(EN) Gwangju News January 2015 #155

# 155/ January 2015

KIM TAEK-GON

A FORCE OF NATURE

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January 2015 #155 Published on December 24, 2014 Cover Photo: Kim Taek-gon Photograph by Joe Wabe

Publisher: Dr. Robert Grotjohn

GWANGJU NEWS PRINT

Editor-in-Chief: Adam Volle Editor: Karly Pierre Senior Coordinator: Kim Minsu Coordinator and Layout Editor: Karina Prananto Photo Editor: Joe Wabe Chief Proofreader: Bradley Weiss Copy Editors: Kate Blessing, Kate Jarocki, Joey Nunez, Jon Ozelton Proofreaders: Heather Aitken, Lianne Bronzo, Christie Fargher, Don Gariepy, Jessica Keralis, Fellin Kinanti, Jannies Le, Carrie Levinson, Gabriella Nygaard, Stephen Redeker, Pete Schandall, Kelly Shepherd, Teri Venable, Gilda Wilson Creative Consultant: Warren Parsons Researchers: GIC Foreign Support Team: Lee Jeonghwa, Kim Hyunyoung, Han Jeongbong, Han Juyeon, Yong Yurim

GWANGJU NEWS ONLINE

Editor: Ana Traynin Online Editorial Assistants: Mathew Jacob, Amanda Miller, Jacqui Page, Adriano Salamone Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com E-mail: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Join Adcom 조인애드컴

Gwangju News is published by Gwangju International Center Address: Gwangju International Center 1-2 Fl., 5, Jungang-ro 196 beon-gil (Geumnam-ro 3 Ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-023, South Korea Phone: +82-62-226-2733~4 Fax: +82-62-226-2731 Website: www.gic.or.kr Email: gic@gic.or.kr Copyright by Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the written consent of the publisher. gwangjunewsgic.com

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Happy New Year from the editorial staff of Gwangju News!

From left: Karina Prananto (layout editor), Adam Volle (editor-in-chief), Karly Pierre (print editor), Ana Traynin (online editor), Prof. Shin Gyonggu (publisher) Like many of our readers, we decided back in December to take the opportunity that the symbolic power of a new year provides in order to improve ourselves.

We started by bringing some fresh faces aboard. Last month we replaced photo editor Simon Bond with Joe Wabe, preeminent photographer of South Jeolla’s international community — and as you can see, the man has hit the ground running. That is one beautiful cover, no?

We have also replaced me, Adam Volle. As of this month your new print editor is Karly Pierre, a professor at Chosun University who hails from the great state of Louisiana in the U.S.A. Going forward, Karly will be responsible for the textual quality of our articles, and she will also have a strong voice in the overall direction of the magazine.

To make way for Karly’s talent, of course, it was necessary to bribe the rest of us with important-sounding job titles.

So Dr. Robert Grotjohn has been promoted to publisher, and Yours Truly is now editor-in-chief. We have the GIC and especially its executive director Dr. Shin Gyonggu to thank for the privilege of serving in these capacities.

Of course, Karina Prananto is still our layout editor and Ana Traynin remains our online editor. We are not fools.

Our staff is hardly the only thing changing this year; if you happen to be a regular reader of GN’s dead tree edition, you may notice the quality of our cover’s paper stock has improved. Thanks to advertisers old and new, we also now find ourselves able to increase the magazine’s page count by four — and are filling that new space with exciting new columns and features that fit so well you may wonder why we are only now running them (“Right to the City” may be my personal favorite of the new crop; give it a read on page 18).

As always, I encourage you to send your comments on it all, as well as any questions, requests, submissions, accusations, humorous anecdotes or conspiracy theories, to gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.

Thank you for reading. We will keep working hard to make you glad you have.

Adam Volle Editor-in-Chief

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CONTENTS features

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Breathing Life Into an Old Tradition: The Korean Flute

The Man Behind the Flowers

local 18 Right to the City: International Children and Enrollment in Korean Public Schools 19 Sewol Update January 2015 20 Gwangju Talks: “What kind of outdoor activity would you recommend in the winter season?”

21 Gwangju Becomes A Creative City 22 Gwangju City Hall News 24 Gwangju Works: German Bar 26 Gwangju Plays: Skiing 28 Gwangju Cooks: Kimchi & Tuna Spaghetti 29 Gwangju Eats: Lucky Pierrot’s Chicago-Style Pizza

places to see 30 Departing Gwangju: West Australia 32 Korea in the World: Russia 34 My Korea: Enjoying the Decline: Urban Exploration in South Jeolla

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14

16

The ACC: Building a Connection

“He stoppeth one of three”: Surveying the Remnants of Wild Korea

photography 36 Photo Essay: My Journey 38 Photo of the Month: Imja Island

culture 39 40 42 43

Korean Poetry by Pak Yong-Nae Gwangju Writes: Bedding With Wolves: A Poem Behind the Myth: Are All Stories About North Korea True?

Jeolla History: The Donghak Peasants Rebellion

gic 44 GIC Culture Tour: 2014 GIC Culture Tour in Review 46 GIC Talk Preview: A Review of the Phenomenal Non-Fiction Books of the GIC Library – Amazing Reading for the New Year 47 GIC Talk January Schedule

general 48 49 50 52

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Health: The Truth about Korea’s Thyroid Cancer Epidemic BIRDS Korea: Shaking Off Winter’s Chill KOTESOL: Interjecting Activities into the EFL Classroom National Pension Service: Social Security Agreement for German Nationals

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[Cover Story]

The Man Behind the Flowers

Words by Ali Saleh Photos by Joe Wabe and courtesy of Kim Taek-gon

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I

n his book, “Stop for a While, Take a Look at It,” (“가는 길 막으며 잠시 보고 가라 하네”) Kim Taek-gon has collected 50 newspaper columns detailing 50 different types of flowers inhabiting Hampyeong Ecological Park. This collection, amassed from a weekly column he wrote for the Maeil Daily Paper, includes pictures, summaries, and anecdotes about the park’s flowers.

Little wonder that Kim loves his work as a botanical officer of Hampyeong Ecological Park and the Gwangju-Jeonnam Forest Interpreters’ Association.

Some of his many responsibilities at the park include landscape maintenance, species management and breeding research, as well as the operation of a children’s program, a partnership program for restoring plants and a self-restoration program focused on individual healing and relaxation. According to his research, Kim states that the park is home to over 1000 different species of plants, 400 of which happen to be endangered.

Although the main focus of Kim’s book are the flowers and plants, the park is known to many as an insect refuge.

“There are not only orchids and plants, but a specimen pavilion for learning about butterflies and insects,” said Kim. In fact the park features individual centers for orientail orchids, wild orchids, aerides and common calanthes.

Lilium lancifolium

Although the park is abundant in attractions involving plants and insects, Kim said that the Asiatic black bear is one of the more talked about features of the park. According to Kim: “The bear is a firstgrade endangered animal and there are 15 in the park. They stand up to feed out of people’s hands and sway from side to side.”

The park is also home to a mini-zoo and an amusement park, favorites to elementary school students.

During one festival, children visiting the park are sent on a “mission” that that involves seeking out particular plants in order to win flower pots they can use later for their own plants. Additionally, kindergarteners have a chance to see a filming location of the popular children’s television program on KBS, “Hutos.”

While most people will say spring is the best time to visit, Kim likes to think that the park can be appreciated anytime of the year. “Summer comes with this green and fresh verdure. In fall the foliage is beauti-

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Kim Taek-gon’s book “Stop for a While, Take a Look at It,”

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Sanguisorba officinalis L

Lonicera japonica Thunb.

Cymbidium kanran Makino

Caryopteris incana

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smiling even as strong as the sea wind, and a camellia flower already fallen. If you took the time to look at them, you would love them all, surely.”

Whether you are already a nature-lover or are simply looking to get away from the industrial buzz, Hampyeong Ecological Park is a great opportunity to share some of the experiences that have brought Kim joy in his work.

The park is open every day except on Mondays and a select number of holidays, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

They have English speakers ready to take calls.

ful and there are paths between chrysanthemums.

Winter has migratory birds perched on the large lake and white snow on the bony branches. So, you can see, there is natural beauty in all four seasons.”

Another good reason to visit the park, Kim said, is for personal healing. “We often need to heal ourselves in nature to relieve stress caused by city life. The Eco-park is a perfect place to relax. Green colors, sounds of moving water and birds.” Aside from 11 exhibits and other educational venues, the park has a number of picnic areas and open spaces to relax.

Kim’s love of the flowers in the park makes choosing a favorite difficult. “It is the hardest question to answer! I love an adonis in snow, a primrose with fur clothes in early spring, a bleeding heart, a bellflower looking like a welcoming lantern, a deep blue colored hydrangea in the hot summer, a tiger lily, a bunch of Siberian chrysanthemum, an arctic daisy

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You can learn more about the park and how to make a trip here: http://ecopark.or.kr Hampyeong Ecological Park 함평자연생태공원 전라남도 함평군 대동면 학동로 1398-77 1398-77 Hakdong-ro, Daedong-myeon, Hampyeong County, South Jeolla Daily 9 a.m. - 6 p.m./ closed on Mondays ￦ Adults 5,000 won/Youth 3,000 won/ Children 2,000 won 061-320-3514 From Gwangju Bus Terminal bus stop, take bus no.

500 heading to Deokcheon (덕천) bus stop then take bus no. 100 to Hampyeong Ecological Park. Alternatively, take the bus to Hampyeong from Gwangju Bus Terminal and then take the local bus heading to Hampyeong Ecological Park from Hampyeong Bus Terminal

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Breathing Life Into an Old Tradition: The Korean Flute Words by Benjamin Grady Young Photos by Lorryn Smit

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outh Jeolla is home to many cultural landmarks and rituals. One tradition, more humble than a festival or a temple and considerably rarer, is being preserved by Kwang Chun-soo.

Kwang works quietly away in his workshop making three traditional Korean flutes: the danso, the sogeum and the daegeum. When I met him at his home, Kwang demonstrated the unique features of all three flutes, describing as he did the intricate process and the balance of strength, delicacy and patience required to make each of them.

The danso is small like the sogeum, but is played straight down like a Western recorder rather than to the side like the daegeum and its smaller brother.

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The daegeum has a unique feature named a chung: a reed concealed under a decorative metal cover.

It vibrates when the sound reaches a high pitch.

Each instrument is made from hand-selected bamboo. Kwang prefers uniquely shaped plants he calls “mutated bamboo.”

“It’s hard to find this bamboo because it’s rare,” said Kwang. “When we want to start making a daegeum we have to dry the bamboo for at least one year. And the time to make [the flute] after drying is about 30 days.”

In his workshop, paid for in part by the City of Gwangju to promote traditional crafts, Kwang demonstrated some of the elements of the crafting pro-

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1, 2, 3, and 4. Kwang’s beautifully crafted flutes.

5. Kwang and his wife

cess. First, in order to straighten the mutant bamboo, he locks it into a bending template and applies heat and leverage directly to the twists and turns of the bamboo. Once it is straight he uses a handturned drill to bore a hole through the middle. Finally, finger holes are drilled and decorative etching or weaving is added.

Although Kwang describes it as “one of the easiest [Korean traditional instruments] to approach,” he doesn’t believe that many young Koreans are interested in playing the danso. ”Even though the mass culture and media focus on western culture is not a barrier to develop traditional culture and music because today we have fusion music with Korean and western music,” explained Kwang.

“It’s not a subculture. It’s Korea’s own traditional culture … if someone gets interested in traditional food and traditional music they’re going to love it.”

Aside from his dedication to the preservation of Korean musical traditions, Kwang has embraced other

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aspects of traditional Korean life. He lives in a hanok with his wife that includes a training room for the Korean martial art taekkyeon, which they both practice and teach, as well as a climbing wall. Kwang views taekkyeon and climbing as extensions of the spiritual development he experiences through music.

“Taekkyeon is not that aggressive,” said Kwang. “It has active elements and it also needs passive meditation. Taekkyeon has both sides. And also climbing is not that active. It needs more concentration when you climb. In these three — playing an instrument, taekkyeon and climbing — there is some spiritual concentration.

“There is not one way to get life lessons. I mean that each person has their preference and if they concentrate on it [and] fully love it they’re going to get some lesson. It is not only danso, daegeum or playing an instrument that can give life lessons … all the things that every person can fully focus on they’ll get fully satisfied.”

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[Birds Korea] Birds Korea advocates for the conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education and public-awareness raising.

“He stoppeth one of three”: Surveying the Remnants of Wild Korea Words and photos by Dr. Nial Moores, Birds Korea

I

have lived and worked in Korea since 1998.

