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Ondol, Korea’s Unique Heating System The effective and scientific underfloor heating system of Korea.

Travel Damyang, the city of bamboo trees and stunning scenery. Special Issue The Asia Culture Center Opens

Happy NewYear 새해 복 많이 받으세요. saehae bok mani badeuseyo

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Ondol Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Unique Heating System

Damyang, City of Bamboo

Joseon Painter Shin Yun-bok

Steel Butterfly Ballerina Kang Sue-jin

The Asia Culture Center Opens

Nighttime Shopping and More

Reply 1988

President Park Speeks at UNESCO

International Student Organization of HUFS

An Era of Video Bloggers

Government 3.0 and Public Data

Left Untouched Hongdo Island

Korea Wins the First Premier 12

Long-range Wi-Fi Networks

Sweet Pumpkin Porridge

Brim-making Artisan Jang Sun-ja

Korean Language Around the World

Cover Story

PEOPLE 1

ENTERTAINMENT

CURRENT KOREA

SPORTS

PEOPLE 2

January 2016

TRAVEL

GREAT KOREANS

SPECIAL ISSUE

Summit Diplomacy

POLICY REVIEW

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

MY KOREA

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

NATURE

FLAVOR

GLOBAL KOREA

Publisher Park Young-goog, Korean Culture and Information Service Executive Producer Han Seong-rae E-mail webmaster @ korea.net Magazine Production The Book Company Editor-in-Chief Choi Yoon-jeong Production Supervisor Kim Min-kyung Copy Editor Gregory C. Eaves, Hwang Chi-young Creative Director Oh Seong-min Head Designer Kim Se-ryeong Photographers Moon Duk-gwan, Hong Ha-yan Printing Kumkang Printing Co,.Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from KOREA and the Korean Culture and Information Service. If you want to receive a free copy of KOREA or wish to cancel a subscription, please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF of KOREA and a map and glossary with common Korean words appearing in our magazine are available by clicking on the thumbnail of KOREA at the website www.korea.net. Publication Registration No. : 11-1110073-000016-06

COVER STORY

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Ondol, Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Unique Heating System This effective, scientific underfloor heating system is increasingly used around the world. Written by YI EUN-SEOK Photographed by Moon Duk-kwan ILLUSTRATED BY YANG BOK-SEON

The heat from the fireplace heats up the stone floor and the radiant heat from the floor travels throughout the room. © Topic

hen U.S. President Barack Obama visited Gyeongbokgung Palace during his visit to Korea in April 2014, he saw the outdoor furnace that heats up the rooms and asked what it was. Members of his entourage told him that it was the source of heat for the underfloor heating system called ondol, to which he replied, “Interesting.” Ondol is certainly an interesting heating system. The units in many new apartment buildings in London do not have radiators because more and more people, especially the upper class, want floor heat-

ing systems for their houses. British architects know that the floor heating systems they use are derived from Korean traditional heating systems. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains that ondol is “a Korean floor-heating device built on the ground.” This underfloor heating system is conducive to the organic lifestyle that younger Brits pursue. In 2004, the co-housing community of EcoVillage in Ithaca, New York, in order to improve energy efficiency, adopted a floor heating system based on the principles of ondol. In Denmark, 50% of new

buildings have floor heating systems. About 30% of single houses and 80% of housing complexes in Japan have floor heating systems. In China, one out of every 10 houses also has a floor heating system. SCIENTIFIC, ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT

The ondol system heats up a room by delivering heat from a fireplace through tubes or channels running underneath the floor. In traditional homes, the floor was made of stone. Although floors in modern homes are not made of stone, the system still bears

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the same name. Today, there are several types of ondol heating systems in Korea.The heat can be transferred by warm water from a boiler, through electrical panels or even through a stone floor as in the traditional method. Ondol literally means “heated stones.” Dol used to refer to the chimney, as the traditional heating system was designed to draw out the smoke through the underfloor passages connected to the chimney. Another name for ondol is gudeul, which means “baked stones.” The scientific principle of underfloor heating systems is that the heat from the fireplace heats up the stone floor and the radiant heat from the floor travels upward through the room. The cold air on the floor, heated by the warm stones, wafts upward by way of convection and heats the room.The cold air in the upper corners of the room travels downward and is thus heated again. The ondol system has auxiliary devices, too, such as a fire ridge (buneomgi) and smoke pits (gaejari), to help the heat transfer more effectively and stay longer close to the floor. All of these factors are reasons why the ondol heating system is widely considered to be one of the most advanced heating systems in the world.

