Gwangju News International Magazine for Gwangju and Jeollanam-do
Issue No.
100 June 2010
Dear Gwangju Community: Itt i s wii t h gre e att e xc c i t e me ent t hatt we e i n vii t e y o u t o c e le e bratt e t he e 100tt h i s s ue e o f Gwan n gju Ne e wss o n Saturday, June 12th from 2-5pm
a t GIC’s GAIA Gallery . Let the dedication of so many extraordinarily talented volunteers from so many countries inspire you into a wonderfully collaborative, creative and community-building summer.
Come join us for a trip down memory lane. An exhibition of Gwangju News’ past issues will be on display in GAIA GALLERY to showcase the diligence and creativity of a dynamically diverse community of GIC volunteers – the Gwangju News staff and contributors! Listen to our past editors talk about GIC, Gwangju News and their volunteer experience.
Share Your Thoughts Come and say "thanks" to your favorite contributors. Post a congratulatory note on our message board.
Ce e le e bratt e Enjoy poetry by Doug Stuber and performances by Pahk Kay and Andrea Hildebrand & Trevor Homeniuk Come and join the GIC TALK about Gwangju News given by our editor, Jon Ozelton. (Title: Gwangju News Turns 100) We invite you to come and partake of some refreshments. This is a time to celebrate all the hard work that has helped our Gwangju community of every nationality move closer to living our GIC ideals: understanding and celebrating real people of all cultures by getting to know our neighbors right here in Gwangju. Come celebrate Gwangju News 100th issue. Be buoyed by a remarkable community milestone. We could not have made 100 issues without you, our readers and contributors. It is really a celebration about you. So come out and enjoy!
Hope to see you there.. Maria Lisak Gwangju News Editor in Chief A GIC volunteer since October 2003 2
Gwangju News June 2010
Contributors
Contents
Gwangju News June 2010, Issue No. 100
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100 Issues of Gwangju News By Jon Ozelton
Publisher: Shin Gyong-gu Editor-in-Chief: Maria Lisak
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Notes from Editors Past
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Korean Way No.88: 6.25 Korean War and the U.N. Forces By 2Ys
Layout and Design: Karina Prananto
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Café Culture in Korea
Proofreaders: Pete Schandall, Kathleen Villadiego, Kyle Johnson, Rob Smith, Katie Rayner, Sam Richter, Selina Orrell, Julian Raethel
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Sushil Pyakurel: 2010 Gwangju Human Right Prize Winner By Doug Stuber and Kim Minsu
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If We Don’t Teach Them, How Will They Know? By Hughie Samson
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Gyeongju: The Museum Without Walls
Editor: Jon Ozelton, Kim Min-su Copy Editors: Kathleen Villadiego, Solim Sirgey, Daniel Lister Photo Editor: Debra M. Josephson Coordinator: Karina Prananto
Address: Jeon-il Building 5F, Geumnam-no 1-1, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, South Korea Phone: +82-62-226-2734
Fax: +82-62-226-2732
Email: gwangjunews@gmail.com
By Noh In-woo
Website: gwangjunews.net
Registration No.: 광주광역시 라. 00145
By Meghan Reynolds
Printed by Saenal (Phone +82-62-223-0029) Cover Photo: Montage to celebrate the 100th issue of Gwangju News, showing the faces of some of the very many people who've played a huge part in taking Gwangju News to where it is today
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G20 Summit By Gwangju City Hall
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Charlene Jones: GFN Radio Hostess with a Mostess By Alva French
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Photo Essay: Make a Wish Upon a Lantern By Debra M. Josephson
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Gwangju News Through the Years
Copyright by the Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the written consent of the publishers.
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UNHCR Representative for Korea: Anne Marie Campbell By Doug Stuber
Gwangju News welcomes letters to the editor (gwangjunews@gmail.com) regarding articles and issues. All correspondence may be edited for reasons of clarity or space.
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World Cup 2010: Road to Africa By Choi Seok-hun and Noh In-woo
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Living Tips: Tips to Combat Hwangsa 황사 : Yellow Dust By Mheng
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Useful Korean Phrases
Gwangju News Magazine is written and edited by volunteers. Special thanks to the City of Gwangju and all of our sponsors.
By Kang Nang-won 32
Pureungil By Choi Seok-hun
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A Day at the Park By Julian Raethel
Kim’ s Dental Clinic
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Movie Review: the Good, the Bad, the Weird By Adam Bourque
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Korean Easy Cook Recipe: 김밥 Kimbab By Kim Mi-so
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KoreaMaria: Gwanga By Maria Lisak
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Ddeok: Special Relationship with Korea By Cho Jee-young
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Cartoon: Digby By Leroy Kucia Gwangju News June 2010
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100 Issues of Gwangju News Greetings from Shin Gyong-gu (Gwangju News Publisher) To editors and writers past and present wherever you are, Gwangju International Center’s monthly magazine Gwangju News marks its 100th issue as of June 2010. Nobody then was aware that it was to be the first monthly English magazine in Korea. The Center was not so active nor well recognized by the community as it is now. There was only one staff member working in the center. Now there are ten full-time and six intern staff. It has grown into one of the most active civic organizations in town. Gwangju News has been the venue for international residents to share valuable information in the land of different culture. They also used it as a medium to release their grievances or frustrations, giving rise to hostile reactions from some Korean readers from time to time. On the other hand, other Korean readers are happy to find different views on Gwangju and Korea from international writers. Gwangju News is unique since it has developed through a natural evolution into a full-fledged magazine of 48 pages from a poorly edited eight-page magazine. It is even more unique since the 100 issues have been made possible through the dedication of many volunteers, both Korean and international. Julian Warmington, for example, was busy as an editor to find writers, to sell ads, and even to deliver the magazine to the distribution spots. I would like to extend my uttermost thanks and appreciation to editors and writers past and present wherever you are now.
J
une 2010 marks the 100th issue of the Gwangju News. I’m sure you can appreciate that this is quite an achievement for a non-profit free-ofcharge magazine written and produced by volunteers, and it’s something all involved can feel rightly proud of. It’s been a long road since that first issue, which appeared way back in June 2001. Before you start protesting that that was more than 100 months ago … it took a while before the magazine was regularly issued every month, we’ve certainly come a long way in that time and are indebted to a great many people for taking us here. The Early Years Gwangju News has its roots at Chonnam National University. As far back as 1996, the English language department tried to print a newsletter, principally as a way to engage students with English and native English
speakers. It ran intermittently, although in many ways it can be considered the precursor to today’s Gwangju News. Later, the KCIV – Kwangju Centre for International Visitors – was born in June 1999. They began to distribute a short newsletter in both Korean and English for its members. This newsletter evolved, and in June 2001 gave birth to the Gwangju News, the first English-language magazine in Korea produced by local expat volunteers. KVIC became today’s GIC in August 2002. In those early days, it simply wasn’t possible to put together an issue every month. In fact back then, it was something of a minor miracle that it was ever produced at all given the resources available. The GIC operated from a tiny two-room office over near Migliore with a skeleton staff and a very small team of volunteers. The first GIC coordinator was Kim Soo-a,
Gwangju News Timeline June 2001 First issue of Gwangju News
October 2002
January 2004
The very first Korean Way is printed
New style introduces a full-length cover photo
July 2002 August 2002 Colour pages KCIV is renamed introduced for and GIC is born the first time 4
Gwangju News June 2010
May 2005 Gwangju News goes glossy, in full colour
February 2005 The magazine reaches 24 pages
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and she and Julian Warmington were the Gwangju News’ editorial team for most of the first couple of years. Julian is back in Gwangju today, and sat down to talk with me. “It ended up being just Soo-a and me after the very first volunteers all left town at the same time,” he recalled. “She was always extremely busy because there was so much else to do and little support with any of it.” Soo-a spoke to us by e-mail. “I was a young and inexperienced university graduate when I started,” she explained. “I didn't even speak fluent English! [But] I still remember the deep emotion when we held the 8pages first issue in our hands.” For Julian, it was all about “meeting people, doing something creative, seeing something develop.”
said Julian. “Only the very nice publisher we worked with in those days would not let us. She was very friendly and helpful … but it had to be done her way.” January 2004 issue was the first to feature a full-page cover photos (previously covers had been a mix of article, advertisements and information) but the white frame still remained. It wasn’t until March 2005 that it went, when, with Mali Rolph as editor, the magazine moved to 24 full-colour pages. Two months later it went glossy, switching to the higher-quality paper still used today.
Back then, even finding photos was tricky with the team reliant on a battery-eating early-model digital camera. Plus, the offices didn’t have a computer which could be used to design the magazine, so Soo-a and Julian were forced to visit the publishing office and sit around and watch as the publisher did it all. Back then the editor’s role covered almost everything: targeting writers, editing, designing, and even hand-delivering the finished magazine. ““It was a very hands-on experience,” said Julian. “I enjoyed it though. One satisfying memory is of sitting in the bar and seeing people reading the freshly delivered Gwangju News.”
The Development Years Thanks to the hard work and endeavours of the small band of volunteers, the magazine slowly became established itself as a monthly staple. The GIC moved offices to the present location in the Jeon-il building in downtown, and finally acquired an Apple Mac computer so that Gwangju News could be designed inhouse without the need to rely on the printing company’s software. As both the magazine and GIC developed and the number of native English speakers in Gwangju grew, so more and more people became willing and able to get involved and contribute. Such is the transitory nature of life in Gwangju, that editors, writers and volunteers come and go, mainly due to one-year E2 teaching visas, yet new volunteers brought much needed bursts of enthusiasm, and each editor was able to build upon the hard work of the last.
The first issue was 8 pages long, but thanks to Julian and Soo-a, this quickly progressed to 12. Back then the expat community was very sparse, so even a new face showing up in town was newsworthy. The early issues were printed entirely in black and white, until some colour crept in in April 2002, but was still limited to just a couple of sheets at the front and back. The magazine retained the newsletter look and feel, though, due in part to the dull paper, limited colour, and also the restrictive white border that ran around each page. “One time I tried to enlarge a photo by taking it to the edge of the page beyond the frame,”
As mentioned above, it took three years to go from 8 black-and-white pages up to 24 colour, by March 2005. Yet less than a year after that, in January 2006, Editor Leah Kenyon had taken us up to 40 pages. In November of the same year, Editor Kammy Benham had moved the magazine even further on and released the first 48-page issue. At the same time, Kammy also set up the invaluable Gwangju News online forums, a website for writers, photographers, proofreaders and editors to use as a communal space where they could all work on articles together. This made the whole system transparent, easy to coordinate and provided a
November 2006 The online forums are set up for the editorial staff
March 2007
November 2009
Farewell to ‘The Home Pages’ section, which ended
gwangjunews.net online version begins
January 2006
December 2006
The first 40-page issue
The first issue to reach 48 pages
February 2009
June 2010
The first of 14 issues printed on recycled paper
100th issue
Gwangju News June 2010
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place where the whole of the magazine’s content could be easily stored and accessed. The forum proved very successful and is still used today. As well as an increase in the number of pages, distribution also went up, from 2,000 copies in early 2005, up to 3,000 copies by September 2005, and 3,500 today. The Chonnam connection also remained, with a program providing the opportunity for students there to take a 6-month internship at the GIC, part of which requires writing articles in English for Gwangju News. Present Day Gwangju News Gwangju News has been around for so long now that it’s very easy to take it for granted, especially if you’re relatively new to the city. It’s just always been there and will magically appear in your mailbox the first week of each month (provided you’re a subscriber that is – otherwise hit the pick-up spots) Every time you pick it up, it’s worth remembering that it is compiled, written and edited entirely by volunteers, generous souls, mostly resident in Gwangju, who donate their own time and effort to the magazine. None of our editors, writers, proofreaders or photographers are paid for their contributions – it’s all due to a spirit of community and a goodness of their own heart. That sufficient people have been willing to do this for a full decade says a lot about the Gwangju community and the GIC. It is to these people that I truly say thank you – without them, there would be nothing to read at all.
The magazine is now producing 48-page issues regularly. We are blessed with an ever growing team of talented and enthusiastic contributors. And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, other cities are now following the GN route, with magazines such as Busan Haps (just published issue 6) and Daegu Pockets (May 2010 was issue 16) following in our footsteps. As you can see, Gwangju News truly was streets ahead of its time, having published 78 more issues than Busan and Daegu combined. Into the Future The next 100 issues – well, 100 months from now will see us into 2019, a year which sounds like the space age. I know for sure that I won’t be editor then, but there’s a good chance that some of the current expat Gwangju residents now might still be in town then. The magazine will have changed a lot too, but I bet there’ll still articles about temples and the mud festival. One thing’s for sure – it won’t write itself. Contact us at gwangjunews@gmail.com to be part of it. Here’s to the next 100 issues. To commemorate the 100th issue, we invited our previous editors to send us a short message to mark the occasion. You can read their thoughts over the coming pages. By Jon Ozelton
Notes from Editors Past
Julian Warmington (Editor Apr 2002 - Aug 2003) The first time I held a Gwangju News in my hands was probably in late 2000. It was a single black-and-white A3-sheet, printed on cheap paper, folded into quarters. There were no clear pictures, nearly half the articles had been ‘borrowed’ from the Internet, and the rest hastily written. I thought it showed room for some improvement. It had potential. In 2001 the legendary Ms. Kim Soo-a was not just the absolute beginner GIC coordinator, she was also the only staff member in the original tiny offices. Despite the enormity of the many and various tasks she had to teach herself to do from scratch, she still had many ideas for developing that strange piece of paper called Gwangju News. Her energy, vision, and personable nature were inspirational in getting together a first group of expat volunteers to help guide the development from a brochure-type thing into something more substantial. Since those days, Gwangju News has continued to be, on one level, a monthly document of some of the events going on and places to see over the course of one month of our lives lived together here. Gwangju News has also always been a creative, collaborative effort. It is a cooperative, community magazine; the result of a wide range of ages, women and men, different backgrounds, experiences and opinions, all offering to share their various talents and skills freely. It is always only as good as the next person who volunteers to help out. That it now extends to nearly 50 pages of original monthly content is a beautiful thing in itself. And yet, I still feel it has more potential to develop. It has the potential to show more of the diversity of both the expats and the locals living in Gwangju and nearby, and to give them a voice, and address the issues they identify as being important or interesting, in life shared in this place we all call home for at least this month. This already happens, in a limited way, but there is the potential to be more of a site for an open and honest dialogue between peoples. It could thereby contribute in another beautiful way, by sharing more of our varied perspectives and thereby, potentially, creating more of a sense of community. Finally, I want to state how completely happy I am to have seen the amazing growth of GIC in the ten years since the NGO (nongovernmental organization) was founded. I am also extremely happy to see the continued steady development of Gwangju News over the course of the first 100 issues. My warmest congratulations to all involved.