Every year I travel the country, surveying birds and their habitats and working with colleagues to build a clearer picture of Korea’s environment in order to support conservation. These experiences, while helping feed our scientific curiosity, increasinglyevoke memories of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” a poem written more than two centuries ago.

It describes a journey through both the external and the internal world, and it speaks much of the human urge to control and kill and of our need to live more wisely.

1

In 2014 alone, work took me along the frozen lengths of the Han and Geum rivers in search of the endangered and punk-crested scaly-sided merganser; out to sea off Goseong County in Gangwon Province, with its jagged mountain backdrop; and to the top of Seorak Mountain in the exhausting heat of summer. I also re-visited Jeju and spent weeks on Baekryeong Island in the northwest and a week on Ulleung out in the East Sea. For a second time, I also went out to Dok-do,“where the morning starts in Korea” and where tired migrant birds crossing the East Sea can find essential rest. I even visited Rason in the far northeast, where the Korean peninsula ends and Russia and China begin. There, on the DPRK side of the Tuman River, our international team helped local officials map out a bird reserve in an area of farms and wetlands where the Siberian tiger still survives — just.

“Beauty no tongue might declare” There is still unspeakable beauty to be found in many of Korea’s landscapes. During 2014, I saw pink

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and orange-washed mountains at dusk, Amur leopard cats and river otters, and clouds of shorebirds that shimmered first dark then light against the sky.

I have also been moved, often, by the beautiful warmth of people whose lives seem — on the surface, at least — to have been very different from mine.

But there is also increasing sadness.

“And I had done a hellish thing” In my own short time in Korea, the curve and expanse of many of the nation’s wildest rivers have become ever more confined by dams, roads and bicycle trails; several of the more remote mountain peaks, like Taebaek, believed to be home to wild gray wolves into the late 1980s, now house giant wind turbines; and even on offshore islands, bulldozers roar over the sound of the waves.

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2.

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Rason, DPRK in late March 2014 Seongsan area Jeju Island Arrogance, statue on seawall

fully three-quarters of the nation’s tidal flats have been reclaimed, and almost all natural freshwater wetlands have been lost.

3

People have gained economically in recent years, but the nation and the world continue to lose much in terms of natural abundance and a sense of connection to place. Most people have more things, but are we happier?

“With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross” If we felt fulfilled, we would respect, understand and value the natural ecosystems that support life.

We do not. Instead, we canalize rivers and replace wild spaces with parks, staked out with monuments and fences. The latest Birds Korea report, “Status of Birds, 2014,” confirms that during the last century five species of bird that were once regular have been lost to the ROK, and almost a third of all regular species have declined substantially. These species have decreased because we first hunted them and then destroyed or degraded their habitat. Now,

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Of course, it is not only birds that have declined as a result. A review in 1999 found that almost half of the 95 mammal species recorded in Korea were rare, threatened or had become extinct. Several of these, like the red fox, have already been lost to the southern provinces and, for now, can only survive in the true wilderness of the far north. Many other species are in decline, from fish to insects and plant species, many of which are found only in Korea.

We are but one species on a species-rich planet, and yet we are consuming more than the land and sea can provide. We keep shooting the albatross that inspires us. We keep feasting, even when we need to import most of our food, and when our choices are driving extinctions and threatening our own future.

For the year ahead and beyond, we need, finally, to give up the self-delusion that our species is somehow in control. We need to become more active for conservation and to celebrate the vitality of life properly: “Oh happy living things!”

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The ACC:

Building a Connection

Words by Karly Pierre Photo courtesy of Asia Culture Complex

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ast summer came to a close with pulsing beats from nine countries echoing through the outdoor stages of the Asian Culture Complex. The fifth annual Gwangju World Music Festival attracted over 80 international musicians and hundreds of visitors eager not only to hear the performances, but also to catch a glimpse of the new complex. This was the first major event hosted by the ACC, which began construction in 2008 and is slated to officially open in 2015.

“It was great that I could go into the ACC,” said a festival visitor. “I hope that I’ll have many chances to watch performances in the future.”

With construction costs hovering around an es-

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timated 688.3 billion won, and a facility covering approximately 160,000 square meters, the ACC is the largest and most ambitious arts project in Korea’s history. The ACC is the realization of a 2002 presidential campaign pledge by Roh Moo-hyun to “foster Gwangju as a cultural capital.” In 2004, his administration launched the Hub City of Asia initiative, focused on bringing overlooked mid-sized cities such as Gwangju, Jeonju and Gyeongju to the international forefront of culture and innovation.

The ACC hopes to become a magnet for dialogue and collaboration, specifically among Asian nations.

Addressing a crowd during the Asian Journalist’s Culture Forum held in 2013, Yoo Jin-ryong, Korea’s outgoing Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

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stated, “We expect the Asian Culture Complex to be a place for the cultures of Asian countries to be shared, exchanged and blended, allowing for Asia to become one by transcending race, language, ideology and customs.”

Designed by architect Woo Kyu-seung, the state-ofthe-art facility houses five performance spaces including a 2,000-seat grand hall, a culture academy, two exhibition halls, a research center, a children’s museum and two libraries. Woo’s sleek design places most of the facility underground, while the plazas above project the rallying spirit of the May 18th Democratic Uprising.

The ACC is divided into five major departments: the Cultural Exchange Agency, Asian Culture Information Agency, Cultural Promotion Agency, Asian Arts Theatre and Edu-Culture Agency for Children. The Cultural Exchange Agency’s aim is to construct exhibits that promote democracy and peace. The Asian Culture Information Agency will focus on Asian cultural research and training. The Cultural Promotion Agency is tasked with energizing the local economy through cultural programs. The Asian Arts Theatre will support contemporary performance art. The Edu-Culture Agency for Children will create programming for children.

The ACC is also tapping the resource of the local expatriate community. Jordan VanHartingsveldt, a Canadian English and science teacher at Samyook Elementary School, has been volunteering with the Edu-Culture Agency for Children to create educational programs for the center. He began with creating interactive exhibits that teach students about periods in Asian history, then developed simplified versions of Asian sports, such as botaoshi and jai alai, that would be suitable and safe for children.

“Probably the biggest project I’ve been tasked with, though, is developing an educational program that could potentially be introduced into schools all across Korea,” said VanHartingsveldt. “I decided to work on a series of quizzes which will help separate students by thinking process and learning style.”

He believes that his new method, if adopted, could improve Korean education by drawing educators away from rote memorization to a more flexible curriculum that benefits various learning styles.

could be felt throughout Asia.

“As the population of students and factory workers from across Asia rises, it is beneficial to have a space where all are represented in a positive light and serve as a beacon around which civility and compassion become the rule,” said VanHartingsveldt.

The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute estimates the ACC will receive 1.67 million visitors annually.

This could mean a tremendous boost to Gwangju’s economy.

“The ripple effects on the local economy and effect of job creation are expected to cluster with local artists, craftsmen, universities and industries,” said Choi Jong-man, president of the Institute of Asian Cultural Development.

Choi estimates that 36,000 jobs will be created, particularly in the tourism industry, and the ACC will directly employ about 1,000 people.

“The ACC can lead internationalization of the city and stimulate the economy through attracting international events to a local venue,” said Choi.

The official opening of the ACC will conclude the second part of a four-stage strategy that will end in 2023 and is designed to secure the complex’s prominence. The ACC has plans to work closely with the city to enhance the competitiveness of Gwangju’s tourism industry.

“We’re planning [to collaborate by] temporarily opening the complex in conjunction with Gwangju Summer Universiade and other events in the city, “ said Choi. “Moreover, we’re [working to change] deserted houses or old facilities into a cultural strongpoint in the old downtown area. In addition, we’ll prepare ways to connect with the Gwangju Folly.”

However, Choi stresses that these facilities were not developed solely to gain international recognition, but also to improve the lives of Gwangju’s citizens.

“Local people can watch performance arts of high quality here. They don’t [have to go] abroad.”

VanHartingsveldt appreciates the opportunity to work with this ACC project and feels that its impact

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[Right to the City]

International Children and Enrollment in Korean Public Schools Words by Joey Nunez Photo courtesy of Rachel St. John

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achel St. John recently went through a frustrating process. Her son, J., is seven years old and ready for first grade. But as American international residents of Gwangju, enrolling J. in a Korean public school proved to be difficult. St. John said, “Being a parent is hard enough. Sending your tiny child off to school is absolutely terrifying, and then it becomes this issue of: ‘Well, how do you do it?’”

Along with her husband Dave, St. John started acquiring information about enrollment in Korean public schools earlier this year. After two separate agencies said that it could not be done, she began to search elsewhere. “Everyone has been really nice and helpful. It is just not very common. Nobody really knows exactly how to do it.”

On an afternoon of continuous “no” responses, St. John wrote a Facebook post expressing her frustrations about J.’s situation. That same day, multiple replies led people to make calls, arrange meetings and offer what assistance they could.

Persistence paid; St. John eventually received an encouraging “yes.” She described how an elementary school principal, vice-principal and English teacher all enthusiastically agreed to let J. attend their school.

Rachel also shared how strange it was for J. to be at such ease while meeting these educators for the first time, since he is generally shy around strangers. J. immediately gave the principal a big hug. The principal and other staff members have since gone out of their way to support J. St. John feels that the real issue in this situation was less of a human rights violation and more of learning how to deal with a lack of information. She said

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it is typical for bureaucracies to say things cannot be done because they have never been done before.

However, the issue can develop into a human rights dilemma, if no system changes occur and the process is repeated by other families.

To avoid these problems, St. John suggested that the paperwork be created now in order to accommodate future children. Her son is only a part of the first wave of children wanting to enroll in Gwangju public schools. St. John stated, “There are dozens of other children under four years old now living in Gwangju, and their parents are staying here.”

St. John suggested that any parents faced with this situation first seek the help of the Gwangju Ministry of Education. She considers their resources helpful and valuable.

As a member of Global Families of Gwangju (GFOG), St. John also encourages families to check GFOG and Awesome Families in Korea, as both organizations offer information about cultural events and networking between multicultural and international families.

Both the international community and Korean friends helped the St. Johns. Some of those who got involved are people they knew before starting the process, and other friendships were cultivated through it. St. John said it really does take a village to raise a child.

She explained, “We have a metropolitan city of people who are just willing to help. And that has helped a lot to not feel alone.”

After her personal experiences, St. John believes that all international families can receive the assistance they need to successfully enroll their children in Gwangju public schools.

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Sewol Update: January 2015 The Sewol Update provides you with the latest information on events related to the sinking of the MV Sewol on April 16, 2014, which left 295 dead and 9 missing.

Words by Kim Singsing Translated by Kim Dong-hun

www.holidayinngwangju.com

Welcome to January!

Here’s what’s happening at Holiday Inn Gwangju!

T

he sinking of the Sewol Ferry was recorded as the most Tweeted topic about Korea in 2014.

Slowalk, a consulting firm, has released a Sewol-themed calendar for use in 2015, entitled “Remember and Keep on Living.” The calendar comprises only numbers and letters in black, with no background images. The date of April 16 on the calendar is intentionally left blank.

Mr. Kim Young-ho, who lost his daughter to the Sewol Ferry disaster, published a book titled “Unworthy Dad: I Am a Truly Unworthy Dad, Because I Have Come To My Senses By Now” after concluding a 46-day hunger strike. In an interview he noted that the special Sewol Bill was not sufficient to investigate the disaster and indict those responsible for it. He has held numerous meetings with people from all across the country to ask for their help.

The documentary “Diving Bell” was released in a limited number of theaters on October 23, 2014.

As of this writing, the film is believed to have been watched by 45,000 people.

The Gwangju Citizen Sanju group, having charged itself with mourning the Sewol Ferry disaster for three years, embarked on a 1,000-daylong pilgrimage around Gwangju on November 15, 2014, with plans to finish the walk on August 11, 2016. The pilgrimage was begun under the slogan “Seeking the Truth of the Sewol Ferry Disaster for the Safer Society in the Future.” If you want to participate in this pilgrimage, please send an email to ilovegimchi@gmail.com for more information.

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A Unique Lifetime Experience at Holiday Inn Gwangju For more information: 062-610-7063~4 www.holidayinngwangju.com

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[Gwangju Talks] Each month, Gwangju News surveys a particular demographic of Gwangju’s residents for their perspective on a topic of interest. What topics would you like to see discussed, and from what viewpoint?

Email your requests to gwangjunews@gic.or.kr.

“What kind of outdoor activity would you recommend in the winter season?”

