코리아매거진 12월호 저해상단면

december 2015

음 악 가

An Era of Young Virtuosos Korean artists are achieving great feats on the global stage.

Travel Samcheok with wintry ocean and beautiful sunrises Special Issue “Finding Dispersed Families” was added to UNESCO’s list of documentary heritage items.

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An Era of Young Virtuosos

Recording the Wounds of War

Artist of Ordinary People Park Su-geun

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Brassware Master Kim Su-yeong

College Entrance Exam Season

An Ambassador for Korean Cuisine

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King of Popera Lim Hyung-joo

Korea, Japan, China Trilateral Summit

The Popular YouTube Channel “Eat Your Kimchi”

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Samcheok Embraces the Winter Ocean

Fostering Youth Employment

White Elegance Deogyusan Mountain

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The Fun of Skiing

Debit Card on Your Smartphone

Cockles

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Korean Entertainment Enters the World

Nightingale of Malawi Dr. Susie Kim

Cover Story

PEOPLE 1

PEOPLE 2

TRAVEL

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

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SPECIAL ISSUE

CURRENT KOREA

Summit Diplomacy

POLICY REVIEW

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

GREAT KOREANS

MY KOREA

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

NATURE

FLAVOR

GLOBAL KOREA

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COVER STORY

An Era of Young Virtuosos Despite the short history of classical music in Korea, artists are now achieving great feats on the global stage.

Written by YI EUN-SEOK

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra performs with director Chung Myung-whun at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

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Winner and gold medalist Cho Seong-Jin acknowledges the applause of the audience the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition laureate concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, Oct. 21, 2015. © Yonhap News

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n Oct. 21, the Filharmonia Narodowa in Warsaw was filled with international journalists and audience members for the announcement of the winner of the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.When the winner’s name was finally called out, the crowd gave a thunderous applause to 21-year-old Cho Seong-jin in his plain white shirt and a charcoal cardigan. This was the first time a Korean pianist ever won the competition.

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious music competitions, along with the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Since being first held in 1927, it has opened the doors for young, aspiring musicians from around the world, except when

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According to a 2011 report by Thierry Loreau, the number of Korean musicians who won international competitions began to increase rapidly in 2000. @Yonhap news

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it was suspended during World War II. The best showing that any Korean musician had previously made was in 2005, when brothers Lim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyuk together finished in third place, with no second prize winner. Ten years later, Cho Seong-jin has finally taken the top prize.

Interestingly, all of the top three music competitions were held this year. Before the Chopin Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Competition was held in May and the Tchaikovsky Competition was held in July. At the Queen Elisabeth Competition, violinist Lim Ji-young finished in first place.

It is now obvious that Korean classical music is going through some of its best days ever.

THE POWER OF KOREAN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Western classical music is still relatively new in Korea. Nonetheless, Korean musicians are making names for themselves around the world, to the surprise of worldrenowned artists and music experts everywhere.

According to a 2011 report by Thierry Loreau, music advisor to Belgium’s public broadcaster RTBF, the number of Korean musicians who won international competitions began to increase rapidly in 2000.

The number of Korean musicians surged in 2007, accounting for 25% of all prize winners. More than 20 years ago, Korean musicians rarely made it into the final rounds of auditions, but over 400 musicians have done so since 1995. About 70 of them have come away with prizes.

It is difficult to say whether these achievements are simply the product of talent and hard work. How else to explain the sudden emergence of so many great Korean musicians? Music experts and media outlets around the world have certainly been looking for the reasons for their phenomenal success, and they have found a few of them.

Over the past 20 years, more than 400 Korean classical musicians have made it into the final rounds of international competitions, and over 70 have won prizes.

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An emphasis on rote memorization is clearly one factor. Cramming is normally considered an ineffective learning tool, but it has in this case proven useful for young students to master the basics of musical performances. Loreau cited this educational method as the first secret of Korean musicians’ international success in his documentary “The Korean Musical Mystery” (2012). Lee Yeong-jo, chair man of the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service, agrees completely. He said, “The students practice very, very hard.They perform well because they have trained hard since a young age.” Loreau’s documentary also sheds light on the tremendous value that Korean parents place on education as an essential element in the success of young classical musicians. In short, students’ cramming combined with parental support naturally makes them highly competitive on the global stage.

Support from society at large has also been important. Notably, many musicians who have won prizes at international competitions made their recital debuts in the

Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation has supported young and talented musicians in a number of ways such as Kumho Prodigy Concert Series, masterclasses with world-renowned musicians, and promotions of young artists. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation

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Established by the government, Korea National University of Arts provides specialized programs for young and talented students. Š KNUA

Kumho Prodigy Concert Ser ies. This includes Chopin competition winner Cho Seong-jin, pianist Mun Ji-yeong, winner of the Busoni International Piano Competition in 2015, soprano Lee Su-yeon, second place winner at the ARD International Music Competition in 2015, pianist Kim Hee-jae, second place winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2015, and cellist Mun Tae-guk, winner of the Pablo Casals International Cello Competition in 2014. Accomplished pianists Kim Sun-wook and Son Yeol-eum debuted there as well.

The Kumho Prodigy Concert Series was established in 1998 by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation. It holds recitals for musical prodigies under the age of 14.Young students are selected for the con-

cert based solely on their talent and potential. It long ago helped shatter the perception that only the rich could succeed in a musical career.The foundation also reviews musicians’ contracts with talent agencies or record labels at their request and promotes them when they participate in international competitions, all part of an effort to help them break onto the global stage.

The government has also supported gifted musicians in a number of ways, including the establishment of specialized schools like the Korea National University of Arts. The government even allows male musicians to work in their respective musical fields in lieu of compulsory military service, but only if they take first or second place in an international competition.

Individual talent combined with

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national support have proven to be potent f actor s in helping Korean musicians become globally competitive. More and more internationally-recognized musicians are returning home after spending several years working abroad, to educate and train talented youngster s themselves. For instance, pianist Kim Dae-jin, a professor at the Korea National University of Arts, won the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 1985 and worked around the world for years. He then returned home and taught SonYeol-eum and Kim Sun-wook.

There is no doubt that a new, glorious chapter is now being written in Korean classical music, as young virtuosos go on to new heights and as the public takes greater interest in their success.

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KOREAN CLASSICAL MUSICIANS SOAR HIGH

The first Korean musician to win a prize at an international competition was Han Dong-il. While studying in New York, he won the Leventritt Competition in 1965.

Korean classical musicians then started taking part in international competitions in increasing numbers.Two years later, violinist Chung Kyung-hwa won first place in the same competition. After graduating from the Juilliard School, pianist Paik Kunwoo won the top prize in the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 1967, the gold prize at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and first place in the Leventritt Competition in 1969, making a stunning debut onto the global classical music stage.

Since then, more and more Korean performers have been making strong showings in all three of the world-renowned competitions, testifying to the vast improvement in Korean talent over the past few years.The first to accept a Korean contestant was the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1974, when pianist Chung Myungwhun -- the music director at the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2005 and a former music director at the Paris Opera from 1989 to 1994 -- participated at the age of 20. For political reasons, it was not possible for Korean nationals to enter the Soviet Union, so Chung competed under U.S. nationality. Russian Andrei Gavrilov won the competition, and Chung won second place along with another Russian, Stanislav Igolinsky. When he returned to Seoul, a parade welcomed him from Gimpo Airport to Seoul City Hall. In 1994, pianist Paik Hae-sun, now a chair professor at the Catholic University of Daegu, won third place. In the vocal division, baritone Choi Hyun-soo won the competition in 1991. In 2011, Choi’s students, Park Jongmin and Seo Sun-young, won first place in the male and female competitions, respectively. That same year, three more Korean artists won pr izes: Son Yeol-eum won

Individual talent combined with national support and patronage have proven to be potent factors in helping Korean musicians become globally competitive.

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second place and Cho Seong-jin won third place in the piano competition, and Lee Je-hye won third place in the violin competition.

Korean musicians have won prizes in many of the Queen Elisabeth Competitions, and Lim Ji-young finally won first place for Korea this year.The prize winners throughout the years include violinist Kang Dong-suk (1976), violinist Bae Ik-hwan (1985), pianist Park Jong-hwa (1995), violinist Kwun Hyuk-joo (2005) and violinist Kim Su-yeon (2009). In the vocal section, soprano Hong Hae-ran won first place in 2001 and soprano Hwang Sumi won first place in 2014. In the composition section, Cho Eun-hwa won first place in 2009 and Jeon Min-jae did so in 2010.

Another remarkable achievement by a Korean classical musician was at the Verdi International Opera Competition in 1991.

Baritone Kim Dong-kyu was dubbed the best Verdiano -- a title bestowed on a singer for an outstanding perfor mance of a Giuseppe Verdi song -- for his rendering of “Alone Upon This Earth” from “Il Travatore.”

The pianist Chung Myung-whun won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1974 and a parade welcomed him when he returned to Seoul.

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Son Yeol-eum performs with NHK Symphony Orchestra in 2014. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation

YOUNG VIRTUOSOS RECIEVE WORDWIDE ACCLAIM Pianist Lim Dong-hyuk

Lim became a piano prodigy in his teens when he recorded his debut album with EMI Classics. Born in 1984 in Seoul, he started learning the piano at the age of 6.

He entered the Moscow Conservatory after his family moved to Russia for his father’s job. There, he studied under the renowned Lev Naumov, who taught distinguished pianists like Stanislav Bunin, Andrei, Gavrilov and Alexei Sultanov.

Lim won second place in the International Chopin Youth Competition in 1996 and became the youngest artist to win the Long-Thibaud International Competition in 2001. His debut album received the Golden Diapason Award from the French classical music magazine Le Diapason in September 2002. In 2000, when he com-

peted in the Busoni Competition, people thought that Lim was sure to win first place because his performance was so stunning.

Unfortunately, he only came in fifth place, causing many to seriously question the fair ness of the judging. Italian media reports called this incident “The Busoni Shock,” in tur n showing considerable interest in Lim. Shortly afterward, Lim was able to sign with EMI Classics at the recommendation of world-renowned pianist Mar tha Arger ich, who ar ranged the recording of the CD for him.

In June 2003, he finished third at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, but refused to accept the prize because he did not think that his performance had been judged fairly. The media at the time also raised questions about the jury’s deci-

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sion. In 2005, he won third place in the Chopin International Competition and in 2007, was a joint fourth-place winner at the Tchaikovsky Competition, for which there was no first place winner that year.

He is currently holding recitals to celebrate his first new album in seven years. It includes his renderings of Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op 28,Variations Brillantes, Op.12, Berceuse, Op. 57, and Barcarolle, Op.60.

Pianist Son Yeol-eum

Son started playing the piano at 3-and-ahalf years old at a small piano school in her hometown of Wonju, in Gangwon-do Province. She began her career as a pianist when she was selected for the Kumho Prodigy Program and made her recital debut in 1998.

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Lim Dong-hyuk won third place in the Chopin International Competition in 2005, and in 2007, was a joint fourth-place winner at the Tchaikovsky Competition.

She began to attract worldwide interest after winning second place as the youngest contestant in the 1997 International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. In 2002, she won the top prize at the Viotti International Music Competition in Vercelli, Italy, where she was again the youngest contestant.

