinema
May 18 is important to the people of Gwangju as that date in 1980 sparked an uprising that shaped the history of modern South Korea. Many movies have been and continue to be made based on the event. Here we compile the movies that best represent May 18 for our readers!
GWANGJU NEWS
택시운전사 A TAXI DRIVER Drama / 137 minutes Director: Jang Hoon Starring: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol Summary: The movie depicts the story of a taxi driver from Seoul who unexpectedly goes to Gwangju with a German journalist, Jürgen Hinzpeter, reporting on the events of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. They arrive to find the city under siege by the military government with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom and democracy. What began as an easy fare for this taxi driver becomes a life-or-death struggle in the midst of the Gwangju Uprising.
화려한 휴가 MAY 18 Drama / 125 minutes
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Director: Kim Ji-hoon Starring: Kim Sang-kyung, Ahn Sung-gi, Lee Yo-won, Lee Joon-gi Summary: On May 18, 1980, students in Gwangju gather in front of Chonnam National University to protest the closing of their university. The army that is stationed around the university moves in quickly and uses lethal force on the students. Min-woo, a taxi driver, warns his brother Jin-woo not to take part in the demonstration; however, he goes out into the street to protest after one of his classmates is killed by the military. A few days later, things seem to settle down when the soldiers retreat from the city. But the citizens soon realize that the military retreated in a strategic maneuver while awaiting reinforcements.
오월愛 NO NAME STARS Documentary / 104 minutes Director: Kim Tae-il Starring: Kim Sang-kyung, Ahn Sung-gi, Lee Yo-won, Lee Joon-gi Summary: The movie depicts the real accounts of the people who experienced the Gwangju Uprising firsthand: the students who were part of the movement, the female vendors who made rice balls for the students, and the female high school students who cooked at the government building. Now, past middle age, they live as ordinary citizens in Gwangju. How is the event remembered by these people? This film is a journey, created in an effort to remember the people who survived this historical event.
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박하사탕 PEPPERMINT CANDY Drama / 135 minutes Director: Lee Chang-dong Starring: Sul Kyung-gu, Moon So-ri, Park Se-bum Summary: The story starts with Yeong-ho, a crazy 40-year-old man who shows up unexpectedly at the twentieth reunion of former factory workers. The film travels through time as seven past episodes of Yeong-ho’s personal life reveal a link to 20 years of social, historical, and economic changes in Korea, such as the Gwangju Uprising of 1980.
26 년 26 YEARS Action / 135 minutes Director: Jo Geun-hyeon Starring: Jin Goo, Han Hye-jin, Lim Seulong, Bae Soo-bin Summary: 26 Years is a story based on the true events of the Gwangju Uprising. The film depicts five people whose lives and families were ruined during the massacre. The five plan to break into the home of the former president who was responsible for the incidents and make him suffer. However, being the former president, he is heavily guarded, leaving them only one chance to carry out their revenge.
꽃잎 A PETAL Drama / 101 minutes Director: Jang Sun-woo Starring: Lee Jung-hyun, Moon Sung-keun, Lee Young-ran Summary: In May 1980, during the Gwangju Uprising, a 15-year-old girl deserts her dying mother and runs away amid gunfire. Years later, the girl calls a construction-site worker, Jang, and follows him everywhere. Jang knows that the girl has experienced something unimaginable. The girl never talks and always has a far-off gaze. Her mind seems to be torn into pieces, which frustrates Jang. He becomes absorbed into the pain and sadness of the girl, and finds her one day in front of her mother’s grave. There, she tells how she had to abandon her mother in order to live.
THE SONG OF RESURRECTION
May 2018
Director: Lee Jeong-kuk Starring: Lee Kyung-young, Kim Yeong-jin, Kwon Oh-hyeon Summary: Chul-gi, who dreams of social justice, learns about social and political contradictions while attending night school. After the 10.26 Incident (the assassination of President Park Chung-hee on October 26, 1979), as he is elected head of the student council, he leads a mass rally and takes a step toward democratization. Chul-gi, who falls into self-doubt in reality, suffers from a guilty conscience after hearing about the situation in Gwangju. He is then arrested and, while in prison, still insists on democratization by going on a hunger strike.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
부활의 노래
Drama / 92 minutes
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May 2018 Upcoming Events
Compiled by Han Saebyeol and Karina Prananto
may 2-7
Damyang Bamboo Festival 담양대나무축제
Located within a forest of 2.4 square kilometers of bamboo, this festival is full of activities celebrating the beauty and functions of the bamboo plant. Location:
Damyang Bamboo Forest, Damyang, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 담양군 담양읍 죽녹원로 119
Admission: Telephone: Website:
Free 061-380-3150~2 http://www.bamboofestival.co.kr
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Photo by Ryan and Stephanie Hedger.
may 16-19 Jindo Mystery Sea Road Festival 진도 신비의 바닷길 축제
Jindo Mystery Sea Road is a mystifying road 40 meters wide and 2.8 kilometers long that emerges from the sea. Location: Admission: Telephone: Website:
Hoidong-li, Gogun-myeon, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 진도군 고군면 회동리
Free 061-540-3407~8 http://www.jindo.go.kr/eng/sub. cs?m=39
Photo courtesy of Jindo County.
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may 18-20
Jangseong Hong Gil-dong Festival 장성 홍길동축제
Hong Gil-dong is a fictional hero who lived a dramatic Joseon Dynasty life. The festival is held at Honggildong Theme Park, which has everything there is to know about the Robin Hood-like figure. Location: 469-13 Honggildong-ro, Hwangryongmyeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do Admission: Telephone: Website:
전라남도 장성군 황룡면 홍길동로 469-13
Free 061-390-7241 http://www.honggildong.com
Photo courtesy of Jangseong County.
may 18-22
Boseong Green Tea Festival 보성다향대축제
This festival has various programs, including an opening parade, a tea culture festival, experience/selling events, displays, competitions, performances, and a special Korea-China-Japan tea event – all making for a delightful experience. Location:
Photo courtesy of Damyang County.
Admission: Telephone: Website:
775 Nokcha-ro, Boseong-eup, Boseonggun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 보성군 보성읍 녹차로 775
Free 061-850-5211~4 http://festival.boseong.go.kr
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
may 18-27
Gokseong Rose Festival 곡성 세계장미축제 2018
Rose varieties from different parts of the world under the three themes of love, scent, and dream will be on display during the festival at 1004 Rose Park. Location:
Telephone: Website:
Photo courtesy of Gokseong County.
May 2018
Admission:
252-16 Gichamaeul-ro, Ogeok-myeon, Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 곡성군 오곡면 기차마을로 252-16 장미공원 Adults 3,000 won, children and seniors 2,500 won (admission to Train Village) 061-360-8252 http://www.gokseong.go.kr/ tour/?pid=103
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
FEATURE
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Lee Jae-eui, author of Gwangju Diary.
The Book That Sparked a Revolution
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An Interview with Lee Jae-eui, Author of Gwangju Diary
Written by Wilson Melbostad Photographs by Sarah Pittman and courtesy of the 5.18 Archives
A
s most residents of Korea will tell you, Gwangju isn’t just the name of a city in the southwestern corner of the country. Rather, the city of Gwangju and the Gwangju citizen-led May 18th Democratic Uprising represent South Korea’s long and arduous struggle for democracy. In short, the notoriously repressive ruler of the country, Chun Doo Hwan, declared martial law throughout the country on May 17, 1980, and accordingly dispatched troops to various parts of the nation, including Gwangju. The oppressive and violent tactics employed by the military in Gwangju to squash the protests there incited more citizens to join the democratic movement, thus beginning the ten-day struggle between Gwangju citizens and Chun’s military forces. Ultimately, the movement was suppressed but not before hundreds of civilians lost their lives in the process.
The story of Lee Jae-eui’s trials and tribulations in publishing Gwangju Diary (including government-sponsored abuse surprisingly occurring nearly twenty years after democratization) is not as well-known as the extent of his sacrifice would suggest. Ten years of conservative Korean leadership during 2008–2017 saw many unsubstantiated allegations contesting the democratic nature of the 1980 uprising, insinuating North Korea was behind the “riots.” The South Korean Defense Ministry Truth Commission and the U.S. State Department, as well as countless other resources, have discredited such claims, yet the rampant use of political mudslinging seems to have temporarily muzzled Lee’s accomplishments.
“Suddenly, the next day [the 19th] people from all corners of the city began to join our demonstrations. We had never even imagined other citizens would participate since the repression of
May 2018
Lee was an economics major at CNU at the time of the 1980 uprising, he had previously just returned from his three-year mandatory military service and was looking forward to rejoining his classmates for the spring semester. On May 16, 1980, Lee participated with his classmates in the “March of the Torches,” a peaceful demonstration on the CNU campus. According to Lee, spirits were high and those who were participating truly believed political and economic change was on its way. Yet, hope was quickly replaced by discouragement and confusion when on May 17, at exactly 11:40 p.m., Chun Doo Hwan officially declared martial law for the entire country (previously, the island province of Jeju had been excluded from the first order for martial law in October of the previous year). On the following morning of the 18th, riot police filled the streets of Gwangju. News of the brutal beatdowns and arrests of students spread quickly around the city, feelings of shock and bewilderment quickly turned into anger. Lee, one of the remaining students recalls the moment the student protests escalated into a citizen-wide movement:
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
In addition to the suppression of the May movement, in the years that followed, Chun made concerted efforts to erase all evidence that the uprising ever took place. Those who spoke of “May 18th” were arrested and all newspapers and other books or publications relating to the uprising were strictly censored or prohibited from even being published. However, one book eventually did make its way into the hands of Korean citizens in 1985, Gwangju Diary: Beyond the Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age. Author Lee Jae-eui, an eyewitness Chonnam National University (CNU) student at the time and freedom fighter during the uprising, worked for years while in and out of prison to fact-find and gather as much evidence of the uprising as he could since, as he put it, such efforts were critical to preserve not just Korean history, but human dignity overall. Though it was banned on an official basis, hundreds of thousands of illegal copies of Gwangju Diary were secretly distributed in Korea and abroad. The book was instrumental in bringing to light the atrocities that the state had committed against its own citizens and, as one might imagine, caused even more public distrust of the Chun Doo Hwan regime. Accordingly, the book is acknowledged as one of the sparks for the eventual “June Struggle” protests and ultimate
realization of democracy in Korea in the summer of 1987.
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The “Grand Rally for Democracy” took place in front of the Provincial Hall Square (now May 18 Democratic Square) May 15, 1980.
our student protests the day before had been so incredibly brutal. Yet nevertheless, the people responded and bonded together as one.”
The days that followed became more and more brutal as protests for freedom quickly turned into fighting for survival against the relentless military forces that had by then completely surrounded the city. May 20 (Day 3) of the uprising brought the infamous battle of Geumnam-ro (금남로, Gwangju’s main downtown avenue). Lee recalled the impact of the “taxi troops,” a squadron of Gwangju taxi drivers who committed themselves and their vehicles to transporting freedom fighters and the wounded:
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
“Once the citizens saw the taxis all committed to the cause, it marked one of the most important momentum swings in the uprising, from an unarmed demonstration to a show of defense for our city. 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. We cried because the scene was so incredibly overwhelming.”
However, by noon on May 21st, Geumnam-ro quickly spiraled into a war zone. “It just didn’t feel real. People were just collapsing right in front of me,” Lee recalled. “How could the army, supported by our taxes, be allowed to shoot at normal people?” The May 21 Battle of Geumnamro coupled with the previous evening’s May 20 Battle at Gwangju Train Station were some of the most violent of the entire uprising. Lee ventured to Jeollanam-do’s Provincial Hall on the morning of the 22nd (Day 5), one of the primary meeting places of the civilian army, only to be surprised with the news that overnight the paramilitary forces had completely retreated to the outskirts of the city. The scene at Provincial Hall, which served as an operation room for the citizens’ militia, was “chaotic” according to Lee. Many members were frantically debating about what
to do before the military would inevitably return to try to retake the city. Lee aided in restoring order to the group and helped jerry-rig cars and buses to obtain fuel and other resources so as to sustain the resistance for as long as possible. After two days of organizing weapons and resources at Provincial Hall, Lee returned home to rest, but as soon as he did, his family forced him to escape Gwangju as Lee would be a sure target if and when the military made its way back into the city. Lee accordingly snuck out via one of the foot paths the military had yet to block and stayed with his elementary school friends in the town of Gokseong, approximately 45 minutes outside of Gwangju. Sure enough, the military, backed with new enforcements from Seoul, reentered Gwangju and eventually completely defeated the civilian army on May 27 (Day 10). Lee, in Gokseong at the time, has always felt uneasy that he was able to escape while many of his friends sacrificed their lives for the cause: “I have a feeling of survivor’s guilt. This feeling has always been in the bottom of my heart; I saw a lot of things during the uprising; many of my friends were killed by the paramilitary troopers. After the uprising was over, I decided to contribute my whole life to speaking on their behalf.”
