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Publisher : Song Jung Hee Executive Editor : Kim Gyong Ho Editor-in-Chief : Todd Thacker Assistant Editor : Darryl Coote Designer : Yi Miri Address : Rm. 306 Jeju Venture Maru Bldg. 217 Jungang-ro, Jeju City, Korea Phone : +82-64-724-7776, 702-8885 / Fax : +82-64-724-7796
Vol. IV No. 66
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Hello moon! Children learn how to perform their Lunar New Year’s bows at Cham Sarang Day Care in Shin Jeju on Jan. 17. Photo by Douglas MacDonald (Flickr.com/photos/dmacs_photos)
Jeju Int’l Airport gets security upgrade, completes renovations this year Final phase of 324 billion won project to create 23,000m2 of space By Darryl Coote
darrylcoote@jejuweekly.com
With heightened security and the completion of a 324 billion won (US$284 million) renovation project, the Jeju International Airport will see big changes this year. From Jan. 1 of this year, all foreigners entering the country through Jeju are being digitally fingerprinted as well as having their photo taken to prevent terrorism and illegal immigrants and foreigners with extensive criminal records from entering the country. “This new security measure will protect Korean citizens’ lives and assets by stopping
possible terrorists and crime-prone foreigners from coming into Korea. At the same time, it is expected to help handle the increasing number of crimes committed by foreigners,” read a Ministry of Justice press release translated from Korean. The electronic fingerprint scanning system has been installed at all international airports in Korea. Foreigners will be scanned on entering Korea, except for those under 17 years of age, ambassadors, or “those who are approved to be exempted … by a director of any central government office,” said Kim Hyo Jae of the Ministry of Justice Immigration Planning Division. According to Kim, there are roughly 170,000 illegal immigrants in Korea and though it is impossible to know how they
Photos courtesy Ministry of Justice
exactly entered the country, the Ministry of Justice Immigration Planning Division expects that the new security measures will cause “a decreasing trend in the number of illegal immigrants” coming to Korea. The fingerprinting machines are located at immigration checkpoints and in 11 languages informs travelers to place both index fingers on the machine for scanning and then it will also take their picture. The entire process, said Kim, takes only a matter of seconds. Annie Chen, 25, who arrived here from China on Jan. 13, said that being fingerprinted was “new to me” and that Canada, where she is a university student, doesn’t have this preventative security measure. “If it’s only for foreigners then I feel like my identity, my rights are being invaded,” Chen told The Weekly in the international arrivals terminal of Jeju International Airport. “They have no right to know about my fingerprints,” though she said that having her photo taken was not an issue. Alva Shen, 23, arrived to Jeju on the same Continued on page 2
‘The farmers’ mind’ is key to accomplishment An interview with the new mayor of Jeju City Kim Sang Oh
By Angela Kim angelakim@jejuweekly.com
At the very end of 2011, the mayors of Jeju City and Seogwipo City resigned from their positions on the same day. Kim Sang Oh, a man with 30 years experience working for and running the local branch of Continued on page 3
02 Jeju Now INSIDE In Focus
page 5
Fred Dustin, the man in the maze
Opinion
page 7
Gangjeong naval base docu fails to inform
Olle Trails
page 9
A look at courses 6 (A and B) and 7
Flavors of Jeju
page 11
A devil fish dish from the ‘Joyful Restaurant’
Music
page 12
The Jeju Weekly Continued from page 1 plane as Chen, had a different opinion. She said she has no problem with being fingerprinted and that the immigration process took slightly longer than usual but it was “not a big deal … I’m fine with it.” Also, to be completed this July at the airport is the 324 billion won renovation project that has been underway since 2007. The renovation project is now in its fourth and final phase with revamping the domestic departure terminal. The other three phases consisted of expanding the runways, expansion of the parking lot, and building the international terminal. “Before the construction, the airport could comfortably fit 12 million people, but after the construction it will fit 23 million people a year, which is almost doubled,” said Korea Airports Corporation Construction Manager Jung Koon Hyun. With the rapid annual increase of tourists to Jeju over the past decade, this renovation project is expected to alleviate congestion, make it easier and quicker for passengers to board planes, and will enable the airport to accommodate more flights. In the final stage of renovation, Jung said that when completed the domestic terminal will be 23,000 square meters larger than prior to construction. One of the advancements will be a reorganizing of the route one must take from checking their bags to going through security to boarding the plane. Currently, the path is somewhat disjointed requiring passengers to waste time getting from one station to the next. “Now the security counter is being moved to the center,” said Jung. On average Jung explained a passenger must walk 350 meters from checking their bags to getting to their gate, but after renovations this number will be reduced to 220 meters.
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
An example of the new fingerprint scanner in action. Photo courtesy Ministry of Justice
For Lee So Yeon, 43, who came to Jeju from Busan with her family for vacation, the airport will benefit from these alterations. “It was a little unpleasant and a little inconvenient,” she said from the domestic departures terminal. Having landed in Jeju the previous weekend, she remarked that it was overly crowded, and that the expansion will be beneficial. “There is a lot of traffic and people and you have to move around a lot,” she said. Along with the expansion of the domestic terminal the Korea Airports Corporation plans to install check-in kiosks, allowing passengers to do much of the boarding process themselves. This will simplify the check-in process and lessen the amount of time one spends at the airport. On top of this passengers will also be allowed to check-in from home via the Internet or a smartphone app that the airport is currently working on.
This will “allow you to check-in at your home and reduces the security checkpoint time,” said Jung. With the smartphone app passengers will also be able to book flights and receive realtime information about delays and amenities at the airport. A first in Korea will be the creation of a station in the airport specifically for rental car companies. Jung said that previously there were many complaints about parking at the airport and the distance one must travel to reach a rental car agency. When the rental car station finishes construction early this year, passengers will not have to leave the terminal and take a shuttle bus or a taxi to pick up their rental cars. According to Jung, the final stage of renovation, at a cost of 80 billion won ($70 million), is already 60 percent complete. (Angela Kim contributed to this report)
Jeju students take Cambodian adventure for charity Volunteer and organizer gives us a first-hand account in this two-part series
www.jejuweekly.com
The following is Ken McLeod’s first-hand report. It has been lightly edited. — Ed.
Jambiani fuses tradition with post-rock
My Jeju
page 13
Children’s book author reveals his secret
History
SCI volunteer "Panda" gives an English lesson to eager students at Kok Chan Primary School, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Photo courtesy SCI
page 14 By Kenneth MacLeod contributor@jejuweekly.com
Stone battles from the past
Since 2011, a local English academy has been sponsoring a small, rural elementary school in Cambodia — Kok Chan Primary School in Siem Reap. Partnered with Language Friends, a Jeju organization that teaches English to the community, Scholar’s
Choice International (SCI) owner Ken McLeod, Language Friends Director Ginnie Ko, and 11 students traveled to Cambodia over the Christmas break to volunteer at the school. The students were Jeju elementary, middle, high school, and university students. They helped deliver school supplies, uniforms, soccer and basketballs, and skipping ropes as well as taught English.
This was my third trip and Ginnie Ko’s second trip to the school. The children were literally playing with sticks in the dirt on the school grounds because they had nothing else to play with. The classrooms were in desperate need of resources. Kok Chan has 380 students and only four teachers. “This is the school we need to help. These are the children we need to help,” said Ginnie. I completely agreed. Our goals included support for a proper curriculum, to provide essential school supplies, and for Jeju students to deliver English lessons and activity programs. When interviewing Kim Kun, the school’s principal, about their school needs, we were perplexed by his requests. “We need bicycles,” said Kim. “Bikes? I want to help your kids study,” I said. “Many walk over three kilometers to get to school,” answered Kim. “A bicycle will keep them in school.” Our learning curve went up dramatically about keeping kids in school here. More than half of the students will drop out before high school in rural Cambodia. Continued on page 7
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Interview / Education 03
‘The farmers’ mind’ is key to accomplishment An interview with the new mayor of Jeju City Kim Sang Oh
www.jejuweekly.com
Continued from page 1 Nonghyup (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation) stepped up to take the reigns as the Jeju City mayor. The timing was good. Kim, 57, was up for retirement at Nonghyup and was looking for his next challenge, perhaps in public office. In particular, he was wondering what he could do to improve conditions for Jeju farmers. After all, everything on his resume has led him to the agricultural industry. Kim spent his entire working career with the federation, and even graduated from Nonghyup College in 1976. He spent the last 12 years working with Governor Woo Keun Min to develop Jeju agriculture. “I have done my best to help Jeju farmers,” he said confidently. On Dec. 30, 2011, Governor Woo appointed Kim as the the new mayor, taking over from Kim Byung Lip, who resigned citing personal reasons. As it turned out, the Jeju City mayoral race was uncontested. On the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 16, Kim sat down with The Jeju Weekly to outline his plans for his two-year term as the 27th Jeju City mayor. To being the conversation, Kim said he thinks that Jeju’s primary industry is too focused on mandarin farming. “Farmers who do dry-field farming are the ones who spend more time and effort, compared to orchard farmers. But their income does not reflect their efforts,” he said. “If the cost of radishes goes up, everyone starts planting radish, and the price crashes. It happens not only with radishes but also cabbages and more.” “I realized that someone should set a standard or create an axis for those farmers.” Last May he formed a committee to strengthen the competitiveness of dryfield farming with a group of farmers. The new mayor said that regional development on Jeju is completely unbalanced. He pointed out that even
though Jeju City is much more advanced regarding city planning than Seogwipo City, it is about 20 years behind in terms of agricultural production. The gross income for Seogwipo farmers is on average 10 times that of Jeju City farmers. It was this fact that prompted him to throw his hat into the mayoral ring. “I felt that this era had called me to be the mayor,” said Kim, adding, “We can’t catch up with Seogwipo City agricultural production anytime soon, but I want to provide direction.” He believes that the “farmers’ mind” is a key to accomplish anything and everything. “Farmers are very honest and pure. Farmers believe in the maxim, ‘As one sows, so shall he reap.’” As with any political office or appointment, Kim has attracted his fair share of skeptics who question how his experience at Nonghyup will translate into good leadership as the administrative head of the city’s civil service. “Not many people know it, but Nonghyup is, as a cooperative federation, a type of self-governing body. This is stated right in the Korean Constitution. With my experience working at Nonghyup for 27 years, I’m sure I’m well prepared for this duty,” said Kim. Though he joked he would need a fiveyear term to make things happen for Jeju City, he said he is serious about his ultimate goal — to make Jeju citizens happy. Referring to the Aesop’s Fable of “The North Wind and the Sun,” Kim said, “We can’t force people to take off their coats, but in the sunshine they will automatically do so. I cannot directly provide a happy life for the citizens, but I can provide the means to accomplish this goal.” One thing he wants to establish during his term is a campaign for civic awareness and participation. He wants citizens to learn the importance of basic etiquette. He said he personally tidies up the street near
Kim Sang Oh hopes to give support to farmers as the new Jeju City mayor. Photo by Todd Thacker
his house every morning. During the interview Kim kept emphasizing the importance of the agricultural industry. Comparing farming to tourism, he said on the surface the profitability may seem similar. But farming entails three areas of production — land, labor, and capital — which all belong to Jeju Island, “meaning all profits will benefit Jeju.” However, Kim conceded that in terms of tourism, while the land and labor is from Jeju, the capital is generally from the mainland. Thus profits will tend to flow off-shore. Kim pointed to the need to strengthen the primary industry, recover from economic hardships, and balance development within the city as the three biggest problems that his office is currently facing. Regarding the Korea-US FTA and the Jeju agricultural industry, Kim stressed the need for government and business “to work together to come up with strategies and be ready for the opening of import and exports.”
