Gwangju and South Jeolla International Magazine I May 2019 #207 Sharing the May 18 Atrocities with the World: Interview with Martha Huntley, Former Gwangju Missionary
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Gwangju & South Jeolla Intern ational Magazine
From the Editor
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May 2019, Issue No. 207
Published: May 1, 2019 Cover Photo Martha Huntley
Courtesy of Martha Huntley
THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors Production Editor Layout Editor Photo Editor Proofreaders
Online Editorial Team Researcher
Dr. Shin Gyonggu Dr. David E. Shaffer Karina Prananto, William Urbanski Isaiah Winters Karina Prananto Sarah Pittman Tara Kulash, Stephen Redeker, Elisabeth Loeck, Di Foster, David Foster, Ynell Mondragon, Gilda Wilson, Joseph Nunez Karina Prananto, Shahed Kayes Baek Ji-yeon
The Gwangju News is the first English monthly magazine for the general public in Korea, first published in 2001. Each monthly issue covers local and regional issues, with a focus on the roles and activities of the international residents and local English-speaking communities. Copyright © 2019 by the Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the written consent of the publisher.
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For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.
Special thanks to Gwangju City and all of our sponsors.
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Our second feature highlights a man very much concerned with post-5.18 democratization, Buddhist Master Ji Seon, “who has been a driving force in democratic and human rights movements, and … issues related to the May 18 Democratic Uprising and its aftermath.” Our third feature is an interview with You In-rae of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, who describes how the Foundation’s work extends solidarity beyond the confines of Gwangju and Korea. If a picture is worth a thousand words, we bring you 7,000 of them this month with our photo essay of the May 18 National Cemetery, a solemn tribute to the fallen. Speaking of photos, if you enjoyed our photos of Bolivia last month, you are most certainly going to love the ones we have for you this month of Peru – a 9,000-word equivalent! There is much more to see and read: the May 16 (1960) coup d’etat, the Suncheon Bay National Garden, the grandfather of rock ’n’ roll, rock climbing, knitting, language learning (and teachers and cults), disappearing hanok roofs, delicious buchimgae, Café Goong, our book review, and our city news and event pages. Turn the page to decide where to start. You may have already noticed the managing-editor change on the left – but then, you may not have because the transition has been so seamless. The Gwangju News extends a heartfelt thanks to Wilson Melbostad for his year of dedicated service as managing editor, and we extend equal heartfelt thanks to Karina Prananto and William Urbanski for stepping up to fill the void. They too are doing a wonderful job as you will see in this and future issues. Partake and enjoy!
David E. Shaffer Editor-in-Chief Gwangju News
May 2019
For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contact karina@gic.or.kr or 062-226-2733.
We dedicate this issue of the Gwangju News to the May 18 (5.18) Uprising and the democratization that it sparked. Our cover feature spotlights an eyewitness to those ten woeful days of carnage in our city: missionary Martha Huntley. Along with her husband, Mrs. Huntley opened her home to those in need of refuge and endeavored to let the outside world know what was transpiring in this city under siege.
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The Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center, Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr
hat a special time of the year – spring in Gwangju in May! We hope that you will agree that our May issue of the Gwangju News is also special. May is a bittersweet month for Gwangju. Though the bloodshed of May 1980 is over, the scars and memories sadly remain – all too vivid for some of us. But the degree of democracy that May initiated is something that we can be most grateful for.
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Photo of the Month By Sarah Pittman
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he cherry blossom tree was in bloom at the May 18 National Cemetery when I went to visit. It is a wonderful reminder that even from tragedy and death, there can be life and new growth. May Gwangju always lead the way in fighting for human rights and democracy here in Korea.
The Author
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher with a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love for photography while working at Disneyland and has been honing her craft by watching YouTube videos ever since.
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CONTENTS
MAY 2019. Issue No. 207 MONTHLY NEWS 04. Gwangju City News 53. May 2019 Happenings 56. Community Board FEATURES 06. Sharing the May 18 Atrocities with the World: Interview with Martha Huntley, Former Gwangju Missionary 12. Buddhist Master Ji Seon on Democracy: An Interview 16. Extending International Solidarity from Gwangju: The May 18 Memorial Foundation 18. Blast from the Past: The May 16 Military Coup: How It Came About 20. Local Governments and Historical Memory
34 Shin Jung-hyeon
COMMUNITY 22. Gwangju Knitting Club: Mixing Yarn and Yarns TRAVEL 24. Lost in Gwangju: The End of Flying Eaves 28. Around Korea: The Joys of Spring – A Day at Suncheon Bay National Garden 30. From Abroad: Peru – The Beauty of Andean Culture and Nature
30 Peru
FOOD & DRINKS 36. Buchimgae: Korean Pancake 38. Cafe Goong – Modern Food in a Traditional Space SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES 40. Organized Climb 42. Three Forms of Art to Enjoy at FINA
ARTS & CULTURE 02. Photo of the Month 34. The Godfather of Korean Rock: Shin Jung-hyeon 46. Photo Essay: May 18 National Cemetery 50. Book Review: The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier
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46 May 18
May 2019
OPINION 51. TOPIK Hoax: My Experience Learning Korean from a Cult
38 Cafe Goong
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EDUCATION 43. Everyday Korean: Episode 17 – 전통시장 Traditional Korean Market 44. Korea TESOL: Are We Eating Our Young?
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Gwangju City News
MONTHLY NEWS
Reprinted with permission from Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall Photographs courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall
Mayor Lee Yong-sup Meets German Ambassador to Korea Stephan Auer
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May 2019
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wangju Mayor Lee Yong-sup met with German Ambassador Stephan Auer on March 27 to discuss in detail how Germany can actively participate in accommodating Gwangju-appropriate job positions and the 18th FINA World Swimming Championships, as well as how both Germany and Gwangju can collaborate in the economic sector.
governments does differ somewhat. Auto 5000 GmbH was a German vehicle manufacturing company set up inside the Volkswagen complex in Wolfsburg, Germany. Mayor Lee said that he referred to the case of Germany when former Chancellor Schroeder had visited, and that he and the mayor shared many ideas on Auto 5000 and Gwangjuappropriate job positions.
At the meeting, Ambassador Auer said that Germany and Gwangju are related in many ways through Jürgen Hinzpeter, who reported the May 18 Uprising to the outside world, and that although there are not many German companies in Gwangju, he hopes that through focusing on economic exchange in the future, there will be more collaboration in the economic sector. The visit in part was to get Mayor Lee’s thoughts on this idea.
The Mayor said, “The success of the Gwangju-appropriate jobs project was possible thanks to the support of the president and the central government, political circles, and the people of Gwangju.” He went on to say that to counter the high costs that are presently hindering the progress of the fourth industrial revolution and negatively affecting the jobs market the Gwangju-appropriate jobs project could play an important role in supporting the Korean economy. To this he added, “The Gwangju-appropriate jobs project is an innovative model. If we do not keep up with innovation, sustainability will lag behind. We can see now future
In response, Mayor Lee replied that Auto 5000 had been led by Volkswagen, although the character of the local
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5 development trends in the automobile industry, and we can make the transition to green cars as well as create an innovative jobs model with the labor community.” The ambassador said that there is the possibility of much collaboration between Germany and Korea, for example through Volkswagen. Although there is lots of competition, many Korean parts are used in German automobiles and vice versa. He added that he will continually look for more opportunities to pursue future cooperation. The mayor concluded the meeting by adding that on July 12 the 18th FINA World Swimming Championships will be held in Gwangju. He conveyed that he hoped many German athletes would participate and that many German visitors would come to Gwangju for the event.
Gwangju to Crack Down on Illegal Parking
Namdo Pass Now Being Sold Online
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he City of Gwangju has announced that it will designate four types of no-parking areas and conduct a crackdown on illegal parking in these places from Wednesday, April 17. With the enactment of revised traffic control laws, parking will be prohibited in areas within five meters of fire hydrants and intersection corners and within ten meters of bus stops as well as crosswalks or their stop lines. Anyone can report parking violations using the appropriate smartphone application. The city plans to conduct a campaign to raise citizens’ awareness of the new regulations and to place signs at the designated areas to promote the new parking restrictions.
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Namdo Pass is a pre-paid card that provides discounts of up to 60% on local accommodation and restaurants as well as on tourist attraction admissions. The card can be bought for nominal fees of 10,000 won, 30,000 won, and 50,000 won and can be recharged with up to two million won. To buy online, simply go to Google Playstore for Android phones or to Apple Apps Store for iPhone phones and search for “코나카드.” After registering, choose “Namdo Pass” (남도 패스) from the list. After registration is completed, the card will be sent by postal mail in two to three days. Alternatively, one can buy a card off-line at the Korail Travel Center at Yongsan Station, Songjeong Station, Mokpo Station, and Yeosu Expo Station. For more information, visit the Namdo Pass website: http://namdopass.co.kr/
May 2019
he City of Gwangju will launch a project to demolish Baekun Overpass in Nam-gu. Reportedly, the city will select a company to demolish the vehicle overpass by June and carry out the project in the latter half of this year. If the plan goes according to schedule, the overpass will be gone by the end of the year. Baekun Overpass opened in November 1989, connecting Baekun-dong and Juwoldong. While providing a shortened route for an average of 160,000 vehicles daily, calls to close down the overpass have continued due to frequent auto accidents reported there brought on by the overpass’s steep slope and sharp curve.
To celebrate the start of online sales, the city and the province are providing free shipping for 10,000 cards, and the two local governments are planning to expand off-line sales spots from the current seven locations to all local tourism information centers.
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Gwangju’s Baekun Overpass to Be Demolished
amdo Pass, a prepaid card dedicated to Gwangju and Jeollanam-do is now available for online purchase. Some 5,000 cards have been sold since its launch in October 2018 at limited locations, including Songjeong Station and the Jeollanam-do Provincial Office.
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Sharing the May 18 Atrocities with the World Interview with Martha Huntley, Former Gwangju Missionary
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May 2019
FEATURE
Written by Wilson Melbostad
▲ Mrs. Huntley (fifth from left) with Kwangju Christian Hospital and Honam Seminary hosts.
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early 40 years have passed since citizens came together and took to the streets in May of 1980 in the Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The uprising became a key stepping stone towards the ultimate democratization of South Korea seven years later during the June Struggle of 1987. Yet, during those seven years prior, then-dictator Chun Doo Hwan and his administration were intent in trying to wipe away any evidence that the uprising took place. Last year, the Gwangju News interviewed the author of the Gwangju Diaries, Lee Jae-eui, one of the central figures in keeping the story of the uprising alive. Following suit, this year we have decided to interview another hero of the uprising, Martha Huntley, widow of the late Reverend Charles Betts Hundley. The couple came to Gwangju as missionaries and were key in sharing the story of the uprising with the rest of the world. The Gwangju News caught up with Ms. Huntley to hear her side of the story and convey her message all these years later to the city of Gwangju.
Gwangju News (GN): Please tell us about how you and your husband Charles first ended up coming to Korea? How did you find life when you first arrived here? Anything in particular that took you by surprise?
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We were surprised by how gracious and accepting most everybody was – by the strength, resiliency, and we thought, warmth and charm of the Korean people. We were surprised at how many people wanted to learn English, go to America, become a Christian, and join a church. It was heaven for missionaries and saving grace for us personally. GN: You and your husband are, and forever will be, connected to the events that took place on May 18, 1980. I know you have probably recited your story about the uprising many times to many
May 2019
At the end of my sophomore year, in June, 1961, home for the summer, I heard about the four Huntley boys, three of whom had just graduated from seminary. I was a devout Presbyterian and so were they, and I really liked what I read of them in the write-up about them in our presbytery newsletter. I called to get an interview
When we arrived in 1965, Korea was very much still a third-world country as they used to say back then. It had been devastated by the Korean War and the Japanese occupation that lasted from 1910 until the end of WWII. In Seoul, we saw streets still being paved for the first time, electrification of the city just being finished up. People were very poor – many, many widows and orphans. Average income at that time, I believe, was around $90 a year. A haircut was 10 cents. Taxis were very cheap. Gas was high, I remember something like $5 a liter. None of the people we knew had refrigerators, running water, indoor plumbing (though in fact, we did).
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Martha Huntley (Huntley): Both my husband (Charles Betts Huntley) and I were born and bred, grew up, met, and married in Charlotte, North Carolina [U.S.A]. He was five years older, and his family lived on the other side of town, so we did not meet until just after he graduated from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.
with them and happened to get Betts on the phone. Betts had grown up hearing good, exciting things about Korea and the growth of Christianity, the church, and the people there. He had decided at an early age that he wanted to be either a missionary to Korea or a commercial pilot when he grew up. He took flying lessons and got his license to fly at age 15, before he got his driver’s license. But his eyesight was not good enough to be a commercial pilot. So, he was headed for Korea from about that time. When I interviewed him, I liked him immensely, and I thought it would be wonderful to be a missionary to Korea, a very rewarding life, and so it proved to be, and it all came about.
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▲ Mrs. Huntley (sitting, second from left) having lunch with her hosts at the Gwangju Cultural Center.