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Gwangju News June 2010
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Roll of Honour:
Mark & Clare Winter (Editor Oct - Nov 2003)
Previous Editors for Gwangju News John Green (June 2001-Feb 02) Kim Soo-a (Apr 02-Jan 03) Julian Warmington (Apr 02-Aug 03) Gwen Calish (Feb 03) Jeong Eun-jin (Feb-April 03) Mark Winter (Oct-Nov 03) Anna Peterson (Dec 03-Mar 04) Allen Gray (Dec 03-May 04) Moon Jang-yeop (Dec 03-June 04) Sara Forbes (June-Sept 04) Mali Rolph (Sept 04-Apr 05) Jesse Balanyk (Oct 04) Ana Wilson (May-Sept 05) Leah Kenyon (Oct 05-April 06) Heidi Tauschek (May-Oct 06) Melissa Yasinow (Nov 06) Kammy Benham (Nov 06-Mar 07) Harsha Goonewardana (Apr-Dec 07) Maria Lisak (Jan 08) Jessica Solomatenko (Feb 08-Jan 09) Andrew O'Donnell (Feb-June 09) Doug Stuber (Feb-Oct 09) Jon Ozelton (Nov 09-present)
Doug Stuber (Editor Feb -Oct 2009) The Gwangju News was handed to me at a Thanksgiving party held by Professor Shin back in 2007 when I was merely visiting Gwangju, my wife’s home town. I was so impressed, it acted as a draw, and I switched my life around and ended up a Gwangju citizen. In 2009 I had the honor of becoming editor, having previously submitted a few articles. The magazine had gained considerable weight thanks to the efforts of Jessica Solomatenko, who found hard-hitting stories to compliment the usual temple and travel essays. It was with some degree of ignorance that I proceeded to get the magazine in tight spots here and there, but with the help of Andrew O’Donnell, we managed to squeeze more environmental coverage into the magazine, and introduced poetry. Excellent graphic designs by Tamlyn Young made the magazine more vibrant, and the continual quest for more writers and proof readers was fun. The magazine is now better than ever, in no small part thanks to co-editors Jon Ozelton and Kim Min-su, new editor-in-chief Maria Lisak whose dedication to the GIC is an inspiration, layout expert Karina “Nana” Prananto, and photo editor Debra Josephson. Rock on y’all!
Mark and I became part of the Gwangju News team in 2003, after picking up a copy in downtown. Mark was doing freelance reviews of dance events in Seoul but wanted something based in Gwangju. Then-editor Julian Warmington was simply pleased to have a new face on the team. This was our introduction to the GIC. We began to utilise the services at the Centre and were really grateful for the help and support available there. We made some really good friends of the staff, some of which we are still in touch with. Up until we left Korea in 2005 Mark and I fulfilled various roles for the Gwangju News. Mark worked as editor, and I as proofreader and copyeditor. We both also wrote articles. We worked with some wonderful people during a period of massive change for the magazine – pages were added and new computer software was introduced. The most significant change we saw though was the employment of a very dedicated member of staff called Kim Min-su! She is a very special person who has put in many hours over the years to help the magazine become so successful. We feel that Gwangju is privileged to have the Gwangju News as it still sets the precedent for English language magazines in Korea. On a visit to Korea last year we were really pleased to see the magazine going from strength to strength and would like to say the same the next time we’re back.
Moon Jang-yeop (Editor Dec 2003 - June 2004) The 100th issue of Gwangju News offers an opportunity to consider and celebrate its already impact on the local community and people like me – one of your recent articles letting me find the best burger in town! It is so hard for me to write congratulatory words, but I feel similar to seeing my own child’s face after 100 days: it’s so heartwarming. I first met GIC back in 2002, when, feeling bored with working as an interpreter for almost non-existent foreign tourists, I bravely stepped into GIC. After brief talks, a lady started asking me to take on various responsibilities: interpreting, teaching Korean class, sometimes unlicensed catering services. She was the first coordinator of GIC and became one of my best friends. At first, GN looked like a monthly leaflet GIC brochure, trying to be informative to foreigners. GN painstakingly serves to inform English speaking residents of where and how to meet their needs, which everyone involved should be proud of. In its own modest way, GN is a true voice of the local community of foreigners and locals alike. For that reason alone, it should be supported and appreciated more. Sending the warmest congratulations, wishing all of you continued success, I am looking forward to see the next 100 issues of GN in the very near future. Wishing all of you good luck. Gwangju News June 2010
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The Korean Way
The Korean Way No. 88
6·25 Korean War and the U.N. Forces
I
The Republic of Korea, recognized as the sole lawful government on the Korean Peninsula by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1948, was on the verge of disappearing from the earth, with its capital fallen under communists. It took immediate action to bring up the North’s invasion with the U.N. Security Council. Then U.S. President Harry Truman also took decisive action in the Security Council through the U.S. delegation to save Korea. If the North Korean adventure was left unchecked, the resultant communist threat would pose a great danger for Japan and the other Southeast Asian countries. At this time the Security Council was in a state of disunion caused by frequent vetoes by Russia. After the fall of China to communism in 1949, Russia tried to oust the Taiwanese delegation from the Security Council but met with the Free World’s opposition. Malik, the Russian delegate to the Council, went home to Moscow 1950-53 in protest. On June 27, 1950, two days after the outbreak of Wounded Missing POW war, the Council passed a 92,134 4,439 3,737 resolution with Russian 2,674 179 977 abstention, ordering the 26 communists to withdraw to the 1,216 3 3 original 38th parallel and 645 encouraging all U.N. member 32 nations to give military support 1,212 1 - to South Korea. U.S. troops 1 79 began to arrive soon after, and 1,008 7 12 were subsequently joined by 229 16 41 those of other nations. Medical 2,068 163 244 assistance also came in the 1,139 5 - form of hospital ships, medical teams, field ambulance units 543 3 and hospital units. The U.N. 9 Forces that formed and 4 1 functioned in Korea were the 336 first international armed forces 13 - to resist unlawful invasion into 448 28 a peaceful country and to - restore peace after the signing 536 of the U.N. Charter in 1945.
t was an early hour of Sunday June 25, 1950 that the North Korean communists launched an unprovoked invasion into South Korea without any warning or declaration of war and captured South Korea’s capital Seoul within three days. South Korean army men and officers were on leave for the weekend and the South was totally unprepared for such a large-scale attack. The South Korean troops proved no match for the heavily armed communists and the Russian T-34 tanks. Their radios blared that they were first attacked by the South and were only retaliating to the South’s provocation. It was a total lie. The North’s attack turned out to be premeditated and miscalculated. When China went communist in 1949, the U.N. and Free World could do nothing to save the Free China. Kim Il-sung miscalculated that his invasion into the South would not cause any U. N. intervention.
UN Nations Participating in the Korea War, Nation
Total Soldiers
Dead
1,789,000
36,940
56,000
1,078
Australia
8,407
339
4
Netherlands
5,322
120
5
Canada
25,687
312
6
New Zealand
3,794
23
7
France
3,421
262
8
The Philippines
7,420
112
9
Turkey
14,936
741
10 Thailand
6,326
129
11
4,992
192
826
34
3,498
99
1
USA
2
United Kingdom
3
Greece
12 South Africa 13 Belgium
83
2
15 Colombia
5,100
163
16 Ethiopia
3,518
121
14 Luxemburg
Source: The 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee
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Gwangju News June 2010
The Korean Way
Units of Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand combined to form a British Commonwealth Division. Countries that gave medical assistance were Sweden (Red Cross Hospital), India (Field Hospital), Denmark (Hospital Ship), Norway (Field Surgical Hospital), Italy (Red Cross Hospital) Now, the Korean people make a grateful acknowledgement of the noble sacrifices made by the U.N. soldiers who lost their lives for the freedom of South Korea during the Korean War, that lasted from June 25, 1950 – July 27, 1953. By 2Ys (An audacious pen name standing for Too Wise, whose real initals are S. S. S.)
Flags of those UN Nations flying outside the Seoul National War museum in front of Nam-san tower. Amy Lanza
Notes from Editors Past Maria Lisak (Editor Jan 2008) Heidi Tauschek (Editor May - Oct 2006) My Dearest Gwangju News, It has been oh-so-long since we parted. I've missed you much, and think of you often. Our time together was beautiful, special, and a period of learning and growth for us both, was it not? I shall always cherish those late nights spent together laughing at overuse of exclamation points, comical spelling errors, and that famous misunderstanding about the "Jew" article, which was, in actuality, the "Zoo" article, terribly misheard by my then-unpracticed ears. I hear you've become quite well-loved in my absence, and though a tiny part of me wishes you would have needed me to help you thrive, I cannot help but be thrilled for your successes. You carry with you the thumbprints of countless editors, writers, and volunteers, a product of long hours of dedication, which is why you remain relevant. You were and are and have always been a gem to be discovered. Congratulations on your 100th issue, and may you continue to shine and bring helpful information and hilarity into the lives of others who would love all that you stand for. Blessings for a great and expansive future, you charming old bat.
I started volunteering at GIC in October of 2003, when I gave a GIC Talk on my love of the Korean sauna to six people. I wrote a follow-up article that was printed in January 2004. That issue, worked on by four main people, had ten articles and eight contributors. That started my long-term dedication and love affair with GIC and Gwangju News. From the 2004 issue of 24 pages, I have seen so many people dedicate huge lumps of time, talent, and creativity, so that GN has “grown up” into a monthly magazine of 48 pages, distributed to over 3500 people, and organizations worldwide. Gwangju News is only good as its volunteers. Over the years we have been blest with the best hearts to give sincerely, genuinely and enthusiastically. With the long-term trust, confidence and vision of Dr Shin Gyong-gu and the unflagging, expert knowledge of Kim Min-su, this opportunity and honor for volunteers to contribute to Gwangju News would not be possible. I feel truly lucky to wish “Happy 100” to Gwangju News and know that my gratitude reaches those all over the world who have helped Gwangju News be a wonderful community project to learn about and share life as a world citizen.
Allen Gray (Editor Dec 2003 - May 2004) I first came across Gwangju News in 2001, when it was but a two-leaf folded broadsheet. The latest issue I read was the January 2010 issue. I am really amazed and gratified to see it evolve from such humble beginnings into the professional magazine that it is today. There are too many people to thank for getting the magazine started, but special thanks are due to Julian Warmington whose ability and belief made a magazine of a broadsheet, and to Kim Min-su, whose typesetting and layout wizardry has, to this day, given the magazine its professional polish. My rather modest effort consisted of trying to make the magazine a factual information source to people who were unfamiliar with Gwangju – it ended after six months, with me on the verge of a nervous breakdown, saved by Kim Sing-sing and her Han Eui-won acquaintance. Thank you, Sing-sing! Pleased to have survived to pay homage to you and the magazine! Having gone through that, I can appreciate the effort and sacrifice that volunteers at all levels have brought to the magazine, and am full of gratitude to all of them. Gwangju News June 2010
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Notes from Editors Past Kim Soo-a (Editor Apr 2002 - Jan 2003) I was a young and inexperienced university graduate, when I started my first job at the GIC in 2001. I didn't even speak fluent English! Publishing Gwangju News was beyond my capacity. I could not have managed it if I was alone. Several friends, especially John Green, Julian and Gwen, editors of early days of Gwangju News, devoted their time and efforts on making it. I still remember the deep emotion when we held the 8-pages first issue in our hands. Let's celebrate the 100th publication of Gwangju News! I wish that those who work for Gwangju News have the same joy and fun that I and my friends had. You guys are really doing a good job!