Foreign teachers worry cuts in Seoul English education may spread If teachers do a good job, they shouldn’t worry, says Jeju EPIK coordinator By Darryl Coote
darrylcoote@jejuweekly.com
Native English-speaking teachers in Korea are on edge over the recent budget cuts in Seoul to English education. This has caused concern throughout this demographic over the security of their own jobs in the nation. Bloggers like Matt Van Volkenburg, author of “Gusts of Popular Feelings,” and the anonymous “Lost on Jeju,” among others, have been aggregating Korean and English news about the situation with the
latter stating that this will become a nationwide trend and that it is only a matter of time before Jeju sees similar budget cuts to English education. Recently, there has been a 2.3 billion won (US$2 million) budget cut to Seoul middle school native English-speaking teachers, as well as allowing many foreign English high school teachers’ contracts expire without renewal this August. According to Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) Foreign Education Department Chief Choi Chun Ok, they have always intended to decrease the
number of native English-speaking teachers when Korean English teachers were trained in Teaching English in English (TEE). Kim said that though they are not resigning most high school foreign English teachers, “those wishing to renew their contracts would be moved to middle or elementary schools. ‘Losing their jobs’ is not a correct term. If they meet certain criteria for renewing their contract they will be moved.” Currently, SMOE states that this is not the first step to replace all foreign
For mandarin farming, Jeju City will maximize its support with 28 different projects, which are carefully planned to expand production, export, and the distribution system. In order to revitalize the economy, the city will provide 3,485 jobs. Also, strengthening traditional local markets was suggested. Jeju City will help vendors to create specialized markets to attract more customers, as well as modernizing the markets like Dongmun and Seomun Markets. Equal development in Jeju City will be achieved through urban regeneration by renovating the older parts of the city. To improve the quality of lives for Jeju citizens, he wants to be out in the field more. “I want to personally visit citizens to listen to what they have to say. I want to apply as much public demand as possible to the administrative decision-making process,” said Kim. In fact, his beginning of the year tour of Jeju City, starting with Chuja Island, was underway on Jan. 17.
English teachers with Korea English teachers. “We will never stop hiring [native English-speaking teachers]. We have NO plan to make Korean English teachers replace them. We need to recruit hundreds of foreign teachers a year for the time being in spite of the budget cuts. But the number will be reduced,” Choi stressed in an email interview with The Weekly. Throughout the three-page response to our questions, this paragraph was the only one specifically written in English. “Foreign English teachers have greatly contributed to the development of English education in Seoul. However, it is time to reevaluate the cost-effectiveness, considering a huge sum of budget (about 52 billion won, or US$45 million annually). So we are changing our policy from quantity expansion to quality improvement,” said Choi. SMOE said the three reasons influencing the budget cut to middle school English Continued on page 10
04 Arts and Culture
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Beside the busy airport, Jeju’s quietest library Locals flock to Seobu Soundproof Library, a unique, convenient public space
Photo courtesy Seobu Soundproof Library
By Kim Jung Lim supuleit@jejuweekly.com
Two months ago, a unique library opened in Dodu village, located right next to the Jeju International Airport. Seobu Soundproof Library is the first library in Korea built in an area close to the noise of a very busy international airport like Jeju’s. In a village where houses tremble whenever planes take off
or land, the disruption is especially hard on students attending schools in the area. For example, even though Dori Elementary School was equipped with soundproofing, conditions were such that many students complained about the noise and some even had to transfer to another school to maintain concentration during classes. According to Dodu 1 village chief Ko Young Ryul, all of these
difficulties made villagers take action at a general town meeting in 2008. They requested that the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) build a library in their community as a way of compensation. They succeeded, and construction of the library was completed last October. However, their journey to open the library wasn’t without unexpected turbulence. The KAC cited civil aeronautics laws that stipulated the corporation was not obligated to pay for the library’s operating expenses, only its construction costs. The library manager Su In Suk said many people put forth a great deal of effort and made personal sacrifices to solve this problem. Council member Kang Chang Il even petitioned the National Assembly in April of last year to change the law. Even though the law was not changed, the Jeju province decided to pay the operating expenses. In the end, the library opened its doors on Dec. 11, 2011. At 331m2, it is a cozy space con-
sisting of a main library with 10,670 books, a study room with 70 seats, a computer room, and a lecture room. And of course the soundproofing materials used in the thick walls and doors, which make a library at this location possible, are very special. Su said patrons can’t tell when planes are flying overhead. Even when people talk in the computer room or the lecture room which is next to the study room, once the doors are shut, visitors are no longer bothered by the noise. “In particular, students of Dori Elementary feel at home here. After school, most of them come to the library through the door connected to the school,” Su said. Since opening, word of this convenient public space has gotten out to other villages in the area. Su said that they have patrons who come from Nohyeong, Yongdam, Iho, Oedo, and even as far away as Hallim. The library sees about 150
people a day and during the school exam period the study room is filled. Su hopes more secondary school students will benefit from the library. “This library is a safer place for students to study than other private reading rooms in far-off places. It will also reduce the burden of the educational costs that parents face,” Su said. Yun Hyo Seong, an adult patron from Iho village next to Dodu village, comes to the library everyday to use the study room. He said there are few libraries in his area and he cannot study at home because of the noise from aircraft. The next closest is Tamna Library in Nohyeong-dong, but getting there is inconvenient because of infrequent buses. As for the merits of the library, he pointed out that it is new, clean, and most of all ... quiet. “From the start I was pleased to hear this library would be built. I think this library is for [those who have to suffer from the noise].”
‘From Plane to Installation, the Power of Women’s Fine Arts’ The Weekly reviews a special exhibition running at the Jeju Museum of Art By Lee Yeo Jun
www.jejuweekly.com
contributor@jejuweekly.com
A special exhibition featuring the art work of female artists will be held at the Jeju Museum of Art until Feb. 26. The “From Plane to Installation, the Power of Women’s Fine Arts” exhibition is displaying the work of 17 female artists totalling 61 art pieces, ranging from Korean and Western-style paintings to photography and art installations. On Dec. 17, a special session was held where the artists interacted with the public and spoke about their work. In the session, I met nine artists, all of whom were very unique in their stories and paintings. Kim Hyun-Sook majored in Korean art at university. She said that for the past 30 years she has studied and drawn flowers. Yet, flowers have been the subject of countless paintings, so she mainly focused on differentiating hers by simplifying and imagining them. Through that process, she could set herself free from the basic frame of Korean art (paper, brush, ink). Her paintings are still works in progress. Kim He-Ryun is an artist with a special story. The reason she first visited Jeju was because of her painting. Kim had once painted a special kind of Jeju orange called Hallabong for a private exhibition. At that time she had never visited Jeju or had any information about the island. This
Examples of the installations on show at the Jeju Museum of Art. Photos by Lee Yeo Jun
gave Kim a sense of “guilt” that she had drawn a Hallabong with almost no knowledge of Jeju. That is why she came to Jeju for the first time and then came again for this exhibition. Bae Nam-Kyung is a print maker. She won first place at the 5 th Novosibirsk International Biennial of Contemporary Graphic Art 2007 in Russia. Bae said that she wants to grasp the moments that disappear too quickly. The artist also mentioned that she works on her prints with great energy and hopes that the spectators acknowledge it. Ahn Jin-Hee is a print artist whose works are composed of lines with different strokes in various colors. The bird in one of her displayed works is frail but strong and flutters its wings as if in an attempt to
break free from the canvas’s frame. The bird seems to be the artist herself who pursues freedom. Oh You-Kyeong had created a mountain range on the floor of the exhibition hall. She is an installation artist (one who works with sculpture or other 3D works to transform a space) who earned a post-graduate degree at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Oh says that she is interested in the common objects we interact with in our daily lives that most people inadvertently pass over, and she envisions other ways to use these materials. For example, creating a mountain range made of cone cups. Seeing a material which is usually thought to be heavy, massive, and sometimes even
mysterious, gives us a chance to reconsider the true nature of the objects we encounter. A curator remarked that the purpose of this exhibition is to “give the audience comfort and a sense of stability in current society where selfishness prevails and people lack considerate minds.” What we really need today may be the delicacy of women and the warmth of our mothers. I hope many people can observe their past lives in retrospect through the exhibition and start the New Year with a rejuvenated and warm heart. For more information, visit jmoa.jeju. go.kr. Lee Yeo Jun is a first-year student at the Jeju Foreign Language High School.
In Focus 05
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
The man in the maze Meet Fred Dustin, a man with decades of experience in local academia, government, and business and his maze designs, and he knew what he needed to do: He decided to build a maze. He asked Fisher, one of the most well-known maze designers at that time, to help and the answer was yes. The professor and Fisher dedicated almost three years to designing the maze in a way that it would symbolize Jeju. For example, the perimeter of the maze resembles the coastline of the island. On Nov. 19, 1987, he planted the first evergreen Leyland Cypress tree (Cupressocyparis leylandii). He remembers questioning then whether or not the tree would grow, but “in fact, it did well,” and by 1995, Dustin had a fortress of trees, all taller than most people. Some might wonder why he is called “Professor Dustin.” Starting in 1955 he began lecturing at Yonsei University, and over the years, he has taught English at ChungAng, Hongik, and Sejong universities in Seoul.
