(EN) Gwangju News May 2013 #135

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May 2013 Issue No. 135

On The Cover:

The May 18 Uprising Unfolding the Past

Save GIC Day! How you can help!

Gwangju Gunners Enjoying the Biking Journey

www.gwangjunewsgic.com

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Advertise with Gwangju News Target Your Customers!

Gwangju News is the longest-running English magazine in Korea and is the representative English magazine in Gwangju and the Jeollanam-do area. Its print and online versions bring Gwangju to the world.

Does your business cater to the international community? Target your customers by advertising with us.

Please contact us for more details: 062-226-2732~34 karina@gic.or.kr or minsu@gic.or.kr

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May 2013 www.gwangjunewsgic.com

ON THE COVER

THE EDITORIAL TEAM Publisher: Dr. Shin Gyonggu GWANGJU NEWS PRINT Editor-in-Chief: Kathleen Villadiego Editors: Kathleen Villadiego, Joey Nunez Sub-Editor: Shay Meinecke Layout Editor: Karina Prananto Coordinators: Karina Prananto, Kim Minsu Photo Editors: Karina Prananto, Simon Bond Chief Proofreader: Bradley Weiss Copy Editors: Vanessa Cisneros, Heather Douglas, Michael Moak, Joey Nunez, Jon Ozelton, Bradley Weiss

Creative Consultant: Warren Parsons Proofreaders: Don Gariepy, Heinrich Hattingh, Britton Inglehart, Kaley LaQuea, Daniel Lister, Jon Ozelton, Samantha Richter, Pete Schandall, Bradley Weiss Researchers: Choi Junyong, Cheon Soyeon, Cho Haeri, Lee Jungmi, Park Kyungjin

GWANGJU NEWS ONLINE Editor: C. Adam Volle Technical Manager: Carl Hedinger Assistant Site Administrator: Nathan Fulkerson Online Administrator: Brittany Baker

Cover Photo: Hope Photographer: Joe Wabe The image has been edited for layout purposes.

This Month’s Features 12 Remembering the May 18 Democratic Uprising By C. Adam Volle

16 Save GIC Day: Saving Serving Spirit

By Joey Nunez

Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea

Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com E-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Logos (Phone +82-62-444-8800) Publication Date: April 26, 2013

Gwangju News is a monthly English magazine written and edited by volunteers. We welcome your contributions for proofreading, copy editing, administration, layout/design and distribution. Please write to gwangjunews@gmail.com and tell us your area of interest.

Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors.

Copyright 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 publishers.

Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor (gwangjunews@gmail.com) regarding articles and issues. Articles and submissions may be edited for reasons of clarity or space.

May 18 National Cemetery Photo by Joey Nunez

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editorial Joey Nunez (USA, Incoming Editor) Greetings! My name is Joey, and I will be serving as the editor of the Gwangju News, starting in June 2013. Since coming to Gwangju in late August 2012, the one extra-curricular activity I definitely knew I wanted to be a part of was helping with this publication in any capacity. So, I am glad that not only am I now contributing to it, but I am now serving in this position.

ey & Karina Kathleen, Jo

Journalism is a passion of mine, as it was one of my majors during my undergraduate studies at Asbury University, in Wilmore, Kentucky, in the United States of America, and I have had prior experience writing and editing for my alma mater's newspaper, yearbook and alumni magazine.

I am pleased with the direction Gwangju News is heading. I hope you are too. I am also truly appreciative of all those from the past who have created such a professional and successful publication, most recently under the leadership of Kathleen, our new editor-inchief.

So wherever you may be reading Gwangju News today, may the reporting, the stories and the perspectives be ones that you enjoy learning from and hearing. Thank you for reading Gwangju News, and feel free to contact me (gwangjunews@gmail.com) with any of your feedback and suggestions. Enjoy this issue!

Kathleen Villadiego (Australia, Incoming Editor-in-Chief) In February 2012 Seth Pevey and I became co-editors of GN. It was a blissful collaboration, but six months later my partner in crime decided to focus more on his writing and stepped down. It was time to fly solo. My experiences as editor of GN in the past several months have ranged from enjoyable to at times frustrating. On the whole though, the role has been deeply rewarding, and the people I've worked with have made it all the more so.

We are volunteers. The editors, writers, copy editors, proofreaders, photographers, consultants, researchers and online administrators are all volunteers. GN is fortunate to have so many contributors whose dedication and talent allow us to have a publication we can be proud of. I'm grateful to my fellow volunteers.

As I leave my post as editor, I know the magazine will be in Joey's very capable hands. Our publication is growing and I'm excited to still be part of GN as the new editor-in-chief.

To Karina Prananto, GN's layout editor, whose work goes well beyond her job description, thank you for keeping it all together. To our readers, an immense thank you for your continual support.

There would be no Gwangju News without the GIC. I hope you can help us save both.

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contents 7

This Month in Gwangju/ Carl Hedinger

8 18

Upcoming Events Gwangju World Human Rights Cities Forum/ Bradley Weiss

events community 20 36

Easy Riding Korea: The Gwangju Gunners/ Matt Furlane Gwangju – City of Peace/Jordan VanHartingsveldt

culture 19 24 38 40

Celebrating Family/ Jenn Tinoco Asia Culture Forum / Doug Stuber Korean Dreaming/ Stephen Redeker Benefit All Mankind/ Won Hea Ran

27

photography 26 27 28

Photo of the Month Training the Eye to Get the Photo/ Simon Bond Buddha’s Birthday/ Simon Bond

travel 22 41

GIC Culture Tour to Gurye and Hadong/ Warren Parsons Suncheon Bay/ Moon Jiyeon

30

Dear Korea/ Jen Lee

34

health & fitness 31 32 34

Eating in a BPA World/ Kristal Lee The Home Stretch: How I Learned to Love Yoga in Korea/ Colleen Mayo Far Flung/Angie Hartley

35 42

Crossword/ Mike Schroeder Here Comes the Summer Sun/ jjdp

44 47

Spring Poems II/ Translated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne Rashid Corean Postcards/ Jose-Luis Moctezuma

literature language 48 50 51

Looking at English Growing and Maturing in Korea/ Dr. David Shaffer Let’s Go on a Shopping Trip!/ Jannies Le Learn Korean Idiomatic Expression/ Talk to Me in Korean

food & drink 52 53

Lounge aA/ Gabe Ward Mugwort Soup/ Cheon Soyeon

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Community Board Gwangju News May 2013

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This Month in Gwangju A brief roundup of news stories from in and around Gwangju

By Carl Hedinger Foreign Seniors get a free Metro Ride!

Photo by Nguyen Thi Le Hoa

Taxi Fares Up! Some of you may have noticed something new when getting around the city. Mayor Kang announced at the end of March through TV, radio and newspaper that regular taxi fares would increase at midnight of March 29. Through an extensive advertising campaign, the City hung banners at Gwangju Airport, U-Square Bus Terminal, Gwangju Station and Songjeong-ri Station – all taxi hotspots. Taxi drivers also posted a notice inside their cars with a chart listing the new fares. The City's decision to raise the regular taxi basic fare (up to 2km) from 2,200 won to 2,800 won was the first increase in over four years. New fares are now 100 won per 145 meters/35 seconds for the distance and time fare, as opposed to the previous 100 won per 150 meters/36 seconds. Gwangju officials said this measure will improve the treatment of transportation workers and, through raising wages, result in an upgrade in public services.

Gwangju to Manage 'The Weather School' for Future Generations The City announced plans to administer “The Visiting Weather School” (VWS). Officials want future generations to know the importance of climate change which will hopefully encourage youngsters towards a greener lifestyle. The school will conduct many programs such as field and play education for local elementary school students and children in community child centers.

Through play, the weather school wants people to learn the meaning of climate change and how important the practice of a green lifestyle is to the environment.

Reservations for VWS will be made on a first-come firstserve basis until April 26 at the Corresponding to Climate Change Center. City officials told news reporters: “The visiting weather school will help children practice green life. We are planning to revitalize the education by developing various programs.”

At a meeting late last year, Mayor Kang accepted a proposal to give “a free ride for overseas Chinese people” but has expanded this promotion. Since April, foreign seniors living in Gwangju who have been granted permanent residency can receive a reduced price metro rail ticket. Foreign senior citizens will be able to use the metro rail system for free after confirming whether they have obtained permanent residency and will be issued a complimentary ticket. At the time of writing, 38 people above 65 years old have been granted permanent residency and are eligible to receive these benefits. A city official noted that these price cuts symbolize Gwangju's desires to always move towards democracy and human rights as a peaceful city.

'I am a Shuttle!'

The musical 'I am a Shuttle!' about school violence prevention was recently on a provincial tour. Conducted

by Honam University's Lalala School, 'I am a Shuttle!' is a story about a high school student in Daegu who committed suicide after being bullied by classmates.

Producers wanted to tackle the problems in Korea of school violence, create a trial of situations and make audiences participate as jurors. The goal of this musical is for people to realize the magnitude of this problem and seek a solution. Lalala has already performed at Gwangju City Hall on April 3, 2013 as part of a “Conference of Love for Students.” More than 700 local council members attended and graciously enjoyed the play. While the tour may already have been completed by the time of reading, more information on the program can be found by calling 062-380-8500.

2013 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Awarded The Committee of the 2013 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights has announced that the Argentinian organization Hijos e Hijas por la Identidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio (H.I.J.O.S) is the winner of the 2013 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. H.I.J.O.S is composed mainly of the sons and daughters of the people who disappeared, were executed, or imprisoned for political reasons or forced to go into exile during the repression of the military dictatorship in Argentina from 1976 to 1983.

Members of H.I.J.O.S will give a talk at GIC on May 18 at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Read our exclusive interview in June’s issue.

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Upcoming Events May 2013 Contributors: Choi Junyong, Cheon Soyeon, Cho Haeri, Lee Jungmi, Park Kyungjin (GIC Gwangju News Team)

Movie @ Gwangju Theater Address: Chungjang-no 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore) Phone: 062-224-5858 Films change weekly to bi-weekly Fee: 8,000 won per person per film Check online for calendar and prices: (in Korean) http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju

The Angels' Share 엔젤스 셰어: 천사를 위한 위스키

To Rome with Love 로마 위드 러브 Genre: Comedy Director: Woody Allen Starring: Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Penelope Cruz, Roberto Benigni, Woody Allen Languages: English, Italian, Spanish Synopsis: This movie tells the stories of four people in Rome: an American man vacationing in Rome, a retired opera director, a newlywed couple and an ordinary man, and the romances surrounding them and their adventures in one of the world's most romantic cities.

Take Shelter 테이크 쉘터 Genre: Drama Director: Jeff Nichols Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart Language: English Synopsis: Constantly being chased by scary dreams, Curtis, who lives in Ohio with his wife and his deaf daughter, builds a storm shelter in his backyard. He keeps building his shelter which puts a strain on his marriage and the people around him. This makes Curtis more fearful as he wonders whether he should protect himself or his family from his visions.

Monsieur Lazhar 라자르 선생님 Genre: Drama Director: Philippe Falardeau Starring: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nelisse, Emilien Neron Language: French Synopsis: Lazhar who immigrated to Canada after losing his wife and two children, applies for a teaching position in Montreal. Simon (Emilien Neron) and Alice (Sophie Nelisse) are a pair of grade-school students who welcome the new teacher, Lazhar. But Lazhar realizes that they have suffered mental anguish of their own. By teaching Simon, Alice and their classmates, he finds that the experience helps him heal after struggling with a loss of his own. However, due to a crisis, he abruptly has to quit teaching.

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Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Ken Loach Starring: Paul Brannigan, John Henshaw, Jasmin Riggins, Roger Allam Language: English Synopsis: This movie is a story about an English hooligan who swears to live a better life for his newborn son after narrowly escaping prison. He and his friends visit a whisky distillery which will be his road to becoming a better person.

Sports Gwangju FC May Match Schedule Date

Match Team

Time

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Anyang FC

7 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju World Cup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) Directions: Bus 6, 16, 20, 26, 47 or 74 to the World Cup Stadium Ticket Price: VIP 10,000 won, GOLD 5,000 won (10% discount for online ticket purchases) Website: www.gwangjufc.com

KIA Tigers Baseball Team May Match Schedule Date

Match Team

Time

7-9 14 - 16 21 - 23 24 25 - 26

Lotte SK Hanhwa NC Dinos NC Dinos

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

5 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium (무등경기장) Directions: Bus 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, or 151 to Mudeung Stadium Ticket Price: Adults 9,000 - 13,000 won Website: www.tigers.co.kr

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advertisement

This Month in Holiday Inn Gwangju

Performances

What a wonderful time of the year. Spring at last ...

I visit the market each Saturday morning and the new seasonal fruits and vegetables can be seen in abundance. We've just had a great strawberry season as well. There is also fresh seafood all around us. Gwangju is a wonderful place to be when it comes to produce.

Gwangju International Center May Concert 2013 광주국제교류센터 오월음악회 Venue : Recital Theater, Gwangju Cultural and Art Center Date: May 12 Time: 5 p.m.

Admission: All Seats 10,000 won For more information: 062-226-2733 or gic@gic.or.kr K Concert – Jang Yoon-jung Final Duty Concert 장윤정 효 콘서트 Venue: The First Exhibition, Kim Daejung Convention Center Date: May 11 Time: 3 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Saturday Admission: R Seat 88,000 won / S Seat 77,000 won / A Seat 66,000 won Phone: 062-222-2362

Hourglass Restaurant for Lunch To celebrate spring, we have decided on a unique, value-packed approach for lunch Monday through Friday in Hourglass. ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR 20,700 won. That's not a printing error. It's a whopping 30% discount for Lunch time MONDAY through FRIDAY. This offer is valid from May 1 until June 30, 2013.

Dinner in Hourglass also has a special offer, a complimentary glass of wine for each person paying our normal price of 41,500 won.