Schools were later reopened, and in October, Lee, along with other surviving student freedom fighters, returned to classes at CNU. Following up on his promise, Lee began handing out pamphlets around campus inviting witnesses of the massacre that past spring to give testimony of what they saw. Eventually, Lee’s attempts were noticed by police, and on October 13, in the middle of a lecture, Lee was arrested and dragged out of the school. Lee, along with 30 other members of the pamphlet group were tortured inside the nearby police station for one and a half months. Lee
13 was then transferred to a military prison, where again his body was beaten relentlessly for another three months. Lee was tried and sentenced in military court (martial law was still in effect) and placed in the notorious police torture facility, Samjeong Gyoyukdae in Seoul, as well as other minor prisons for a year before being eventually pardoned. Despite the risk of being sent right back to prison, Lee picked up right where he had left off and continued, alongside his colleagues, amassing as much data and testimony of the uprising as he could. After tireless data collection, Lee began the months-long process of writing Gwangju Diary and ultimately was able to publish it in May of 1985. To hide Lee’s identity, Gwangju Diary was originally published under the penname of famous writer Hwang Sok-yong. The book became hugely popular as most in Korea had never heard of the Gwangju uprising before. (The government had kept it out of the news.) Though the book was banned, thousands of illegal copies were printed, leading to countless arrests of citizens caught with a copy. Many believe that the book served as motivation and as inspiration for the June Struggle of 1987 and ultimate elimination of Chun Doo Hwan and the regime. After the June Struggle, the Korean National Assembly heavily relied on the contents of Gwangju Diary for the 1988 open hearings to search for what truly transpired during the Gwangju Uprising. Gwangju Diary was also the most important basis for the prosecution of former leader Chun Doo Hwan in 1995 and again during the Supreme Court decision, which ultimately found Gwangju’s uprising to be democratic.
“These kinds of experiences have to be shared for generations to come. We should always protect our freedom of democracy; we fought against a dictatorship, so I’d like to convey our experiences and the values we stood for to our sons and daughters. The people of Gwangju never gave up. What’s the real value in people’s lives? People fought for things more valuable than our own lives…freedom and human dignity. It’s imperative that we preserve these ideals for time to come.” Reference Lee, J. (2017). Gwangju Diary: Beyond the Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age (rev. ed.). Seoul, Korea: May 18 Memorial Foundation. (Original English edition published 1999) THE AUTHOR
Wilson Melbostad is an international human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California. Wilson has returned to Gwangju to undertake his newest project: the Organization for Migrant Legal Aid (OMLA), which operates out of the Gwangju International Center. He has also taken on the position of managing editor of the Gwangju News.
May 2018
Towards the end of the Park Geun-hye presidency, likely in response to the news of the re-release of Gwangju Diary, individuals (Lee assumes either the police or the National Intelligence Service) began constantly following him and both wiretapping and hacking his phone. Lee was also forced to step down from his position as a secretary of Gwangju City Hall due to a politically motivated and frivolous lawsuit filed nearly three years ago accusing him of bribery, the trial for which is still ongoing. However, despite these attacks on Lee and the credibility of Gwangju Diary, he is confident that the results of the recent investigations into the May 18 Uprising will hopefully settle the score for the dwindling minority of those attempting
to discount the heroism of Gwangju’s citizens. President Moon Jae-in’s arranged investigation, which concluded in February of this year, confirmed that the military had fired shots toward citizens from MD 500 and UH-1H choppers, with fighter jets armed with bombs on standby as a backup. Further similar affirmations are also expected after the National Assembly-commissioned May 18 Uprising Truth and Reconciliation Commission begins its investigations with full prosecutorial discretion later this September. When asked why these investigations and overall preservation of the uprising are so important to Lee, he emphasized the importance of sharing the lessons of truth moving forward:
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Lee has since translated Gwangju Diary into English (1999) but faced great pressure during the combined ten-year reign of conservative presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. It was during this tenure that Lee’s computer was hacked in an attempt to delete manuscripts of the Diary, and conservative groups continually attacked the legitimacy of his book, citing baseless arguments that the May 18 Uprising was in fact mobilized by North Korean special troops.
▲ After retaking the city on May 27th, military troopers attempted to hide evidence of the civilian casualties.
14 14 The Spirit of 5.18: Stories from Abroad
Recalling the Romanian Revolution of 1989 FEATURE FEATURE
Written by Isaiah Winters Photograph from Wikipedia
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
A
t first glance, the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and the Gwangju Uprising of 1980 may seem worlds apart, but in fact, a direct link was forged between the two events in 2013 when the mayor of Timișoara, Romania, visited Gwangju. Mayor Nicolae Robu came to Gwangju as an ambassador for his charming city, which is one of Romania’s tech hubs as well as ground zero for the country’s anti-communist revolution. In an insightful interview with the Gwangju News, Mayor Robu gave an account of his participation in the protests there and how he and his family escaped the shooting by mere minutes. It’s highly recommended reading that ties the spirit of events that took place there with events that occurred here. The Romanian Revolution was a singular affair during the “third wave” of democratization that swept Eastern Europe, and I hope to convey some of its extraordinary facets here. “SOCIALISM IN ONE FAMILY” The communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu (and his execrable wife, Elena) was probably the most repressive in all of Eastern Europe. Fittingly, the two devoted megalomaniacs, who insisted on being together to the end, reached another superlative milestone when a firing squad executed them in what would later be remembered as the region’s firmest smack of popular revolution. Following the execution, one observer counted 120 bullet casings at the scene. The Ceaușescus’ hasty and emphatic execution belied
the decades of stagnation and grinding authoritarianism endured by the Romanian people. Among the couple’s many draconian edicts was the banning of abortion in order to dramatically increase the population, resulting in overcrowded orphanages and a surge in risky back-alley abortion practices; the severe rationing and exportation of domestic food and energy supplies so as to rapidly pay down the country’s foreign debt; and the allocation of immense national treasure to build the world’s second largest administrative building after the Pentagon, Casa Poporului (the People’s House). If there was a silver lining to the Ceaușescus’ quarter century in power, it was in the realm of foreign policy. Nicolae became a national hero in 1968 when he stood up to the Soviets by denouncing the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. Seeking more autonomy from the Soviets, the maverick Nicolae soon began looking abroad for resources and ideas. From Iran, he deftly maintained his country’s oil supply despite the dramatic regime change brought on by the Iranian Revolution. On the other hand, during a trip to the Far East in 1971, he adopted both Mao Zedong’s cult of personality and Kim Il-sung’s Juche as his own and applied them in Romania, with disastrous effect. Even his wife, Elena, conjured up a cult of personality of her own. Despite her limited education, she was granted many honorary science awards for her plagiarized works on chemistry and was even appointed Deputy Prime Minister
15 of Romania. In fact, it seemed as if the entire Ceaușescu family held high-ranking positions throughout Romania’s vast communist bureaucracy. This caused some Romanians to refer sardonically to the country’s political arrangement as “socialism in one family.” Not surprisingly, by the winter of 1989, Romanians had had more than enough of the Ceaușescus and the decade of austerity they’d ushered in. UPRISING IN TIMIȘOARA The unrest began in the far western city of Timișoara on December 16, 1989, when members of Romania’s ethnic Hungarian minority gathered to prevent Pastor László Tőkés from being evicted from his home as punishment for criticizing the government. The number of protesters soon swelled, and their grievances rapidly grew beyond the original issue. With the local police and Securitate (Romania’s secret police) unable to control the increasingly restive crowds, then Timișoara Mayor Petru Moț called in the military and declared martial law. When a crowd of protesters defied the mayor’s orders and waved Romanian flags with the regime’s coat of arms cut from the center, the group was fired upon, leaving many dead and many more wounded. Soon enough, however, the miners and troops who’d been called in to suppress the Hungarians and hooligans supposedly wreaking havoc in Timișoara joined the protesters, as the situation there bore no resemblance to the lies they’d been fed by their superiors. Naturally, news of the uprising in Timișoara spread like wildfire.
As a result, Romania’s first president, former communist bureaucrat Ion Illiescu, wielded considerable power that he used to stifle reforms and ensure electoral victories for 11 of the first 15 years following the revolution. Romania consequently developed a flawed “hybrid regime,” a form of democracy that bears some of the formal characteristics of democracy, but that falls short in many other areas. It would take many years for more mature and robust opposition parties to form and challenge the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the successor party to Illiescu’s National Salvation Front. For the most part, Romania is currently making strides in the right direction. For instance, it’s now a member of both NATO and the EU, and although the regressive SDP is back in power, the people responded at the beginning of 2017 with the biggest nationwide protests since the revolution, something I was fortunate to experience in person. Better yet, on April 17, 2018, Illiescu was indicted for crimes against humanity over his failure to stop the bulk of the revolution’s needless killing, which occurred largely after the Ceaușescus’ had already been ousted from power. Though long in the making, the indictment is something I can raise my glass to all the way from Gwangju: Here’s to many more. THE AUTHOR Originally from Southern California, Isaiah Winters first came to Gwangju in 2010. He recently returned to South Korea after completing his M.A. in Eastern Europe and is currently the new chief proofreader for the Gwangju News. He enjoys writing, political science, and urban exploring.
May 2018
For a few unaired minutes, Nicolae and Elena could be heard over the loudspeakers repeatedly imploring the crowd in a scolding and unsettled tone to be still and stay in their places. When order had finally been restored, Nicolae, in a rushed and placatory cadence, breathlessly announced increases in the minimum wage, minimum pension, and child allowance. By the living standards of the day, the increases were rather substantial; however, by attempting to negotiate their own ransom, the Ceaușescus appeared scared and vulnerable. Lacking venality, the crowd – which included many youth born of the anti-abortion
AN ARDUOUS TRANSITION Romania would have a rather rocky transition to democracy following the revolution. “Socialism in one family” had ensured a level of loyalty that severely undermined the formation of any competent opposition within the communist regime. Similarly, the pervasiveness of the Securitate’s network of over a half-million informers prevented the citizenry from organizing any opposition of their own. What’s more, after the revolution, Romania soon adopted a semi-presidential system of government modeled on the French Fifth Republic that gave significant powers to the chief executive.
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THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED In the middle of all this, the dictator Nicolae left on a preplanned visit to Iran, leaving the escalating situation in the bumbling hands of Elena and top officials. After just two days abroad, Nicolae returned on December 20 to a country in paroxysms of revolution. He immediately called for a “spontaneous” mass rally the following day so he could address the public in a manner that mirrored his galvanizing speech from 1968. Less than two minutes into his address, however, deafening jeers and boos rose up from the crowd. A befuddled Nicolae faltered in his speech as he gazed out over the sea of defiant faces before him. As directed, the cameraman panned up to the sky, and the live transmission ceased.
decree two decades prior – soon rushed the building, causing the Ceaușescus to flee Bucharest by helicopter. The couple remained on the run for a few days until they were eventually captured, tried, and executed on Christmas Day. When the fighting finally ended, over 1,100 Romanians had lost their lives.
16 The Spirit of 5.18: Stories from Abroad
From the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre to the Declaration of Power for Life
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
FEATURE
Written by Lee Suk Pei Photograph from Wikipedia
F
ollowing the passage of the constitutional amendment that gave China’s President Xi Jinping the power to rule for life, one could not help but reminiscence on the protest that took place at Tiananmen Square, also known as “The Gate of Heavenly Peace,” 29 years ago and came so close to success in leading China to democracy. Yet, it can now only remain a tragic memory for many citizens dreaming of democracy in the oneparty system of China. BACKDROP OF THE INCIDENT Hu Yaobang, then the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was a liberal, pro-reformist leader who called for the reformation of the party by downgrading the central position of its Maoist ideology and replacing it with a more pragmatic policy that included being more transparent and opening up the economy. Hu urged citizens to reassess the Maoist dogma and decide for themselves the truth in a party publication. The bravery to question the authority of former General Secretary Mao Zedong did not stop there but went on to include vindicating falsely charged people during the Cultural Revolution and purging unapologetic Maoists and corrupt members of the CCP in order to replace them with young, educated ones. Due to the rather aggressive act of reformation, Hu was not very welcome within the party and, following several weeks of student demonstrations demanding more Western-style freedoms in 1987, he was forced to resign over his “mistake on major issues of political policy.”