Compiled by Lee Jeonghwa, Kim Hyunyoung, Han Jeongbong, Han Juyeon, and Yong Yurim Photo courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City

MOON INJOO, 24 YEARS OLD, FROM KOREA In winter, I recommend foreigners to go ice fishing.

A lot of ice fishing festivals are held in Korea. For example, there is a trout festival in Pyeongchang.

You can go fishing, ride a sled, go snowrafting and experience various activities with snow there. It might be an enjoyable time in Korea that you will never forget. If you want to get more information about ice fishing, you can easily get it online. I think there are not enough activities you can do in winter and I prefer to go to ice fishing festivals because I can do many interesting things at once. Go there and make valuable memories.

BAEK JI-YOUNG, 48 YEARS OLD, FROM KOREA Winter in Korea has sam-han-sa-on, which means three days are cold and four days are warm. So I recommend going hiking or to an outdoor skating rink on the warm, sunny days with low wind.

I recommend going to Jungmeritjae at Mudeung Mountain, Gangchun Temple in Sunchang and Guemseong Sanseong in Damyang. Their levels are relatively gentle and take moderate time to climb.

Also visitors can go to the temple on the mountain’s peak to enjoy the view and a landscape of snow.

Furthermore, people can enjoy dining there.

KRISTEN APRUZZESE, ENGLISH TEACHER FROM UNITED STATES I grew up in a warm climate, so winter is very exciting for me! Since I didn’t see a lot of snow as a child, I like to do the things kids usually do when it snows, like build a snowman or have a snowball fight. I also like to go outside and take pictures to share with my friends in California. Ice skating is another way to take advantage of the winter weather.

Last year, I went to the outdoor rink in Sangmu, and I plan to go again this year.

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KIM TAE-HOON, 26 YEARS OLD, FROM KOREA I really want to recommend climbing a mountain in winter. Usually, I love scenes of nature, for example a mountain, sea, an island, so on… But I think a mountain has a variety of attractive things depending on the season. Every time I see a mountain in winter, I feel like it’s a frozen castle covered with snow and ice.

Actually, in winter, many people don’t want to go out. So another activity that I recommend to you is just to take a walk. Just walk around your town sampling Korean street foods, such as bungeobbang, or hoddeok, odeng.

KIM JIN-CHEOL, 52 YEARS OLD, FROM KOREA I strongly recommend that people in Gwangju should climb a mountain in winter, because freezing cold makes you usually stay inside with lovely heaters or electric blankets. If you continue to do this, your joints will begin to make sounds and you will have a weak body which makes it easy to get a cold.

So, how about climbing Mudeung Mountain? Chuwol Mountain in Damyang and Mannyeon Mountain in Hwasun are great choices, as well. I am sure it will refresh your body and you will have a crush on the magnificent sight when arriving at Janbuljae Pass on Mudeung. Also, a frozen waterfall is waiting for you on the way. It will create an illusion like you’re in the Disney movie “Frozen” for a while.

And to enjoy your climbing safely, you have to know several tips. An early start for climbing is good but you should descend a mountain before 5 p.m. If you don’t, you will quickly get lost. In addition, it is essential to wear many pieces of thin clothing to adjust your body temperature. This weekend I plan to climb up to Janbiljae. How about you?

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Gwangju Becomes A Creative City Words by Ana Traynin Photo provided by Ryu Jae-han

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n December 1 in Paris, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova designated two Korean cities to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network: Busan in the field of Film and Gwangju in the field of Media Arts. They join 28 other new additions for a total of 69 cities worldwide that have joined the network since its founding in 2004. The Creative Cities work for international cooperation in sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural diversity in seven areas: Craft and Folk Arts, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

Ryu Jae-han

Gwangju’s application to join the network was submitted by the Gwangju Media Art Creative Citizen’s Forum, an organization started within the past two years. Engaging local artists, NGOs, researchers, entrepreneurs and other like-minded people, the forum has sought to gain higher recognition for Gwangju as a city of culture.

torically neglected. On December 3 President Park Geun-hye visited Gwangju’s Kim Daejung Convention Center, where local media artist Jin Si-young unveiled a work called a “soul art car.” The president was reportedly impressed enough to desire “building one million soul art cars.”

Ryu Jae-han, a Chonnam National University professor of French Language and Literature, is the newly appointed head of the Creative Citizen’s Forum. His colleague Doctor Cho Huntz, professor of English Language and Literature, is the head member of the forum’s International Business Committee.

Ryu is also chief executive of the Asia Culture Forum, held annually since 2006 and hosted by Chonnam University for the first time in 2014. Next year, the Creative Citizen’s Forum hopes to invite local Creative City partners Seoul, Busan, Icheon and Jeonju to the ACF before coming together for the 2015 UNESCO Creative Cities Network Summit.

Doctor Ryu calls Gwangju’s media art “an art of bibimbap” that combines many elements, including Gwangju’s “three lights” of artistic tradition, human rights and high-tech science and technology. Ryu said that the word “bibimbap” as a concept for describing cooperation within media art was accepted at this past September’s eighth annual UNESCO Creative Cities Network summit in Chengdu, China.

According to him, Gwangju as a Creative City can forge “a liaison between youth education and digital art as well as a liaison between digital art and the creative industry... If [students] have opportunities, they will be motivated.”

The attraction of media art also serves to bring increased development to an economic region his-

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“Domestic consolidation is the first step and next is going overseas,” Doctor Cho said.

Alongside the East Asia Culture City exchange with China and Japan, the World Human Rights Cities Forum and the Asian Cultural Complex opening in 2015, the UNESCO Creative City designation is set to significantly boost Gwangju’s development in art, industry and urban development.

For more information on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, please visit: http://www.unesco.org/ new/en/culture/themes/creativity/creative-citiesnetwork/. To learn more about the Gwangju Media Art Creative Citizen’s Forum, please visit: http:// www.creativegwangju.kr/ (in Korean)

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[This Month in Gwangju] Our municipal government would like to share some information with you.

Gwangju City Hall News Words by Benjamin Grady Young Compiled by Lee Jeonghwa, Kim Hyunyoung, Han Jeongbong, Han Juyeon, and Yong Yurim Photos courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City

“LET’S MAKE A STORY OF HOPE!” A series of talks, conferences, exhibitions and job fairs were hosted at the Kim Daejung Convention Center from December 3 to December 6. The events were organized under the uniting theme of “Hope for the Future.” Visiting celebrities from a number of fields, including business management, entertainment, food research and writing, helped show the focus of the event through their presentations.

Mr. Robert Harley and Mr. Yang Joon-hyuk emphasized togetherness and multiculturalism as vital tools for a bright and hopeful future. Singer Kim Tae-won and travel writer Son Mi-na focused their message on enabling children to follow their dreams, and Lee Hye-jong told the story of her journey to becoming a chef.

GWANGJU NAMED AS A UNESCO CREATIVE CITY Gwangju recently became the first Korean city to be appointed as a city of media art by the UNESCO Creative City network (see previous page).

Gwangju has been recognized for the various media art-related festivals and exhibitions taking place annually in the city. This recent announcement is a milestone in a master plan to foster Gwangju’s reputation and capacity as a creative hub.

Worldwide, only three other cities — Lyon and Enghien Les Bains in France, and Sapporo in Japan — are members of the media art section of the Creative City Network of UNESCO. Launched by UNESCO in 2004, the Creative Cities Network is designed to promote the economic, social and cultural development of cities by providing a world platform that presents each member city’s cultural assets and provides access to international expertise and information.

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Mudeung Mountain Eco-museum main page (http://mudeung.org)

MUDEUNG MOUNTAIN WEB ECO-MUSEUM A new type of museum has opened in Mudeung National Park: the Eco-Museum (http://mudeung.org), sponsored by the City of Gwangju. It is informative about both the national park in which it is located and other cultural heritage sites in Gwangju. Its efforts are to preserve and highlight both the cultural and natural importance of the surrounding areas that set this new museum apart from the Natural History Museum or the Natural Park.

The Eco-Museum is also the first museum in Korea to have a substantive online presence through its website, “Web Eco Museum.” Digital galleries, maps, documentaries and other corresponding tools and media can be found online. The city hopes that the integration of mobile and web services will help to promote the museum and to attract nature and culture lovers from around Jeolla and beyond.

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GWANGJU PLANS TO SUPPLY 34,000 BRIQUETTES TO LOW-INCOME GROUPS To reduce the burden of heating costs this winter for low-income families, the City of Gwangju recently approved a budget that would purchase 338 briquettes per low-income household. This is short of the total number recommended for health and warmth this winter, but the government is dedicated to increasing its commitment in the future.

As part of Gwangju’s “energy welfare policy,” the government will also be supporting households that rely on heating oil this winter.

A government official said that “even though the government and city support and supply heating costs and fuel, it is not enough to get rid of blind spot households. I hope citizens will help their neighbors to pass the winter warmly.”

If you want to help low-income households and neglected groups during the winter, you can contact the Economic Policy Department of Gwangju City Hall at 062-613-9753.

THE COMPLETION OF THE ASIA CULTURE COMPLEX Initial construction of the long-awaited Asia Culture Complex has been completed almost 10 years after its groundbreaking ceremony in 2005. The ambitious project has cost more than one and a half times the city of Gwangju’s annual budget, half of which was contributed by the city itself.

The complex covers 161,237 square meters and supplants the National Museum of Korea as the largest cultural facility in Korea, but its most unique feature is its subterranean nature. Expansive and central, the complex plunges 10 stories down, using clever architectural devices to maintain natural light even at that depth. 56 glass boxes on the tops of the buildings transport light to the lower levels during the day and will shine light out during events and performances at night.

The complex contains five departments: the Cultural Exchange Agency, the Cultural Promotion Agency, the Asian Arts Theatre, the Agency of Culture for Children and the Asian Culture Information Agency. It promises to turn downtown Gwangju into “a power plant of culture” when it opens officially in September 2015.

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Top: Mudeung Mountain Seoseokdae Bottom: Mudeung Mountain Ibseokdae

MUDEUNG MOUNTAIN DESIGNATED AS A NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL PARK The Ministry of the Environment has approved Mudeung Mountain and the surrounding national park as a park of geological significance. After a committee meeting and discussion, Mudeung and its famous Jusangjeolli Cliff are to be recognized as natural assets that have high geological value.

This designation was prompted through an application by the City of Gwangju last year as a part of an effort to globalize Gwangju’s representative mountain. Mudeung features various other natural assets, including the peaks at Cheonwangbong, Ibseokdae and Seoseokdae.

Please scan the QR Code for more info on Gwangju

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2014-12-24 오후 12:38:45

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G

erman Bar is a sizeable pub located in downtown Gwangju that offers guests a variety of constant yet distinctive experiences. Perhaps the most notable feature of the bar, however, is the owner himself.

People come on a daily basis to see and say hello t Song Seung-cheol — or Mr. Song, as he is commonly addressed. Customer Kristine Kim said: “He is always nice, and I guess that is the reason I come here. He makes it a comfortable atmosphere.”

The bar is named after the German beers that Song brews himself, the most popular being the light Weizen beer. But what is the story behind the bar, how does Song run it, and how did he come to brew German beers?

CRAFTING AN IDEA After graduating with a degree in chemistry from Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Song moved to Munich, Germany, where he lived for 12 years. It was there that he became interested in brewing beer and worked for several breweries over a span of 10 years, studying the chemical reactions between yeast, barley and hops in order to craft a good beer.

Upon returning to Korea, Song settled in Gwangju and opened his first bar in Bongseon-dong in the early 2000s. Knowing it was too small and in the wrong location, he decided to put any profit toward a better, larger location elsewhere.

Song eventually rented space in Gwangju’s downtown area, but recalls it was full of garbage at first and required much work to make it acceptable for customers. He spent a year cleaning and developing this new location during the day while operating his first bar at night. He built the new bar entirely by hand, crafting tables and benches, an expansive bar area and even installing the plumbing, lighting and sound system himself to cut down on costs. After a year of work, he closed the Bongseon-dong location and moved downtown.

BREWING AND EXPANDING During the five years that German Bar, or German Bar One as it is now known, was in its first downtown location, the bar gained popularity for its German beers and welcoming atmosphere. Song said: “My time spent as a foreigner in Germany gave me firsthand experience of what it is like to live in a different country.

That is why I am so welcoming of all people in my bar.

Everyone is welcome at German Bar.”

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Song continued expanding his bar, creating a stage on which guests could try their hands at drums and karaoke. He also designed cozy nooks in which guests could hold relaxed conversations away from the main, open room. And through it all, he started brewing his own beer.