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May 2019
people, but would you mind sharing an abridged version with us? Huntley: The timeline is Gwangju was attacked beginning at 4 a.m. at the end of curfew the morning of Sunday, May 18, 1980. We were in Daejeon, returning home by bus and back home around lunchtime. Because it was a Sunday, a lot of the people who were on the street early were going to sunrise worship services, Sunday school services (including a lot of children), and church services – many of these had been attacked on the street. By the time we had arrived, those attacked included a number of our friends and acquaintances who were calling us, or their family or friends were, telling us what had happened to them. One young adult was pulled off the bus as he was going to church by paratroopers, beaten and kicked around the head, and lost an eye; the wife of a friend taking her two little children to Sunday school was attacked and left in a pool of blood on the city street – she wasn’t in her right mind for months, and her husband was out with others fighting the paratroopers with chunks of concrete torn from city sidewalks that afternoon; people were calling to say military trucks had pulled up in their neighborhood and soldiers had taken those who were students, mostly college students, but also high school students, and young people
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who were of college student age off to jail in the trucks. Soon, when a truck would pull into a neighborhood, the people who lived there would come out in force and chase off the soldiers and commandeer the truck – there were a lot more citizens (800,000) than paratroopers (10,000). We were getting reports of women spontaneously cooking and taking food to those resisting the soldiers that very first day or two. After Sunday, the phone lines were cut, and we didn’t get those kinds of reports. After ten violent days, the paratroopers were withdrawn, and Chun’s occupying forces drove into the city in tanks and trucks at 3 a.m., I believe, breaking all the points of the agreement that had been hammered out between the city and the military: that they would not enter the city until such and such a date, that they would come in peacefully, students would be released from the jails, families of the murdered would be compensated, medical bills of the wounded would be paid, and the military would acknowledge it was they who had attacked the city. In the nighttime hours, maybe about 3 o’clock – we were sleeping in our regular clothes all these days not knowing what would happen any given night – we could hear the young students on bullhorns urging others to come to City
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9 Hall and the YMCA to join them in resisting the troops as it became evident that a large military body was en route and was coming in with tanks and trucks. This was truly heartbreaking. The next day, we went to the YMCA and saw the bloodstains everywhere where middle and high school students mostly had gathered. This was the time our seminary student, who had been among those collecting guns from the students so they wouldn’t kill or be killed, was shot with no questions asked when he was found with a mound of guns. GN: What was the rationale for you and your husband to become involved in the uprising and come to the aid of the Gwangju people? Huntley: Our rationale was that we decided to stay in Gwangju, no matter what happened, to try to help our neighbors and friends and the people of Gwangju in any
way we could, to provide shelter for any seeking it from us, to document with photos the atrocities that we were seeing because of the wounded flooding the hospital and in a number of other ways as things developed. We decided early on to assist any reporter or photographer who located us with translation, and to try to get word of what was happening in Gwangju out to the outside world. Our decision to stay wasn’t made on the basis of politics; we didn’t think of it really in political terms. We thought of it in crisis terms. At the beginning of the satae (사태, incident), no one knew what was happening, where or why the violence was originating. We all were just responding to the circumstances of the whole city, and especially its youth, being aggressively attacked. There was no way to remain “neutral” when so many people we knew had been beaten, arrested, put in prison, killed, wounded... You just had to respond some way, and ours was to open our house to those who came, which is something we’d always done in Gwangju, to take pictures of what was happening – a very normal activity for Betts – to try to find out what was going on, to write it up, and to help those who were trying to find out. No one who was in Gwangju those days in May was uninvolved. We did what came naturally, and what we thought God would want us to do. GN: Can you talk a little more about in what ways, specifically, you and your husband became involved?
We were not part of the fighters at all, though we sympathized with them, and we never encouraged anyone to fight. If asked, we’d say not to. The bloodshed seemed so senseless. But it was a natural reaction to the ruthlessness of the paratroopers those first ten days.
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May 2019
▲ Mrs. Huntley meets with Lee Nak-yeon, Korea’s prime minister, at the memorial at the original May 18 National Cemetery.
And under the following occupation, it was illegal to talk about what had happened. Many people went to prison because of this – just talking about it, or even praying aloud about it in churches in some cases. We foreigners could talk fairly freely with each other – who would hear or report us? Many of our students came to us during the
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Huntley: During this time, Betts was most busy with his work at the hospital. This included usual duties and visiting all who were admitted with the other hospital evangelists. From the early days, he would take the reporters and the investigating church delegates to the hospital and translate for them to question the patients and translate the patients’ stories. The people of Gwangju were very eager for their stories to be told and known. They were separated from speaking to or with anyone outside of Gwangju during the ten days of the “invasion” – phones cut off, roads closed – they couldn’t even reach close family members and viceversa. They counted on us to help get the truth out.
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▲ Mrs. Huntley’s reunion with a dear friend from the years in Korea, after Rev. Betts Huntley’s ashes interment and memorial at Gwangju’s missionaries cemetery.
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May 2019
ten days to ask what we thought they should be doing. We did not encourage them to join the student activists who were fighting back; if they had guns, we encouraged them to turn them in, and a number did. Our mission gardener found a homemade bomb in our garden, and we always assume it was student made and left there rather than used, just as the guns were turned in. After the fighting and during the occupation for the next 15 months, we kept reporters, photographers, and church investigating groups in our homes, for meals, and some overnight, and translated for them. It seemed like we always had someone from somewhere who had come to Gwangju to find out the truth of what was going on. We had several students who had been wounded, tortured, and/or were afraid of being hauled back to prison stay with us. I imagine the other missionaries were doing similar things. We really didn’t talk about it much among ourselves, primarily so as not to have any information that might damage anyone else. That’s one reason we didn’t keep written records or notes or even a journal – because we wouldn’t risk incriminating someone by name or even by description, which could easily be traced. GN: We understand that after the events of May 18 and
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▲ Arriving in Gwangju, Mrs. Huntley is met by Kwon-ssi, dearest family friend and second mother to all the Huntley children.
your eventual return to the States, you were somewhat disconnected from the May 18 fact-finding and reconciliation efforts going on locally in Korea. How were you able to reconnect with Gwangju and ultimately come over for a visit last year? Huntley: On January 29, 2018, I received an invitation from the 5.18 Committee to come to Korea for the commemoration of the May 18 events. I wasn’t planning to come, as I am quite deaf now and had been away so very long. I knew it would be an elaborate affair, and I wasn’t at all sure I was up to it emotionally or otherwise, as a fairly recent widow and as someone who had been gone from Korea for so long (33 years) and could speak so little Korean, and that so poorly. But before I wrote back to the committee, while I was at prayer about five days after the invitation had arrived, God told me that if I really loved these people, the people of Gwangju and Korea, I must go; that He would be with me every step of the way, and to trust Him. So, I replied that day that I would be coming, with several family members (who would pay all their own expenses). GN: A question a little more related to the locals here in Gwangju: The Kwangju Christian Hospital and Honam Theological Seminary have been mainstays of
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11 the missionary presence in Gwangju. Do you perhaps have any thoughts on the development of the neighborhood over the years?
people of Gwangju? Particularly, to the younger generation or those who didn’t experience what Gwangju was like during that time?
Huntley: In the years 1969–1985, when we lived in Yangrim-dong, it was a vibrant, crowded, bustling place. The street running between the hospital and the mission compound was always crowded and lined with small mom-and-pop stores, very simple but they all seemed to do good business. There were always a lot of students of all ages, but especially the Speer Middle and High School girls in their school uniform going and coming from the girls’ school next to the compound (I was often coming and going there, too). The original Honam building was not much bigger than a home of that early 1960’s era and may have started in a Korean house. Not sure that it had a thatched roof, but it was pretty traditional. The seminary was very young then and did not stay there long. They built a nice building on the hill on the other side of the compound and to its back. And it grew and grew, and improved and improved.
Huntley: First of all, I guess, I’d like to thank the people of Gwangju, those whom we knew and worked with, and worked for, for their grace, acceptance, strength, resilience, faith, and friendship during the years we lived there. We were pretty green foreigners, but we always felt that we were accepted and surrounded by people who would protect and help us if needed. People were so patient with our ignorance of so much Korean (in my case the language) culture and traditions. But it was a joy for us to learn those things, and we found the people of Gwangju from all walks of life and economic status eager to learn and eager to teach.
When we moved to Gwangju in 1969, I think there were 10 Presbyterian churches in the city, and Yangrim Presbyterian Church was among them and a leader among them. Now I believe there are over 100 Presbyterian churches in the presbytery and several located in Yangrim-dong. The church was the highest edifice one saw looking from our missionary hilltop cemetery toward Mt. Mudeung. Now, there are rows and rows of apartments and condos. The skyline has certainly changed, and putting pictures of our early days there beside the present skyline is quite a dramatic contrast!
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Photographs courtesy of Martha Huntley
The Author Wilson Melbostad is a human rights attorney hailing from San Francisco, California, who is proud to call Gwangju his second hometown. Wilson is a lecturer at Chonnam National University who, in his spare time, works on various pro bono legal cases throughout the country. Wilson also enjoys breakfast food to the point where he feels comfortable putting such information in his bio.
May 2019
GN: Is there a particular message about the May 18 Uprising that you’d like to express to the
As I expressed during my visit last year, I am amazed at how Gwangju has become a symbol of democracy and a leader in the democratization movement. There was significance in all that suffering and bloodshed of May 1980 and the years that followed. The memorial park, the graves of the fallen, especially the first 27 that I saw when it was opened – great pain and loss – but not in vain. God and the people redeemed the evil time. I am so proud of Gwangju, and proud to be able to call myself a person of Gwangju. It is a city that will always be linked with the words “freedom” and “justice.” www.gwangjunewsgic.com
My family literally had a hard time recognizing Gwangju’s different neighborhoods and streets, and even Yangrim-dong until almost at our former home. We had walked those streets – we walked everywhere in those days – all the way to the heart of downtown and the “walking street” [Chungjang-ro], and now, so different. But I think the spirit of Yangrim-dong, which was always warm and robust, engaged with life itself, was strong then and is equally strong today. We loved and love that neighborhood, as well as the city and its people.
I also want to thank Korea in general and Gwangju in particular for the wonderful welcome my family received last year, May 14– 18. I’d like to thank them for receiving my sweet husband’s ashes and giving those last earthly remnants of him such a beautiful resting place.
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Buddhist Master Ji Seon on Democracy: An Interview Written by Monk Jang Gyong
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May 2019
FEATURE
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he recent history of Gwangju is marked with selfless and often painful sacrifices for a brighter and more righteous future. The efforts of this city’s democratic movement were fueled by undaunted faith and, possibly, a somewhat idealistic hope for achieving freedom and equality. The voices from Chonnam National University and of Geumnam Street were heard not only throughout the nation; they echoed well beyond the borders of the country that was once referred to as the “Land of the Morning Calm.” The struggle for democracy and movements to achieve human rights are causes that can, indeed, resonate in the hearts of many people in the world.
defense minister for the South Korean military’s role in suppressing the uprising.
Perhaps for Western people, even those who have lived for about a decade in this country, a comprehensive understanding of the history and culture of Korea can at times still pose challenges. However, when it comes to the relatively recent happenings related to the Gwangju Uprising and democratization, Westerners tend to have a sense of familiarity, a realization that we are standing on the same ground: The modern history of the Western world – whether it is that of the Americas, post-Soviet states, or Europe – is also marked, if not defined, by struggles of a similar kind.
Master Ji Seon (Ji Seon): From the viewpoint of Buddhism and the social values it espouses, such a tragic uprising is not supposed to take place in a democratic state. Suppression by the ruling forces against Gwangju citizens was a barbarous act that should not have occurred in any democratic country. We must clarify and bring into the open problems that have arisen in the past, and reward or punish accordingly. If truth remains unrevealed, social conflict will continue.
Finding common historical ground is always an invaluable experience. Therefore, my excitement doubled when I was on my way to Baekyang Temple (aka, Baekyangsa) to meet Master Ji Seon (Korean title: Kunsunim, 큰스님) whose life and activities have strong links to Gwangju, and who currently serves as a spiritual director for Baekyang Temple and its branch temples. Master Ji Seon is well known in Gwangju as a person who has been a driving force in democratic and human rights movements, and as someone who still often uses a critical tone in addressing issues related to the May 18 Democratic Uprising and its aftermath. He has also raised a resolute voice for conducting the 2017 investigation, which resulted in an official apology in 2018 by the
Ji Seon: From the Buddhist point of view, democracy already exists in the Three Treasures of Buddhism: (a) Buddha (and the Buddha in one’s mind), (b) Dharma (the teachings), and (c) Sangha (the believers – those who follow the teachings). “Buddha” can be interpreted as “freedom,” “Dharma” as “equality,” and “Sangha” as “peace.” If you live according to the values of the Three Treasures, you can live a fulfilling, happy life.
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I had the great fortune to incidentally meet Master Ji Seon for the first time at Gwaneum Temple, where he gave an encouraging talk at the invitation of Gwaneum Temple’s abbot So Un Sunim. Through this connection, I was able to have the following conversation at Baekyang Temple. Jang Gyong (JG): Could you begin by telling us what you think when you look back at the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of 1980?
JG: What is democracy from the Buddhist point of view?
Escaping from the restraints of someplace – for example, escaping from prison – can be called “freedom.” Freedom in Buddhism, though, means the eternal freedom gained by reaching Nirvana. I am not telling you that you should see the world from the Buddhist perspective. I am talking
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13 about how common people can practice the doctrine of Buddhism. It can be fulfilled through freedom, equality, and peace, just as democracy can be fulfilled in the same way. In a democratic society, people’s freedoms can be guaranteed. These freedoms include freedom of the press, of expression, and of association. These freedoms are no different from the freedoms found in the Three Treasures. They bring about a harmony that can be found equally in all living beings. Just as we monks can become profound and pure, thanks to the teachings of the Buddha, so too can people become free, equal, and peaceful in a completely democratized society. JG: Can you give some advice about democracy to Koreans and foreigners? Ji Seon: Well, it is good to define democracy academically or logically, but I can define it more easily in my own mind. First, all life, all nations, and all people are equal. So, if people elect their desired leader and if they create the society that they wish for, it will be a real democracy. As such, democracy does not have to be interpreted intellectually.
JG: As a religious man, how can you find a balance between religious life and social activities? Ji Seon: I have been participating in social activities for about 20 years. Sometimes, there was a conflict between the two. Buddhism has been thought of mainly as a religion of practice and society is a secular environment. A practitioner of religion lives outside of this environment. How can we join with society? And to what extent should we commit to doing it? We can truly feel that there are limitations. How can one undertake personal salvation and social salvation at the same time? Korean Buddhism is of the Mahayana* school; however, it has not engaged itself much in social issues. As a rule, Buddhists do not actively participate in politics, and I have also received criticism for doing so. However, I do believe that just focusing on one’s own practice, excluding others and their suffering is not right. Yet there is no clearly defined guide as to how a Buddhist should act in these circumstances. To me, though, Buddha’s teachings are oriented towards fulfilling the lives of all living beings.
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May 2019
▲ Peaceful protest and rememberance for the vicims of the 1980 Uprising not long after the actual events (Master Ji Seon: front center).
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▲ Marching in remembrance of the 1987 Democracy Movement (Master Ji Seon: front, second from left).
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May 2019
All humanity should be aware of this and work to this end to help prevent the suffering of all sentient beings. Therefore, I believe that religious practicioners should also be engaged in social activities for relieveing the pain and suffering of others. In a concrete way, this means that we should be one with our society, with our historical heritage and with our people. If this comes about, initial difficulties and conflicts will disappear, freeing us to practice our religion more deeply and more often. It is important to interpret the teachings and to live deeply in accordance with them – that is, in a manner more deeply than, say, as if it was a subject taught at school. In Mahayana Buddhism, this is referred to as the path of the Bodhisattva. JG: In an interview a couple of years ago, you noted that “Korea looks as if it has undertaken a huge transition, but it has not.” Could you please explain this in more detail? Ji Seon: Previous governments worked to develop industrial wealth, largely at the expense of democratic freedoms and liberties. Today, the trappings of democracy exist, but within society, the deep foundations of democracy have yet to come to pass. Even when Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun took over the leadership of civilian governments following popular
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elections, what these leaders achieved was very limited because of the deep-rooted authoritarianism found in Korean society, which is a result of the damage caused by events of the past. Moreover, unjust laws such as the National Security Law, the Labor Law, and the Education Act are as they have always been, and are still inconveniencing people such as the poor, the working class, farmers, and fishermen. The unification of Korea should be brought about forthwith. Korea has been a divided country since 1945. To bring about a thoroughly democratized nation, the country needs to be unified. Even though people shout out their own opinions in a kind of popular democracy, neither a democracy without unification, nor a unification without democracy, can come into existence. In both South Korea and North Korea, limitations on assembly, plus various kinds of suppression and discrimination, are evidence of democracy not being realized at the political, economic, and social levels. JG: Confucius said, “The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father.” Following the moral laws of family relationships is honesty. What do you think about this statement from the democratic point of view?