Jessica Solomatenko (Editor Feb 2008 - Jan 2009) I was the editor of the Gwangju News for 2008, although traces of that experience still surround me: a Gwangju News folder on my desktop and email inbox, a pile of back issues, even my USB drive. These traces I can see; others unseen have left a deeper impression. There are parts of that year I don’t remember clearly anymore. So much happened at once it became a blur. I put in around 30 hours every week into the magazine. That’s just me, without considering the hours of all our proofreaders, writers, etc. All of us did it for free; the people involved wanted to inform, enlighten, share and help. I felt that readers sometimes forgot that these are real people volunteering for the magazine. Unfortunately some articles caused controversy that year, some the Korean media weren't even willing to publish. The resulting letters that personally insulted, attacked and even threatened myself and my writers was like being stabbed in the chest. Perhaps this helped us bond more strongly as a group. I met a lot of people that year I would not have met otherwise, and some I now consider close friends. In the end, for me Gwangju News was all about community. Korean and foreign residents came together and created this publication each month about our city and what was important to us. I wish to extend a big pat on the back and a “job well done” to all those who have been a part of the Gwangju News’ past, present and future. We did it together. 10
Gwangju News June 2010
Kammy Benham (Editor Nov 2006 - Mar 2007) Everyone who becomes editor of Gwangju News puts something of themselves into the magazine. I put my background as an instructional designer and volunteer coordinator to work. I was also lucky in that I had my wonderful husband, Chris, helping me, listening to me vent until I had answers to the magazine’s problems, and giving occasional suggestions. We created the Assistant Content Editor program (ACE), where people could help an ESL writer to develop their ideas. The magazine had been primarily written by foreign teachers, so this opened up our community communication. One of our regular contributors was Choi Young Hoon, even took his essays and published them in the book World Through the Eyes of a Teenager*. We created an online forum, so that writers and editors could interact on the same piece, ensure the ideas were organized, and agree on any changes. The forum is still in use today. I don’t think anyone really understands the amount of hard work and sacrifice it takes to be Editor of Gwangju News. Fortunately, at Gwangju University I had a manager who was sympathetic and encouraging, a husband who was a great sounding board, and a good rapport with Kim Min-su who is the backbone of the magazine. *http://mabook.isbnshop.com/books/book.php?isbn=9788991184688
Harsha Goonewardana (Editor Apr - Dec 2007) Editing the Gwangju News changed my life in more ways than one. Going straight from grad school to teaching third graders the relationship between ‘a’ and ‘an’ apple, I felt like a character in a Somerset Maugham story. An exotic setting, inability to communicate with the locals, an entrenched expatriate community and more money and free time than sense. Dissolution beckoned. Gwangju News was my redemption song. Knowing that any decision I made was going to impact on the standing of the magazine, my colleagues and the expat community was quite the responsibility. It is one of the hardest jobs I even undertook; harder than teaching the definite article to hungover freshmen and even harder than explaining why I'm still in Korea to my parents. Gwangju News was my most influential teacher. Editing taught me the value of collaboration, delegation, patience and trust. It taught me to work through frustrations, forgive, pick and choose battles. It taught me to stand my ground for things I believe in and also to compromise when I am shown to be wrong. I am grateful for everyone I worked with. You moulded a cocky ESL teacher in to a humble citizen of the world. I am in your debt.
Food and Drink
Café Culture in Korea N owadays, many Korean people have formed the habit of usually going to a café after having a meal. In Korea, we can see many cafes here and there, and each café has a specific character and style. So why are there so many cafes in Korea?
A café is a store that sells drinks, especially coffee, and they also sell cookies and cakes. So when did Korean people start to drink coffee? In history, Emperor Gojong was the first one who started to drink coffee. Gojong drank coffee at the Russian legation for the first time, and he really enjoyed the taste of coffee. He built a western building named Jeonggwanheon (정관헌) and there he drank coffee and listened to western music. But at that time, coffee was very precious and hard to import, and poor people couldn’t drink it. People started to drink coffee in the late 1890s. There was a German woman named Son Tak (손탁) who served coffee to Emperor Gojong. Gojong granted land to Son Tak, and Son Tak built a hotel. From then, people could drink coffee at the Son Tak Hotel. A long time ago, Korean people called a café a dabang(다 방). In the dabang they sold drinks, especially teas. In the early 1920s, Japanese in Korea started to sell coffee in dabangs, and in 1927, the first dabang owned by Korean director Lee Gyeong-sun (이경순), started to sell coffee to the people. Usually a dabang was owned by a cultural artist, but they didn’t know how to manage the dabang and many owners went bankrupt. Among them, nangnang dabang (낙랑다방) was the successful one. After nangnang dabang, the golden age of the dabang started. In the 1940s and 1950s, instant coffees from the American army (usually on the black market) spread, and lots of fortune was taken out to abroad. To prevent this, the government allowed businessmen to build coffee companies and make the foundation to distribute coffee. Also with the freedom of Korea from Japan, the main streets were filled with dabang. At that time usually writers and painters went to the dabang, which was also used as a meeting place for publication parties. In the late 1950s, dabang became a shelter for unemployed people. After the Korean War, many people lost their job, and they spent all their time at the dabang. The dabang made a new menu for them: “Morning coffee”. Usually they couldn’t eat breakfast, so the dabang started serving them coffee, which became successful. After that time, many unidentifiable businessmen started to use the dabang,and in the 1960s, the dabang was loved by young couples as a date site.
Enjoy Gwangju News with a nice coffee
Eadaoin Kelly
In the 1970s, the dabang started to transform in to a more attractive place for people. To survive in the dabang market, dabang owners started to change their business strategy. They started to hire pretty women on the register, and they started to turn on music. Also, in response to customers’ requests, there were DJs. The most popular dabang in the 1970s was Nandarang (난다 랑) in Seoul’s Dongseung neighborhood (동승동). Nandarang sold brewed coffee while other dabang sold instant coffee. Nandarang has historical significance as it was the first franchise coffee shop in Korea. They put some explanations of the coffee on each table to help people to know about the coffee, and they also served sweet potatoes as a snack. This dabang made it a principle to serve the customers’ interests. From the 1980s to now, the number of dabang is increasing. However, many Koreans started to think that a dabang is for old people and a little bit of a boring place, so they changed their attention to cafés. Starting with the economic development, brewed coffee prevailed and many coffee shops started to sell brewed coffee. As time went by, the present form of cafés replaced the dabang, and the franchise form of coffee shops became popular. In the late 1990s the “take-out” culture became popular and more and more cafés have risen. Nowadays, not only the taste of the coffee, but also interior and the mood of a café are important. In the past the dabang was a convenient place which gave shelter to many people, and they also gave people space to communicate with each other, and now a café not only sells coffee but also sells the space and mood to people. By Noh In-woo
Gwangju News June 2010
11
Interview
Sushil Pyakurel: 2010 Gwangju Human Rights Prize Winner
T
his year’s Gwangju Prize for Human Rights winner, Sushil Pyakurel was quick to point out that in 1980 news of the Gwangju Uprising bolstered the efforts of people in Nepal immediately; the sacrifices made back then continue to act as a reason to work hard to achieve a working democracy in Nepal, where in 2005, the royalty with support of the army, usurped power from the constitutionally accepted Parliamentary government. Pyakurel is a founding member of Nepal’s first human rights commission, The Forum for the Protection of Human Rights, which started its work in 1984. In this, the 30th anniversary of the May 18th Uprising, and 10th anniversary of Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, Pyakurel was full of hope, yet overflowing with stories of the difficult struggle currently engulfing Nepal. One surprise, but appropriate to the occasion was a traditional Korean chamber orchestra’s version of Cyndi Lauper “True Colors” to welcome the guests. Then National Assembly member and Human Rights Prize Committee member Lee Jung-hyun introduced the work of Sushil Pyakurel accurately by saying that he has “devoted his whole life to the resolution of conflicts through peaceful means.” In his acceptance speech, Pyakurel recognized the Gwangju spirit as a continual inspiration, while solemnly commemorating its martyrs. “In the course of the last 30 years of continuous struggle for human rights and democracy, I have seen struggles such as the peasants’ and workers’ struggle against feudalism and the people’s movement against autocratic monarchy. These struggles have made me realize that without a just distribution of resources and power, the foundation of human rights cannot be built,” Pyakurel said. In 2005 he had to flee Nepal due to government pressure against him, thus his admiration for those who gave their lives to end oppression in Gwangju was sincere. While in Delhi he successfully lobbied the Indian Parliament on behalf of Nepal.
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Gwangju News June 2010
Sushil Pyakurel (front centre) with dignitaries from Nepal, enjoying the reception Doug Stuber
“I would like to remember those who were injured in the course of the Gwangju democratic uprising, and to express my heartfelt respect to the martyrs who have raised their voices in favor of freedom of the people and against all kinds of oppressive rules. South Asian countries need to internalize the Gwangju spirit … in southern Asia millions of people live under the absolute poverty line. Exclusion, exploitation and social injustice are rampant in each of the countries. Impunity and lack of accountability toward truth, justice and reparation as well as extra-judicial killing, torture, disappearances and other forms of heinous human rights violations as well as armed insurgency have become very common phenomena in South Asia.” On May 19th Mr. Pyakurel sat down for an interview with Kim Min-su and me at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center where the Asian Forum was being held. Doug: What is the most urgent situation in Nepal right now? S.P.: Right now political instability. Insurgency may come back again. The Maoists accepted the peace process, and then won a democratic vote, but they have
Interview
Sushil Pyakurel steps forward to receive the Gwangju Human Rights Prize
not given up their arms, and are threatening to try another “October Revolution.” At least there is a declared end of the war, but other contentious groups and ethnic and regional groups are making demands of the government as well. The Maoists believe arms equals results. Human rights have been ruined because there is no rule of law. Democracy means compromise, so the government should release political prisoners, and withdraw pending cases, and abducted people should also be freed. A coalition government could work, but we don’t care who has power as long as they follow the constitution. Human rights are suppressed because three groups, the king, the democratic movement and the Maoists can not find ways to share power. I am very worried about what could happen. We did a lot of work to gain democracy with a multi-party pluralistic system, but when the peace comes, it won’t improve anything if armed power rules over the constitution. At this time the Nepal Army will not create a coup, but civil war is different and possible. Doug: How have economic factors played into this situation? S.P.: Since 1996 the economy has worsened steadily. Hydro-electric power plans have been curtailed, and it is hard to get job-producing corporations to come under these circumstances. At this point our number one money-maker is tourism, but it is hurt by political instability. We end up sending our young workers overseas to find work. There has been no reform of agriculture, so over 80% of the people do not have good
Doug Stuber
land to grow food on. A “Food Land” policy would be a primary achievement of a pluralistic democracy. Minsu: Explain the INSEC (Informal Sector Service Center). S.P.: The INSEC monitors human rights violations and makes complaints to the Nepalese government. In 2000 I left the INSEC when I became a commissioner. It would not serve to be the one receiving complaints and the one making complaints, he said chuckling. Doug: Anything else to conclude with? S.P.: The Maoists have the right to resolve disputes, as they hold a majority, but they must follow the constitutional way. There must be accountability. Right now we have a dysfunctional government. If Parliament is not recognized, why hold elections? Pyakurel added immensely to the Prize Laureates Seminar on May 20th with insightful questions to all the former winners in attendance. He is a man who can not stop working to help the cause of human rights and economic justice, so the smile on his face was broad as he nudged participants to keep up the struggle by helping them dig deeper into both the causes and potential solutions to myriad oppressive tendencies in the south Asia region. The committee, once again, picked a winner whose accomplishments are an inspiration to all who seek peace and justice. By Doug Stuber and Kim Min-su
Gwangju News June 2010
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Community
If We Don’t Teach Them, How Will They Know?
A
ndrea Hildebrand is a 27 year-old native of Ontario, Canada, and is an artist and English teacher. She has lived in Gwangju since August 2008, where she is inspiring and motivating others to make Korea a greener and better place today. Prior to arriving here Andrea completed her degree in Material Art and Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design, worked as a sculptor, potter and installation artist throughout Toronto and the rest of Ontario, worked with disadvantaged women both to nurture their entrepreneurial skills and to express their emotions through art, and taught art to children. Now she teaches them English. But that’s not all. In addition to her work as an elementary school English teacher, Andrea created and coordinates GREEN SEED, an environmental awareness/education program aimed at teaching schoolchildren how to take care of their country and the rest of the world. The program consists of a ninety-minute presentation as well as a workshop. Fifth-grade elementary school students are its target audience. Andrea, along with Trevor Homeniuk, a second teacher who has played an invaluable role in the creation of the program, and Ko Nami, a bilingual Korean/English facilitator who has assisted in the program’s development and will help to teach also, will visit a classroom on a voluntary basis on the first and third Saturdays of each month. An informative discussion about important environmental issues, interactive games and activities, art, crafts, letter-writing, a puppet show, music, and an opportunity to create a piece of art that will be part of a collaborative exhibition will keep the students engaged and enthused during the visit. “If all goes according to plan,” Andrea revealed during an interview last week, “the seed of environmental interest and curiosity will be securely planted in the students, they will be empowered to take responsibility for their planet and their future, and we will have provided them with a bit of knowledge, motivation, and encouragement to do so.”
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Gwangju News June 2010
Gwangju resident Andrea Hildebrand created GREEN SEED, an evironmental awareness and education program for elementary school children. Andrea Hildebrand
Andrea wants to teach children about the environmental issues which will invariably affect each of their lives, and furthermore, she wants to teach and encourage them to think and act creatively to deal with these issues... But what sustains Andrea? What motivates her to motivate? What inspires her to inspire? She revealed, “I have travelled throughout Canada and New Zealand and I have travelled a lot in Korea too. I have several inspired memories from time spent in Southeast Asia particularly. While I was there the idea for this program – or seed – began to grow… Seeing the poorest people on earth – people who live without running water or machines or other basic things we take for granted – install solar panels to meet all of the energy needs of their small village… this was a huge inspiration and kick in the butt. If they can do it, I realized that there is absolutely no excuse for us in the developed world to wait any longer.” She continued, “I have participated in various forms of environmental activism every since I can remember, and, my art work has been a major outlet for my environmental and political views. “However, being here in Korea presents a new set of challenges and issues when it comes to exercising my democratic power or calling to action the changes I want to
Community
Above: Children enjoying the trial-run GREEN SEED presentation at the GIC
see in the world. As a Canadian living in Korea my accepted role is as an educator… I see this program as a way to participate actively in my community here in Gwangju, to educate and most importantly inspire children to make sustainable choices and positive change in their communities and in their world. There is a huge need for environmental education in Korea and all over the world. “If we don’t teach the children, how will they know? I often imagine how different our earth would be if our parents and grandparents and great grandparents had been educated about the results of excess carbon in the atmosphere, that their dumping of effluents in the oceans and lakes and rivers would cause damage unhealed for generations… And now we are at a turning point. We have the knowledge, resources and time to clean up our past mistakes... I think that educating, motivating and encouraging children to have courage and take responsibility for their choices will be an immensely pivotal part of establishing a sustainable future. “And on a personal and emotional note, I have four precious nephews and a niece and I love them so much... When I think about the kind of planet we are going to hand down to them, my heart breaks... I need to be able to look them in the eyes and say I did everything I could to give them a cleaner planet. I think we all have this responsibility to our children and to ourselves.” Before we part ways, Andrea is quick to point out that she is not solely responsible for the development of the program and that accolades are due the aforementioned Trevor Homeniuk and Ko Namil, both of whom played substantial roles in the program’s development. Furthermore, Kim Singsing, Maria Lisak, Cho Taesong, and Dr. Shin at the Gwangju International Centre have all played pivotal parts as well, and English teacher Sara Fladmo and Korean elementary school teachers Ryu Eunsoon and Oh Aeryoung have too.