Continuously ordering ingredients such as hops and yeast from Germany, Song began to brew his German beer at a separate location where there was more space, and patrons began to take notice. Said Song: “At the breweries in Germany, I learned how to check the chemical reactions of the yeast under a microscope. I know what a good beer looks like and what a bad beer looks like, and that’s what sets me apart.”

German Bar has been at its third and current location since the summer of 2013. The current bar boasts a sizable layout, and patrons can choose from a variety of settings. The main room contains open seating at handmade tables and benches, the central bar and a stage with drums and karaoke. Here you can see friends trying their hand at something new or established bands bringing down the house. A smaller bar, suitably named Side Pocket, opened recently on the other side of the main room and serves as an Irish bar. Yet another room can be found to the side of the central bar, boasting a comfortable space that Song hopes to turn into a wine bar. Guests can also take part in a game of darts in the dart room.

Later this year, Song will move his brewing operation into a room at the current location. By doing this, he will have full control over every aspect of the brewing process, including handling and distribution. This is important to Song because it will further preserve the integrity of his beer.

Helping Song are one full-time employee and two parttimers. The part-time helpers satisfy the busy weekend crowds and keep patrons updated on events through social media. They keep the drinks flowing and maintain the energized atmosphere while Song is talking with customers or cooking German sausages and sauerkraut in the kitchen.

German Bar is open seven days a week from 6pm to 6am on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 6pm until 2am on all other days. Friend German Bar on Facebook to stay up-to-date on events and happenings at the bar, and feel free to send Mr. Song a message or stop by and say hello.

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[Gwangju Plays] Gwangju Plays publicizes sports and recreation opportunities in Gwangju.

Skiing!

Words and photos by Matthew Endacott

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inter is here! That means hibernation for some, but those looking for snow and thrills can travel to Muju Deukyusan Resort in North Jeolla Province. The resort boasts lengthy, enjoyable slopes for all levels, as well as restaurants, markets, a noraebang, an arcade, a ping-pong and billiards hall, an Internet cafe, a shopping center and an open-air spa adjacent to the slopes. This is a great way to experience one of the best winter sporting resorts that Korea has to offer without having to travel across the country.

“Muju’s got some of the longest and friendliest slopes in Korea. It’s my top pick because of the range of different slopes available and the amount of time you can spend on a single run,” said Sean D’Angelo. D’Angelo has been to Muju several times and is currently planning another trip.

Jessica Keralis, who skied at Muju last season, reported that Muju is also a great place for enthusiasts of all levels, be they expert skies and snowboarders or beginners. “I found skiing in Korea to be

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much easier than in Italy, and I have heard that it is also easier than most places in the US like Colorado or Utah. The runs tend to be shorter, wider, and not as steep.”

There are two bases separating the layout of the slopes: Manseon, which has 11 runs, and Seolcheon with 6 slopes including Silk Road, a 6.2 km run that is the longest in Korea. Silk Road is a favorite run for many visitors. D’Angelo described it as a “steady slope that loops around the back side of the mountain, then spirals back around towards the face and goes right past the outdoor sauna, so you can ski there during break time and jump in a hot tub for an hour. Pretty sweet.”

Because the mountains are farther south, the resort has to produce artificial snow to maintain its slopes. This leads to more ice and effort while skiing or snowboarding, so for two hours each day there is a break so the staff can resurface the slopes. It is a great time to warm-up, grab some food and maybe some warm sake or coffee to ready yourself for the

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Spend Winter in Gwangju and Muju!

Gwangju Indoor Ice Rink Yeomju Gymnasium, Seo-gu, Gwangju Mon-Sat (9 a.m. - 5:50 p.m.), Sundays (9:30 a.m. - 4:40 p.m.) ￦ Adults 3,500 won/Youth 3,000 won/ Children 2,500 won Buses no 16, 20, 26, 47, 59, or 74 (Yeomju Stadium) Gwangju City Hall Ice Rink

night session. Many people leave after the day session, so Muju’s night skiing is a great way to take advantage of the shorter lift lines and get as many runs in as possible.

“My husband and I went with several friends and had a blast,” said Keralis. “I had only been skiing a few times before I went, so I was not very confident, but my friends were very positive and encouraging. They helped me to loosen up and have fun!”

If you are interested in skiing or snowboarding, Muju is the place to be. Its low cost, short traveling distance and great slopes make it ideal for residents of Jeolla. So grab your friends, suit up, and have a great time.

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Gwangju City Hall, Seo-gu, Gwangju Mon-Thu (10 a.m.-8 p.m.)

Fri-Sun (10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.) ￦ 1,000 won Bus no 01, 16, 22, 25, 38, 45, 46, 50, 62, 63, 64, 518, 1000 (City Hall) Muju Deogyu Mountain Resort Muju Ski Resort, North Jeolla Province

￦ Adults 30,000 won-90,000 won Take a bus from the Gwangju Bus Terminal to the Muju Bus Terminal (3.5 hours). Then, take the free shuttle bus for Muju Ski Resort in front of Muju Jaeil Clinic and get off at Muju Ski Resort (50 minutes)

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[Gwangju Cooks] Gwangju Cooks equips would-be cooks with recipes for both classic Korean dishes and innovative fusion food.

Kimchi& Tuna Spaghetti Recipe and photo by Joe Wabe

K

imchi is the pride and joy of Korean culture. It’s no wonder why such a healthy dish, rich in vitamins and a digestion helper, was named by magazine Health one the of the top five “World’s Healthiest Foods.”

In this new section of Gwangju Cooks, we will attempt to provide a tasty and easy to prepare kimchi-based Korean fusion dish every month. The goal is to be able to make unique western-style recipes that can adapt harmoniously with the complex and savory flavor of kimchi. Therefore, preparation is easy and ingredients are accessible no matter where you are in the world. So here’s our first take on this challenge.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 pack of spaghetti noodles (320g) 6 garlic cloves 1 can of spaghetti sauce (455g) 5 sliced white mushrooms 1 tuna can (210g) 4 teaspoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups of chopped kimchi (about 300 grams)

Boil the pasta in hot water with the garlic cloves for 17 minutes. Once your pasta is ready, quickly drain the pasta into a colander in the sink. Do no rinse the pasta. Not only is the starch in the water what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta, but rinsing will cool the pasta and prevent absorption of your sauce. Add a little bit of olive oil to keep it moist. In a different pan, heat the olive oil at a low temperature, add the boiled garlic from the pasta, and stir it until it is a golden color. Add the spaghetti sauce and tuna can with the water first, stir for about 2 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients, stirring it for about 5 minutes to let all the flavors dance together in a perfect harmony. Serve the sauce on top of the pasta and enjoy!

Do you have an original kimchi recipe you would like to share? Share it with us and let Gwangju know, how good it is! recipies@kimchitales.com

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[Gwangju Eats] Gwangju Eats highlights the best and most unique dining experiences in Gwangju and South Jeolla.

Lucky Pierrot’s Chicago-Style Pizza Words and photos by Cody Jarrett

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hicago-style” deep-dish pizza is not one of the more common types of pizza in Korea. In fact until recently, anyone looking for a deep-dish fix was out of luck, and since a deep-dish take more time and effort to prepare than most pizzas, it still will not be showing up on a 5,000 won pizza menu any time soon. While Lucky Pierrot is not a restaurant for pizza purists, their cheesecrazed take on this style still manages to satisfy.

ATMOSPHERE AND SERVICE The interior of the restaurant is fairly small, with seats filling all available space. Expect a short wait for a table, which will give you time to go over the menu. The pizza takes a while to prepare, but an appetizer or two helps make the wait more manageable.

FOOD Lucky Pierrot offers a few different appetizers, including fried eggplant, onion rings and a couple of salads. Breaded in panko and herbs, the eggplant comes out a little greasy, yet goes well with a cold beer. Adding to the cheese overload, the eggplant comes with a dish of electric orange nacho cheese sauce for dipping.

The pizza itself makes an impressive presentation.

Resting over a burning block of Sterno, cheese bubbles out of every slice. The pizza here is not a typical deep-dish pie, but rather a type of stuffed crust pizza, wherein the entire pizza crust is packed with cheese. A healthy amount of sauce goes on the crust, and a few slices of tomato top everything off.

The cheese makes for a stringy, messy meal, but the overall flavor is much better than one might ex-

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pect from a restaurant that bases its entire concept on an abundance of bland Korean mozzarella. The crust in particular has a better flavor and a bit more crunch than most Korean pizzas.

Pizzas cost 19,000 won for an 8-inch and 29,000 won for a 10-inch. Toppings like bacon or bulgogi can be added for 1,000 won. Appetizers range from 5,000-8,000 won and domestic and import beers are available from 4,000-6,000 won. An 8-inch pizza and fried eggplant was a large meal for three people.

DIRECTIONS Take a bus or the subway to the Asian Culture Complex stop. With the YMCA on your right, head straight until you reach Pho Bay. Turn right and walk straight until you reach the Mini Stop. Lucky Pierrot is on the street to your left. 광주광역시 동구 백서로125번길47 125 Baekseo St., Dong-gu Gwangju 062-233-8570 Daily 12:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Bus no 9, 12, 36, 45, 51, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 80, 87, 95, 98, 161, 419, 518, 1187, 1000 (Asian Culture Complex)

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30 places to see

[Departing Gwangju] Departing Gwangju is Gwangju News’s monthly travel column. To submit your own adventure, email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr

The Merry Old Land of Oz Words and photos by Kathryn Blessing

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n a country as big as Australia, there are bound to be places even some Aussies have not visited. As I found during my time living there, Western Australia (WA) is one of them. Most Australians are located on the east coast, in or near major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane.

Unlike the United States, which is roughly the same size as Australia and has people living throughout the country, there are barely any people living in Australia’s interior. Trips to Western Australia can be costly, so it is no wonder that many Australians have never been to Perth, WA’s capital.

Perth is also the largest city in Western Australia. It has reliable public transportation, an exciting nightlife, sports teams, culture and some of the most stunning beaches Australia has to offer. The west coast offers picturesque views of the Indian Ocean, and surfing is a popular sport there. Even though Perth has the third-most shark attacks in the world, the cerulean water is so beautiful you may find it worth the risk.

Each Sunday, bars and beer gardens on the beach host a brunch-type atmosphere, often with heavy drinking and live music. This is called Sunday Session, and while you can experience it in many places, my favorite spot was the Cottesloe Beach Hotel just a few meters from the Cottesloe Beach. From the beach bars, patrons can watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean while sharing a brew with friends.

Natural beauty also abounds in WA, and it is one of the main reasons ecotourism is booming there. The roads north of Perth are largely empty, opening to the Red Desert, deserted beaches and some of the most intimate opportunities to interact with marine and terrestrial wildlife.

During the six months I lived in Australia, I spent

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31 places to see

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4 Abseiling, Kalbarri Gorge, Western Australia Sunrise at Monkey Mia, Western Australia Nature’s Window, Kalbarri Gorge, Western Australia The Pinnacles, Western Australia

around one month traveling to different parts of the 2 country. The most notable trip I took was a weeklong group bus excursion that began in Perth and wound its way up the west coast to Exmouth. As a group, we cooked and ate together, and we often slept in shared hostel rooms throughout the journey. We visited new places on each of the seven days, including the Pinnacles, Kalbarri Gorge, Hamlin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, Hutt River Province and Shell Beach.

One of the most exciting stops was in Monkey Mia. Here, the handful of locals had a great relationship with dolphins that lived in the nearby waters.

The animals were not afraid of people. When we arrived at sunset and decided to take a swim, they swam alongside us in the ocean. The next morning, as we gathered at sunrise to hear about these spe-

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cial dolphins from the people that work with them, I was selected to feed one of the dolphins. Feeding a dolphin in the ocean by hand is not something I will soon forget.

The true gem of WA is the Ningaloo Reef, located just offshore from Exmouth. It is a fringing reef that extends 250 km from the shore. It follows the shoreline, allowing curious visitors to walk from the beach and into the sea for a distance of a few meters. In Coral Bay and in Exmouth, I was able to snorkel alongside reef sharks, gray sharks and rays of all types, including a manta ray with a wing span of about three meters. I was also privileged to swim alongside a whale shark in the open ocean. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

Of course Sydney has the glamor, the Great Barrier Reef has the name and the east coast houses the majority of Australians, but for me the west coast was the true Australian gem. It offers trips that are off the beaten path, and it will always feel like an adventure-filled home.

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32 places to see

[Korea in the World] Korea in the World is a look at the varied experiences of the Korean diaspora.