Her performance before Lorin Maazel (1930-2014) is quite famous.While Maazel was the music director at the New York Philhar monic, for mer Chair man Park Seong-yong (1932-2005) of the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation hosted a private recital at his home. Son played Franz Liszt’s “Faust Waltz” and, when finished, Maazel stood up from his seat and shouted, “Bravo!” Maazel then decided to invite Son to perform with the New York Philharmonic, introducing her onto the world stage. She now splits her time between Korea and Europe, staging performances throughout the year.

Son makes strong, powerful strokes and has recently tried new styles. Her teacher, Arie Vardi at the Hannover National College of Music in Ger many, praises her extraordinary technique and her ability to move the audience with emotion.

to his piano lesson at the age of 3. The instructor there recommended that Kim take lessons. While still in elementary school, he was accepted into the pre-college program at the Korea National University of Arts and started studying under Kim Dae-jin.

In August 2004, he won first place in the Ettlingen Competition in Germany.

Son Yeol-eum had won this biennial competition four years earlier. Kim came to international recognition after winning the

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prestigious Leeds Inter national Piano Competition in 2006. He was the first Korean musician to receive an award at this competition. Previously, Chung Myunwhun finished fourth (1975), Seo Ju-hee finished second (1984) and Paik Hae-sun finished fifth (1990).

Kim’s winning of the Leeds Competition drew even greater attention since he was a 100% homegrown artist. He was both the first Asian and the youngest pianist to ever win the competition -- at the age of 18. In 2008, he signed with the U.K.’s music management agency Askonas Holt and moved to London. He completed his Master of Arts in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in 2013.

Kim maintains a balance of intellect and emotion and has shown great prowess in playing the music of Beethoven. He plays the piano like stacking blocks into a structure rather than relying on improvisation. He recently released his latest album with Ger many’s Accentus Music. The Beethoven piano sonatas album includes No. 21, Op. 53 Waldstein and No. 29, Op. 106 Hammerklavier. Kim will start a nationwide tour in Korea in May 2016.

Pianist Kim Sun-wook

Kim’s first experience with the piano was when he went along with his older brother

Kim Sun-wook, as a 100% homegrown musician, was both the first Asian and the youngest pianist to ever win the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation

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Violinist Lim Ji-young

Another beneficiary of the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series, Mun Tae-guk became the first Korean musician to win the 2014 Pablo Casals International Cello Competition. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation

The first Korean violinist to win the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Lim boasts such extraordinary technique and finesse that she is popularly known in Korea as the “Swordswoman.” She started learning the violin in elementary school. While still attending the Seoul Arts High School, she was accepted into and then entered the Korea National University of Arts.

She chooses to study in Korea because she has excellent teachers and because she c a n wa t c h p e r f o r m a n c e s by wo r l d renowned musicians on YouTube. She is greatly admired by Park Sam-koo, chairman of the Kumho Asiana Group. Park even sent a letter to Simon Rattle, artistic director at the Berlin Philhar monic, requesting Lim’s performance with the orchestra. Before winning the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Lim finished third at the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in 2014. Lim is especially accomplished in playing Mozar t, Beethoven and Schubert.

Cellist Mun Tae-guk

Another beneficiary of the Kumho Prodigy Concert Ser ies, Mun became the first Korean musician to win the 2014 Pablo Casals International Cello Competition.

The competition was established in homage to Spanish maestro Pablo Casals (18761973).The list of prize winners through the years includes renowned artists such as Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Lluís Claret, Anner Bylsma, Leslie Parnas and Miklós Perényi.

Two Koreans have received the special prize for promising young artists with outstanding musical ability: Cho Young-chang (1985) and Lee Jung-ran (2000).

Mun started playing the cello at the age of 3 and made his debut at a Kumho Prodigy Concert in 2004. He attended the Juilliard School Pre-College Division on a full scholarship. He is currently studying with Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory in Boston on a full scholarship.

Mun shows great maturity and depth

The first Korean violinist to win the Queen Elisabeth Competition, Lim Ji-young is popularly known as the “Swordswoman” for her extraordinary technique and finesse. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation

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in his music for his age. “The cello projects my emotion. I express all my inhibitions through my cello. It sounds like my dad’s voice. It may sound brusque, but you can find comfort because it is exquisite and majestic,” says Mun. Pianist Cho Seong-jin

Cho started playing the piano at the age of 5 and studied both piano and violin until he finished elementary school. He made his recital debut in 2005 in the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series.

Cho started attracting global interest when he won the 2008 International Fryderyk Chopin Competition for Young Pianists and the 2009 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, both as the youngest contestant. He then won third place in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011 and the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in 2014, and finally won the

More and more Korean performers have been making strong presentations in the world-renowned competitions, testifying to talent and potential.

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first place in the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2015.

He is currently a student of Michel Beroff at the Paris Conservatoire. Before moving to France, he studied French for seven hours a day for three months to pass the language exam.

On Nov. 5, shortly after winning the Chopin Competition, Cho performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as a soloist for Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Philharmonia Orchestra in London. In its review of Cho’s performance, the FinancialTimes wrote that,“His sound was lucid and shimmering. Though limited in colors, the most essential elements of Chopin’s music were clear. Everything was well judged…His encore was Chopin’s “Raindrop” Prelude, elegant and concentrated.”

On Nov. 21, Cho played Chopin's Heroic Polonaise in A flat major Op. 53 with Vladimir Fedoseyev’s NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, and received a roaring response from the audience.

21-year-old Cho Seong-jin became the first Korean pianist to win the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2015. © Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation 13

PEOPLE

Brassware Master Kim Su-yeong He keeps Anseong brassware traditions alive and well.

Written by YI EUN-SEOK Photographed by HONG HA-YAN

Making brassware involves many different tasks. Kim Su-yeong works with a hammer at various steps along the way while overseeing the overall process.

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rass tableware, called yugi in Korean, is a representative product of Anseong in Gyeonggi-do Province. It has long been an important part of Korean heritage. In fact, brass r ice and soup bowls, spoons and chopsticks were made by a specialized royal institution during the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). Known for its durability and conductivity, brassware has been produced since Goryeo times (918-1392).

Although technical developments stagnated dur ing the early years of Joseon (1392-1910), brassware became popular again in the 18th century and the ruling class ordered high-quality tableware from makers in Anseong.

BRASSWARE-MAKING AS A CALLING

Since 2008 a practitioner of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage Item No. 77, Kim Su-yeong has kept traditional brassware-making alive in Anseong. “I began working with my father when I was very young and have devoted my life to the business since my late 20s. I've been working as a brassware maker for 40 years now.”

Kim’s father, Kim Geun-su, was designated as the first master of brassware-making in June 1983. Kim Su-yeong has never considered any other job for himself, as he has always worked under his father. It was his true calling.

“The brassware industry faced a serious challenge in the past when people opted for lighter and more convenient stainless steel and plastic tableware. We overcame this by going abroad into the U.S. and Japanese markets. However, another challenge came soon afterward as inexpensive Chinese-made products flooded in.

Today, people acknowledge the advantages and the beauty of brassware, and this makes me happy,” says Kim. When households used coal briquettes for cooking and heating, people were hesitant to use brass tableware because the carbon monoxide generated by the burning of the briquettes caused the brass to change color. Now that coal briquettes are

Brass tableware, called yugi in Korean, has long been an important part of Korean heritage.

no longer commonly used, brassware is popular again, particularly because it can indicate the presence of chemical pesticides in vegetables, it can keep food fresh for longer and it can kill off many of the bacteria that cause food poisoning. Brassware not only makes great wedding presents, but is also increasingly used at traditional restaurants and dessert shops.

There are two methods of making brassware: molding, or the jumul method; and, hand-forging, or the bangjja method.

Molding involves pouring a molten copper alloy into a mold. Hand-forging involves time-consuming hammering of a lump of heated metal into a desired shape. Kim Suyeong makes his tableware by molding.

“The hand-forging method is used to make musical instruments, like the hand-held gong or the large gong. Molding is mostly used for making tableware, which are smaller than instruments.The pieces I make are small, elaborate and durable,” says Kim. He runs his business with his secondoldest son, Kim Beom-jin, and 20 other artisans.When he is not making brassware, he devotes his time to making replicas of

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artifacts at museums and of the dishes used for royal ancestral rituals in the past.

INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

The design and use of traditional brassware have changed tremendously over the years.

Kim Su-yeong seeks various ways whereby people can continue to use brassware every day. He accepts new designs for his products from college students majoring in design and does his own research into what today’s young people like by holding exhibitions of his work.

Nearly 70 years old, Kim has no intention of retiring any time soon. Though his son is now carrying on the family business as a third-generation artisan, Kim’s passion for his work is as strong as ever. “I told my son that I will retire when I turn 70, but I’m not sure yet. I'm still physically capable of working, so I might just keep doing this,” says Kim with a chuckle. Although he circumvents any questions about his future plans, it seems certain that his techniques, artistry and wisdom will continue to bring out the endless colors of traditional brassware.

PEOPLE

King of Popera, Lim Hyung-joo He has been dubbed one of the world’s best popera singers.

Written by KIM HYUN-HEE

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a r l i e r t h i s ye a r, C N N i R e p o r t declared Lim Hyung-joo to be one of the top three popera tenors in the world, saying that, “His voice tone is clear like a crystal, and he presents lyrical and mysterious musical interpretations.” Lim was also named one of the world’s five most influ-

ential popera artists by BBC Music Magazine, along with renowned singers like Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. He is the youngest artist of the five. The magazine dubbed Lim the “King of Popera” and described his voice “as soft as a feather and sweet like candy floss.”

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SWEEPING STAGES ACROSS THE WORLD

Lim is only 29 years old, but he is already a veteran singer with 17 years of professional exper ience. When he released his first studio album, “Salley Garden” (2003), pop music performed in an operatic singing

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style was still something new. That same year, he sang the national anthem at the inauguration ceremony for Korea’s ninth president, Roh Moo-hyun, and had his first solo concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, attracting considerable interest in both himself and his genre of popera.

Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall is one of the most memorable places for Lim. His performance at the 268-seat hall was his first to be sold out. “I vividly remember standing behind the curtain completely nervous. As I walked onto the stage, I reminded myself of my countless practice sessions. Once out there, I was able to focus solely on my music and the recital was a success,” recalls Lim. He has performed on all three stages at Carnegie Hall, the first Korean soloist to ever do so. In 2007, he performed with the New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra at the Stern Auditorium, and in 2010, he had a solo concert in Zankel Hall in commemoration of the 60th anniversar y of the Korean War (1950-1953).

In May 2015, Lim Hyung-joo was selected as one of the world’s five most influential popera artists by BBC Music Magazine along with Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Il Divo.

“His voice tone is clear like a crystal, and he presents lyrical and mysterious musical interpretations.”

FROM YOUNGEST PERFORMER TO PURSUING HAPPINESS

IN COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC KOREA

Throughout his career, Lim was often the “first” or the “youngest” performer to reach a particular milestone. He is the

Lim Hyung-joo performs in the Theater of Marcellus in Rome in September 2015.

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world’s first popera singer to perform at the Theater of Marcellus in Rome. Not even opera singers are given many opportunities to hold concerts in the ancient open-air theater that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This month, he became the first Korean to be appointed as an honorary professor at the Rome Arts College.

Lim devotes considerable time and resources to community outreach. In 1998, he donated all of his earnings from some of his earlier recordings to pay for eye surgery for low-income people. In 2008, he contributed KRW 10 billion, approximately USD 8.6 million, to establish the Art-one Cultural Foundation that nurtures young talent from underprivileged backgrounds.