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15 Ji Seon: Well, I am not a Confucian scholar, but I have always thought that Confucius highly valued moral laws pertaining to family relationships. Here, Confucius is saying that even if parents have faults, it is not right for children to report their parents to the authorities. Nor is it right for parents to report their children. By this, Confucius implies that it is a basic and naturally given moral ethic for family problems to be kept within the family. In this case, like the idiom “men are blind in their own cause,” hiding faults is moral because it obeys a moral law that governs family relationships. Confucius is a sage who lays stress on moral laws. But in our present democratic society, this may not be most appropriate. When our parents commit a severe crime, we should not conceal it, even if they are our parents. Likewise, when our children commit a crime, we as parents should not conceal it either. I think Confucius
might have placed too high a value on the moral laws that govern family relationships. Translated by Lim Suyoung, Park Hanju, and Park Eun-hee Photographs courtesy of Baekyang Temple
The Author
Monk Jang Gyong was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. He learned about Korean Buddhism through the activities of the late Zen Master Sung Sahn. He came to Korea and became a monk in Seoul at Hwagye Temple in 2008 and has since been living and practicing as a Buddhist monk in temples throughout Korea. As for Gwangju, he practiced and lived at Gwaneum Temple between 2014 and 2017, and studied Korean language at Chonnam National University. Currently he resides at Buddha Zen Center, Busan.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
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May 2019
▲ Religious leaders gathering for the peaceful reunification of North and South Korea (Master Ji Seon: front, sixth from left).
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Extending International Solidarity from Gwangju
The May 18 Memorial Foundation Written by Praveen Kumar Yadav
FEATURE
M
ay is a poignant month for Gwangju people, whose struggles in 1980 ultimately led to triumph over dictatorship and the establishment of democracy in South Korea in 1987. Those ten bloody days of armed conflict between the government’s Special Forces and citizens of Gwangju left hundreds dead and seriously injured in May 1980 but played a significant role in Korea’s democratization process and in international solidarity. Since its establishment in 1994, the May 18 Memorial Foundation has been working towards maintaining international solidarity and promoting the May 18 Spirit in Korea and beyond. I had the privilege of speaking with You In-rae, director at the Foundation’s International Affairs Department, about the organization’s activities. Here are some excerpts from that exchange. Praveen Kumar Yadav (Yadav): Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. Could you please share the role of the international community during the May 18 Democratic Uprising in 1980?
The very first foreign journalist to report on the massacre was the late German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter. The wellknown movie A Taxi Driver depicts his heroic actions. Other journalists from Japan, America, and European countries were there, too. Without their contributions, the Uprising would have been merely known to history as an “incident” or a “riot incited by communists.” Yadav: International solidarity is equally important for maintaining and promoting democracy, human rights, and peace across the globe. Your organization also maintains such significance through activities and projects. What are they? You: All the projects that my department carries out are directly or indirectly related to strengthening international solidarity, as its name – the International Solidarity Department – implies.
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May 2019
You In-rae (You): My pleasure. Overseas Koreans and foreign journalists played a significant role in the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Gwangju in 1980 was not as
accessible to the world as it is today. Korean journalists were pressured to either cover up or distort what was really going on in Gwangju. And so, it was only natural that overseas Korean and foreign journalists played a pivotal role in letting the world know about the Uprising.
Gwangju Asia Forum, Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award Ceremony 2018.
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You In-rae
The May 18 Memorial Foundation’s international projects really began in 2000 with the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. Since then, each year we have selected either an individual or an organization that has contributed to promoting democracy, peace, and human rights. Beginning in 2013, we added a special prize to recognize those who have made contributions through the arts, journalism, and cultural and academic activities. Another flagship project is the Gwangju Asia Forum, which we’ve held every May since 2010. Over the previous nine years, this forum has provided a platform for activists mainly from Asia to explain the situation of democracy and human rights in their own countries, strengthen solidarity, and seek possible solutions. Also, yearly since 2004, we have held the May 18 Academy. It is an education and training program for Asian human rights activists. So far, over 300 participants from 42 countries have participated in our Academy. Many participants have later emerged as prominent figures in their countries where they struggle to secure democracy. Yadav: As you mentioned, the Gwangju Asia Forum is held every May. Could you please briefly talk about the highlights of this year’s forum?
The refugee crisis can be ascribed to state violence, as today’s refugee matters are closely related with state violence and
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Yadav: This year’s forum sounds most interesting! Before we conclude this interview, is there anything that you would like to add? You: Yes. When an individual reaches the age of forty, he or she is expected to have garnered a certain amount of maturity. This also pertains to a nation or a group of people. That is to say, almost 40 years has passed since the Uprising, and it is time for Korea and Koreans to show their maturity and accept the truth of their history. What has been so far proven at home and abroad is that the May 18 Democratic Uprising is a beacon for democracy that sheds light upon not only Koreans but upon people of other nations as well. I would like now to end by quoting what Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” Photographs courtesy of May 18 Memorial Foundation
The Author
The author, a human rights researcher from Nepal, works for the Gwangju-based May 18 Memorial Foundation in South Korea. He maintains his writings and blogs at www. iprav33n.com
May 2019
Even after 39 years, the truth of the May 18 Democratic Uprising is still obscure, and the May 18 Special Law [1995 law providing for prosecution beyond the statute of limitations] has failed to garner enough results. Against this backdrop, the May 18 Uprising Fact-Finding session will discuss and analyze the May 18 Uprising’s fact-finding process and its limits during the transitional period, and look for tasks that have been left out during the process.
The session under the sub-theme, Righting Past Injustice, will scrutinize the results and limits of the state-run projects in dealing with past unjust activities in Korea, Indonesia, and Argentina, as well as future prospects. Upon agreeing that the development of democracy will be impaired if a state fails to right its past wrongdoings, participants will review past cases of state violence and suggest future-oriented resolutions.
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You: The theme of this year’s forum is “Genocide and Refugees: State Violence and State Responsibility to Protect Its People.” Under this theme, we will deal with three sub-themes: May 18 Uprising Fact-Finding, Refugees, and Righting Past Injustice.
conflicts between state parties, as shown in Syria and with the Rohingya. International communities, such as the UN, actively collaborate in dealing with this issue while each concerned nation too often lags in taking action. In this context, the May 18 Memorial Foundation acknowledges that the nations should assume their sincere responsibility in protecting stateless people and refugees, and seek solutions beyond discrimination and hatred for refugees in order to bring about coexistence. The refugee session during the forum will be the largest refugee-related event in Korea, with refugees and 14 overseas experts attending, including Mr. Frank Remus, the interim representative of Korea’s United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR Korea). We expect to seek possible solutions in dealing with the refugee crisis in general and in particular, to induce positive changes to negative conceptions of and attitudes towards refugees in Korea.
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FEATURE
18 Blast from the Past
Major General Park Chung-hee (center) and soldiers tasked with effecting the coup.
The May 16 Military Coup How It Came About
Originally written by Shin Sang-soon
(Originally appearing in the May 2003 issue of the Gwangju News.)
May 2019
A
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As May 16 is the fifty-eighth anniversary of Korea’s 5.16 coup d’état, we thought it to be of timely interest to mark the occasion with this 2003 article by Prof. Shin Sang-soon, longtime contributor to the Gwangju News on all things Korean. — Ed.
Before daybreak on May 16, 1961, the sound of sporadic rifle fire announced the uprising of patriotic military men. Battalions of soldiers, marines, and paratroopers marched across the Han River into Seoul in a lightning coup under the leadership of Major General Park Chung-hee.
s 9/11 is to Americans, so 5.16 is to Koreans. The former numerical term, “9/11,” of course, stands for “September 11,” the 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. The latter, “5.16,” stands for “May 16,” the 1961 military coup in Korea.
During the twelve months leading up to the coup, the
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nation was in a state of dire chaos, devoid of law and order. One year earlier, on March 15, the then-ruling Liberal Party of President Syngman Rhee rigged the 1960 presidential election for him to be elected to a fourth term. Students came to know about the illegality of the election, and those in Masan, a southern port city, were first to rise up demanding a new election. They were fired upon by the police, and there were more than 100 causalities. On April 11, a high school student’s body with a teargas canister stuck in one of his eyes was found floating in Masan Harbor. This was no doubt the work of the police, infuriating students all across the nation. On April 18, the students from Korea University in Seoul spearheaded a student demonstration and marched against a police barrier on Chong-ro near Seoul City Hall that was protecting the National Assembly building. There they demanded that a new election be held. After the rally, they headed back toward their campus peacefully. But on their way, a group of right-wing thugs with clubs and iron bars in hand
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19 attacked and severely injured many of them. The next day, April 19, practically all the students in Seoul poured into the streets. Again, police fired on them as they neared the presidential residence, and there was bloodshed. Martial law was imposed, and police dispersed the crowds. The aging president had no choice but to step down [he was 85 at the time]. People called this “student power.” This was possibly the first time in world history that students had toppled their own national government. This was the beginning of the powerful student movement of the 1960s throughout the world. But there remained a sense of distrust among the students. They did not trust politicians, nor did they trust the older generation. On top of this, the Democratic Party that had replaced the Liberal Party after the downfall of President Syngman Rhee was split into two factions, with the president belonging to one and the prime minister to the other. Neither of the factions was strong enough to fill the enormous vacuum that had been created by the sudden collapse of the twelve-year-long autocratic rule of the Rhee regime. The new administration was unable to cope with the situation in which it found itself. For one thing, most of the new cabinet members had little experience in government, and for another, the leaders, now tasting the long-denied fruits of political power, were beginning to wallow in its corrupting effect. The new administration not only failed to gather the united support of the people, it helplessly
Gwangju & South Jeolla International Magazine
stood by and watched daily demonstrations by students who now thought they could steer the course of national affairs merely by parading in the streets. The North Korean communists seized this golden opportunity of internal disorder in the south to subvert the new administration. Student representatives even planned to go to Panmunjom (the neutral site in the DMZ, where the armistice had been signed on July 27, 1953) to negotiate “peaceful unification” with their North Korean counterparts. At this critical moment, the 5.16 coup leaders rose to “save the nation.” They immediately announced a six-point pledge including strong anti-communism, respect for the U.N. Charter, and of course transfer of government to civilian rule as soon as the revolutionary missions were accomplished. The coup leader, Major General Park Chunghee, soon became president and was serving his fourth term when he met his tragic death in 1979: assassination by his most trusted subordinate, the head of the KCIA.
The Author
Shin Sang-soon (1922–2011) was a longtime professor of English education at Chonnam National University. After his retirement, he authored “The Korean Way” under the penname “2Ys,” a column in the Gwangju News that ran from 2002 to 2010. Prof. Shin was also a senior advisor to the Gwangju International Center.
Join us as we hold an open meeting to meet new faces, recruit new volunteers, and brainstorm for our future issues! Anyone is welcome! * Light refreshments will be provided.
WHEN
WHERE
May 4, 2019 (Sat.) 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
GIC Global Lounge 1st Floor
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May 2019
Info and Inquiry: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr
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Meet & Greet 2019
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20 Human Rights Cities
Local Governments and Historical Memory
How Cities Build Peaceful and Democratic Societies Written by Jaume Puigpinós
FEATURE
One of the most unique characteristics of Gwangju is its movement for human rights and democracy. This characteristic was awarded to the city by the sacrifice of young people in November 1929, when they stood against the ruthless colonialism of the time. This characteristic was further strengthened by citizens, both young and old, in May 1980, when they struggled against the military dictatorship with their blood. Similar struggles have taken place all over Korea, but the level of the tragedy of May 1980 and its impact on Korean democratization are beyond comparison in modern Korean history. This is the major reason that the World Human Rights Cities Forum is truly representing the character of Gwangju in and outside of Korea. The character of Gwangju has made the forum an important annual event for human rights cities around the world. The event is credited for bringing together so many interesting participants and presenters from different cities with rich experiences and in-depth knowledge of human rights policies, practices, and ideas. The Gwangju News has covered these human rights stories in one or two issues annually in past years. However, expanded coverage could bring stories of progress in human rights cities worldwide to our readers throughout the year. Therefore, I am very happy to begin working with the United Cities and Local Government Committee of Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy, and Human Rights (UCLG CSIPDHR) to create this human rights cities column starting from this issue. This collaboration will include space for policies of human rights cities with similar historical backgrounds to that of Gwangju. — Dr. Shin Gyonggu, Publisher of the Gwangju News and Director of the Gwangju International Center
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May 2019
A
s Gwangju will be commemorating this May 18 the 39th anniversary of the 1980 Uprising, it is important to recall the role played by historical memory policies in the long-term quest for human rights, peace, and democracy led by many local governments across the world. By exploring a city’s dreadful past in connection to education, justice, and reparation, local governments contribute to building today’s more inclusive and fairer societies. As a paramount example of this trend, Gwangju, with its “Gwangju spirit,” has turned its painful past into a catalyst for political mobilization at home and a beacon for other peoples to pursue their quest for democracy abroad. Local governments in other regions of the world have also developed paramount collective memory policies with more or less the same aspirations as in the case of Gwangju. In commemoration with the May 18 Uprising, this article collects the experience of various local governments in their quest for human rights and democracy through the development of sound collective memory initiatives. It does so by trying to answer two questions: Why is it important to remember and how does it help to promote, at present, human rights and democracy in the city? In 2018, Uruguay’s capital city of Montevideo became the first municipality in its country to launch a memorial museum on the human rights violations that occurred
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during Uruguay’s civic-military dictatorship of 1973–1985. Montevideo’s Museo de la Memoria (Memory Museum) gives major importance to providing visitors with historical context on repression methods used against pro-democracy advocates at the time of the dictatorship. As a matter of fact, the museum itself is located in a former torture center used in the times of the military regime. The museum seeks to “give an answer to the need to symbolize the history of the coup d’état in Uruguay so it never happens again.” It also notes how, “in times of uncertainty, a resulting truth emerges: that memory is a powerful way to build the identity of our people, which guides the struggle to build a better society based on social justice, democracy, freedom, and solidarity.”[1] Right on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, on Senegal’s Gorée Island, lies a major UNESCO site: a memorial to the largest center of the Atlantic slave trade, which took place from the 16th to 19th centuries. Gorée Island is now populated by a little more than 1,600 people and has a semi-autonomous status as a district of Senegal’s capital city, Dakar. Its local council is thus responsible for preserving Gorée’s unique legacy. Indeed, its streets and urban fabric are still a reflection of the island’s sinister past, with several colonial-style mansions of slave traders and various interpretation centers still in existence. According to UNESCO, which turned the island into a World Heritage
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▲ The interior of Montevideo’s “Museo de la Memoria” (Photo by Martin Guarino)
Site in 1978, “Gorée is still today a symbol of human exploitation and a sanctuary for reconciliation.”[2] Nuremberg is a well-known European human rights city that has promoted sound historical memory policies in order to cope with its past during the National Socialist regime. Indeed, Nuremberg witnessed the adoption of the racial laws of 1935 and the celebration of various Nazi Party rallies. In order to build a comprehensive narrative and to draw lessons from the past, Nuremberg launched a Human Rights Office a few years ago with a view to develop initiatives in the field of collective memory in connection to human rights. At present, Nuremberg’s Human Rights Office is responsible for the organization of a renowned International Human Rights Award and several human rights education and anti-discrimination programs.