Russia Words and photos by Maria Roslyakova

S

outh Korean tourists have recently become a common sight in Russian cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg, marking the success of the no-visa policy that began on January 1, 2014. But even before that date, Korean students could be found walking through the corridors of some of the best Russian universities or relaxing in coffee shops nearby. Why is that?

Though many Korean university students are interested in studying abroad in the USA, many others study in programs throughout Russia. These students have stated that they would like to move their perceptions of Russia away from Cold War stereotypes and experience what the country is really about.

If Korean students study in the U.S. or Australia to improve their English, those who choose Russia have different plans. Their goal is to study Russian oil and gas policies and to get a job in the field, either in Russia or back in Korea. Economic cooperation between Russia and Korea is currently gaining strength because of President Park’s Eurasia Initiative. An impressive number of Korean students take the time to learn the Russian language in order to get better promotion opportunities upon arrival back in Korea.

Some of these individuals become energy researchers at universities, while others become police officers, professors, managers or economists.

One of the most surprising things for Korean students studying in Russia is the realization that there is actually a summer time in Russia. During the summer months, temperatures can rise up to 35 degrees

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centigrade in Moscow and even higher in the southern part of the country. Another thing Korean students find interesting is that Russia provides them with a comfortable atmosphere that promotes deep, profound and thought-provoking study, as university and state libraries offer a wide range of books.

Moreover, they are pleased to get the same advantages that Russian students have, such as discounts on transportation and cultural experiences like museums and art galleries.

Though there are many new things to experience as a student studying abroad in Russia, many students from Korea travel to Moscow with a few comforts of home. Rice-cooking machines are a popular item to bring, as well as 5-kg kimchi jars. Having the opportunity to cook such comfort foods as kimchi bokkeumbap can make all the difference in the world

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cost. On average, the price of a cup of coffee in Russia is double that found in Korea, $8-10 for a mochaccino.

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A Siberian landscape St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow Saint Petersburg

An important thing to note, however, is that Korean students have noticed a difference between the USA and Russia on a social level. Some of these students studying abroad have said, “If the USA is all about individualism, Russia is all about egoism.”

They are referring to the Russians’ perceived indifference to strangers. Most Russian people will disagree with this statement; they think it more likely that the Korean students were unprepared for some of the cultural differences that one inevitably faces when first moving to another country.

while living away from home.

The most common inconveniences that Korean students suffer have to do with everyday tasks like shopping and navigating public transportation.

Many Russian people in shops do not know English. Rather, a common second-language among the Russian people is German. There is also a noticeable absence of English signage in the Moscow subway system, and some find it hard to get used to living away from campus. Another difference is that of

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Still, the underlying theme expressed by most Korean students was the amazing social life they had with their Russian friends and the historical sights they were able to visit. These things made up for the challenges each had to face in everyday life.

“It was a challenge,” they say, and often suggest that unlike Americans, Russian people are like coconuts: hard on the outside but soft inside. And these Korean students love coconuts.

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34 places to see

[My Korea] My Korea allows readers the opportunity to explain why particular locations in Korea are special to them.

To submit your own recollection, email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr

1

Enjoying the Decline: Urban Exploring in South Jeolla Words and photos by Niall Ferguson

U

rban exploration in one form or another is something I have always done, but I never knew the official name for it until I got to Korea. However, I think I was better off not knowing the name, as it does not do my avocation justice. Its contracted form, “urbexing,” sounds even worse, like some X-Games event. My interests lie as much in rural finds as in urban ones, and back home I did most of my early exploring in suburbs, around the time the U.S. housing market crashed. Given these distinctions, I prefer to refer to my hobby as “enjoying the decline.”

South Jeolla is an underrated mecca for all types of

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exploring, as its interested population is quite small relative to its abundance of derelict sites. This has left the few who are interested in accessing abandoned buildings with their pick of the region’s low-hanging fruit. Few of the locals seem to care where you go or what you do, so long as you do not cause trouble.

I rarely encounter resistance from authority figures here, and even then, I am usually treated as a thing of wonder by the person giving me the boot.

The thing is, if you can at least explain yourself in Korean and are obviously not up to any trouble, most people you encounter will likely either leave you

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35 places to see

3

2 1.

2.

3.

4.

4 Abandoned school filled with antiques Old hanok movie set Equipment in a dilapidated factory House of shaman hoarder

alone or gently escort you out. On the extreme end, some security guards may even invite you into their office to have coffee, as has happened to me. After chatting over coffee, one particular guard gave me a private tour of his favorite part of the building and simply asked me not to post pictures online since it might cost him his job. It is thanks to this relatively laidback attitude in South Jeolla that I have been able to take my hobby so far in such a short time.

In addition to the easygoing environment, another factor that allows me to find some pretty unique things is my willingness to explore almost anything, especially small, seemingly insignificant pockets of rot. It is in some of the least impressive spaces that I have found the most exciting things. For example, a tiny, dilapidated school shoved into the side of a foothill turned out to be a storage space for the local village’s antiques, especially antiquated farm tools that you might otherwise only see if you visited the Gwangju Folk Museum. Had I only been seeking out massive structures, I would have totally missed this.

January 2015.indd 33

Another example is the nondescript house of a Korean shaman who also happened to be a hoarder of Buddhist tchotchkes. The inside of the house looks the same as when he lived in it, only now the inside is covered with dust and overgrown with random bamboo plants that have sprung up out of the floor. What happened to this man and why was his house left vacant in such a state? It is just one of the many fascinating micro-mysteries this sort of recreation yields. Had I been turned off by the domicile’s small, colorless exterior, such a find never would have been brought to light.

On the other hand, size has a quality all its own.

Some of my favorite large finds are a dilapidated hanok movie set found in the mountains, a massive leather tanning factory equipped with gas masks and a shuttered military base with shooting targets in the shapes of North Korean soldiers. There are so many more worth mentioning, but space is limited.

The best part about urban exploring in South Jeolla is that when you find something, you can rest assured that you are often the first foreigner in the region to do so. Korea is fast running out of places where you can readily assume this. Simply put, there is no better time than now to be enjoying the decline in South Jeolla. Big or small, I can only wonder what else is out there waiting to be found.

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36 photography

[Photo Essay]

My Journey Words and photos by Adrian Stuart Jarvis

I

t was an autumn day in 2009 when I decided to buy my first DSLR. With little in the way of finances and little in the way of knowledge, I settled on Pentax — the Pentax K-m and two kit lenses, to be precise. For a number of months after, I continued snapping away in auto with little or no desire to do more than simply point and shoot. Only after my arrival in Korea from the UK did I start to read more about the importance of getting out of auto and into AV or manual mode and the innumerable possibilities that doing so opened up.

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The “Eureka” moment for me came when I finally understood the fundamentals of photography: ISO, aperture, shutter speed and their relationship to one another. Personally, I think once you invest the time to learn about these three things it is possible to take your photography to another level. It may not make it instantly amazing, but it immediately separates you from the myriad other photographers who do not understand this triangular relationship.

If I am asked what I most like to photograph, my response is always, “People.”

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37 photography

I consider portraiture the most interesting field within photography. In my mind, there is nothing better than capturing a smile, some emotional connection between people or a certain mood. I guess this is why I enjoy low-key portraiture so much. The mood in such photography is almost tangible. You are drawn into the picture. I love the hard shadows, the isolation of the subject and the feeling you are looking in on a scene that is incredibly intimate.

It is also very simple. A single strobe, a light stand, a pair of wireless triggers and a light modifier are all you need to create something truly inspiring.

These days I predominantly shoot in manual mode because it slows me down and makes me think more about composition, as well as what I want to achieve by taking a particular shot. I am also trying harder to capture shots with good light.

Good composition and knowing the fundamentals are important, but it is light that makes or breaks a photograph.

I also think the importance of faster, better lenses cannot be emphasized enough. The importance of good lenses, rather than any particular camera body, is a universally accepted truth. Sure, bodies help, but bodies come and go. Good lenses,

on the other hand, will always be good lenses. Sadly, good lenses usually cost more than a good camera body.

To admit that I still do not know what my style is after five years seems strange even to me. However, that is where I find myself. I feel I am far from being professional. I am self-taught with no formal training, which I would guess is similar to many keen expat photographers in Korea. I consider myself an amateur in the literal sense and wish only to improve my skill in this medium that I love.

Find me on Flickr, fineartamerica.com, 500px, and Google+

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS WITH GWANGJU! Interested in having your pictures as Gwangju News’ photo essay? Send your pictures of Korea to our photo editor at info@photographersinkorea.com. We look forward to sharing your work.

January 2015.indd 35

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38 photography

[Photo of the Month] By Martin Miller I

mja Island is losing itself. Physically this is obviously true, as ocean waters erode and reshape its shores. But this is also true in a cultural sense.

A once trendy beach and boardwalk now sport gazebos and cabanas overrun with sand. Just outside the frame, a newly built community center already is in disrepair. “Tulips are here” states a motel owner, but a quick look around yields only a faded mural sporting a vaguely floral motif.

In reality, this picture hints at an environmental and cultural malleability which one often senses when taking time in places like Imja Island. The

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visual reminders of temporary dreams, discarded, now work their way toward a synthesis with their new-found environment. A drainage pipe, offcamera umbrella or forgotten fisherman’s net all weave their way back toward a scene which seems surreal, yet comforting in its decay. The picture shows several simple shapes, nearly abstracted from their surroundings. Yet these shapes also reveal an interior space. It is a space which is the by-product of and mother to the dance between an environment, which is wholly itself, and a human idea of how we wish it to be. It is through this dance that Imja speaks.

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38 culture

[Korean Poetry] Korean Poetry translates the works of Korea’s prominent poets into English.

Evening Snow Words by Pak Yong-Nae Translation by Brother Anthony of Taize (An Sonjae)* Photo courtesy of Johan Engels Commentary by Dr. Robert Grotjohn *From Brother Anthony’s online collection of his translations.

Used with permission.

저녁눈 늦은저녁때오는눈발은말집호롱불밑에붐비다 늦은저녁때오는눈발은조랑말발굽밑에붐비다 늦은저녁때오는눈발은여물써는소리에붐비다 늦은저녁때오는눈발은변두리빈터만다니며붐비다.

Evening Snow Snowflakes Snowflakes Snowflakes Snowflakes

falling falling falling falling

in in in in

late late late late

evening evening evening evening

throng throng throng throng

beneath the oil lamp of a wide-eaved house beneath a pony’s hooves to the sound of fodder being chopped only round outlying empty lots.

In the anaphora of this poem, Pak Yong-Nae (1925-1980) captures the visual rhythms of falling snow in the evening lights as he gives a brief picture of an earlier time in Korea.

Readers of American poetry might want to compare this with Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Both poems seem to suggest the possible lonesomeness of a silent, snowy evening.

January 2015.indd 37

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40 culture

[Gwangju Writes] Gwangju Writes presents the poems, short stories and creative nonfiction of South Jeolla residents.

Views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily supported by Gwangju News or even the author.

To submit your own work, e-mail: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr

“Bedding with Wolves” A poem by Caitlin O’Neill

“I

t’s better to have a wolf at the foot of the bed than a wolf at the door.”

So you say.

I’d rather have the door between us.

I’ve shared a bed with a wolf And not one of those beautiful, protector wolves Like you see on big budget nature specials.

He seemed to be at first, Family oriented; A team player, if you will But a wolf who changes packs so frequently is a wolf to be feared.

Pure predator.

An unstable, lone wolf; triggers unknown.

He may warm you at first, But any second his jaws could...

Will be about your throat.

Maybe he’ll release you immediately And lick your wounds apologetically Before drifting off to sleep, Leaving you alone with your pounding heart.

But maybe he won’t.

Maybe he’ll grip you for a while, Just to remind you of the power he has over you.

The power of the jaws of a wolf.

To bite down, To snuff the life out of you is nothing.

Nothing.

It would be so easy.

Maybe he’ll tighten his jaw little by little, Slowly, So you can feel every ounce of pressure

January 2015.indd 38

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41 culture

And you’ll wonder, “Is it this time? Is it this time he’ll go that extra inch?”

Maybe then you’ll be free.

You try not to hope too much As you hold as still as possible, Waiting for the wolf to decide.

He lets go.

Maybe he saw the glimmer of deliverance in your eyes Or felt your blood shiver in anticipation And was reminded why he keeps you here, Why he keeps you alive.

The light feeds him and he hasn’t quite broken you yet.

Not if you’re still capable of hope.

To end you would mean another hunt And why go to all the effort when you’re right here?

An easy feast.

He doesn’t have to hold you by the throat to keep you.

A single act of kindness will suffice.