Kind regards, Michael Wilson (General Manager) For more information, please visit: www.holidayinngwangju.com

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Festivals

Damyang Bamboo Festival 담양대나무축제 Date: May 3 - 8 Venue: Jungnogwon and Gwanbangje Forest, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do Program: Experience the path through the forest, flower teas exhibition, bamboo fair, poetry reading contest, floating bamboo rafts, traditional culture and art performances Directions: Take the 311 bus to Damyang from Gwangju Bus Terminal (Interval Time: 20 - 40 minutes) to Jungnogwon.

For more information: www.bamboofestival.co.kr

Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013 순천정원박람회 Date: April 20 - October 20 Venue: Suncheon Bay, Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Directions: From Gwangju Bus Terminal, take a bus to Suncheon (frequency: every 10-20 minutes; duration 1 hour and 10 minutes), then from Suncheon Bus Terminal, take bus no. 67 going to Suncheon Bay (frequency: every 20-30 minutes). There is direct bus from Gwangju to Suncheon Bay on weekends.

For more information: 1577-2013 http://eng.2013expo.or.kr/ 10

Gwangju News May 2013

Yeosu Turtle Ship Festival 여수거북선축제 Date: May 3 - 6 Venue: Admiral Yi Sun-shin square, Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Program: A reenactment of the history of Admiral Yi Sun-shin, various experience events, performances by celebrities.

Directions: Take the bus to Yeosu from U-square (Interval Time: 20 - 30 minutes). From the Yeosu terminal, take bus 82, 999 or 111 and get off at Jinnamgwan bus stop and walk for about 20 minutes.

For more information: http://ystour.kr/festival/geobuksun.jsp

2013 Wando Changpogo Festival 2013 완도 장보고 축제 Date: May 3 - 5 Venue: Wando Beach Park, Wando Memorial Hall Program: Sea firework show, singing contest, comic festival.

Directions: Take the bus to Wando from Gwangju bus terminal (Interval Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour). From the Wando bus terminal, take a bus going to Namchang (takes 20 minutes) then walk for 7 min. to Wando Memorial Hall For more information: 061-550-6933

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Exhibitions

Gwangju International Tea Fair 2013 2013 광주국제 차문화 전시회 Venue: Kim Daejung Convention Center Date: May 30 - June 2 Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Admission Fee: Adults 3,000 won/ Youth 3,000 won Phone: 062-611-2212 For more information: www.teaexpo.or.kr

The Southern culture IV – Suncheon 남도문화전Ⅳ -순천 Venue: Gwangju National Museum Date: May 7 - June 30 Time: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Admission Fee: Free Phone: 062-570-7000 For more information: http://gwangju.museum.go.kr

The Canadian Ambassador to Korea and his staff will be in Gwangju to deliver consular service to Canadian citizens in the area.

The service will include: passport, citizenship, notary services (notary services include the Affidavit of Eligibility of Marriage, Statutory Declaration for RCMP Criminal Record Check Certificate, Driver’s License Certificate, etc.)

Keep this date free!

May 7, 2013 (Tuesday)

9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

A Day in the Life of Mr.OO OO씨의 하루 Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art Date: April 13 - May 26 Time: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m./ closed Monday Admission Fee: Adults 500 won/ Youth 300 won/ Children 200 won Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Lee Cheolsu Exhibition “The children would be followed” 이철수 <아이들 뒤따라 올 텐데> Venue: Gwangju Museum of Art/ Sangnok Exhibition Date: April 5 - May 5 Time: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m./ closed Monday Admission Fee: Free Phone: 062-613-7100 For more information: www.artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Venue: Gwangju International Center To schedule an appointment, please contact the Consular Section of the Embassy at: 02-3783-6000 ext. 3313 or 3321

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feature

Remembering the Gwangju Democratic Uprising

By C. Adam Volle Photos by Matt Ehlers, Joey Nunez, and Mason Robinson

T

exas has the Battle of the Alamo. Israel has the Siege of Masada. Greece has the Battle of Thermopylae. And the people of Gwangju – along with every Korean who identifies with them – have their memories of May 18-27, 1980. The short version of the story is: 33 years ago some university students in Gwangju peacefully protested against their government. A brigade of the Republic of Korean (ROK) Army responded by breaking up that protest with such violence that even uninvolved passersby were killed. This cruelty so angered the population that seemingly everyone in the city fought back and made international news by forcing the soldiers out of town. The Army eventually did regain control, but the many civilians who died in the fighting quickly became martyrs, and the event has served as an important symbol for the activists who eventually transformed South Korea into a democracy.

The longer version of the story is more difficult.

During a press conference last May about his own uprising-inspired exhibition, Seoul photographer Noh Sun-taek reminded his audience: “The remembering [of an event] has always been accompanied with forgetting.” He meant that societies' traumatic experiences turn into those societies' stories, but stories have requirements that reality does not. For instance, stories can never be as complicated, especially if you want a lot of people to listen to them. So some details are emphasized, while others are ignored, depending on the needs of the people who are speaking. The process is much like the transformation of a novel into a movie script, or multiple books and interviews into a magazine article. With that in mind, here's the longer version.

Democratic Party immediately quit in protest. On university campuses across the country, politicallyminded students once again took up the chants “Down with the dictator!” and “Protect freedom of speech!” The night of the 15th, a thousand students from Busan National University held a torchlight demonstration Downtown. The experienced riot police dutifully began teargassing and beating them. This time, however, something was wrong: rather than dispersing, the crowd just got larger. Within 24 hours over 50,000 people surrounded City Hall. The ROK Army eventually had to send specially-trained paratroopers to restore order, but by then the protests had spread to Masan and Changwon.

Soon, activists promised, the whole country would rise up. It all deeply disturbed Kim Jae-kyu, the Korean CIA director, so he reported to his boss that the protests were a serious threat. According to Kim, however, President Park's response disturbed him even more. Park said he would give the order for soldiers to break the rule against shooting civilians. He also suggested Kim was not very good at his job. Kim thought the President was not very good at his job either and advised his boss to “govern with a broader outlook.” Then Kim shot him. In the man's own words: “'Bang! Bang!'

Like that.” On that night of October 26, everything changed. A majority of South Koreans already wanted government reform, but now they expected it. After all, Park Chung-hee had created the military regime; it only seemed natural his death would end it. Foreign journalists caught the spirit of the times and began to write about a “Seoul Spring” occurring in South Korea, a period of transition soon to result in long-awaited democracy.

BEFORE MAY 18 The meltdown began on October 13, 1979, when Kim Young-sam lost his lawmaker's seat in the National Assembly for saying what everyone in South Korea already knew – the National Assembly itself was a fraud, since the country's constitution gave all the power to the man who wrote it: President Park Chung-hee. Every other representative in Kim Young-sam's National

But as every Korean knows, the arrival of spring is always followed by a sudden chill. There's an expression for it: “The winter is jealous of the flowers” (고슴귀 추위). According to General John A. Wickham Jr., commander of the peninsula's US forces, many high-ranking officers in the ROK Army considered the end of their political influence to be the end of the country. They believed military men believed in such lofty ideas as duty, honor

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and sacrifice, but civilians and the media only pursued their own “selfish interests.” In particular, the generals could not imagine allowing a president with no military experience to control their armies. These “politicians in uniform” (Wickham's term) promised they would not stop democratization, but in private General Wickham's sources told him differently: they planned to regain the Blue House. Their new leader, General Chun Doo-hwan, chose a dramatic moment to make his move: the same weekend in which everyone thought the nationwide Democratic Movement had won. On Friday May 15, Korean citizens marched all over the country, over 100,000 in Seoul, all demanding the National Assembly to finish creating a new constitution and provide a fixed date for the direct election of a new president. The Journalists’ Association of Korea took the opportunity to announce that its members would strike if the government did not free the press from restrictive censorship laws.

Prime Minister Shin Hyeon-hwak essentially agreed to these demands and President Choi returned early from traveling. Feeling confident, the Movement's leaders asked all their supporters to take the weekend off. If the Assembly did not get to work on Monday, they could demonstrate again. All the protesters immediately obeyed, except for Gwangju's.

MAY 18 In 1980, Dr. Dave Shaffer worked at Chosun University, just as he still does today. “I got a phone call from Chosun University authorities [saying] that the university was closed until further notice to everyone – students, faculty and staff – and that the military had set up their base camp on the campus's large athletic field.” As Shaffer and the rest of Korea would later discover, a secret cabinet meeting occurred the previous night in which Chun Doo-hwan had extended martial law throughout the nation. To prevent new protests, the general ordered the arrests of activist leaders at night. He also ordered all political activities be banned, reinforced restrictions on the media and sent paratroopers from the ROK Army's Special Forces to close down the most troublesome universities. At the main gate of Chonnam National University, 30 paratroopers watched as a crowd of 300-500 students gradually amassed in the street. The soldiers wore patches identifying themselves as members of the Army's 7th “Pegasus” Brigade, veterans of the Vietnam War usually tasked with guarding the DMZ. They carried unusual clubs. Fifty Chonnam students decided to sit down and start shouting, “End martial law!” and “Withdraw the order to close the universities!” They did not understand that these soldiers had different intentions than in Busan; they had been

Above: Chonnam National University Front Gate Top: May 18 Liberty Park Photos by Matt Ehlers

given new “chungjeong” (충정) training that emphasized offense over defense, by also watching an American-made instruction video showing how to break demonstrators' collarbones and to shoot anyone who ran. The paratroopers rushed the students. Some put aside their clubs in favor of their daggers, while others used their guns' bayonets. When the students ran, the soldiers followed, and while pursuing them the soldiers also attacked anyone else they happened to see. The first person they killed was a deaf man oblivious to their presence. Many more after him were killed in ways that should not be described. The soldiers stripped those arrested naked and put them in trucks bound for prison camps. Multiple people later reported sexual assault. Others were never heard from again.

MAY 19 Despite the paratroopers' aggression, the same phenomenon began occurring in Gwangju that scared Kim Jae-kyu in Busan. The crowds did not disappear; they got larger, and they fought back.

“They had only forks and spoons, only weapons found in the kitchen,” one sixth-grade student Gwangju News May 2013 13

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Left: Flame shown inside the May 18 National Cemetery Exhibit Right: The Gwangju Students’ Memorial stands tall Photos by Joey Nunez

recently told Gwangju News. Kim Nam-ju writes of “the kitchen knives of the boys who rushed out of restaurants” in his poem “Don't Sing of May as a Blade of Grass that Withers in Wind.” The university students' outraged friends and family did not limit themselves to silverware. Any handy weapon served a purpose for battle, from car tools to river stones. Some got creative by attaching their knives to the ends of bamboo poles. Others introduced Korea to the Molotov cocktail. At 11a.m. the paratroopers brought out new weapons of their own: armored vehicles, tanks and flamethrowers.

By 11 p.m. ordered reinforcements were summoned; a multitude of students from Gwangju's male high schools had joined the fight.

MAY 20 A German reporter named Jurgen Hinzpeter arrived to obtain footage. He later wrote: “Never in my life, even in filming the Vietnam War, had I seen anything like this.” Panic had begun to spread. “Kill them or they'll kill us!” someone overheard one black beret shouting. Officers outside the city gave different advice to the fresh soldiers going in: they should show restraint to avoid further angering the population. On the Army's loudspeakers, demands for citizens to return to their homes began to sound more like pleading. “Please return to your homes …

Your families are worried about you.”

Reinforcements brought the military's strength to just under 3,000 soldiers to the already 18,000 riot police fighting, but those 21,000 men now faced over 100,000 protesters – and the number just kept growing, as Gwangju residents drove their loudspeaker trucks and buses through every 14

Gwangju News May 2013

neighborhood, calling on every able-bodied person they saw to join the struggle. The families of the dead pushed their neighbors into action by displaying the bodies on carts out on the street. At Mudeung Stadium 200 taxi and bus drivers met to pledge their assistance, developing a strategy of driving their vehicles side-by-side up the roads where police were blocking to create moving walls that no line of riot shields could push through.

By evening a sea-like mass of demonstrators had surrounded the Army's headquarters in the Jeollanam-do Provincial Hall at the end of Geumnam Street. From its windows the Special Forces commanders watched the city's Tax Office burn to the ground.

MAY 21 “Citizens, let us save Gwangju!” Jeollanam-do's governor shouted through his speaker, but very few people could hear his slogans over their own cheering and singing. It was 11 a .m., and below the governor's helicopter, the multitude's edge now lay no farther than ten meters from the Provincial Office's defensive line. Despite their closeness, violence between the two sides broke out only in small bursts, because the people of Gwangju believed the Army were leaving.

Tragically, they did not know more. Earlier that morning, the Army had replaced the Army's onsite commander with a new general who intended to make his name breaking the “Gwangju riot.” Shortly after 10 a.m., the new management gave each soldier guarding the Provincial Hall a cartridge of real bullets and told him the secret signal on which to shoot into the crowds. The signal came at 1 p.m. sharp – outside the Hall, the muggy air suddenly filled with a recording of the Aegukga (애 국 가 ), Korea's national anthem. The crowd quieted. Some began to sing along. Hands rose to cover hearts.

MAY 22-26 The soldiers' 10-minute shooting spree killed 54, wounded more than 500 and crossed the final line; the community's response came within two hours of that same day. Stores of M-1 carbine rifles in Gwangju's police stations suddenly disappeared – often with the blessings of the police – and by 3:20 p.m., the paratroopers took fire from the new Citizens' Army of Gwangju. By May 22 at 5 p.m., the Army abandoned the

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Provincial Hall to escape heavy machine gun fire.

By 8 p.m. every soldier had left the city.

“Liberated Gwangju” had become a community.