WHAT SPARKED THE INCIDENT Two years later, Hu’s death on April 15, 1989, saw thousands of students take to the streets to mourn his passing, which later turned into a pro-democracy protest that lasted for almost two months. The protest was also participated in by people from all walks of life, ranging from local teachers, laborers, farmers, and journalists to people even from other provinces. During the demonstrations, the CCP’s People’s Daily editorial declared the protests to be a conspiracy to overturn the government that needed to be curbed. Due to the inaction of the CCP toward the request for dialogue, the students decided to escalate the protest and so launched a hunger strike. However, this did not help much in getting the desired response and was instead met with a declaration of emergency by Premier Li Peng on the eighth day of the strike. In response, the students decided to create a symbol of the demonstration – a ten-meter-high statue resembling the Statue of Liberty called the Goddess of Democracy – which they erected in the center of Tiananmen Square. Seeing the reluctance of the students to leave the square, forceful measures were taken by sending in the army to curb the protest. On that very morning of June 4, tanks were running over protesters, bullets were being fired at the students, and military trucks were seen running over fleeing students. Despite the gruesome acts of the army, Wang Weilin, who was famously photographed standing in the way of an advancing tank column, demonstrated the fragile yet courageous spirit of the people fighting the regime. That powerful image sparked widespread outrage among Chinese around the world, many of whom were in solidarity with the students. The entertainment industry
17 in Hong Kong even organized a concert to raise funds for the protestors. THE AFTERMATH The official number of deaths from the massacre was withheld until recently. The officials downplayed the number of victims and even alleged that the massacre of June 4 did not take place. Recent leaks of documents estimated the number of deaths to be 10,000. The dispersal of the demonstration did not mean the end of the affair. Retaliatory actions were taken by the government to deal with protestors. Students and intellectuals who played a prominent role in the protest, including Wang Dan, Wu’er Kaixi, Chai Ling, and Liu Xiaobo, were listed as wanted persons. Some successfully escaped overseas while others were captured and later sought asylum in other countries. For those who decided to stay, some, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, who published the Charter 08 manifesto in 2008, were imprisoned until their deaths. Other participants who were not listed did not enjoy better treatment. Many of them have had to face hardships in life, especially when it comes to getting a job. Partners of the detainees were put under house arrest and their actions were under heavy surveillance. Mothers of the victims organized and formed the Tiananmen Mothers to demand the revelation of truth and the restoration of honors to their dead children. Students and intellectuals who successfully fled the country continued to voice their disapproval of the CCP and pressure the party to reveal the truth of the incident.
FUTURE OUTLOOK The rhetoric stating that “a harmonious society is equivalent to one where everyone gets to eat” has been used by the CCP to limit the people’s liberty. The recent passage of the constitutional amendment that grants General Secretary Xi power for life has been likened to a return to the Maoist era by some, while others contend that the act paves the way toward a more efficient and coherent government under the same ruler. Nevertheless, both camps agree that China will never adopt a Westernstyle democratic constitution – at least not in our lifetime – and that General Secretary Xi’s administration will instead require “checks and balances with Chinese characteristics.” It is hoped that General Secretary Xi will become a good leader and make solid advances for China as a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives under tank tracks for a better China 29 years ago. THE AUTHOR
Suk Pei is from Malaysia and is currently doing her master’s degree in NGO studies at Chonnam National University. Though money is a concern for her, she thinks that freedom and liberty are more precious and priceless.
May 2018
The then student leaders who have since been granted asylum in other countries, including Wang Dan, Wu’er Kaixi, Hou Dejian, and Zhou Fengsuo, can still be seen actively voicing their disapproval on social media. Artists and writers such as Ai Weiwei and Han Han actively direct their works toward ridiculing the Chinese government. And yet, keywords such as “June 4th” and “Tiananmen Square” are regarded as sensitive words and will return no results in Chinese search engines. Discussion of the incident and remembrance of the event in any form within mainland China are strongly
THE RIPPLE EFFECT Though the protest failed to bring democracy to the communist nation, it has had a far-reaching effect on the rest of the world. Protesting the excessive interference of the state is a common activity in Hong Kong, as the annual July 1 pro-democracy marches, anti-national education protest, Occupy Central, and the Umbrella Movement show. Unsurprisingly, these protests have all ended with participating activists being imprisoned and with some even being the victims of forced disappearances. According to an article from Foreign Policy entitled “The Rift Began in Tiananmen Square,” the protest in Tiananmen Square triggered the rapid growth of pro-democracy movements in Eastern Europe, which eventually led to the collapse of communist regimes in that region. The premise is that the gruesome acts of the Chinese government in suppressing the protestors deterred other communist governments who were faced with pro-democracy movements from resorting to the same violent measures.
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Overseas Chinese have not forgotten the tragedy. Many activists work relentlessly to remind people of the cruelty of the CCP, including the citizens of Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists have over the years organized annual candlelight vigils at Victoria Park. Thousands of people attend the events every year to mourn the death of the protestors and exert pressure on the Chinese government to reveal the truth, to admit their wrongdoings, and to end the one-party dictatorship. Activists in Malaysia have also shown their solidarity with the movement by organizing a 25th anniversary exhibition for June 4 and urging the world to never forget.
prohibited. The highly censored and monitored Internet environment has resulted in a younger generation with next to no knowledge of the massacre. The venue of the demonstration, Tiananmen Square, is now heavily guarded to prevent the repetition of the 1989 protest.
18 The Spirit of 5.18: Stories from Abroad
When the Rain Clouds Darkened: Apartheid South Africa
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
FEATURE
Written by Sashai Yhukutwana Photograph from Wikipedia
“Among modern countries where democracy is the favored system, the Athenian experiment eventually acquires a hallowed status. But more than 2000 years will pass, after the heyday of Athens, before anyone again regards with approval the dangerous idea of giving real power to the people.” — Bamber Gascoigne [1]
D
emocracy is defined as having its power resting with the people, with political power being shared equally among individuals. The earliest system to have practiced this was the Athenian democracy of the fifth and sixth centuries B.C. In modern society, crucial tenets may include freedom of opinion and religion, the right to vote, separation of powers (between institutions), and human rights. But can democracy be estimated to be a “dangerous idea” by those who rule? History is littered with records of
dramatic action carried out by ordinary citizens to bring balance to power for a more tenable, dignified human existence. It was not until the summer of 2017 that I became fully aware of the extent of events that shook Gwangju in May of 1980. I had learned of how protesting civilians were met with open gunfire. The cry for democracy was met with intolerant, indiscriminate martial law; the government wielded its authority to repress a rising tide of discontent while clinging to power. The citizens’ response? A love for country and a vision of a democratic future worth defending, worth fighting for, and worth dying for. The Gwangju of the 1980s reminds me of what my home was in another time, where the citizens’ call for equality was seen as dangerous and undesirable – the
19 all-too-familiar clamor to be heard, to be included, and to be allowed to live in dignity as an equal human being. Instead, the hope for an equal society was being crushed under a regime that sought to divide, conquer, and rule by fear and psychological warfare. Apartheid (Dutch for “separateness”) was a system of political and social segregation practiced in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. It employed white minority rule to divide the nation along racial, tribal, and class lines. The majority non-white population’s repression included a denial of equal human rights, political power, and capitalist gain. It also included a state of servility to the racially privileged minority, whose lives proceeded with relative ease, though also enshrouded in ignorance or fear of retaliation if they were to sympathize with the suffering majority. But there were conscious objectors who rose to action. They are celebrated today for their courageous sacrifice and passion in events that were tragic and horrific – events that brought the nation’s distress and the government’s actions under international scrutiny but which culminated in a country that possesses an enviable constitution and Bill of Rights. The Sharpeville Massacre, March 21, 1960 (now Human Rights Day) The laws that governed black South Africans sought to degrade and strip away their dignity. One of these was the discriminatory Pass Law, which required black or nonwhite people to carry their identification papers (or pass books) at all times, as their movements were restricted.
“While the uprising began in Soweto, it spread across the country and carried on until the following year. The aftermath of the events of June 16, 1976, had dire consequences for the apartheid government. Images of the police firing on peacefully demonstrating students led an international revulsion against South Africa as its brutality was exposed.”[3]
Maybe democracy is a dangerous idea. It has called governments to arms, even against the unarmed. May we never forget the sacrifices that cost so dearly but gave us the freedoms and peace we enjoy today. References [1] Gascoigne, B. (From 2001, ongoing). History of democracy. Retrieved from the World History website: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/ PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=2632&HistoryID=ac42&gtrack=pthc [2] South African History Online. (2000-2017). Sharpeville. Retrieved from http://www.sahistory.org.za/jquery_ajax_load/get/article/ sharpeville [3] South African History Online. (2000-2017). The June 16 Soweto Youth Uprising. Retrieved from http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/ june-16-soweto-youth-uprising
THE AUTHOR Sashai Yhukutwana is an English teacher in Gwangju. She likes taking advantage of open evenings to read, nap, do Bible studies, cook, and sometimes have a nice chat with a friend over a hot drink or go for a weekly sweat at Zumba. Her students know her as a basketball player, coworkers think she is a fashionista, and yet Sashai truly likes nothing more than seeing others shine their light bright for their absolute pleasure, and the benefit of all.
May 2018
There was no provocation, but a police officer panicked and, without any warning shots, opened fire on the unarmed crowd. His colleagues followed suit. The firing lasted for approximately two minutes. Those who were shot were wounded mostly in their backs as they were fleeing. Sixty-nine people died and 180 were seriously wounded.
Soweto Youth Uprising, June 16, 1976 (now Youth Day) This uprising brought in new energy and impetus for the liberation struggle against apartheid, which had weakened after the ANC and PAC movement leaders were exiled, thus seriously affecting the South African political landscape. Thousands of students were mobilized on that day in Soweto, South Africa’s largest township, to protest the use of the minority language, Afrikaans, for classes and for examinations. This, on top of an already inferior education system for black South Africans, compelled the students to march and peacefully demonstrate against the government’s mandate. The brutality of the regime was most vividly exposed on this day as heavily armed forces fired teargas and later live ammunition at the students. The blood of those who fell only sought to water the seeds of revolt, causing an uprising against the government.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
In light of this law, the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) called on black South Africans to leave their pass books at home and assemble at local police stations to demand that the police arrest them for not carrying their passes. The PAC’s desire was for black people’s total independence and freedom, which members of the organization believed could come to pass by 1963. They thought, if thousands were arrested, the country’s jails would be filled and the economy would come to a standstill. By midday of March 21, nearly 5,000 residents gathered at the police station in Sharpeville, a township just outside Johannesburg. This was planned as a peaceful campaign, yet they were met by approximately 300 heavily armed police.
“The shooting at Sharpeville sent shockwaves around the country and the world. The African National Congress (ANC) president, Chief Albert Luthuli, called on people to burn their passes and declared a day of mourning. He also called for a nationwide one-day “stay at home.” After this, the government passed the Unlawful Organisations Act on April 7, 1960, and banned the ANC and the PAC.”[2]
20 The Spirit of 5.18: Stories from Abroad
A Look Back at Taiwan’s 1979 Kaohsiung Incident Written by Stephen White Photographs from Wikipedia
T FEATURE
he Kaohsiung Incident of 1979 was a watershed in Taiwan’s political and social history. At the time, it was barely noticed internationally, but it has since been recognized as one of the key events that helped the island transition to democracy. Perhaps most importantly, it galvanized both local and overseas Taiwanese into political action and awareness.
The incident started out as the first major Human Rights Day celebration of Taiwan. Until that year, the authorities had never allowed any public expression of discontent, but in the summer of 1979, they relented, at which time two opposition magazines were established: Formosa Magazine and The Eighties. Formosa Magazine quickly became the rallying point for the budding democratic movement and a means to resist the government. During the fall of 1979, Formosa Magazine had become increasingly outspoken and the upcoming Human Rights Day was an obvious opportunity to further express its views on the lack of democracy and human rights in Taiwan. Before the event even started, the atmosphere had become tense because of increasingly violent attacks by right-wing extremists on offices of the magazine and homes of leading staff members.
When the event took place during the evening, the military police marched forward and closed in on the demonstrators, and then they retreated back to their original position. This tactic was repeated two or more times with the purpose of causing panic and fear in the crowd. Despite calls for calm by the protest leaders, the crowd of protestors was eventually goaded into retaliating. There are several reports that pro-government instigators were also responsible for inciting violence between the two groups. Regardless of how exactly it started, the police encircled the crowd and started using teargas and violent physical force. Newspaper reports right after the event stated that in the ensuing confrontations, more than 90 civilians and 40 policemen were injured. However, the authorities produced figures of 182 policemen and one civilian
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
The magazine’s Kaohsiung Center had applied several
times for a permit to hold a human rights forum at an indoor stadium, but all the requests were denied. In response, it was decided to hold the demonstration at the Kaohsiung headquarters instead. Unofficial estimates said the demonstration involved between 10,000 and 30,000 people, and it was always intended as a peaceful call for human rights. However, several hours before the event had even started, the military police, the army, and the police had already taken up positions.
Seven of the “Kaoshiung Eight” in court for their sentencing (from left to right: Chang Chun-hung, Huang Shin-chieh, Chen Chu, Yao Chiawen, Shih Ming-teh, Annette Lu, Lin Hung-hsuan).