You’ll feel such relief at a sweet wolf kiss, The teeth will be forgotten...

For the most part.

Back to sleep now Wolf-Bait.

Tomorrow’s another day.

Maybe tomorrow he’ll only kiss you.

Maybe tomorrow he won’t fly into a hungry, greedy rage.

Maybe if you keep silent and feed him well; Gorge him on your light, Give him all he demands and more, He will sleep deeply and you can relax.

Or run.

Probably the former.

A wolf can run much faster than you, after all.

A wolf is much cleverer than you, after all.

You can’t escape the wolf that sleeps at the foot of your bed.

Not completely.

Some damage is irrevocable And binding.

Yes. I’ll take the wolf at the door.

A thousand wolves at the door Before I allow you back into my bed.

January 2015.indd 39

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42 culture

[Behind the Myth: Exploring Korean Tradition] Behind the Myth examines the origins of Korean myths and traditions.

Are All Stories About North Korea True?

Words by Adam Volle Image from “Glorious Leader!”

W

hen an organization is caught telling as many outlandish lies and making as many mistakes as the government of North Korea, every story about its dishonesty or ignorance can seem plausible. However, not every tall tale about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or its leaders actually originates from north of the DMZ. In the time-honored tradition of geopolitical opponents everywhere, South Koreans and their allies have happily spread their own whoppers about the Kim regime over the years. Here are a few rumors you may have heard about the DPRK, as well as the truth behind them.

1. Kim Il-sung was not the real Kim Il-sung.

The Soviet Union chose Kim Il-sung to found the DPRK in part because he could credibly be called a hero of the long resistance against Japan’s colonization of Korea. Kim was the last surviving commander of the Anti-Japanese United Army’s 1st Army in Manchuria, an organization through which he achieved some renown. According to Bradley K. Martin’s exhaustive book “Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader,” the Japanese authorities were offering a reward for his head by the time he turned 25.

Probably in order to undercut Kim’s appeal as a war veteran, his enemies circulated the rumor that he actually stole the alias and reputation of an older resistance fighter, Kim Kyung-cheon. This charge was difficult to dismiss because even Kim Il-sung admitted to having been born Kim Sŏng-ju. He adopted his more famous sobriquet later.

Leading scholars, including Andrei Lankov and Bruce Cumings, nevertheless now believe Kim Il-sung’s stolen identity to be a myth. Bradley K. Martin himself considers the matter unimportant: “Whether or not he borrowed the name Kim Il-sung is irrelevant… since it was he who went on to give the name the

January 2015.indd 40

considerable luster it acquired in the 1930s.”

2. The North Koreans once announced they discovered the lair of a unicorn.

On November 29, 2012 North Korea’s news agency sent out a press release in English declaring: “Archaeologists of the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences have recently reconfirmed a lair of the unicorn rode by King Tongmyong, founder of the Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277A.D. 668).”

The announcement was met with much mirth by the English-speaking world, but was of course simply a misunderstanding, born both of bad translation and lack of interest in giving North Koreans any credit.

As South Koreans immediately understood, the DPRK was actually claiming to have discovered a historical site. The “lair of the unicorn” should have been capitalized to mark it as a proper name: the Lair of the Unicorn. Also the translator probably should not have bothered trying to translate the mythological beast’s name, since the kirin actually has no direct equivalent in Western mythologies. Calling it “Kirin Lair” might have been for the best.

3. North Koreans are starving under communism.

“Many major news outlets worldwide [once] ran stories every autumn that the country was on the brink of a massive famine once again,” sighed Andrei Lankov in a March 27, 2014 article entitled “North Korea and the myth of starvation.”

In truth, “it is clearly not a starving country anymore.”

Lankov credits North Korea’s growing private economy with the change, attributing a staggering 75 percent of North Koreans’ household income to nongovernmental trade that is still technically illegal.

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43 culture

[Jeolla History] Jeolla History examines history and culture unique to Jeolla.

The Donghak Peasants Rebellion Words and image provided by Won Hea-ran

I

n the late 1800s, corruption was everywhere in Joseon, but it especially influenced the Jeolla Province. Perhaps Jeolla’s affluent farmland made the region a desirable target for corrupt officials.

The governor of Gobu, Cho Byung-gab, was one of those officials. He exploited the region’s citizens through high taxes and intimidated them with false criminal accusations. Once, he took 1,000 nyang (20 million won) from his people to build a commemorative monument for his father. He also levied a tax on water from an unnecessary reservoir after using farmers as laborers to build it. Many people grew angry with the governor’s harsh mandates. Among them was the future leader of the Donghak (or Gobu) Peasants Rebellion, Jeon Bong-jun.

Jeon Bong-jun was the son of a fallen aristocratic family. As a young man, he was greatly influenced by the religious ideology of Donghak, or “Eastern Learning.”

When Jeon Bong-jun’s father was killed for criticizing the governor, Jeon Bong-jun planned the Gobu Peasant Rebellion. He gathered farmers who were angry with the governor and wrote their names on a document known as the Sabal Manifesto. The names of the participants were written in random order to make it harder for officials to pinpoint the group’s leader.

In January 1895, Jeon Bong-jun and his followers attacked a government office. At first, the rebellion did not get much attention. The incident was viewed by outsiders as a small village quarrel, but it turned out to be the start of a far greater uprising.

Cho Byung-gab eventually fled and was replaced by a new governor. The incoming governor, although not as greedy as his predecessor, punished farmers for stirring up unrest. The officer also blamed followers of Donghak, viewing the ideology as responsible for the rebellion. In March 1894, the farmers collaborated with Donghak members to fight against the government. The movement spread all over the Jeolla region, including villages like Buan, Gochang, and Heungdeok. In this First Donghak Peasants Rebellion, the rebel army won every

January 2015.indd 41

Jeon Bong-jun

battle. Even the royal army could not stand against the rebellion and the rebels’ anger toward the government.

The peasants showed remarkable ingenuity as warriors.During a conflict at Hwangtohyeon, the rebels cleverly remodeled a chicken house into a weapon that shielded them from bullets. Finally, on April 27, only a month after the struggle, Jeonju’s castle fell into the hands of the rebel army.

When the government finally realized how serious the situation was, it asked for help from the Qing Dynasty of China. This distress signal turned out to be a terrible mistake. It not only brought 2,000 Qing soldiers into Korea but also 8,000 Japanese soldiers who had been searching for a reason to intervene. Threatened by the sudden military involvement of Japan, the Joseon government called for negotiations with the rebels to end the struggle as quickly as possible.

The First Donghak Peasants Rebellion came to a successful end for the rebels. In negotiations with the government, the rebels succeeded in passing treaties that defended citizens’ rights. These reforms abolished slave ownership, gave widows permission to entersecond marriages and redistributed land. It is seen today by some as one of the first steps toward Korean democracy. However, it also paved the way for Japanese interference in Korea.

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44 gic

[GIC Culture Tour] Each month the GIC’s knowledgable guide offers a new, budget-friendly chance to experience the authentic South Jeolla. Sign up now!

2014 GIC Culture Tour in Review Words and photos by Warren Parsons

2

014 saw another great year of traveling with the GIC Culture Tour. Following the beauty of Korea’s four seasons and building on the itineraries and destinations of past years, 2014’s program added new exciting experiences to the already fantastic mix of food, understanding, and nature that are the cornerstones of each GIC Tour outing.

Food provides the tastes and fragrances of the land and the people of South Jeolla Province. Jangseong’s mountain scenery comes alive in the spring as trees drink fresh snowmelt and proffer delicious goroswae. Invigorating water is tapped from maple trees, which is a great way to start the season on a healthy note, and to get participants ready for a year of traveling! Naju, with its undulating countryside, provides delicious beef bulgogi along with a river cruise and a natural dyeing experience. Jiri Mountain’s peaks offer great views of the rivers below from whence come the crabs and fish used to make local delicacies. Riding downstream on a raft is the best way to take in the majesty.

Understanding allows participants to learn about the culture and history of each destination. During the summer months the GIC Tour visited the coastal areas important to the life and livelihood of the province. Goheung’s charm and isolation belie its troubled history but please beachgoers with lovely offshore islands and quiet stretches of coastline. Jeungdo’s gentle seascapes and warm breezes, besides bringing carloads of summer’s pilgrims, support a thriving sea-salt industry. Wando lends insight into Jeolla’s maritime history, and into the

January 2015.indd 42

1

2

workaday lives of its fishermen, while also unfurling one of the province’s finest beaches.

Nature transcends what people can make with its flawless beauty. In the autumn, Damyang blesses visitors with bamboo-themed adventures, twist-

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45 gic

3

4 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

5 Tasting hongju on GIC Culture Tour to Jindo Author explaining about Jang Pogo on GIC Culture Tour to Wando Making salt on GIC Culture Tour to Jeongdo Experiencing natural dyeing on GIC Culture Tour to Naju Experiencing making bamboo fan on GIC Culture Tour to Damyang

ing gorges, and cool waterfalls. Island landscapes speckled with ancient fortresses and artists’ studios, set to the sound of playful puppies and the waves of the sea, only just hint at the wonder of Jindo.

From high peaks surrounding lakes to sunny valleys, megalithic tombs, artisanal food products, and the meditative chants at Ssangbong Temple, Hwasun is the culmination of all the things great about the GIC Culture Tour.

January 2015.indd 43

Finally, in the cold of winter, Jangheung warms the spirit with a seaview sauna, the heat of a fire below roasting oysters, and the joy of the company of others.

These are just some of the highlights of a great year of traveling, and are meant to inspire further adventure, whether that be alone, with friends, or with the GIC Culture Tour! The GIC Tour is especially grateful to all of the participants who come every month; without you, there is no tour!

2015’s program promises to be just as good as ever, so please continue to support the GIC and to enjoy the world around you!

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46 gic

[GIC Talk Preview] GIC Talk Preview samples the discussion being had at this month’s GIC Talk.

See the GIC Talk Schedule for more information.

A Review of the Phenomenal NonFiction Books of the GIC Library: Amazing Reading for the New Year Words and photo by Lex Rain Spahr

W

e have an amazing resource available to us in the GIC Library; something rare and special enough to be appreciated.

I have lived in Korea for over a decade, and after moving here from Seoul, my first visit to the GIC was astonishing — first for the welcome I received, but second for being surrounded by so many books, in English, available to check out and read. I could not believe my good luck. In a moment of sheer bliss at having access to such a treasury, I grabbed “History of the Dutch-Speaking Peoples 1555-1648” by Pieter Geyl off the shelf in an excited attempt at getting a bit of random intellectual stimulation. I fell in love with the GIC Library that day.

The GIC Library has over 5,000 books in its collection and to help raise awareness of this great resource at our hands, I will be giving a GIC Talk on January 17, a whirlwind overview of the many nonfiction books I have read from the GIC Library collection, in the hopes of piquing the interest of readers enough to check books out.

Among the books to be discussed is “Brother One Cell: An American Coming of Age in South Korea’s Prisons”. This autobiography is by Cullen Thomas, a 23-year-old English teacher who was arrested in Seoul in 1994 for smuggling drugs into the country.

He was convicted and sentenced to three and a half years in prison and ultimately, deportation.

Another book I’ll spotlight is “The Man Who Would be King: The First American in Afghanistan” by Ben Macintyre, the true story of an American Quaker, who set out in 1838 to retrace the footsteps of Alex-

January 2015.indd 44

ander the Great. Later, he became the commanderin-chief of the Afghan armies, established his own legitimate kingdom in Afghanistan and was toppled months later by the invading British, leading him to move back home to Pennsylvania.

At the end of this GIC Talk, I will be handing out a list of ten books available at the GIC Library that I have found particularly fascinating — all of which will be available to check out.

From Antarctic explorers to meth addicts, from stories of survival of Cambodia’s Pol Pot regime, to the operation of slaughterhouses in America, the GIC Library has over 300 non-fiction books that will keep you enwrapped and educated throughout 2015.

Additionally, the GIC Library is always seeking new book donations. Are your bookshelves overflowing?

Please consider donating your used books to the GIC Library.

I look forward to seeing you for this special GIC Talk at 3 p.m.

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47 gic

[GIC Talk Schedule] Are you a fan of TED Talks? Koreans and internationals gather weekly to hear and discuss a variety of presentations.

GIC Talk January Schedule Theme of the Month*: New Beginnings Time & Location: Saturdays from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., GIC Auditorium (Samho Center, 1st Floor) For more information, contact gictalk@gic.or.kr JANUARY 3 There will be no GIC Talk, due to the Holiday Season.