After his New York concert on the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War in 2010, he donated all the proceeds to the United Nations as a scholarship fund for the descendants of Korean War veterans around the world. In 2014, his philanthropic work was recognized by the U.N. He was appointed as the UNESCO Korean National Commission's first goodwill ambassador for peace and arts, and was awarded a U.N. Peace Medal.

Lim has spent recent months on work back home. In the beginning of the year, he released his first pop album, “Sarang: Love” (2015), that features lyrical interpretations of Korean pop songs from the 1990s. He has been on his "L.O.V.E." nine-city tour around the country since October. In December, he will have a solo concert in Osaka in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Korea and Japan.

Lim pursues happiness in his daily life, even in the midst of his busy schedule. “I believe happiness is not something grand. In the past, I valued performances with worldrenowned orchestras on the global stage, but now I try to focus more on encouraging and comforting people with my music.

Nothing would make me happier than to hear that my music warms the hearts of everyone who listens to it,” says Lim.

TRAVEL

Samcheok Embraces the Winter Ocean

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You can always see the ocean, whether walking, driving or riding a train in Samcheok.

Written by CHOI YUN-HWA Photographed by MOON DUK-KWAN

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amcheok is in the southeastern corner of Gangwon-do Province. A mountainous area to the west, the sea to the east and the Osipcheon Stream flowing through the center give this city varied and breathtaking scenery. The coastline along the East Sea stretches 58 kilometers and has wide beaches, inviting fishing ports and rocky outcrops. Samcheok is also an excellent place to see a beautiful sunrise. Driving along the Saecheonnyeon Coastal Road is one of the best ways to enjoy Samcheok’s wonderful coastal views.

fishing boats in the sea and the twinkling stars in the sky make for a spectacular sight.

The Saecheonnyeon Coastal Road has a number of attractions along the way.The Tower of Wishes was built in 2000 to promote local tourism. A time capsule was buried underneath it in celebration of the new millennium. The Sculpture Park features some 10 different sculptures that face the ocean. Outdoor concerts and other events are held in the summer, and the area has a number of excellent restaurants and coffee shops. On New Year’s Eve, visitors can make wishes for the new year at the

DRIVE ALONG THE COAST

The Saecheonnyeon Coastal Road runs about 4.6 kilometers from Samcheok Harbor to Samcheok Beach. Dubbed one of the 100 most beautiful roads in Korea, the coastal route was designated by the local government to turn the ocean sunrise into a tourist attraction.Where there were once only rugged cliffs, there is now a curvy road between the ocean and the mountains. The Samcheok city government built this road while accentuating the uncommon scenery along the East Coast, such as rock formations and pine forests. At night, the road’s lampposts, the lights of

Driving along the Saecheonnyeon Coastal Road is one of the best ways to enjoy Samcheok’s wonderful coastal views.

Visitors can see one-of-a-kind local sites along the coastal road.

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Tower of Wishes or at the Sculpture Park and watch the sunrise on New Year’s Day. Another way to enjoy the Samcheok landscape is to ride the Sea Train. This is a tourist train built to look like a submarine and its 58-kilometer railway connects Samcheok and Gangneung in the far north of the province. All the seats face out toward the ocean through giant windows giving tourists the chance to enjoy a panoramic ocean view, like watching a movie.

Hopping on one of the Samcheok rail bikes is a fun outdoor activity for friends, couples and families. They can enjoy the sights of huge pine trees and amazing rock formations along the East Sea while pedaling one of the four-wheeled rail bicycles.

The railway is about 10 kilometers both ways. It passes two stops and a rest area with an obser vation lounge, and also r uns through a tunnel.

JANGHOHANG PORT

Located about 25 kilometers outside of town, the Janghohang Por t is locally known as the “Naples of Korea.” The port is famous for its rounded shoreline and white sand. Perhaps Janghohang Port is the reason why Samcheok is often recommended for people who want to enjoy the ocean in the winter. Unlike the deep, indigo-blue waters in the north of the province, Samcheok has softer, calmer waters that are azure blue, accompanied by beautiful rock formations. Fishermen at Janghohang Port bring in a rich catch of fish and other seafood that visitors can enjoy at affordable prices.Visitors can also go fishing on one of the fishing boats or experience marine farming. That involves pulling up fishnets filled with rockfish and sea squirts. Other activities include transparent canoeing, sea rafting, snorkeling, riding paddle swan boats and dragnet fishing. Transparent canoeing is popular since visitors can see into the clear waters below through the bottom of the boats. The nearby Jangho Beach is small and quiet, a perfect location for a leisurely stroll.

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The rail bike route passes by huge pine trees and through tunnels.

JUKSEORU PAVILION

Pavilions are commonly built in places of extraordinary natural beauty. Traditional pavilions are places of regular gathering or rest. On the way to the entrance of Jukseoru Pavilion, visitors pass through a large bamboo forest. In fact, the juk in the name means bamboo. Located atop a cliff between two large trees, the pavilion looks down over the city of Samcheok.The poles that sustain the structure are each of different lengths to preserve the rocky cliff on which it is built. Jukseoru Pavilion is the oldest and biggest pavilion in Korea today, designated as National Treasure No. 213.

Pavilions are a living testimony to the ancient philosophy of life: seek comfort and rest in nature. From the second floor of the pavilion, one can see the Osipcheon Stream flowing to the west. Because of Samcheok’s breathtaking scenery, Jukseoru Pavilion has been a favorite spot for calligraphers and painters seeking inspiration ever since Goryeo times (918-1392).When lying inside it, one can appreciate the beauty of this pavilion ensconced among trees and rocks.

TOWN OF CAVES

Samcheok is also famous for its caves. It is

home to the Hwanseongul Cave, the Daegeumgul Cave and the Gwaneumgul Cave.

In 2002, Samcheok hosted the World Cave Expo, and the Expo Town was the main venue for the event. After the expo, the building became a permanent exhibition hall with exhibitions about the world’s seven major cave systems. In the cave exploration hall, visitors can experience climbing rocky slopes and see waterfalls and mineral formations as if they are actually touring one of the world’s seven major cave systems.

The Hwanseongul Cave is Korea’s biggest limestone cave, believed to have been formed some 530 million years ago. Inside the cave are various types of mineral formations, including stalagmites and stalactites. Only about 1.6 kilometers of the cave are open to the public, and looking around the cave takes about one hour. In 2010, the Hwanseongul Cave began operating a monorail, making it easier for visitors to tour around.

The Daegeumgul Cave, not far from the Hwanseongul Cave, features many different types of well-preserved speleothems in sparkling gold, as well as a fascinating menagerie of large and small waterfalls and ponds.

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WHAT TO EAT Every visitor to Samcheok must try the seafood.

Famous dishes include moray eel soup (gomchiguk) and cold raw fish soup (mulhoe). Moray eel meat does not have the strong smell of fish and is so soft that it just melts in your mouth.

Moray eel soup is a one-of-a-kind dish found only in Samcheok. It has a spicy and refreshing taste. The Bada Hoetjip (88 Saecheonnyeondoro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do Province; Tel. 033-574-3543) is one of the original restaurants that serve moray eel soup. The Saecheonnyeon Hoetjip (509 Saecheonnyeon-doro, Samcheok, Gangwon-do Province; Tel. 033-572-2800) is famous for its cold raw fish soup made from several kinds of raw fish, vegetables and spicy, acidic broth. The dish is a traditional delicacy in most coastal towns.

WHERE TO STAY Many different types of accommodations are available in Samcheok. The High 1 Choo Choo Park is a train-themed B&B. The facilities include an outdoor camp ground for car camping, as well as free-standing units.

The Seaspovill Resort offers regular rooms and a camp ground spots for campers or station wagons. The resort is close to Maengjang Beach, and visitors can enjoy beautiful ocean views throughout the day.

GETTING THERE There are no direct trains from Seoul to Samcheok. Visitors must get on a train bound for Gangwon-do Province’s Donghae Station from Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul, and then take a bus to Samcheok.

To take a bus from Seoul, go to the Seoul Express Bus Terminal or to the East Seoul Bus Terminal and get on a bus to the Samcheok Express Bus Terminal. The journey takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes.

From Busan, the bus is a faster option than the train. Take a bus from the Busan Central Bus Terminal to the Samcheok Central Bus Terminal.

The journey is about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Donghae station

Seoul

3hour

30min

Samcheok

Busan

SPORTS

The Fun of Skiing Ski lovers from around the world come to Korea for excellent skiing.

Written by KIM NAE-ON

The Yongpyeong Resort in the county of Pyeongchang in Gangwon-do Province has uncommonly beautiful scenery. © Yongpyeong Resort

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n Nov. 4, the filming of the KoreanChinese romantic comedy "Couple of the Century" began at the Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province.This soap opera is about two celebrities who fall in love on a virtual dating show. It stars actress Lee Da-hae and singer Zhou Mi from the pop band Super Junior-M. A luxurious villa at the Alpensia Resort will be the location of the main character’s home, so the show will feature the resort’s ski slopes and the ski jump tower, as well as the beautiful winter scenery of the Daegwallyeong Mountain Pass. Lee Cheong-ryong, CEO of the Gangwondo Development

Corporation, says that, “The leading actors are popular in mainland China, and the beautiful sights of the ski resort will help attract Chinese tourists,” expressing his hopes that the show would boost tourism in the province. The Alpensia Resort is a well-known attraction among fans of Korean television as a number of popular shows, including the soap operas “That Winter, the Wind Blows” and “Hotel King,” and the reality show “Running Man,” have been filmed there.

ASIA-WIDE TOURIST ATTRACTION

Travel agencies are busy promoting pack-

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aged ski trips for Asian tourists this winter.

A typical trip includes visits to historical attractions in Seoul, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and the streets of Insa-dong, followed by an entire day of skiing at a resort in Gangwon-do Province. These packaged tours enable tourists to easily enjoy a ski trip without having to worry about arranging transportation or reserving accommodations on their own. Ski resorts now even offer ski lessons in English for non-Korean speaking tourists.

Already these days, many non-Korean visitors can be seen skiing on Korean slopes. More than 500,000 visitors come to

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Korea every winter to ski, and the revenue from ski tourism totals KRW 10 billion, approximately USD 8.7 million. The majority are from Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Singapore, and people from Taiwan, mainland China and Hong Kong are coming in increasing numbers.

The popularity of Korean entertainment has had a great impact on the domestic ski industry. Fans of Korean pop music and soap operas now come to Korea to enjoy much more than just the historical sites and the cuisine: they also visit national parks and enjoy sports and other outdoor activities. The biggest ski resorts in Korea are, in fact, not too far from Seoul. The Konjiam Resort, Bears Town Resort and Yangji Pine Resort are located about an hour away in Gyeonggi-do Province. In Gangwon-do Province, the Yongpyeong Resort was used as a filming location for the soap opera “Winter Sonata,” and “Autumn in My Heart” was shot at Phoenix Park. A ski trip to the Daemyung Vivaldi Park and then a visit to the nearby Namiseom Island, another shoot location for “Winter Sonata,” is one of the most popular packages among soap opera fans.

Many resorts hold various forms of event and entertainment during the holiday season. © Yonhap News

Tourists consider trips to ski resorts to be another way of experiencing Korean culture.