21 The importance of the incident is the fact that it totally changed the political landscape of Taiwan. Taiwanese generally became more politically aware, and the public was forced to take a side in the incident. The movement that grew out of the incident subsequently formed the foundation for the present-day democratic opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and its overseas support network of Taiwanese organizations in North America and Europe. Virtually all leading members of today’s democratic opposition had a role in the event, either as defendants or as defense lawyers. Looking at the history of this event, it’s not hard to draw parallels between Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Incident and Gwangju’s May 18 Democratic Uprising. To paraphrase Noam Chomsky: The way things change is by lots of people working [and suffering]. They’re working to build up the basis for popular movements that are going to make changes. That’s the way everything has always happened in history, whether it was the end of slavery or a democratic revolution, anything you want, you name it, that’s the way it worked. The first three issues of Formosa magazines. (Photo by Christopher Adams)
THE AUTHOR
injured. Although most injuries were relatively minor, the authorities played up the injuries on the police side, sending high officials and actresses to the hospitals to comfort the injured policemen to create a publicity stunt.
Stephen is a South African who has been living and working in Korea for the past six years. He’s lived all over Korea, from the smallest towns in Jeollanam-do to the center of Seoul. He’s passionate about education, history, and language.
More seriously, three days later, the authorities used the incident as an excuse to arrest virtually all well-known opposition leaders. They were held incommunicado for two months, during which time reports of severe ill-treatment filtered out of the prisons.
The original site of Formosa magazine’s office, currently Zhongsan Road 1, No. 53, Kaohsiung. (Photo by Xiang Long)
May 2018
A third group of ten persons associated with the Presbyterian Church was accused of helping the main organizer of the demonstration, Mr. Shih Ming-teh, when he was in hiding because he feared torture and immediate execution. Most prominent among this group was Dr. Kao, the general-secretary of the Presbyterian Church. Dr. Kao was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and the others received lesser sentences.
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The arrested persons were subsequently tried in three separate groups: In March–April 1980, the eight most prominent leaders (the “Kaohsiung Eight”) were tried in military court and were sentenced to terms ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment; in April–May 1980, a second group of 33 persons (the “Kaohsiung 33”), who had taken part in the Human Rights Day gathering, was tried in civil court and sentenced to terms ranging from two to six years.
COMMUNITY
22
Sing a Song, Sing Along: Introducing the GIC Citizen Choir Written by Wilson Melbostad Photographs courtesy of Gwangju International Center
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www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
othing says community building like getting together with fellow townsfolk and singing in unison. Such is the case with one of the newest additions to the line of programming within the Gwangju International Center: the GIC Citizen’s Choir. I sat down with the manager of the choir and head organizer of the GIC’s May Concert, Lee Jeongmin, to learn more. Wilson Melbostad (WM): Could you please tell us about your role within the GIC as well as the GIC Citizen’s Choir? Lee Jeongmin (LJ): I have been in charge of the May Concert since last year. My roles for the concert include performing administrative duties, promoting the concert, coordinating between the director and musicians, and managing the actual event. Besides that, I manage tour programs for local and international residents. This includes developing tour programs, scouting tours, promotion, tour management, and risk management. And of course, I also am the head organizer of the choir. WM: Is it possible to give a short introduction to what exactly the GIC Citizen’s Choir is and the basis behind its creation? LJ: This choir is open to both local and international residents who love music and are willing to exchange their ideas and passions through the platform of music.
We want to emphasize that this is the case even if they are not professional singers or do not have some sort of music major. As your readers might already know, classical music is not necessarily the most approachable subject, and it is regarded as a difficult genre for the public. The purpose of this participatory choir is, thus, to promote classical music and to encourage local and international residents of Gwangju to take part in activities of culture and art. As the brand-new GIC Citizen’s Choir is unique, we are planning to select well-known Korean and international folk songs to share the music of the world together. WM: Sounds super fun! Is there an individual directing the choir at the moment? LJ: The choir is led by Jung Gookjoo. Jung was a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan Choir, conductor of the Chonnam University Choir and CNU OB Choir, as well as host of the Tenor Shin Dong-ho Voice Music Master Class from 2003 to 2014. Currently, he is the conductor of Ensemble Cantiamo and performs on various stages. WM: Wow, sounds like a great opportunity for those looking to improve their singing skills. What should participants or prospective participants expect from joining the choir? LJ: First, if you become a member, there will be nine regular practice sessions in a three-month period.
23 (Currently, we have just three practice sessions left in May.) There will be one practical lesson every month given by a professional trainer. The participants will have vocalization lessons, learn from professional musicians, and receive mentorship. Second, the final performance of the choir is the 2018 May Concert held on May 27. It will be held at the Asia Culture Center’s Theater 2. It will be a unique experience for the choir to stand in front of a 500-member audience and sing. Our third and main purpose is exchange through music. The music will serve as a window for people from various backgrounds and provide opportunities for spending time together and exchanges. Last but not least, profits from the concert will be donated to local and international minorities within the city. Thus, choir members can perform and help the city at the same time. WM: And I just want to clarify, are you still looking for people to join the choir? LJ: Yes, we are definitely looking for more participants, especially international participants! WM: The choir sounds like a great opportunity to strengthen ties between the Korean and international residents of Gwangju? LJ: Exactly. Primarily, the participants will be lovers of music and collaborate over their passion for music using the medium to get closer with one another. I believe it is my role to help participants get along with each other and to help overcome the various cultural differences and language barriers that may arise. WM: It sounds like your practices all culminate in the big May Concert you had mentioned earlier. For those interested in going to the May Concert, can you tell us a little about it and what we can expect from this year’s event?
LJ: Well, the May Concert has been held annually since 2003 for various purposes, such as raising funds for a shelter for foreign workers, raising funds for refugees as well as the victims of the earthquakes both in Japan and Nepal, learning a love for our country through music, and giving support to human rights activists for democracy. For those who attend this year’s concert, you can expect to see our choir performing both Korean and Western folk songs as well as performing a rendition of “Marching for Our Beloved,” the song of the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising. WM: Wonderful, you had mentioned before that you were planning to donate the proceeds of the concert to local and international minority groups within Gwangju. What types of groups specifically are you planning on donating to? LJ: There are many local and international minorities in Gwangju, such as refugees, stateless kids, orphans, and other people who need support from the community. For this year, we have not decided yet, and we are still searching for organizations or societies that support minorities in Gwangju. For those who are interested in participating in the GIC Citizen’s Choir, feel free to reach out to Lee Jeongmin directly at 062226-2732. As mentioned before, the GIC will be holding its 16th Annual May Concert on May 27 at the Asia Culture Center’s Theater 2. THE AUTHOR
Wilson Melbostad is an international human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California. Wilson has returned to Gwangju to undertake his newest project: the Organization for Migrant Legal Aid (OMLA), which operates out of the Gwangju International Center. He has also taken on the position of managing editor of the Gwangju News.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Jung Gookjoo leading choir practice at the GIC.
티켓 및 공연 문의 (Inquiries & Ticketing) 062.226.2732 / www.gic.or.kr
2018 세계인의 날 기념 Celebrating Together Day 2018
May Concert 2018. 5. 27 5 (일) 오후
시
국립아시아문화전당 예술극장 극장 2 Asia Culture Center Theater 2
주최 · 주관
후원
25
Inside Honam University’s Ssangchon Campus
TRAVEL TRAVEL
Pyo Jeong-du’s memorial statue in front of the Ssangchon Campus’ main building.
Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
I
For those interested in raw, locally produced art in all its various manifestations, the Ssangchon Campus is a treasure trove. In the years before it was closed, it was used primarily as a school for the arts where, ostensibly, just about everything from calligraphy to computer graphics was taught, including pottery, printing, painting, fashion design, cosmetology, and sculpting.
Among the campus’ numerous classrooms, halls, and studios, a personal favorite was the underground printing room, which still contains functioning machinery and many large prints and etchings made by former students. Another honorable mention goes out to the hanbok dresses found onsite, which had likely been sewn using the antiquated sewing machines lining the room in which they were found. Also worth noting are the dozens of plaster busts found in the basement, among which are historical figures such as René Descartes, the Roman Emperor
Naturally, this makes the campus both humorous and haunting for its heaps of mannequins and sundry
May 2018
mannequin parts, including torsos, heads, and even scalps. You could almost sense the creative urgency with which some of the mannequins had been fitted; they were at one point assignments, after all. Decked out in amateur panache, they provide that mix of eerie familiarity and foreboding that only mannequins and their miscellaneous parts can. The lone skeleton found among the rubble (which was oddly autographed on the right hip) seemed tame by comparison.
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f you’ve recently been to the immigration office in Gwangju’s Ssangchon-dong, then you may have had a moment (or if the clerks were out to lunch, an eternity) to cogitate on some of life’s great unknowns. Given my lowbrow predilections, on my most recent visit I spent the time wondering what was being done with the massive dirt heap across the street. Turns out it’s actually the former main campus of Honam University, and it’s far more intriguing when seen from the inside.
26
The gymnasium during better times.
May 2018
The most visually impressive part of the campus’ two main buildings was the woodpaneled gymnasium with its large stage, red velvet curtains, basketball courts, and secondfloor deck overlooking the massive furniture heap in the middle. The sheer size of the room, along with its ample lighting and warm wooden interior, was photogenic enough to override the malodorous patina of sweat and dust that otherwise made the place a burden to breathe in. By chance, a printed photo of the gymnasium from its busy heyday turned up and got me interested in the campus’ past.
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Caracalla, and the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite.
Honam University’s “About Honam” webpage has a lot of campus history conveniently listed in chronological order. Apparently, the site where the Ssangchon Campus stands was purchased back in September 1974, with the main building being completed in September 1980. This location would go on to be the university’s headquarters for the next 17 years. However, in March 1989, ground was broken on the university’s second site in Seobong-
dong, Gwangsan-gu, and in August 1997, the university headquarters was relocated there. With more and more resources going to the Gwangsan Campus, the Ssangchon Campus was eventually shuttered in March 2015.[1] Officially, the aforementioned webpage refers to this shuttering as the more auspicioussounding “integration” of the two campuses. But no matter how it’s framed, Honam University stands to profit tremendously from the disused property, as it’s in preliminary negotiations with Gwangju’s City Urban Planning Commission to build apartments on the site. One of the wrinkles to be worked out between the two parties remains the height of the proposed apartment buildings. The university wants the apartments to be between 18 and 27 stories high, while the City Urban Planning Commission has recommended limiting the height to 18 floors so as not to inconvenience surrounding residents.[2] Another cleavage more apropos to the May edition of the Gwangju News has emerged over
27 what to do with a particular monument situated on the Ssangchon Campus. The monument was erected in 1991 by students, some of whom were arrested for committing acts of violence after physically clashing with professors and staff who opposed the monument’s establishment.[3] By erecting the monument – a memorial stele – students sought to honor Pyo Jeongdu, a former Honam University student enrolled in the Department of Commerce and Trade.
inscription states simply, “I want to live as I am.” Following this, the middle inscription gives a brief account of Pyo’s life, including his participation in the Gwangju Uprising and subsequent suspension from Daedong High School, his service with the U.S. Air Force, his job teaching hanja (Chinese characters) at a night school, his “inflamed fighting passion” against fascism and the U.S. occupation of Korea, and of course, the details of his self-immolation.
Pyo had staged the ultimate political protest on March 6, 1987, when he doused himself in kerosene and self-immolated in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Denouncing the prolonged one-man rule of Chun Doo-hwan, Pyo opposed amending the constitution to a parliamentary system and demanded that someone be held responsible for the Gwangju Uprising’s suppression. He also stood in opposition to then U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz and spoke out for Park Jong Chul, the linguistics student at Seoul National University who died at the hands of police while being interrogated and tortured over the whereabouts of a campus radical leader.[4][5][6]
The stone atop the monument is rather hard to translate due to its poetic embellishment. But from the top, it reads something like this: “Monument perpetuating the revolutionary spirit of anti-Americanism and nation-saving of patriot Pyo Jeong-du.”
Pyo’s monument on the Ssangchon Campus bears different inscriptions at the bottom, middle, and top, with each increasing in poetic flourish. The bottom
With Honam University looking to sell the Ssangchon Campus to housing developers, the Pyo Jeongdu Memorial Society has met with university representatives to request that Pyo’s monument be safely relocated to the Gwangsan Campus. It’s no simple task, as moving costs for the multi-tiered stone monument are expected to reach a substantial 30–40 million won.[7] For its part, the university has been reluctant to take responsibility for the monument, as it was a project of students, not the university.[3]
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May 2018 Mannequins giving a warm welcome at the entrance to one of the buildings.
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The underground printing room.