Photos by Todd Thacker
By Angela Kim
www.jejuweekly.com
angelakim@jejuweekly.com
Those of you who lived in Korea in 2000 may remember a mobile phone TV commercial featuring Lee Young Ae, a famous Korean television star, in a white dress running through a maze decorated with silver bells. That maze was Jeju’s expat-owned Kimnyung Maze Park. In 1983, for the first time in Northeast Asia, a man came up with the idea of constructing a maze. In 1995, after 12 years of preparation, Kimnyung Maze Park officially opened to the public. After 16 years of operation, this maze has become one of the most popular destinations on Jeju. The Jeju Weekly spoke with its founder Professor Frederic Dustin. There are many titles attached to Frederic Dustin: Kimnyung Maze Park director, professor, philanthropist, honorary Jeju citizen, winner of the Jeju Culture Prize, and maybe an honorary grandfather for many here. In March of 1952, he came to Korea for the first time as a young American soldier for a year and fought in the Korean War. Seven years later, he returned to Korea and worked in various fields, ranging from the mining industry to journalism to the poultry industry. From 1968 to 1971, he also worked as a supply officer for the 19th General Support Group of the US Army.
While working in Seoul, he would come down to Jeju often, and fell in love with the island. As an entrepreneur, he acquired the land surrounding Manjang Cave, Jeju City, in 1963. In 1971, he moved to Jeju permanently with his wife who was suffering from cancer. When asked “Why Jeju?” Dustin offered a simple and clear answer. “We wanted to get out of Seoul.” His wife who was a Lutheran missionary born in China wanted to stay in Asia to write. His life on Jeju had begun. He put up a tent on his land and lived a simple life with his wife. He spent most days sitting on his porch and walking around the island. “Me and my friend used to sit and stare at the land, thinking ‘what can I do with the land?’” said Dustin. One day in 1983, he coincidentally encountered an article on Adrian Fisher
In September 1971, four months after he relocated to the island for good, he was a guest professor at Jeju College, which is now Jeju National University (JNU). He taught English to Jeju students for 23 years, until he went to work for the provincial government in 1995. “I loved teaching. I never got tired of teaching,” he said. His affection for the university is apparent through his annual donations to JNU. Last year, he donated about 100 million won to JNU and the college for seniors, which accounts for a little over 8 percent of the maze park’s gross income. With the primary recipient being the field of education, his donation goal is 15 percent of the maze park’s net profits.
However, living on Jeju as a foreigner was not always easy. On the last day of 1994, he was pushed into retirement from JNU and consequently had to leave Korea due to his visa status. He went to Arizona to look for a place to stay after retiring. However, on March 15, the professor received a surprising telephone call from the Korean embassy in Washington D.C. “Governor Shin Gu Bum at that time had offered me a job to work for the [Jeju] provincial government … I had tears in my eyes,” said the professor. Over the course of the 30 years he has lived on Jeju, he overcame various obstacles and created the maze park as a “very small, modest family oriented business,” which hires locals. This year, Kimnyung Maze Park is expecting about 450,000 visitors, with the company charging 3,000 won per person, yet the professor is determined to give even more back to the Jeju society. He believes that the park has a bright future and emphasized that it will neither be expanded nor converted into a theme park. Due to Dustin’s efforts, he has popularized mazes as tourist attractions among
Koreans. Today, there are 14 attractions that can be classified as mazes, on Jeju alone. “We have to be more resourceful in studying what we need to do to make ourselves more visible to more people. We have to look at it from a competition point of view and we have to be competitive,” he suggested to those who work in the Jeju tourism industry. To learn more about Kimnyung Maze Park, go to Jejumaze.com.
Photo courtesy Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
06 JDC Education Update
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
The world leaders of tomorrow are being taught on Jeju Propelled by the success of NLCS and KIS, the JGEC looks to greater heights By Darryl Coote
www.jejuweekly.com
darrylcoote@jejuweekly.com
The successful grand openings last year of both the prestigious North London Collegiate School (NLCS) and the Korea International School (KIS) within the Jeju Global Education City (JGEC) has been a driving force in gaining international attention for this ambition city from other acclaimed international schools. On Jan. 10 representatives from Cheshire Academy — the 10 th oldest school in the US and founded in 1794 — came to speak with Jeju Free International City Development Center (JDC) Director Byong Jong Il and expressed a willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU could potentially lead to the opening of a Cheshire Academy branch within the JGEC. This announcement followed the recent MOU signing on Dec. 27 between the JDC and Shattuck St. Mary’s School in the US state of Minnesota. As of this writing, this brings the total of signed MOUs to two (King’s Rochester, St. Mary’s), with Wilbraham and Monson Academy expected on Jan. 18, and The Perkiomen School on Jan. 19. According to JDC Edu-City Dept. Director Lee Shawn Sungho, the JDC is currently in talks with an additional six other prestigious schools, mainly from the US, and are working towards inking more MOUs. Originally, the plan was to have 12 individual international schools within the JGEC, but this is currently being revised seeing that most schools, like NLCS, plan to open elementary, middle, and high schools within a single building occupying two to three allotted spots. The number of international schools currently being discussed to open within the JGEC is six. Due to the educational climate in Korea, Lee said that 18,000 Korean students currently study abroad which causes families to experience socioeconomic pressures. The JGEC was established to provide Korean children an international
Left, JDC Edu-City Dept. Director Lee Sungho. Above, a sunny day at the NLCS Jeju campus. Photo courtesy NLCS Jeju
education without having to leave their home country. Director Lee said that during the initial stages of the JGEC and prior to the opening of NLCS — the first school to open within the the English education city — it was difficult to gain the ears of some of the international schools, but “now it has changed … and it is easy to talk with them.” Along with the increased attention from potential international private schools, the JDC is working on attracting international universities to set up shop within the education city. This University Zone will allow high school graduates from all over the world to study specialized fields taught by renown institutions that open branches in the JGEC. According to Lee, the tuition costs to attend these schools within the University Zone will be similar to that of the university’s namesake but without the student having to relocate overseas to attend the mother school. The idea, said Lee, is that it will not simply be a university, but one made up of specific colleagues from several acclaimed higher-learning institutions. Though Lee would not divulged which universities the JDC are currently in talks with, he did say that they are “very famous.” When the germination of this University Zone first took place, Lee said they took the idea to several specialists and
professors like Jeju’s own Moon Un In, “a famous [Yongsae] professor in education and politics.” The specialists and professors “all agree that it is impossible to invite one university for this zone. They talked about inviting several international colleges,” said Lee. The reason for the University Zone, Lee continued, is that with the creation of the JGEC, Jeju will be educating students to, upon graduation, attend international universities. With the establishment of this University Zone, these high school graduates can earn international accreditation from Ivy League schools in the comfort of their own country. Another advantage of the University Zone, Lee said, is that they plan to pair particular specialized courses within the university with complimentary corporations. Lee continued that this will be a bonus for the university’s graduates seeing that right now this particular demographic is finding it difficult to secure employment in Korea. The plan is to invite specific university programs that correspond with businesses on the island, like culinary arts with luxury hotels or software development with Daum. This will enable JGEC’s university graduates to have
potential employment with reputable companies right out of the gate. Another possibility is if they attract an education program, then once students graduate from a JGEC high school, they can attend an international university on Jeju for education and then teach within the education city. “If we establish six [JGEC] schools, we will need about 1,000 teachers. If we have the education college [in the University Zone] the graduating students” can teach at those schools, Lee said. While still early in the conceptual phase, to achieve this ambitious endeavour they will have to amend the law which prohibits for-profit universities in Korea. Lee said they need to speak with the Korea prime minister and the Jeju governor to have the law changed. Though the JGEC is planing to have all schools operating by 2014, Lee said that the University Zone, which is set within roughly 250,000 square meters, to open sometime after 2015. With the JGEC concluding its first semester to rave reviews, they are garnering international attention and looking for other ways in which to prepare the youth of Korea to be tomorrow’s world leaders.
Photo courtesy Jeju Free International City Development Center
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Opinion 07
‘Jam Docu Gangjung’ (2011) fails to explain difficult issue
Editorial illustrator Stephen Krohn is from Tucson, Arizona where he earned a BFA from the University of Arizona in painting and drawing. After university, he joined the Peace Corps and headed off to Chittagong, Bangladesh for two years. He has been living on Jeju for the past three years pursuing many of his passions, including hiking, the outdoors, and bird watching.
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Photo courtesy Cinema Dal
Continued from page 2 Back in Jeju, we organized fundraising for school supplies through our SCI school activity programs and then appealed to the public. Supporters of Language Friends sponsored 15 of the poorest Kok Chan families with school uniforms and a year of school supplies; worth two months income for some recipients. The donations by Jeju citizens were tremendous and motivated us to make a difference to these impoverished Cambodian children. The real miracle happened, however, when our students rose to the challenge of the mission. Our students travelled a gruelling nine hours, overland, through Thailand into Cambodia, and then early the next morning took over the English teaching program at Kok Chan. Yes, Korean kids can teach English! Set up in teams, and partnered with dedicated Cambodian high school and university student volunteers, our Jeju students taught, played, befriended, ate with, and even cried with Cambodian students. A family from New Zealand staying at the same villa as us joined our
group one morning after they learned of our program. Highlights for students included making friends with their Cambodian team partners, a treasure hunt in the night market, seeing the famed Angkor Wat, riding in tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxi), eating Cambodian food, and not just seeing but working in poverty conditions. Their English requirements were challenging: teaching, making a video, keeping a daily diary, group discussions, and writing a final essay describing their experiences. Through the generosity of the Jeju people, we were able to supply the entire sixth grade class with all their textbooks, donate 1,000 notebooks and supplies, purchase all the teachers’ textbooks and aids, and built bookshelves in every classroom. It is a joy to now to hear the teacher say: “Today, we will study math, science, language, and social science. We can open our textbooks and study! Let's begin...” For more information or to make a donation to Kok Chan Primary School, go to Scholarschoice.net or call 064-7230579.
By Angela Kim angelakim@jejuweekly.com
In Jazz, jam sessions refer to impromptu performances. “Jam Docu Gangjung” (2011) is an omnibus-style documentary created by eight active independent documentary directors. The film’s directors, who are all against the construction of the naval base, came together to examine the Jeju naval base controversy at Gangjeong village, Seogwipo City, from various perspectives, ranging from community conflicts to its impact on future generations as well as its effects on the environment and history. In its production notes, it is stated that the film’s purpose “is to inform the public about Gangjeong resident’s scream to the world.” In that sense, the directors successfully accomplished their goal. “Jam Docu Gangjung” does not hide its intentions. It is very clear that the film is against the construction of a naval base in Gangjeong. Documentaries are often perceived as objective and factual. However, according to Oscars.org (the official Web site for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), there are subjective documentaries “in which the audience is aware of the filmmaker’s opinions.” The goal of this documentary was to “Make it with one’s own style, and ... spread the words as soon as possible. Only 100 days from planning to completion of the project.” Considering the relatively short production period, perfection is not expected. However, the camerawork resembles that of home videos. It also lacks factual information, and the exact history of the Gangjeong naval base controversy. Kyungsoon focuses on the reasons a well-known film critic is fasting to stop the construction. Kim Tae Il tries to listen to what villagers have to say, and Kwon Hyo depicts how the construction is impacting the children of Jeju. Yang Dong Gyu, who is from Jeju, solely captures the Gurumbi shore. Jeong Woon Seok captures an underground music band that performs as a way of protest. Choi Ha Dong Ha captures two supermarkets whose owner’s are divided by their differing opinions over the construction of the naval base. While the directors manage to cover these various perspectives, the plot seems too fragmented. Furthermore, the directors wanted to persuade people to support their opinion. Including some facts and information from the pro-naval base construction side might have made the project seem a little more genuine. Nevertheless, it is uniquely produced through the social production method, meaning the process of production and distribution is shared with the public, and possible profits will go back to the community. Anyone who is interested in the project can either donate money or their talent. The film’s copyright will be given to the society as well. However, since the Korean Navy decided to construct the naval base in 2007, I can’t stop wondering, as one resident says to one of the directors in the film, “You had a chance to stop this earlier, why are you here so late?” For more information, visit blog.naver.com/Jamdocu (in Korean).