JANUARY 10 Speaker: Kasper Eriksen (English teacher at ASM Language School) Topic: “Where are you from?” A Danish Korean Adoption Story Since the 1960s, approximately 9,000 children have been adopted and been moved from South Korea and sent to Denmark. These children grew up in Danish families, having Danish friends and speaking Danish as their native language, usually without any knowledge about their birth country, culture, language or family. Kasper is one of these Danish adoptees and he will talk about his experiences growing up in Denmark, his returns to Korea and his search for the answer to his Talk title’s question.

JANUARY 17 Speaker: Lex Rain Spahr (Assistant professor at Kwangju Women’s University) Topic: A Review of the Phenomenal Non-Fiction Books of the GIC – Amazing Reading for the New Year See the GIC Preview article on the previous page for more information about this GIC Talk.

JANUARY 24 Speaker: Emma Hillian (English teacher at Brighton Junior English School) Topic: Coca is Life: The Story of the Coca Leaf This GIC Talk is about a seemingly innocent leaf, the coca leaf. Coca is a plant that is grown in Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru, and has been used by their indigenous people for thousands of years. Coca is also the main ingredient of cocaine, which makes the leaf illegal to transport throughmost of the world.

Did you know that many people, including you, have probably eaten coca? Have you heard of Coca Cola?

The soft drink uses over 100 tons of coca leaves per year in its mixture. Come learn about the coca leaf at this informative GIC Talk.

JANUARY 31 Speaker: Chad LaRoche (Guest English teacher with EPIK at PungYoung Elementary School and Dae Ban Elementary School) Topic: A Peace Corps Volunteer Chad served as a volunteer with the United States Peace Corps from February 2011 to April 2013 on the small island nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, located in the Caribbean. In his GIC Talk, Chad will discuss the life-changing experience he had — the work and the play, along with the challenges and excitement of living in a developing-world “paradise.” There will be plenty of pictures. By the end of this GIC Talk, Chad hopes to have shed some light on the Peace Corps and to encourage others to volunteer through similar organizations.

*This new feature of GIC Talks allows presentations to be put together under one theme.

January 2015.indd 45

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48 general

[Health] The health column is written by a health professional to inform on health-related issues.

The Truth about Korea’s Thyroid Cancer Epidemic Words by Kristal Lee Photo courtesy of City of Hope

T

he “Big C:” cancer.It is always an alarming diagnosis, and one that has dropped South Korea’s rating on the global epidemiological radar. In the last 20 years, thyroid cancer in South Korea has increased fifteenfold, a rate unparalleled by any other cancer in any other part of the world. But those living in Korea are not worrying. Here is why.

Epidemiology’s function, as a branch of medicine, is to identify, track and control diseases in populations.

However, an increasingly prominent inclusion in the field is the identification and control of epidemics resulting from medical errors such as misdiagnosis, over-diagnosis, and over-treatment — and over-diagnosis and over-treatment are exactly what is going on with thyroid cancer “epidemic.”

Recently, the number of thyroid ultrasounds has risen.

Thyroid checks have become a standard practice in Korea, ever since the government included such checking in its health initiatives to reduce common diseases through comprehensive screening 15 years ago.

Those ultrasounds revealed an “epidemic” — that somehow, there appeared to have been a proliferation of thyroid cancer in one small country. The nation and global health community has been searching for answers, and what they found was both disturbing and alleviating.

Were the test results wrong? No. Were there actually that many denizens with thyroid cancer? Yes. But here is the twist. Studies show that over a third of tested adults have thyroid cancer. The rate was always high. Since the 1940s, autopsies have often revealed thyroid cancer, though they were rarely related to the cause of death. In particular, pathologists and medical providers frequently found papillary thyroid cancers.

Papillary thyroid cancer, or papillary thyroid carcinoma, is the most common type of thyroid cancer,

January 2015.indd 46

comprising 80 percent of all thyroid cancers. It has a high cure rate; 10-year survival rates are estimated at 80 to 90 percent.

So there is not anything causing a 1500-percent jump in thyroid cancer. The disease has always been present, just unnoticed and not impinging on individuals’ lives. Though there is more thyroid cancer being found, the number of Koreans dying from thyroid cancer has remained constant. People tested and diagnosed were not being saved, nor were undiagnosed people actually dying. The data indicates that the “Korean thyroid cancer epidemic” is really just a medical care epidemic.

There are dangers to over-diagnosis and over-treatment. Unnecessarily raising an alarm depletes resources that could be used elsewhere, and can harm and even kill patients. The general impulse in regard to cancer is to remove it. However, removal of the thyroid gland means life-long hormone replacement therapy that often begets complications in addition to surgery-related risks.

Read next month’s Gwangju News to see how you can protect yourself from over-diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

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[Birds Korea] Birds Korea advocates for the conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education and public-awareness raising.

Shaking Off Winter’s Chill Words and photos by Patrick Blake

W

inter has arrived and for many of us, that means bundling up under many layers of thick clothing and visiting the local coffee shop a little more often than usual. Perhaps you indulge in hot drinks, get cozy under a blanket, and enjoy your ondol or space heater with a good book or movie.

Whatever we do, it usually involves staying indoors, and leaving the outdoors until spring returns.

However, winter is a fascinating time to observe birds. Many have come long distances to spend the winter in our city; the Yeongsan River comes alive with ducks like Eurasian wigeon and northern shoveler. In the quiet forests around Mudeung Mountain, the Eurasian nuthatch and red-flanked bluetail become common sights. And our skies are silently patrolled by eastern buzzards, soaring high overhead in search of food.

I have recently led public outings in Gwangju and surrounding areas in the hopes of generating interest and creating awareness about the wintering birds that share our city with us. In late November I led a wonderful group along the banks of the Yeongsan River in Dongnim-dong, where we observed nearly 30 different species in just a few hours.

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Most of my fellow birdwatchers were Gwangjuites, but we also had visitors from as far away as Seoul, who came in just for this event.

In the middle of December I held an outing to Haenam County, with the generous help of Pedro Kim of Pedro’s House Hostel and Lonely Korea tours, who provided transportation and lunch. Haenam is well known as a site for the beautiful Baikal teal, which returns to the waterways there every winter.

The group was stunned by the great murmur of the teals at dusk, and became aware of the beauty and fragility of these small birds and their unassuming habitat. The majority of the world’s population of Baikal teal over winter in Haenam; it would take only the loss of this one habitat to irrevocably cripple this species.

Although the world seems to fall asleep in winter, the truth is that life continues on despite the cold.

And in many ways the real stories of survival occur now, when daylight falls short and the temperature drops. I invite everyone to come out and see it for his or herself. Look for future events on the Gwangju Birds Korea Facebook page and the Birds Korea Events blog.

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[KOTESOL] KOTESOL promotes scholarship, disseminates information, and facilitates cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with teaching and learning English in Korea.

Interjecting Activities into the EFL Classroom Words and photo provided by Dr. David Shaffer

A

language-learning activity needs to be wellstructured and well-planned, interesting and interactive, realistic and mentally challenging, have a clear linguistic goal and incorporate the new language for the language learners. Stimulating higher-order learning is another characteristic of a highly effective language learning activity.

INTERESTING AND INTERACTIVE Learning occurs much more readily when the material is of interest to the learner. It is therefore the teacher’s task to know their students’ likes and dislikes, their dreams and their dreads, their heroes and heroines, and to cater the language-learning activities that they create to the students’ interests.

Language-learning activities should also be interactive. “Interactive” does not mean “interactive” in the computer programming sense, but in the sense that learners are interacting with other learners and with the teacher. In addition to raising learners’ interest, interaction provides a means for students to learn languages from other students.

LINGUISTIC GOALS AND LINGUISTICALLY CHALLENGING Each language-learning activity should have a clear goal that the learner is expected to reach through participating in the activity. It is a common fallacy for a teacher to select an activity only because the students like it, not considering whether it contains any language-learning value or whether it serves a purpose that the students need more practice in. The goal could be anything from additional practice with the alreadyintroduced vocabulary to the use of new expressions.

The goal could be to improve accuracy or fluency. The activity should also be challenging, but not so overly challenging the learners are unsuccessful.

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REALISTIC AND MENTALLY CHALLENGING From the beginning, applied linguist Michael Long has contended that activities should be real tasks: “the hundred and one things people do in everyday life, at work, and in between.” Once brought into the classroom, tasks are no longer real, but they may be made as realistic as possible, simulating real-world activities. However, we cannot create fictitious or fantastical situations for learners to deal with — after all, we do fantasize in real life. Activities should instead include an element of mental exercise. They should nudge the learners into higher-order thinking to stimulate not only linguistic but also cognitive development.

CATEGORIES OF ACTIVITIES Language-learning activities can be categorized into three types: (a) mechanical, (b) information-gap and (c) authentic-language-producing activities. Mechanical activities have the learner manipulate forms, such as verb forms: I go - he goes - it goes - they go.

It is often desirable to set such manipulation within a scenario in which meaningful exchanges take place.

Information-gap activities are those in which each

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of the students, in a pair or small group, has some of the information but must interact with the other members of the group to obtain all of the information needed. A restaurant menu or train schedule of which each student has some of the information, but also has some information missing, is typical for such activities; the students must interact to complete their menu or timetable. Authentic language-producing activities place far less control on learner output.

The learner is free to decide on the language they will use to attempt to complete the tasks at hand.

CONTROLLED ACTIVITIES Controlled language-learning activities are more common for instruction with lower-proficiency learners. They are often grammar-focused activities, and as such, they are focused on accuracy, having the learner produce error-free speech. Therefore, frequent error-corrections take place. Because the correct forms are often given in advance, learners are less likely to make mistakes, thereby making the activities more like confidence-building tasks.

With controlled activities, comprehension checks are frequent and are often an integral part of the activity. In “listen-and-repeat” activities, the learner’s repetition of the teacher’s cues is the comprehension check. In the TPR (total physical response) activity, the student performing as directed by the teacher (e.g., “Go to the door and open it”) is the check.

The response at the end of the chain drill is also the check, as is the check of a Bingo card when the learner calls out a win.

sessing as the learner participates in activities such as role-plays and discussions of a wide variety of types.

Discussions are often of a given situation in which group decision-making must take place or a consensus must be reached. They may be on such controversial topics as abortion, divorce or euthanasia, and they may be discussed in the form of a debate.

Task-based activities as set out in TBLT (task-based language teaching) as well as project-based activities have varied outcomes which can also be assessed.

It is not the intention here to give the impression that free activities are better than controlled activities, or that authentic language-producing activities are better than mechanical activities. They all have their time and place. This article’s purpose is to implant well-planned activities as a great way to develop the learner’s language skills in a classroom context.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR David E. Shaffer is the 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 Language at Chosun University, where he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses for many years. He is a long-time member of KOTESOL and a holder of various KOTESOL positions, including Publications Committee Chair. He is also a multiple recipient of the KOTESOL President’s Award and a recipient of the KOTESOL Lifetime Achievement Award.

KOTESOL MONTHLY CHAPTER MEETING

FREE ACTIVITIES A free activity is one in which the learner’s production is more spontaneous, and therefore more unpredictable. Such activities are more frequently used with upper-levels of learner proficiency. These activities are fluency-focused rather than accuracy-focused.

Their goal is to produce smooth, flowing speeches without many breaks where the learner hesitates in an attempt at correctness. Correction of errors is not stressed, and corrective feedback is given at the end of the activity so as not to be interruptive during the speech. New language is integrated with the old, and language is constructed rather than replicated, as is common in controlled activities.

Date & Time: January 10 (Saturday), 1:45 p.m.

Place: Chosun University, Main Building, Left Wing, Rm 4211 Admission: No Charge Morning (11:00) Reflective Practice Session

With free activities, what is assessed is the learner’s ability to extend their language use beyond that which they are already able to use relatively well.

When learners are engaged in free activities, the teacher acts as a monitor, extending help and as-

For more details: Facebook: Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL Website: http://koreatesol.org/gwangju Email: gwangju@koreatesol.org Twitter: @GwangjuKOTESOL

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1. Presentation: How Suspending Judgment Can Help Us Reflect on Teaching (even though it can be hard to do!)

By Bryan Hale (Sunkyung Academy, Gwangju) 2. Presentation: Developing Critical Global Citizens: A Lesson for the Teacher?

By Jocelyn Wright (Mokpo National University)

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[National Pension Service]

Social Security Agreement for German Nationals Foreigners 18-60 years old who are residing and working in Korea, regardless of their nationality, should be covered under the National Pension Service (NPS). Foreigners whose countries do not cover Korean nationals, however, are excluded from the coverage of NPS. Even so, if there are relevant provisions under the Social Security Agreement (SSA) between Korea and any foreign countries, those provisions will be applied.