To its credit, last December, Honam University conferred an honorary degree on Pyo, despite the fact that he dropped out after his parents suffered significant losses in the agricultural distribution industry in the mid-1980s. Pyo’s mother, who wanted her son to continue his studies despite the family’s financial hardships, was there to receive the degree on his behalf.[6][8]
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May 2018
As for alternative relocation proposals, one idea is to move it to the 5.18 Memorial Park; however, this has been met with opposition from the May Associations.[9] In a second meeting between representatives of the Pyo Jeong-du Memorial Society, Honam University, and Gwangju City, it was proposed that the monument be moved to Peace Park, located in the Sangmu area directly across from City Hall.[10] This tentative compromise appears to be holding for now. Ultimately, it seems that the monument will end up in good hands, for as recently as May 2017, President Moon Jae-in mentioned Pyo’s name and legacy during a commemoration ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising. To paraphrase, President Moon referred to Pyo as the 25-year-old laborer who selfimmolated while shouting that the person responsible for the situation in Gwangju should be punished.[3] With recognition coming from such a high office, it’s likely that Pyo’s monument will eventually get a new lease on life right in the heart of Gwangju. References
[1]
Honam University. (2017). About Honam. Retrieved from the Honam University website: https://en.honam.ac.kr/ ChronologyAchievements
Park, J. J. (2017, November 16). 호남대 쌍촌캠퍼스에 900여세대 아파트 들어선다. Retrieved from the News 1 Korea website: http://news1.kr/ articles/?3155170,%20http://www.ulsanfocus.com/news/articleView. html?idxno=92914 [3] Park, J. B. (2017, May 21). 文 대통령 호명한 표정두 열사…추모비 수년째 방치. Retrieved from the News 1 Korea website: http:// news1.kr/ articles/?2998780 [4] Yolsa. (2014, February 17). 열사의 삶. Retrieved from the 족민 주열사 희생자 추모(기념)단체 연대회의 website: http://www.yolsa.org/bbs/ board.php?bo_table=tbl_life&wr_id=81 [5] Haberman, C. (1987, January 31). Seoul student’s torture death changes political landscape. Retrieved from The New York Times website: https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/31/world/ seoul-student-s-torture-death-changes-political-landscape.html [6] The May 18 Memorial Foundation. (2018, January 1). 표정두 열사 명예학위 수여식 [Web log]. Retrieved from https://blog.naver.com/ themay18/221181139355 [7] Bae, D. M. (2017, October 29). 표정두 열사 추모비…광주시청 앞 평화광장 이전. Retrieved from the JoongAng Daily/Newsis website: http://news. joins.com/article/22060352 [8] Seo, C. S. (2018, January 22). 영화 1987 이 불러낸 광주·전남烈士들 <3> ‘노동자’ 표정두 (1963–1987). Retrieved from the MoodeungIlbo website: http://www.honam.co.kr/read.php3?aid=1516546800545526011 [9] Bae, D. M. (2017, October 29). 표정두 열사 추모비…광주시청 앞 시민의 숲으로 이전. Retrieved from the Newsis website: http://www.newsis. com/view/?id=NISX20171029_0000131540&cID=10809&pID=10800 [10] Kim, J. J. (2017, October 29). 표정두 열사 추모비 평화공원 이전 추진. Retrieved from the Kwangju Daily website: http://www.kjdaily. com/read.php3?aid=1509274688421540002 [2]
THE AUTHOR
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah Winters first came to Gwangju in 2010. He recently returned to South Korea after completing his M.A. in Eastern Europe and is currently the new chief proofreader for the Gwangju News. He enjoys writing, political science, and urban exploring.
29
The Baekdu Daegan (백두대간) as a Symbol of Unity Written and photographed by Roger Shepherd
A
thin red line squiggled its way up a map of the Korean Peninsula, coursing over what looked like most of its jagged terrain. “What the hell’s that?” I asked. “That’s the Baeekdoo Daeegann, mate!” Andrew replied in a thick Kiwi accent. “I’ll geev ita go thyn, aye?” I instantly said in mine.
I was not just roaming on a long ridge that charmed its way through rural Korea, but as I found out through Korean hikers, I was on the highest crest of a more extensive intravenous network of ridges that splayed out all over Korea and fell into the sea. For those Baekdu Daegan hikers I met, it was part of their pilgrimage to be more Korean.
TRAVEL
It was 2006, and I was in Korea on a visit. The plan was to hike its national parks, but their marked trails now seemed dull compared to what I had just discovered. Carrying only a large sheet map that I had stolen from a bus terminal’s wall, the Hangeul peak names of the Baekdu Daegan had all been scribbled back into English, so as I loped along from peak to peak for the next two months, I could at least try to pronounce them. Korean hikers would stop me, and those who spoke some English would ask me in their structured way where
I was going. “I’m hiking the Baekdu Daegan,” was my reply, spoken in an easy-to-understand American drawl. A lump would form in their throats, followed with some splutters, as they struggled to find a response. Instead, the Korean hiker would remove his pack, summon me to do the same, and on that sunny ridge, we’d take a seat on a nearby rock – this is how I began my first lessons on Korea’s Baekdu Daegan. It seemed I was the first foreigner to be hiking its unknowns.
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May 2018
The author (center) with his hiking team members.
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May 2018
Mt. Turyu, 2309 meters, Paegam-gun, Ryanggang-do.
Mt. Baekdu, viewed from Janggun-bong (peak).
31
A typical campsite.
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May 2018
32 augmenting it as the watershed of the whole nation. In 2011, I made my first trip (one month) to North Korea to begin my expeditions of the Baekdu Daegan there. I planned to photographically document as much of it as I could, so as to make photo art books on this “Great Ridge” (Daegan). I returned in 2012 for six weeks, and although I made several other unrelated visits to the North each year after that, I made my next big expeditions again last year (2017) two times, totaling ten weeks of exploration. My visits always took me deep into the valleys and peaks of remote rural North Korea. We slept out in tents; ate local foods like free-range rabbit, pig, duck, chicken, river fish, honey, mountain vegetables, potatoes, and rice; drank local varieties of soju; and took our water from and washed naked in the chilly valley streams. I formed friendships. My work saw me publish two editions (2013, 2015) of Mountains of the Baekdu Daegan from North and South Korea, and another, upcoming edition this year (2018). My photo art books identify the Korean people as one people sharing the same landscape and mountain system in the Baekdu Daegan – the peninsula’s biomorphic spine, which, despite the tourniquet of barbed wire that crimps its torso, still connects both sides as a country, and still pulsates a natural energy throughout.
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May 2018
▲ The Baekdu-Daegan trail across the Korean Peninsula.
By the time I had finished that stroll way back in 2006, I was ready to do it again. I returned in 2007. This time I had to record it and make it available to others. I decided to write a guidebook (published in 2010) on how to hike the 687-kilometer continuous ridge called the Baekdu Daegan in South Korea. During the process of making that first edition, a whole new Korea opened up to me. Korea was a land deeply immersed in a mountain culture that dated back to pre-history. It is a nation riddled with peaks, each one with a mountain spirit. Its dynasties were defined by mountain ranges that saw pitched battles at most of the fortressed passes. Mountain tales exist of fairies, imps, serpents, and extraordinary feats of Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian sages. Meanwhile, the ridges of Korea emitted natural energies called pungsu-jiri, the origin point of which was Korea’s highest and holiest peak, the sacred Mt. Baekdu (백두산, 2750 meters). From there, these energies transmit along the Baekdu Daegan, like a central nervous system thrumming inside a skeletal spine, and then pump farther and deeper into the landscape and the people via the wavy labyrinth of subsidiary and lesser ridges of Korea. As Kim Jong-il once wrote, “Korea is a 3,000-ri (a Korean land measure) golden tapestry linked with the same mountain range.” On a divided peninsula, the Baekdu Daegan runs 1700 kilometers down its entire length. It is never cut by water,
I have been based full-time in South Korea since late 2010. Since then, I have made at least a dozen visits to North Korea and have been involved in numerous projects and exhibitions on Korean unity, using the Baekdu Daegan as a symbol of that. I have found the Korean people, despite differing political ideologies, to be substantially the same people with the same mannerisms. Notably, they also share the same admiration for their mountains, in particular, the Baekdu Daegan, which symbolizes to them their whole mountainous nation. Mt. Baekdu in the far north is their grandfather mountain, and in the far south, Mt. Halla (한라산) is their grandmother mountain. All the peaks in between are part of the larger family of mountains that form the Korean family. I hope one day the Baekdu Daegan can reconnect the Korean people. Note: To hike the Baekdu Daegan in South Korea, you can purchase an updated 2017 copy of the guidebook at www. hikekorea.com. THE AUTHOR
Roger Shepherd is a New Zealander residing in the Jiri-san mountains with his own registered company, HIKEKOREA. He runs guided mountain treks for visiting foreigners, is an exhibited photographer, and is also a published writer. His work discovers Korean identity through the mountains. In his spare time, he likes to sleep on off-the-beaten-track peaks with a bottle of makgeolli.
33
The Beauty of Thailand Outside Bangkok
Written by Stephie Melina Kabre Photographed by Don Tajaroensuk and Stephie Melina Kabre
I
gave a final look at the wonderful house we had been living in for almost one month. I felt a bit depressed to close its door, yet eager to go back to South Korea and carry on with my academic duties. It is worth mentioning that my feeling at that particular time was the antithesis of what I had felt when landing in Thailand 39 days earlier.
TRAVEL TRAVEL
I was quite excited to travel to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Land of Smilesâ&#x20AC;? and escape the cold weather of South Korea, even just for one month. My classmates and I traveled to Thailand to take part in the May 18 Memorial Foundation Winter School Program for young human rights activists but also to do fieldwork related to our GNMP (Global NGO Master Program) studies. From December 9 to January 16,
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May 2018
The author at a lookout point on Ko Larn Island.
34 we traveled across Thailand to visit local organizations working on human rights and development-related issues. We also tried to kill two birds with one stone and enjoy the beauty of Thailand. Traveling throughout Thailand outside of the regular touristic context was indeed a wonderful experience. As alluded to above, landing in Thailand was not such a good experience, not only due to my air sickness but also to problems I encountered with immigration at the airport. Luckily, I was well prepared as I had my international certificate of vaccination and all the other necessary documents. Being from a tropical country comes with its burdens. Our rental house was a five-room traditional Thai wooden house, cozily furnished and located in the middle of Bangkok just a ten-minute walk from Siam Center (one of the biggest shopping areas in Bangkok) and the BTS Station (or Skytrain). The welcoming nature of the Thai people makes one feel at home immediately. From our neighbor who gave us free access to his Wi-Fi to the landlady who gave us some goodies, everything was put together for us to enjoy our stay.
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May 2018
Thailand is already popular for its street food, but I need to emphasize just how good Thai street-food dishes really are: those delicious deep-fried pork balls, tasty grilled chicken with some sticky rice, and refreshing Thai tea, to name a few. In case you are scared of getting the “Bangkok Belly”
▲ Top: Nam tok noodles, or boat noodles, at the Lotus Food Court. Bottom: Street food at Hua Hin Seaside.
and need some more hygienic food, the Thai food court system is great. In all the malls and department stores, you can find a food court. My favorite was in Lotus, which offers cheap food of the best kind; with 100 baht (around 3,000 won) on your card, you can have two dishes of your choice. I personally preferred the tom yum goong soup and pad krapow moo saap (fried basil and pork.) Bangkok is quite an exciting city crowded with tourists and all the facilities needed to make the stay productive for shopping tourism. The Siam Center area and its concentration of super fancy malls is a paradise for shopaholics, with a skywalk directly connecting BTS Siam Station to all the different malls in the area and Central World. For people like me who are not much attracted to brand names, Platinum is the mall of choice with its many made-in-Thailand products at affordable prices. Also, local markets like the Chatuchak Weekend Market are the best places to find cheap and excellent souvenirs. To evade the noise, traffic, and pollution of the capital, we went to Ko Larn Island, which is less than an hour away from Pattaya by ferry. We were all astonished by its beauty not only for its white sand beaches but also for every detail that made up the island, like the mountains, the clear sea, and the small seafood market. Riding motorbikes along its slopes to access the highest viewpoint of the island was unforgettable; I have never been so scared and excited at once. But it was worth it as the sunrise was awesome, and from this spot, we could see Pattaya in the distance. We silently sat there for a few minutes, trying to memorize all the details of the breathtaking scenery. The island was so captivating that our few-hour escape became a two-day stay. We also visited Mea Sot located in Tak Province in western Thailand, which is approximately a two-hour flight from Bangkok. The city is near the Thai-Myanmar border and has a local market where you can get jade jewelry at cheap prices. The border goes along the Moei River and is surrounded by mountains on both sides. Our trip was in the back of a truck rented by one local organization with two friends to guide us from Mae Sot to Mae Sam Laep (a crossing point to enter Myanmar’s Kayah State). We visited Tham Mae Usu (Mae Usu Cave), which is considered the longest cave in Thailand. The cave has a high ceiling and a small stream that goes through it, making it mysteriously attracting. On our way to Myanmar, we also stopped to say hi to the Thai-Karen people famously known for their long necks in their beautiful village on top of the mountain. Later, crossing the Moei River by speedboat, we entered Karin State (also known as Kayin or Kariang) in Myanmar for a few hours at Ei Htu Hta IDP (internally displaced people) camp.