08 Festivals
The Jeju Weekly
The 15th Jeju Fire Festival will
warm winter nights this February
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Photos courtesy Jeju City Hall
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
By Angela Kim angelakim@jejuweekly.com
From Feb. 2 to Feb. 4, the 15th Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival will be held near Saebyeol Oreum in Jeju City. The festival was first held in 1997 to celebrate Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar calendar. Since its inception, Jeju City has annually altered the festival’s program to keep pace with current festival trends and attract locals and tourists alike. This year 52 events are on tap. New this year for attendees will be the sampling of Jeju traditional dishes, playing Jeju traditional games, and several Jeju folk song performances, among others. Fireworks and a light and laser show will decorate Jeju’s sky every evening of the festival. In attendance will be 63 representatives from five of Jeju’s overseas sister cities (Santa Rosa, California; Guilin and Laizou, China; and Beppu and Arakawa, Japan). Invitees from the cities of Santa Rosa and Laizou will perform during the festival. City officials have said that the parking lot near the 1135 road will not be available due to construction. In response, the city will add additional shuttle buses, which will run from Cheju Halla University (formerly Cheju Halla College), Halla Arena, Seogwipo, and Jungmun to Saebyeol Oreum, the festival site. For more information and a full schedule of the festival, visit its English Web site buriburi.go.kr/foreign/eng/htmls/main. htm.
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Culture / Olle Trails 09
Cf]kp KXdeX jg`i`k Tamna is soaring into the sky This year is Imjinnyun, the Year of the Dragon. Tamna is Seolmundae Halmang (a goddess of creation)’s gift to us, and everybody living here are all her descendants. Seolmundae Halmang was very tall. She did the laundry sitting on Mt. Halla. Udo was her washboard. Seongsan Sunrise Peak was her lamp in the evening. It’s no accident that Seongsan Sunrise Peak is Jeju’s twinkling landmark, one of the New7Wonders of Nature. And Mt. Halla’s clear spirit runs down Hancheon river and Yongyeon pond into Dragon’s Head Rock. If you go there you can see the dragon is about to soar into the sky with powerful energy. (By Kang Bong Soo. Translation by Yang Young Jae) Art courtesy Ko Jae Man, a consultant for the Korea Art Institute, a member of the Jeju Watercolor Painting Society, and an invited artist of the Jeju Art Contest
Jeju Olle walking courses 6 (A and B), 7
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The coastal view south from Course 7. Photo by Steve Oberhauser
By Steve Oberhauser contributor@jejuweekly.com
A B C D
The following is another article in our Hike Jeju series assessing two Jeju Olle walking trails. For an index of the rating system, please consult our Web site (shortened URL: Goo.gl/jkxO6) — Ed.
Course No. 6 (A and B) (Grade 49.0, 2nd overall)
Route: Soesokkak (start, 0.0 km) Sogeummak, salt making place (0.8) Jejigi Oreum (2.3) - Bomok Port - Gudumi Port (4) - Bomok sewage disposal plant (5) - KAL Hotel (6.8) - Paradise Hotel (7.9) - Sojeongbang Pokpo - waterfall; Jeju Olle Office (8.2) - Seogwipo Elementary School (10.2) - Painter, Lee Jung Seop’s residence, museum (10.6) - Soldongsan Intersection - Cheonjiyeon cliff path (11.2) - Eco park in Cheonjiyeon Pokpo, waterfall (11.4) - Seogwipo City Park entrance (12.8) - Three-way junction in Namseong-ri (13.6) - Sammaebong forest in Oedolgae 14.4 km, finish — Course takes about seven hours to complete
E F G H I J
Natural scenery and landscape Conditions of the trail Environmental damage / lack of footprint on the area Bilingual opportunities Crowd control / compared to how many people are using trail Facilities around the area Improvements Park planning / architecture Short-term impression factor Long-term impression factor
5.0 4.5 4.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0
Strengths: If a person has never been to Jeju before and they walk this course, which primarily goes through Seogwipo City, they will love Olle and the island. It’s an urban course, with a perfect mix of three waterfalls, two oreum, a traditional everyday market, the Lee Jung Seop Museum, and a lot more. Possibly, walking this course will sway a prospective resident to choose the south side of the island over Jeju City. Weaknesses: Next to nothing. This is the most popular course, so the trail may be worn in parts, or too many people may be walking it against a certain person’s liking. Almost perfect. English learning opportunities: Soesokkak, Jejigi Oreum, Sojeongbang Pokpo - waterfall, Jeongbang Pokpo
- waterfall (multiple), Lee Jung Seop Museum (multiple), Cheonjiyeon Pokpo - waterfall (multiple), Soam Museum, Saeseom Island, Oedolgae Rock Quotable: “There in the shadow of Jejigi Oreum stands the former property of one of Korea’s most beloved entertainers, Lee Joo Il. Mr. Lee was a famous comedian and anti-smoking activist who died in 2002 from lung cancer at the age of 62. His home, at the foot of the oreum and surrounded by a lush and private garden, overlooks Olle trail No. 6 and the wild and rocky southern coast. To the west, the mountain island of Seopseom rises out of the sea just off the coast. With a wide coastal view, and nestled at the base of Jejigi Oreum, the property seems both vast and intimate; it’s easy to see why he chose that spot for his home.” — Andrew Elwood, The Jeju Weekly For the following links, please consult our Web site: The Jeju Weekly, Hike Jeju, Day 12 The Jeju Weekly, Hike Jeju, Day 14 The Jeju Weekly, Sammaebong oreum is place of “perennial youth” The Jeju Weekly, Serving up a Korean pop-icon’s legacy The Jeju Weekly, Curiosity and diversity underpin a Jeju café Olle Trail handbook in English Olle, Course No. 6 KTO, Course No. 6
Course No. 7
(Grade: 36.5, 17th overall)
Route: Oeldolgae (start, 0.0 km) Dombenang-gil (2.3) - sewage disposal plant in Hogeundong (3.1) - Sokgol Soobong-ro, pathway (3.8) - Beophwan Port (4.7) - Dumony Mul - Seogeondo, island (7.7) - Poonglim Resort (8.8) Gangjeong (12.1) - Wolpyeong Village 13.8 km, finish — Course takes about seven hours to complete A B C D E F
Natural scenery and landscape Conditions of the trail Environmental damage / lack of footprint on the area Bilingual opportunities Crowd control / compared to how many people are using trail Facilities around the area
4.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 4.0 4.0
G H I J
Improvements Park planning / architecture Short-term impression factor Long-term impression factor
4.0 3.0 3.5 3.5
Strengths: There are numerous short hits, revolving around water, to this course, including Oedolgae, Sokgol, Soegeondo, and the palm tree forest (just above the coastline). Oedolgae can be spotted from different angles. Sokgol is nice with relatively few people around, and Soegeondo is only able to be reached during low tide. The palm tree forest is another top 10 spot on the Olle trails, by far the most hidden and unassuming of the bunch. Weaknesses: The detouring is immense because of unforeseen rough seas washing away parts of the rocky paths. It has seen better days. In addition, there are rampant vendors on stretches of the sea routes. Not aggressive, but the most vocal on the island. English learning opportunities: Oeldolgae, Sokgol - rock, Seogeondo - island, Gangjeongcheon - river, Wolpyeong Port, Gutdang - palace of god walking path / palm tree forest Quotable: “In a makeshift studio on the main street of Wolpyeong, Seogwipo City, an amateur DJ wearing headphones reads stories and plays song requests from people walking nearby. A loudspeaker on the street at the end of Olle Course No. 7 broadcasts village news, music, and stories to hikers waiting at the bus stop and to bystanders milling around the Dolbengdi (the old name of Wolpyeong) public relations office.” — Kim Jung Lim, The Jeju Weekly For the following links, please consult our Web site: The Jeju Weekly, Hike Jeju, Day 14 The Jeju Weekly, Hiking Jeju Olle Course #7 The Jeju Weekly, On a coastal climb, an unexpected accompaniment The Jeju Weekly, Innovative broadcast puts Wolpyeong on the map Olle Trail handbook in English Olle, Course No. 7 KTO, Course No. 7
10 Seogwipo Spots
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Winter food event transports visitors to a bygone era Sample the organic vegetables grown in the Jeju Folk Village
Left, people sample food served at the Jeju Folk Village. Center, pumpkin porridge. At right, a mother and daughter give a traditional millstone a try. Photos by Kim Jung Lim
By Kim Jung Lim
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supuleit@jejuweekly.com
The Jeju Folk Village, in Pyoseon, Seogwipo City, held its annual Traditional Winter Food Experience and Tasting Event from Jan. 13 to 15. According to Yoo Kwang Min, the art and science researcher for the Jeju Folk Village, each house within the folk village has a vegetable garden where the staff grow crops including pumpkins, beans, and buckwheat for display. During winter, these organic vegetables are harvested, cooked, and consumed as traditional Korean dishes by visitors during the event. Among the roughly 100 reconstructed traditional houses within the folk village, one in particular was crowded with onlookers during the event as a wonderful aroma floated up from inside. In the traditional kitchen, a woman stirred a pot of bean soup that would coagulate into tofu, while another staff member poured mashed pumpkin into a traditional Korean cauldron filled with hot water to make pumpkin porridge. Lee Haeng Ja, who was making the tofu, told The Weekly that when she was young she used to watch her mother make these traditional dishes. The first time she attempted making the dishes herself for this annual event she failed, but through
Continued from page 3 teachers are the improvement of Korean English teachers in TEE, that according to their research foreign English teachers are most effective in elementary schools, and the need to provide cost-effective quality programs. “So it is not a sudden decision or unprepared plan,” said Choi. According to SMOE, the average monthly salary of a foreign English teacher is between 1.8 million to 3 million won a month, but when considering accommodation allowance, flight reimbursement, and contract completion bonuses it equals between 38 million to 48 million ($33,000 to $42,000) a year. For a native English-speaker with a teaching certificate but no experience, they earn about 43 million won ($37,000) a year (including accommodation allowance and other benefits), while a Korean with the same qualifications only costs SMOE 31 million won ($27,000) a year. Kim insisted that though there will be