To borrow the Bible's description in Acts 2:44 of the first church, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” During that time, Gwangju's overjoyed citizens are said to have organized food distribution, cleaned up, created policing and completed any other tasks without any hierarchical management. To help decide big questions that concerned the whole city, the people voted in meetings that attracted about 100,000 people. Those meetings became very passionate from the spontaneous nature of the Uprising. Gwangju's residents emerged from all the excitement to realize their city was still surrounded by tanks, they would eventually run out of food and they did not know what to do next. A group of prominent and respected elders in the community stepped forward to form the Citizens' Settlement Committee (CSC), with the purpose of negotiating the city's surrender. They hoped to obtain from the Army an apology, payment for the victims and a promise not to punish anyone involved in the protests. As a gesture of goodwill, they began by collecting some of the guns taken

by Gwangju's protestors and gave them back to the Army in exchange for the freedom of arrested activists. To the activists and students who had fought for ideological reasons, this course of action was crazy. If Gwangju gave up, what was the point of all the fighting? And how could anyone trust the government not to take its usual revenge on everyone involved? The only option was to continue the armed revolution Gwangju had already begun. To stop the “surrender faction” of the CSC, activists and students staged a sort of coup and formed their own CitizenStudent Struggle Committee (CSSC). Through a mix of good argument and physical intimidation, they took away the CSC's power. A 29-year-old named Yun Sang-won became their spokesman.

“Yun Sang-won was maybe the only one who had a strategic view,” an activist later told reporter Bradley Martin. “[He] wanted to complete the rebellion, put the final touch on the rebellion.”

That final touch would result in his death.

MAY 26-27 – The Massacre “We declare to the nation that 800,000 Gwangju citizens will fight to the end!” read the CSSC's resolution at the Democracy Square meeting on May 26. When the end did come, in fact, Yun discovered he had spoken for roughly 200. Of those, the CSSC sent home about 50 women, girls and boys, leaving “80 people who had completed military service, 60 youth and high school students, and 10 women” (Katsiaficas in

May 18 Memorial Park Photo by Mason Robinson

“Asian Unknown Uprisings: South Korean Social Movements in the 20th Century”). The remaining 150 barricaded themselves inside the Provincial Hall and settled into their positions. The ROK Army's operation began at roughly 2 a.m. Its tanks drew up to the Provincial Hall around 4:30 a.m. while paratroopers attacked through the rear entrance.

With many of the CCSC members having no more than ten minutes of training in using their weapons, the battle did not last long. The government would later declare that two soldiers and 17 CSSC members died in the fighting. Yoon Sang-won was a casualty, shot in the kidney and then burned to death by a fire.

However, the desired effect of his sacrifice soon began to materialize. “Chun Doo-hwan's position seems less secure,” General Wickham reported to Washington DC soon after. “Chun Doo-hwan is a marked man,” the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung declared more bluntly on May 30. The new leaders of South Korea never fully recovered from Gwangju's ruining of their debut.

They lost effective power seven years later.

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feature

Save GIC Day: Saving Serving Spirit

By Joey Nunez Photos courtesy of the GIC and Yvan Christian

“T

he future of the GIC is on the shoulders of its members, so we, the members, have to serve the means of the community.” Dr. Shin Gyonggu, Director of the Gwangju International Center (GIC), desires us to join together and take action by continuing to help, as the GIC now needs us.

On June 30, the GIC will be forced to relocate from its current location in the Jeonil Building to a new home to be determined. One of the oldest in the city, the Jeonil Building will be demolished to provide space for a new park in downtown Gwangju. With this upcoming transition, the financial quota has been set for the GIC to raise 40 million won, in order for this non-profit organization to pay the deposit and moving charges.

So on May 4, the GIC will host “SAVE THE GIC!” at its current location. Members, non-members and volunteers are all invited to attend anytime between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Hosted activities will include a flea market, Save the GIC Night, a GIC Talk discussing the GIC with a special performance afterwards, coffee, food, games and more.

The indoor flea market will be an opportunity for Korean and international residents to purchase clothing, accessories, books, CDs and other items, with all takings funneled directly into the GIC Moving Fund. Pies, cookies, muffins and other tasty treats will also be sold to GIC visitors that day at a bake sale. Kim Jihyun, GIC Coordinator, stated that those who come will have the opportunity of playing such roles as “buyer,” “seller,” “performer” and “speaker.”

In addition to purchasing items, guests will enjoy tasty treats, refreshing drinks and relaxed conversations, while listening to instrumental music, hearing Dr. Shin and Maria Lisak, a GIC Board Member, lead the GIC Talk, and watching a performance by artists. The atmosphere will be lively and enjoyable.

After the day event at the GIC, fund raising will continue with a number of events, including the Save the GIC Night. From 5 p.m. to midnight on May 4, participants will be able to visit The First Alleyway

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to enjoy pizza, cheeseburgers, onion rings, tacos and/or Key lime pies and to drink beer, wine and/or soda at special prices. Save the GIC Night tickets are now available at the GIC or online at the GIC website, and volunteers will be needed to help with this special event.

On May 12, the GIC will also host its annual GIC Concert to help with funding. Korean and international musicians will gather to perform songs commemorating the four seasons. Ticket reservations can be completed either at the GIC, by contacting Lee Bo-ram, GIC Coordinator, or by visiting the following web address: http://eng.gic.or.kr/portal/board.php Warren Parsons, the GIC Culture Tour Guide, will also organize two walking tours around Gwangju on May 4 and May 11. Each tour will go to separate locations around the city, including a walk to Mudeung Mountain.

Other ways for Gwangju residents to bless the GIC with one-time giving are for non-members to become members, and for current members to renew their membership. Creating or renewing one's membership can be simply completed by visiting the GIC or visiting the GIC's website.

The current account for raising funds will still accept donations, up until the GIC's move on June 30. This account can be accessed by transferring won to Kwangju Bank's Account Number 134-107-000980 or KEB's 040-22-02413-8. For both accounts, the Depositor is: (사 ) 광 주 국 제 교 류 센 터 . For overseas transfers, GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/gicmovingfund (credit card) will accept financial transfers.

All accounts will help GIC, an NPO, continue doing what it has been doing for 14 years: serving the community.

Karina Prananto, GIC Coordinator, is originally from Indonesia. Prananto first heard of the GIC while searching for an opportunity to take Korean classes.

What she found was home. “The GIC is also the voice of the community,” Prananto said, further mentioning that the GIC has advocated for its

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GIC Day

Jeonil Building members’ inconveniences to City Hall. “That is part of our mission, to become a bridge for the international community and the Gwangju city.”

After all, as Kim also mentioned: “Everyone is a community member.” While serving at the GIC for nine years, Kim has been privileged to share the GIC's concept with outside organizations and communities in Korea. The response has constantly been one of impression, because of the large network of dedicated volunteers and the wide variety of opportunities found at the GIC. In addition, Kim is able to share from the heart, because of what she personally witnesses while at work. “Every day, I see people who want to share their gifts, talents and energy within the community, and it's very nice to see that people are willing.”

So now, with the need to raise the support the GIC needs to continue, Kim stated that while the GIC helps the community, vice-versa applies. “We are all together. We all work together for the community, so we don't need to divide.”

In addition to community members serving at the GIC, Dr. Shin desires the GIC to be a role model for what works and excels in Korean society. “The volunteering here is so rich. I work here as a volunteer.” Instrumental in creating the GIC from its beginning in 1999 and having been active since, Dr. Shin further explained that exhibiting transparency, functioning autonomously and promoting organizational democracy are key factors for how the GIC conducts its business. “Trust is the best method for any organization, and I want

May Concert to show that an organization can be more prosperous by enjoying the trust of other people.

That is how we want to be a model organization for other organizations in Gwangju, and in Korea as well.”

Even with five years of service to the GIC, Prananto has started to notice something new. “The GIC's role in my life is getting bigger and deeper, and I want to be one to make the GIC more known to people.”

Prananto additionally mentioned that the GIC's purpose is never for profit, always for service. So, as the GIC continues to fund-raise, Prananto encouraged residents to give “if the GIC means something to you or we have helped you in the past.” Like all other GIC staff members, Prananto is appreciative of every gift.

Dr. Shin stated that receiving something in life takes more than thought to make it happen. “Without dedication, I don't think we can achieve anything.”

And Dr. Shin knows he cannot be alone in preserving the GIC. “We can make the most of the GIC for our future, as I want it to be utilized by its members.”

The GIC will only be able to continue by having the support of its community.

So, please come to the GIC on May 4, and support the GIC thereafter for their upcoming move. Kim believes in the power of the singular act and individual. “I know that every effort, every volunteer, can change the GIC.” As Kim concludes, know that you are needed to Save GIC! “Everyone can help. Everyone can make a difference by attending this event.”

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event preview

Gwangju World Human Rights Cities Forum

By Bradley Weiss Photos courtesy of Gwangju World Human Rights Cities Forum

T

he Kimdaejung Convention Center will be hosting the 2013 World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) from May 15 through 18. This year's theme is “Sustainable Human Rights City for All: Guiding Principles for a Human Rights City.”

According to the forum's website, WHRCF's goal is “to address the challenges in the process of making a human rights city a reality, with a special focus on effective institution building and mechanisms.” The participants will exchange ideas for creating future principles to these challenges, as identified by interested parties, such as policy makers, civil servants and academics.

The Metropolitan City of Gwangju has organized this forum, in cooperation with the May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Korea Human Rights Foundation and with the support of other local, national and international organizations.

Close to 300 participants are expected to take part, “composed of representatives from 'human rights cities,' UN human rights experts, civic and human rights NGOs, local parliamentarians, as well as academics both from Korea and abroad.” Two well-known keynote speakers, current UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, will present at the Forum.

Three workshops will focus on human rights issues for invited participants, while the community is invited to attend workshops on May 16 and 17.

Korean and English will be the official languages, and the opening ceremony, the main session and many other sessions will be presented with simultaneous interpretation in both languages.

Special events are included in the schedule. On May 15 the finalists for the 2nd Annual Global Essay Contest for Human Rights will present their essays before a panel of judges. The contest is intended to “promote youth participation in building a human rights city by inviting them to share their ideas and experiences.”

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Participants are encouraged to attend the rally on the eve of the May 18 People's Uprising. The following day they will likewise attend the 33rd Commemorative Ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, held at the May 18 National Cemetery, as well the presentation of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, an international award given to a person “who has demonstrated outstanding performance for the advancement of human rights.”

From the website, the 2013 WHRCF is “a sign of continued commitment of the people and the municipal government of Gwangju, as well as an invitation to all like-minded mayors and human rights advocates, to the vision of a Human Rights City for promoting solidarity and cooperation towards a universal culture of human rights.” The history of Gwangju shows its firm commitment to this vision and marks it as a particularly suitable host for this forum.

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culture

Celebrating Family

By Jenn Tinoco

image from Cafe24

“F

eliz Cinco De Mayo” everyone! Well, in a kimchi style sort of way. Not to be confused with the Mexican national holiday, May 5th calls for the celebration of the Children of South Korea.

What better way to start off summer than with outdoor festivities and celebrations? During the month of May, not only do we commemorate Children's Day, but Parent's Day as well. For those of you who are fresh off the plane, both holidays are great to witness and familiarize yourself with the culture, especially in the lovely city of Gwangju.

May 5th holds a special meaning for all children in Korea, just as much as Christmas and birthdays do to others around the world. Parents and grandparents alike cook delicious food for their little ones, or partake in a great family outing to a special restaurant. Parents also give their children gifts and money. It has been an ongoing tradition since 1946, shortly after the Japanese Independence.

In a nation where respect is gained with age, a young writer named Chung-Hwan Pang thought it was important to have one day out of the year where Koreans can give recognition to children.

Chung once said, “Children are the future of our nation. Let's show respect for children. Children who grow up with ridicule and contempt from others will become people who disrespect others, while children who grow up with respect from others will become people who respect others in turn.”

Children's Day is different than other national holidays around the world for children, which were mainly established to keep them safe from hazardous work environments, and to impose less child labor or to create a better education system.

In the days that follow, both Mom and Dad get their own recognition. Parent's Day will be celebrated on May 8th this year. Many of us are

accustomed to a Western-style celebration: a single Mother's Day, which usually falls on May 10th in the US, and then a separate Father's Day in the month of July. Although it is not recognized as a national holiday, the tradition began in 1956 originally as Mother's Day, but by 1973 it was changed to Parent's Day. Thus, there is no excuse to forget one or the other.

Both parents get gifts such as cards, carnation flowers, and so forth. A handful of Latino nations, including Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador to name a few, specifically give their mothers carnations as well. Nowadays, gifts to parents can vary once the kids are all grown up and they are able to afford more expensive material goods. According to Gwangju native, Park Cho Hee, a mother of three: “As [parents] get older, they might ask for a special present such as cosmetic surgery for both mother and father.” This can range from Botox and face lifts, to permanent eyebrow or eyeliner tattoos for mothers or hair plugs for fathers. Park states that the meaning of Parent's Day has been hastily drained due to various companies marketing their material goods in the past few decades.

But who can deny those cute flower and rose bouquets that are sprawled up on each street corner for the special date? Most of you know what these glittery, hot pink, purple to neon yellow bunches of sprayed scented petals look like. These bunches of flowers definitely aren't “cheap” as some range from 35,000 to 100,000 won. Then again, there should be no price tag to express your love, right?

With an increase in holidays to recognize family members such as children, mothers and fathers alike, this is a special month in various places around the world. But in Korea, it is a momentous time to bond with family, really take a break from the fast-paced lifestyle, and to welcome the sunny, warm days ahead.

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community

Easy Riding Korea: The Gwangju Gunners

By Matt Furlane Photos courtesy the Gwangju Gunners

I

n 2009 several foreigner motorcycle enthusiasts banded together on Facebook to form a group called the “Gwangju Gunners.” After four years they still meet during the spring/summer seasons and tour through many parts of Korea, visiting national parks and historical sites. I sat down with two current members of the group: Jonathan Brenner, who teaches at Chonnam National University, and the group's co-founder, Vanessa McClellen, to talk about the “Gunners” and motorcycling in Korea.

Gwangju News (GN):Who started the 'Gunners'?

Vanessa: It was founded in 2009 by four people – me, Kirk Murray, Dustin Pfeffer and Philip Schrank.

We all rode motorcycles and needed to plan trips, so we created a Facebook page to organize riding times. The name 'Gunners' came after that and is from an English phrase meaning to accelerate quickly, like 'gunning the engine.' It's kind of a play on words.