Ahn Hong-pyo
But more help is needed. Andrea is looking for more people to get involved with GREEN SEED, and additionally, she and her team will host a fundraiser downtown on the second floor of New York in the Kitchen on June 1st at 8:30 p.m. (June 2nd being a holiday!). In addition to being an artist and an educator, Andrea is a musician also, and Trevor Homeniuk is too. She and Trevor will play three intimate, acoustic sets – sans amplification – and will request a small, 5000 won cover charge to enter. Wine will be sold inexpensively, and Andrea will sell some of her illustrations also. All of the funds which will be raised during the event will be administered transparently by the Gwangju International Centre for GREEN SEED’s ongoing expenses. Kim Sing-sing (gic@gic.or.kr) can be contacted both prior to and after the fundraiser to make donations, and Andrea, Trevor, and a third friend, Sara Fladmo, can be approached during the event itself. Andrea concludes, “I would love to see the program expand into middle school and high school… I already have a lot of ideas. I think that teaching older students would be really interesting and inspiring… In the meantime, however, we’re focusing on the present.” For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=122867564408415&ref=mf http://koreamaria.typepad.com/gwangju/2010/05/eaep.html http://sites.google.com/site/eaepgreenseed/ By Hughie Samson
To make a charitable donation: 019-107-329298 광주은행 Kwangju Bank (Depositor: 광주국제교류센터, Gwangju International Centre)
Gwangju News June 2010
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Discover Korea
Gyeongju: The Museum Without Walls
G
yeongju is best known for being the capital of the ancient and mighty Silla Dynasty. From 57 BC – 935 AD the current city’s location was of pivotal importance, not only among royalty but for all of the Korean Peninsula. Its historical significance is unparalleled, for it contains a massive number of important cultural relics that have been uncovered and preserved. Gyeongju is home to 31 of Korea’s National Treasures, 35 royal tombs, numerous Buddhist temples and structures decorating the landscape and educating the world about the Silla (pronounced ‘Shilla’) Kingdom. That was about all I knew when my boyfriend and I decided to take a weekend trip to the “historical capital” of Korea. Now, I am no expert on traveling in Korea, but I can say with clear certainty, that my favorite place thus far is definitely Gyeongju. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason, as all of the very diverse and wonderful things about this place combined have helped me to reach this conclusion. The Gyeongju guide books and travel literature can be a bit overwhelming at first because there are so many things listed as “a must see”. Don’t get me wrong, everything in this city deserves attention, but on a
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Gwangju News June 2010
weekend trip the average sightseer will have to pick and choose which of the many wonders they will witness. Luckily, when you get off the bus, there is a tourist information booth around the corner and to your right which provides visitors with a very good map of the city. It identifies a few different zones in and around Gyeongju, and for us, it grouped them together by area so we could begin to plan our precious two days of exploring. It was then that we set our sights on the Mt. Tohamsan area, which houses both Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. After conversing with some helpful locals, we found ourselves headed East on the #10 Bus. After about 30 minutes on the crowded, stuffy bus, we arrived at what would be the most amazing temple I had ever seen. The entranceway was several stories high and seemed more like a gigantic fortress than a Buddhist temple built over 1000 years ago. It is comprised of a massive double-sectioned staircase with a bridge and 33 stairs leading into the temple compound. Bulguksa has been named “Historic and Scenic Site No. 1” by the Korean government, and the reasoning for such a designation becomes apparent when you see this astounding piece of history.
Discover Korea
Above: Three of Gyeongju's best known sights. L-to-r: Bulguksa Temple; the 3.5 m tall stone Buddha at Seokguram Grotto; Cheomseongdae observatory; Facing page: Nightscape of pavillions at Anapji Lake
Inside the compound, there are several temples with especially impressive Buddhist statues, each seemingly more beautiful than the last. Within the main courtyard there are some incredible stone pagodas, fountains, a central study hall, and many other notable examples of ancient Buddhist art, all of which are surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. Bulguksa Temple alone holds seven of the Korean National treasures in Gyeongju, each providing insight into the kingdom that once ruled most of the Korean Peninsula. It is also currently the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism; we had the pleasant surprise of seeing a smiling group of female monks pass the crowds to an unknown destination, leaving what appeared to be a private wedding ceremony. After we had soaked in Bulguksa’s splendor, we were ready to make the 4-kilometer hike up to Seokguram Grotto. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day for a steep walk up the mountain, especially over a path that had been traveled for thousands of years (You can also take bus #12 from Bulguksa if you aren’t feeling so adventurous or motivated). As we approached the gates of Seokguram, we could hear the bell sounding. We later realized upon arrival, that it was the visitors who had been lining up to get their chance at striking the temple bell. What I also didn’t realize is that Seokguram Grotto is located amidst another smaller temple overlooking the valley below. The actual Grotto has been constructed to protect a
3.48-meter seated Buddha, which has been referred to as “the world’s greatest Buddhist art”. The wonderfully preserved granite carvings within the grotto are enough to make anyone stand in awe. There are 40 small statues of Buddha on the left and right walls of the antechamber and round chamber leading as a pathway to the giant and beautiful Seokguram Buddha. There were hundreds of people there waiting patiently like us to see such a monument, so our time inside was short, but it was an adequate amount to appreciate what stood before us. The trip back to downtown Gyeongju was interrupted by a short stop in the Bomun Lake Resort Area. This is the “modern” area of town equipped with a lakeside Hilton, an amusement park, an expo park, and Gyeongju Tower, which is a very cool reverse pagoda. Once we were back at the bus station, we took a taxi to Han Jin Hostel to offload our cargo and get a late lunch. The owner of the hostel was extremely helpful; he had more maps, restaurant recommendations, and on that particular night, information about a festival on the beach. As the sun set, the festival began. It was the first full moon after the Lunar New Year and there was a giant tower of bamboo and foliage topped with flags written in black paint. The tower was then set on fire by members of the community and continued to burn uninterrupted for hours. The festival happens every year to rid citizens of the previous year’s bad luck and
Gwangju News June 2010
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Discover Korea
simultaneously bring in good luck. There were food tents stocked with soju and fireworks and traditional Korean drummers, an added treat to an already outstanding day. The final order of business for the day/night was to rent bicycles and tour the downtown area under the full moon. The hostel owner had told us that downtown is best traveled by bicycle, and he was correct. As we rode towards our desired locations, we started to see huge mounds of dirt filling all the green space in the city. Then we arrived at The Daerungwon Walled Tomb Park, which boasts 23 ancient tombs, including one standing 120 meters long and 25 meters high. Most of the tombs are lit with ground lights so they can be seen from a distance. These “mounds of dirt” were actually quite impressive and their presence reiterated Gyeongju’s historical past. From the walled tomb park, we rode through the Banwolseong Fortress, or “Half Moon Fortress”, built in 101 AD, and through the Gyerim Woodland Forest. Both were built close to the old Silla Palace in what is now downtown Gyeongju and served to protect the King. I would recommend cruising through this area on a bicycle as it is impressive to see, though it is spread out over a large area. After about a 10-minute bike ride, we arrived at the entrance to Anapji Pond. As we entered, I was filled with excitement and began reaching for my camera immediately. This place was like nothing I had ever seen – a fortified stone wall linking together several stunning pagodas encompassing the pond and the three small islands. Seen from afar and lit from beneath, the pagodas, the wall, and the forest canopy all created a flawless reflection in the pond. On this calm, clear, moonlit night, it was incredibly peaceful and serene. Anapji Pond was initially created within the actual palace perimeter in 674 AD and has since been reconstructed for visitors. Knowing our night was coming to an end, we reluctantly jumped back on the bikes to visit our final destination. This time, it was the ancient Cheomseongdae observatory, the oldest known celestial observatory in the East. With its bottle-shaped rounded edges, it stands 9 meters high. All 27 levels of brick are very beautifully lit from around the base of the structure. From there it was time to say goodbye to our bikes and make the 20-minute walk back to the hostel, which is very close to the bus station. After a long but satisfying day, I came to feel that Gyeongju was both a photographer’s and historian’s dream come true.
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Gwangju News June 2010
A group of Buddhist nuns visiting Bulguksa
The next morning our tentative plan was to hike the Mt. Namsan region. We had been told that a traveler must see Mt. Namsan to fully experience Gyeongju. Here lies over 150 mountain peaks and 40 valleys all packed with temple remains, stone pagodas, and 80 impressive carved Buddha reliefs. The most famous of these is the Chilbulam Carving, which displays seven Buddhas carved into a flat rock face. Buseok Stone is another noteworthy relief, which appears to be Buddha’s head floating in the sky. At the base of the mountain, the lotus covered Seochulji Pond and adjoining folk villages offer even more aesthetic enjoyment. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to explore the Mt. Namsan region, as well as a number of other areas around town due to unfavorable weather. In the downtown area, there is also Bunhwangsa Temple, possessing the oldest pagoda in Korea, and the site of Hwangyongsa temple, which at one time was the largest temple in the East. There is also the Gyeongju National Museum, closed on Mondays, which holds thousands of the uncovered cultural relics. Furthermore, there is the East Sea region and the Northwest vicinity of town, both with an abundance of interesting locations, best seen in fair weather. We left Gyeongju that day feeling disappointed that we couldn’t experience all it had to offer, but excited for the day that we could soon return. Story and photos by Meghan Reynolds
How to get there Buses to Gyeongju leave Gwangju U-square terminal at 9:45 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. The journey takes 4 hours, and tickets are 23,200 won
Gwangju City News
G20 Seoul Summit focusing on world economy will be held in November, 2010
G
20 Seoul Summit will be held on November 11, 2010 with the attendance of world leaders from 20 countries.
It will be an international event opening a new chapter in the history of Korean diplomacy. A country which has accepted financial aids from international organizations for decades and overcame the financial crisis with the help of IMF is now playing a pivotal role in the global economy. G20 (Group of 20) is an economic alliance comprising of 20 countries including G7 and newly industrialized nations such as Korea, Russia, China, India, Brazil and so forth. So far meetings have been held at the level of finance ministers and central bank governors, but G20 has grown in stature with the participation of heads of states since 2008 because close cooperation between advanced countries and emerging market countries was required due to the global financial crisis.
During the G20 Seoul Summit approximately 10,000 people including heads of states, entourages, personnel from relevant international organizations and the press will visit Korea. Apparently, it will become a great opportunity to make a transition from 'Korea Discount' to 'Korea Premium' by raising foreign credit ratings and improving national brand value.
We need YOUR attention and participation for the successful finance vice-ministerial level meeting in Gwangju on September 4, 2010. Prior to the summit meeting, G20 meeting at the level of finance vice ministers will be held in Gwangju on September 45, 2010 in order to discuss and compromise on main agendas. Approximately 150 people including delegations from participatory countries and those who are highly influential in the global financial market will visit Gwangju.
G20 economies comprise of 85% of gross national product and two-thirds of the world population with the equal participation from all continents. In addition, not only heads of states but also representatives of IMF (International Monetary Fund), WB (World Bank), WTO (World Trade Organization), OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), etc. take part in decision making which results in building the order of the world economy.
Undoubtedly, it will serve as a momentum to make a good impression on Gwangju as a city with the high-quality image to the rest of the world.
Now Korea will chair the G20 Summit for the first time among non-G7 countries besides America and Europe, thus recognizing the nation’s progress and stature.
However, citizens' attention and participation as a host is needed the most. Now Gwangju should be a globally renowned city suitable to chair the G20 summit. We therefore hope and ask all Gwangju residents to support the summit, so that, through the warmth and spirit of its citizens, Gwangju can show its best self forward to both the visiting ministers and the watching world.
It is expected that Korea will take the initiative above the margin of the international economic cooperation, expand its role as a mediator of the international society and enhance the nation's position globally by holding G20 Summit in order to shape the new world economy.
Gwangju has organized a task force consisting of officials from relevant divisions to prepare for the successful finance viceministerial level meeting by beautifying the city, maintaining basic rules and so on.