perseverance and hard work, she eventually became an expert in cooking them. “I always feel proud of working for this folk village. I’m so pleased to make food with the crops that we grow every year specifically for visitors. They really love this food,” she said. Lee said that cooking these meals calls for many hands. Yoo said they try to use traditional cooking methods and antique cooking tools like millstones and
stone, which makes it difficult to produce finely ground grain. Along with tasting food at the Traditional Winter Food Experience and Tasting Event, visitors also had the opportunity to experience traditional household chores like pounding grain with a stone mortar and grinding soy bean with a millstone. Sin Soon Hwan, a mother who visited the event with her family, skillfully worked the millstone. She said, “I have used this in
I used a millstone when I was young and living in the countryside. Doing this for long stretches of time is very hard cauldrons, so the food is as authentic as possible to what was consumed by Koreans many generations ago. Two families sitting in front of the house enjoying bowls of pumpkin porridge and a plate of sliced tofu all agreed that the event was very enjoyable. As for the food, Park Seong Ho, a father of one of the families, said, “The tofu is harder than usual and the porridge is really delicious.” A staff member added that the reason the tofu is hard is that they use a traditional mill-
the countryside when I was young. Doing this for long [stretches of time] is very hard.” She explained to her daughter that the purpose of the millstone is to grind the soy bean between the two round stones. Her daughter Song Jae In said, “I feel the old people’s wisdom is great.” Yoo said around 300 people visited the event this year, and that “They really liked it. They can watch making traditional food. Also, the adults got to tell [their children] that they had eaten this kind of
fewer annual contracts, “there will be more openings for after-school English classes. So it is hard to measure how many teaching jobs will be affected.” Kim continued that this does not signify a nationwide trend which many have feared. Other cities have their own funds to hire foreign English teachers. “This budget cut should not be exaggerated,” Kim said. Gideon Williams, an EPIK teacher at an elementary school on Jeju for the past two years, said that if he intended to stay here longer, the budget cuts in Seoul would cause him to worry about his position. “I would absolutely feel like my job is in danger,” Williams said in a telephone interview with The Weekly. He believes that the reduction in foreign English teachers on Jeju is “inevitable” and that for those with families or planning to teach here long-term, the Seoul budget cuts are a cause for concern. Jeju Provincial Office of Education (POE)
English Program in Korea (EPIK) Coordinator Sunny Lee is steadfast that Jeju will not experience budget cuts like those in Seoul. “In Seoul [the budget cut] was a very enormous change, but in Jeju it is not like that,” Lee said in a telephone interview. “They won’t cut funding like in Seoul.” At the moment there is no plan to completely discontinue hiring native English teachers on the island. This year, Lee said, there will be seven fewer job openings than last year, but it has nothing to do with money. “I calculate the school hours. Each school, they need a certain amount of hours,” and seven schools do not require an EPIK teacher to meet that quota, she said. “We have TaLK [Teach and Learn in Korea] scholars who only teach in the afternoon. They have too many afternoon classes so we are going to use TaLK scholars in the regular classes.” Lee continued that even though they
food when they were young.” According to Yoo, there were several difficulties in managing the event this year. Because the Lunar New Year falls earlier than usual and would have overlapped with this event, they had to shorten the festival, resulting in fewer visitors than originally expected. Also, they had fewer crops this year, but next year they expect to have a plentiful harvest. He concluded saying “When visitors eat the food with pleasure, we feel happy, too. In addition to today’s event, we prepare other events every month. We always do our best to offer good events, so please check our program schedule and enjoy the Jeju Folk Village.” This free event will be held again from Jan. 27 to 29. Pumpkin porridge and tofu will be offered on Jan. 27, and cooking bingtteok will be on Jan. 28. On the 29th, the program will be molding boiled soybeans into meju (a lump of soybeans that will be made into Korean soybean paste after fermentation).
Jeju Folk Village 631-34 minsokhaean-ro, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo City Phone: 064-787-4501
require seven fewer teachers, she has no intentions of not renewing contracts. “We have a re-evaluation system, so if they pass they are going to be renewed.” This is identical to what Kim said in reference to SMOE foreign English teachers. Currently, Jeju EPIK has 151 foreign English teachers on staff, which is the same as last year. In February, there will be 144. On Jeju, she said, it is not the budget that dictates how many teachers they hire, it comes down to the amount of cumulative hours the schools need. “Budget cuts don’t come first,” Lee said. Though Lee could not definitely say if the budget cuts in Seoul would be start a nationwide trend, she was confident that “If they teach students properly and if they have a good relationship with their teachers they shouldn’t be worried.” (Interpretation by Angela Kim)
Flavors of Jeju 11
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
The angler fish will surprise your taste buds A review of Seogwipo’s Jeulgeoun Sikdang and its agujjim By Kim Jung Lim
supuleit@jejuweekly.com
The Korean word for the devilishlooking angler fish is agui or agu, a rather fitting term meaning mouth and simultaneously an evil, greedy spirit that eats anything and everything. It should be no surprise then to know that in Korea this word is often used as an insult towards the gluttonous. Though no matter how unattractive this fish may be, its nutritional value and taste should not be overlooked because of aesthetics. The devil fish (a commonly used term in Korea to describe the angler fish) is considered a health food that is high in protein and in vitamins A and E. When it comes to taste, each part of the fish has a distinctive flavor, making an angler dish a diverse and interesting meal. To meet this peculiar fish I headed to Jeulgeoun Sikdang (“Joyful Restaurant” in English), a Seogwipo City eatery that specializes in agujjim, a steamed and seasoned angler dish. The owner Ko Ae Ja came to Jeju 16 years ago and gained employment with Jeulgeoun Sikdang as a staff member for two years. Within those 11 years she also gained valuable experience through working at other restaurants including sushi, and chueotang (ground loach soup) places. Then three months ago, she took over the 11-year-old Jeulgeoun Sikdang as its new owner.
Recipe
The restaurant has been popular with locals for some time now, but recently its customer base has grown to consist of half locals and half tourists. On weekends, in particular, it welcomes many tourists who first heard of Jeulgeoun Sikdang from bloggers who have written glowing reviews of its agujjim. Ko said that running this angler restaurant is more difficult than other types of restaurants. Seasoning and cooking the fish is easy she said, but preparing the fish must be done by hand and requires a lot of time. According to Ko, the angler fish’s taste differs depending on how it is prepared, which is the reason that no two angler fish restaurants are alike. As for her preparation method, she said it’s a secret. Asked when she feels happiest working at her restaurant, she smiled. “When the customer finishes eating and says ‘Oh, that was really delicious. I really enjoyed the meal and I will come again.’ [That’s when] I’m happiest. Making a profit is what we should consider second. When the customer feels satisfied with our food, I’m delighted.” On the other end of the spectrum, she said that at times serving food to her clientele can be difficult. “After we take an order, we need at least 20 minutes to prepare the food even when we are not very busy,” she said. “I think any food should be cooked long enough to bring out the flavors but some hottempered people cannot wait.” She added, “I know it is difficult to meet
A spicy plate of steamed angler fish. Photo by Kim Jung Lim
all our customers’ demands. Eight or nine of our customers out of 10 give us a good review, and I think we’re successful. That makes me really happy.” After speaking with the owner, my agujjim arrived on a white plate. There was a mountain of sliced angler fish, bean sprouts, warty sea squirt, and other parts of the fish mixed and steamed with hotlooking red pepper seasoning. Ko said that it not only contains the flesh of the angler fish, but also its entrails and eggs, which are very popular for their unexpectedly racy flavor. The white flesh of the fish covered in spicy and delicious seasonings was very soft and it just melted in my mouth. The parts with bones and skin were chewy and
juicy, as they are said to be full of collagen. As for the taste of the entrails and eggs... that truly depends on you! Customers can order their meals to be either extremely hot, medium, or not hot at all. I chose the middle level, but it still seemed pretty spicy to me, so if you are not a kimchi or Mexican food maniac, I suggest you ask Ko for the least spicy option. Enjoy the angler fish at this “joyful” restaurant.
Jeulgeoun Sikdang 17 Jungang-ro 89-gil (Cheonji-dong), Seogwipo City Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (everyday) Phone: 064-733-2777
A New Year’s dish to celebrate another year of life Tteokguk, a traditional Korean rice cake soup, in 13 steps
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By Jessica Sicard
contributor@jejuweekly.com
The Lunar New Year, one of the nation’s most celebrated holidays, is just around the corner. As this holiday is typically celebrated with family members, from Jan. 22 to 24 of this year many Koreans will be travelling to their relatives where they will partake in traditions like the wearing of hanbok (a vibrantly colored traditional Korean gown), watching the sunrise, and enjoying a bowl of piping hot tteokguk. Tteokguk is a traditional Korean rice cake soup that, when eaten, symbolizes another year of life. In other words, Koreans celebrate their birthdays on the Lunar New Year, and once they finish their tteokguk, they are officially a year older. You can celebrate your Korean birthday with tteokguk, too.