GN: What do you ride?

Jonathan: I ride a dual sport BMW GS-650. I have had it for about six years.

Vanessa: I ride a cruiser model Honda Shadow 750, and I bought it this year.

GN: Why bike in a group?

Vanessa: It's fun and it's safer. Everyone will get a number (rider 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) and we will ride in a staggered fashion for maneuverability and to keep cars from cutting in on us. The more experienced riders will ride in front and in the back of the pack with new riders in the middle. This keeps us from making a wrong turn or from newer riders falling behind.

Jonathan: And I'll usually lead because I have been in Korea the longest and have traveled the most. I know the roads fairly well and have a good mental map of where things are. I know the good roads and what roads to avoid. I want the trip to be relaxing for everyone.

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GN: Who can become a Gunner?

Jonathan: Anyone can join, Koreans or foreigners.

We've had members from Scotland, Australia, Russia, Canada, America and New Zealand. We have a relaxed philosophy about riding, so anyone who likes to unwind and enjoy Korea by bike can be a part of the group. We recommend that a person's bike be 125cc or higher in order to keep within the group on longer rides. Also, members should have the proper safety equipment like gloves and a helmet and that they have their proper license, tags and titles for their motorcycle.

GN: How can a foreigner get a title, plates and license in Korea?

Vanessa: The laws are changing and Korea is becoming more strict about motorcycles being properly licensed. For a foreigner you should buy a bike from a reputable dealer who speaks some English. I went to Gwangju Nam Motors in Shingadong. After you fill out the proper paper work for transfer of title and insurance, take your ARC card and proof of insurance, with a Korean friend, and go to the local licensing office to get plates.

Jonathan: As far as I know, getting a motorcycle license depends on what size motorcycle you want to ride (above or below 125cc). You have to go to Naju on a specific weekday (a Tuesday or a Wednesday) and take both the written and driving portions of the motorcycle exam. Some people have an international driver's license and can skip this process possibly, while others who only want to ride a 125cc or smaller may fall under the regular drivers/motorcycle license category.

GN: Do you ride much in the city?

Vanessa: I don't ride in the city unless I have to.

The stop and go is straining, and cars don't view motorcycles as equals and will push you off the road. I mostly ride in the countryside. The riding in this province is great and we're so close to the seaside cities, the beaches and the tea

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1. L-R Vanessa McClellan (Black and Green) William Harris (Backpack) Andy Whyte (Yellow Gloves) Jonathan Brenner (Terrible hair) Phillip Schrank (Orange and Black). The Gunners were out for a Sunday ride around Damyang for a few hours taking in the nice early spring scenery.

2. Jonathan Brenner and his two bikes, the Red Devil (Hyosung RX 125) and the BMW GS 650 3. Vanessa McClellan and her luxury liner, Honda Shadow 750 pretty well customized 4. Newcomers to the group William Harris (L) and Andy Whyte (R) enjoying the countryside plantations. Ten minutes from where I live, I can ride out into the countryside.

Jonathan: The city is very nerve-wracking. There is too much going on visually, and a good motorcyclist tries to limit the amount of risk that they take. In Korean cities there's too much risk for me: people running red lights, buses turning into your lane or taxis on your rear end. I'll spend a whole week going on cross-country journeys to get away from it and relax. I'll come back loving Korea and feeling refreshed.

GN: Where do you ride?

Jonathan: Korea is a beautiful place, I've been to every province and Gwangju has a nice urban rural spread. Within the group we will nominate a riding destination and go from there. Sometimes it's one-day events. Other times it's a weekend camping trip. One of our favorite places to ride is a historical site near Jon Sang, about 30 km north of Gwangju, taking the back roads. There is a 19th century battlefield site to see and we have picnics in the area. We usually open and close our riding season by going to this place in April, then in October. Also this year we might go to Gamagol,

Namhae or Jin-do on more extended rides.

GN: What's a good motorcycle to begin with?

Vanessa: I tried to teach one person on a 250cc and they almost got hurt. A 125cc is definitely a good starter bike because it's cheaper and there is less likelihood you will hurt yourself. Most people when they first start riding, they sometimes panic and you naturally grab the handle grips tighter and over-accelerate. With a 250cc or higher, you can jerk back, take off and do some serious damage.

When I first started riding, I rode a 125cc for two years, then moved up to a bigger bike.

GN: What's the best thing about a motorcycle?

Vanessa: To get out and go. In a car you're just going from point A to B, whereas with a motorcycle, it's an enjoyment.

Jonathan: I've learned more about Korea by taking motorcycle tours than anything else. Riding allows me to experience by participating and getting out there. It's the difference between the ideas of a journey and a destination. In a car it's about getting somewhere, the destination. With a motorcycle it's more about riding, the journey.

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event preview

[GIC Culture Tour]

GIC Culture Tour

Gurye and Hadong Words and photos by Warren Parsons

Date: April 25, 2013 (Sat.) Price: 50,000 won GIC members/ 60,000 won non-members Itinerary: Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center - Hwagae Village - Lunch - Tea Picking Tea Making Experience - Ssanggye Temple Registration: Please sign up at the GIC website (www.gic.or.kr) by April 19 (Sun.) For more information: gictour@gic.or.kr

M

ay is all about the color green. The rolling green hillsides and aquamarine streams of Jirisan, alive with wildlife, the fragrance of fresh picked tea and the austere teal of a temple tucked into the woods are just a few of the things to experience in Gurye and Hadong.

First on this month's itinerary is the Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center. This center is the home of the Asiatic black bear, also known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;half-moon bear.â&#x20AC;? Although the species had become nearly extinct in Korea, since 2002 the species has been gradually reintroduced into Jirisan National Park. Currently there are 12 bears in the rehabilitation center and nearly 30 bears living wild within the park. Through education and conservation, this center strives to protect existing wildlife and also to successfully breed and rehabilitate other threatened species. Participants can get close to the community of bears in a protected forest and learn about the center's efforts from one of the forestry guides.

After visiting the bears, the bus ride to Hwagae village follows the Seomjin River through some of the most scenic vistas in the country. At a restaurant high over the clear waters below, lunch is a nutritious mix of mountain vegetables and rice cooked in a stone pot, complemented by a shitake mushroom pancake. A short walk uphill from the restaurant leads to a field of wild tea trees. With the instruction of a local tea maker, participants can pick the best leaves and buds which give the most flavorful cup of tea. After the fresh tea leaves are brought from the field, the next steps in the tea making process are withering, rolling and roasting, which are done in the village Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center 22

Gwangju News May 2013

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1, 4, 5. Ssangye Temple; 2. Jirisan Endangered Species Restoration Center; 3. Lunch

center. Finally, while the tea leaves are left to finish, participants can enjoy a cup of Hwagae tea, which, according to Korea's greatest tea master Cho Eui, is the ethereal pinnacle of Korean tea making.

With hands scented green, the stroll through the woods along the falling valley water to Ssanggye temple is a magical way to end any day of traveling. First established during the Silla dynasty, the temple later acquired its current name because of the streams converging below its

entrance. Passing through three beautiful gates, the path leads to a large temple compound with dozens of aged buildings and a well-curated gallery housing many of the temples treasures. Participants are free to wander the site, get lost in the nooks and courtyards or have a drink of water at the ancient spring.

Please come out for a wildlife adventure, some hot cauldrons of tea and an atmospheric walk in the forest this May with the GIC Culture Tour!

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culture

Asia Cultural Center Conference Words and photos by Doug Stuber

G

wangju's version of the U.S. city of Boston's “Big Dig,” the Asian Cultural Center (ACC), is due to open in 2014 after the building and grounds are completed in December 2013.

With that in mind, those involved in the “Savage Garden of Knowledge,” an international symposium, have laid out both the real goals of the Center and its potential uses. Curators, art directors, professors and performers gave a wide variety of reasons why the ACC has the potential to be such a success.

Lee Yongchul, the President of the Institute of Asian Cultural Development (and an early curator of the Gwangju Biennale) listed: archival contents, the cross-disciplinary approach, performances, themed exhibitions, planned programs, programs for children, multi-functional performance and exhibition halls, laboratories, a sound lab and even a Food Lab as part of a multi-layered center that is “meant to be used, so please, come here and exhibit and perform.”

None of the presenters ventured to guess how the ACC would attract visitors from outside Gwangju, or inside Gwangju, so the positive economic impact can not be estimated until it comes true. The impact for local artists, however, is slated to be larger than once thought imaginable, due to the commitment to having regular performances, and a multitude of themed exhibits.

How can the ACC serve both as a showpiece 24

Gwangju News May 2013

venue for all of Asia and represent local creators?

The key lies in how adaptable the building itself is.

Fram Kitiwaga, distinguished Japanese curator, gave the best reason to continue to foster art: “For 500 years the process of globalization has been led by missionaries, merchants and armies, and resulted in colonialism, imperialism and nationalism.

Under such circumstances spaces become homogenized and controlled, information is made consistent, and life and labor are standardized.

Under the recent crisis of global warming, the collapse of financial capitalism, dissolution of community, decline of agriculture, proliferation of inequalities and apathy in societies, we have lost the feeling of physical embodiment and sensory richness, and have become nothing more than mechanical pieces of a robot, without any face. I am seeking out connections that engage the marginalized elements of society – the outsiders, the minority voices, the dead – for this is the very essence of art.”

Brend Shere, representative of Berlin's House of World Cultures, also gave his advice: “The new ways of making ideas via research and art-making are being segmented by specialists who use untranslatable jargon and become detached from society. The universal approach to academia no longer works in the entire world, so when you are launching a multi-cultural Arts Center, you should allow each country to define itself via its creativity.”

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1. Brend Shere; 2. Lee Youngchul; 3. A dancer; 4. Gerfried Sotcker; 5. Ahn Eun-me; 6. Anthony Shelton

Shere further mentioned that though in Berlin, the House of World Cultures, in 1989 just before the Berlin Wall came down, the art world was seen as First, Second and Third World, and the “museum” was focused on Africa, Asia and Latin America. “After 75 years the house was 'purified' through the 'Walls and Windows' project so that it encompassed a larger world view, as the old world view no longer made sense. Only the architecture, a 1957 gift from the U.S., was left behind.”

The new ACC building has a chance to internationalize the entire cultural scene in Gwangju.

Not just once a year at the Gwangju Biennale or the Design Biennale, and not just via the Architectural

Follies that are continually growing. The ACC will internationalize through a living, working flexible structure that invites locals to collaborate not just with living artists, but with digitally archived material as well.

If enough international collaboration in performing, visual, audio, video, animation and conceptual arts take root, then the ACC will attract people from out of town. This is why it has been worth the investment of time and money: not just as an economic generator, but for a chance for blue collar and white collar residents to mingle under the umbrella and strike a chord to summon the creativity in all of us.

Gwangju News May 2013

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Photo of the Month

By Alex Kelvin Hong â&#x20AC;&#x153;The process of composing the photo was two-fold. One, I wanted the photo to capture the simultaneous emotions of awe and serenity that I felt at the memorial; and Two, I also hoped to instill a sense of optimism within the viewer. I set about doing this by taking a wide-angle shot to convey the awe-inspiring feeling of the expansive and limitless.

Additionally, the array of poles grounds the scene with a natural air of reflective solemnity, while the skyward shot offers a hopeful view of the future with the glint of blue skies.â&#x20AC;?

Photo taken at May 18 Memorial Park

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photography

Training the eye to get the photo Words and photos by Simon Bond Simon Bond is a professional photographer living in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do. He has travelled throughout Asia, and his work has been published in many publications.This article and others are available online at Simon's website: www.simonbondphotography.com The rule of thirds

Contrast

T

o paraphrase a famous ex-president of the U.S.A., “the most important thing that goes into getting a great photograph is the photographer.” It's important to find an interesting subject, such as a temple, an ajumma street vendor or maybe a flower. However, once you have your subject, there are some simple ways to quickly improve the shot you will get. Here I'm going to look at the three ways you can use, whether you are using a smart phone or a DSLR camera.

Rule of thirds One of the simplest and most effective “rules” in photography, this practice is about where you place the horizon lines in a landscape, or where you place a person in a portrait photo. In landscape photos, in order to get a strong composition, it is generally best to place the horizon line, which is where land meets the sky, either in the bottom third of the photo or the top third. Then a main feature in the photo, such as a tree, should be placed off center, either to the left or the right.

Portraits are similar, in that they also use this compositional rule. You should place a person's body or face off center and allow a little space to the side of your subject to allow the photo to “breathe”.

Subject isolation Photography is the art of subtraction, and with this in mind, the purest photographs would surely be minimalist. A street photographer with a story to tell in their photo might slightly disagree with the sentiment here, but they would also surely know that part of the game is to tell the story without distracting the viewer with unnecessary elements.

Now, when taking minimalism into account, you might need to pause a little before hitting the

Subject isolation

shutter button. o Think about whether a branch in the foreground is helping the photo. o Looking at the background, how are the shapes there affecting your main subject? o Do you have anyone “lurking” behind your subject in a portrait photo? Perhaps change your angle or be patient and wait until the person in the background has gone.

Design elements These are some simple ideas that can make your photo look visually appealing, and they are often very simple to apply. A few examples of design elements are framing, patterns, contrast, lines, shadows and harmony. If you are able to compose your shot according to the rule of thirds, isolate your subject and by using a design element in the photo, you are likely to have a good shot. Now let us take a brief look at where these design elements might be found.

Framing – The most obvious example is a frame of a doorway, but you might also find a gap in some tree branches that create a natural frame.

Lines – The world is full of lines, and they can be used to draw the eye to your main subject. A line of trees, a foot path or horizon lines can be used.

Contrast – The most obvious form of contrast is black and white. Color also contrasts, so, blue/yellow or red/green are common examples. In a portrait, having your model dressed in red at the green tea fields of Boseong would create effective contrast.

In May's issue the subject will be “No, it's the camera…. Einstein”, we will look at the ways the camera you choose really can make a difference.