▲ Amirul Hague Amin, receipient of the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award in 2015. (Photo by Nuremberg Human Rights Office)
As shown by these examples, local governments can promote concrete, grounded initiatives that help cities cope with their past in a comprehensive and transformative manner. A good synthesis of the relation between memory, identity, and tolerance can be found in the A/HRC/25/49 Report by former UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed, where she argues how “memorialization should be understood as a process that provides to those affected by human rights violations the spaces necessary to articulate their narratives. Memorial practices should stimulate and promote civic engagement, critical thinking, and discussion regarding the representation of the past, but equally the contemporary challenges of exclusion and violence.”[3] REFERENCES [1]
[3]
The Author
Jaume Puigpinós is a coordination assistant at the UCLG [United Cities and Local Governments] Committee on Social Inclusion, Participatory Democracy, and Human Rights: a global network of local governments for human rights and coorganizes the World Human Rights Cities Forum in Gwangju each year alongside the Gwangju International Center. Jaume has an education and professional background in urban studies, human rights, and decentralized cooperation.
May 2019
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[2]
Centro Cultural Museo de la Memoria. (2019). Retrieved from http://mume.montevideo.gub.uy/museo/centro-cultural-museo-de-lamemoria UNESCO. (2019). World Heritage List: Island of Gorée. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/26/ Shaheed, F. (2014). Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights: On memorialization processes [UN report A/ HRC/25/49]. Retrieved from https://undocs.org/A/HRC/25/49
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According to Martina Mittenhuber, head of Nuremberg’s Human Rights Office, “Historical memory policy is absolutely relevant for building a responsible future without fear of a new catastrophe like the Holocaust. Historical memory is the base for a successful democracy. The idea of obligations from the past is not seen as a way to project an image, but as a basic concept for co-existence in a pluralist and inter-cultural society.” Asked about how historical memory relates to human rights at present, she notes that “the vision of a city of peace and human rights demands credible and visible implementation, not only in municipal political decision-making but also in encouraging civil society to participate in creating a lively culture of human rights. … At the same time, the vision of a municipal society based on solidarity not only comprises the major responsibility of providing all people living in the city with equal chances and opportunities, but also the very special task of caring for the weakest and most vulnerable groups in our city society.”
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Local Enterpreneur
The Gwangju Knitting Club
Mixing Yarn and Yarns
COMMUNITY
Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
I
n the space above where McLeod’s used to be in Dongmyeong-dong, there is a new meeting space for crafty-minded people. Ember Bar is the labor of love of Tim Han, and Emily Johnson, his girlfriend, is the coordinator of the Gwangju Knitting Club. The inspiration for the Gwangju Knitting Club came to Emily when she was looking for a crafting group herself.
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May 2019
Emily grew up in Oregon in a family that enjoyed crafting. Her grandmother was a weaver, and her mother liked to knit and crochet, too. She first started knitting when she was younger after reading the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. She continued to crochet and knit through high school and college because it helped her feel like she was being productive while she was studying or watching television. When Emily first came to Korea, she was amazed by all of the free time that she had to pursue her hobbies, like stamp-making or other crafts. However, as time went on and contracts passed, she started making less and less time for her hobbies. Emily wanted to make more of an effort to nurture her crafty side while still being able to talk to new people and her friends. She was also impressed by the large online crafting community in Gwangju, but crafting can be a lonely hobby, and there was not really a dedicated space for people to meet and discuss or share tips about their craft. Then she realized that she already had a space and a time when she could craft and foster a community: on Thursday nights at Ember Bar. The Gwangju Knitting Club meets on Thursdays at 7 p.m., but you are welcome to drop by whenever with whatever craft you want. Some people bring embroidery and some bring crochet projects, but everyone has a space in this
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warm, living room of a bar. I often show up after 9 p.m. to gab with Emily and knit. It is a relaxing space that helps to remove any stress from the day. Starting in May, Ember Bar is going to start showing movies bi-monthly, during the knitting club as well, including art house flicks, dramas, comedies, and everything else in between. The inspiration came from the homegrown community movie theaters that are more common around parts of Asia. Emily and Tim were frustrated with how hard it can be to find movie theaters with showings in English, so they took it upon themselves to provide a movie-viewing space here in town. All crafters get ten percent off drinks at Ember Bar on Thursdays after 7 p.m. Bring your craft, have fun, and enjoy a very special part of the Gwangju community! GWANGJU KNITTING CLUB
t Every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. P 18 Dongmyeong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju 광주 동구 동명로 18 (동명동) ` Facebook: Gwangju Knitting Club
The Author
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher with a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love for photography while working at Disneyland and has been honing her craft with practice and YouTube videos every since.
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▲ Tim mixes up a cocktail for a bar patron.
▲ View from outside Ember Bar.
▲ This bohemian hangout is open on weekends only.
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▲ Emily knits by candlelight while we have our interview.
May 2019
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The End of Flying Eaves Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
TRAVEL
24 24 Lost in Gwangju
A close-up view shows the elaborate detail of these old-style roofs.
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2525
K
orea’s traditional sweeping roofs have lost their place in modern society. Despite their beauty and functionality, today these roofs with intricately tiled rafters and long, flying eaves are relegated mainly to a dichotomy of dilapidated houses and renovated temples. (The traditional ondol (온돌) floor heating system, by contrast, has fared much better in modern times.) The temples will surely preserve this architectural tradition, but privately owned homes with this antiquated roof design are fast disappearing. Just over the last few months, Gwangju has slowly lost a large neighborhood in Gyerim-dong (계림동) with one of the highest concentrations of old-style sweeping roofs that I’m aware of. After spending a few weekends shooting the neighborhood, I became more and more curious about these old roofs and wanted to know why they were designed to “smile.”
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May 2019
I’m in no position to say whether Yoo’s explanation is definitive, but it’s certainly better than some of the other theories I came across. One such theory was that in Buddhism, evil spirits only travel in straight lines and are thus repelled by the curvature of sweeping roofs. Naturally, that argument left me wanting. Another theory claimed that flying eaves were designed to allow in the maximum amount of sunlight in winter, when the sun is lowest in the sky, and provide the maximum amount of shade in summer, when the sun rises higher and lingers longer overhead. This seasonal sunlight theory wasn’t too bad, but something about it seemed halfbaked nevertheless. An honorable mention goes to the armchair architectural historians who boiled their whole theory down to a single word: aesthetics.
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When researching this question, I came across an argument put forward by Yoo Hyunjoon, a Harvard-educated professor of architecture at Hongik University.[1] To paraphrase Yoo, the protruding corner eaves (추녀, chunyeo) seen in traditional Korean architecture were highly functional, as they helped prevent mold and wet rot from weakening a structure’s wooden pillars (나무 기둥, namu gidung). This seems perfectly understandable; but why do they curve upward? Well, simply extending the corner eaves straight out to protect the corner pillars wasn’t a cure-all in itself, as that would block the sunlight needed to fully dry the pillars after a downpour. Therefore, Yoo contends, in order to best utilize the protection of the longer corner eaves while still allowing in the maximum amount of sunlight, the extended corner eaves were made to curve upward. Yoo further explained that the relatively conservative angle of Korean corner eaves is due to the peninsula’s northern latitude, where the summer monsoon brings less substantial rains than in regions of East and Southeast Asia closer to the equator. In places like Vietnam where there are heavier rains, the argument goes, traditional roofs were made to curve upward at more extreme angles to maximize the flying eaves’ effectiveness.
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May 2019
Among the rubble were entire family albums, including some with photos dating back to 1960s Gwangju.
Besides the purpose of flying eaves, another question that kept coming to mind while photographing this old neighborhood was why the traditional-style houses had knee-high porches out front with inadequate (or nonexistent) steps to help visitors up. Just imagine grandma hoisting herself up there every day! Of course, these porches were high because the houses were high, and the houses were high because their wooden support columns rested atop foundation stones (주춧돌, juchutdol), some of which were quite beautiful. Much like with flying eaves, it seems the raised foundation stones also helped protect the wood from – you guessed it – the spread of mold and wet rot. (For really old houses, that extra height also allowed enough space for the ondol system beneath.) As for why these old houses so often lack adequate steps up to the high porch, I suspect sheer masochism may be at play. I can’t imagine any other reason why an older person would endure such a daily struggle. Apart from these questions, I guess the only remaining mystery is why so many of Gyerim-dong’s old hanok (한옥) homes had to be destroyed in the first place. The answer, of course, is to make way for new apartments. The development site sits directly across the
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▲ A lonely stairwell leads to nowhere while the area’s only surviving pavilion awaits an uncertain future.
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27 street from Gwangju National University of Education, and when all is said and done, the complex will be located right along the city’s new subway line, so there’s a lot of money to be made in developing the land for future buyers and investors. Though the project’s construction phase likely won’t start for a few more months, the plan is for Hyundai I-Park and SK View Consortium to build some 15 apartment blocks standing 26 stories tall with well over 1,000 housing units in total. As of this writing, only the outer ring of the neighborhood is still intact behind walls of scaffolding and construction tarp. The demolition company has cleverly kept the perimeter buildings up as a defensive barrier and then blocked off the spaces between them with tarp while slowly chomping up the center house by house, block by block. This strategy has helped keep both potential looters out and any potential loot in. The weakest points in the barriers are in areas where adamant residents have not yet left, and this is where terminally curious people like me usually get in. I’ll likely visit the area once or twice more to see what features of the old neighborhood the demolition crew keeps, like the old pavilion in the center, which stands alone amid the rubble. It may end up being the sole reminder of a neighborhood that was once filled with flying eaves. REFERENCE Lee, G. (2017, October 28). 한옥의 지붕이 곡선인 진짜 이유. Retrieved from the JoongAng Ilbo website: https://news.joins.com/article/22058898
[1]
The Author
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah is a Gwangju-based urban explorer who enjoys writing about the City of Light’s lesser-known quarters. When he’s not roaming the streets and writing about his experiences, he’s usually working or fulfilling his duties as the Gwangju News’ heavily caffeinated chief proofreader.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
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May 2019
▲ Among the rubble were entire family albums, including some with photos dating back to 1960s Gwangju.
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28 Around Korea
The Joys of Spring
A Day at Suncheon Bay National Garden Written and photographed by Katy Ryan
TRAVEL
C
oming from America’s “deep south,” spring was a season that was quickly glossed over. It seemed that as soon as winter was over, summer’s sweltering heat would interrupt spring as soon as it began. The mixture of warm air with cool breezes took some getting used to, but soon I learned that spring in Jeollanamdo was something to be enjoyed outside, where its true beauty can be seen. Recently, my boyfriend took me on a surprise trip to Suncheon, and I am ashamed to say that I had never been there. Upon arrival, we walked to the flower garden from the bus terminal. The walk, though long, seemed short because of the beauty of the city. I was enthralled by the beautiful river that twisted through the city. It was peppered with numerous cherry blossoms and the view was breathtaking. The river lead right to the edge of the Suncheon Bay National Garden.
The next sites I visited were the Maze Garden and the Rose Garden. The Rose Garden had blooming roses ascending up a cone-like structure. Tourists could walk up a small staircase and have their picture taken at the top of the cone. The maze, which is more for children, was fun, and in the center was a small deck where you could look out on a tulip garden. The tulips were well manicured and cared for. Throughout the trails were speakers from which music was played. Next, we stopped by at the French Garden and Chinese Garden. In the Chinese Garden, daffodils were in bloom. The theme of this garden reflected the respect that the creator had for Chinese foliage. There were beautiful lotus blossoms and reflecting ponds. Next, we visited a memorial called Hope Hill, which is
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May 2019
There are two main points of entry: the East Gate and the West Gate. If you are driving to the park, the parking lot is located nearest the West Gate. I entered through the East Gate, and it was busy! Families and tourists were rife, but the attendants processed payments quickly. The first feature you see is a giant mound named Bonghwa Hill that tourists can ascend and descend, and amazingly,
the two paths do not intersect. The view of the river is absolutely gorgeous, and from the top, you can get a good view of the surrounding area, though most of the garden is hidden by foliage. The park is so vast that it would be hard to visit it all in one afternoon; it is an all-day affair, in my opinion. I recommend packing a picnic lunch and enjoying the beauty around you.
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29
▲ A deer surrounded by flowers near the entrance of the Garden.
The prices are very affordable, and if you have small children, discount tickets are offered. Currently, the prices are 12,000 won for adults and 5,000 won for children. There are many bonus attractions that cost extra, like the Ferris wheel, the Sky Cube, and numerous small coffee shops. The zoo, which I was not aware of but am excited to visit, seems to have no fee. So, enjoy your spring and visit the Suncheon Bay National Garden if you have not already. You will not regret it!
The Author
Katy Ryan is from Tennessee in the U.S. She majored in criminology and sociology. She currently is a hagwon teacher who lives in Mokpo.
May 2019
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▲ Daffodils in full bloom.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
dedicated to people who have sacrificed for Suncheon. The circular walls surrounded a flame that, I assume, was constantly lit. The walls were made of tiles that were actually small, framed drawings by children. Dream Bridge was created in the same way as Hope Hill. It is a footbridge that connects the east and west sides of the park and is approximately 175 meters long. According to the website, nearly 140,000 children submitted art to be featured on the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, we boarded a Sky Cube car (priced at 15,000 per adult). It was somewhat like a cable car, but it was on a long track that connected the main garden with the wetland portion of the park. Since it was still a little too early for most flowers to bloom or most animals to be out, we were not able to see it in its full glory, but we plan to return in May to experience the park more in depth. Even though we did not experience everything the first time, I feel that Suncheon Bay National Garden is a place that I want to visit again and again. There are numerous sections that I have not seen, and I recommend seeing them before the heat of August arrives!