35
▲ The writer (front) and her friend riding a motorbike on Ko Larn Island.
The small city of Mae Sariang in the Mae Hong Son region was full of bikers traveling throughout the area. We discovered that this part of Thailand is famous among bikers from all over the world for its mountain roads – a wonderland for them. In addition to our group trip, we also had some separate excursions: Mountain-lovers traveled to Chiang Mai while sea-lovers went down to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Coming from a landlocked country, I think you can easily guess which team I was on.
May 2018
THE AUTHOR Stephie Melina Kabre is a human rights activist from Burkina Faso, West Africa. She is a senior Global NGO Master student at Chonnam National University.
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For me, the most memorable part of this trip could not be captured by our cameras. It was not just a trip to visit Thailand but a trip of love and care. We visited so many organizations working on various human rights issues not only in Bangkok but outside the capital city as well. We met awesome people who made our trip memorable. Outside the regular tourist hotspots, we discovered an unknown face of Thailand. Being guided by local people to places they thought were important to visit gave this trip its true beauty. We were welcomed into people’s homes to share meals, which made me feel at home. For a few days, I forgot that I was a foreigner; instead, I felt like a member of the Thai community.
SPORTS SPORTS && ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
36
Soccer for the Soul Written by Sen Nguyen Photographed by Ender Waters
▲ Ready to play? Ready, set, go!
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May 2018
I
am not a big fan of soccer, which is rather strange because my parents are crazy about it. I remember that whenever World Cup seasons came, my parents would stay up all night (alas, the time differences from Vietnam) cheering and screaming at the TV for their favorite teams. I guess the main reason why I was not drawn into that circle was that I did not see the bigger picture of that ball rolling on the field for every player to chase after. What goes on in their heads when they are running across the field? What do they want to achieve besides a big trophy and paycheck? Is it simply a pursuit of athletic pleasure, or is there something more to the picture? In search of a story, I brought these questions with me to the weekly soccer game organized by the Asia Migrants Center located out in Pyeong-dong (near the Songjeong Train Station). It took me two buses to get there, for a total time of one hour and 45 minutes. Every time I got on and off the bus, the scenery changed. It felt like I was heading to another city, as even the buses were different. The Gwangju I know seemed to be left behind. By contrast, Pyeongdong is known as the area where most migrant workers in Gwangju live due to its plethora of factories and cheap housing.
I was first met by the director of the Asia Migrants Center when I arrived at the field. He was riding a motorbike around the field at a slow speed, checking that everything was okay. Different groups of players were stretching, chatting, and practicing at three corners of the field, getting ready for the big game. Kim Bok-ju founded the center in March 2007 and decided to organize regular soccer games and establish the Asia Migrants Football Championship the following year, made up of 32 teams from all over Korea and including 12 nationalities. “Last year, the Thai migrant workers’ team from Pyeongdong, Gwangju, brought home the championship trophy. The 9th championships have passed, and we are still going strong,” Kim said. That brought my attention back to the game, as the Thai and Nepalese teams were playing against each other that day. The winner of last year’s championship consisted of good-looking, tanned, and athletic fellas, but that did not at all diminish the attention their opponents were garnering. After their loss to the Thai team in last season’s championship, would I get to see a hungry Nepalese team eager for victory?
37 The Nepalese team was looking genuinely sharp, leaving the Thai team no real chance to control the ball. What an impressive start! “At first people were shy to come and play, but the team leaders encouraged them,” Kim said. I got a chance to talk with both team leaders that day, whom I will refer to using their initials. SA is a 32-year-old native of Thailand who came to Korea in 2015 under Korea’s Employment Permit Program. “My friends introduced me to the weekly game, and I have been coming ever since. It feels very good to play [soccer] with my friends, [meet] new people, have a chat, [and] have some food and drinks together,” SA said. KHA, who came to Korea from Nepal in 2014 when he was 20 years old, echoed the same joy for playing sports and letting his hair down after a workweek at his factory. “I will go home to visit my family next year, but I think I will be back to Korea,” KHA said. At this point, the Thai team’s game plan appeared to overcome the pressure with some impressive offense – all it took was one long ball upfield to give Number 12 a clean shot. “The migrant workers get along with each other well here. In the past, there were wars between our countries, but it does not really matter now. We don’t fight with each other here,” Kim added. He believes that such a regular sporting activity helps elevate the players’ moods, keeping them physically healthy and mentally positive. “Before, sometimes when they felt bored or sad, … they just went drinking, and now playing soccer seems like a better thing to do.”
Migrant workers come to Korea to fill job vacancies that university-educated Koreans are reluctant to take, including agriculture/stockbreeding, manufacturing, offshore/inshore fishery work, fish breeding, and construction work. Doing what is known as “3D” work (i.e., work that is dirty, difficult, and dangerous) these laborers are often neglected and looked down upon in Korea. Most of them come from South and Southeast Asia. There are up to 300,000 migrant laborers in South Korea, in comparison with around 16,000 foreign language teachers. Yet, the common image of foreigners in Korean society is often Westerners from English-speaking countries. A more profound understanding of the laborers’ lives helps us widen our own perspective of Korean life, which is no longer comprised solely of Korean people, but everyone from everywhere who has come to this country searching for a better life. After saying goodbye to Kim and both teams, I walked away from the field, only to hear a thunderous cry of joy as one of the teams just made a goal. I did not really care to note down who won, because I was too busy being mesmerized by the euphoria that consumed the whole area. They did not appear to be migrant workers to me at that point – just humans having fun and kicking some balls. That is how I found my way back to soccer, in search of a collective humanity. THE AUTHOR Sen is a graduate student and a vigorous reader, whether it is a book or people. She comes from Hanoi, Vietnam, but her home is wherever her heart is.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Eyes on the ball.
38
English Encounters of the Classroom Kind
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
EDUCATION
Written by Dr. David E. Shaffer
I
have been tasked with recollecting teaching events that have in some way been noteworthy – classroomrelated episodes that have been gems of surprise, wonder, or regret, or possibly ah-ha moments. (You may recall that three such snapshots in teaching appeared in the March edition of this column.) Here I recall some jewels in the learning process for the student and/or the teacher that are related to mispronunciations, misunderstandings of meaning, and a poor understanding of how language is learned.
“DIRTY” WORDS Students everywhere learning English as a foreign language (EFL) will, unsurprisingly, encounter problems with pronunciation. Some problems are particular to certain first languages; some are particular to Korean EFL students. One is the “s” sound: When it is followed by a long or short “i” sound, the “s” is often sounded as “sh” by Korean learners. The most vivid example of this that I have, from many years ago, is a student talking about Korean customs and how “Koreans like to sit on the floor” (with a distinct sh-sound for sit). I smiled, a couple students chuckled, and I then proceeded to practice with the offending student the correct pronunciation of sit so that she would never again commit the same gaffe with such defecating results. Reflecting on my “good deed for the day,” with both time and experience, I came to realize that my little pronunciation practice on sit that day probably had very little if any effect on the student’s pronunciation. It takes much more than a couple of correct pronunciation attempts in class to rectify a bad pronunciation habit. On
top of that, I had not told the student that her incorrect pronunciation was a far different word in English than what she had intended. And even more importantly, I had not told her that her mispronunciation was considered foul language in many social settings. If this were the only “dirty word” problem that I had encountered over the years, I would be happy. Firstlanguage interference has caused many students to have problems correctly pronouncing peanuts and version, to name a couple. Other times it is not a pronunciation problem. Students will occasionally use damn, ass, and piss in conversation class, and even the F-word, not realizing the offensive weight they carry or their inappropriateness in a classroom setting. And how would I react? Well, as a novice teacher, I would retort with something like “Don’t you ever say that in my class again!” But with reflection and maturation, I came to realize that there was not much English teaching contained in such remarks. What the students needed to know was what exactly they had said that had irritated me, why it had irritated me, and what would have been a more appropriate expression. This is the modus operandi that I eventually adopted, and I even developed a “dirty word” lesson into my advanced classes. “DIRTY” SWEATSHIRTS English has often been used in Korea more for decoration than for what it says. This began decades ago when foreignmade products were considered to be of better quality than domestic ones. Storefronts began to put English words on their store windows to attract customers. This morphed into school notebook covers carrying all kinds of nonsensical English and later onto T-shirts. Often this is innocuous – but not always. Sometimes a student will come to class, almost always a female for some reason, wearing a shirt containing English that would be embarrassing to them if they knew what it said.
39 them incorrectly – in totally wrong situations, or in grammatically mangled sentences, almost 100 percent of the time. I was puzzled – and discouraged. It was not until some years later, with advances in second language acquisition, that I realized that learners needed to experience expressions such as idioms in meaningful contexts, either written or spoken, numerous times in order to grasp fully the scope of their meaning and proper use. And besides, though English idioms may be colorful, their frequency of use is quite low. I threw away my idiom book, and decided to spend class time on more useful, more frequently used English.
One instance that stands out is a student’s black sweatshirt that had a nice, somewhat romantic photo of a couple on the front. Later in the class, when the students were doing group work, I noticed that the back of her sweatshirt carried a list of names as found in movie credits. Closer inspection of the listed names – names like Ben Dover, Fanny Deep, Buster Hymen, and Cherry Poppins – revealed that she was wearing a shirt promoting an adult movie! “Oh my! What should I do?” I thought. What I did do at the end of class was go up to her and explain what was on her shirt. I am not so sure she understood. On reflection, what I should have done, as a follow-up in a later class, was explain to the whole class the dangers of buying clothing and merchandise containing English that they have not read or do not understand. I never saw that girl wear that sweatshirt again. But I did try to instill upon future classes that one should always be aware of what a product says in English before buying it – or wearing it! TEACHING IDIOMS
THE AUTHOR
David E. Shaffer is vice-president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf of the chapter, he invites you to participate in the teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings (always on a Saturday). For many years, Dr. Shaffer has been a professor of English Language at Chosun University, where he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a holder of various KOTESOL positions; at present he is national president. Dr. Shaffer credits KOTESOL for much of his professional development in English language teaching, scholarship, and leadership. He is also the editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.
GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL MONTHLY MEETING Date: May 19 (Saturday) Place: Gwangju National University of Education • Presentation 1: Using Technology to Improve Classroom Engagement • Presentation 2: Students’ Struggles in Society: LesBiTrans Migration, Academic, and Employment Experiences in Korea SwapShop – Share with the group an activity or teaching idea that you have.
May 2018
For full event details: Website: koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL
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When I first started teaching English in Korea, I did not have a pleasant time – and neither did the students. The available textbooks (both of them) contained listen-andrepeat dialogues interspersed with grammar points, much in the audiolingual tradition. The students got bored quickly, and I got frustrated. When it came time to start a new semester, I thought I would liven up my course by teaching idioms instead. “What could be more interesting than learning English idioms?” I rationalized. What resulted, however, was that no matter how much I explained the new idioms, the students would use
Why have I related these “encounters”? So you and your students do not make the same mistakes related here, and to let you know that missteps can be turned into productive learning experiences for everyone involved.
INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS OPEN FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2018
ADMISSION INQUIRIES: OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, CHONNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY Telephone: +82-62-530-1276 (Undergraduate), +82-6262-530-1267 (Graduate) Fax: +82-62-530-1269 E-mail: underia@jnu.ac.kr (Undergraduate), internia@jnu.ac.kr (Graduate) Address: Office of International Affairs, Chonnam National University 77 Yongbong-ro, Bukgu, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
CNU has opened its new admission period for Fall Semester 2018. Here are some important notes that you should be aware of: ADMISSION PERIOD • On-line applications: Open on September 18 (rolling basis) • Submission of Documents: Through May 25 Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and updated information about our admissions will be posted on the official website of the OIA. (http://international.jnu.ac.kr) ELIGIBILITY ▶ UNDERGRADUATE 1. Freshman - Must have completed high school (or equivalent) 2. Transfer (Sophomore, Junior) - Must have completed 4 semesters at a 4 year university OR - Must have graduated from a 2- or 3-year college Nationality of parents of an applicant should be non-Korean. ▶ GRADUATE 1. Master’s degree & Master’s / Doctorate Integrated program - Must have completed a Bachelor’s degree 2. Doctoral Degree - Must have completed a Master’s degree Nationality of parents of an applicant should be non-Korean. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS ▶ UNDERGRADUATE: Satisfied by any of the following: - TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korea) level 3 (Gwangju campus)/ Level 2 (Yeosu campus) - TOEFL ibt 80 (cbt 210, pbt 550) or IELTS 5.5 or TEPS 550 or TOEIC 700 Level 2~6 on CNU Korean language classes are regarded as equivalent to level 2~6 on TOPIK ▶ GRADUATE - Language requirements are different depending on the department. Therefore, please look up to the admission guideline for more details. SCHOLARSHIP - 1-year Scholarship: Tuition and fee waiver or 2 semesters - First-Semester Scholarship: Tuition and fee waiver for the first semester - First-Semester Partial Scholarship: 1,000,000-won waiver for the first semester GRADUATE - Global Scholarship: Full tuition waiver for the first semester - TOPIK Scholarship: Full tuition waiver for the first semester - SRS (Strategic Researchers Scholarship): Full tuition and fee waiver for the first semester
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May 2018
FOOD & DRINKS
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43
TOPIK Guide (topikguide.com) is the most comprehensive website devoted to the TOPIK exam. It’s been helping Korean language learners pass the TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) for more than seven years. On this website, you can get all the TOPIK updates, grammar and vocabulary material, and study tips.