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ince is unique in its own way. The Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort in Chuncheon is set in a stunning landscape overlooking the Bukhangang River. The High 1 Resort in Jeongseon has a gentle slope on which beginners can ski, all the way down from the peak. The Pyeongchang’s Yongpyeong Resort was Korea’s first ski resort, opened in 1975. It has perfect natural conditions for skiing, as it receives on average 250 centimeters of snow every year. The Hyundai Sungwoo Resort, also called the Welli Hilli Park, in Hoengseong has an intermediatelevel moguls section, and the Vivaldi Park in Hongcheon hosts a snowboarding comp e t i t i o n eve r y ye a r. I n t h e t ow n o f Pyeongchang, the Yongpyeong Resort, the Alpensia Resort and Phoenix Park have all upgraded their facilities in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.Tourists who are familiar with Korean society consider trips to these ski resorts to be another way of experiencing local culture, just like going out to karaoke or trying the fried chicken and beer. If you want to have a fun, comprehensive experience of winter in Korea, simply head to a ski resort.

SKIING AND MORE

Ski resorts in Korea are especially appealing to Asian ski enthusiasts. Of course, the slopes are located in pristine areas where visitors can relish the beauty of the natural surroundings. More importantly, they have spa facilities, karaoke rooms, amusement arcades, movie theaters and sledding hills for families and friends to enjoy various forms of entertainment. Throughout the day, the entire resort is filled with excitement and energy. Many resorts also hold concerts featuring pop groups during the holidays. Ski equipment and clothing are available at rental shops located near or inside the resorts, which also offer ski lessons for skiers of all levels. Some of the resorts near Seoul offer free shuttle buses to and from the city.

Each ski resort in Gangwon-do ProvLessons in English are available for non-Korean speaking tourists. © Yonhap News 23

ENTERTAINMENT

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n 2011, adaption rights for the survival game show “Running Man” were sold in nine Asian markets, including Taiwan,Thailand, mainland China and Japan.The show features celebrities who complete a series of challenges at major landmarks around the country. In 2013, a Chinese broadcaster began producing its own version of the travel show “Dad, Where Are We Going?” another Korean hit. It features celebrity fathers and their children undertaking challenging activities in the countryside.

The Mandarin version of the singing competition “I Am a Singer” received rave

reviews across China. People are noticing that the focus on Korean TV is shifting from soap operas to reality shows. About 73% of Korean reality TV shows have been exported to mainland China, and about 40% of Chinese reality TV shows are based on Korean originals. Such exported content not only comes from Korea’s three main TV channels – SBS, MBC and KBS – but also from smaller players.

Countries in other parts of the world are also taking interest in Korean reality TV shows. The adaptation rights to TVN’s show “Grandpas Over Flowers” have been

sold in the U.S. and 10 other countries in Europe and Asia. This is the first Korean reality TV show to be exported to the U.S., and the show will be produced by NBC under the title “Better Late Than Never.”

Just like the original, the U.S. version will feature veteran actors in their 70s and 80s backpacking overseas. The same show was adapted in mainland China last year, and the show’s sequel, “Sisters Over Flowers,” was aired this year. The show was wellreceived by viewers for showing the fun and unexpected incidents that cast members encountered while traveling overseas.

Korean Entertainment Enters the World Korean reality TV spreads laughter around the world.

Written by CHOI YUN-HWA

The survival game show “Running Man” were sold in nine Asian markets, including Taiwan, Thailand, mainland China and Japan. © Yonhap News 24

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(left)“Grandpas Over Flowers” will be remade in 10 countries, including the U.S. © Yonhap News (right)“The Genius” is a reality TV game show where contestants from different jobs play mind games to win. © TVN

“Dad, Where Are We Going?”

by MBC Celebrity fathers take their children on trips to the countryside and complete challenges with them. The innocent conversations among the children and the fathers’ cooking touched countless viewers’ hearts.

“I Am a Singer” by MBC This survival music show stages matchups between seasoned singers who are then judged by a carefully chosen audience that votes on their performances. It showed the singers’ passion for their performances.

“Running Man” by SBS In this game show, celebrities compete against each other as they try to rip off each other’s name tags, all while completing challenges in a specific neighborhood.

The show’s novel, creative rules, and the humorous personalities of the celebrities, really garnered interest from the viewers.

“Grandpas Over Flowers” by TVN Four veteran actors in their 70s and 80s go backpacking. The show became a surprise hit, defying the youth-centric focus of reality TV. “The Genius” by TVN A reality TV game show where contestants from different jobs play mind games to win.

The format for TVN’s “The Genius” was sold in the U.K., the Netherlands and France. “The Genius” is a reality TV show where contestants from different professions play mind games. A star-studded cast, rivalry, unexpected variables and fierce competition are key factors that make this program popular, bringing it to the main p a g e a s o n e o f t h e m o s t f re q u e n t l y searched-for words at major search engines.

GRIPPING FORMAT RELATABLE CHARACTERS

About 10 years ago, Korean reality shows were very popular in mainland China when the original episodes were broadcast.

Today, instead of selling the original television programs with subtitles, broadcasters are selling the adaptation rights so that different countries can create their own local versions of the shows.The only conditions are that the adapted shows produce the same type of content, including the show’s logo, background music, set design and graphics, and guarantee that the same quality and feeling is maintained. This means that the particular styles of the formats are

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sold as a package. This enables different television networks to produce shows fairly easily and gives them an upper hand in the competition for ratings.

The most popular formats include quiz or game shows, competitions and challenge-based shows. Challenge-based survival shows are a representative style of Korean reality television. In each episode, celebrities are given a set of new challenges, and viewers can watch their genuine reactions in different situations. The scenes are not scripted, and celebrities’ witty improvisations maximize the fun factor. For example, “Running Man” features celebrities completing missions in different buildings or neighborhoods each week, all while rippingVelcro name tags off each other’s backs.

The one who keeps his or her name tag until the end wins the game. The show’s popularity is attributable to its originality and the unique personalities of the celebrities. Since last year, China’s Zhejiang TV has been airing its version of “Running Man,” titled “Hurry Up, Brother.” The show was also made into a movie that grossed over CNY 400 million, approximately USD 63 million, at the box office.

Korean channels have also been exporting their know-how in production and technology, as well as workers. More shows are being co-produced. For instance, about 50 out of the 200 staff members working on “Hurry Up, Brother” were from the or iginal production team of “Running Man.” In such co-productions, Korean chief producers, directors of photography and writers stay with the Chinese team for about a month, actively participating in planning, filming and editing the shows. In fact, Kim Yeong-hui, the producer of “Dad,Where Are We Going?” and “I Am a Singer” and who sold the shows’ adaptation rights in mainland China, has started working in China himself. He is the first producer to establish his own company abroad and to make programs. Korean television programs are now being reproduced all around the world.

SPECIAL ISSUE

Recording the Wounds of War The 1983 television broadcast “Finding Dispersed Families” was added to UNESCO’s list of documentary heritage items.

Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG

“D

oes Anyone Know This Person?”

This was the title of a popular Korean song that was used as the background music during actual family reunions for the 1983 television broadcast “Finding Dispersed Families.” The program was produced by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) to help find and reunite family members who had become separated during the Korean War (1950-1953) three decades earlier.The program was broadcast live for 138 days and the archives comprise 20,522 records, including producers’ notes, video tapes and photographs.

The program’s archives have now been recognized by the UNESCO International Advisory Committee for their historical value, and have been added to UNESCO’s list of documentary heritage items. The decision to include them was made at the 12th session of the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, held in the United Arab Emirates in early October. A set of Korean printing blocks for 718 wooden tablets written by scholars during Joseon times (1392-1910) was also added to the list.With these two new inscriptions, Korea now has 13 items of documentary heritage on UNESCO’s Memory of the World list.

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A COUNTRY DIVIDED

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Korea is one of the few remaining divided countries in the world, a vestige of the Cold War.The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, between North and South Korea.

The war went on for three years and ended on July 27, 1953, when a cease fire agreement was signed. However, the two Koreas still remain technically at war. The agreement created the Demilitarized Zone to separate Chinese and U.S. troops, and the

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country has remained divided ever since with very little contact between the citizens on either side. Families that had members in both the South and North were not able to see each other, and families became separated from each other amid the chaos of war as people fled the battle zones. The Korean War resulted in five million deaths and 100,000 war orphans. Ten million people were separated from their families.

North Korea was encouraged in the 1970s to enter talks regarding divided families, but no agreement could be reached. In 1983, KBS produced a special live broadcast titled “Finding Dispersed Families” that aired around the 33rd anniversary of the outbreak of the war and the 30th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement. The program aimed at helping people in the South find loved ones who were lost during the war. It broadcast interviews with people who were searching for lost family members and gave information about these families. A telephone number for viewers who might recognize a relative flashed on the screen. Due to North Korea’s refusal, the program aired only in the South and didn't include anyone living in the North.

overwhelming response, a live broadcast was aired until early that morning, and then KBS decided to extend its coverage of these events. The program began on June 30 and ended on November 14, running live for a total of 453 hours and 45 minutes over 138 days. Of the 100,952 people who applied to appear on the program, 53,536 went on-air, and 10,189 families were reunited. Those who could not appear on the program put up signs bearing information about their lost family members on the walls of the KBS building and in the parking lot.The “Finding Dispersed Families” movement caused a national sensation and people all over the country gathered around their televisions and to cry tears of joy and empathy along with the separated family members.

The program laid bare the deep scars that war had left on countless individuals, both in Korea and around the world. The entire live broadcast was recorded in real time on 463 videotapes. The or iginal recordings and other materials created in the course of broadcasting, such as the signs with information about family members, cue sheets, programming schedules and photos, are preserved in the KBS archives.

This documentary heritage item was submitted to UNESCO last year and was recommended for inclusion on the Memory of the World Register this year. UNESCO said that the archives were included on the list primarily for the moments of reunion

RECORD OF SCARS

The program was originally planned to run for 95 minutes, but on the day of the broadcast, thousands of people swarmed KBS headquarters asking for help finding long-lost family members. Due to their

A REUNION LONG OVERDUE

The 1983 KBS broadcast marked a significant thaw in inter-Korean relations and led to talks on family reunions between the two countries. The historic first round of South and North family reunions took place in 1985 when 35 people from the South and 30 people from the North met their families from the other side for the fir st time since the war. The f amily reunions resumed after the first interKorean summit in June 2000, and 20 reunions have been held since.

The latest reunion was held in October this year in North Korea. A total of 398 people from 96 Southern families arrived at a hotel near Geumgangsan Mountain and met their family members from the North for the first time in 65 years. After the three-day reunion, they said tearful goodbyes with little hope of meeting again unless the Korean Peninsula were to be unified. Nonetheless, they are considered lucky, as thousands of first-generation separated family members are still waiting for a rare chance to meet their beloved kin. Of the members of 130,000 dispersed families in South Korea that have registered with the Red Cross for reunions, more than half have already died. Nearly half of the survivors are in their 80s, and more than 7,000 are in their 90s.

2 - During the broadcast of “Finding Dispersed Families,” thousands of people thronged KBS headquarters in Yeouido hoping to find their lost family members. © Yonhap News

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and the fact that the archives remind the world of the cruelty of humanity.

1 - KBS' walls and parking lot were covered with notes bearing information about lost family members. © Yonhap News

3 - The few Southerners who can attend SouthNorth family reunions are randomly selected by computer, taking into consideration their age and their family background. © Yonhap News

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CURRENT KOREA

Junior students cheer examinees ahead of the CSAT. Some 630,000 students nationwide take the test November every year. Š Yonhap News

College Entrance Exam Season Everyone cheers for high school seniors as they take their college entrance exam each November.