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30 From Abroad
Peru
The Beauty of Andean Culture and Nature Written by Park Tae-sang and Kaitlyn Wachter
TRAVEL
I
n January, the two of us met in South America after four months apart. We made our way first through Bolivia, where we were struck by the otherworldly marvel of nature and the incredible cities built high in the headsplitting altitudes of the Andes Mountains. We then moved west through Peru, where we once again were put in awe by the beauty of Andean culture and the rich beauty of South America’s many terrains. Photographs by Park Tae-sang
The Author
Park Tae-sang is a freelance photographer and community organizer in Gwangju. He started Dreamers, a music and culture space at Daein Art Market in 2015. Dreamers’ goal is to build a harmonious and unbiased world.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
The Andes, viewed from Machu Picchu ▶ The Andes Mountains are at once lush and ominous. At any moment, thick fog threatens to roll in and steal the filtered sunlight from the stonework of Machu Picchu.
Sun Gate, Machu Picchu ▶ We chose to eschew the guided tour and take our time wandering the path to Intipunku, or the Sun Gate. Unlike the mountain hikes, this trail does not require an extra fee, but still provides gorgeous views and a number of ruins nestled out of the way of the main citadel. Machu Picchu ▶▶ The ancient citadel of Machu Picchu was built deep in the Andes Mountains by the Incas in the 15th century. Though abandoned for unknown reasons before completion, what remains is a marvel of science and engineering.
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31 31
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May 2019
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32 32
The women on Chinchero keep the art of weaving alive in their colorful studios filled with bright textiles and the chirping of guinea pigs.
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May 2019
Each woven pattern represents something of importance to the people of Chinchero. Traditionally, the wool is colored with natural dyes, such as those derived from crushed insects, purple corn, or other botanicals.
Across from the shores of Peru, on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, we explored the Isla del Sol. Once again, we broke away from the tour groups in order to lie on the sunny hillside and take in the sights of this beautiful island.
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33
Copacabana, Bolivia, was our last stop before crossing the border back into Peru. Here, we enjoyed a few days of relaxing with some friendly alpaca and taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of this waterfront town.
The last stop on our trip was Ica, Peru. Though tired, broke, and bedraggled, we could not resist visiting one more market before hopping on the bus to the airport.
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May 2019
Near Cusco, in the town of Maras, lies another gift of the Sacred Valley. Here salt mines, dating back to before Inca times, drape a surreal quilt of controlled streams and evaporation ponds over the valley. In the dry season, the mines sparkle in crystalline white. We visited in the rainy season and saw the mines washed in hues of earthy browns.
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34
The Godfather of Korean Rock Shin Jung-hyeon Written by Ryan Berkebile 하늘은 파랗게 구름은 하얗게
Skies are blue and clouds are white 실바람도 불어와 부풀은 내 마음
A light breeze fills up my mind 나뭇잎 푸르게 강물도 푸르게
Leaves are green and rivers are blue 아름다운 이곳에 내가 있고 네가 있네
It is beautiful here, here I am
손잡고 가보자 달려보자 저 광야로
Let’s hold hands and run to the great field ARTS & CULTURE
우리들 모여서 말해보자 새 희망을
Let’s come together and talk about new hope 하늘은 파랗게 구름은 하얗게
Skies are blue and clouds are white 실바람도 불어와 부풀은 내 마음
A light breeze fills up my mind
우리는 이 땅위에 우리는 태어나고
Here we are being born
아름다운 이곳에 자랑스런 이곳에
On this beautiful and proud land ▲ In 2011, U.S. record label Light in the Attic released a careerspanning compilation of Shin Jung-hyeon’s music.
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May 2019
[Cover by Strath Shepard]
F
rom my experience, if you walk down the street in any urban Korean setting, the music stylings you will discern are mainly one of two choices: K-pop or trot (트로트). Modern businesses, like smartphone retailers or beauty product peddlers, will blare the latest single from the latest boy or girl group to attract younger consumers. Businesses that cater to an older subset will blast trot to welcome in their clientele. In all the years I have lived in Korea, I have noticed that rock music is a less visible genre in the Korean mainstream. It feels like a void. Then one day, I came across the music of Shin Junghyeon, and I saw that Korea did have rock music. Shin is the link to all rock music in Korea to this day, so it is no wonder he is known as “The Godfather of Korean Rock” (한국 록의 대부).
Knowing where to look, you will find an active presence of rock ’n’ roll scenes here, especially a healthy scene of
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살리라
We will live [Excerpt from Shin Jung-hyeon’s song “Beautiful Rivers and Mountains” (아름다운 강산).]
independent artists and venues that support new ideas. However, the genre as a whole seems to be drowned out by the screaming K-pop groupies and booming electronic trot beats. On one hand, if you dig deeper into Korea’s past, you will notice Korea had a phenomenal rock scene in the midst of a rising youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s. Shin is widely considered the sound of it. He had his hand in most major recordings during the time, whether it was writing, playing, or producing albums for numerous singers of the era. Further research will also reveal dictator Park Chung-hee’s hand in stomping out youth culture/countercultural activities and fashions considered “unwholesome” at the time, like short skirts, men with long hair, and of course, rock ’n’ roll. According to Park, traditional Korean values, like filial piety, were being eroded away due to the new ideas being introduced by Westerners living in Korea at the time.[1]
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35 Young people wanted more freedoms in their choice of marriage partners and in what they wanted to do as a career – i.e., ideas that broke with Confucian values. Many Korean youth thought of the music of Shin Junghyeon as the soundtrack to their generation. The Park regime saw him and rock music as a threat and did all it could to eliminate his influence on the youth population. Park’s agenda single-handedly stunted the growth of rock music in Korea, and Shin faded into obscurity as a result. While Korea is today a worldwide exporter of Korean popular culture, this has not always been the case. In the era of Japanese colonization, followed by the U.S. Army presence after the Korean War, Western-style entertainment started to become popular on the peninsula. A young Shin Jung-hyeon grew up in postwar Korea listening to Armed Forces Korea Network (AFKN) on a radio he had constructed with his own hands.[2] He chanced upon the sounds of The Beatles, Charlie Parker, and Jimi Hendrix and was hooked. In fact, he loved everything that was transmitted from the station. Besides rock ’n’ roll, soul, folk, country, and funk music would seep their way into his future recordings.
The troubles began for Shin after he released the aforementioned song to the public in 1972. It coincided with the beginning of the Fourth Republic of Korea, governed under the Yushin Constitution (유신 헌법), which granted the president an expansive range of governing powers. Shin was at the peak of his creative powers as a singer, songwriter, and producer during the psychedelic 60s and 70s. Along with creating albums in his own rock combos, Shin wrote and produced for other popular singers of the time, like Kim Jeong-mi, The Pearl Sisters, The Bunny Girls, and Kim Chu-ja, creating works that are still revered and covered by musicians today. When “Beautiful Rivers and Mountains” was released, it was in direct defiance of Park Chung-hee’s order to Shin to write a song praising the dictator. Thus began a long string of run-ins with authorities. Shin was harassed by police, who grabbed him and cut off his long hair in public to make a statement.[3] In 1975, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and thrown into a psychiatric hospital. Shin also served time in prison, where he was tortured. It was around the time of his arrest when he was blacklisted from performing live concerts and his records were prohibited from radio rotation until Park’s assassination in 1979.
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The tunes played on AFKN inspired him to trade in his violin for a guitar, and quit high school and his work at a pharmaceutical factory to become a performer full-time. The passion of the music that captured Shin emboldened him to get on stage and perform for U.S. servicemen in clubs at Yongsan Garrison. It was at the various entertainment venues on base where Shin honed his craft. As he got comfortable being on stage, his ability to play and sing soulfully created buzz for soldiers on the base. Beatlemania soon came to Korea, inspiring Shin to join Korea’s first rock band, The ADD4, with whom he scored a minor hit on the radio. It would be a few years later, after hearing psychedelic rock, when Shin would find his true voice as a musician.
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▲ Movie poster for the 1975 film Mi-in, starring Shin and his backing band, the Yup Juns (신중현과 엽전들).
▲ Shin Jung-hyeon reflects on his early performances at Yongsan Garrison. (Photo by Coco Cugat)
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36 Despite being free to perform again, Shin soon found another obstacle to overcome. In the ensuing years of his exile, people’s tastes had changed since he was last in the spotlight. The youth now gravitated to disco or music that was more happy and upbeat. Trot (a style of music Park Chung-hee enjoyed) was also back in the public eye. During the 1980s, Shin would run a couple of music clubs, including one called Woodstock, which he would own for twenty years. Around the year 1997, critics and musicians started to reevaluate his music, leading to a resurgence in his popularity. In the late 2000s, Shin began to get international recognition for his musical genius. Record collectors started posting digital rips of his extremely rare, out-of-press vinyl on blogs, drawing attention to The Godfather of Korean Rock from points all over the globe, thus kicking off another wave of adoration from a new international fanbase. Coinciding around this time, Shin played the Hollywood Bowl, was honored with a signature tribute series Fender guitar, and had a careerspanning retrospective album released through the U.S. independent record label Light in the Attic. It has never been a better or easier time to discover the Shin Jung-hyeon sound. His music has transcended dictatorships and neglect, and sounds as fresh as the day it came out. REFERENCES [1]
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
[2]
[3]
van Volkenburg, M. (2018, September 23). 1960s–70s youth culture in South Korea and its suppression [Podcast file]. Retrieved from the Korea Now Podcast website: http://korea-now-podcast.libsyn.com/thekorea-now-podcast-23-matt-vanvolkenburg-1960s70s-youth-culture-in-south-korea-and-its-suppression Chick, S. (2011, September 15). Shin Joong Hyun: South Korea’s psychedelic mimic turned master. Retrieved from The Guardian website: https://www.theguardian. com/music/2011/sep/15/shin-joong-hyun-koreanpsychedelic Jackson, J. (2012, November 8). “Godfather of Rock” Unplugged. Retrieved from the Korea Herald website: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20121108000933
The Author
Ryan Berkebile recently packed his bags and left Gwangju for big-city life in Gyeonggi-do. He has left a piece of his heart in the City of Light and solemnly vows to make regular visits back to the Gwangju International Center and The First Alleyway. He documents his weekend adventures at longdistancerunner.org and on Instagram @zen_compass.
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Korean Recipe 37
Buchimgae Korean Pancake
Written and photographed by Joe Wabe
The name “buchimgae” derives from one of the main components – buchu (부추), which are garlic chives. There are a few varieties of buchimgae, like those made with octopus, kimchi, and shrimp, to name a few. The combination of buchimgae or any other kind of “jeon” (전, Korean-style pancake) with makgeolli seems to have come from the old farming days in Korea, when rain poured and farmers could not work, forcing them to stay inside and have a snack with a drink to help them lift the mood.
Did I mention how easy it is to make buchimgae? Let’s get cooking!
Joe Wabe is an established photographer and Gwangju local business entrepreneur. He has been contributing to the GIC and the Gwangju News for more than eight years.
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Preparation Mix all vegetables, flour, water, and salt in a large bowl. Make sure the consistency of the batter is like that for a pancake. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the mix thin and wide, and cook for about five minutes until the edges are golden brown; flip and cook the other side. When done, serve with soy sauce mixed with a little bit of sesame oil and seeds.
May 2019
The Author
(2 servings) • 1½ cups of Korean pancake mix (or allpurpose flour) • 2 cups of water • 2 bundles of garlic chives (buchu) cut into 2-inch lengths • ¼ of a carrot chopped into strips • ½ of a zucchini chopped into strips • ½ of a medium-sized chopped onion • (optional) you can add: kimchi, octopus, or shrimp depending on your taste • canola oil • 1 teaspoon of salt
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As a matter of fact, any foods and drinks made from grains containing serotonin are known to contribute to the wellbeing and happiness of humans. Also, I’ve heard that the sound of frying is similar to the sound of rain and therefore brings lots of memories to people. As for me, rainy days make me happy, and although the heavy rainy season won’t start till late June, spring will surely bring some rain and the smell of freshness to the air. The spring rains are sure to make this dish the perfect combination to boost your mood during a dark and rainy day.
Ingredients
FOOD & DRINKS
O
ne of the things I love about Korean cuisine is its relationship with everyday life. There are dishes for every season, weather, and mood. So, the entire year is filled with many choices according to the mood. Buchimgae (부침개) is a style of pancake with the exception that it’s filled with vegetables and not served for breakfast. Instead, people enjoy it better during rainy days accompanied with the popular rice wine makgeolli (막걸리)!
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38 Where to Eat
Cafe Goong
Modern Food in a Traditional Space
FOOD & DRINKS
Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
T
his month’s featured restaurant is based on another reader recommendation. Cafe Goong is a modern cafe styled after the iconic Korean architecture, the hanok. The Korean hanok is an environmentally friendly design, built to maximize the air and the sun for their heating and cooling needs. With the summer heat and humidity nearly upon us, a cafe designed to keep itself cool makes a lot of sense! Cafe Goong is easily accessible by bus or taxi, and it is a short ten-minute walk from the subway station. Outside of the cafe, there are some cute little tables and chairs with umbrellas for those that want to catch some rays and enjoy the breeze while they eat. After stepping through the sliding glass doors, you are greeted with cool air and plants of all shapes and sizes. If I had not know that it was a cafe, I would have thought that I had just stepped into a garden store. The inside of the building is that classically warm, yellow wood that is quite common around Korea. It lends light and a warm feeling to what could be a very dark space, and a high ceiling helps the cafe feel airy and spacious. The cafe has some different options for seating along the outside edges with private rooms for people
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who prefer the Korean traditional floor seats and tables. The cafe has a lot to see and offer as well. In the back of the building, there is an art gallery, a reading nook, and a bakery stand. In between each row of tables in the center of the cafe are trees in large ceramic pots. Each table has a tree potted next to it, which at first I thought was very strange, but they serve a great purpose. They help the space feel natural, dampen the sounds of the cafe somewhat, and allow each table to be more like a private oasis sheltered from the rest of the room. When I went to Cafe Goong, I was quite hungry, so I ordered the seasonal special strawberry latte, a ginormous chocolate macaron, and one of their brunch plates called “Hwallyeok Mannam Brunch.” The brunch plate included a large sausage covered in honey mustard and ketchup, a hard-boiled egg, four shrimp with the tail on, a croissantshaped loaf of bread, and a salad made of radish greens and lettuce. The sausage was really delicious, plated with a lot of honey mustard and ketchup. Though I’m a fan of extra condiments, I felt the sausage hit the spot. As a person who has never enjoyed hard-boiled eggs, I did not expect to appreciate that addition to the brunch plate, but
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39 I found it to be decently enjoyable. The salad had a sweet and tangy vinaigrette that I quite enjoyed and that, honestly, was probably my favorite part of the whole meal. The bread was a little peculiar though. Even though it appeared to be a croissant, the crumb structure was that of heavy bread. It was close and dense, with no flaky layers inside it and without the butteriness that gives a croissant its trademark flavor and texture. They also elected to serve this “croissant” sliced into small squares, another sign that it was not really a croissant at all. The seasonal special strawberry latte was also surprising! I was expecting there to be coffee and milk, since it is marketed as a latte, but it looked like milk with strawberries added. This, too, proved to be an overestimation, as the taste was of jam, not fresh strawberry, so it was not nearly as fresh as I was hoping. It was very obvious on first sip that
▲ Two girls working behind the register waiting for the next guest to serve. Wonderful customer service.