Everyday Korean Episode 5: Gwangju and May 18 Written by Harsh Kumar Mishra Korean Language Expert at TOPIKGUIDE.COM 아나: 제가 자주 듣는 말인데 오일팔이 뭐예요? [jega jaju deun-neun mari-nde 0-il-pari mwo-yeyo?] Ana: I always hear people talking about this o-il-pal thing – what is it?
Grammar & Vocabulary
정민: 오일팔은 광주의 민주화운동 기념일을 의미하는 날로, 5월 18일을 줄여서 오일팔이라고 해요.
Use this (with a noun) to say something in reported speech, or to introduce something or someone. Ex: 아나는 택시운전사가 꼭 봐야 하는 영화라고 했어요. Ana said that “Taxi Driver” is a must-see movie.
아나: 그렇구나! 그럼 5월 18일은 국경일이에요? [Geu-reok-huna! Geu-reom o-weol sip-pari-reun guk-kyeong-iriyeyo?] Ana: I see! So, May 18 is a national holiday?
저는 정민이라고 해요. I’m Jeongmin.
EDUCATION
[O-il-pa-reun gwangju-ae minju-hwa-un-dong gi-nyeom-ireul ui-mi-haneun nal-lo, o-wol sip-par-ireul ju-교대-seo o-il-parirago haeyo.] Jeong-min: O-il-pal is short for the day commemorating the Gwangju Democratic Uprising: May 18.
~(이)라고 하다.
~아야(어야)겠어요. Use this to convey any of the following meanings: “had better,” “I guess I should,” or “I guess I have to.” Ex: 저 이제 가야겠어요. I guess I’ll have to leave now.
정민: 국경일은 아니지만 광주 시민들에게 매우 의미있는 날이에요. [Guk-kyeong-i-reun ani-jiman gwangju simin-deur-ege mae-u ui-mi-in-neun nari-yeyo.] Jeong-min: It’s not a national holiday, but it’s a very meaningful day for citizens of Gwangju.
아나: 며칠 후면 5월 18일인데, 그때 광주에서 뭘 하나요? [Myeo-chil hu-myeon o-weol sip-parir-inde, geu-ttae gwangjueseo mwol hanayo?] Ana: May 18 is approaching. Do they have any events on that day?
[ Ne~ da-yang-han gi-nyeom-haeng-sa-reul hae-yo. Geum-namno-eseo eom-cheong ma-neun saram-deuri mo-yeo-seo o-il-pal gi-nyeom-haengsa-e cham-yeo-haeyo.] Jeong-min: Yes. There are various events on May 18. Hundreds of people gather on Geumnam Street to participate in the commemoration ceremonies.
#KoreaLifeHacks 1.
2.
아나: 그렇군요! 이번에 저도 가서 봐야겠어요. [Geu-reok-hunyo! I-beo-ne jeo-do ga-seo bwa-ya-ges-seoyo.] Ana: Sounds great! I guess I should go and see this time then.
3.
Visit the TOPIK Guide website or our YouTube channel to improve your Korean and reach your goal on the TOPIK test.
May 2018
Being the most famous street of Gwangju, Geumnam Street has so many things to offer expats, whether it’s the creativity of “Art Street,” the underground shopping center, or the May 18 Archives. When you’re in Gwangju, don’t miss the chance to explore the beauty of this street. If you’re new to Gwangju and not very aware of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, do watch the films May 18 and Taxi Driver to understand how valuable this movement is to citizens of Gwangju. If you’re a book lover and don’t mind buying secondhand books, do visit the Aladdin Used Bookstore downtown. It has a nice collection of books at very pocket-friendly rates.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
정민: 네~ 다양한 기념행사를 해요. 금남로에서 엄청 많은 사람들이 모여서 오일팔 기념행사에 참여해요.
민주주의: democracy 민주화 운동: democratization movement 뭐라고요?: What did you just say? 다양하다: be varied 기념하다: celebrate, commemorate 의미있다: meaningful 국경일: national holiday 시민: citizen 자주: often
FOOD & DRINKS
44 Where to Eat
Glacier Hong www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
45
I
f you are a new arrival to Korea, sometimes walking through Gwangju’s downtown area can make you feel like Alice in Wonderland: not sure where you are and not sure how to get back to where you were. However, if you can find your way around, down a street behind the Megabox theater is a little ice-cream shop serving up sweet treats that a certain pink and blue mega-chain cannot even compare to.
THE AUTHOR
Sarah Pittman is a 26-year-old English hagwon teacher and a southern California native. She loves photography, swing dancing, the color teal, and her dog Cosmo. When she goes back to America, she hopes to either continue teaching or work in an office that allows dogs.
Glacier Hong 글라시에홍 12-24 Seoseok-ro 7-beongil, Dong-gu, Gwangju 광주 광역시 동구 서석로 7번길12-24
010-9497-2107
Everyday 12:00–22:00
May 2018
On the Saturday afternoon when I visited, I tried the strawberry and lemon-ginger sorbets, the hazelnutValrhona chocolate, and the Marco Polo black tea ice creams. The Marco Polo black tea was sweet and milky, and reminded me of a quintessential pearl tea flavor. The sugar’s sweetness and the tea’s bitterness acted in perfect harmony, and it finished on a note of lightly toasted caramel. The texture throughout was rich and wonderful, with an unmistakable fatty-milk quality that is impossible to fake.
Glacier Hong’s prices per scoop range from 3,000 to 4,600 won. It also offers a “Family Box” option, where you can pick four flavors to take home for 21,000 won. Overall, Glacier Hong is a fantastic place for a date or catching up with your friends over a masterfully crafted serving of local ice cream.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The name of the shop is Glacier Hong. It is a small shop. There are two tables on either side of the display case and a quartet of seats facing the window bar. Since opening its doors in 2016, it has offered an ever-changing range of quality handmade flavors from the everyday to the unexpected. Be they as common as vanilla or Oreo, or as exotic as Jack Daniels, Valrhona chocolate, tiramisu, or Marco Polo black tea, owner Hong Ji-yeong’s flavors are always phenomenal. Glacier Hong makes non-dairy sorbets, too, such as strawberry or lemon ginger. The flavors offered change with the seasons, so the shop depends a lot on social media like Instagram to advertise the ice cream du jour. Glacier Hong also only makes two batches of each specialty flavor, so if you are in love with a flavor, get it while it is cold!
My next love was the fresh and natural strawberry sorbet. It did not have the jammy, fructose flavor that many commercial sorbets have. It was delightfully smooth, more like a gelato than a sorbet. Then came the lemonginger sorbet and the hazelnut-Valrhona chocolate ice cream. The lemon-ginger reminded me of the Italian ice cups from my childhood: sweet lemon with a refreshing icy texture. I could taste the ginger after the lemon, but the lemon definitely upstaged the ginger. The hazelnut Valrhona started with a beautifully clean nut flavor that holds its own against the rich dark chocolate. Unlike many of its competitors, Glacier Hong takes a delicate approach to sugar in its chocolate flavors, so the depth of the French cacao is not lost in a syrupy aftertaste but instead lingers on the tongue.
46 Korean Food 46
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
FOOD FOOD && DRINKS DRINKS
The Five Gemi Restaurants in Town Written by Cho Namhee Photograph courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City
Appointment of Kimgawon as one of five Gemi restaurants.
G
wangju Metropolitan City recently announced its five gemi restaurants. “Gemi” (게미), which means a unique taste permeating within, or the more you chew, the more flavor you get, is dialect exclusive to South Jeolla Province. The gemi restaurants project was initiated to establish a new brand of gastronomy in Gwangju and to promote and enhance the existing brands of the city, the arts, the culture, and the tastes of Namdo. Last September, the city held an open call for local restaurants to boast of their uniqueness and savor, and now a panel of nine judges has designated the city’s first group of five gemi restaurants. The judges even made secret inspections of the candidate restaurants for transparent and fair competition.
On behalf of the Gwangju News, I am proud to introduce the five winners of the title of “Gemi Restaurant.” As an award, the restaurants were given complimentary consulting sessions and promotion opportunities, and a sign to hang that indicates the new designation. Each one of the following restaurants serves a very different type of dish from the others, but they all incorporate the characteristics of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. 1. Myeonghwa Restaurant (명화식육식당) – Zucchini Stew Located in Myeonghwa-dong, Gwangsan-gu, this restaurant specializes in zucchini stews. With just over a dozen tables in the hall and two separate rooms on the side, it has been attracting more than 300 stew-seekers
daily for the last 16 years. While zucchini stew may not sound particularly special, it is worth noting that it is made from a recipe exclusive to Gwangju and its vicinity. Address: 225-4 Myeonghwa-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Phone: 062-943-7760
2. Kimgawon (김가원) – Samhap (삼합) Heuksan-do, an island far off the southwest coast of South Jeolla Province, is famous for its skate – one of the three main ingredients in samhap (삼합; a combination of three: skate, kimchi, and steamed pork). Skate is one of the delicacies of this region, though it is often regarded among expats as a dish to avoid. It is definitely challenging to eat due to its strong odor and intense taste, but when wrapped with typical Namdo kimchi and steamed pork (수육), the challenge suddenly vanishes. Among the many samhap restaurants in the area, Kimgawon was designated for its fresh ingredients and skate fermented in sesame oil. Address: 1327-9 Ssangchon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Phone: 062-382-8700
3. Maewol Black Goat Garden (매월흑염소가든) – Black Goat Soup and Meat It may not sound enticing, but black goat has long been regarded as a health food for stamina. Loved by the
事务所
47 locals – and the elderly, in particular – this restaurant is a culinary adventure destination for both international visitors and younger Koreans. It is particularly famous for its goat meat and unique bean paste, made personally by the owner of the restaurant. Address: 480-1 Maewol-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju Hours: Daily, 10:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Phone: 062-374-6665
4. Haenam Seongnae Restaurant (해남성내식당) – Beef Shabu-Shabu This restaurant is a secret hideout for fans of shabu-shabu. Hidden in the alleys of a residential area in Baekun-dong, Nam-gu, a housewife and her mother and mother-inlaw from Haenam and Naju, respectively, opened the restaurant in 2015. They made their peerless recipe by combining the mother’s 30-year experience with Korean beef dining and the mother-in-law’s years of expertise in bean paste-making as a daughter-in-law of the head of the extended family. Fresh cuts of hanwoo (Korean beef) and a rich bean-paste broth are their specialties. Address: 32-2 Dongnim-ro 10-beongil, Nam-gu, Gwangju Open Monday through Saturday Phone: 062-672-5123
5. Doldam Marinated Crab (돌담게장백반) – Marinated Crab In the mountains around Mudeung, near Gwangju Ecological Park, there is a typical Korean-style restaurant located in a remote area. This restaurant is famous for its fresh crabs soaked in spicy or soy sauce marinade and greens from the mountain that give diners the feeling of nature. Over twenty side dishes are served along with the crab dish priced at only 10,000 won per person. Address: 4 Geumgok-hangosat-gil, Buk-gu, Gwangju Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Closed 4th Tuesday) Phone: 062-265-1183
These restaurants cannot represent the entire gastronomy of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province; however, as they have been carefully designated, it is worth your while to visit them and make your own interpretation of the true tastes of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. Judge them for yourself and bon voyage! THE AUTHOR Cho Namhee currently studies communication at Chonnam National University.
JISan LAW FIRM
Since 2000
(former Body&Soul Clinic)
The International Clinic in Gwangju Family Medicine, Health Screening, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Minor Surgery, Travel Medicine, Vaccination, Complementary Medicine, Pre-employment Health Screening, Laboratory Test (Blood, Urine, Pap, STD), X-ray & Ultrasound, Prescription Refill, Nutrition (Intravenous Vitamins & Minerals), Detox (Chelation & Fasting), Anti Aging, Immune Booster, Weight Management.