Written by LEE DAM-MI

A

rare sight unfolds across the country on the morning of the second Thursday of November each year. Every government agency and public institution starts the day at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. Most private companies follow suit, at the government’s request.This is to clear the way for students to be on time for their College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) at 9 a.m.

FROM TALISMANS TO POLICE MOTORCYCLES

Even without commuters crowding the roads and subway stations, traffic near every testing location becomes heavily congested

by some 60,000 high school seniors. Some students catch rides with the police by cruiser or motorcycle to get to their testing site on time. They will be disqualified if they are not there when the test starts.

Motorcyclists on the road even volunteer to take strangers to their testing sites if they are stuck in traffic. Once the test starts, the government imposes noise controls across the country. Planes cannot take off or land, sirens cannot be sounded and trains and buses must move more slowly.

In the weeks leading up to the exam, students receive gifts from families and fr iends. One of the traditional gifts is

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Korean-style toffee, called yeot. It is an oldfashioned treat made by solidifying strands of rice syrup. People have long-believed that eating toffee brings good luck because the stickiness of the candy symbolizes that students will be accepted to colleges: their good results will "stick." A few days before the test, groups of high school alumni who went on to prestigious universities bring thick boards of toffee back to their alma mater for the high school seniors who will be taking the college entrance exam soon.

The toffee board is roughly 50 centimeters on each side. One of the graduates gives encouraging words to the high school

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seniors, and one of the seniors – usually the top student in the class – breaks the toffee with his or her head. Everyone enjoys the candy as they exchange encouraging words.

On the day of the test, parents swarm the testing areas to pray for their children.

Christian churches and Buddhist temples alike hold prayers for parents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the test finally ends. They even take breaks and eat at the same time as the students. Some parents use paper talismans that they put in their children’s pillows or stick to the gate of the school where their children are taking the exam.

LUNCH MENUS AND GOOD LUCK CHARMS

It might be difficult to fathom the importance of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT). About 50% of all high school graduates in OECD countries go on to college. In Korea, that percentage is 72%. In 2014, 26.5% out of about 60,000 CSAT takers were taking the test for a second or third time, or even more. If students are not satisfied with their results the first time around, they can study for one or more years and take the test again. In Seoul’s Gangnam-gu District, where higher education is considered especially important,

Parents pray for their children at a Buddhist temple. © Yonhap News

83.5% were re-takers.

Students try to stay away from eating “slippery” foods for lunch on exam day since that would symbolize them "slipping" down the rankings. One of the dishes avoided most is seaweed soup. On the contrary, all the students are keen to eat anything “sticky” to ensure their results "stick" high up in the rankings and that they subsequently get accepted to a college of their choosing. Sweet red bean rice cake is a good example of a "sticky" food. This traditional dessert is especially popular during CSAT season. The perfect gift basket for a high school senior includes rice toffee, a mirror and a fork. Each item reminds the test takers to get themselves admitted to college by “seeing well” with the mirror

Junior students are bowing deeply to cheer examinees. © Yonhap News 29

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and “picking well” with the fork.

To ensure their children stay awake physically and mentally during the exam, parents give them a special drink called a chongmyeongtang. According to the “Encyclopedia of Korean Medicine,” having this drink regularly improves your memory and you may be able to memorize 1,000 words a day.The main ingredients are ginseng and deer antlers. Another food that has recently become popular for such purposes is dabitang, which literally means that students can “see the answers.”Ahn Hye-jeong, a graduate of Seoul National University and in her mid-20s, says that, “I had a drink of this before I took the CSAT. I hated its bitter taste, but I drank it because my parents gave it to me so that I would do well on my exam.”

In the evening after the exam, tentative test answers are released nationwide online.

Students then do an initial scoring of their exams to see whether or not their scores are good enough for their university of choice. Strategic planning is essential at this stage because students can only apply up to three schools. Once the exam is over, restaurants, hair salons, travel agencies and plastic surgery clinics begin massive promotions targeting high school seniors who are now free to do whatever they want with their time.

Society has always taken education very seriously. As a result, the economy has g rown mightily over the past several decades. The country has so few natural resources, but no resource is more important than its people. Society’s dr ive to become educated has produced a large, highly-qualified workforce. This has naturally facilitated Korea’s efforts to develop indigenous technologies. The day of the College Scholastic Aptitude Test is the culmination of this drive and the reason for the uncommon sights and the offering of products specifically targeted at test takers.

In essence, the CSAT is an undertaking of every member of society to encourage and support the students.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

President Park Geun-hye (center), Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pose for a photo during the 6th Trilateral Summit Meeting on Nov. 1 at Cheong Wa Dae.

Korea, Japan, China Trilateral Summit President Park Geun-hye met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang for the 6th Trilateral Summit to reconfirm bolstered cooperation.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

T

he 6th Korea-Japan-China Summit was held at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov.1.

Under the chairmanship of Korea, President Park Geun-hye presided over the Trilateral Summit. The three leader s exchanged views on cooperation among the three countries and the direction for future development as well as key regional and international affairs.

Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang noted that the restoration of the Trilateral Summit was extremely important and was largely due to the leadership of President Park.

President Park proposed five goals for trilateral cooperation: contribution to peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia; economic integration among the three

30

nations; balanced development of the economy, environment and society; expansion of people-to-people and cultural exchange and close coordination on regional and global issues.

The three leaders agreed that trilateral cooperation had to be built on “the spirit of facing history squarely and advancing towards the future,� which was laid out in

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the Trilateral Cooperation VISION 2020 adopted in 2010.

During the session on key regional and inter national affairs, the three leaders expressed common understanding of the need to reinforce trilateral cooperation in order to take the initiative in contributing to peace and prosperity not only in Northeast Asia but also in the international community.

Regarding North Korea, including its nuclear weapons program, the three leaders shared the view that they needed to work together to resume the meaningful SixParty Talks, with a common understanding of zero tolerance for the North’s nuclear armament as well as the necessity for denuclearization.

The three nations adopted the Joint Declaration for Peace and Cooperation in Northeast Asia, containing the direction for progress of trilateral cooperation.

KOREA-CHINA BILATERAL TALKS

Before the Trilateral Summit, President Park Geun-hye held bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Oct. 31.

They discussed key issues of mutual interest in depth, including the development of Korea-China relations, measures to promote substantive economic and cultural

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President Park Geun-hye proposed that three countries build an economic community and cooperate in future growth industries.

cooperation, and other issues concerning the Korean Peninsula as well as regional cooperation and climate change.

The two nations signed 13 economic memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on expanding trade by easing customs and non-tariff barriers, reinforcing cooperation on innovation and conducting joint business in a third country. They also signed four MOUs on diplomacy and environmental issues and adopted a joint statement to strengthen collaboration in finance.

KOREA-JAPAN BILATERAL TALKS

President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 2, the day after the Trilat-

President Park Geun-hye proposed that the three countries build an economic community, cooperate in future growth industries and jointly respond to global issues.

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eral Summit.The two leaders discussed key issues between the two countries, ways to advance forward-looking relations, response to the North Korean nuclear problem and other issues of mutual interest.

President Park raised the issue of the “comfort women,” who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.This has for some time been the biggest stumbling block to improving relations between the two countries and she went on to emphasize that the issue had to be resolved soon and in a manner acceptable to both the victims and the Korean people at large.

In consideration of the fact that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, the two leaders instructed the officials present to accelerate consultations for the resolution of the comfort women issue.

On economic issues, the two leaders assessed the ongoing negotiations for a Korea-China-Japan free trade agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and agreed to continue cooperation on the matter.

Sharing the view that dynamic people-to-people exchange is a basis for progress in the relationship, the two leaders also concurred on working together to foster mutual understanding and cooperation through more frequent exchange among young people.

The President Attends G20 Leaders’ Summit At the 2015 G20 Antalya Summit, President Park Geun-hye highlighted the issues of economic growth, structural reform, climate change and Korea’s pledge to eradicate terrorism with the international community.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

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resident Park Geun-hye participated in the 2015 G20 Antalya Summit held in Antalya,Turkey from Nov. 15 to 16. At the first session of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, President Park highlighted the importance of the faithful implementation of G20 growth strategies. She also stressed the necessity of inclusive growth in which sustained economic growth and structural refor m make it possible for a g reater number of people to share the results.

In addition, she introduced Korea’s efforts and successful cases in carrying out growth strategies, explaining that the country came up with the Three-year Plan for Economic Innovation and pushed for structural reforms with a focus on four major areas of the public sector, labor, finance and education.

The President gave high marks to the initiative agreed upon at this G20 Leaders’ Summit to address base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). She unveiled a plan for Korea, too, to soon legislate anti-BEPS measures to tackle global tax evasion

schemes taking advantage of loopholes.

Moreover, the President mentioned that Korea, as a member of the Early Adopters Group for the Tax Information Exchange Agreements, would actively share information with tax authorities in other countries. Next, she stressed that the advanced nations should adjust their monetary policies gradually and with prudence considering their impact on the world economy. She also highlighted the necessity of a global financial safety net.

The G20 Summit concluded with the G20 statement on the fight against terrorism. The leaders showed their firm determination to eradicate terrorism and to jointly respond to the worsening refugee crisis. The world leaders adopted the G20 Statement on the fight against terrorism, as well as the G20 Leaders' Communiqué. In the G20 Leaders' Communiqué, they called upon all states to contribute to the response to the refugee crisis and to share in the burdens associated with it.

G20 Summit in Keywords President Park Geun-hye’s presentation and proposals

Counterterrorism • Improved international cooperation to eradicate terrorism

Reforms in Four Key Sectors • Public sector/Labor market/ Finance/Education

Creative Economy • Efforts to implement growth strategies

Climate Change • Four models to develop new energy industries

Financial Safety Nets • Resumption of the International Financial Architecture Working Group *Korea selected as a co-chair

Global Value Chains (GVCs) • Building partnerships for technology transfer *Technology support for developing countries

Multilateral Trade • Strengthening of the international trade system and commitment to participation

Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) • Participation in reform of international tax systems

* Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) refers to tax planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in the tax rules, resulting in little or no overall corporate tax being paid

Leaders attended the 2015 G20 Antalya Summit in Antalya, Turkey, that ran from Nov. 15 to 16.

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President François Hollande and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson’s Visits to Korea Korea agreed to strengthen the comprehensive partnership with France and enhance bilateral cooperation in the Arctic with Iceland.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

President Park Geun-hye (right) hosted a summit with Icelandic President Ólafur Grímsson (left) at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 9.

KOREA-FRANCE SUMMIT

President Park Geun-hye and President François Hollande of the French Republic held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 4.

The two heads of state took the occasion to adopt an action plan to strengthen the comprehensive partnership in the 21st century.

President Park expressed the hope that the action plan would serve as the foundation on which bilateral ties would be taken to a new level.

They had extensive consultations on ways to promote substantive cooperation in politics, the economy and trade, the creative economy, culture and arts as well as science and technology.They also discussed regional and international issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as well as climate change response.

Following the summit, the two leaders attended a ceremony to sign six MOUs: on cooperation in exchanges of startups, cooperation in space development, mutual recognition of diplomas and academic degrees, cooperation in culture and arts, cooperation in public transportation and cooperation in tourism.

opment of the Arctic, climate change and renewable energy as well as recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.

They also agreed that their summit should pave the way for the two countries to strengthen cooperation on the Arctic.