To protect the rights of foreigners, the SSA is publishing a series of articles spotlighting SSAs in cooperation with Gwangju News. This month’s featured SSA is for foreigners from Germany.

SSA between Korea and Germany entered into force : Jan. 2003

EXEMPTION FROM DUAL COVERAGE 1. In general, an employee is subject to the legislation of the contracting country in which he/she is employed.

2. A self-employed person is subject to the legislation of the contracting country in which the person works.

3. If a self-employed person who ordinarily resides and works in the territory of one contracting country works temporarily, defined as five years or less, in the territory of the other contracting country, he/she is subject to the legislation of the contracting country in which he/she ordinarily resides. This five-year limit can be extended to eight years with the proper consent between agencies of both countries.

4. A detached worker is exempt from coverage under the legislation of the contracting country which he/she is sent to for less than five years if he/she is covered under the legislation of his/ her home country. This five-year limit can be extended to eight years with the proper consent of agencies of both countries.

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BENEFITS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT Even though your periods of coverage in one country are not sufficient to qualify for pension benefits, you may be eligible for benefits after this agreement has entered into force. This is possible due to the total coverage in both countries.

KOREAN NATIONAL PENSION BENEFITS UNDER THE SSA Korean National Pension Benefits under the SSA If you are insured for 12 months or more in Korea but do not have enough periods of coverage (e.g.

20 years for full old-age pension) to qualify for pension benefits under the Korean pension system, you may be able to qualify for Korean benefits by totaling periods of coverage under the Korean pension system and the Germany pension system. However, those periods creditable under the Germany pension system must not coincide with the periods in Korea.

Your benefit is calculated by dividing the Korean periods of coverage by the total periods of coverage and then multiplying by the Theoretical Benefit.

The Theoretical Benefit is calculated based on the totaled periods in both countries.

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GERMANY PENSION BENEFITS UNDER THE SSA 1. If you have more than 12 months’ worth of insured periods in Germany’s Old Age Security System(OAS) but do not have enough periods of coverage(e.g., 10 years for the old-age pension) to qualify for pension benefits under Germany’s Old Age Security System(OAS), you may be able to qualify for the Old Age Security pension by totaling periods of coverage under the Korean pension system and the Germany Old Age Security System(OAS). However, those periods creditable under the Korean pension scheme must not coincide with the periods of residence under Germany’s Old Age Security System(OAS).

2. If you do not have enough periods of coverage to qualify for Germany’s pension benefits under Germany’s Pension Plan(CPP), you may be able to qualify for German pension benefits by totaling periods of coverage under the Korean pension system and the Germany Pension Plan(CPP). However, those periods creditable

January 2015.indd 51

under the Korean pension scheme must not coincide with the periods under the CPP 3. A person who is or has been subject to the laws of one contracting country and who resides within the territory of the other contracting country shall, together with his dependents, receive equal treatment with the nationals of the other contracting country in the application of the laws of the other contracting country.

4. A Korean lump-sum refund is paid to Germany nationals.

5. However, since there is no provision for a lumpsum refund in the legislation of the Germany Pension System, Korean people cannot be paid a lump-sum refund from the German pension system. Instead, the contributions to the German pension system may be calculated toward pension payments according to the legislation of the German pension system.

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Upcoming Events January 2015 Compiled by Lee Jeonghwa, Kim Hyunyoung, Han Jeongbong, Han Juyeon, and Yong Yurim

FESTIVALS

Muju Namdaecheon Stream Ice Festival 무주남대천얼음축제 Near Namdaecheon Stream, Muju-eup, Muju-gun, North Jeolla January 9 – January 18, 2015 fishing for trout, sledding, ice skating, kite-flying, top-spinning, ice-sculpting, etc.

Take the intercity bus at Gwangju Bus Terminal and get off at Muju Bus Terminal (3.5 hours). Then walk to Muju Bridge over the stream near the bus terminal (5 min.).

063-320-2550, 063-320-5703~5704 http://tour.muju.go.kr/

Boseong Tea Plantation Light Festival 보성차밭빛축제 Dahyanggak, Boseong-gun, South Jeolla December 12 - January 25, 2015 Green Tea Plantation Theme Street, Milky Way Tunnel of Love, Photo Zone, Light Street, Stairs of Pledge and Hanging Hope Card.

Take a bus from the Gwangju Bus Terminal to the Boseong Bus Terminal (1.5 hours). Then take the local bus for Gunhakat from the Boseong Bus Terminal and get off at DaehanDawon Tea Plantation (0.5 hours).

061-850-5211~4 http://light.boseong.go.kr/index.boseong

Jirisan Namwon Baraebong Snowflake Festival 지리산남원바래봉눈꽃축제 Jirisan Mountain Herb Valley area of Baraebong Peak, Unbong-eup, Namwon-si, North Jeolla December 27 – February 15, 2015 ice and snow sledding, snowman making, snowball fights, kite-flying contest, etc.

Take the intercity bus at Gwangju bus terminal and get off at Namwon bus terminal (1 hour). Then take the local bus no.112 for Unbongat Namwon bus terminal and get off at the resident rest area(주민쉼터) after one hour.

Then walk to Herb Valley (20 min.).

063-634-0024, 063-620-6161~5 http://korean.visitkorea.or.kr/kor/inut/where/festival/ festival.jsp?cid=1503794

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PERFORMANCES

￦

Jo Seong-mo Concert – Gwangju 조성모콘서트 - 광주 Gwangju Culture and Art Center Grand Theater January 10 6 p.m.

S Seat 77,000 won, R Seat 88,000 won, VIP Seat 99,000 won Bus no. 51, 58, 83, 85, or 192. Get off at the Gwangju Culture and Art Center.

070-4350-4232 http://ticket.interpark.com

SeoTaeji Band Concert Tour “Quiet Night” 서태지밴드전국투어– 광주 Yeomju Gymnasium January 17 5:30 p.m. ￦ All seats 143,000 won Bus no. 06, 16, 20, 26, 47, 59, or 74. Get off at Yeomju Stadium 1588-1407 http://ticket.interpark.com

Attorney Attorney Park’s Park’s Law Law Firm Firm We're ready to serve your best interests in legal disputes.

We provide affordable consultation & representation.

▶ Areas of Specialty contracts, torts, family law, immigration, labor ▶ Civil & Criminal Attorney Park, Duckhee former judge, member of GIC board Services available in Korean, English & Chinese

#402 Simsan Bldg, 342-13 Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju next to Gwangju District Court

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Tel: 062) 222-0011 Fax: 062)222-0013 duckheepark@hanmail.net

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EXHIBITIONS

SUPERHERO ASSEMBLE 슈퍼히어로 어셈블전 - 광주 Kim Daejung Convention Center December 25 - February 22, 2015 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. ￦ Adults 13,000 won/ Children 10,000 won Bus no. 01, 38, 64, 518, or 1000 get off at Kim Daejung Convention Center Kim Daejung Convention Center (Mareuk) 02-1566-1369/ 1600-6689 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

￦

￦

Special Exhibition <Gongjae Yun Du-seo> 특별전 <공재 윤두서> Gwangju National Museum October 27 - January 18, 2015 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. / Closed Mondays Admission: Free Bus no. 29, 48, 63, 84, or 95 and get off at the Gwangju National Museum bus stop.

062-570-7000 http://gwangju.museum.go.kr/

Senior Artist invitation Exhibition <Choi Jong-seob > 원로작가 초대전 <최종섭> Gwangju Museum of Art November 25 - February 8, 2015 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. / Closed Mondays Not noticed Bus no. 64 or 83 and get off at the Gwangju Biennale bus stop, or take bus no. 83 and get off at the Gwangju Biennale Entrance bus stop.

062-613-7100 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

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￦

Ha Jeong-woong Young Artist invitation Exhibition <The Light 2014> 하정웅 청년작가 초대전 <빛 2014> Gwangju Museum of Art November 27 - February 8, 2015 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. /Closed Mondays 500 won Bus no. 64 or 83 and get off at the Gwangju Biennale bus stop.

062-613-7100 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

Ha Jeong-woong’s 6th donation Celebrating Exhibition <Kang Keong-Ja> 하정웅 6차기증기념<강경자-人間萬事> Gwangju Museum of Art November 25 - March 22, 2015 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. /Closed on Mondays ￦ Free Bus no. 64 or 83. Get off at the Gwangju Biennale Bus stop. Or take bus no. 83, get off at the Gwangju Biennale Entrance Bus stop 062-613-7100 http://artmuse.gwangju.go.kr

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MOVIES AT GWANGJU THEATER Chungjang-no 5-ga 62, Dong-gu, Gwangju (two blocks behind NC WAVE)

￦ 8,000 won per person per film Bus no. 06, 07, 12, 45 74, or 170 get off at Gwangju Tax Office Bus Stop or 06, 07, 12, 45, 55, 59, or 74 get off at Chungjang Police Center Geumnam-ro 4 Ga Exit 2 062-224-5858 cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju

Two Days, One Night 내일을위한시간 / PG-13, Drama Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne Starring: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione Language: French Synopsis: A young wife and mother discover that her colleagues opted for a high pay bonus in exchange for her dismissal.

Mr. Turner 미스터터너 / R, Drama Director: Mike Leigh Starring: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson Language: English Synopsis: The eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner deals with the death of his father and forms a relationship with a landlady.

Chef 아메리칸셰프 / R, Comedy Director: Jon Favreau Starring: Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman Language: English Synopsis: A Miami-born chef is talented and popular with his kitchen staff, but his boss restricts his creativity.

The Salt of the Earth 이 땅의 소금 / Documentary Director: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado Starring: Sebastiao Salgado, WimWenders Languages: French, Portuguese Synopsis: Photographer Sebastiao Salgado traveled across the continents and witnessed major events in recent history.

Jeolla Safety Alliance is a group of Koreans and international residents alike to create awareness of crimes.

This safety card is for you to cut out and keep handy!

FB group: Jeolla Safety Alliance

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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 clubs’ activities and special events. Please contact gwangjunews@gic.or.kr for more information.

UNESCO KONA VOLUNTEERS UNESCO KONA Volunteers is a registered organization that helps underprivileged kids to learn English independently through storybooks and story-maps.

We are looking for long-term volunteers who desire to enrich their lives. We are asking volunteers to commit to helping at least once a month (please check the days and locations below).

Foreign volunteers who are interested in practicing their Korean and learning more about Korean culture with Korean children are welcome to stay at the center on any Saturday morning or Saturday evening for a short cultural exchange.

If you have any picture books, storybooks, puppets and any educational items, we accept all donations in order to distribute them to the local children’s homes or community children’s centers in Gwangju and Jeonnam province.

The days and locations of the facilities are as follows: 1. Every Saturday mornings / 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Every Saturday afternoons (evenings) 5-7 p.m.

Location: UNESCO KONA Volunteers Center (Ssangchong-dong, Seogu, 062-434-9887) 2. 3rd Sunday afternoons / 3-5 p.m.

1) Location: Youngjin Children’s Home (Imgok-dong, Gwangsangu, 062-952-8040) 2) Location: Gwangju Children’s Home (Dongrim-dong, Bukgu, 062-513-0859) 3. 4th Friday afternoons 3-5 p.m.

Location: Grandmother’s Community Children’s Center (Punghyang-dong, Bukgu, 062-524-2076) 4. 3rd Sunday mornings and afternoons/ 9 a.m.–2 p.m. (Lunch is provided) Location: Haein Temple (Jangseong, South Jeolla, 061-393-5135) For 1.

2.

3.

GWANGJU ICE HOCKEY TEAM Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium.

If you are interested, contact Andrew Dunne at atdunne@gmail.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.

JOIN THE GWANGJU PERFORMANCE PROJECT CHOIR No experience is necessary and all are welcome.

The choir will be learning and singing a wide variety of material, including pop, jazz, choral, and musical theater!

The GPP Choir meets every Saturday from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Gwangju International Center.

For more information, visit our Facebook page or e-mail at gwangjuplayers@gmail.com

more infomation, please visit: http://cafe.daum.net/konavolunteers www.facebook.com (UNESCO KONA Volunteers) contact KONA (Kim Young-im) at 062-434-9887 or at konacenter@gmail.com

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59 advertisement

A

January 2015_표지.indd 3

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http://www.gist.ac.kr

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Global Intern Program Summer 2015 The GIP offers international students an opportunity to stay at GIST for six weeks over summer to receive training and carry out research.

For more information please visit https://ipa.gist.ac.kr.

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