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photo essay

Buddha’s Birthday

By Simon Bond

ost years since I have been in South Korea, Buddha's birthday meant going to Seoul to enjoy the Lotus Lantern Festival, something I highly recommend to those who have yet to visit Seoul at this time. However, there are other events to mark Buddha's birthday in Korea, and one such event is the celebrations that happen in Suncheon. The magic of a lantern festival is of course at night, and seeing hundreds of lanterns being floated down the main river that runs through Suncheon was truly enchanting. My one lament was it took me until my fifth year in Korea to see this, though lack of information about this event did not help. Keep in mind some of the best photo opportunities can be right under your nose, so always keep your eyes open and look around.

M

Simon Bond, Gwangju News’ new photo editor, is most noted for his work with crystal balls. He published his first book in September 2012 called Simple Scene, Sensational Shot.

To learn more about Simon’s work, visit: www.simonbondphotography.com Simon Bond will also be running workshops in Gwangju over the coming years. For more online information, please visit: www.facebook.com/yoursceneyourshot

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Gwangju News May 2013

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health

Eating in a BPA World

By Kristal Lee Photo by Ahn Eunbyul tumblr.com

I

f you have not been living in a dark cave or tucked away on some grassy Tibetan mountain hillside for the last seven years, you have heard talk of how plastic food storage containers could be harmful to your health, and one chemical compound in particular has been the center of attention – BPA. Despite how far and wide chain emails have spread in the “news,” most people are just vaguely aware of BPA and, at best, are left wondering if it is not just another Internet-fueled urban legend.

As can be expected from any chain letter health hype, there is a bit of truth nestled amongst a lot of misinformation. With Korea being the land of 빨리빨 리 (phonetically bbali bbali; meaning “rush rush”), residents get a lot of food on the go. Hot or cold, these noodle soups, porridges, honey peanut pancakes, seaweed wrapped rice logs and cuts of fire-roasted pork belly are often boxed up and wrapped in plastic. I admit, I cringe at the sight of hot soup being poured into plastic anything, but is it melodrama or is there reason for concern?

Let's demystify the basics of BPA and how it may affect your health.

What's the deal with BPA? BPA-free. Buy BPA-free. We have heard it but what exactly is BPA and what is all the fuss about? BPA stands for bisphenol A, a widely used compound found in a lot of hard plastics and is often used in food and beverage storage containers, canned food and soda can lining, some plastic bags, and plastic and aluminum reusable water bottles. BPA is nothing new; in fact the chemical debuted in 1981 and has been known to mimic estrogen in the body since the 1930s. Since estrogen is a natural hormone, it's nothing to fret over, right? Wrong.

BPA can promote breast cancer growth, decrease sperm count and damage fetal and infant brain development, as studies have shown harmful effects of the product on the reproductive, 30

Gwangju News May 2013

neurological and endocrine systems.

However, and here comes the big but … studies are still ongoing and researchers are still arguing not only about the effects of plastic in our diet but also whether results can be applied to human consumption and use.

How do I know if a product contains BPA? BPA is mostly found in polycarbonate plastics (hard plastics), which are marked with a recycling number 7. The triangles encircling a number on the bottom of bottles indicate what kind of plastic it is.

For example, 3 indicates PVC or V used for cling wrap, plastic squeeze bottles and cooking oil and peanut butter containers; 4 indicates LDPE used for grocery store and Ziplock bags; and 5 indicates PP used for Tupperware, straws and yogurt containers.

Category 7 is a catch-all for all “other” plastics that do not fit into the other six categories so not all “7” plastics contain BPA. Can we get any more convoluted? It is no wonder why most people resign themselves on the issue!

Am I at risk?

If you think you are not affected by BPA, you are probably wrong. The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) found traces of BPA in almost all urine samples collected (93% of subjects and even more so in children), so to say that the chemical is very prevalent in our diet is an understatement.

Children were found to have higher levels of BPA than adolescents and adolescents were found to have higher levels than adults. Baby bottles and infant formula can absorb BPA, making babies very susceptible to chemical ingestion. Also because BPA is linked to increased breast and prostate cancer, altered menstrual cycles and diabetes, unborn babies are also at an increased risk.

However, … and here comes the second big but 2 … despite our constant exposure to the chemical, levels of BPA in our bodies are what is considered

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food or drinks should not be heated in plastic containers that are not labeled as safe to do so (i.e. “microwave safe”).

“safe” because our bodies metabolize BPA rather quickly, breaking it down and excreting it within a few days. Counter-arguing the point, the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences states the chemical does not have to remain in the body to have adverse effects. Therefore as it stands, health experts are still split on the potential health hazard, throwing the public into utter confusion.

What do we know then?

We know that more worrisome than using plastic to serve or contain food is when BPA-containing plastics are exposed to harsh use or high temperatures, such as being placed in the microwave or dishwasher, they leach chemicals into your food. This is where the real concern comes in. When food is microwaved while wrapped in plastic, covered in plastic or sitting in a plastic container, substances (plasticizers) can leak into the food, especially fatty foods such as meats and cheeses. One study found when plastic resin is exposed to hot liquids, they leach BPA 55 times faster than the normal rate. Therefore

The key is checking the label. Not all plastics are unsafe to use in general or at high temperatures.

What the scare-mails do not mention is that the FDA recognizes the potential harm of plastics and therefore requires that standards are met during manufacturing. If a product is safe to microwave, it will say so. If a product is unsafe to contain hot products, it will say “do not microwave,” “do not dish wash,” “do not use with hot liquids,” etc.

Fast rules about plastic safety, as outlined by Harvard Medical School: Most takeout containers, water bottles and plastic tubs or jars made to hold margarine, yogurt, whipped topping and foods such as cream cheese, mayonnaise and mustard are not microwave-safe.

Microwavable takeout dinner trays are formulated for one-time use only and will say so on the package.

Do not microwave plastic storage bags or plastic bags from the grocery store.

Before microwaving food, be sure to vent the container: leave the lid ajar or lift the edge of the cover.

Do not allow plastic wrap to touch food during microwaving because it may melt. Wax paper, kitchen parchment paper or white paper towels are alternatives.

If you are concerned about plastic wraps or containers in the microwave, transfer food to glass or ceramic containers labeled for microwave oven use.

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health & fitness

The Home Stretch: How I Learned to Love Yoga in Korea

By Colleen Mayo Photos courtesy of Yeo Dong Goo (Tao & Hot Yoga Academy)

I

've never deemed myself a “Yoga girl.” Neither long-limbed nor flexible, I've always lacked the grace necessary to don leggings, nasally exhale and mount the perfect downward dog. I envied my yoga-going friends' sexy abs, yet felt bored (literally) stiff when I accompanied them to classes. I was a “sporty girl,” therefore I liked … hitting things. A hearty sport follows three rules: competition, aggression and sweat. I wanted to exhaust myself and then feel justified inhaling a hamburger and a few beers afterwards.

After moving to Korea, my change in fitness routine came over three phases and fifteen months.

Phase 1: Denial. I pretended I could enjoy the same sports in Korea as I did in Texas. This didn't work. I couldn't find lacrosse or tennis partners. I do still run – at the risk of my personal safety. Sharing the road with taxis, delivery bikes and hoards of fingerpointing teenagers turns a casual jog into a sick game of Grand Theft Auto. After some months of frustrating workouts, I turned indoors.

Phase 2: Acceptance. I joined a gym. Not fond of imitating hamsters, I scorned the treadmills. The weight-circuit was fine except for the Korean men who lifted half-as-much iron, consequently crowning me resident Waygook Strong-Woman Wonder. Strike two.

Phase 3: Assimilation (Yoga). But I'm not a Yoga Girl, I told myself again and again as I signed up for HotYoga (“HotYoga” is the studio's name), two months ago. Yet I was desperate for a fulfilling workout. And the studio – located in Gwangju's classy Bongseon-dong district – looks so much more legit than a lot of Korea's ajumma-pounding, sparkle-infested group exercise classes.

Legit it is. “Hot Yoga Academy” (핫요가 아카데미) offers two options: five classes per week for 120,000 32

Gwangju News May 2013

won a month (280,000 won for three months) or three classes for 110,000 won (260,000 won for three months). Towels, mats and a locker room are provided. The locker room has showers. Read this: you will need a shower after these yoga classes.

Whether you go to “Hot,” “Core,” “Balance” or “Ashtanga” yoga, you are guaranteed to leave any after 60-minutes swimming in your own sweat.

This is in part due to the room's constant 38-degree Celsius (or 102 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature regulation. But the majority of your sweat serves to emphasize my most recent realization: yoga is work, y'all. Like, it hurts.

Some readers may have practiced Bikram Yoga, also known as “hot yoga,” in their home country.

I've gone to a few Bikram classes back in America: they're held in 105 Fahrenheit rooms, 90 minutes long and conducted solely by Bikram-certified

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instructors. Let's label “HotYoga Studio” as BikramLite. The room isn't quite steamy enough and the poses aren't held long enough to induce the same nauseating exhaustion/euphoria as Bikram. But it's a significantly more intense workout than the stereotypical, docile hippy-pant yoga I imagined.

From the moment I walk into the studio to the moment I leave, the vibe just feels professional.

Classes are held in pure Korean so I try to make maximal use of visual instruction. But it's surprisingly easy to follow (if difficult to imitate). A mix of fellow newbies and calendar-fit yoga enthusiasts surround me. It's a comfortable blend. I know I can follow the hard-core girls if the instructor steps out of sight, but I feel secure knowing that I'm not the only person struggling. Furthermore, our instructor is efficient and clear in her directions; she demonstrates everything and isn't shy about correcting my posture, which I appreciate. I've been the lone foreigner in a Korean exercise class before and felt extremely awkward for it. Perhaps it was my own insecurities but I felt more spectacle than part of the class, so much that I couldn't focus on my own workout. I've never suffered “Awkward Waygook” Syndrome here. I chalk it up to the studio's instructor and every member's own seriousness towards the class. I always leave with sore muscles and a peaceful state of mind.

Now the truth all foreigners come to accept: Korea changes you. It's a comically obvious truth.

We often think of “change” as a poignant yet nebulous shift in our interior beings; we forget change is most evident in the ways we conduct life here that's different from back home.

Expectations of what we once did easily – drink a craft beer, eat a dollar taco, go for a jog – evaporate in a new cultural landscape. The absence of these “normal” activities challenged my initial happiness in Korea. But ultimately, the HotYoga Studio has disproved two of my more narrow-minded notions: quality group exercise is available in Korea and yoga is awesome. What I once dismissed as a lackluster pseudo-sport, I now embrace as a challenging and ultra-physical conditioning that influence both body and mind.

Truth: I've never craved a hamburger afterwards.

But maybe that's for the best.

Tao & Hot Yoga Academy - Bongseon Branch 타오앤핫요가아카데미 - 봉선점 Address: 138-2 Bongseon-dong No. 205, Nam-gu, Gwangju (across from E-mart, on the second floor of Yeongmu Plus Zone building) Phone: 062-351-1111 Directions: Buses no. 27, 37, 48, 98 and get off at Nam-gu Culture & Art Center (남구문화예술회관) Website: www.hotyogaacademy.co.kr Gwangju News May 2013 33

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health & fitness

YtÜ YÄâÇz

By Angie Hartley Photos by Adam Hogue

Allison Reihan rehearses her solo passionately

I

know what you're thinking. A few hippies from New Hampshire are about to roll their heads back and skip around to monastic chants. I know because I've seen it, too. You're preparing yourself for the alienation that is performance art.

The words “I don't get it,” are already forming in your mouth. Wait! Don't give up yet! Miguel Gutierrez, a contemporary choreographer advises, "When people don't understand something, there's often a jump right away to dislike, or to 'this thing failed to sell itself to me.' I think, 'No, you maybe didn't give yourself permission to not understand it.'”

That is the art of dance. I'm not talking about the antiquated technique of Swan Lake, nor am I talking about stumbling through Bubble Bar on a Saturday night. I'm talking about the choruses that supported the Greek dramas for the audiences in the nosebleeds of the coliseum. Dance is the pained flexing of Martha Graham's spandex dress that brought a grieving mother to her knees. And, yeah, sometimes it's the driving force for skipping through a meadow with flowers braided into your hair. Dance is how we are attempting to bridge two modern cultures with two of the world's most dissimilar spoken languages in Gwangju this Spring. “광범위한/Far Flung” will premiere on Saturday, May 25, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the theater in the Geumnam-no Park (금남로 공원). Three expats, Cindi L'Abbe, Allison Relihan and I have been reunited by the primal drive to communicate through art and to create through action. The program is an array of solos, duets and one trio created and performed by the choreographers. The three contributing choreographers share more than any old background in dance. Cindi, Allie and I all 34

Gwangju News May 2013

Cindi L’Abbe and the writer rehearse her duet attended Keene State College, which bestows the mission upon graduates to “go forth and serve.”

Go forth we did, flinging ourselves about as far from New Hampshire as we could. Putting English teaching aside, now is our chance to truly serve the community in which we've been living for a collective five years. We're ready to speak up and we're trying to give everyone a chance to listen.

When I moved to Korea, it was my first time to exist outside of a dance community. I had never felt so isolated. I thought I could make my own niche by starting some dance classes, teaching others what I thought dance was. What happened was the community taught me instead. I learned that we all dance to communicate, but we don't all realize how and why we do it. Just because you're trying to get a guy to look at you in the club, doesn't lessen the integrity of the art form. And just because I have a degree in dance doesn't mean he'll dance with me first. So Gwangju, may we have this dance?

For more information about our performance and upcoming workshops, visit www.gwangjutheatre. com/dance or search for the event page on Facebook.

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CROSSWORD

By Mike Schroeder Across 2. Most mature and ready to eat 5. 1984 title role for Emilio Estevez 8. It reveals the people's choice 9. Vague response to 'When?'