President Grímsson said the Northern Sea Route would provide many opportunities for Korea, a leading country in the shipbuilding and shipping industries. He also expressed the hope for Korea’s constructive participation in the cooperation on the Arctic.

In addition, the two leaders reached an agreement to work together on international efforts to respond to climate change by sharing experiences and technologies in the field of environmentfriendly energy.

KOREA-ICELAND SUMMIT

President Park Geun-hye met with President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of the Republic of Iceland at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 9. He was the first President of Iceland to visit Korea. At the first bilateral summit since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the two leaders exchanged views on an extensive range of issues, including cooperation on the devel-

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President Park Geun-hye (right) and French President François Hollande (left) held a joint press conference following their summit on Nov. 4.

The President Stresses Growth Through Innovation at APEC Summit President Park Geun-hye shared Korea’s innovative strategies for economic growth across the Asia-Pacific region at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

President Park attended the APEC meetings on Nov. 19 in Manila.

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resident Park Geun-hye attended the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings on Nov. 19 held at the Philippine Inter national Convention Center in Manila. At the first session of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit, President Park pointed out the necessity for devising innovative strategies for the sake of renewed growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

She then introduced the policy efforts of the Korean Government, including the Threeyear Plan for Economic Innovation and the reform drive in four major areas.

In addition, President Park stressed that endeavors for economic integration should be accelerated to expand the base for reg ional g rowth. She also reaffir med Korea’s commitment to crystallizing the idea of the Free Trade Area of the AsiaPacific by helping developing nations bolster their capabilities in FTA negotiations.

During the second session that continued on in the same afternoon, President

Park introduced Korea’s policy efforts for labor reform and a creative economy and went on to stress Korea’s commitment to contributing to dealing with such global issues as emerging infectious diseases and climate change.

In addition, President Park expressed

her hope that by hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit in 2025, Korea would be able to further contribute to the common prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.The APEC members welcomed her offer, confirming Korea’s hosting of the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit.

Korea will be the host country of the 2025 APEC Summit.

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resident Park Geun-hye attended the 18th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit on Nov. 21 held in Kuala Lumpur, and exchanged ideas on the outcome of APT cooperation over the past year and directions for future development. As measures for future cooperation, the President proposed that countries involved strengthen functional cooperation, a strong point of the APT framework, faithfully implement the East Asia Vision Group II’s follow-up action plans and bolster cooperation between ASEAN and the Northeast Asian region.

Speaking of regional affairs, President Park said the North Korean nuclear prob-

lem needed to be solved without fail for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia. In that regard, she stressed that the international community should send a unified message to the North in a consistent manner to bring about changes in the country.

The leaders attending the APT Summit adopted the “ASEAN Community Vision 2025” and the final report on follow-up measures of the East AsiaVision Group II. President Park Geun-hye, together with other APT leaders, attended the APT Leaders’ Interface with the East Asia Business Council (EABC) in the afternoon.

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President Park talked with the members of the EABC and echoed a proposal put forth by the EABC Chairman about the participation of SMEs in e-commerce and ways to stimulate such participation. She also reaffirmed Korea’s commitment to taking the lead in promoting e-commerce.

In regard to the EABC’s suggestion that negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) be expedited to promote regional integration, President Park expressed her full support in favor of accelerated negotiations for its earliest possible conclusion.

The President at the 18th ASEAN Plus Three Summit President Park Geun-hye has expressed her hope that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would be the driving force behind regional integration.

EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

President Park Geun-hye and ASEAN leaders attended the 18th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 21.

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POLICY REVIEW

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n her address to the nation in August, President Park Geun-hye emphasized the need for labor market reform in order to create more jobs for young people and to revive the economy. She specifically stated that sustainable growth depends on reducing youth unemployment, and the government is moving aggressively toward that end.

SHARING INFORMATION THROUGH ANIMATION CLIPS

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has listed on its website the various programs that support employment for people of all ages using short video clips.The clips provide information about government support available for small- and mediumsized enterprises, small businesses and the self-employed, entrepreneurs, women

taking time off from work, youth, people changing careers and the elderly.

The Youth Employment Academy is among the many programs run by the government to support youth employment. It is designed to br idge the gap between school education and actual skills, and to provide the skills required in the workplace.

In cooperation with high schools and universities, companies provide customized field training for students where the trainees can receive school credit. After completing the course, trainees are given the opportunity to apply for positions at the companies where they underwent training.

Another program, called "K-Move," addresses youth's interest in working abroad.

Its website shows many overseas programs that have been sporadically supported by

var ious Korean gover nment agencies, including internships, and funding is available for some of the overseas positions.The "K-Move" program also provides customized training, mentoring and career management consulting as people embark on their employment plans overseas.

StartupS

To support and foster young entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Small & Medium Business Administration have joined hands to integrate 99 overlapping entrepreneur support programs, reducing the number to 72 and calling it the “K-Star tup” prog ram.

Through these reforms, the government hopes to make improvements to the vari-

Fostering Youth Employment The government moves toward creating more jobs for young people.

Written by JULIANNA CHUNG

K-Global Startup Program is launched. © Yonhap News 36

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ous entrepreneur support programs it has run, in response to complaints voiced by previous users and applicants.

Such startup accelerator programs will be categorized into eight broad categories: Education & Training, Facilities & Workspaces, Mentoring & Consulting, Commercialization, Government Funding, R&D, Marketing & Going International, and, finally, Events & Networking.This will allow entrepreneurs to easily identify government support available for their particular needs. All applications and information will be available at one single website, and the application process will be streamlined in order to allow entrepreneurs to focus on business development rather than paperwork. The percentage of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors on the panel will increase to 40%, from the current 30%, to ensure that program vacancies and government grants are awarded to applicants who have one-of-a-kind and promising business ideas.

Winners of government grants will be given more leeway in the ways in which they use the grants, a major change from the strict allocation of funds that used to be the norm. Lastly, follow-up assistance for entrepreneurs who receive government support will be rendered in the hope of avoiding the “death valley” which entrepreneurs can sometimes enter three to five years after their businesses start.

No change was made to the "K-Global Startup Engine" program. Sponsored by the National IT Industr y Promotion Agency (NIPA), the program aims to match Korea's most promising startups with leading "accelerators" from around the world, including Techstars, 500 Startups, Seedcamp, HAX Accelerator, Chinaccelerator, Startup Bootcamp, Alchemist and the Open Network Lab. During a fourweek curriculum, the top 40 selected candidates receive exclusive training and mentor ing from experts in var ious fields, including entrepreneurship, finance, legal matters, marketing and design. At the end

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A bank teller explains how to donate to the Youth Hope Fund. © Yonhap News

Created at the direct request of President Park Geun-hye, the Youth Hope Fund will assist young people to find job oppoprtunities.

of the four weeks, startups pitch their business ideas in front of representatives from top global accelerators for a chance at entering a top acceleration program. Last year’s inaugural program was a resounding success, placing three startups into global accelerators. Eyecatcher and SendAnywhere joined Seedcamp, while MyMusicTaste entered Finland’s Startup Sauna.

YOUTH HOPE FUND

The government has also created a special fund called the Youth Hope Fund to help young people find jobs, as well as to create jobs in line with the government's 17 "creative economy" innovation centers across the nation. The 17 centers, part of one of the current administration's flagship policies, have been set up in major cities across

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the country to help nurture startups and venture firms with the assistance of large conglomerates. Created at the direct request of the President, the Youth Hope Fund will offer help to young people who have difficulties finding jobs or who have part-time or temporary jobs and are looking for fulltime employment. The fund will be managed by theYouth Hope Foundation.

President Park was the first donor to the fund, with KRW 20 million, and promised to donate 20 percent of her monthly s a l a r y t o t h e f u n d . Pa r k ’s m ove h a s prompted a flurry of donation pledges from government officials, businessmen, celebr ities and the public, including a KRW 20 billion donation from Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

GLOBAL KOREA

Dr. Kim presents her students with their nursing cap during the capping ceremony.

Nightingale of Malawi Dr. Susie Kim dedicates her life after retirement to nursing education in Malawi.

Written by LEE DAM-MI

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hen a 38-year-old middle school teacher in Malawi heard that a nursing school was being built in his country, he decided to apply. He wanted to study how AIDS affects a community, as his parents and parents-in-law had died from the disease. Healthcare in Malawi was poor. The country’s average life expectancy was only 54 years and per capita income was USD $ 2 5 0 . M a ny p e o p l e w h o wa n t e d t o improve Malawi’s healthcare applied to the Daeyang Nursing College. For a 30-student class, the competition was 47 to 1. Dr. Susie Kim served as the school’s principal

for four and a half years from its opening in January 2011 through to June 2015.

IMPROVING NURSING EDUCATION

Kim was the first Korean to receive a doctorate in nursing science. She was awarded the International Achievement Award from the International Council of Nurses in 2001 and the Florence Nightingale Medal in 2007. After that, she became popularly known in Korea as “Korea’s Nightingale.”

She was offered the principal position at the Daeyang Nursing College at the age of 68 when she had just finished her term

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as president of the Seoul Cyber University.

Kim initially tur ned down the offer because she thought she was too old for the job. Shortly afterward, she accepted it as her calling after watching “Don't Cry for Me, Sudan” (2010), a documentar y about Father John Lee Tae-seok (1962-2010) who devoted his life to car ing for the people in the village of Tonj in South Sudan.

Dr. Susie Kim played an important role in making the Daeyang Nursing College what it is today. The school started out in 2011 as a three-year college with 30 stu-

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dents and four professors.Today, it is a fouryear university with 40 students in each class and 16 professors. By becoming a four-year institution, the school added courses in midwifery and community nursing, paving the way for its graduates to work in their own communities. Previously, upon finishing their three-year program the graduates were only qualified as registered nurses and could not work outside the school’s hospital.

In September this year, the school was accredited as a university after consolidating its College of Medicine and its College of Infor mation and Communications Technology (ICT). Kim established the College of ICT to help share some of Korea’s more advanced technologies, as the transportation infrastructure in Malawi was somewhat underdeveloped. Kim was the perfect person to do this since she had been president of the Seoul Cyber University.

She also introduced an e-learning system for students to share their textbooks about medical and surgical nursing, gynecological nursing and pediatric nursing, since these books were twice as expensive as they were in the U.S.Thankfully, Samsung Electronics donated 20 computers to the school in 2012 at Kim’s request. When the number of students increased, Kim made another request to Samsung, which then donated 100 more computers.

To help students practice their skills in the field, Kim introduced an internship program. The students who took Malawi’s national nursing examination were allowed to work as unpaid interns, with room and board provided, at six hospitals across the country for four months before their exam results were announced. It was a win-win for both the students and the hospitals. Kim also started mobile clinics, that toured from village to village in a bus or a truck. In the 60,000-resident town of Mseche, she began a “zero blindness movement” to reduce the number of people suffering from eye ailments such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and trachoma. This project was implemented in cooperation with the Daeyang Luke Hospital, the Severance Hospital in Seoul and the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The automobiles were donated by Hyundai Motors. All of Kim’s efforts helped the university top the Mala-

“I thought it was important to educate students who could be of help to their own communities.”

Dr. Kim teaches students at the Daeyang Nursing College in Malawi.

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wian Ministry of Education’s school ratings in the field of education.

TEACHING TO SERVE COMMUNITIES

Dr. Kim realized the importance of educating students to be actual help to their own communities. In Malawi, each tribe speaks a different language, and 85% of the population lives in a rural area. Therefore, it makes sense to educate nurses needed by local communities. For this reason, the Daeyang Nursing College selects applicants who are willing to work in their communities.