▲ Some of the delectable baked goods for sale at Cafe Goong. ▲ My brunch plate was a hearty serving!
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher with a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love for photography while working at Disneyland and has been honing her craft with practice and YouTube videos every since.
May 2019
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The Author
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
it had been made with preserves and syrups. The chocolate macaron, however, really stole the show. At first glance, it looked a tad bit unrefined, with lumps and bumps where it should have been smooth, but the flavor was perfectly rich and decadent. The filling was a chocolate buttercream with little chunks of chocolate hidden throughout it. The texture of the cookie was perfect – dry and crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, just how a macaron should be. A normal-sized macaron for me is a one or sometimes two-bite affair. This giant macaron took me six bites to get through, being the size of a tennis ball or bigger, and was the part of the meal that I remember the best. If you are in the area and looking for a good brunch or a killer macaron that you could split with a friend, I would definitely recommend Cafe Goong.
CAFE GOONG 카페 궁 t Daily, 9:00–23:00 P 22 Songdo-ro 85-beon-gil, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju 광주 광산구 송도로85번길 22 ￦ Brunch starts from 9,000 won, coffee starts from 3,500 won À 062-944-1980
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40
Organized Climb
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
Written by William Urbanski
A
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
salient and unifying characteristic of the human species is the overwhelming compulsion to scale a mountain with one’s bare hands that comes with watching Sylvester Stallone’s 1993 classic Cliffhanger. For eons, mankind has worshipped, revered, and at times even despised these rocky goliaths we call mountains. But is there anyone in Gwangju who sufficiently embodies the renegade spirit to conquer these behemoths? CLIMBING GYMS: PORTALS INTO THE UNIVERSE OF CLIMBING For most people, their first real contact with climbing as a sport comes through an indoor climbing gym, many of which have been featured in previous issues of the Gwangju News. The artificial walls inside these gyms have a pre-fastened top rope as well as rock holds and do a good job of balancing the thrill of climbing with the feeling of safety that comes from organization, instruction, and direct supervision. Bouldering, which tests a climber’s ability to navigate inverted slopes, albeit closer to the ground while eschewing ropes and gear, has become a particularly popular and ubiquitous feature of climbing gyms. While indoor gyms are really fun and offer direct and easy access to climbing, just as taking a dip in a heated pool is a far cry from swimming in an
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ocean, a fuller, more authentic climbing experience awaits those who venture outdoors. THE OUTDOOR DIFFERENCE Gwangju denizens and climbers Emily Johnson and Tim Han explained to me that, more than ends in and of themselves, indoor climbing walls were created by outdoor climbers who wanted to keep their skills fresh when outdoor climbing was not feasible. So, while indoor climbing offers a “one-stop shop” approach to climbing, this convenience is also a limitation, which by definition excludes elements of risk, danger, and unpredictability that make climbing exciting. Emily explained, “Climbing outdoors is not for everyone, but being one with nature and overcoming physical and mental hurdles outdoors is beyond comparison with indoor climbing.” For those who have honed their climbing skills in a gym, equipment and location are the major considerations before heading outdoors. Tim explained that the most essential piece of gear is a harness that can run around 45,000 won. While experienced climbers have their own ropes, quickdraws, belay devices, and chalk bags, most of these can usually be borrowed. The other major consideration is where to go. There are various spots
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41 around Jeollanam-do, even at Mudeung Mountain (무등산), all with various levels of difficulty. “Many of the good climbing spots are off the beaten path,” said Emily, so it is usually best to connect with someone who knows a few spots ahead of time. Climbing routes are generally graded according to difficulty, but the grades are somewhat subjective and usually only give a rough indication of how hard a cliff is to ascend. Outdoor rock faces often necessitate “lead climbing,” which is when a climber is responsible for securing themselves in incremental stages while someone on the ground holds a rope, connecting the climber to the last hook that they have reached. This is definitely a more involved, active approach to climbing. While most people have etched into their minds the image of having to hammer hooks into the rock face, in reality, the routes are usually pre-set with existing hooks, or in climbing parlance, “bolted.” Therefore, no hammering is required, but there will be pre-determined routes. Emily said that it is actually taboo to change the route that someone has created. Bolting a cliff, meaning being the first person to insert the necessary hooks, is an ordeal which needs not concern the novice climber. “It usually involves rappelling down a cliff after carefully considering the climbing sequences,” Tim explained. Besides the obvious indoor–outdoor dichotomy, the number one advantage of experiencing climbing out of
the gym is the scope and breadth of opportunities that await climbers. Outdoor climbing goes hand in hand with exploration and international travel. Emily and Tim have incorporated climbing into their trips to Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as to various places around Korea.
While most of us will never reach the climbing prowess of Stallone or Tom Cruise in his stunning free solo at the beginning of 2000’s Mission: Impossible 2, trying outdoor climbing will help you reach your own “Vertical Limit.” It is what Stallone would want. Photographs by Emily Johnson and Tim Han
William Urbanski is from Canada and has lived in Korea for about seven years. He’s married to a wonderful Korean woman and can eat spicy food.
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May 2019
The Author
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
GETTING SUITED AND BOOTED Emily and Tim both agreed that the best way to get involved in outdoor climbing is through one of the climbing gyms around Gwangju. To locate one close to you, follow the links on www. climbinginkorea.blogspot. com. The gyms can connect you with other climbers, offer classes in the various styles of climbing, and in many cases, even offer day trips that provide the gear and transportation to natural spots. A further resource that is a virtual cornucopia of climbing information is www. koreaontherocks.com.
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Signature _ Vertical Combination
Signature _ Horizontal Combination
42
Three Forms of Art to Enjoy at FINA Written by Cho Namhee
T SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
he first half of the upcoming 18th FINA World Championships is comprised of three aquatic disciplines or sports: diving, artistic swimming, and water polo. The three sports exhibit countless features to mesmerize the spectators at the competition venues as well as the TV viewers as if they were in the middle of an art exhibition. DIVING: JULY 12–20. Diving, a sport that was once primarily practiced by gymnasts who started performing acrobatic movements as they headed into the water, marks the beginning of the World Championships. The competition involves single dives and synchronized dives in pairs from 1- and 3-meter springboards, and from a 10-meter platform at the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center. Try to count whether the divers have executed their proposed number of moves and spins within a blink of an eye.
WATER POLO: JULY 14–27. The first starting whistle of the sole tournament of the Championships will be blown on the morning of July 14 at Nambu University Football Field. After the water polo draw for the Gwangju Championships, which was conducted recently on April 7 in Zagreb, Croatia, 16 nations each for men’s and women’s water polo were selected. Water polo is recognized as one of the toughest sports to play, and the spectators will be able to eyewitness its ruggedness. However, at the same time, each of the tournament games will exhibit the beauty of the human body and the fortitude the event requires. Diving, artistic swimming, and water polo – mark these three FINA sports on your July calendar. You will not want to miss them. They are sure to be a splash!
The Author
Cho Namhee, an over-zealous sports fan, is a free spirit who calls Gwangju home. He studies communications at Chonnam National University and works for the 18th FINA World Championships, Gwangju 2019.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
ARTISTIC SWIMMING: JULY 12–20. Also known as “water ballet” and “synchronized swimming,” artistic swimming is a combination of acrobatics and music to be performed in and out of the water of a 20x30-meter pool at Yeomju Gymnasium. Various dances, or rather choreographic movements, are demonstrated as solo, duet, mixed duet, and teams in two different categories: technical routines and free routines. With more than 100 figures from the international figure
categories to select from, the artistic swimmers are sure to create some of the most beautiful scenes of the Championships.
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43 43
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 17: 전통시장
Traditional Korean Market Written by Harsh Kumar Mishra
아나:
정민:
어? 장보러 가? 어디?
[Eo? Jang-bo-reo ga? Eo-di?] Jeong-min: Oh? You’re going shopping? Where?
아나: Ana:
Illustration by Han Lee
네. 전통시장에 가요. [ne. jeon-tong-shi-jang-e gayo.] Yeah. I’m going to a traditional market.
Grammar
은데/는데: This connective ending is used with verbs and adjectives to provide some background thought before suggesting something, asking a question, or making a request. Ex: 내일 휴일인데 어디 놀러갈까요.
EDUCATION
Ana:
오후에 장보러 가는데 필요한 게 있어요? [O-hu-e jang-bo-reo ga-neun-de piryo-han-ge is-seo-yo?] I’m going grocery shopping in the afternoon. Do you need anything?
It’s a holiday tomorrow. Shall we go out somewhere?
정민:
왜 전통시장으로 가? 마트에서 사도 되잖아.
[Wae jeon-tong-shi-jang-ro ga? Mat-eseo sado dwe-jana.] Jeong-min: Why are you going to a traditional market? Why don’t you just buy groceries at the supermarket?
아나: Ana:
저는 전통시장을 좋아해요. [jeo-neun jeon-tong-shi-jang-eul jo-a-haeyo.] I like going to traditional markets.
아나:
마트는 가까워서 편리하지만 전통시장은 여러가지로 좋아요. 맛있고 싱싱한 식품들 많고, 가격도 마트보다 저렴해요.
Ana:
[Mat-neun dang-yeon-hi gakka-weo-seo pyeol-li-hajiman jeon-tong-shi-jang-eun yeo-reo-gaji-ro jo-ayo. Mashik-kko shing-shing-han shik-pum-deul mank-ho, ga-gyeok-tto mat-boda jeo-ryeom-haeyo.] Because the supermarket is close, it’s convenient, but traditional markets have various perks of their own. There’s a lot of tasty, fresh food and the prices are cheaper than at the supermarket.
정민:
오호 아나가 한국 사람 다 됐네.
[Jeon-tong-shi-jang-eui eot-teon jeo-mi joa? Mat-eun gak-kap-ko mo-deun-ge han gun-de-e is-seo-seo pyeol-li-haji-ana?] Jeong-min: What do you like about traditional markets? The supermarket is close and you can find everything in one place, so isn’t it convenient?
[oho! Ana-ga hanguk sa-ram da dwaen-ne.] Jeong-min: Wow! Ana, you’ve become fully Korean!
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I like Gwangju more than Seoul.
Vocabulary 전통시장 마트 장보다 필요하다 사다 가깝다 군데 편리하다 여러 가지 싱싱하다 식품 저럼하다
traditional market mart grocery shopping need buy near/close place convenient various/many (kinds) fresh groceries cheap
#Korean slang/Fad words Understanding Korean emoticons ㅋㅋㅋ 푸하하 ^^ ㅜㅜ ㅇㅋ 고고
LOL (laugh out loud) OFL (rolling on the floor laughing) smiley face :-) tears :-( okay let’s go
Visit the TOPIK Guide website or our YouTube channel to improve your Korean and reach your goal on the TOPIK test.
May 2019
전통시장의 어떤 점이 좋아? 마트는 가깝고 모든 게 한 군데에 있어서 편리하지 않아?
expresses the meaning of “~than.” Ex: 내가 서울보다 광주를 더 좋아해요.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
정민:
~보다: This is used to compare two nouns and
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44 Korea TESOL
Are We Eating Our Young? Professional Development in the TESOL Profession Written by Dr. David E. Shaffer
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
EDUCATION
T
eaching is an exceptionally demanding profession, and an underappreciated one. Teaching a foreign language adds to the degree of difficulty. And being an EFL teacher working in a foreign land places another layer of difficulty on top of the already high hurdles. Such is the situation of many EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers in Korea: Teaching ain’t easy! Language teachers often find that they are feeling all alone, surrounded with teaching problems, but with no path to solutions. They become frustrated, disheartened with their situation, and disenchanted with their occupation, prompting a considerably large number to leave the profession in their first three years of teaching.[1] This has lead Dr. Thomas Farrell to label TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) as “a profession that eats its young.”[2] Farrell was calling for drastic improvements in the pre-service training that ESL (English as a second language) and EFL teachers normally receive with regard to the realities of the classroom. And by the way, he knows what he is talking about, having spent 18 years of his early career teaching EFL in Seoul. Farrell’s suggestion of at least a partial solution to the “eating of the young ones” syndrome was to make training in reflective practice a significant part of pre-service training. This can be very helpful for the teacher-to-be, but too late for the teacher-already-there in the classroom. Reflective practice (RP) is, however, available for any teacher to use. One of the early proponents of RP in education, Donald Schön, defined it as the practice by which professionals become aware of their implicit knowledge base and learn from their experience.[3] But before we discuss more about what RP is, let us look at what it is not. WHAT REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AIN’T Because it is named “reflective” practice, it is easy to regard RP to be simply thinking about the teaching we have done. But it ain’t. RP is something that we learn from. RP ain’t going to the teachers’ lounge after class to complain with colleagues about your students. And it ain’t going to the
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local bar after school to grumble with other teachers about your school and its students. Encounters such as these invariably produce little in the way of appreciative results. To be reflective, the “thinking” needs to be carried out in a systematic manner. Simply walking out of class and thinking to oneself, “That lesson bombed; I’m not going to do that again!” isn’t very reflective.