10. College student's home 11. "Hot" winter drink 12. __ that be: authorities 14. Performances to raise money for charitable causes 16. It covered Pompeii 17. Bachelor in personals, abr, 18. Evade, as an issue

Down 1. Minnesota's baseball team 3. Quote in a book review 4. 'Bye Bye Bye' band 6. South American Republic 7. Of the age of a long-lived British queen 8. Huge, tremendous 12. Harbor cities 13. Areas for target practice 15. Male heirs

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community

[This Month on GIC Talk]

Gwangju – City of Peace ByJordan VanHartingsveldt Photos courtesy of Gwangju Photography Club

Overview Date & Time: May 18 (Saturday) at 3 p.m.

Venue: Gwangju International Center, Jeonil Building 5 Fl Speaker: Jordan VanHartingsveldt

M

any know Gwangju for the horrible atrocities of 1980, but the cityscape has drastically changed since then. Many nations of the world are represented through visiting English teachers. Newer generations are becoming more accustomed to international customs and the apparent attitude of the city's people has grown to be more tolerant. Gwangju has become one of the most welcoming cities in all of Korea. There's something for everyone to do, a bonus considering that there are hundreds of expatriots living here. Some are dancers, some are cooks, and the list goes on and on. Each person is different and has a completely unique approach to life in this foreign culture.

We will never completely understand where they're coming from because we're not them. Luckily we have these wonderful inventions called cameras that give us a little insight on how they perceive things. Is it a rusty lamppost? Maybe to you, but someone else could see a commentary on the degradation of society. Gorgeous flower? It could be that, or possibly a reminder that beauty is fleeting. Every opinion is valid.

Instead of boring you with thousands of words, then, let us present our opinions through images.

We are convinced we can tell a better story through photos.

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The GIC will be hosting a collaborative photography exhibit on the theme “Gwangju, City of Peace” with the hopes of presenting the gentle and tolerant nature of our city today. Each of the photographers participating in this event are members of the Gwangju Photography Club.

Some are amateurs, others are dedicated hobbyists and still others are true professionals.

The club is for anyone interested in photography and who wants to get out and practice. Club members aim to organize an outing every month to share ideas and put them to the test. As group administrators, Christina Green and Joe Wabe have shared this same idea for the Photography Club: “It is a fun way to expand photography skills and see a bit more of Korea at the same time.”

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Don't worry about misunderstanding a photograph or completely missing the message behind it; the artists will be there to explain their intent.

All we ask is that you come and appreciate the beauty of Gwangju as captured through our eyes. Listen to our stories and you may learn something about this city that you didn't know before. Art exhibits can be eye-openers in that way. Case in point: I visited an exhibit including a photo of freshly ground coffee beans. I didn't know it existed in Gwangju. After some prodding, I found the location and sampled some of the best java this side of the world.

Who knows, your experience may be the same.

We cordially invite you to the GIC on May 18 – the anniversary of the Massacre – to discover the Gwangju you didn't know existed.

Each of the photographers participating in this event is a member of the Gwangju Photography Club. Some are professionals, others are dedicated hobbyists and others are amateurs.

[ GIC Talk ] Schedule for May Time & Place: Every Saturday, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., GIC office (Jeon-il Bldg 5th Fl.) For more information visit www.gic.or.kr or contact gic@gic.or.kr Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks at http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk Watch highlight clips of previous GIC Talks at www.youtube.com/GICTALK There is now an open discussion group following every talk in which the audience can talk about the day's topic with the speaker.

GIC Talk welcomes your proposals for presentations on topics such as society, culture, politics, science, education or any topic of interest. If you would like to be a presenter, please contact us at gictalk@gmail.com / +82-(0)62-226-2734 May 4 Speakers: Dr. Shin Gyonggu & Professor Maria Lisak Topic: Save GIC Dr. Shin Gyonggu has been the volunteer executive director of the Gwangju International Center (GIC) for the past 14 years. Shin previously served as the Dean for International Affairs at Chonnam National University (CNU) Gwangju until his retirement last February. He continues to dedicate his time to the international community and to saving the GIC, which will move locations in June. Shin's speech will focus on the history of the GIC as well as its present and future.

Maria Lisak is a professor in the Department of Public Administration and Social Welfare at Chosun University.

A Gwangju resident of 10 years, Lisak is a local activist in the community and has been volunteering for the GIC since October 2003. She became a GIC board member in 2006. She will speak on her experience as a regular volunteer and volunteer leader for the GIC. May 11 Speaker: Choony Kim Topic: Climate Justice “We are all Tuvaluans” This talk will attempt to explain climate justice with a specific focus on the current issue in Tuvalu.

Composed of nine islands, Tuvalu is the smallest country in the world. Rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to submerge the small nation. Industrial and individual activities, such as the manufacturing of goods and usage of cars, contribute

to climate change. Tuvalu has few resources and its inhabitants seldom contribute to climate change, yet they are significantly impacted by the rising sea levels.

On site, research shows their endangered culture and life in addition to their local actions toward combating climate change.

May 18 A Talk and Gallery Opening 2 p.m.

Speaker: H.I.J.O.S. (Winner of the 2013 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Award) Topic: Human Rights in Argentina 3 p.m.

Speaker: Jordan VanHartingsveldt Topic: Gwangju – City of Peace Photos by Gwangju Photography Club (See preview on page 36) May 25 Speakers: Lee Hae-gyoung and Jeolla Safety Alliance (Maria Lisak, Nancy Harcar and Laura Sparley) Topic: Guide to getting along with Koreans in Gwangju This talk will cover topics such as the number of foreigners living in Gwangju, statistics on crimes committed by foreigners as well as against foreigners in the city, how to report a crime here and the role of the foreign liaison officer. The talk will also introduce the Jeolla Safety Alliance and how foreigners can be safer in Gwangju and surrounding areas.

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culture

Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition This series of articles will shed light on some Korean myths, folklore, traditions and superstitions. Every country has their own share of beliefs, fact or fiction, and many foreigners living in Korea are yet to hear or understand the basis of various Korean beliefs as they become apparent.

Korean Dreaming

By Stephen Redeker

H

ow important was that wild dream you had last night? In western culture, dreams are seen as more of a novelty; an interesting (or embarrassing) topic to bring up among friends.

However, in Korea, dreams can mean much more than that. In this country, dreams are seen as omens. Similarly in Chinese culture, dreams can be interpreted to symbolize good or bad fortune and even foretell the future of unborn babies.

Let's start with the good. Pigs are a symbol of wealth in Korea. That's why you will find many stores selling plastic “piggy” banks. When someone dreams of a pig, this can mean money is coming their way. Even more so if there are many pigs, or the pigs interact with the dreaming person.

Some other lucky animals include bears, tigers, fish and sometime even snakes. A dream of a dragon is considered super lucky, especially if it involves flying high in the sky. A dream like this symbolizes huge success in the dreamer's life. When someone dreams of themselves flying, it's also a success dream. A falling dream is just the opposite. A dream about cats or dogs may be called a “dog dream” (개꿈) and usually does not hold any major significance.

Nature plays a part in fortunate dreams as well.

You might think that a dream of a blazing inferno engulfing your home has a negative connotation.

Actually, the reverse is true. The fire dream means your burdens and troubles in life are burning away so you can start fresh again. Hopefully in your dream you do not put out the fire. If this happens, the sight of ashes could mean the problems will return. What about a dream where a great flood washes through your home and city? Fortunately, this means that bad luck is being washed away and replaced by good luck. Only dreams with the cleanest of water are positive. A dream about muddy water is considered unlucky. Other good dreams include hiking mountains, swimming in the sea and clear skies. Things like blood, urine and 38

Gwangju News May 2013

excrement surprisingly are good omens. It is believed that all the toxins are flushed away from the body. The more the better!

Now onto some of the bad dreams. A nightmare is scary no matter where you are in the world, and it is never a good thing. When people have dreams about losing teeth, this can symbolize a few things: losing one tooth can mean someone close will be sick or possibly die, losing a few teeth means the road ahead will be rocky in the future, and losing all your teeth means everything will fall apart, leaving you with dire situations and decisions. A dream about your deceased ancestors is healthy, but a dream about a ghost, or even the grim reaper itself, is deadly. Dreaming about the angel of death means you will be taken to the afterlife.

Some common themes of bad dreams are falling, running away, locked doors, mirrors breaking and animated dolls. Dolls are usually cute, but when they are moving around in your dream, it is never a good thing. That is, unless you are the puppeteer of a marionette-type doll. In that case, you have got

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everything under control in your life.

These dreams are not just passing subconscious thoughts; they are premonitions that can be passed on to others. A good dream can be bought or sold. For your dream to keep its good fortune, it must be kept a secret. If you know someone who is in need of your dream's omen, you can sell it for any amount of money or trade it in for something else. After the transaction is complete, you can explain the dream in hopes to spread the wealth with that person. The next time a friend has a good dream, find out what the selling price is.

Another important part of “dream culture” in Korea is known as tae-mong (태몽). These are dreams about a baby's conception. Often times the mother has her own dreams filled with symbols relating to her unborn baby, but close friends and family members can have these dreams as well.

The gender can be foreseen according to various objects in the dream: certain fruit, flowers or jumping fish are symbols for a girl. If a mother dreams about certain vegetables, the night sky and stars or rainbows, then she may have a boy. A baby's destiny can also be foreseen in a dream.

Many of the above-mentioned examples of good dreams, such as the flying dragon, can be related to the future of an unborn baby.

It is good advice to handle your dreams with caution. Having dreams with negative omens are best when forgotten quickly and given no afterthought. When the good fortune comes with a positive dream, keep it a secret and enjoy the success it may bring. Buy a lottery ticket the next morning if you are so inclined. Armed with the knowledge of these dream interpretations, it is also possible to fill your pockets in another way: earn a lot of money as a dream broker.

GWANGJU GUIDEBOOK Find more information about living in Gwangju at Gwangju Guidebook.

Pick up a Gwangju Guidebook today. Available at the GIC for 1,000 won donation or check online: www.gwangjuguide.or.kr

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culture

Korean Sayings This series of articles will explore traditional Korean phrases and provide background information associated with these words. Every country possess terminology that uniquely shows the country’s identity, so these articles, written by a Korean, brings to light words from history.

hong

yik

in

gan

Benefit All Mankind

By Won Hea Ran

H

ong-ik Ingan is currently the formal motto of the Republic of Korea (or Daehan Minguk).

The word Hong (弘) means “widespread,” ik (益) means “to benefit,” and ingan(人間) loosely means mankind. (However, the literal translation of ingan is “between humans.”) Therefore, if we put all the letters together, it makes the meaning to “Benefit All Mankind.”

The origin of this quote goes back to 2333 BC, when Korea's first kingdom (Go-Joseon) was built.

This quote is from a myth that is so familiar to Korean people, the Dangun Myth. Once upon a time, the son of god, Hwan-ung, descended from the heavens to rule mankind. He landed on Taebaek Mountain and took care of 360 things related to mankind, like punishment, disease and food. One day, a tiger and a bear visit Hwan-ung and they plead with him to turn them into humans.

Hwan-ung challenges them with difficult tasks, living in a cave for 100 days without sunlight or meat but with only garlic and herbs. The tiger ran away after a few days, but the bear waited patiently and became a beautiful woman. This is Ungnyeo, “a bear woman” from literal Korean translation. After becoming a human, the bear woman prays under the holy tree everyday to plead to the god to give her a child. Hwan-ung felt some responsibility because he originally planned to make the tiger marry the bear woman, but it did not work out because the tiger ran away. Feeling her strong will, Hwan-ung decides to get married to her and give her a child. Ungnyeo gave birth to a son, Dangun. Dangun became the first king of Go40

Gwangju News May 2013

Dangun

Joseon. He then makes eight laws to govern the human society and additionally creates the motto of Hong-ik ingan.

As if to support the motto, the Dangun myth is not violent at all. There is no conflict between a god and a human, or between humans. Even the tiger and the bear do not fight against each other inside the cave. The overall story is very peaceful, although mystical. In addition, all the characters of myth yearn to be with mankind. Although Hwanung is the son of god, he descends from the sky to be with humans. The tiger and bear both yearn to become humans themselves. The quote also shows Koreans' hope for peace and harmony. From the ancient days, the lesson has taught rulers to take care of their people, sons and daughters to take care of their parents, and subjects to serve the ruler faithfully to make a better government. In other words, Hong-ik ingan carries multiple meanings like love, caring and loyalty. This motto is the paradigm of the spirit of Korea.

Later, Hong-ik ingan became the key philosophy of Korean education because although it was a founding principle of a nation, it still had a value of democracy and Buddhism, which values mercy.

This quote is quite interesting by the fact that it is not alleging a national/racial superiority or national competition (just like what happened to be the motto of modern world capitalism) but instead, it emphasizes love and sharing for all mankind, in or outside of Korea.

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travel

My Korea My Korea is a new column which represents the voice of young Korean University students eager to share their stories and experiences.

Suncheon Bay Words and photos by Moon Jiyeon

I

would like to introduce my healing place. This is my little Korea, Suncheon Bay.

Suncheon Bay has a beautiful view of nature. You can see a reed forest there. When the reeds shake in the wind, they remind me of my indecisive attitude. Sometimes it sounds like the chaos of my life. So I can recall my past memories, then I have time to organize my thoughts. Once I bring my past to mind, I feel more comfortable.

Next, when you turn your head, you can see a grass plot and some cabins. Lie down and close your eyes, then you can feel nature. Fresh smells and nature sounds may help you concentrate on yourself. There is nobody to bother you. There is only you and your friend. Listen to yourself and feel relaxed by escaping from your daily life. Actually, I also healed both my body and my mind here.

There is one more highlight, the mountain! It takes

about 90 minutes to hike the mountain. Of course it is hard but I get such a special feeling. The sunset is really impressive. Red, yellow and orange colors make a beautiful red bay.

Suncheon Bay is totally a healing park. All beautiful things make me feel relaxed. I can get energy and a healthy mind from nature. And the entrance fee is only 2,000 won. The market food prices are also reasonable. So whenever I need healing time, I go to Suncheon Bay. That is why I strongly recommend Suncheon Bay as a nice healing place! My Korea!