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For More Info: Phone: 062-525-0606 www.geomedclinic.com ** The best landmark for our clinic is “Buk-gu District Office” ** On the 1st Floor of our building, there is a “Paris Baguette”. Our clinic is located on the 5th Floor.
May 2018
Jisan Building 759 Sangmudae-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju 광주 서구 상무대로 759 지산빌딩 Chinese/English consultation: 062-370-7799 www.jisanlawfirm.com
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May 2018
ARTS & CULTURE
PhotoEssay Essay 48 Photo
April in Gwangju Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
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C
herry blossom season is an essential part of the Gwangju experience as it celebrates the return of spring. One of the best places in Gwangju to view the delicate blooming flowers is the Uncheon Reservoir. The Uncheon Reservoir is a curated lake with many restaurants and coffee shops lining its shore.
Many couples come to take selfies together while posing with the delicate flowers. The trend for couples in Korea right now is to dress in matching outfits; for this occasion, many of them will wear shades of pink or white to match the flowers. However, there are some who still like to express their individual style while celebrating the change in the weather.
The easiest way to get to the Uncheon Reservoir is by taking the Gwangju subway to Uncheon Station.
May 2018
It is not uncommon to see couples, friends, and families laying out picnic blankets around the lake, enjoying their favorite snacks. As the breeze blows across the lake, the delicate flower petals tumble and swirl down onto the people below. It certainly makes any activity more picturesque as you walk through the gently falling petals.
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The reservoirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s atmosphere is one of carefree relaxation, with soft laughter and music echoing across the lake. Families stroll along the bridges to the islands, pausing to take pictures of the blossoms while listening to local singers performing popular love ballads.
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May 2018 50
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www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
THE AUTHOR Sarah Pittman is a 26-year-old English hagwon teacher and a southern California native. She loves photography, swing dancing, the color teal, and her dog Cosmo. When she goes back to America, she hopes to either continue teaching or work in an office that allows dogs.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
ARTS & CULTURE
52
Photo of the Month
By Ryan Berkebile
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love taking candid photos. Whether it’s working up the nerve to take candid photos of strangers or snapping shots of friends deep in conversation, I appreciate the raw honesty they convey. This particular photo was taken downtown near the ACC, on an unseasonably warm day in early March. Frankly, it’s amazing that I was able to make a connection with the mother because I was using a bulky camera that is anything but inconspicuous. THE AUTHOR
Ryan Berkebile is an English teacher and analog camera fanatic living in Gwangju. He has been teaching in Korea since 2005 with brief stops in Vietnam and Japan along the way. Besides taking photos, Ryan likes to meditate in the Korean Seon (Zen) tradition, go to punk rock shows, and explore the urban landscape. www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
Do you have any photos that you would like to show to Gwangju (and the world)? Gwangju News features a photo of the month to create more opportunities to promote more photographers based in the Jeollanamdo region and to show off our beautiful province from different areas and angles. Submissions can be posted in the “Photography in the South” Facebook group throughout the preceding month. Alternatively, you can also send your submissions to the editor by email: photos@gwangjunewsgic.com
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A Juxtaposition of Moving Optimism
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
ARTS & & CULTURE CULTURE ARTS
Written by W.I. Archie Photograph courtesy of Asia Culture Center
T
he contemporary art installation of Tomas Saraceno at Gwangju’s Asia Culture Center was at times morbid and overwhelming. However, overall, it was a moving presentation of optimism. The name of this work is Our Inter-Planetary Bodies, and the exhibition began in June of last year and continued until the end of March. The show’s pieces were displayed in an almost pitch-dark studio the size of an airplane hangar. Time and space in this setting spoke in a language of drama. Indeed, the dialogue was hardly one of a casual, everyday meeting. In response, that structure, which is one’s sense of self, loses its footing somewhat. The 45-year-old Saraceno was born in Argentina, where he completed a degree in architecture. After graduation, he traveled to Germany to pursue studies in art and made Berlin his home. Reading about his education provides an understanding of the artist’s involvement with the frontier that space represents. This Argentinean was already a notable artist in 2009, when he attended the International Space Studies Program at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley, California. The first piece in the darkness worked as an allusion to Dali’s ants. It was difficult to miss the lethargy of civilization of which their force in the surrealist’s work spoke. The cursors announced as much as they flitted from one astral mass to another on Saraceno’s space map. The accompanying audio affirmed this. Rather than the zippy-zap of fully functioning arrows, one heard long, irregular beeps, each of which was more decrepit than the last. A threedimensional spider web that was eerily lit by the flicking light of a black, vintage movie projector hung in front of the map, as if it were saying, “Crypt,” and beckoning one to
reflect further on our failure as a species. Deeper in the studio, inflated globes floated above, resembling hot air balloons. They appeared in small groups, with intricately designed nets to hold them in place. The smaller globes seemed to be in the orbit of the largest. Everything about these bodies spoke the very opposite of the earlier displays. One was moved by their apparent lightness as they swayed gently in mid-air. Their voluminous, but buoyant, mass evoked the sensuality of laden fruit. Their clean flesh tone and translucent exteriors conjured up the complexion of a healthy infant. In the same vein, one imagined the bulbs of spring vegetables and flowers. Their internal glow implied a sort of internal activity. One could be persuaded to see in these spheroids – as pristine human communities of the future – a metaphor for our bodies in space. This installation by Saraceno appeared to be an idealized message of the approaching death of our civilization to become a revitalized and radiant existence beyond our planet. The naivety of this work, Our Inter-Planetary Bodies, is quaint. Nevertheless, due to the strength of the artist’s creative genius, it is provocatively uplifting. THE AUTHOR
The writer, W.I. Archie, is proudly from Toronto, Canada. The vibrancy of the city never ceases to amaze him. He feels indebted to Korea for having been able to teach English off and on here for many years. He is pursuing a graduate degree in the theory and practice of art at L’EHESS in Paris, France.
Book Review
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Legacy of an Uprising
Human Acts by Han Kang Written by Kristy Dolson
E
ver since I was a teenager, I have considered fiction to be a gateway to events outside my lived experiences. And like many kids who grew up in the pre-cable Canadian countryside, my preferred key to unlocking this gateway was the novel. The novel has tremendous power to create empathy and inspire change. As a timely example, I learned about the May 18 Democratic Uprising when I came to Gwangju. But as an outsider both temporally and culturally, I could only truly understand the significance of this event by stepping through the gateway of fiction. And my key was Human Acts by Han Kang, translated into English by Deborah Smith. The novel begins in 1980 and progresses to 2013 in a series of vignettes encompassing a range of experiences connected to the May 18 Democratic Uprising and its short- and long-term consequences. Han focuses on a new and seemingly isolated individual in every chapter, writing about their unique and varied experiences, memories, and emotions. Using this approach, she is able to dig deeper into the complex and multi-layered background of the democratization movement. As the stories intersect and overlap, I came to the end of the novel with a much greater understanding of the disturbing whole. And I now have a much deeper appreciation for the survivors of this tragedy.
THE AUTHOR
Kristy Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read, and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and has just returned to Gwangju, where she splits her time between teaching Korean teachers at JETI and reading as much as she can. (Photo by Lisa Crone)
May 2018
Reading this novel has made me realize why the anniversary
I consider myself fortunate that the most traumatic experience of my student life was struggling to pass Principles of Mathematics. Han’s novel about the May 18 Democratic Uprising – which began as a student movement – has made me more empathetic towards the May 18 anniversary. And although it is a uniquely Korean story, it has parallels to protests and resistance movements around the world. In the wake of last month’s March for Our Lives protests in the U.S.A., it is disheartening to realize that even now students in democratic countries must demonstrate against corrupt leadership. Fiction is our gateway to emotional engagement with individuals and events beyond our own lives and experiences, but sometimes these stories can have real-world parallels and implications for presentday struggles. Therefore, I maintain hope that these works will bring us closer to a world where people – especially students – are not faced with violent and unnecessary deaths as a result of leaders who can no longer be counted upon to uphold basic human freedom and dignity.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
This novel is illuminating in many ways, but the most striking aspect is where it begins. Han opens her book with the collection of dead bodies. In the immediate aftermath of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the survivors were faced with the distressing task of retrieving, identifying, and burying the victims. Here lies the idea at the heart of the novel: the broken trust between citizens and their leaders. In Korean culture, the treatment of the dead is observed with great respect and reverence. The government, both in causing these deaths and in hindering proper burials, had fundamentally failed its people. From this betrayal, flowed decades of repressed trauma, oppressive silence, and a steadfast commitment to remembering that failure.
of the May 18 Democratic Uprising still matters so much to the city of Gwangju, and to Han Kang, who was born and raised here. She published Human Acts in 2014 as a personal and political response to the 2013 election of Park Geun-hye, the daughter of dictator Park Chung-hee. Han was deeply moved by these election results because she was a child at the time of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and grew up surrounded by the legacy of it. She wanted others to know about that legacy and remind us that humanity is capable of acts both terrible and great. This book is brutal and the reading experience is often uncomfortable. That is the point. This novel instilled in me the horror of a brutal event long past but not forgotten – and far from over.
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Community Board
Have something you want to share with the community? Gwangju News Community Board provides a space for the community to announce club activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information. UNESCO KONA VOLUNTEERS KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a registered small public library supported by UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV). UKV is a registered organization that helps disadvantaged children to learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps. We guide the family and children to develop a love of reading storybooks in English. We also give guidance to volunteers in using storybooks. We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month. For more information, please visit http://cafe.daum.net/ konavolunteers or our Facebook pages for KONA Storybook Center and UNESCO KONA Volunteers, or contact Kim YoungIm 062-434-9887, or email konacenter@gmail.com. VOLUNTEER TEACHERS NEEDED for the Gwangju UCC (Universal Cultural Center). Any levels of experience, English teachers here in the Gwangju area during 2018 can participate. UCC has a Facebook profile if you would like to see what kind of other services are available. To participate in the international cultural exchange programs, you may email peter.j.gallo@gmail. com, or phone or text 010-9490-4258.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2018
GWANGJU FILIPINO ENGLISH TEACHERS (GFET) Every 3rd Tuesday of the month 10 a.m. – 12 noon, GIC, Room 3 (2F) We are a group of Filipino English teachers in Gwangju who conduct regular lectures and accent training to help fellow English teachers to become better educators. GWANGJU INTER FC The Gwangju International Soccer Team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, email gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com or search “Gwangju Inter FC” on Facebook. GIC ZUMBA WITH THANDO GIC Hall, 1st Floor 7 – 8 p.m., Thursdays Facebook: GIC Zumba with Thando It is a fun-filled cardio class that fits all levels, no experience needed. Dress comfortably and be ready to sweat. Also, bring along water and a towel. CHINESE-KOREAN LANGUAGE EXCHANGE GIC Lounge, 1st Floor 6:30–8:30 p.m., Wednesday Application: https://goo.gl/WjBZQQ
The language exchange is casual, and you can turn up when you like. Welcome to bring and invite friends. GIC KOREAN CLASS May 8 – June 26 (7 weeks) 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Tuesday or Thursday 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Saturday GIC members: 110,000 won; Non-members: 130,000 won Registration: https://bit.ly/2Ji7iKI Inquiry: language@gic.or.kr
Attorney Attorney Park’s Park’s Law Law Firm Firm We're ready to serve your best interests in legal disputes. We provide affordable consultation & representation.
▶ Areas of Specialty contracts, torts, family law, immigration, labor ▶ Civil & Criminal Attorney Park, Duckhee former judge, GIC board member Services available in Korean, English & Chinese
Tel: 062) 222-0011
#402 Simsan Bldg, 342-13 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Location: next to Gwangju District Court
Fax: 062)222-0013 duckheepark@hanmail.net
Gwangju Guide www.gwangjuguide.com For Information on Living in Gwangju Korean
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2018-04-26
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www.gic.or.kr
GWANGJU TOGETHER D AY 2 0 1 8 2018.5.27. Sun. 1-
5p.m.
5・18민주광장・ ACC Democracy Plaza
글로벌존 (음식&문화) | Global Zone (Food & Culture)
커뮤니티존 | Community Zone
다양한 나라의 음식과 문화를 한 곳에서 즐길 수 있는, 단 하루의 세계여행 ! Enjoy tastes of the world and discover diverse cultures from around the world!
지역 내・외국인 커뮤니티와 기관을 한자리에서 만나요! Meet with local communities and organizations for glocal (global + local) activities !
벼룩시장 | Flea Market
부대행사 · 공연 | Events · Performances
아껴쓰고 나눠쓰고 바꿔쓰고 다시쓰기! Secondhand items & handmade craft items.
주최
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광주출입국관리사무소 Gwangju Immigration Office
주관
다양한 전통공연과 즐길거리 가득~ Enjoy various events and traditional performances from around the world~
협력
후원
2018-04-26
10:20:05