By Gwangju City Hall
Gwangju News June 2010
19
Interview
Charlene Jones: GFN Radio Hostess with the Mostess
W
hat strikes you first upon meeting Charlene Jones, GFN’s newest radio talk show host, are her long copper-colored braids that rise up into an intricate, yet unexpected bun in the back. Next, you’ll notice her honey-coated complexion, a rarity around these parts, which is perfectly complemented by her unique East-meets-West style. She exudes worldly sophistication and speaks with a calm confidence, perhaps in loving spiritual terms, which immediately uplift you all the while acknowledging the positivity of encountering her. Her cool, serene facade belies the exuberance of her colorful past that has included many luminaries of stage and screen. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Charlene hosts GFN’s new talk show, “Hello, Korea,” a seven segment, hour-long show on 98.7FM airing weekdays. Aside from radio, she is also an award-winning slam poet, teaching artist and actress. Charlie, who has been performing since her late teens, attended San Francisco State University and earned degrees in Theatre Arts and Speech Communication. She started working in Hollywood in theatre, film, modeling and dance, and even appeared in Poetic Justice and Sister Act: 2. Later, she started doing slam poetry and was featured in two HBO Def Jam Poetry Slam specials. Eventually she won critical acclaim performing slam poetry backed by musicians as the opening act of the L.A. revival of Amiri Baraka’s awardwinning play, Dutchman. Charlie eventually moved on to the Hollywood Improv as its manager, booking and thus meeting everyone from Drew Carey to Chris Rock. Already experienced in radio from her days at 92.3 FM the Beat in the 1990s, she saw everyone from Usher, to Aaliyah to Easy E get their start. She went on to co-host radio shows on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network with Jamie Fox and toprated radio presenter/comedian, Sheryl Underwood for
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Gwangju News June 2010
Charlene Jones settling into her new position at GFN
GFN
Foxx-Hole Entertainment. With a radio career on the fast track, Charlie, however, made the unusual decision to leave Los Angeles and become a teaching artist in Japan working with worldrenowned martial artist and Ninja Assassin co-star, Sho Kosugi. “He is a real guru of martial arts, i.e. combat and ninja, the art of combat...He brought the art of Japanese combat to America in the late 1950s and1960s,” she said. After a rigorous audition process in 2001, Charlene made her way to Nagoya’s Sho Kosugi Institute where she taught music, dance and theater with a basis in English to elementary through high school students for three years. Then, during a brief visit home, a chance encounter with a local Korean shop owner inspired her to come to Korea to teach English in 2009.
Interview
Left: Charlene joins the other DJs on the GFN team; Right: Charlene brings her energy and passion to her show. GFN; Alva French (2)
“‘Go to Korea…take all of your energy and your art and teach my people; they need you,’ the [Korean] woman said,” Charlene noted. Originally based in Seoul and eager to put her gift of gab to work, Charlene was about to return to the United States before fate intervened. She spotted an ad for an open spot as solo radio host at GFN. Inspired by the Asian values of ancestor worship, Charlene often talks about the gifts of her ancestors, and close-knit family on both spiritual and tangible levels.
the first African-American radio presenter in Korea, she credits the collaborative efforts of the producing team for bringing the show to fruition. “We are an allgirls group... I am like the quarterback. They didn’t hire me because of my color, they hired me because of my voice,” she said.
“Radio is a vehicle by which to have a conversation with the world. It’s magical. You can write and tell stories and do poetry, and teach.”
“In Japan, they celebrate the Obon Festival [the Buddhist celebration of the resting of souls of one’s ancestors.] …they celebrate their ancestors for a whole week,” she said. “We celebrate our grandparents. Our ancestors are respected. I am a product of my ancestors.” In Gwangju since late March 2010, Charlene is ready to take on GFN and this city as the only solo female presenter on an all-male hosted radio network. Already
Despite already reaching great heights in her career and rubbing elbows with VIPs, Charlene keeps it real, as they say, by remembering what’s important.
“Children are my passion…Teaching is my purpose. I am truly blessed and honored to be here.” she said. “Radio is a vehicle by which to have a conversation with the world. It’s magical. You can write and tell stories and do poetry, and teach.”
Catch Charlene's show, Hello, Korea, weekdays at 11 a.m. on 98.7 fm GFN, or online, gfn.or.kr By Alva French
Gwangju News June 2010 21
Photo Essay
n this "throw-away" age – a time of overconsumption and excessive production of shortlived items – it is essential for me to find and participate in cultural experiences that preserve human connection and strong values. Buddha's Birthday was celebrated this year on May 21, and offered another opportunity to observe the aesthetic and historical significances of Buddhism to Korea. The annual Seoul Lotus Lantern Festival around Insa-dong's Jogyesa Temple celebrates Buddha with the grandest array of lights, food and festivities with thousands of multiracial/ cultural visitors. It's a global event for several days in May. A must see and do for all ages.
Make a Wish I Upon a Lantern By Debra M. Josephson
The main events include the following: Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns: Featuring lanterns in numerous shapes and colors including my favorites, umbrellas and fish, all made from a variety of materials such as hanji, or elegantly dyed Korean paper. Each lantern has a different meaning, with most signifying health or long life. Yeondeungnori (Festival’s Eve Celebrations): Lantern carriers and different groups of performers join the festivities. At the end, performers and guests let loose and dance together under the lights and in front of Jogyesa Temple. Buddhist Street Festival: More than a hundred booths displayed ceremonial tea-making and tasty treats, and several other hands-on activities. Visitors can paint pictures of Buddha, sit in meditation or create a Buddhist scripture manuscript with powdered gold. In the ‘Let’s Make Lotus Flower Lanterns’ program, one can make lanterns of different shapes and sizes. I saw many an expat with a mini lantern attached to their backpacks or making fashion statements on their head. These creative outlets brought out the kid inside us. The Lantern Parade: This year, the festival highlight begins at Dongguk University sports arena, continues through Dongdaemun Park, along Jongno, and ends at Jogyesa Temple. It lasts for over two hours. It is good to get there early for a comfortable view as crowds gather to see the tens of thousands lanterns and brightly lit images of dragons, white elephants and many other traditional Buddhist symbols. The wonderful sight leaves both Buddhist believers and non-believers with life time memories to treasure. Hopefully for some, like myself, wishes come true.
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Gwangju News June 2010
Photo Essay
Gwangju News June 2010
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Gwangju News
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Gwangju News June 2010
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Interview
UNHCR Representative to Korea:
Anne Mary Campbell people the papers they need to work and live here as refugee asylees? Rather than meeting the food, shelter, clothing, medical and educational needs of refugees in tent cities, Campbell’s herculean task will be to achieve legislation that formalizes how refugees are accepted in Korea, and, for now, to at least find a way for those seeking refugee status to be able to do so at a port of entry with or without proper paperwork. Her May 22 GIC Talk laid out the definition of refugee, the immediate plight of 32 million refugees around the world, and the need for private funding of the UNHCR’s $2 billion annual budget. Before the talk, Gwangju News chatted with Campbell and her assistant, Park Yoo Kyoung, the UNHCR Face-ToFace Fundraising Coordinator in Seoul.
A
nne Mary Campbell, the globetrotting United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Seoul seems to always appear during or just before massive refugee crises. Before working for the United Nations, Campbell pulled four years for a Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Thailand, just as 160,000 refugees were fleeing Pol Pot’s killing fields in Kampuchea (Cambodia). Her work there gave her the experience needed to be placed in Kenya, just as 260,000 refugees poured in from Somalia, and in Mazur, Afghanistan to deal with the uncountable thousand internally displaced Afghans from 2004 to 2007. What then could be the challenge for such expertise here in the Republic of Korea, which, of its 2500 known applications for refugee status, has only granted 175
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Gwangju News June 2010
“The legislative process is slow in Seoul, but if a refugee act can be passed, we would then work to strengthen the law. In East Asia, only Japan and South Korea have refugee asylum systems,” Campbell said in her native Irish accent. “North Koreans are not considered refugees here because they are given citizenship and assistance with many details of their lives once they arrive. A sign of the importance of foreigners was last year’s Together Day in Seoul in which President Lee spoke about the important roles foreigners play in Korea.” Since guest workers are such a large part of the economy, it is an anomaly that only 3.5% of those seeking asylum have been granted working papers. South Korea’s prosperity relies on foreigners, but an onslaught of refugees may well be more than the export-driven economy here could handle. Gwangju News: How is the drive to find more private donors to help asylum seekers going in the ROK? Campbell: It is a brand new initiative, so we’re breaking even with money invested, but the 20-30-yearold age group is responding well. GN: How can English-speaking readers get involved?
Interview
Campbell: You can find us at www.unhcr.or.kr. Among the refugees here, most come from Asia. For African refugees, they are on their own in a culture that is very different. For Asians it is much easier. GN: In March, the first recognized refugee ever, a man from Ethiopia, was given citizenship in the ROK. Is this a trend, or an exception? Campbell: Our goal is to try to assist refugees as much as we can. First we’re working on expedited asylum claims, and looking forward to a refugee reception center that is expected to open in 2012. The Ministry of Justice, UNHCR and National Commission for Human Rights have met with pro bono lawyers representing refugees back when I was in Kenya. This kind of on-thespot discussion is good. More can happen here, but the Ministry of Justice is already meeting more often with lawyers assisting refugees here. Campbell’s talk began with an informative 15-minute movie about refugees in Africa and Columbia, both arises often created by ongoing civil wars. In Africa 5 million have died from war recently, two out of three being women. At its worst, 1000 people per day were dying from wars, notoriously in Rwanda, Sudan and Somalia, but elsewhere as well. The Columbian situation closely mirrors that in Seoul, where refugees are harder to assist, since they are in cities, thus spread out, and melding into large populations. “In Seoul asylum seekers do not get assistance unless the adjudication process takes over a year. During this time, they do not have the right to work. In 1992 the ROK signed the refugee convention and received its first asylum seeker in 2001. Many Asian countries never signed the covenant,” Campbell informed. “There are as many as five million Columbian refugees living in Ecuador. Eighty percent go to cities to gain anonymity, as they fear reprisals. Most earn one dollar per day, but the UNHCR has issued three million refugee cards there which give the children a chance to be schooled. In the barrios, impoverished neighborhoods, 60-70% of the children are displaced.” The movie also noted that many Koreans were displaced and moved toward Busan in the Korean War. Pictures of wind-driven snowy treks in the winter showed hundreds of Koreans walking toward Busan in the South and lined up to take trains to Busan from Seoul. “The will to live is strong during war, but the refugee asylum procedures are harder now than in the post World War II era,” Campbell said. “The UNHCR assists a government when invited to do so. Since World War II, the U.S. and Russia have had a lot of proxy wars, so refugees from the cold war, in addition to Rwanda,
Columbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and many other places are internally displaced. You can’t be a refugee in your own country.” This makes it hard for the UNHCR to help everyone, as certain criteria must be met before the worst atrocities can be handled. Among the most heinous examples comes one out of Rwanda: “In Rwanda one million or more were killed and the international community knew the slaughter was coming, but no one did anything until an outsider Tutu came in with his own army,” Campbell said. “In 1995 in Srebrenica, Bosnia, a UN ‘Safe Haven’ was set up and protected by 400 Dutch UNPROFOR [United Nations Protection Force] soldiers, who could not prevent the mass murder of over 8000 Bosnian Muslims. In 1996, Albanians in Kosovo were also victims of genocidal Serbs, but the international community’s reaction, a military intervention by NATO, not the UN, made matters worse until the Balkan wars finally ended. In 2000 a poorly planned military intervention in Somalia was too heavy. The result was more bloodshed. So who has responsibility to protect? 1) The government of the county involved, 2) The head of State of the country involved, and then 3) The international community. But the level of atrocities must rise above human rights violations before international military interventions should be used,” Campbell suggested. “At the 2007 World Summit, 150 heads-of-state agreed that a human rights problem is not enough to warrant intervention,” she continued. “It must be atrocities, and even then, it must be at a Rwandan level before the intervention could be a military one. “I have been in the middle of many massive refugee situations. The UNHCR does not want to see anyone pushed back into harm’s way. Every asylum seeker during a war must be given due process and a proper interview,” Campbell said. Many seeking asylum move due to drought, floods, and economic conditions, Campbell pointed out. “If we want to have control over the movement of people, developed countries must work to help economies grow so people do not need to flee.” Those with questions after the meeting asked about what could happen with global climate change and natural disasters, and how to help those who are forced to move for reasons other than war. “The UNHCR has 200 offices and a staff of 6500. Our budget is $2 billion per year and our mandate says we must raise funds from private donations. The quickest way to help is to make donations, and the place you can start is by looking at www.unhcr.or.kr” Campbell said. By Doug Stuber Photo by Park Min-woo Gwangju News June 2010
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Sport
Road to South Africa
Gwangju residents cheer on the national team in 2002, in front of the old Provinical Office on Geumnam-no Kwangju Ilbo
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t’s the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, watched by hundreds of millions people, and attracts enormous crowds to stadiums of the host country, all because of a ball that weighs between 14-16 ounces with a circumference of 27-28 inches. It can only be the FIFA World Cup™. This huge festival is waiting for the world this June, as you might have already realized thanks to the abundance of World-Cup-themed advertisements and promotions currently on the go. From June 11 to July 11 the world’s attention will be focused on this 19th World Cup, hosted by South Africa on the southern tip of the African continent – the first time that the world’s largest sporting event has been played in Africa. The games will take place nine different cities spread right across the country, with ten stadiums, many of which are newly built for the event. On Friday June 11, the first game, between South Africa and Mexico, will take place in 88,460-seater Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg at 11 p.m. Korean time. South Korea was grouped with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Japan in the Asian qualifying stage for the 2010 World Cup. After making it through the first round stage, Korea then met neighbors North Korea, Jordan and Turkmenistan in Group 3 of the next stage. Though Korea disappointedly picked up two draws with its neighbors North Korea, it went up to the final
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Gwangju News June 2010
round easily with the record of three wins and three draws. In the final qualifying round, Korea was allocated a much harder group with two strong Middle Eastern squads (Saudi Arabia and Iran), traditional rivals (North Korea, again) and one dark horse (United Arab Emirates). Even though Korea started off with a disappointing 1-1 draw versus North Korea, it was smooth sailing from there and they won four out of their next five games to qualify for the World Cup. North Korea enjoyed a two-leg thrashing of Mongolia in the second round of qualification, but it was the third round of qualification where the real test began. In the same group as the South, described previously, North Korea went through six matches by scoring just four goals and conceding none. That defense was breached in the final round but wins at home to Saudi Arabia and a home and away double over UAE gave the team the platform to finish second behind South Korea. With draws at home to Iran and away in Riyadh on the final day of action, North Korea squeezed into the South African spots. South Korea has good team chemistry and is filled with diligent industrious players who put the team first and have a hard work rate; qualities epitomized by the team’s most celebrated players, Park Ji-Sung of Manchester United. Many of the Korean squad are also versatile players, capable in different roles and
Sport
positions. However, defending set pieces has been a problem, as first-choice goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae and two centre-backs, Cho Yong-Hyung and Lee Jung-Soo are relatively small in stature. Also there is a huge gap between regular players and substitutes in terms of performance. Whilst the key members of the squad play overseas, such as best goal scorer Park Chu-Young (AS Monaco) Park Ji-Sung and winger Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton Wanderers) and midfield playmaker Ki SungYong (Celtic FC), their replacements are not of such a caliber, and should injuries hit any of the four mentioned, they would be very hard to replace.