The smoke is designed to draw out through the chimney. © Topic

The Encyclopedia Britannica says that ondol is “a Korean floor-heating device built on the ground.”

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The movement of water or air slows down in a larger space. This is commonly known as Bernoulli’s principle. Ancient Koreans understood this principle and applied it to their heating system. They added wide pits in the flue before the chimney to prevent any loss of heat. This makes the ondol system very efficient. A pit near the fireplace gathers and retains the heat.The heat then travels quickly through the flues or channels and gathers again in the pit near the chimney before quickly passing through the chimney. Ancient Koreans knew how to control the speed and flow of heat. The fireplaces used in the West heat the air inside a room. The room quickly becomes cold when the fire goes out. The ondol system, on the other hand, heats up the floor and the room stays warmer for longer, as the heated floor cools very slowly. For example, if a room is heated during dinnertime, it stays warm through to the next morning. Ondol is also efficient in that it doesn't make the room humid by heating the entire floor of the room, and the fire risk is low. It's the perfect system to survive harsh winters. Depending on the type of the floor, a heated floor could stay warm for several days.A legend claims that a room

Chimney

Stones (gudeuljang)

Fireplace (agungi)

Fire ridge (buneomgi)

Fireplace pit (gudeulgaejari)

Flue (gorae)

Flue pit (goraegaejari)

This image shows the structure and principles of ondol.

at Chilbulsa Temple in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, used to stay warm for 100 days once the floor was heated. In the summer, the stone floor keeps the room cool, so ondol systems serve two important functions, at the coldest and the hottest times of the year. Ondol is not only for heating rooms. The fireplace is in the kitchen, so people can use the heat to cook as well. For this reason, the system is an eco-fr iendly method of using fire. If a person starts a fire in the fireplace to cook, the heat travels through the underfloor channels and heats the room, which is usually the bedroom in traditional Hanok homes. There is a specific expression for using the fireplace only for heating the room. LIVING ON THE FLOOR

The ondol heating system is believed to have or iginated in the Paleolithic era. Murals from Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) depict a heating system similar to ondol. A painting of a kitchen in a fourth-century tomb mural in Hwanghae-do Province in North Korea shows two separate fireplaces, one for cooking and one for heating. Artifacts of stone-floor heating systems have

been found at the site of a royal palace from the Balhae Kingdom (698–926). An underfloor heating system was used only partially in the beginning, but it started to be used for the entire house by the mid-Goguryeo period, around 1,500 years ago. There are ancient records of floor heating systems in China and Manchuria, but they were only used for parts of a home. Up until the middle of the Joseon era (1392-1910), ondol systems were preferred by the common people. The ruling class did not use this system much. In late Joseon, the heating system was quickly adopted by

“The rooms in Korea have the best heating system invented by men. Keeping the feet warm is the ideal heating method.” –Frank Lloyd Wright

This is the gudeul system in Dongunjip at Hoeamsa Temple Site in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do Province. © Kim Wang-jik

more and more people. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the winters became much colder because of a mini ice age. People then increasingly chose to use a floor heating system, and the technology improved considerably. It was used by nearly every household by the end of the 17th century. Some historical records state that ondol was a special heating system used for the elderly and the sick. Other documents state that the heating system was adopted on Jejudo Island only in the 18th century, indicating that ondol was widely used across the whole peninsula by that time. The widespread use of such a heating system created new household traditions. Because the amount of heat transferred to different areas of the floor differs, there are particular spots that are warmest in the room. In the winter, all members of the family often found themselves gathering around the warmest spot to eat together or to go about their business. Until the 1980s, this warmest spot was where people often kept bowls of rice warm before dinner and where families spent time together. Even to this day, Koreans become nostalgic about this spot whenever the weather starts to get chilly.