Suncheon Bay Ecological Park 순천만자연생태공원 Website: www.suncheonbay.go.kr Directions: From Gwangju Bus Terminal, take a bus to Suncheon (frequency: every 10-20 minutes; duration 1 hour and 10 minutes), then from Suncheon Bus Terminal, take bus no. 67 going to Suncheon Bay (frequency: every 20-30 minutes). There is direct bus from Gwangju to Suncheon Bay on weekends.

Gwangju News May 2013

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fashion

Fash-On with xxl jjdp

Here comes the summer sun Words and photos by jjdp Shot on location at Everland

W

elcome to May and the start of summer. It is summer right? Well we hope it is. Are you ready? Is that even a question? Well, the cold snap late March caught everyone by surprise, with some really chilly rains and winds.

Sadly, everyone was expecting to view the cherry blossoms in the warm, warm sunshine. But as long as you got to see some, count yourself lucky! Now it is time to forget all of that chilliness and concentrate on the great holidays coming up.

As the Fresh Prince sings, it's â&#x20AC;&#x153;summer, summer, summertime, time to sit back and unwind.â&#x20AC;? And you are super lucky because in Korea, because May is generally a more relaxing month for most.

With the first of the month being a holiday and then Buddha's Birthday weekend to look forward to, get yourself ready for some summertime. What are you going to do? Remember it will be getting warmer and there will be tons of options and most will be heading to the beach in Busan to get their first glaze in the summer sun. Also, of course to get a peek at some of those amazing bodies on the beach at Haeundae.

While thinking of adding some summer sun to your skin, how about adding some brightness to your wardrobe too! Well a great color addition for the transition of seasons is yellow. Think any and all shades from neon green to the palest of butter yellows to ease you into the groove of the summer months. While it is still a bit hot, you can still get away with a bold and bright yellow, but as the months go on, lighten your shades so you can feel and looked refreshed.

Don't be afraid. Go with it and it is part of the color fallout from the mustard trend from last winter. You will see this bright shade everywhere, even in neon shades, which have been huge for the past two months. As always, when you are dressing with that much color, you have to think about

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balance. Is it too much? You might need to alter the color saturation because if it's too much or you get the balance wrong, especially in the hotter months, your look will come off forced and you might end up looking like a Rubik's Cube (unless you want to). This month I have featured a good pale pair of yellow jeans that work well for any season, but especially with the candy pop of summer, in conjunction with some other easy additions of yellow to your wardrobe.

Start with a butter yellow pair of jeans and with it I have added a black T-shirt with gold print. The black and yellow contrast each other quite well, and if you are a bit chilly, a lighter shell jacket will keep you warm. This one is not as padded as in last month's edition and comes in acid blue for contrast and don't forget it also doubles as a raincoat for next month.

Another annual trend that will again be huge this year is stripes. I already own too many, but I still feel the urge to buy more. It just gives you an effortlessly clean and crisp look every time.

Summer is usually great for sailor-inspired simple looks and I changed it up a bit instead of the traditional navy and white. I went for a more subdued and interesting, less often seen yellow

white and grey combination. It really works well and increases the expectation for summer. So invest and dress simply but effectively.

Taking care of clothing in spring is pretty easy and will probably be the best time for them to actually dry quickly and naturally with the warm breeze floating through your window. Enjoy as this easy breezy period does not last very long as around the end of May you will also notice that the moisture in the air increases as the monsoon approaches, so make the most of it.

Enjoy the vacations and the sunshine before the rain. peace, xxl jjdp

Wardrobe Butter yellow jeans - Mr Street Gmarket.

Black Tshirt - Uniqulo Shell Jacket - 8 seconds Shoes - Camper.

Gwangju News May 2013

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literature

Spring Poems II Translated by Song Chae-Pyong and Anne Rashid Photos by Matt Ehlers

겨울 눈 (雪) 나무

숲/기형도

눈은 숲을 다 빠져나가지 못하고 여기 저기 쌓여 있다.

Winter. Snow. Tree. Forest

by Ki Hyung-do The snow piles up here and there, without being able to get all the way out of the forest.

“Is it you?

Don't hurry.”

Thump. He falls down, hit by a sharp blade.

I return home, dragging the tree.

As I trim off the twigs, I listen to the silence of the tree: “I am here.

Death is unmasked life.

Our lives, our winters are like that, too.”

We kindle fire toward the pain that resembles ourselves.

The night in the forest beyond the window tosses its body for a deeper quiet.

Till I confirm my clean death I will be absent, keeping a beautiful distance from whoever sparks a flame, and warming my heart little by little.

The morning rising in the late winter is what comes to make the most perfect nature.

Afterward, against the direction the snow melts and flows 44

Gwangju News May 2013

“자네인가, 서들지 말아. 쿵, 그가 쓰러진다. 날카로운 날을 받으며. 나는 나무를 끌고 집으로 돌아온다. 흘로 잔가지를 치며 나무의 침묵을 듣는다. “나는 여기 있다. 죽음이란 가면을 벗은 삶인 것. 우리도, 우리의 겨울도 그와 같은 것.” 우리는 서로 닮은 아픔을 향하여 불을 지피었다. 창 너머 숲 속의 밤은 더욱 깊은 고요를 위하여 몸을 뒤채인다. 내 청결 한 죽음을 확인 할 때까지 나는 부재할 것이다 타오르는 그와 아름다운 거리를 두고 그래, 심장을 조금씩 덥혀가면서. 늦겨울 태어나는 아침은 가장 완벽한 자연을 만들기 위하여 오는 것. 그 후에 눈 녹아 흐르는 방향을 거슬러 우리의 봄은 다가오고 있는 것이다.

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Sumjin River: Part Five

by Kim Yong-taek In this world, when we feel our living is parched, without any sign of subsiding, go to the riverside at dusk, gaze at the darkening river that brings this world in and takes it away, dip one end of the dry heart in the darkening river, be quenched, and let it go.

After letting go of everything, without anything left to let go, only with our poor eyes, on the dusky river, will we become alive, little by little, with our eyes opening like stars that, as the night deepens, shine more, alive with longing; like the few lamps of the heart that have driven a short wick deep into the rivera wick that has no oil left no matter how much you squeeze– and have withstood like the dawn without letting any sparks fly, washing our eyes in the dawn river that brings this world in and takes it away, we should live with eyes of longing, and stand as one good life indebted to this earth.

섬진강 5/ 김용택 이 세상 우리 사는 일이 저물 일 하나 없이 팍팍할 때 저무는 강변으로 가 이 세상을 실어오고 실어가는 저무는 강물을 바라보며 팍팍한 마음 한끝을 저무는 강물에 적셔 풀어 보낼 일이다. 버릴 것 다 버리고 버릴 것 하나 없는 가난한 눈빛 하나로 어둑거리는 강물에 가물가물 살아나 밤 깊어질수록 그리움만 남아 빛나는 별빛같이 눈떠 있고, 짜내도 짜내도 기름기 하나 없는 짧은 심지 하나 강 깊은 데 박고 날릴 불티 하나 없이 새벽같이 버티는 마을 등불 몇 등같이 이 세상을 실어오고 실어가는 새벽 강물에 눈곱을 닦으며, 우리 이렇게 그리운 눈동자로 살아 이 땅에 빚진 착한 목숨 하나로 우리 서 있을 일이다.

A Spring Day by Kim Yong-taek If you are looking for me, and all you find is a hoe covered with soil in the kitchen garden, just know that I have gone to admire plum blossoms, following the spring water of the Sumjin River, holding a lovely woman's hand.

봄날/김용택 나 찾다가 텃밭에 흙 묻은 호미만 있거든 예쁜 여자랑 손잡고 섬진강 봄물을 따라서 매화꽃 보러 간 줄 알그라.

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The River of Saint Christopher: Part One

by Ku Sang Fog sits thickly on the morning river.

As though rowing across the nirvana a ferry travels through the grand-white empty air.

Ashore, a magpie flies up squawking from the poplar branch.

The sand under water becomes as clear as a woman's skin.

Schools of small fish swim idly in natural delight.

Breaking, the golden sunlight makes a flower bed of dream.

Here, in this place, I am not an animal who eats rice.

Today

by Ku Sang

그리스도 폴의 강 1/ 구상 아침 강에 안개가 자욱 끼어 있다. 피안(彼岸)을 저어 가듯 태백(太白)의 허공속을 나룻배가 간다. 기슭, 백양목(白楊木) 가지에 까치가 한 마리 요란을 떨며 날은다. 물밑의 모래가 여인네의 속살처럼 맑아 온다. 잔 고기떼들이 생래(生來)의 즐거움으로 노닌다. 황금(黃金)의 햇발이 부서지며 꿈결의 꽃밭을 이룬다. 나도 이 속에선 밥 먹는 짐승이 아니다.

오늘/ 구상

Today again I meet a day, a well of mystery.

Like a drop of that river extends to a spring of a valley and then to the faraway blue sea, for this day the past, the future, and the present are one.

So does my today extend to eternity, and right now I am living the eternity.

So, starting from today, I should live eternity, not after I die, and should live a life that deserves eternity.

I should live the life of a poor heart.

I should live the life of an empty heart.

오늘도 신비의 샘인 하루를 맞는다. 이 하루는 저 강물의 한 방울이 어느 산골짝 옹달샘에 이어져 있고 아득한 푸른 바다에 이어져 있듯 과거와 미래와 현재가 하나다. 이렇듯 나의 오늘은 영원 속에 이어져 바로 시방 나는 그 영원을 살고 있다. 그래서 나는 죽고 나서부터가 아니라 오늘서부터 영원을 살아야 하고 영원에 합당한 삶을 살아야 한다. 마음이 가난한 삶을 살아야 한다. 마음을 비운 삶을 살아야 한다.

Translators Brief Biography Chae-Pyong Song was an associate professor of English at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, where he taught since 2001. He published articles on modern fiction, as well as translations of Korean poetry and fiction. His translations of Korean literature have appeared in Gwangju News, list, The Korea Times, New Writing from Korea, Illuminations, Metamorphoses: Journal of Literary Translation, and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture. Along with Anne Rashid, he won the Grand Prize in the Poetry Category of the 40th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards for translating Kim Hyesoon's poems. His fields of interest included twentieth-century English literature, postcolonial literature, translation studies, and globalization of culture.

Anne M. Rashid is an assistant professor of English at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She and Chae-Pyong Song received the 40th Korean Literature Translation Award in Poetry Translation given by The Korea Times. She and Song have published translations in New Writing from Korea, list, Gwangju News, Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature, Women's Studies Quarterly and Illuminations.

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literature

Corean Postcards

By Jose-Luis Moctezuma

Gwangju News May 2013

47

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language teaching

Looking at English Growing and Maturing in Korea

By Dr. David Shaffer Photo courtesy of KOTESOL

T

he teaching and learning of English is much different in Korea today than it was in the past, and therefore English use is much different also. In the last issue, we looked at changes in students, teachers, the classroom, and written English since the 1970s. Here we take a glimpse back at spoken English, and how English was taught and learnt, as well as the biggest problems still facing English education in Korea and its prospects for the future.

What we see in this comparison with 40 years ago is a lot of growth and maturity.

Spoken English The lost English speaker in Korea in need of directions has little difficulty today in finding help from a Korean.

The English may not be polished, but communication can take place. The younger half of the population will likely be able to help more easily. This is because they began their formal public school English classes when they were in the third year of elementary school. Many attended private English classes, even earlier and throughout their middle and high school years in addition to university. Many of them probably had a native English-speaking instructor at some point in their language learning years. Regardless, comprehensible input can be easily found: English movies, English radio and TV stations, English TV programs, even English language church services, and an Internet full of all kinds of spoken English.

On the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s street, the same lost English speaker would have had much more difficulty getting help in English. Koreans were more inclined to avoid the English-speaker for fear of embarrassment at not being able to speak English adequately. At that time, English instruction began in middle school, while only elementary school education was mandatory. Many could not afford to go on to middle school, high school, and university. English language schools were few, and those with native English-speaking teachers were rare.

(The only one in Gwangju was the Seventh Day Adventist English Institute.) Other reasons for the lower quality of spoken English among the Korean populace were less availability of quality language learning materials, less effective teaching methods, less-welltrained instructors, few opportunities to practice English speaking, and the inability to travel abroad.

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Lunchtime in a 1970s girls' high school: tin lunchboxes, coal briquette heater, school uniforms, and bobbed hair.

Teaching Methodology English teaching in Korea is highly test-driven, particularly at the high school and tertiary levels with the high-stakes college entrance exam and TOEIC test determining students' futures. Test-driven instruction is typically teacher-centered and memorization-heavy. Communicative and studentcentered approaches take a back seat; however, they are not unheard of. Communicative approaches with student interaction are increasing with younger, lower-level students and in programs at all levels with courses taught by NESTs. Many classrooms are now high-tech, with Internet access and PowerPoint capabilities. Their easy accessibility to a wide range of instructional tools and materials is affecting change in classroom EFL methodology. The Korea of the 1970s was very much test-driven as well.

Instruction was teacher-centered and students were expected to memorize huge amounts of grammar rules and lexical items. The grammar-translation method was quite healthy, but the audio-lingual method was also making inroads. High schools and universities were setting up expensive, well-equipped listening labs stocked with cue-response drill tapes for the students to practice. However, the high school labs became unused exhibits of the modernity of the school's English program, being frequented more by the visitor than by the student.

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Student Learning Today's student has a wide range of English learning opportunities available. Public school classes for English begin in Grade 3 of elementary school (possibly Grade 1 very soon) and continue through high school. There are after-school classes for elementary school students and supplementary classes for secondary school students. English is taught in kindergarten and pre-school, and there are language institute programs available for all levels.

Television provides movies and series of all types, as well as English learning programs, as does the Internet.