However, a lack of firepower has remained a problem. Goals are hard to come by, as is experience, as North Korea has had little chance to play teams from outside Asia. Recent trips to France and planned sorties to Brazil and Africa should go some way to addressing that problem but the fact remains that most North Korean players are internationally inexperienced. They have also been unfortunate in that their group contains some of the very best opposition, in Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast. For North Korea, even a single point would be a good achievement, and a win of any kind greeted as a shock result.
South Korea’s first objective is to advance beyond the group stage for the first time in a tournament away from home soil. Of course in 2002, as co-hosts they famously went all the way to the semi-final, but success overseas has been slim. Last time out in Germany, Korea mustered a good 1-1 draw with eventual runnersup France, but a 2-0 defeat against Switzerland sent them home. This time the draw has not been the kindest: if they want achieve to their dream, they must overcome their first match with 2004 European champions Greece, then take on two-time winners Argentina, before their final group game against a strong Nigerian side playing on their home continent.
People in Gwangju City used to just watch soccer games on TV, but all that totally changed for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. At that time, the whole country got behind their ‘Teaguk Warriors’ to cheer them on, thus it ignited Gwangju citizens to take part in this brand new cheering culture such as group rooting and wearing red ‘Be the Reds’ T-shirts. The locals started watching soccer games not only in bars but also in front of huge screens on the streets installed nearby the old Jeolla province office. This is how the cheering culture was changed in Gwangju. It was possible since citizens were truly excited by Reds’ playing spirits.
North Korea’s modern success stems from a solid backline. A five-man defense conceded just seven times in 16 qualifiers and isn’t afraid to stay in their own half. The team counter-attacks at speed and is capable of catching out an opposition that strays too far forward.
The new cheering culture which has settled in the city since 2002 will make citizens gather and enjoy the exciting festival here in Gwangju, with huge shouts of Reds’ victory! By Choi Seok-hun and Noh In-woo Gwangju News June 2010
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Living Tips
Tips to combat
Hwangsa (황사) Yellow Dust I
t’s been two weeks since I got a runny, itchy nose and itchy eyes. I haven't been to the doctor since then because a friend of mine told me that it is caused by yellow dust. He told me that I should be careful of the yellow dust which is usually prevalent in the spring season. So, before you experience what I've experienced, you may want to know more about this phenomenon and may find the following information to be useful. Yellow Dust and Its Ocurrences Spring is a wonderful season, but it is also the season when yellow dust is prevalent. Yellow dust is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia, particularly South Korea, during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia, northern China, and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Although yellow dust sporadically occurs this time of year, in recent years, winter yellow sand events have also been reported. There were reports of yellow dust in February 2007 and by mid-March 2009 there had already been three dust storms. Being aware of what yellow sand is and when it occurs will save us a lot of trouble. Also, taking proper measures when yellow dust occurs can protect us from its harmful effects. Its Harmful Effects In the last decade or so, yellow dust has become a serious problem due to the increase in industrial pollutants (sulfur, heavy metals) contained in the dust and intensified desertification in China causing longer and more frequent occurrences. In sufficient concentration, the fine particles can obscure visibility and irritate soft tissues in the eyes, 30
Gwangju News June 2010
The effects of hwangsa. Seoul on a clear day (top), and the same view shrouded in yellow dust (bottom) Monthly Chosun
nose, mouth and throat. Because of the high concentration of minerals and other pollutants, it can cause or exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Pinkeye is a common side effect in both adults and children. The dust can also damage sensitive equipment, such as computers, and can destroy farmlands by degrading the soil and contaminating croplands, aquifers, etc. The dust storms can also affect wildlife by destroying crops and habitat. Tips to Protect Ourselves from Yellow Dust 1. Avoid outdoor activities. (This applies especially to the elderly, young children and those with heart
Living Tips/ Useful Korean Phrases
disease, diabetes and lung diseases or respiratory problems) 2. Keep your windows and doors closed. 3. Remove contact lenses and wear your glasses instead; the dust can scratch your lenses and damage your eyes. 4. Brush your teeth and wash your hands, face and eyes with warm water when returning indoors. 5. Drink plenty of water to keep your tear ducts working and tears flowing well. 6. Use air filters to keep air clear and a humidifier to increase the humidity level inside your home or office. 7. Wash fruits and vegetables that may have been exposed to yellow dust before eating them. 8. Wash your hands carefully before handling food. 9. Avoid burning candles or smoking indoors. 10. After the yellow sand storm has cleared, air out the house and wash any exposed objects before using them, including your car. 11. Even after the storm passes, be careful not to kick up dust that has settled as it is easily stirred by movement, wind, etc. Things We Can Buy to Protect Ourselves from Yellow Dust There are several things that we can buy to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of yellow dust. First, we can buy masks. Masks are available in different sizes and for different purposes. There are masks that cover only the mouth, and those that protect the entire face and even the neck. In addition, there are ones with 'special dust filters' that are the most effective against the dust.
Useful Korean Phrases ~고 싶어요. (Want to ~V) Dialogue A:요즘 누구 만나는 사람 있어요? [Yojeum nugu mannaneun saram isseoyo?] A: Are you seeing anyone these days? B:네. 저 만나는 사람 있어요. [Ne. Jeo mannaneun saram isseoyo.] B: Yes, I am seeing someone. A:부러워요. 너의 남자친구를 한 번 만나보고 싶어요. [Bureowoyo. Neoe namjachingureul han beon mannabogo sipeoyo.] A:I envy you. I want to meet your boyfriend. B: 그럼 우리 1시에 같이 점심 먹는 건 어때요? [Geureom uri hansi-e gachi jeomsim meokneun geon eottaeyo?] B: Well....Why don’t we meet for lunch today? A: 좋아요. 그 때 봐요. [Joayo. Geu ttae bwayo.] A: Ok. See you then.
Vocabulary 점심 [jeom-sim]: lunch 요즘 [yo-jeum]: these days, lately 남자친구 [namja-chingu]: boyfriend 여자친구 [Yeoja-chingu]: girlfriend 한시 [han-si]: 1 o’clock
For those of us with babies, baby carriage covers can be bought for the outdoors. Other things we can buy are nose-washes to prevent colds, hwangto (황토) or yellow mud paste packs for skin care, and strips to seal up windows and doors.
Grammar
How to Check Yellow Dust Levels
This expression is used when you want something. Primarily used when you want something or want to do something.
Most cell phone providers send a text message when a yellow dust storm is coming. The SMS warning message is in Korean. If you don't think you have this service, you can sign up for it by dialing 114 on your cell phone. You will need to have a good command of Korean or have a Korean to help you when signing up.
~고 싶어요 (Want to ~V.)
Ex) 커피를 먹고 싶어요. (I want [to have] some coffee.) 새 노트북이 갖고 싶어요. (I want to get a new laptop.) By Kang Nang-won Nang-won is a student of Korean Language and Literature at Chonnam National University
By Mheng
Gwangju News June 2010
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Environment
Pureungil S
tepping out of his busy life, the man is going to the park with an Americano and fresh sandwich. He is enjoying his time with a composed attitude, looking at people who are sunbathing, riding bicycles and reading books. This scenery is not only what you are able to find in Central Park of New York or Hyde Park of London, but also what you are able to do in Gwangju. You can find this place on a regenerated abandoned rail road whose name is ‘Pureungil,’ meaning ‘a green way’ in Korean.
What is the Pureungil? Gwangju was first connected by railroads to speed the exploitations of the area as part of the Japanese colonial policy, causing an influx into Songjeong-ri in 1922. After being established, the railways connected Gwangju to Damyang, Yeosu and Naju. At the beginning of the 1970s, railways found themselves surrounded by the ever expanding Gwangju city. However, because of a lot of noise pollution, traffic jams and train accidents, the Gwangju government decided to move the railways from the centre of the city to the suburbs. Subsequently, Gwangju considered using the abandoned railway lines as
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a 2nd railroad, but instead, Gwangju citizens, NGO’s and other experts asked to change the former railroad areas into a vibrant green park. In December 2000, the Gwangju government announced a project named ‘Pureungil’. That was a great endeavor of Gwangju citizens who were trying to build Gwangju’s own park. There was no precedent for changing abandoned railroads into green ways in Korea. Additionally, this project attracted the eyes of many experts, not only in Korea, but also abroad, as a citizen-run remodeling. Nowadays, discarded railways are coming back to the citizens revived into lively spaces and active lands providing a beautiful natural environment for citizens as a connection between past and future.
What is the ‘Pureungil Gardening Movement Headquarters’? The Pureungil Gardening Movement Headquarters was organized by local citizens, NGOs, and experts to independently manage abandoned railways in March 2003. It was established to lead locals’ own participation,
Environment
Left: The green pathway runs from Gwangju Station, past Chosun University and Baek-un junction, down to Hyo Cheon station near Gwangju University; Right: Signs of the old railroad still remain Naver blog
not only to plan, but also to design. To accomplish this purpose, Pureungil’s Headquarters is working to organize a Citizen Autonomy Committee which will be composed of people regardless of age or gender. It means everybody – children, teenagers, university students and other citizens – has the same opportunity as a member of the committee. Furthermore, they always welcome new and innovative ideas from locals. It definitely nourishes the power to move forward the Pureungil movement. Also, the Headquarters is developing the ‘Planting a Million Trees Movement’. This movement is to create more green space and to increase access between green ways and the surroundings of the city. Especially, there is a program in which leading citizens volunteer to plant a tree and attach their name tag on the trees by themselves. What is Pureungil’s ‘Planting a Million Trees Movement?’ Pureungil’s planting a million trees movement is a citizens’ participation movement which plants a tree on abandoned railroads. Organizations, enterprises, and every man and woman who love Gwangju, regardless of age, gender or occupation, are able to join. The program
lets participants get firsthand experience, such as planting the trees by themselves directly on the green ways, attaching their name tags on their trees, and carving each participant’s name on a memorial sculpture when the green ways are established. The entire membership fee will be used for making greenways in Gwangju. In addition, it will be used to purchase private lands surrounding the abandoned railways and to connect divided forests into huge forests around the city. Someday when you open the door and go to a school, company, or somewhere else, you will see beautiful trees that have come from your heart and your hard work. How beautiful it will be when you take a walk in the park, just a short way from your house. And imagine discovering your name on a sculpture with your families and friends in your city where you live. If you want to make this scenario a reality, please do not hesitate to join. The door is always open. Pureungil’s website: www.greenways.or.kr (Phone: 062-514-2444) By Choi Seok-hun
Gwangju News June 2010
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Event Review
A Day at the Park he Nanji Han River Park in Seoul served up a real treat for music and festival junkies on the bright blue Saturday that was May 8. The 4th Annual World DJ Festival dropped into full swing, and there was no stopping the momentum.
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Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Han River and the city behind it, this was the place to be. There were over 60 local and international acts rocking four stages over 15 hours. Obligations be damned, there was no holding back. Upon arrival in the mid-afternoon, it was certainly difficult to predict how many party-goers would show up. But as time progressed, and day turned to night, it was clear (or unclear for many) that there was a serious crowd to soak up the atmosphere. The facilities were excellent, and all fears of missing out on a ticket were soon subsided with a warm smile from a friendly staff member. As entry was swift, it was irresistible for the body to start moving to the sway of the main stage. Korean artists Soul Company hit us like a sharp slap in the face. What a welcome! Their ferocious and raw hip-hop energy made for one of the day’s highlights. That was followed by an amazing performance by the powerful Brazilian drummers on the field, whose sound had the whole park mesmerised. The acoustics were in top condition, given the circumstances of the park layout. Both the Main and Jager stages were right next to each other, separated only by stalls of food and liquor. Incredibly, no cross-feed of sound was evident. It was very impressive.
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The Fest Village added a nice cultural touch to the event. The area was riddled with traditional Korean music, makeup and other little surprises that provided a nice breather from the madness on the other side of the park. As the day wore on, DJs Limzi and Mackay are certainly worth a mention on the Jager stage. Ex-pat Irish DJ Mackay, who lives in Seoul now, created a very energetic vibe with his dirty hard house, weaved with funky electro rhythms. It was definitely the recipe needed to get the day crowd jumping. In the Black Zone, DJ Freekey was the pick of the bunch. His selection of smooth hip-hop beats with some nice remixes brought the crowd to where it needed to be. The headlining act, The Freemasons, played at the ridiculous time of 4.30 a.m., just in time for the festival to reach its climax. Some roaring electronic grooves helped set the crowd on fire at the wee witching hours of the morning. The 4th Annual World DJ Festival could hardly be denied as a roaring success. As one enthusiastic punter stated clearly, the festival provided “great mates, great music and a wonderful way to welcome summer.” Let’s hope that the organisers roll with the track they’ve laid down and keep building on what was seen over the weekend. By Julian Raethel Photo by Stefan Potgieter
Film Review
For most foreigners in Korea, the language barrier means that Korean movies at the cinema are out of the question. However, thanks to the advent of DVDs with subtitles, and the commonness of DVD rooms and rental places, Korean cinema has become a lot more accessible.