Kim emphasizes three core values to her students: prayer, love and service. Every weekend, she encourages her students to visit community religious centers to do volunteer work, to measure people’s blood pressure, to conduct general checkups and to provide some basic health education.

Once her students graduate and return to their communities, Kim grants them her full support by sending medical staff or equipment whenever needed.

Her ter m as the school’s pr incipal ended in June when it became a university.

She is now back in Korea and helps people with disabilities find jobs in cooperation with a local non-profit organization. Also, since January 2015, she has been helping jobless widows in Malawi get back on their feet.

The first graduates of the Daeyang Nursing College take a group picture after the ceremony.

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Debit Card on Your Smartphone Make payments smart and simple without any wallet or credit card.

Written by CHUNG KYU-YOUNG

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echnology sometimes exceeds our expectations. Samsung Electronics recently announced that the number of subscribers to its mobile payment service, Samsung Pay, which only began on Aug. 20, had already surpassed one million by the end of October.This means that more than one million people used their smartphones to pay for purchases during the first two months of the service.

According to Samsung, “The daily average number of transactions made through Samsung Pay is about 100,000 and the cumulative transactions total over

KRW 100 billion, approximately USD 87 million.” Even though people have yet to become fully familiar with the idea and use of financial technology, commonly referred to as "fintech," smart mobile payment services are now being used by a growing number of people. Over the years, smartphones have rendered different portable gadgets unnecessary, such as digital cameras or MP3 players.They are now on their way to making credit or debit cards obsolete as well. Wider use of wearable devices like smartwatches will accelerate this spread of smart payment services.

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JUST LIKE A CASH CARD

Korea was the first country in the world to introduce a mobile payment service in 2001 when SK Telecom launched Moneta.

However, the company failed to get the service off the ground and shut it down after only a few years because it was not well-known and the payment terminals were quite expensive.The technology used in Moneta was similar to today’s near-field communications (NFC) technology employed by Apple Pay. NFC technology uses a special chip in the user’s phone that lets it communicate with NFC-enabled

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Images provided by Samsung Electronics, KakaoPay and Naver

payment terminals. Apple improved the security of its service by using the iPhone’s fingerprint recognition to authorize payments. Apple Pay, however, faces challenges, as NFC terminals represent only an estimated 10 percent of all point-of-sale payment terminals.

Samsung employed magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology to make its service compatible with standard magnetic strip point-of-sale retail terminals. Users can simply tap their phones against the terminal to make a payment. MST technology emulates a strip transaction as the phone transmits the user’s magnetic strip data to the card reader, tricking the reader into thinking a card has actually been swiped.

Stores do not have to deploy separate terminals for this particular service.This latest technology became available for Samsung Pay after Samsung Electronics acquired U.S. mobile payment solutions startup LoopPay, which developed and patented MST technology. Samsung Pay also uses fingerprints to authorize payments and a digital token to substitute card numbers, making the service safe and secure. Critics point out that Samsung Pay may not last long, as stores are replacing standard magnetic card readers with chip ter minals, but Samsung is expected to adjust smoothly to such changes as its service also uses NFC technology.

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Instant messenger app KakaoTalk launched KakaoPay this year(left) and Korea’s largest search engine, Naver, recently began its own payment service, Naver Pay(right).

Smartphones are not only replacing digital cameras or MP3 players, but are also making wallets obsolete.

Samsung Electronics recently announced that the number of subscribers to Samsung Pay has already reached one million.

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ONLINE SOFTWARE COMPANIES JUMP IN

Internet and mobile software companies have also begun to offer their own payment services. Instant messenger app KakaoTalk launched KakaoPay in September 2014.

Users can verify their identity and register their credit and debit cards to make simple payments using just their PIN numbers.

The service has a huge advantage in that KakaoTalk is the most popular messaging app in Korea, but due to security reasons it is only available for online transactions.

Payco is a payment service offered by NHN Entertainment which launched in July 2015.Available both online and offline, the service is offered in cooperation with the Korea Smart Card Corporation, the operator of the T-Money transportation card. Users can pay for public transportation, including buses, subways and taxis, even when the phone is turned off.

Finally, Korea’s largest search engine, Naver, began its own payment service, Naver Pay, in September 2015. Users can search and shop for items through the Naver website and make payments via Naver Pay without being redirected to the online shopping mall’s website.The service makes online shopping much simpler and more convenient, using information that is already stored in users’ Naver accounts.

GREAT KOREANS

Artist of Ordinary People Park Su-geun His paintings portraying the everyday life of ordinary people are widely celebrated today.

Written by CHUNG KYU-YOUNG

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any artists’ paintings have, throughout history, only been appreciated posthumously. Park Su-geun (1914-1965) was one such artist. In 2007, one of his paintings, “The Washing Place,” sold at a domestic auction for a record price for Korean art: KRW 4.5 billion, or approximately USD 3.9 million.

Today, Park may be hailed from every quarter as a “people’s painter,” but he led a difficult life. He created unique textures in his works, similar to that of granite, in subdued grey hues by using the matière technique. He captured the everyday life of

ordinary people on canvas with simple black lines. Park was never appreciated or recognized in the mainstream art world during his lifetime. His first exhibition was only held after his death. Mostly selftaught, Park never had his own studio and failed to escape poverty throughout his 51 years. Nonetheless, Park was a proud husband, father and painter who gave his best to his life as an artist and left a remarkable body of work.

KOREA’S FIRST FULL-TIME PAINTER

Park Su-geun was born in 1914 in Yanggu-

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gun County, Gangwon-do Province. He was the eldest son of six children. Park’s family was financially stable during his early childhood, but his father failed in the mining business and lost the family fortune.

Park could not afford to continue his education after elementary school. Fortunately, one of his teachers recognized his talent and, not wanting it to be wasted, helped him study art on his own.

In 1932 when he was 18, Park submitted a painting to the Joseon Art Exhibition and won a prize. At the time, this exhibition was the only gateway into a profes-

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sional art career. The fact that a teenager won a prize caused a sensation. Having received no professional training in art, Park was able to continue pursuing his dream to become an artist. He was deeply impressed by Jean-François Millet’s “The Angelus.” He often prayed that he would someday become a great artist like Millet.

During the Korean War (1950-1953), his family fled their hometown and moved to Seoul. Park worked as a longshoreman and drew portraits for U.S. soldiers to make a living. He won several awards at the National Art Exhibition over several consecutive years starting in 1953 and decided to concentrate solely on his art. Although it was a time when drawing and selling paintings alone was not enough to sustain a living, Park was able to maintain his career, as his paintings were popular among U.S. military servicemen and visitors to Korea.

Art critic Oh Gwang-su wrote in his critical biography of Park that, “Park was Korea’s first full-time artist who made a living by selling his works.”

SHOWING THE HONESTY OF HUMAN LIFE

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"The Washing Place." Park created textures that resemble scratched or badly worn granite. © Gallery Hyundai

“My paintings, are simple and not too colorful. I love drawing children or old men and women we see every day in our neighborhoods.”

Park often took inspiration for his paintings from the everyday and the mundane: his country home, women pounding on the mortar, an old man in his house and a girl with a baby on her back. His drawings

Reference Park Su-geun, Oh Gwang-su, Sigong Art, 2002.

IMAGES PROVIDED BY PARK SOO KEUN MUSEUM

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Park Soo Keun Museum was built at his birth place in his hometown in Yanggu County, Gangwon-do Province.

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looked like engravings in stone. In the mid1950s, Park started expressing deeper colors by applying several layers underneath rough textures. As time passed, Park created textures that resemble scratched or badly worn granite. He presented a new way to paint the life of ordinary people when most Korean artists were imitating Western styles.

Park once said of his works that, “My works are oil paintings, but they are a form of Oriental painting.” In 1963, Park lost sight in one eye due to cataracts. He painted his later works only being able to see through one eye. According to his wife, cataracts didn't stop him from painting every day. Due to stress and exhaustion from work and heavy drinking, his health quickly deteriorated. He died from cirrhosis of the liver in 1965, aged 51. His last words were,“I thought heaven was drawing close to me, but it is far away.”

In explaining his aesthetic sense, Park said, “I want to paint the goodness and honesty of human life. My paintings, therefore, are simple and not too colorful. I love drawing children or old men and women we see every day in our neighborhoods.”

Park’s representative works include “The Washing Place” (c.1950), “People in the Market” (1961), “The Tree and Two Ladies” (1962) and “A Girl with a Baby on Her Back” (c.1960).

MY KOREA

An Ambassador for Korean Cuisine Making kimchi helps Nils Meesterbur truly appreciate Korean cuisine.

Written by NILS MEESTERBURrie ILLUSTRATED BY YANG BOK-SeoN

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fter having gone back and forth between the Netherlands and Korea since 2007, I finally made it back to Korea in the winter of 2011-2012 to attend language school at Sookmyung Women’s University for two semesters.A women’s university?Yes, a women’s university.Taxi drivers, professors and random people I encountered often asked me this question with some envy.

The main purpose of my exchange was improving my Korean language proficiency.

As an exchange student, there are also many opportunities to partake in cultural programs organized by student clubs at the university.

One of the activities I participated in was the making of kimchi. Sookmyung has a wellregarded cooking faculty, called Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy, which organized the workshop for exchange students.

At the start of the workshop we were shown a video about kimchi. My friends and I learned that kimchi is arguably the most important ambassador of Korean cuisine. It is often eaten as a side dish (banchan, 반찬) and is found on nearly every table in Korea with every meal, and can also be used to make soup (kimchi-jjigae, 김치찌개), pancakes (kimchi-jeon, 김치전) or other

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foods.There are perhaps more than a hundred types of kimchi, which were not always distinguishable by my layman’s eyes.

Kimchi is famous -- or some might say notorious -- for its production process, which requires a period of fermentation.

This gives kimchi a very distinguished, somewhat sour taste along with the spiciness of the red pepper.We learned that the red pepper was actually not in the original kimchi. Red pepper was added to kimchi after it was introduced by Portuguese merchants in Japan, and then it eventually found its way to the Korean Peninsula.We

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were also told that Koreans prepare most kimchi for the winter in late October or November during what is called gimjang.

Whole villages used to assemble for the annual gimjang, but today kimchi-making is more of a family activity.

After the video, the instructors made us suit up and showed us how to make kimchi.We were going to make Napa cabbage kimchi (baechu-kimchi, 배추김치).

Before we started, we had to put on aprons and long, bright-colored rubber gloves -ajumma style. The only thing missing was the perm. After we got into our fashionable attire, the first thing we had to do was cut the cabbage in half and wash it. The cabbage had to be completely clean between every two leaves. The next step was sprinkling salt between the leaves to extract more of the fluids in the cabbage. Letting the salt do its work would usually take a couple of hours, so the instructors had already prepared some salted cabbages for us to use after we had finished salting the cabbage we had previously been given.We then had to remove the salt from the prepared cabbages thoroughly.

Now it was time to add the red marinade. I don’t remember the exact ingredients, but I‘m sure red pepper flakes, garlic and some sort of fish oil or sauce were some of the main components. Because of

the fish sauce and the garlic, I certainly remember very clearly the extremely strong smell. We were to mix the ingredients until they formed a paste and to smear the paste over each separate layer of leaves.

After we had made sure the marinade was spread equally over all the layers, the kimchi had taken on its familiar red color. We had created our own kimchi!