And many families opt to send their children abroad for some type of English schooling or training. The 1970s' options were much more limited. English classes only started in middle school, but the week was 5.5 days long (a half day on Saturdays). There were once-a-week special activities clubs in elementary school, of which one was English, but very few other learning opportunities or materials were available.

There were no TV programs in English or for English learning, and there was no Internet. One could not even use a short-wave (SW) radio to listen to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or Voice of America (VOA) because SW radios were illegal to own â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for national security concerns. It was only the very lucky student who had a tape recorder and English tapes to use with it.

Biggest Problems What has long been, and still remains, one of the biggest obstacles to learning English for the Korean learner is the lack of confidence in using the language, due to the reliance on memorization rather than on practice. Another problem is the student work ethic: many learners are unwilling to invest the time and effort that is required to learn a foreign language and are in an eternal search for an easy way to learn English.

Many students are not aware of effective learning strategies or of how to be an effective autonomous learner, relying on memorization rather that skills practice. The biggest problems for the teaching of English in Korea include the college entrance examination. As long as the English portion of this exam focuses on grammar and vocabulary, English skills will be ignored in secondary school. Another serious problem is administrators and policymakers. The people making the critical decisions concerning English language planning are often individuals with little or no background in ELT, SLA, or applied linguistics. The influence of parents on policymakers and administrators is often stronger than that of language teachers and specialists, and the private language school rather than the public school often seems to be the primary source of English education.

Prospects Despite the challenges that English education continues to face, there has been a continuous

increase in the need for English proficiency among Koreans and a continuous increase in the English proficiency of the general populace. The variety and number of jobs requiring a high proficiency in English skills is also expected to increase. As long as the need for English skills remains high, the trend of increased proficiency is expected to continue. The improvements in instructors' language skills and teaching skills are expected to lead to increased levels in learner proficiency. As instructors' proficiencies increase, the need for NESTs in teaching language learners is expected to gradually decrease, while the usefulness of qualified NESTs as teacher trainers will be realized.

What changes can we expect to take place in the next 40 years? With the rapid advances in technology, we can expect the next four decades to witness advances in English teaching, learning, and use to occur at an accelerated rate. In addition to improved teaching materials, technological advances in delivery systems will greatly increase the speed and efficiency with which English can and will be acquired.

Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL May Chapter Meeting Mokpo Outreach Workshop Date & Time: May 11 (Saturday) 1:30 pm Place: Mokpo National University Five ELT Presentations Monthly Chapter Meeting Date & Time: May 18 (Saturday), 1:30 pm Place: Chosun University, Main Building, Left Wing Featured Workshops - It's All in the Technique: Giving Instructions in the EFL Classroom (Catherine Peck: Chonnam Natl. University) - Ten Tech Tools Every Teacher Should Know About (Lindsay Herron: Gwangju Natl. University of Ed.) Swap-Shop: Share your teaching ideas and activities.

Admission: No Charge Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Email: gwangju@koreatesol.org Twitter: @GwangjuKOTESOL

David E. Shaffer is the current 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 and special events.

Dr. Shaffer is a professor of English at Chosun University, where he has taught graduate, undergraduate, and postgraduate courses for many years. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and holder of various positions. He is also the recipient of the KOTESOL Lifetime Achievement Award.

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language study

Lets Go On a Shopping Trip!!

Words and photo by Jannies Le

image from Cafe24

Sales Person: 어서오세요!

(Oseo-oseyo!)

Welcome! 손님 무엇을 찾으세요?

(Sonnim, mueoseul chajeuseyo? ) Customer, what are you looking for?

OR 무슨 색으로 보여 드릴까요?

(Museun saekeuro boyeo deurilkkayo?)

What color are you looking for?

Customer:

까만색 바지 있어요?

(Kkamansaek baji isseoyo?)

Do you have black long pants?

Sales Person: 이거 어떠세요?

(Igeo eotteoseyo?)

How is this one?

Customer:

좋아요.

(Johayo.)

It is good. 입어봐도 돼요?

(Ibeo bwado dwaeyo?)

Can I try this on?

Exchange long pants for: 반바지 (Ban baji) Shorts 반팔티셔츠 (Banpal tisyeocheu) Short Sleeve T-Shirt 스웨터 (Seuweteo) Sweater 코트 (Koteu) Coat 드래스 (Deuraeseu) Dress 치마 (Chima) Skirt 구두 (Gudu) Dress Shoes 부츠 (Bucheu) Boots

Exchange black for: 빨간색 (Bbalgansaek) Red 파란색 (Paransaek) Blue 베이지색 (Beijisaek) Beige 분홍색 (Bunhongsaek) Pink 노란색 (Noransaek) Yellow 주황색 (Juhwangsaek) Orange 갈색 (Galsaek) Brown 녹색 (Noksaek) Green 보라색 (Borasaek) Purple 회색 (Hwoesaek) Grey 하얀색 (Hayansaek) White

Small 사이즈 주세요.

(Small saijeu juseyo.)

Size small please. 이거로 주세요.

(Igeoro juseyo.)

I will take this one please. 얼마예요?

(Eolmayeyo?)

How much is it?

REFUNDS and EXCHANGES 환불해 주세요. (Hwanbulhae juseyo.)

Can I return this please? 이거 바꿔 주세요. (Igeo bakkwo juseyo.)

Can I exchange this please?

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Gwangju News May 2013

SIZES Small 사이즈주세요.

(Small saijeu juseyo.)

Size small please. *Sizes are the same as English; just add please at the end: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large

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language study

There are a lot of interesting idiomatic expressions that stem from cultural backgrounds and are 」, you can read difficult to translate literally. Every month in collaboration with「Talk to Me in Korean」 about some fun and useful Korean expressions.

마음은 굴뚝 같다

[ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk gat-da]

Literal translation: one's heart is like a chimney Actual usage: to want to do (something), but to be unable to do so because of other reasons 마음 [ma-eum] means "mind" or "heart" and 굴뚝 [gul-ttuk] means “chimney”. This literally translates to saying that one's “mind” is like a “chimney”. However, no one actually refers to the literal translation. This is a fixed expression that describes a situation where someone really wants to do something, but can't do it because of other reasons, such as being occupied with something else, being incapable or being physically far away. The reason that the person's “mind” is compared to a chimney is because traditionally, like in many other countries, Korean households had to burn firewood to keep the house warm and cook food. Therefore, the chimney represents the result of something. By saying that your mind is like a chimney, you imply that you would really like to see something done, but you can't.

Variations and examples 해외 여행을 가고 싶은 마음은 굴뚝 같은데, 시간이 없어요. [hae-oe yeo-haeng-eul ga-go si-peun ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk ga-teun-de, si-ga-ni eop-seo-yo.] = I'd really love to go overseas to travel, but I don't have time. 마음은 굴뚝 같지만, 아직 운동을 시작 못 했어요. [ma-eu-meun gul-ttuk gat-ji-man, a-jik un-dong-eul si-jak mot hae-sseo-yo.] = I'd love to, but I haven't been able to start exercising yet.

머리를 식히다

[meo-ri-reul si-ki-da]

Literal translation: to cool one's head Actual usage: to take a break, to rest one's mind 머리 [meo-ri] means "head" and 식히다 [si-ki-da] means “to cool down” or “to make something cold”. When you work too hard, you can almost feel like your head is overheating from all the thinking that you need to do. In that case, figuratively, you can say that you need to “cool down your head”, and it has the same meaning as “resting” your head or even taking a short break. 머리를 식히다 is often associated with doing something entertaining, rather than just resting, such as going outside for a walk, meeting with friends, watching a movie, or even going on a short trip.

Variations and examples 내일은 일하지 말고 머리 좀 식히세요. [nae-i-reun i-ra-ji mal-go meo-ri jom si-ki-se-yo.] = Tomorrow, take a rest and don't work. 밖에서 머리 좀 식히고 올게요. [ba-kke-seo meo-ri jom si-ki-go ol-ge-yo.] = I'll go take a break outside.

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food and drink

Lounge aA Words and photos by Gabe Ward

D

owntown near the river, there are now quite a few western-style restaurants and independent cafes. One of them, which opened up a few months ago, is Lounge aA. It caught my eye because of its large open-plan design, which one can see into from the street as they pass by.

The first time I went there was for a coffee late in the morning one Saturday. I was the only one there as they had just opened. I ordered an Americano, and sat in the main dining area, which was very spacious thanks to the high ceiling. There were two waiters and one of them promptly brought me my coffee while the other put on some jazz, which I was happy with. I got lost in the book I was reading and was given another Americano as service. Getting free stuff is always fun, and it must have worked on me somewhere in my subconscious because I found myself back at Lounge aA for dinner with a friend a week later.

It was a Friday night and there were already a few other people dining there. The restaurant has a partition in the middle of it, with the entrance leading into the counter and lounge area, while on the other side of the partition is the dining area.

We were greeted and then shown through to the dining area. The waiter handed us menus and we looked them over, not taking long to decide what we would get.

There was pizza on the menu, but we both opted for pasta. The waiter came back after a couple of minutes and I ordered spaghetti carbonara while my friend got spaghetti bolognaise. We also got a caprese salad to share

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between the two of us. Our salad was brought out shortly after ordering. I was rather impressed that it actually had real mozzarella, though sadly it didn't have any basil in it. Still, it was a really good salad.

Shortly after this our meals arrived, and at the same time which was great. We both really enjoyed our food and I was happy with the portion sizes and the sauce to pasta ratio. It was as good as any other pasta I've eaten in restaurants downtown.

I would recommend trying Lounge aA if you've never been there and are looking for somewhere new to dine with friends. Its open plan gives it a laid back feel which is a nice point of difference with many of the other pasta/pizza places in downtown Gwangju, which go for a bit more of an intimate ambience.

My meal cost 13,000 won, and my friend's cost 14,000 won. The caprese salad cost 13,000 won.

To find Lounge aA, start at the intersection downtown at the Ministop on the same street as Speakeasy, with Superdry clothes store on your left.

Walk towards the river and you will see Lounge aA on your right.

Lounge aA Address: 38-9 Bullo-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062-232-8066 Directions: Buses no. 6, 7, 9, 12, 55, 59, 70, 80, 98, 150, 151 and get off at Culture Complex (문화전당역) or Chungjang Police Box (충파)

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food and drink

Mugwort Soup 쑥국 Words and photos by Cheon Soyeon

A

s spring draws near, we can see mugwort (herbal plant) everywhere. Usually, eating mugwort soup means “It's springtime.” My mother dug up lots of mugwort in the garden and vacuum-packed it in the refrigerator to make mugwort rice cake, tea, salad, pancakes because all are very beneficial to our health. Mugwort prevents adult diseases by purifying the blood and reducing cholesterol. It also provides abundant minerals, is an alkaline food, and strengthens physiological function. Lastly, mugwort is excellent for dieting as it helps your metabolism. I hope you enjoy springtime and can be healthy with mugwort soup.

Things to prepare (serves 2 - 3 persons) 8 anchovies , 1/2 an onion, 1 kelp (10 X 10 centimeters ), 1 tablespoon of doenjang (soy bean paste), 100 grams of mugwort, 600 milliliters of water, 1 tablespoon of perilla seed powder

Cooking Method 1. Wash the mugwort with cold water.

2. Pour water into the pot.

3. Add anchovies, onion, and kelp to pot.

4. Boil water for 10 minutes.

5. Remove all ingredients from water.

6. Add doenjang and mugwort to water and boil for 10 minutes.

7. Add perilla seed powder as desired and boil water for 2 minutes.

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Community Board Have something you want to share with the community?

Gwangju News’ community board provides a space for the community to announce club’s activity, special events and so on.

Please send us the information to gwangjunews@gmail.com.

Gwangju Meditation Group Gwangju Meditation Group meets every Monday at the GIC between 7:30 and 9 p.m. We begin with some gentle yoga stretches and then introduce basic Buddhist meditation techniques and read passages from selected Buddhist teachers.

Email ross.chambers29@gmail.com or search for Gwangju Meditation Group on Facebook for more information.

Have any questions about living in Gwangju?

Let us help you! Simply write us an e-mail with your detail inquiry to: giccounseling@gmail.com and our volunteers will help you find ways to solve your problems about anything related to Gwangju (legal, medical, accommodation, education, culture, and many others!)

Sung Bin Home for Girls Sung Bin Home for Girls is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic longterm volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. Meet every Saturday at 1p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Daniel Lister at: daniellister7@hotmail.com.

Dance Workshop in GIC The dance workshop will be held every second Sunday from 4:30 p.m. by Angie Harley at the GIC. If you are interested in joining, please contact Angie at angiehartley1@gmail.com.

You will learn basic dance and create dance performance with specific theme in this workshop.

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Cats to have They are free, but you need to vacinate them.

They are Korean short hairs. The cats are 14 months old. Contact Lynne at 010-8692-9101 or e-mail lelie0072003@yahoo.com

Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium. If you are interested, contact either Andrew Dunne at atdunne@gmail.com or Chris Wilson at: kreeco@rogers.com

Gwangju Inter FC The Gwangju international soccer team (Gwangju Inter FC) plays regularly every weekend. If you are interested in playing, e-mail: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com or search ‘Gwangju Inter FC’ on Facebook.

The Gwangju Photography Club The Gwangju Photography Club is a place where many different people can meet, share advice, give ideas, and practice photography. Every month, the Photography Club goes on a photo outing to different places around the city and country to capture the moment and practice new techniques. Anyone is welcome to join the photography group and help share in the experience. To join the group, search Gwangju Photography Club on Facebook.

Help Gwangju News Delivery

GIC needs volunteers to mail out Gwangju News. Gwangju News is sent to nearly 2000 addresses each month.

We will contact interested individuals one week before the delivery date.

Works include labelling, packing, sending the magazines to the post office, direct delivery, etc. Volunteers are expected to spend around 2 - 3 hours in this delivery day. If interested, please contact Karina at karina@gic.or.kr

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Midway between Kunsthalle and the Grand Hotel, across the main street at the traffic lights from the Crown Bakery.

On the 3rd floor of the T World building.

Gwangju News May 2013

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