The Good, the Bad, the Weird
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좋은놈, 나쁜놈, 이상한놈 Directed by: Kim Joon-woon Time: 139 mins Genre: Action/Western Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byeong-heon, Jeong Wooseong
recently came across the trailer for this movie, and after seeing it, couldn’t believe Korean cinema had created a western. The trailer did it justice and I hunted the movie down and watched it. I found that students and adults alike are quite fond of this film. When asked what I did on the weekend, I explained I watched a Korean movie, which always goes over well. I followed up with an explanation of the plot, which revolves around three men: one is thumbs up, the good, one is thumbs down, the bad and before I say the weird one, all the boys are already shouting “the crazy 3 man teacher?!” And we all laugh.
I
The movie is set in Manchuria in the 1940s. While Korea is being occupied by Japan at the time, some Koreans move across to Manchuria to get away and start over. They leave what happened to them in Korea and begin anew. The plot surrounds a map that supposedly leads to a treasure of incredible size. Everyone is after the treasure for their own reasons and the three main characters are at the centre of the plotlines. ‘The Good’ character is a bounty hunter who is after ‘The Bad’, whilst ‘The Weird’ character is just sheer comic relief. It’s quite refreshing during certain situations of tension. Of course the title bears some similarity to Clint Eastwood’s classic Western, The Good The Bad and The Ugly. Having not seen the original, but based on what I know on reading for this article, the plots are loosely the same; three people searching for gold. This version also borrows stylized Hollywood action sequences, along with soundtrack music from Kill Bill, to make it more “exciting”. The story weaving the characters and the players that are after the gold is very well done for a Korean action movie. Each character isn’t just a 2-dimensional figure. The writers put nice layers of depth into each one. Sadly, as with many Korean films that I’ve seen, this movie is also a little on the long side, with a running time of well over two hours. There are instances in the fight scenes where they have
images of the good, the bad or the weird characters’ facial expressions hanging on a little too long. With snappier editing the film could have been cut to a nice 100 mins of straight direct action. Conversely though, a fan of the movie could use the defence that the extra time is quintessential to the characters’ interaction with each other in order to illustrate their complex characters. One of the main reasons I enjoyed the film was there are moments where it’s just wild and surreal. Of course this never happened and of course the bad guy in 1940s Manchuria didn’t walk around with hair all styled up like that. For a Korean western, a term which I have never heard before, it delivered in spades and it’s a nice movie to bring up in conversation with Korean friends, since so many have seen it, or a good option when deciding just what to watch on one of those nights when there’s nothing else on TV but Korean dramas. By Adam Bourque
Gwangju News June 2010
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Recipe
Korean Easy-Cook Recipe
김밥 Kimbab
N
ow that the weather is so nice outside, many people are having picnics. When Koreans have picnics, there is one food that they always take with them – kimbap. Kimbap in Korea plays a very similar role to sandwiches in the west. People usually pack this food as lunch when they are going on a picnic and they are cut into bite-sized pieces so they make an easy meal. Kimbap’s history in unknown, but there is no denying that it is one of Korea’s most ubiquitous foods. It is difficult to define kimbap clearly because the present form has changed in various ways. Making kimbap is easy but somewhat time consuming. So, if someone packs kimbap as lunch for you, it means that person sincerely cares for you. Most Koreans can remember occasions when they had kimbap made for them, either by their mother for a picnic, or by a significant other as a way to demonstrate their feelings. So kimbap reminds people of their ‘jeong’ (love). Story and photos by Kim Mi-so Kim Mi-so is a sophomore majoring in English literature at Chonnam National University.
How to make kimbab (serves 1-2 people) Things to Prepare: A boiling pan, a frying pan, a bowl, steamed rice (800g), 6 sheets of laver (dried seaweed), 2 eggs, a carrot, pickled radish 100g, ham 100g, one cucumber, salt 3ts, sesame seeds Cooking Method: 1. Steam rice and set aside to cool. 2. Boil pieces of ham and carrot in the boiling pan to soften 3. Diagonally cut cucumber into long thin slices and mix them with 2 teaspoons of salt. 4. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. 5. Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan. When the top is bubbly and the color has changed, turn over. A few minutes later, remove from the pan and cut in long thin slices like the cucumber. 6. Place steamed rice on the laver and spread thinly. 7. Place cucumber, ham, carrot, egg and pickled radish on the rice . 8. Roll it into a tube, and cut into bite-sized pieces. 9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Gwangju News June 2010
KoreaMaria: Food Critic
GwanGa Great
Roasted Stuffed Duck:25,000 won, whole duck 38,000 won Duck Soup: 53,000 won Mixed Raw Chicken (prepared like ceviche): 45,000 won Samgyetang: 11,000 won ToChongDak BaekSuk: 40,000 won Spicy Chicken Mixed Rice: 38,000 won Mushroom Jeongol: 25,000 - 38,000 won Pheasant: 53,000 won Abalone: 50,000 won - 120,000 won selection of rice and noodles for after the main course: abalone juk, rice nurungji, dolsot bibimbap, bibim noodles, noodles in broth, rice 062-226-0040 or 228-0027 Donggu, Sotae-dong 769-2 (near Mudeungsan Jeungshimsa) Bus 9, 35, 50, 51, 54, 76
A traditional Korean atmosphere. Floor seating only. Lots of small rooms with a décor of faux cherry and pine trees, embroidered panels of flowers and animals; celadon and ink paintings abound. Fast service, as long as your have reserved 24 hours before, and is very busy. Beware, you could end up in a small room with another larger party of older Koreans, all soju’ed up and singing. I happen to like this kind of environment, but perhaps you might call this a miss. There is also an outdoor area with tables, a ginormous big screen TV, a bar, an outdoor fire, ping pong tables, and a small children’s trampoline. This area can be reserved for wedding parties. Duck. The dish of the house is the roasted, stuffed duck. Ordered a day before, the crispy skin is to die for. Now, I’m not a huge duck fan; it’s OK but not something I usually think of when thinking of dining opportunities. But this, this is heaven. The duck comes to your table all brown and crispy and then a server literally tears it apart (she’s wearing hygienic plastic gloves – no worries), leaving bite-size pieces of heaven for you to dip into several different sauces if you would like. I found it wasn’t necessary to mask the taste with sauce. You can eat it bossam style as it is served with lots of accouterments. The inside stuffing – rice with gingko nuts, jujube, herbal roots – is a savory delight. To drink I recommend Korean berry wine. A deep sweet wine that really makes the crispy richness of the duck even more decadent. Listed in Gwangju City’s “In search of style and taste of Gwangju,” this restaurant is a must for eats in Gwangju. The food is outstanding and unique, the atmosphere is traditionally preserved, and the staff are expert in making sure your dining experience becomes a fond memory for you take with you when you leave the restaurant. By Maria Lisak at Gwangju University Gwangju News June 2010 37
Food
Ddeok Special Relationship with Korea
D
deok, or rice cake in English is essential to Korean ceremonial occasions, such as coming–of–age, weddings, funerals and ancestor memorials. Ddeok is made with glutinous or non-glutinous rice flour. Commonly, rice is the main ingredient but sometimes potato-starch can be used to add flavor and shape. There are a lot of different kinds of ddeok. They can be divided into four main kinds based on how they are made: steamed rice cake, pounded rice cake, boiled rice cake and pan-fried rice cake. A typical steamed rice cake is siruddeok. It is made to cast out evil spirits and wish for lucky days. Koreans also eat pounded rice cakes to hope for longevity. Thus Koreans greet their New Year by eating such ddeok, and wishing for a long life. A typical boiled rice cake is called gyeongdan and is made to celebrate marriage or a first birthday. After mixing the flour and water to make dough, boil the sphere-shaped dough for a long time and cover rice cakes with powdered sesame. Various kinds of powder can be used to make them more attractive and tasty. Lastly, hwajun is an example of pan-fried rice cake. Hwa (花) and jeon (煎) are Chinese words meaning flowers and pancakes respectively. Hwajeon is easily made by putting flowers, azalea on pancake and frying. On the third day of the third lunar month of March, Koreans eat Hwajeon, and Korean women like this day because it is a chance to go out to enjoy spring. These four kinds of ddeok are made to be served on Korean traditional days or events. As mentioned in the title, ddeok has a special relationship with Korea. On Korean holidays such as Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day), and Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day), Koreans eat songpyeon and ddeokguk respectively. Songpyeon is a kind of ddeok made in a half-moon shape and stuffed with sesame seeds and sugar, sweet beans or chestnut filling. Ddeokguk is sliced rice cake soup. Thus ddeok occupies an important position in Korean holidays. Since long ago, Koreans have prepared ddeok to celebrate, 38
Gwangju News June 2010
Clockwise from top-left: ddeok cake, hwajeon, siruddeok, and songpyeon Naver Blog
comfort and make wishes. To wish for lucky days, Koreans prepared a lot of ddeok. Koreans eat garaeddeok on New Year’s Day and sweet steamed rice indicating steamed glutinous rice flavored with honey, dates, chestnuts, etc on the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Koreans performed an exorcism to remove evil spirits from a person or place by the use of prayer. In the course of this, many kinds of ddeok are served on the table depending on the spirits. For example, baksulgi is served to the highest spirits. And in funerals or ancestral rites, ddeok is a way to comfort people feeling heartbreaking grief. Koreans also eat ddeok to celebrate marriage, first birthdays or 60th birthday parties. Especially, for first birthday, susuddeok is prepared because it is believed to be good to protect babies from evil spirits. In this way, ddeok has always been with Koreans’ traditional ceremonies whenever to wish, celebrate and comfort, and so it is clear that it is an essential thing to Korea. Nowadays, ddeok continues to prosper. There are many varieties of so-called ‘fusion’ ddeok, such as ddeok cake, chocolate ddeok, roll ddeok cake, which many people enjoy. Therefore there are some ddeok cafés selling small pretty ddeok. These cafés graft modern interior design and encourage young people to eat pretty ddeok. It is also convenient for modern people because although you eat a little, it can make you feel full. So it can be a breakfast substitute. As ddeok has adapted to modern life, Koreans and ddeok are bound up together even now. By Cho Jee-young Jee-young is a sophomore student at English language and literature department, Chonnam University.
Cartoon
Gwangju News June 2010
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Upcoming Events
Festival
2010 Beopseongpo Dano Festival & Dried Yellow Corvina Festival June 15 - June 19, 2010 Beopseongpo Supjaengi Park, Yeonggwang This festival is a traditional festival which have been held since the Chosun period. In Supjaengi Park, there are a lot of events showing Korean folk customs. Visitors can experience Korean folk games and watch Korean a classical music contest. The Dried Yellow Corvina Festival which is famous from Yeonggwang is also held.
June. 18 - 20, 2010 Seonunsan Provincial Park / Bokbunja Special Zone (Asan, Simwon, Buanmyeon) Haeundae Sand Festival June 4 - June 7, 2010 Haeundae Beach, Busan The festival run under the theme ‘Sand’ with events like sand walking paths, ssireum (Korean wrestling) competition, beach soccer and beach festival. Children and families can join in the ‘sandboard festival’ where they can make sandcastles and an hourglass. There will also be sand sculptures made by the winners of World Sand Sculpture Competitions Hansan Ramie Fabric Cultural Festival June 11 - June 14, 2010 Hansan Subcounty, Seocheon District, Chungcheongnam-do The festival features Hansan Mosi, which is one of the world’s oldest fabric crops. During the festival, visitors can see hundreds of beautiful clothes made from the plant as well as taking a guided tour on how to process Hansan Ramie from a thread into clothing.