WHAT CAN BE DONE? It would be great if all EFL teachers had pre-service training that included a good dose of RP; unfortunately, that ain’t the case. It would also be very helpful if our educational institutions would provide frequent or intensive in-service workshops and other training on relevant topics; but the budgets of many institutions do not allow for that either. So what can the EFL teacher do, other than stand around and wait to be eaten alive?! Gabriel Diaz Maggioli has for years been advancing a very practical and effective solution. While pre-service and in-service training have their merits, they are top-down structures that do not include teachers in their planning phase. Maggioli promotes the formation of “learning communities,” front-line teachers forming bottom-up, teacher support groups.[4] RP is often a main focus of such learning communities. GIBBS’ REFLECTIVE CYCLE Graham Gibbs has devised a “reflective cycle” that can be used quite effectively in many professions, including TESOL, to reflect on one’s practice.[5] It is a six-step, recursive cycle in which one first (a) describes in detail the situation
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45 [2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
in question, (b) considers their own thoughts and feelings about the situation, (c) evaluates what was positive and negative about the experience, (d) analyzes the experience more deeply, (e) makes conclusions on alternative ways that the situation could have been handled, and (f) selects one of the alternatives/adjustments to put into practice the next time the opportunity arises. Once the alternative is tried, the cycle is repeated.
Reflection is also something that the EFL teacher can do at home alone. Just work your way through the thought process of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, or better yet, do this in writing by keeping an RP teaching journal. The TESOL profession need not be homnivorous; protect yourself with reflective practice and develop professionally.
den Brok, P., Wubbels, T., & van Tartwijk, J. (2017). Exploring beginning teachers’ attrition in the Netherlands. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 23(8), 881–895. doi:10.1080/1 3540602.2017.1360859
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The Author
David 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. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a holder of various KOTESOL positions; he is presently national president. Dr. Shaffer credits KOTESOL for much of his professional development in English language teaching, scholarship, and leadership. He encourages you to get involved. He is board chair at the GIC and also editor-in-chief of the Gwangju News.
GWANGJU-JEONNAM KOTESOL MONTHLY MEETING Date: May 11 (Saturday) Place: Gwangju National University of Education • Panel Discussion: Teaching Online & Online Professional Development • SwapShop: Share with the group your activity, teaching idea, etc. For full event details: Website: koreatesol.org/gwangju Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL
May 2019
REFERENCES [1]
Forrester, D. (2010). Playing with fire or rediscovering fire: The perils and potential for evidence-based practice in child and family social work. In P. Ayre & M. Preston-Shoot (Eds.), Children services at the crossroads: A critical evaluation of contemporary policy for practice. Plymouth, UK: Russell House. Peters, J. M. (1991). Strategies for reflective practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 51, 89–96.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
DON’T WAIT TO BE DINNER Armed with the knowledge of an RP method and of bottom-up learning communities, do we still just wait to be eaten alive? A good idea it ain’t. It is much more desirable to take the advice of Anna Loseva to self-initiate teacher support.[6] Be proactive and create your own learning community. Seek out like-minded educators interested in peer support and meet regularly. Meetings may have a predetermined topic with a facilitator, or they may be open to discuss topics that the participants bring to the meeting. In addition to its regular monthly workshops, GwangjuJeonnam KOTESOL has a morning RP session on a set topic – a format that this group much enjoys.
Farrell, T. S. C. (2016). TESOL, a profession that eats its young! The importance of reflective practice in language teacher education. Iranian Journal of Language Teacher Research, 4(3), 97–107. Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York, NY: Basic Books. Diaz Maggioli, G. (2017, April). Plenary session by Gabriel Diaz Maggioli: IATEFL online – Glasgow 2017 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2017/ plenary/empowering-teachers Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford, UK: Oxford Brookes University Further Education Unit. Loseva, A. (2019, April 14). Self-initiated teacher support: Owning your professional development [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://annloseva.wordpress. com/2019/04/14/self-initiated-teacher-support-owningyour-professional-development-1-3/
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46 Photo Essay
May 18th National Cemetery
▲ Sobering rows upon rows, showing the names and faces of martyrs and innocents.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
Written and photographed by Sarah Pittman
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I
t is impossible to overstate the reach of May 18th in the minds of the people of Gwangju. Every child I have ever taught here has it stamped into their memory. The parks and streets of the city are covered in memorials, touchstones, and reminders of the events of those critical days in the summer of 1980. I arrived here with no idea of what had transpired. Before you can begin to research the event, the city tells its story. Your kids in classes tell you about brave students rallying the people. Memorials talk of taxis and buses shielding and ferrying protesters, and of all the groups of people who found in their city the strength and community of a village, working together against all odds.
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47
▲ Pushing forward to a new democracy.
The Author
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May 2019
Sarah Pittman is an English teacher with a degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She discovered her love for photography while working at Disneyland and has been honing her craft with practice and YouTube videos every since.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
No story or plaque or statistic reveals the crushing pain of that betrayal as directly as the May 18 National Cemetery. The numbers of the people killed that day are staggering, but this still is not the essence of the memorial. The experience of the site is when you stop to look at a name, and see a face. The face isn’t that of a soldier. It is a high school graduation picture, a smiling housewife, or a handsome businessman. They are the faces of people whose hearts held a sincere desire for democratic freedom, and who were brave enough to lay down their lives to show Korea and the world what they believed. I cannot help but feel that they would be proud to see how they have been remembered, and importantly what their sacrifices helped accomplish for their country and descendants.
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www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
48
The “May 18th Minjung Memorial Tower” silhouetted against the setting sun is awe-inspiring.
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49
▲ Grieving for those who had fallen.
▲ Calling for the next generation to fight for democracy and human rights.
▲ A bench in a building beside the burial plots provides a quiet space to meditate and remember the lives of those who gave everything for change.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
▲ The doorway into the main area of the cemetery is reminiscent of a doorway leading from life to death. Passing over from one life to the next.
May 2019
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50 Book Review
The Measure of a Man “When you’re addressing power, don’t expect it to crumble willingly” — Sidney Poitier Reflects on His Lifetime Outside
ARTS & CULTURE
Written by Kristy Dolson
W
hen I went back to Canada during a brief pause in my teaching career, my mother introduced me to the classic movie To Sir, With Love. Our local library had a DVD copy. For those who do not know it, the movie stars Sidney Poitier as a young black man from British Guiana who immigrates to London in the hopes of getting an engineering job. Unfortunately, the application process takes longer than he expected, so in the meantime he secures a teaching job at a school in the East End, which is notorious for badly behaved students. It is a touching movie about a teacher and his students earning each other’s respect, despite outside social and racial forces working against them.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
Sometime after watching the movie, I noticed that my mother had one of Sidney Poitier’s memoirs, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, on her bookshelf. Intrigued, I took it down and packed it up to bring back to South Korea with me. Sorry, Mom! I will return it, I promise! But it took a long time for me to get around to reading this book. I had noticed it back in 2017 and it sat, patiently, on my shelf all through 2018. And then the New Year came. Even though it has just begun, 2019 has been a rough year for me. A former co-worker was diagnosed with brain cancer, my uncle died from a sudden heart attack, and a KOTESOL colleague suddenly passed away with no warning. And those are just the intimate, personal losses – to say nothing of the chaos to be found in the greater world. This “spiritual autobiography” about a man who came from very humble beginnings and rose through adversity, cruelty, and indifference to achieve the ultimate satisfaction within his chosen profession was a welcome and much-needed restorative.
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Poitier was born into poverty on Cat Island, an idyllic paradise in the Bahamas. His formative years involved running, climbing, swimming, and testing his limits without the usual restrictions set by society. When his family moved to Nassau, his social education began, but his strong sense of self and courageous personality had already been set. When he left the Bahamas for Florida at 15, this identity could not be shaken loose no matter what American social and political attitudes – not to mention laws – threw at him. Whether he was being pursued by racist cops in Florida, getting doors slammed in his face in Harlem, or being asked to sign loyalty contracts in Hollywood, Poitier always knew who he was and where he came from. While he did not know exactly where he was going, he always challenged himself to be better. Along the way, he learned a lot about life, love, and loyalty. This autobiography has a lot going on. I took so many notes and reflected on so many threads and themes running through its pages. The big, obvious ones were Poitier’s internal struggle to accept and embrace his “outsider” identity, the anger he felt at America’s racist politics and his external struggle to overcome it, and the darkness that lives inside each and every one of us waiting to be triggered. But the smaller ones resonated with me even more strongly: his anecdotes about becoming a great actor, perfecting his craft over a lifetime of trial and error, and the awareness of always being onstage as a black man in a divided social and political atmosphere. As a native English speaker who has a serious investment in becoming a great teacher and an agent of change in South Korea, I took a lot of encouragement from his reflections. What really stood out about the book was Poitier’s unique voice. He wrote in a gentle, intimate style and used a calm and nurturing voice. A voice that will explain something
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to the reader and then ask, “You follow?” There are many of these question tags throughout, and they recreate a conversationalist tone. But that does not mean the voice cannot get angry. There are passages that bubble with a lifetime of rage at injustice and indifference, and Poitier was not afraid to use occasional profanity to get his emotions across. It is not quite the searing hatred of Bourdain, but it is justified anger, and it had me thinking about my place in the oppression hierarchy. I was not and am not proud of myself.
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C
ult members are all around if you just know where to look. I’m not talking about the local Seventh Day Adventists who run the tasty vegetarian buffet downtown, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses who stand outside the immigration center and smile at passersby. Heck, I’m not even talking about the pairs of nice young “elders” who pound the pavement of Gwangju and give free English lessons on behalf of the Mormon Church. What I’m talking about are the local cult members who don’t even have the decency to be upfront about the craziness they represent – the ones who reach out to strangers and take advantage of them under entirely false pretenses. A good case in point is the time when I was approached at the YMCA bus stop downtown by two women offering me free Korean language tutoring. It was obviously a ruse, but I couldn’t resist the chance to get a good story and learn some Korean for free. They asked for my phone number and soon set me up with a tutor in my area. My tutor, a married woman in her late 30s, claimed to be an English academy teacher and said this program was just a way of fostering more positive exchanges between Koreans and foreigners. She gave no further detail, save that she did this on a volunteer basis. She first had me take a TOPIK listening test on her laptop and then we spent the rest of the hour free talking in Korean. We would repeat this routine every Saturday morning for the next six weeks. I was surprised by how long she kept up the façade until, suddenly, the mask began to slip. At the end of our penultimate meeting, she asked me if I’d do her a favor and sign a benign-sounding online petition that vaguely dealt with peace between North and South Korea. When asked to elaborate, she said it was being done by a women’s group for international peace, which to me sounded almost meaninglessly broad in scope. She also asked me to share it with all my foreign coworkers and try to get them to sign it, too – but not the Korean ones. I lied and said I would. After she sent me a link to the petition, I researched the benevolent-sounding group and soon found the cult it fronted. Though I won’t bother to call the cult out directly, I’ll just say that its leader is still very much alive and well – some might even say eternally so. On the following weekend, we chatted for a while in Korean like usual until she finally mentioned the elephant in the room: Had I shown the petition to my coworkers, and had they signed it? I lied and said they weren’t interested in anything political, so they didn’t sign it. Here my tutor grew visibly annoyed – the first time I’d seen anything but smiles from her in a month and a half. “Why won’t they sign it?” she asked
May 2019
Kristy Dolson lived in South Korea for five years before taking a year off to travel, read, and spend time with her family in Canada and Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Education and now lives in Yeosu, where she splits her time between teaching at the new Jeollanamdo International Education Institute and reading as much as she can.
Written and photographed by Isaiah Winters
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
The Author
My Experience Learning Korean from a Cult
OPINION
His continual drive towards improvement pushed him forward into a life of dizzying success: He was the first African American to win an Oscar for best actor. But this accolade did not fool Poitier; he knew there was still more work to be done before Hollywood would be more open and celebratory of minority workers and voices at all levels of the entertainment industry. And he was right. The world has not changed all that much, for we have been lulled into complacency and low-risk for too long. Recent controversies and scandals surrounding how movies are cast, who is directing them, and who controls the prestigious awards apparatus just demonstrate how much further there is to go. We must gather our courage, rally the forces, and take positive action if we want to make the world a healthier and more inclusive place for the generations to come.
TOPIK Hoax
Opinion 51
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52
sharply. “It’s about peace, not politics.” I responded that it just wasn’t their thing, but my tutor remained miffed throughout the rest of our meeting. I was relieved when we parted. Coincidentally, the following week I had to change my phone number for an unrelated reason, so that gave me an easy out. I never saw her again.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
In retrospect, I’ve noticed a few interesting things that were at play during those six weeks. First was that the cult specifically approached a foreigner, someone who was likely separated from family and looking for a new social circle. Next, an expensive service was offered free of charge with the aim of making the lucky recipient feel a bit guilty and thus keen to return any favors. When a favor was inevitably asked, it was so small and easy that going the extra mile to return it seemed fair, effectively turning the lucky recipient into an eager recruiter. In sum, an intentional guilt trip was being leveraged for recruitment purposes, all within the context of a fake friendship. What was most disgusting about this whole farce was the mockery it made of genuine human interaction, as both she and I were fakers from the start. For her, the whole six-week process effectively amounted to a failed signature collecting scheme, and it sadly revealed how much her cult valued a few foreign signatures over all the time and effort she’d put into our sham friendship. For me, I admittedly milked the exchange for what it was worth, improving my Korean for only the cost of a weekly cup of coffee, despite knowing it was all a hoax. Looking back, I guess the experience was a bit degrading for both of us. Ergo, I don’t recommend you try it yourself, even if the allure of a good story and free Korean lessons makes it seem worthwhile. If there’s one thing worth taking away from this article, it’s the old cliché that if something sounds too good to
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be true, it probably is. Cults and scam artists engage in all sorts of similar schemes, from offering free taekwondo classes to inviting foreigners to take part in traditional ceremonies (that they later get charged for). There are even bizarre scams where a person claims to be able to put you in touch with deceased family members (for a price). Regarding the latter, a Korean acquaintance of mine once got approached at a bus stop by a woman who claimed she could see an aura around him, and that it was his deceased relative, “the one who had multiple sclerosis,” trying to contact him. He just so happens to have a deceased relative who had that very disease, so the scam artist’s numbers game nearly suckered him in. In short, beware of excessive serendipity. Ultimately, scams, cults, and proselytizing will always be with us in one form or another, so it’s good to stay alert when approached on the streets. I admit that the latter of these three doesn’t bother me so much, so long as the proselytizers are upfront about the religion they represent. This frankness becomes all the more important for promoters of fringe religions whose teachings often lead to social stigma and ostracism when publically followed. But as far as scam artists and cult members are concerned, if they don’t have the decency to be upfront from the start, then they deserve the figurative finger.
The Author
Originally from Southern California, Isaiah is a Gwangju-based urban explorer who enjoys writing about the City of Light’s lesser-known quarters. When he’s not roaming the streets and writing about his experiences, he’s usually working or fulfilling his duties as the Gwangju News’ heavily caffeinated chief proofreader.