Ingredients (serves 4) sliced rice cake (6 cups) water (10 cups or more) eggs (2)
oil for the pan beef (1/4 cup, chopped) soy sauce (1/4 cup) tofu (1/2 block, medium firm, chopped) garlic (2 tbsp, minced) dry seaweed/laver (1 sheet, shredded) salt (dash) Step 1: If you’re using the air-tight packaged rice cake, soak the rice cake in water for 30 minutes. Step 2: Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Step 3: Separately fry the egg whites and yolks into a thin layer. Step 4: Slice the cooked egg whites
and egg yolks. Step 5: Slice the tofu into !’’ thick fillets and pan fry with a dash of salt until golden brown. Step 6: Slice the cooked tofu fillets into cubes. Step 7: Chop the meat into small pieces. This process is easier when the meat is slightly frozen. Step 8: Boil the soy sauce, minced garlic, and beef over a low to medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Step 9: Add the tofu cubes from step 6 to the soy sauce, garlic, and beef mix. Boil over a low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
Step 10: Spray the dry seaweed with a little oil and salt. Toast quickly over medium heat. You may skip this step by purchasing pre-oiled and salted dry seaweed. Step 11: Shred the seaweed for garnish. Step 12: Boil the water in a pot and add the rice cake. Once the rice cake rises to the surface, it is done. Step 13: Add the garnishes on top and serve. This recipe was taken from the following blog: Koreanhomecooking. com. Additional source: En.wikipedia. org/wiki/Korean_new_year
12 Music
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Jambinai come off a stellar 2011 with a new album Experimental rock band fuses traditional Korean instruments with hard and heavy songs
Photo courtesy Jambinai
By Shawn Despres contributor@jejuweekly.com
www.jejuweekly.com
Seoul’s Jambinai mix Korean traditional instruments like haegeum (a fiddle-like instrument), geomungo (zither), and piri (a double reed instrument) with guitar and glockenspiel to make haunting fusion compositions that contain elements of post-rock, experimental, and psychedelic music. One of the most unique bands in the local underground scene, the trio now have some music industry hardware to back this up. In November, Jambinai were awarded the Jury Prize at the EBS Hello Rookie Final. The event took place at
Seoul’s AX-Korea concert hall and attracted more than 2,000 spectators eager to check out South Korea's best new acts. “The Hello Rookie concert was the biggest gig we’ve ever played,” shares geomungo and glockenspiel player Shim Eun Yong. “The venue was packed and we heard that hundreds of people were turned away at the door because there was no more space inside.” “Playing that show was a fantastic experience for us. It was great to share a stage with other amazing young bands, and for all of the groups to be able to make so many new fans,” says Shim. Jambinai performed “Time of Extinction” and “Grace Kelly” during the
competition. Wanting to make the already dynamic cuts more powerful, Shim and her band mates — guitarist and piri player Lee Il Woo and haegeum player Kim Bo Mi — recruited bassist Ian Gallagher (from the post-hardcore group Lo) and drummer Ryu Myung Hoon (from the screamo band 49 Morphines and the punk act Rux) for their showcase. The move worked well, as Jambinai walked away at the end of the night with a shiny trophy and 3 million won in prize money. “We were really surprised to win because our music is very different from the music in Korea’s mainstream and underground scenes,” says Shim. “We felt really proud of ourselves when we won. It’s a moment we’ll never forget.” While their Hello Rookie Jury Prize award was the band’s top highlight of 2011, performing last summer at one of South Korea’s largest music outings, the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, was a close second. “That was our first time playing on a big stage at a major festival,” says Shim. “People were really curious when they saw us with traditional instruments. After we began playing, though, they were shocked because most Korean traditional music is soft. But we don’t make soft music. Our music is hard and heavy.” Formed in 2009, the members of Jambinai first met while studying at the Korea National University of Arts. In 2010, they issued an excellent three-song eponymous EP that garnered praise from domestic and international music scribes alike. On Jan. 26, they will release their debut full-length. Entitled “Différance,” the effort boasts nine tracks that were written
last year between May and October and recorded in November and December. While “Différance” was crafted solely by Jambinai’s three members, the group would like to have their guest players from the Hello Rookie Final appear on their next disc. “On our EP, we focused on Korean traditional instruments,” explains Shim. “Our new album has more of a band sound to it. It’s heavy and has a rock feel. We tried to incorporate all the different types of music we enjoy, from hardcore to modern classical, and play them our own way.” “Différance” will come out on homegrown hardcore imprint GMC Records, which is also home to Lee’s other band, 49 Morphines. Despite being very different from most of the label’s roster, Jambinai have been shown nothing but kindness from GMC fans. “They respect our music,” says Shim. “Some of them actually told us, ‘You guys are like Metallica with traditional instruments.’” Jambinai hope to gig extensively in support of “Différance.” While the bulk of their concerts thus far have taken place in Seoul, the group have performed in Incheon and Busan too. They would like to tour in other parts of the country, and there’s one place in particular where they really want to play. “If we can, we’d love to have a show in Jeju,” says Shim. “We think Jeju’s beautiful scenery would match well with our music.” For more information on Jambinai, visit cafe.daum.net/jambinai or tinyurl. com/78k442n.
Bands Socialism, Universal Boyscout, PumpkinHead rock Jeju By Timothy Cushing contributor@jejuweekly.com
On Jan. 14, a crowd of 60 to 70 people came out to hear a night of music that culminated in an energetic performance by a band called Socialism. Walking down a nondescript staircase that leads under an art supply store, one does not expect to find the Miyerang Theatre. The dark tworoom venue with five tiers of bleacherstyle seats that overlook the ample stage space is more outfitted for one act plays than rock concerts. However, this did not deter the enthusiastic crowd from enjoying the show.
Leading off the acts for the night was Universal Boyscout. They began their set by saying, “We believe there are two kinds of music: black and white. We are black music.” This served as a preamble to a gloomy song that erupted in screams and distorted guitars. The five-piece group seemed somewhat confused in their influences – for one song playing doom metal and the next lapsing into power pop. However, their energy was undeniable as the lead singer ran into the crowd and screamed into his microphone before triumphantly sticking out his tongue. Also on the bill for the evening was power-trio PumpkinHead. They cruised
Members of the band Socialism in performance. Photo by Darryl Coote
through a quick set of straightforward rock songs full of fast power chords and quick drum fills. The young band’s repertoire was simple but earnest – the songs quick and to the point. Local band Socialism headlined the evening and played two sets. The ninepiece group had a palpable stage presence; their members donned formal ware, filling the performance space completely with an alto saxophone player, a trombone/tuba player, a keyboardist, a guitarist, a drum
kit, a hand drummer, a bass player, and another percussionist whose collection of instruments included shakers, woodblocks, and a cowbell. This circus of players was overseen by a ringleader dressed for the part with a black frock coat of many buttons, a top hat, black high-tops, and a black pompom pinned to his chest. The scrappy front man’s rusty croon was almost as captivating as his dance moves as he Continued on page 14
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
My Jeju 13
The Jeju Weekly
‘I love Jeju’s morning light’ The Weekly talks to Stephen Krohn, an artist, educator, and author who finds inspiration from the island
The artist, with examples of his work. Photos by Susan Shain
By Susan Shain contributor@jejuweekly.com
Full disclosure: Stephen Krohn is The Weekly’s editorial illustrator. For the complete interview, please go to our Web site — Ed.
www.jejuweekly.com
The first time I met Stephen Krohn was at a weekend English camp. Being an early Saturday morning, I was as close to being in a zombie state as it gets. Stephen, however, was running around like a kid on Christmas Day, warmly welcoming both the teachers and students. I asked my friend, “Who is that guy?!” In the times I’ve seen Stephen since, he hasn’t changed. Dying to know the secret to his energy and positivity, and wanting to learn more about his beautiful watercolor children’s book “Jeju From A to Z,” I sat down with him last month.
Where are you from and where did you go to college?
I grew up in Tucson, Arizona. That’s my home, so I’m a desert rat. I went to the University of Arizona. My major was fine arts — painting and drawing.
Did you grow up painting and drawing?
I started painting when I was in fifth grade, but I had been drawing all my life. I grew up in a Lutheran household, and there were lots of potluck dinners. They would always spread out a big piece of white paper on the table, and I would draw on it. My parents said that people would be watching me draw instead of listening to the guest speaker ... I wish my parents had’ve kept those papers!
Is your family artistic?
My sister and I grew up painting together, but she’s not as into it now. I would say my parents are more crafty. My mom was always doing arts and crafts. Growing up she was in charge of an after school daycare, so we were always doing crafts. And my dad enjoyed doing leatherwork.
What did you do after college?
I mean, I had no clue. Now art is seeming more like a possible career, now that I’m doing more things with it, but after college I just wanted to travel. So my goal was to get a degree and join the Peace Corps. So I joined the Peace Corps and was able to travel to Bangladesh. I spent two years there working as an English teacher. Mostly my job was teaching teachers how to teach English.
Is that where you and your wife met? Bangladesh?
Yes, we met in the Peace Corps. She was about four hours away from the capital, and I was about eight hours away. So, we were about a day’s travel away from each other. We would meet in the capital maybe once or twice a month.
How long have you been in Jeju?
We’ve been here for three years and are starting our fourth now.
Do you enjoy teaching?
I love it. It allows me to be creative and have fun with kids. I love working with the little kids. I’ve tried working with older kids, but the high school students don’t see me as an authority figure. I’ve been working as an EPIK (English Program in Korea) elementary school teacher the whole time.
I saw the draft of your illustrated children’s book at the “I Love Jeju” Art Fest. It was beautiful. Tell me about it.
It’s called “Jeju From A to Z.” The idea came to me when I was at the [Jeju] National Museum. We came upon one exhibit that talked about how the Dutch stumbled upon Jeju while trading with Japan. And they had a name for Jeju — Quelpart. My wife saw the name and said “If we ever have a dog, that’d be a great name!” And I got to thinking “Well, if you have the letter ‘Q,’ then it’s so easy to make an ABC book.” I figured once I got the ‘Q,’ all the other letters would fall into place.
So, your book catalogs the alphabet, with each letter standing for a Jeju item?
Yes, it lists things that are unique to Jeju. Some things I think are very well known, like “H for Hallasan” and “G for Grandfather stone.” But then I have things that aren’t very well known, like ‘X’ for “eXiled Chusa.” Chusa was a member of the king’s court a long time ago. He got into some trouble with the queen, so the king decided to exile him to Jeju. So, he lived on Jeju for seven years. While he was here, he had a lot of free time and developed into a very well known calligrapher.
What was your process in writing and illustrating the book?
First, I had to figure out what every letter was going to be. I had to play with things, like haenyeo could be ‘H’ or I could use ‘W’ for women divers. That must have taken two to three months, just figuring out what the letters would be and getting organized. Then, I spent a month or two sketching out each page. Once I had the sketches worked out, I started the watercolor. I wanted to not complete them all the way, because then I wouldn’t get to the last one and have the style completely changed. So, I tried to work on two, three, or four at the same time and tried to see where the style was going. I added colored pencil at the very end. It was a way to keep them all unified. In total, it took about 10 months.
What do you hope to see happen with it?
I hope to get it published. I’m trying to contact Korean publishers right now. I’m asking a [fellow] teacher to help me work on that.
What’s your ideal vision for the book? Where would you like to see it being sold?
I see it at so many places. Mostly tourist sites. Where people would see it as a gift or souvenir, because it’s unique. But, I want this in schools, too. There’s so much children don’t know about Jeju
sometimes. I want them to feel proud of Jeju. I want them to see Jeju not as just their home or their village, but as this bigger entity. And practicing English while they’re at it!
What’s your favorite place on Jeju?