Our class was finished and our kimchi was ready to take home, but our kimchi was still not yet done. Even though we were told that the kimchi was edible, the taste would come out more if we let it ferment a bit under room temperature for a couple of days. We would know it was ready when the kimchi started “bubbling” because of the fermentation. After this, we could store the kimchi in our refrigerator. Back then, I lived in the dormitory with my Dutch friend, so we brought our kimchi home and left it next to the window to keep it slightly under room temperature, as we had been instructed to do. After two days our room and maybe even our whole floor smelled like kimchi, but the smell started to improve during the third day. After it had started bubbling, we had our first taste and it was truly delicious. Our refrigerator reeked of the renowned smell of kimchi for weeks, but we became accustomed to it, which made us feel a bit Korean.

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I truly recommend that anyone who takes an interest in Korean food or culture experience the making of kimchi at least once. Producing your own batch of the famous side dish will either help you appreciate kimchi, if you’re not already a fan, or to appreciate it even more.

Nils is from the Netherlands and he is in his last semester at graduate school studying Korean Studies. He came to Korea in 2007 to visit a friend and has been going back and forth between Seoul and Amsterdam ever since.

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

Do You Eat Your Kimchi?

The popular YouTube channel “Eat Your Kimchi” introduces viewers to the “real” Korea.

Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG Photographed by HONG-HA-YAN

Martina and Simon create and upload new videos three or four times a week from their studio in Hongdae.

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artina and Simon Stawski first came to Korea in 2008 from their hometown of Toronto, Canada, as English teachers.They planned to work and live in Korea for one year and then relocate to another country to explore different parts of the world. Eight years later, they are still here.

They now live in Seoul with a completely different job.

FROM FAMILY TO VIEWERS WORLDWIDE

The couple created an internationally popular YouTube channel called “Eat Your Kimchi” and run a website of the same name. They publish videos about Korean food, music, travel and the arts, and recently embarked on video projects in neighboring countries.They began their video blogging on the first day they arrived in Korea.

Instant online communication with their family back in Canada wasn’t very accessible back then, so they made and uploaded videos about their life in Korea to share with their families.

The first videos they made were about a spicy soft tofu soup (sundubu-jjigae) they tried in a restaurant, which has become Martina’s favorite dish, and about their neighborhood in Bucheon, a city west of Seoul where they first settled. Then they made videos about living in Korea for fellow English teachers who came to Korea for the first time with little knowledge of the place. These “how to” videos offered valuable information about many important things, such as how to operate Korean washing machines, pay bills and order food at restaurants. They also discovered the need for tour ist infor mation that was beyond the pages of a guide book, so they focused their videos on exploring Korea.

introduce places that are not your typical tourist destinations, and their “Food Porn” videos will open your eyes to Hansik. More than anything else, what makes these videos unique is their insight and creativity into finding topics for them without prejudice or reluctance.They also take effective communication with their viewers very seriously. “We want to create a relationship with our viewers. Television communication is one way, but in videos, we have a lot of two-way communication: we talk to our viewers, they leave comments on our videos and we respond back,” explains

“I want people to be inspired to travel and experience a different culture.”

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

The audience couldn't get enough of the lively discussions the couple have through bantering, teasing and playful fights involving anything from Korean fried chicken to the latest toy they acquired. Their videos

Fans from all over the world send them gifts, such as this handmade doll of the couple.

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Simon.“We often ask our viewers what it is like in their country and it’s exciting to see the responses from all over the world.

Sometimes we get ideas for new videos from our viewer’s questions and comments.”

Two years after making their first video,YouTube offered Simon and Martina a partnership.After realizing that they could make a living by creating videos, the couple quit teaching and became full-time vloggers. In 2012, they opened their studio in Hongdae, an area in Seoul known for its youthful ambience, underground culture and arts, and recruited a handful of talented crew members in their production team who handle filming, editing and research.

“Eat Your Kimchi” has more than 870,000 subscribers and hundreds view the roughly 1,800 videos every day. One of their most popular food videos, “How to Make Korean Ramen,” itself attracted over 2.5 million views. Almost 97% of their subscr ibers are outside of Korea, and the couple visits other countries as much as possible to meet their fans, known as the “Nasties,” in person. Over the summer, the “Eat Your Kimchi” crew travelled to Canada and the U.S. for six weeks and met 400 fans in eight cities. Simon and Martina also run an online store through their website selling small merchandise with their logo and inside jokes printed on them after fans asked them about the hat or t-shirt the couple wore in the videos.What began as a personal vlog for their family turned into a successful business.

When asked about their next project, Martina said, “We’re planning to make a video about my favorite hidden places in Hongdae. I want people to not just go to the main street but to discover the unique and interesting back alleys of this neighborhood. I want people to be inspired to travel and experience different cultures.”

Watching “Eat Your Kimchi” videos before visiting seoul will surely lead you to new adventures unlike anything you have experienced before.

nature

White Elegance Deogyusan Mountain projects a wintry beauty of snow and frost.

Written by KIM NAE-ON

Š Topic 48

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Visitors can enjoy the serene beauty of the mountain covered in hoar frost throughout the winter. © Topic

P

oet Cho Chung-kwon once wrote, “I see as I hike the winter mountain.Those in the highest places, in the cold, shine like the ice…” Deogyusan Mountain affords one of the most famous winter scenes to be found in the country. Representing the elegance and innocence of nature, the mountain spans in the west across Muju-gun and Jangsu-gun Counties in Jeollabuk-do Province and to the east across Geochanggun and Hamyang-gun Counties in Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

Visitors can enjoy the serene beauty of the mountain covered in hoar frost throughout the winter. Hoar frost commonly forms on trees at elevations of over 1,000 meters when the temperature drops below 6 degrees Celsius and the humidity is over 90%. As the source of the Geumgang River, Deogyusan Mountain has the perfect conditions for hoar frost and also receives much more snow in the winter than other mountains.

Appropriate for its name, which means "a gentle mountain with virtue,” Deogyusan Mountain has long ridges and deep valleys. At the main peak, Hyangjeokbong Peak, visitors can see the highest peak of Jirisan Mountain -- Cheonwangbong Peak -- and the ridgeline of Songnisan Mountain.The snow- and frost-covered peaks of

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Deogyusan Mountain are certainly the greatest attraction, but winter is not the only season for people to enjoy its beauty and charm. In June, royal azaleas adorn a 20-kilometer hiking trail from Hyangjeokbong Peak to Yuksimneyong Pass in beautiful shades of pink and purple.Visitors can beat the summer heat by playing in the cool water of the streams in July. In October, they can bask in the flaming red and orange foliage.

Baengnyeonsa Temple and Gucheondong Valley are must-visit places at Deogyusan Mountain. Located at the extreme end of Gucheondong Valley, Baengnyeonsa Temple has a garden of camellia trees near its entrance. A popular feature of this quiet temple is the Mangyeongnu Pavilion, which looks like a stout man sitting with his back turned. The scenery of the blue waters of the Gugangpo from the pavilion is simply breathtaking.

There is a way to enjoy Deogyusan Mountain’s frost-covered landscapes without hiking all the way to the top.Visitors can take a cable car from the Muju Deogyusan Resort to Seolcheonbong Peak (1,530 meters) and reach Hyangjeokbong Peak after walking only about 20 minutes. The gentle mountain embraces the hearts of even the most exhausted hikers.

FLAVOR

W

hen the weather gets cold in November, restaurants begin to serve fresh cockles cooked and seasoned with a spicy savory sauce. A cockle is a small saltwater clam used in various Korean dishes. The clams collected from the mud flats of Beolgyo in Jeollanam-do Province are considered to be the best in the nation. The Korean word for cockle, kkomak, and the town name, Beolgyo, are synonymous with each other to this day.

Yeojaman Bay at Beolgyo, where the clams are collected, has optimal conditions

for clams to grow.The bay is ensconced by two peninsulas, and the mud flats are pristine. Cockles are still harvested the traditional way. Women lay flat on wooden planks and glide over the mud flats sweeping for cockles with special tools.The work is laborious and is especially difficult when the bitterly cold winds blow in from the sea during the harvest season from November to early spring. This is why fresh seasonal clams from Beolgyo are expensive relative to other clams.

Beolgyo cockles are high in hemoglo-

bin and iron, which is good for those with anemia. They are also rich in a variety of nutrients, such as essential amino acids, taur ine and betaine, which assists in liver detoxification and in treating and preventing a fatty liver. Cockle shells are harder than most clam shells, and the shells remain tightly sealed even after being boiled. One must use a spoon to pry them open. Cockles can be cooked a number of ways, but in the most popular dish, they are boiled and then seasoned with chili powder, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Cockles Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG Photographed by Moon Duk-kwan COOKED by KIM YOUNG-BIN

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I’m thinking of having a year-end party.

송년회를 할까 해요 songnyeonhoereul halkka haeyo.

Mira, I’m thinking of having a year-end party at my house on Saturday.

미라 씨, 토요일에 저희 집에서 송년회를 할까 해요.

Mira ssi, toyoire jeohui jibeseo songnyeonhoereul halkka haeyo.

At your house? Hosting a party requires a lot of preparation. 투이

집에서요? 집에서 파티를 준비하려면 힘들 거예요.

jibeseoyo? jibeseo party-reul junbiharyeomyeon himdeul geoyeyo. 미라

I recently moved into a new home.

It will be both a housewarming and a year-end party

제가 이번에 이사를 했거든요. 집들이 겸 송년회도 같이 하려고요.

jega ibeone isareul haetgeodeunnyo. jipdeuri gyeom songnyeonhoedo gachi haryeogoyo. 투이

Oh, I’d love to help. Feel free to contact me if you need any help.

아, 그럼 저도 도울게요. 언제든지 연락하세요.

a, geureom jeodo doulgeyo. eonjedeunji yeollakaseyo. 미라

-(으)ㄹ까 하다 ‘-(으)ㄹ까 하다’ is added to a verb stem to indicate one’s intention but not certainty in carrying out the action. ‘-을 까 하다’ is attached to verb stems that end with a consonant other than ‘ㄹ’, while ‘-ㄹ까 하다’ is attached to verb stem that end with a vowel or ‘ㄹ’

Let’s practice!

What do you do at a year-end party?

Try to make conversation with the following vocabulary.

The subject of ‘-(으)ㄹ까 하다’ is the first person, and it is not used to ask a question, give an order or make a suggestion.

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-거든요

→

‘-거든요’ is attached to the stem of a verb or adjective to

indicate that the verb or adjective is the reason for the statement that precedes.

Pronunciation /n/ insertion -거든요 [거든뇨] [geodeunnyo]

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3

What are you doing for your party?

Why?

to have/eat a cake (together) 다 같이 케이크를 먹다

to have decided to order a cake 케이크를 주문하기로 했다

da gachi cake-reul meokda

cake-reul jumunhagiro haetda

I’m thinking of having a cake. 다 같이 케이크를 먹을까 해요

I decided to order a cake. 케이크를 주문하기로 했거든요

da gachi cake-reul meogeulkka haeyo.

cake-reul jumunhagiro haetgeodeunnyo.

to exchange gifts 선물을 서로 주고 받다

to have decided to prepare gifts 선물을 미리 준비하기로 했다

seonmureul seoro jugo batda

seonmureul miri junbihagiro haetda

to play games 게임을 하다

to have bought a board game 보드게임을 샀다

game-eul hada

board game-eul satda