Performances English Job Festival 2010 June 4 - June 6, 2010 Gwangju Kimdaejoong Convention Center. More Information: http://www. englishfair.co.kr/kor/index.asp Muju Firefly Festival June. 12 - 20, 2010 Muju Country Region (Hanpungnu Park/ Namdaecheon, Banditbul Sport Center/Bandi Land) The fireflies of Muju are considered to be so special, that they have been designated as one of Korea’s natural monuments. Of the various programs of this festival, the nighttime fireflies exploration event, which starts at 8pm, is the most popular. There are other hands-on events to help visitors experience the fireflies’ natural habitat, such as trout fishing and rafting. Gochang Bokbunja (Raspberry) Food & Wine Festival 40
Gwangju News June 2010
Gwangju Symphony Orchestra “Night of Classic” W.A. Mozart and F.J. Haydn June 4, 2010 from 7:30p.m Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Small Theater) Admission: 10,000 won (50% discount for students)
Lee Hee-ah Concert June 5, 2010 from 7:30p.m Suncheon Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: 20,000 - 30,000 won Performance Title: Four Fingered Pianist Lee Hee-ah Concert
Lee hee ah is a four fingered pianist. She was born with only two fingers on each hand and no legs under her kneecaps. She began playing the piano when she was 7 years old. At first she started piano to strengthen her hands, but as time went by the piano became the source of her inspiration. She released 2 albums and this June she will have a concert in Suncheon in Jeollanam-do. Loveletter in June June 13, 2010 from 3p.m, 7p.m Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: 45,000 - 72,000 won An Suk-seon (Pansori) & Kim Deoksu (Samulnori) “Gonggam(Sympathy)” June 25, 2010 from 7:30p.m Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: R 20,000 won, S 10,000 won Gwangju Symphony Orchestra Regular Perfomance “Bruckner Symphnie Nr, 5 B-Dr” June 26, 2010 from 7:30p.m Gwangju Art and Culture Center (Grand Theater) Admission: R 30,000 won, S 20,000 won, A 10,000 won
Exhibitions ASIA CRAFT FAIR 2010 June 10-13, 2010 First Exhibition Hall, KDJ Convention Center Contact: 062-6112221
Gwangju Craft Prize June 10-13, 2010 Second and Third Exhibition Hall, KDJ Convention Center Contact: 062-611-2221 2010 Viennese Glass Fantasia June 30 - August 20, 2010 Art Museum, Gwangju Culture and Art Center It will provide a chance for attendees to
Upcoming Events
make glass craft and they give a gift to a spectator once a day. Contact: 062-2200588 Show of Gentlemen Until June 20, 2010 Opening: May 7, 2010 at Geumnamnobungwan, Gwangju Museum of Art This Exhibition will be shown to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising and reinterprets it through the views of artists. Contact: 062-613-5382
Language: English
4. The Yes Men Fix the World Genre: Documentary, Director: Andy Bichlbaum, Starring: Reggie Watts, Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum, Language: English 5. The Cove Genre: Documentary, Director: Louie Psihoyos, Starring: Joe Chisholm, Mandy-Rae Cruikshank, Language: English
Rodin Retrospective Until August 22, 2010 Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul (Subway Line 1, exit 1 city hall station, Line 2 City Hall station exits 11 and 12) Admission: Adult 12,000 won / Youth 10,000 won / Child 8,000 won
Movies At Gwangju Theater Chungjangno 5-ga (two blocks back behind Migliore) Phone: (062) 224-5858 http://cafe.naver.com/cinemagwangju.c afe (only in Korean) Films change weekly to bi-weekly. Shows films from several different countries. Korean subtitles available for all international movies. Check online for calendar and prices. Admission fee: 7,000 won , 18,000 won for 3 films
Documentary Special (5/27~6/9) 1. The September Issue Genre: Documentary, Director: R.J.Cutler. Starring: Anna Wintour, Language: English 2. Man on Wire Genre: Documentary, Director: James Marsh, Starring: Philippe Petit,
Sports
3. Rassvet/Zakat Dalai Lama 14 Genre: Documentary, Director: Vitali Mansky, Starring: Dalai Lama, Language: English
6. Turn It Up To 11 Genre: Documentary, Director: Back Seunghwa, Starring: Lee Juhyun, Park Jonghyun, Kim Heekyun, Language: Korean 7. Into Great Silence Genre: Documentary, Director: Philip Groning, Language: English, French, Latin 8. Tears of Amazon Genre: Documentary, Director: Kim Jinman, Kim Hyencheol, Starring: Kim Namgil (Narration), Language: Korean
KIA Tigers Baseball Team Match Schedule Venue: Gwangju Mudeung Stadium (Baseball Field) 무등경기장 How to get there Buses: 16, 38, 51, 53, 58, 89, 95, 98, 151 get off Mudeung Stadium bus stop Taxi direction: go to 무등경기장(Mudeng Gyeonggijang gajuseyo.) Advance Purchase: www.ticketlink.co.kr or 1588-7980 Ticket Price: Adults 7,000 - 12,000 won Students (13-18 years old): 4,000 - 9,000 won Children (under 13 years old): 2,000 - 6,000 won Date
Match Team
Time
8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 22nd 23rd 24th 29th 30th
Doosan Doosan Doosan LG LG LG Nexen Nexen Nexen SK SK
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 17:00 17:00 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
9. Restoration Genre: Documentary, Director: Kim Jongcheol, Starring: Park Jiyoon (Narration), Language: Korean
Others (From June 10~) 1. Hahaha Genre: Drama, Comedy, Director: Hong Sang su, Starring: Kim Sangkyung, Yu Junsang, Mun Sori, Ye Jiwon, Language: Korean 2. Kyung Genre: Drama, Director: Kim Jung, Starring: Yang Ennyoung, Lee Hoyoung, Mun Hain, Language: Korean Movie info from: http://cafe. naver.com/cinemagwangju/ (Korean language only)
Gwangju Sangmu Soccer Team Match Schedule Venue: Gwangju Worldcup Stadium (광주월드컵경기장) How to get there Buses: 6, 16, 20, 26, 47, 74 get off Worldcup Stadium bus stop Taxi direction: please go to 월드컵경기장 에 가주세요(Woldeukeop Gyeonggijange gajuseyo.) Advance Purchase: ticketlink.co.kr Ticket Price: Adults 6,000 won (Advance Purchase 5,000 won) Students (13-18 years old): 3,000 won (Advance Purchase 2,000 won) Children (under 13 years old): free Date 2nd
Match Team Seongnam
Time 19:00
Gwangju News June 2010
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GIC News/ GIC Talk
GIC News Gwangju News Contribute articles or photos. Edit or proofread. Assist with the Gwangju News website. Assist with distribution (letter shop, delivery and promotion). Contact Jon Ozelton or Kim Min-su at : gwangjunews@gmail.com
and financial counseling. Contact Karina Prananto giccounseling@gmail.com
GIC Talk Presenters needed. Topics negotiable. Contact Kim Sing-sing at gwangjuic@gmail.com.
Bridges – Connect the Gwangju International Community Afternoon on the 2nd Sunday of every month visit an NGO to introduce GIC and get to know those who use other organizations such as the Migrants Center. Contact gwangjuic@gmail.com.
Homestay Looking for host families for international students and visitors. Contact Kim Min-su gwangjuic@yahoo.com. International students and visitors looking for homestay, contact Kim Min-su gwangjuic@yahoo.com Counseling Please help us help our community. We are looking for pro bono experts in law, labor, mediation, domestic violence intervention and counseling, substance abuse recovery, mental health support, pension, insurance
GIC Talk June Schedule
Translation Services Korean to English, English to Korean: – Certificates, criminal history, family relation certificate, marital statement, medical records, etc. – Web pages & catalogs – Abstracts, literature etc. Contact GIC for more information: 062) 226-2733/4
Time: Every Saturday, 15:00-16:30
Place: GIC office (5th floor of Jeon-il Bldg)
For more information, visit www.gic.or.kr or contact Singsing Kim at: gwangjuic@gmail.com Check out pictures from previous GIC Talks online http://picasaweb.google.com/gictalk
June 5
June 26
E.A.E.P.: Environmental Awareness of Education Program in Gwangju Speakers: Andrea Hildebrand and Trevor Homeniuk (ESL Instructors) E.A.E.P. is a program aiming to facilitate learning amongst elementary students through a variety of fun hands-on activities, songs ang games. The program is to teach students about diverse topics related to the environment and conservation. The elementary level of this program deals primarily with global warming and climate change. Join in the talk and become part of the movement for the positive future of the planet.
The State of International Adoption Out of South Korea – How Far Have We Really Come Along in Improving the Rights of Poor Families, Single Mothers and Their Children Speaker: Katherine Ann Solim Sirgey (Lecturer at Gwangju University and human rights activist) International adoption out of South Korea has been going on since the end of World War II when the country was in shambles and was at the very beginning of its climb out of economic poverty. Intercountry adoption has now become a replacement for a viable national social welfare system in Korea that provides real help to poor families and single mothers so they may keep their children. As of today over 200,000 babies and children have been sent abroad to be raised by predominantly white families. This talk will discuss the history of intercountry adoption, the forces that keep it alive, and the headway made through awareness campaigns and legislation in getting South Korea to keep its children.
June 12 Gwangju News 100th Issue Celebration (Please refer to Pg.2 for more information) Speaker: Jon Ozelton (Gwangju News Editor)
June 19 The Challenges of Reconciliation and Justice in Timor Leste Speakers: Santiago Ximenes Vaz (Intern, May 18th Memorial Foundation)
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Volunteers Volunteers needed for various programs. Contact Kim Tae-hyung at gwangjuic@gmail.com
Gwangju News June 2010
Community Board
‘Creativity Workshop & Support Group’ Twelve week program – daily writing, weekly readings & tasks, monthly gatherings .Purchase The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron @ the GIC. April 1 – Start reading Basic Principles & Tools & Week 1 of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Continue reading one chapter per week for 12 weeks. This is a 3-month commitment. Monthly Gatherings (5 - 7p.m. @ the GIC) May 29 (Chapters 5 - 8 review) Jun 26 (Chapters 9 -12 review) Using the book, The Artist's Way, participants are able to kindle and support their personal creative projects. Maria Lisak facilitates this support group for community members to write, create artistic projects or just live life as your “art”. Advanced enrollment requested @ GIC or http://gicartistway.ning.com/. GIC membership required. Gwangju Artist Collective We are a group of artists and art lovers. We meet up about once or twice a month at the GIc for workshops, discussions and community art events. Look for us on Facebook or send an e-mail to gicartist-collective@googlegroups.com Gwangju-Jeonnam KOTESOL June Chapter Meeting Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010 Time: 2:00 p.m. Place: Chosun University, Main Building (Bon-gwan), 2nd Floor, Room 2123. Schedule 2:00 p.m. : Registration and Welcome 2:30 p.m. : Presentation 1: Don’t Get Depressed; Get Creative By Tim Thompson (KAIST; Daejeon-Chungcheong Chapter) 3:20 p.m. : Snack Break 3:40 p.m. : Presentation 2: Developing Supplementary Course
Materials By Jeffrey Hamilton (Chosun University) 4:20 p.m. : Teaching Idea & Activity Share-time: Everyone Bring your activities/ ideas to share with us (about 5-10 min. each) 5:00 p.m. : Announcements Chapter Business: Old or New KOTESOL Membership Giveaway Book Drawing Closing (Admission is free.) Visit our Chapter Events page: http://www.kotesol.org/?q=Gwangju -Jeonnam Email us: gwangju_kotesol@yahoo.com Sung Bin Orphanage Sung Bin Orphanage is looking for creative/ active/ energetic/ outgoing/ enthusiastic long-term volunteers to join in our regular Saturday program. We would like you to give at least two Saturdays per month. As well as being a friend, you will be asked to teach basic English to girls aged 7 to 14. Do something useful with your Saturday afternoons, give back to the community and make a difference in the lives of these girls. Meet every Saturday at 1.30 p.m. in front of downtown Starbucks. All are welcome. For more volunteering information please contact Al Barnum at: al_barnum@yahoo.com. For donation of items, contact Tim Whitman at:timothyw@chosun.ac.kr For fund raising, contact Elton LaClare at: eltonlaclare@hotmail.com Gwangju Men’s Soccer The Gwangju international soccer team plays regularly most weekends. If you are interested in playing, e-mail: gwangju_soccer@yahoo.com.
Apostolate to Migrants Center Address: 969-10 Wolgok-dong, Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Phone: 062) 954-8004 Buses: 18, 20, 29, 37, 40, 98, 196, 700, 720 Get off at Wolgok market bus stop. Mass: Every Sunday at 3 p.m. at Wolgok-dong Catholic Church Gwangju Ice Hockey Team Looking for men and women of all ages to join us every Saturday night from 7:30 to 9 at Yeomju Ice Rink near World Cup Stadium. If you are interested, contact either Andrew Dunne at atdunne@gmail.com or Chris Wilson at kreeco@rogers.com
8th Migrant Community Day Event date: June 13th, 2010 (Sunday) Time: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Place: *Won-dong Church (Mass) * Gwangsan Culture & Art Center (Migrant day celebration and performance) Schedule : 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.: Holy Mass 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Migrant Community Day performance Special Guests: Kim HeeJung (Hizino) Bishop, Gwangju City Hall Officials, Deans of Related Organization etc. Attendants: Migrants : 750 Volunteers : 50 Purpose of Event: Sharing and exchanging different cultures will help to understand others better will help to respect others. Through these understanding and sharing, migrants will feel the richness of their own culture and will help to establish self respect and identity. Theme: "I shall be with You, Always."
Gwangju News June 2010
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Gwangju News June 2010
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Please remember '21'
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Gwangju News June 2010
Advertise in Gwangju News Target Your Customers! Does your business cater to the foreign community? Advertising in Gwangju News is the best way to reach your target market. 3,000 copies are printed and distributed every month. News about your services will spread like wildfire! For advertising information contact Minsu Kim at (062) 226-2734 or e-mail: gwangjunews@gmail.com
Gwangju News June 2010
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GIC was established by the Gwangju City Government and Gwangju Citizens Solidarity in 1999 as a model of government and NGO collaboration. Gwangju City provides financial assistance to help GIC to carry out its missions of - providing foreigners with information and services - promoting international exchange programs in the fields of culture and economy - fostering international awareness among Korean youth
GIC has administered a number of programs in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. Its activites of note include the following: - A Monthly Magazine Gwangju News - GIC Talk on Saturdays - Korean Language Classes - Gwangju International Community Day - GIC Library
- GIC Concert - Additional Activities: Translation Service Counseling and conflict resolution services Information Service through phone and e-mail
Membership Fees
International Residents: 10,000 won/6 months Students: 10,000 won/year Korean Adults: 5,000 won/month Please remit membership fee to: Gwangju Bank 134-107-000999 / Kookmin Bank 551-01-1475-439 / Nonghyup 605-01-355643 Account name: 광주국제교류센터 *Your contribution to the Nonghyup account is used to provide assistance to the Third World countries.
The Benefits for the Center Members The Center members are privileged to - receive the Gwangju News and the GIC newsletter every month - participate in all events sponsored by the GIC - have opportunity to develop international friendship
5th Floor, Jeon-il Bldg, Geumnam-no 1-ga, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-758, Korea Phone: 062-226-2733~34 Fax: 062-226-2732 Website: www.gwangjuic.or.kr E-mail:gwangjuic@gmail.com Directions: The GIC office is located in the same building as the Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) in downtown Gwangju. The entrance is immediately north of the KEB on Geumnam-no street, across from the YMCA. Subway stop: Culture Complex 문화전당역 Bus No.: 7, 9, 36, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 74, 80, 95, 150, 151, 518, 1000, 1187