I have two. One is Olle course 14-1. It’s over on the very east side of the island, where course 13 ends and 14 begins. Most of the Olle courses are coastal, and this one is all forest. We didn’t see really anybody all day. It was great to get away from the crowds The other place is Gidang. It’s an art museum in Seogwipo. This one artist has got these cute narratives; they’re big, beautiful paintings with a horse, a man, and a tree. They’re all about Jeju, and the colors are so vibrant and expressive.
What about Jeju inspires you?
The nature, definitely. And the weather. The weather is so different from day to day. We share different climate zones. Some of the year, it’s a temperate area with the pines. And then sometimes, you have a tropical feel, and that changes the light. It’s like this morning, waking up and seeing Hallasan covered in snow, was really cool. I love the purples and pinks when you wake up.
What are the most important things to you?
I have too many passions. I love nature, art, traveling, and I also love birdwatching. I’ve seen over 100 birds just in Korea. On my bird list are 333 birds — that’s what I’ve seen in my lifetime.
You seem to have boundless energy and positivity. Every time I see you, you are smiling. What’s your secret?
You just have to be open minded all the time. And you have to embrace the negative energy and the chaos. In Buddhism, the theory is that if you don’t have pain and suffering, that means you’re dead. So, you have to embrace the bad things along with the good things.
14 History
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
Stone battles from the past, a Joseon New Year event By Robert Neff
www.jejuweekly.com
contributor@jejuweekly.com
The Korean Lunar New Year is a celebration of a new beginning: a chance to right wrongs and to change the bad luck of the previous year. During the Joseon period, this was often done through competition and traditional combat. Boys and young men were the chief combatants and fought not only in the large open fields near cities and villages but in the sky as well. Kite fighting was extremely popular and, according to Horace N. Allen, an American who lived in Korea during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was “the finest sport [for a] Korean boy.” The combatants often coated their kite strings with powdered glass making it easier to cut the strings of their opponents’. Allen wrote: “The great attraction of this sport consists in sawing in two the cord of a rival. When the kite falls there is such excitement in the chase to get it, that even old men catch the contagion and hobble off in search of the unlucky kite – finders being keepers.” But kite fighting was not the greatest Lunar New Year competition – that honor belongs to the seokjeon, or stone battle. These battles often took place between two villages or guilds – usually one side claiming that it had been wronged by the other. These battles took place in large open fields and involved hundreds of participants armed with rounded polished stones, iron and wooden cudgels, armor made from twisted straw, wooden shields, and leather caps. Crowds of spectators, including women and children, watched from the safety of surrounding hills and city walls – much like our modern stadiums – eating and drinking and calling out encouragement to their favorite team while jeering the opponents. Naturally enough, betting was also a part of the event. From opposite sides of the field, the combatants advanced upon one another hurtling stones as well as insults. When they were close enough to
Continued from page 12 furiously skanked around the small space with excited eyes throwing elbows, fists, and feet in all directions. He often leapt up the steps into the crowd encouraging them to move their arms and participate. When he was not dancing, the front man was cracking jokes or feigning melodrama to charm the audience. He served as ambassador to a set comprised mostly of ska songs with a few samba numbers thrown in. A cover of Dandy Livingstone’s “A Message to You Rudy” led the first set, and set the tone for a fun romp through similar tunes. What individuals in the group may have lacked in skill, they made up for in energy. All members danced and jested – the guitar player often moving to the other side
one another, the cudgels and shields were employed. These pitched battles went on for hours, if not days, and surged from one side of the field to the other. The game ended when one side was completely routed from the field – the victors were treated as heroes while the losers were scorned and cursed.
its own type of stone battles – deumdoldeulgi, or stone lifting. Prof. David Nemeth suggests that jealousy may have been the origin of deumdol-deulgi. According to him, a couple centuries ago, Taerim, a village on the northwestern side of Jeju Island, experienced a rash of bad luck. A geomancer was consulted and he
An artist's depiction of a stone battle circa 1902. Photo courtesy Robert Neff Collection
The injuries were horrendous. Shattered teeth, broken bones – especially about the face and arms – were quite common and even casualties were an expected part of the game. Even children held their own stone battles. One Westerner observed a children’s battle in 1890 in what is now downtown Seoul. Mothers brought their young sons, some as young as eight years old, to the battlefield where they were divided into two teams. Then, much like the battles of their older peers, the young boys hurled stones and beat one another with their clubs while their parents cheered and urged them on. Undoubtedly, these battles were much shorter than their adult counterparts but were nonetheless as brutal with comparable injuries. Seokjeon does not appear to have been popular on Jeju Island which had
of the stage to visit the hand drummer, the tuba player flipping his instrument down and singing backup vocals into his instrument microphone, and the backup percussionist moving to the front of the stage to dance. There were times in the set when all members were operating at full throttle, furiously blowing, pounding, and strumming to create moments that vibrated with energy. This was the band at its best. Although the show would have been better served by a venue with more room to move, Socialism’s effort to get the crowd dancing was not a complete failure. At one point the entire audience participated in the skanking, moving clenched fists up and down to the beat. One can only hope that Socialism’s next show has a dance floor.
informed the village elders that the land was cursed because of its unbalance. He advised that the balance could be restored if they placed two huge stones, one upon the other, near the village’s border. The stones were rolled to the site but no one in the village could devise a method to lift one of the stones onto the other – they were just too heavy. The village seemed doomed until, reminiscent of the tale of King Arthur, an unlikely hero appeared – a young villager named Pak, who, singlehandedly, lifted one of the stones and placed it upon the other – thus saving the village. Immediately, the village began to prosper and in honor of the miracle that had taken place, the village came to be known as Ipseok – “Standing-stone village.” But every action has a reaction and
the geomantic balancing of Taerim (Ipseok) caused an unbalancing in the nearby village of Suwon. Over the years Taerim began to prosper and was blessed with the birth of many strong sons while the once prosperous village of Suwon began to decline. Naturally enough, the residents of Suwon felt that their bad luck was due to Taerim and so in the middle of the night a group of Suwon men went to the site of Taerim’s stones and knocked them down. Taerim, which now had a large number of strong young men, was able to restore the stones to their original position but as soon as they did the men from Suwon would come and knock them over again. Reportedly, this stone feud went on for decades. Stone lifting then became a rite of passage for young men – a manner to gauge their virility. These stones were placed at the village’s entrance and the men would amuse themselves (and impress their peers and women villagers) by moving the stones and, on the rare occasion, lift them. According to Prof. Nemeth, “The lifting-stones of [Jeju] were indeed once used to measure power among villages. Villages with big stones were proud, since the stones indirectly represented village prosperity and the excellent condition of its youth. Villages with small stones were objects of ridicule.” Thus, it is no surprise, that village stones were occasionally stolen in the middle of the night by a rival village which would then prominently display it in their own village – a show of dominance over its rival. Unlike seokjeon, deumdol-deulgi is still celebrated during the Lunar New Year but it has lost its original spirit and seems more for the tourists than an actual competition of male strength and virility. Even the original two stones that began the tradition have been lost – destroyed by modernization and progress. The author wishes to express his appreciation to Prof. David Nemeth for his input on deumdol-deulgi in the writing of this report.
Left, PumpkinHead's guitarist pelts out honest and simple tunes while Socialism, right, lifted the crowd with energetic sets on Jan. 14. Photos by Darryl Coote
FRIDAY, January 20, 2012
What's New 15
The Jeju Weekly
News Briefs New emergency phone number 117 to cover school violence
Starting Jan. 12, school violence of any kind can be reported using the new toll-free number 117. Previously, there were three different hot lines for school violence, creating confusion for victims and parents. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had a 1588-7179 number, while the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family used 1488, and the National Police Agency could be contacted at 117. 117 used to be a number designated for victims of sex crime and domestic violence in Seoul. It provides on-call counseling, medical assistant, legal support, and more. Call centers will be set up at 16 locations throughout the country to accommodate the increase
in school violence. To speed up the response process, the government agreed to combine existing hot lines into 117. With the integration of both counseling and police assistance into the one phone number, it is hoped that the 117 option will
become a one-stop system for victims of school violence. With this merged hot line, if investigation or punishment is needed, the police force will be dispatched, and when counseling or prevention measures are needed, the two other ministries will step in. For more information, call the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology at 02-2100-6659. (By Angela Kim)
New library at JNU
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Jeju National University (JNU) will add a third library to its campus. On Dec. 12, JNU announced that it
had received 500 million won (US$434,000) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to begin the project, which is slated for completion in 2016 at a total cost of 13.5 billion won ($11.7 million). The new library will have a total of five floors and an area of 7,000m2. It will be equipped with a multimedia room, a group study room, and a seminar room, among others, to provide a better study environment for students and faculty members. JNU’s other two libraries are 8,008m2 and 3,365m2. For more information, call the JNU Advertisement and Publication Center at 064-754-2046. (By Gwa Dong Cheol, Jeju Ilbo. Translated by Angela Kim)
For second straight year, Jeju will not send mandarins to North Korea On Dec. 8, The Jeju Special SelfGoverning Province announced its decision to defer sending mandarins to North Korea. The provincial government has sent mandarins to North Korea for 12 years starting in 1999, however, due to several provocations like the sinking of the Cheonan corvette in March 2010
and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November of that same year, the central government did not approve Jeju’s proposal to send mandarins to the North. Due to a lack of funds from the Ministry of Unification, the provincial government’s project was deferred last year as well. According to Baek Ji Hoon at the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the distribution costs of sending mandarins to North Korea is greater than the actual purchasing cost. Jeju, said Baek, cannot cover the distribution costs, on top of the cost for the mandarins. At the end of 2009, the provincial government, with its plan to send 20,000 tons of mandarins to the North, asked the Ministry of Unification for 300 million won ($259,000), which would cover the distribution cost. Jeju's request was denied, so the Jeju government only sent 200 tons of mandarins, funded by the provincial government raised from the island’s residents. Starting with 4,436 tons of mandarins in 1999, Jeju has sent 48,488 tons of mandarins, 18,100 tons of carrots, and various household items to North Korea. (By Yoon Cheol Soo, Headline Jeju. Translation and additional reporting by Angela Kim)
Editor’s Column
The Weekly needs your support www.jejuweekly.com
Our new business model makes the paper available by digital download. Your feedback is key By Todd Thacker
toddthacker@jejuweekly.com
As I mentioned in Issue No. 65, The Weekly is in the process of making our content available to readers via the best, widest, and most cost-effective and environmentally conscientious methods possible. Besides a strong presence on the big social networks, I’m now happy to announce that we’ve been accepted into iTunes Newsstand (Goo.gl/Qcbez). For the moment we’re offering this as a free service. We’re considering putting our entire archive online as well. But here’s where we need your input. The cover price for the paper edition of The Weekly is 5,000 won, or just over US$4. If you were considering reading a digital copy with the same beautiful layout as the print, just how much would you be willing to pay for an issue of The Weekly? $4? $2.50? $0.99? Would you like access to our archive?