2019-04-25 �� 4:59:42
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Gwangju Happenings Compiled by Baek Ji-yeon
2019 Gwangju Fringe Festival 2019 광주 프린지 페스티벌
Booths | Global Food 세계음식체험전 한 곳에서 즐길 수 있는, 단 하루의 세계 음식여행 ! 음료를 다양한 나라의 음식과 of the world ! Enjoy the tastes
세계문화체험전 | Glob al Culture Booths
전통놀이와 전시를 통해 배우고, 느끼고, 즐기는 세계 문화 ! Discover and experie nce diverse culture from around the world !
지역 내·외국인 Meet with local
티와
커뮤니 for glocal and organizations communities
(global
부대행사 | Events
다양한 상품 과 즐길거리 Win priz 가 가득한 es throug 행사 ! h variou s events !
t April–December (every Sat.) P Along Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
￦ Free (paid programs are optional) À 062-223-0410 ` http://fringefestival.kr/
MONTHLY NEWS
munity | Global Com 글로벌커뮤니티기관을 한자리에서 만나요 ! es ! +local) activiti
The Fringe Festival, a cultural festival of Gwangju, the city of cultural and arts, will be held every Saturday from April to December. It is an open-air cultural event where amateur and professional artists as well as citizens participate freely without being bound by genre, format, or fixed frame, and stage various presentations such as performances, mimes, dance, and K-pop.
2019 Art Night Daein Market 2019 대인예술야시장 Every Saturday beginning April 26th, you will be able to see various handmade products, such as accessory DIY products, sold by night market sellers composed of artists and young people while enjoying experiences, food, and other themed performances. t Every Saturday beginning April 26 P Daein Market’s 1st parking lot,
7-1 Jebong-ro 194-beon-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju 광주 동구 제봉로 194번길 7-1 대인시장 제1주차장
Jayeon Saenghwal Vegetarian Restaurant 자연생활채식뷔페
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May 2019
Seoseok-ro 85beongil 12, Dong-gu, Gwangju 062-228-0482, 0485
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
￦ Depends on activity À 062-223-1420 ` https://daeinmarket.modoo.at/
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54 Korean History Through Manhwa 2019 민주인권평화전 만화로 보는 대한민국 This is an exhibition of the modern and contemporary history of Korea through manhwa (만화, comic books). This is an exhibition of the “ninth art” genre (cartoons), which helps to communicate to the public the somewhat heavy themes of democracy, human rights, and peace. The exhibition consists of three sections: the Anti-Japanese Movement, Modern History, and Human Rights. t March 19 – June 30, 10:00–18:00 P 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju Museum of Art, Exhibition Halls 3 & 4) 광주 북구 하서로 52 광주시립미술관 본관 제3, 4전시실
￦ Free À 062-613-7100 ` http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/
Marvelous Asia 마블러스 아시아 Marvelous Asia, a miniature augmented reality (AR) rally, features cultural IT content introducing Asia’s key landmarks. Take a seat in the control box and drive a remote-controlled (RC) car around miniatures of famous Asian landmarks: the Sungryemun Gate in Seoul, Osaka Castle in Japan, the Forbidden City in China, the Taj Mahal in India, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Wat Phra Kaew in Thailand, and the Thien Mu Pagoda in Vietnam. At each destination, you can learn interesting facts about the landmarks through the AR content provided. t March 3 – May 26, 10:00–18:00 P 38 Munhwa-jeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
(Asia Culture Center, Children’s Event Hall) 광주 동구 문화전당로 38 국립아시아문화전당 어린이문화원 다목적홀
￦ Voluntary participation À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/en/board/schedule/child/2693
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
Namdo Arts: Roots 남도미술_뿌리 This exhibition is an opportunity for citizens to see valuable works of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, which have never before been exhibited in the Gwangju-Honam region. Through this exhibition, it is possible to realize the cultural identity of South Korea and to expand public awareness of South Jeolla Province by showing the contribution of works by local artists to Korean art history.
There Is No History – The 2019 “Comfort Woman” Victim Exhibition 역사는 없다 – 2019 ‘위안부’피해자 전 This exhibition, a special event by the Mudeung Museum of Contemporary Art, is an exhibit that reaffirms the experiences of “comfort women,” arguably the most painful episode in the history of Korea, and sublimates into the arts by approaching the prejudices and sufferings they experienced. This is an opportunity to positively examine this period of Korean history from various perspectives in order to search for ways to heal through the arts, focusing on the painful mistreatment these women experienced during the Japanese colonial period and reexamining the social criticism, sanctions, and prejudices they suffered. t April 5 – May 31 P 9 Jeungsimsa-gil, Dong-gu, Gwangju
(Mudeung Contemporary Art Museum Exhibition Halls 1 & 2) 광주 동구 증심사길 9 (무등현대미술관 제1,2전시실)
￦ 3,000 won À 062-223-6677 ` http://www.mdmoca.co.kr/
Democracy, Peace, and Human Rights Special Photo Exhibition “Good Morning, Democracy!” 민주 평화 인권 특별기획 사진전 <안녕! 민주주의> This photo exhibition, prepared by the Asia Culture Center, is designed to communicate with citizens through a thematic breakdown of democratic development, which is the most important feature of the modern Korean spirit. It commemorates the 59th anniversary of the April Revolution of 1960, the 39th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising in May 1980, and the 32nd anniversary of the June Struggle of 1987. Visitors will be able to see a variety of photographs reflecting these events. t April 5 – June 6
(Tue-Sun. 10:00–18:00 / Wed, Sat. 10:00–19:00)
P 38 Mungwajeondang-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju
(Asia Culture Center, Cultural Creation Complex 5) 광주 동구 문화전당로 38 국립아시아문화전당 문화창조원 복합5관
￦ Free À 1899-5566 ` https://www.acc.go.kr/board/schedule/exhibition/ 2787
t April 2 – June 8, 10:00–18:00 P 52 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju
(Gwangju Museum of Art, Exhibition Halls 1 & 2) 광주 북구 하서로 52 광주시립미술관 본관 제1, 2전시실
￦ Free À 062-613-7100 ` http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr/
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Gwangju Theater P 62 Chungjang-ro 5-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju (Two blocks behind NC Wave) ￦ 8,000 won À 062-224-5858 ` http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju (Korean) * Synopses excerpted from Wikipedia, IMDb, and Hancinema. All English language films are presented with Korean subtitles; non-English international films are presented with Korean subtitles only.
TADAO ANDO - SAMURAI ARCHITECT
안도 타다오
Genre: Documentary Director: Mizuno Shigenori Film Length: 73 minutes Language: Japanese (Korean subtitles) Starring: Tadao Ando
Tadao Ando (b. 1941) is a world-renowned architect and recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. His calm, minimalist architecture with elegant concrete designs reflects the Zen principle of simplicity. In the film, he reveals the experience a building should evoke as he discusses a number of iconic designs, such as The Row House and The Church of Light.
MISS STEVENS 미스 스티븐스 Genre: Drama Director: Julia Hart Film Length: 86 minutes Language: English (Korean subtitles) Starring: Lily Rabe, Timothée Chalamet, Lili Reinhart
South Jeolla Happenings Jindo Dog Festival 진도개 페스티벌 t May 4–5 P 30 Seongjukgol-gil, Jindo-eup, Jindo-gun, Jeollanam-do (Jindo Dog Theme Park) 전라남도 진도군 진도읍 성죽골길 30 진도개 테마파크 ￦ Free À 061-540-6308 ` http://tour.jindo.go.kr/tour/main.cs
The 2019 Boseong Tea Festival 2019 보성다향대축제 t May 2–6 P 775 Nokcha-ro, Boseong-eup, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 보성군 보성읍 녹차로 775 ￦ Free À 061-850-5212 ` http://www.boseong.go.kr/tour/ festivity/tea_aroma
This film tells the story of a teacher who chaperones a group of high schoolers to a state drama competition.
Hampyeong Butterfly Festival
GOODBYE MY LOVE, NORTH KOREA 붉은 청춘 Genre: Documentary Director: Kim So-young Film Length: 80 minutes Language: Korean (No subtitles) Starring: Kim Jong-hoon, Choi Gook-in, Kim Tae-hoon
t April 26 – May 6 P Hampyeong Expo Park, 27 Gonjea-ro, Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 함평군 함평읍 곤재로 27 함평엑스포공원 ￦ Adults 7,000 won Adolescent & Soldiers 5,000 won Retirees & Children 3,000 won À 061-320-1784 ` http://www.hampyeong.go.kr/ butterfly/
APRIL’S DAUGHTER 에이프릴의 딸
A pregnant 17-year-old decides to keep her condition to herself, enjoying a calm life in Puerto Vallarta. But why on earth hadn’t the inexperienced mother-to-be sought assistance earlier? Can a mere child raise a kid on her own?
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2019 담양 대나무축제 t May 1–6 P 119 Juknokwon-ro, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do 전라남도 담양군 담양읍 죽녹원로 119 ￦ Free À 061-380-3150~3152 ` http://www.bamboofestival.co.kr/
May 2019
Genre: Drama Director: Michel Franco Film Length: 103 minutes Language: Spanish (Korean subtitles) Starring: Emma Suárez, Ana Valeria Becerril, Enrique Arrizon
2019 Damyang Bamboo Festival
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
This film looks back on the lives of eight young North Koreans who went to study at the Moscow Film School in Russia right after the Korean War. In Moscow, they named themselves the “8 Squad” and formed a deep friendship. In 1958, they gave up on going back to their home country after denouncing Kim Il-sung and sought political asylum. Even though they got scattered throughout Eurasian countries, they made their own mission statement and kept active in their own fields of film, writing, and journalism.
제21회 함평 나비축제
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Community Board
Have something you want to share with the community? The Community Board provides a space for the community to announce activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information. UNESCO KONA VOLUNTEERS KONA Storybook Center (KSC) is a registered small public library supported by UNESCO KONA Volunteers (UKV). UKV is a registered organization that helps disadvantaged children learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps. We guide families and children to develop a love of reading storybooks in English. We also give guidance to volunteers in using storybooks. We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month. For more information, please visit http://cafe.daum. net/konavolunteers or our Facebook pages for KONA Storybook Center and UNESCO KONA Volunteers. Also, you can contact Kim Young-im at 062-434-9887 or email konacenter@gmail.com.
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
May 2019
VOLUNTEER TEACHERS NEEDED for the Gwangju UCC (Universal Cultural Center). English teachers in the Gwangju area for 2019 with any level of experience are welcome to 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. GWANGJU FILIPINO ENGLISH TEACHERS (GFET) Every 3rd Tuesday of the month 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., GIC Room 3 (2nd floor) 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 seehand@naver.com, phone or text 0107126-1207, or search “Gwangju Inter FC” on Facebook. SUNDAY YOGA WITH EMILY Every Sunday (unless otherwise stated on the Facebook page) from March 10 2–3 p.m., GIC Hall (1st floor) Facebook: Gwangju Yoga with Emily Appropriate for all levels. Classes are taught in English. Donation is encouraged.
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GIC LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Korean–English Language Exchange Every Wednesday 6:30–8:30 p.m. , GIC Hall 1st Floor Facebook: GIC Language Exchange SPANISH LANGUAGE EXCHANGE Spanish–English–Korean Language Exchange Every two weeks on Saturdays. 3:30–5:30 p.m., GIC Global Lounge (1st floor) No importa tu nivel de español. ¡Únetenos! More details: http://eng.gic.or.kr/ → Community Story
THE GIC PRESENTS “MEMORIES,” A SOLO EXHIBITION BY LISA MAY CASAUS Illustrative artist Lisa May Casaus will show her paintings and mixed-media work in a month-long exhibition at the GIC, May 1–30, 2019. Lisa is a volunteer instructor for the Gwangju Art Class, which meets at the GIC on the first and third Saturdays of each month. In addition to personal work spanning her nearly three years of residence in Gwangju, “Memories” will include works from previous Gwangju Art Class demos and exhibitions, as well as commissions from the Gwangju News. Her eclectic and whimsical style will be supplemented by sketches, notes, and reference materials that aided the creation of the mixed-media collage featured on the May 2018 cover of the Gwangju News. The collage, entitled “Fire of Hope,” is a homage to the spirit of revolution and the memories that remain in the aftermath of the Gwangju Uprising of May 18, 1980.
2019-04-25 �� 5:00:01
Attorney Attorney Park’s Park’s Law Law Firm Firm We're ready to serve your best interests in legal disputes. We provide affordable consultation & representation.
▶ Areas of Specialty contracts, torts, family law, immigration, labor ▶ Civil & Criminal Attorney Park, Duckhee former judge, GIC board member Services available in Korean, English & Chinese
#402 Simsan Bldg, 342-13 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Location: next to Gwangju District Court
Tel: 062) 222-0011 Fax: 062)222-0013 duckheepark@hanmail.net
GWANGJU IMMIGRATION Online Reservation Service What is the Online Reservation Service? In order to reduce waiting times and make the visa application process more convenient, we are now introducing the Online Reservation Service, taking effect as of May 1, 2019. Applicants can make an online appointment date and time reservation before visiting the immigration office. Eligible Applicants: All Applicants No online reservation is required, however, to pick up an alien registration card (ARC), to report or apply for confirmation of visa issuance, or to apply for the issuance of any type of immigration certificate.
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How to make an online reservation? 1. Visit our HiKorea website (www.hikorea.go.kr) → Log in → Click reserve appointment → Click online reservation → Select appointment date and time → Print out the online reservation confirmation → Bring this confirmation when visiting the Immigration Office on your reserved date and time. (With this, you will not need to draw a waiting number on arrival.) 2. Because the application processing time for visitors is limited to ten minutes, please prepare any required documents before your visit. Effective date : May 1, 2019 (Wednesday)
2019-04-25 �� 4:59:32
글로벌커뮤니티 Global Community
세계음식체험전 Global Food Booths
GIC Day 2019
부대행사 Events 세계문화체험전 Global Culture Booths
날 기념 의 인 계 세 회 제 12 er Day th To g e th C e le b ra ti n
g th e 1 2
제 25회 광주국제교류의 날
Gwangju International Community Day
Booths | Global Food 세계음식체험전 한 곳에서 즐길 수 있는, 단 하루의 세계 음식여행 ! 과 음료를 다양한 나라의 음식 of the world ! Enjoy the tastes
세계문화체험전 | Gl obal Culture Booths
전통놀이와 전시를 통해 배우고, 느끼고, 즐기는 세계 문화 ! Discover and experie nce diverse culture from around the wor ld !
munity | Global Com 글로벌커뮤니티기관을 한자리에서 만나요 ! ies ! +local) activit 지역 내·외국인 al Meet with loc
(global 커뮤니티와 ions for glocal and organizat communities
부대행사 | Event s
다양한 상 품과 즐길 거리가 가 Win priz 득한 행사 es throug ! h variou s events !
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2019-04-25 �� 4:59:39