Screenshots of the iTunes interface and Jeju Weekly app page.
If so, how much per issue would you feel comfortable paying? We would like to hear from you (by email: editor@jejuweekly.com or Facebook.com/JejuWeekly) about what you think would be fair to charge readers. On a related topic, unfortunately we’ve hit a tight-spot financially, resulting in a loss of our esteemed copy
editor and a voluntary furlough for designer and friend Yun Seong Un. I’d like to thank our colleague Rich Bowden for all his support, dedication, and professionalism over the years at The Weekly. We had worked together online at OhmyNews.com before I asked him to help edit The Weekly as a volunteer back in late 2010. After many months of pro bono work
for the paper, we were able to hire Rich as a part-time staffer (he is based in Australia). However, The Weekly has had to tighten its belt in 2012 and the copy editing budget was the first to take a hit. I sincerely wish Rich the best with his freelance writing in Australia. You can check out his work at Theangle.org.
16 Calendar
The Jeju Weekly
FRIDAY, January 6, 2012
Through the lens
A winter vista of Jeju volcanic cones (oreum). Photo by Douglas MacDonald (Flickr.com/photos/dmacs_photos)
Community Calendar Exhibitions Kim Heung Soo and Bak Gwang Jin Permanent Exhibition Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, 38 Jeoji 14-gil, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City. 064-710-7801
Nanta
Gidang Art Museum, 34 Namseong-ro, Seogwipo City. 064-733-1586
Everyday 5 p.m., 8 p.m. (On Jan. 25 to 27, 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. ) Jeju Media Cenetr, 82 Sinsan-ro, Jeju City. 064-723-8878 Tickets: 50,000 won (VIP seats: 60,000 won) (50% discount for Jeju islanders with ID card)
Lee Hyeong Gi Pottery Exhibition
Fanta-Stick
Byun Shi Ji and Kang Yong Beom Permanent Exhibition
‘Different Views of the Same Object’
Until Sept. 30. every Tuesday to Sunday at 8 p.m. Jungmun Fanta-Stick Performance Hall in the Sound Island (Soriseom) Museum, 15 Jungmun Gwangwang-ro 110, Seogwipo City. 064-739-7781 Tickets: R seats: 50,000 won, S seats: 40,000 won (50% discount for Jeju islanders with ID card)
Until Jan. 29. Jeju Museum of Art, 2894-78 1100-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-4300
Seoul Ballet Theatre Concert
Jan. 20 to 24. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 010-9612-1982
Korea-China Joint Calligraphy Exhibition Jan. 25 to 28. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 010-2691-8250
The 50th Anniversary Exhibition of Jeju Onggi Craftsman Kim Cheong Gil
www.jejuweekly.com
064-749-0550 Tickets: R seats: 50,000 won, S seats: 40,000 won (50% discount for Jeju islanders with ID card)
Jan. 29 to Feb. 3. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 010-8200-7378
Kang Jong Yeol Exhibition Until Jan. 31. Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, 38 Jeoji 14-gil, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City. 064-710-7801
Blue Wind Exhibition Until Jan. 31. Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, 38 Jeoji 14-gil, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju City. 064-710-7801 Parts of the museum’s collection of art expressing Jeju’s nature from different perspectives are on display.
Book Talk Exhibition Until Feb. 19. Jeju Museum of Art, 2894-78 1100-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-4300
Women Artists Exhibition Until Feb. 26. Jeju Museum of Art, 2894-78 1100-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-4300
Traditional Housing Life of Jeju Exhibition Until Feb. 28. Folklore and Natural History Museum, 40 Samseong-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-7708
Indian Women’s Life Exhibition Until March 24. Sulmundae Women’s Center, 12 Seondeok-ro 8 gil. Jeju City. 064-710-4246
A Realist of the Modern Korean Art Circle Exhibition Until March 25. Jeju Museum of Art, 2894-78 1100-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-4300
Performances Comedic Performance ‘Jump’ Every Tuesday to Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 4 p.m., 8 p.m., Sunday and holidays at 8 p.m. Halla Art Hall, Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City.
Dances from “Don Quixote,� “Swan Lake,� “Chicago,� “Memory� (from the musical “Cats�), “Giselle,� and others will be performed. Jan. 21. 3 p.m., 7 p.m. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 064-702-9870 Tickets: VIP seats: 60,000 won, R seats: 50,000 won, S seats: 40,000 won
Bouble Bouble Show Jan. 28 to 29. 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 011-729-7555 Tickets: 15,000 won
Kim Deok Su Samulnori Concert Samulnori is Korean traditional musical band performance. Jan. 28. 4 p.m., 7 p.m. Sulmundae Women’s Center, 12 Seondeok-ro 8 gil, Jeju City. 064-710-4202 ext. 5 Those who donate at least two used books will be admitted and will receive a gift eco-bag.
2012 ‘Concert with Geum Nan Sae’s explanation’ commemorating Jeju CBS’s 11th anniversary Feb. 9. 7:30 p.m. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 064-748-7400 Tickets: R seats: 50,000 won. S seats: 30,000 won
The Red Bean Porridge Grama, the children’s musical with Korean traditional music Feb. 17. 10:10 p.m., 11:20 p.m. Culture & Arts Center, 69 Donggwang-ro, Jeju City. 064-7133581, 064-722-0794 Tickets: 20,000 won
Kim Kyung Ho Concert Feb. 18. 7 p.m. Jeju Arts Center, 231 Onamro, Jeju City. 1599-0701 Tickets: VIP seats: 110,000 won. R seats: 99,000 won
Nun Sensation, the musical Feb. 24. 8 p.m., Feb. 25. 3 p.m., 7 p.m., Feb.
26. 3 p.m. Jeju Arts Center, 231 Onam-ro, Jeju City. 1599-8879 Tickets: R seats: 80,000 won. S seats: 70,000 won, A seats: 60,000 won
Sports and Recreation Free Movies from the Jeju Movie Culture Art Center Jeju Movie Culture Art Center, Ildo 1-dong, Jeju City. 064-756-5757, 064-756-5959 Jan. 21. 3 p.m. “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory� (2005) Jan. 21. 7 p.m. “Pan's Labyrinth� (2006) Jan. 25. 3 p.m. “Benny & Joon� (1993) Jan. 27. 3 p.m. “127 Hours� (2010) Jan. 28. 7 p.m. “Mezon do Himiko� (2005) Jan. 29. 12 p.m. “Mars Needs Moms� (2011) Jan. 29. 3 p.m. “Tuesdays With Morrie� (1999)
Citrus Museum Experience Program Everyday 10 a.m., 2 p.m. Making mandarin cookies and muffin cake. Admission fee: 3,000 won per a team of 4 to 5 people. Citrus Museum, 441 Hyodonsunhwan-ro, Seogwipo City. 064-767-3010 ext.1
Folklore and Natural History Museum’s 2012 Lunar New Year Folklore Experience Event Period: Jan. 23 to 24. Programs: -10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Face painting, nail art, and others -10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Korean traditional games -11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Korean traditional game contest -12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tasting tteokguk (rice soup, a Korean New Year's dish) and cutting tteok (rice cake). Folklore and Natural History Museum, 40 Samseong-ro, Jeju City. 064-710-7693
Jeju City Chamsarang Culture Center 1st program in 2012 Application period: Jan. 17 to 31. (accepted in the order of application) Eligibility: Jeju citizens Program: English conversation: 30 people, Feb. 7 to April 4, every Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Japanese conversation: 30 people, Feb. 11 to April 8, every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Yoga: 50 people, Feb. 7 to April 5, every Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Line dance: 20 people, Feb. 7 to April 5, every Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Calligraphy: 20 people, Feb. 9 to April 5, every Thursday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Watercolor painting: 20 people, Feb. 10 to April 6, every Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sagunja (The Four Gracious Plants) painting: 20 people, Feb. 9 to April 5, every Thursday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Harmonica: 20 people, Feb. 7 to April 3, every Tuesday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. How to apply: Visit or call the center, 064-728-3959
Festivals The 15th Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival Feb. 2 to 4. Saebyeol Oreum, bongseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju City. 064-728-2751 Program: Feb. 2. Tug-of-war, Korean traditional music performance, torchlight procession, making dalgip (a woodpile) and burning it, fireworks, and others. Feb. 3. Neokdungbegi (a traditional Jeju yut game), horseback martial arts, fireworks, and others. Feb. 4. The main event of the burning of the oreum, Deumdol-deugi (holding a large stone contest), and others.
Seogwipo City Announcements Seogwipo Lifelong Study Center Program in February Application period: Until Jan. 31. Eligibility: Everyone over age 7. Program: Ballet for children, exercise for seniors, English story-telling for children, English conversation for adults, and calligraphy. Culture programs for women: Reading and logical essay writing, making eco-friendly soaps and cosmetics, language conversation (English, Japanese, and Chinese), creative writing, flute lessons, basic computer and Excel classes, and others. Required documents: ID and the application form. (In case of proxies, one should bring the applicant's ID). How to apply: Visit the center (first-come firstserved). Fee: 10,000 won monthly per person. For further inquires, call the Seogwipo Lifelong Study Center, 064-760-2261 ext.4
Jeju United FC 2012 Season Membership Card Card sale period: Until Feb. 29. Prices: Adults: 60,000 won, youths: 30,000 won, and children: 20,000 won To purchase tickets: Any E-Mart in Jeju Benefits: Admission to all 2012 Jeju United home games, a sweater, a bag, and others for children. Gifts for children like caps and a signed ball will be given to card membership holders who come to most of the games. Ů˜ &DUG KROGHUV FDQ HQWHU ZLWKRXW ZDLWLQJ LQ line and will have access to most seats, except for those located at the south end of the stadiums. Ů˜ 7KH FDUG ZLOO QRW EH UHLVVXHG LI ORVW For further inquiries, call the Jeju United FC, 064-738-0934 ext.6
Seogwipo Astronomical Science and Culture Center’s January Program ‡ 6WDUOLJKW )DPLO\ ([SHULHQFH &ODVV -DQ 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., for seven families of four, (children in grade school only). Program includes learning about Korean star signs, making star maps, and observing astronomical phenomena. ‡ 6PDOO &LQHPD DVWURQRPLFDO VFLHQFH PRYLH screenings): Every Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. (four screenings a day). ‡ $VWURQRPLFDO FODVVHV IRU FKLOGUHQ throughout the year, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Program includes explaning and watching celestial bodies among other activities For further inquiries, call the Seogwipo Astronomical Science and Culture Center. 064-739-9701 ext.2