People study the structure of ondol at the International Society of Ondol. © Yonhap News

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The Koreans have always taken their shoes off inside a room and sat on the floor to keep their bodies warm. ÂŠ Topic

Underfloor heating systems facilitated the custom of sitting on the floor. Koreans have always taken their shoes off inside a room and sat on the floor cross-legged to keep their bodies warm. In Japan, where there were traditionally no underfloor heating systems, people have always knelt down on the floor to minimize the area of their bodies in touch with the floor. In the West, people sat on chairs. Non-Koreans often have a hard time staying seated with their legs crossed. On the other hand, Koreans have a hard time staying in a chair or standing for a long time.Tellingly, traditional instruments like the zither are meant to be played while sitting on the floor, and traditional dances are more heavily focused on arm movements instead of footwork. Traditional Hanbok clothing was designed for comfort while sitting on the floor, with

fitted tops and loose-fitting pants or big, fluffy skirts. Underfloor heating systems remain in use in modern apartments and spas. One of the most popular winter home appliances these days is a hot water mat. Keeping the floor warm is a unique tradition in Korea that still thrives to this day. FERMENTED FOODS AND UNIQUE SENTIMENT

The fact that Korean cuisine is heavy on fermented foods stems from the Korean people’s use of underfloor heating systems. Blocks of soybean that have been dried and fermented on heated floors, meju in Korean, are the main ingredient in traditional condiments.These are the basis of most Korean dishes, such as soy sauce (ganjang), soybean paste (doenjang) and red hot pepper paste

(gochujang). A sweet rice drink (sikhye) and rice wine cake (sultteok) are other examples of traditional foods that can be fermented on heated floors. Ondol is an integral part of the Korean people’s health regimen, too. The “Annals of the Joseon Dynasty,” kept between 1413 and 1865, state that King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450) sent a message in June of the 12th year of his reign (1430) to the governor of what was then Gyeongsang-do Province to make sure that his brothers would live in a house with a underfloor heating system in order to prevent disease. Women have always stayed in underfloorheated rooms for postpartum recovery. Since ancient times, people believed that keeping the floor warm was essential for staying in good health.The “Encyclopedia of Korean Medicine,” which is dubbed the

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health bible of the Korean people, states that people will not get sick if they keep their head cool and their feet warm.This is why all Koreans love to lie down on sizzling-hot floors and feel the heat spread through their bodies. Even in Western medicine, it is a well-known fact that it is better to warm your body through direct contact with a heated surface rather than using a heating system that heats up the air, as this helps with blood circulation. Koreans have a unique, intrinsic sentiment of love and affection known as jeong, and this too is very much a result of ondol. Renowned Japanese art critic Muneyoshi Yanagi (1889-1961) was deeply interested in Korean art and wrote in one of his books that, “The Koreans have strong affections toward each other. Korean art is filled with sentimental elements. Jeong is one of the reasons why the Koreans are so artistic.” Journalist Lee Gyu-tae defines jeong as the Korean people’s instinct for physical contact. Families and friends passionately shake their hands and tap their hands on each other’s shoulders to greet or express their affection. The feeling of jeong and people’s tendency to touch each other derives from the tradition of using underfloor heating systems because ondol is all about staying in contact with the floor to feel the warmth. English traveller and writer Isabella Bird Bishop (1831-1904) wrote about her interesting experience with the ondol heating system in her book “Korea and Her Neighbours.” She states that, “The room was always overheated from the ponies' fire. From 80° to 85° [Fahrenheit] was the usual temperature, but it was frequently over 92°, and I spent one terrible night sitting at my door because it was 105° within. In this furnace, which heats the floor and the spine so comfortably, the Korean wayfarer revels.” Swedish journalist Ason Grebst (18751910) wrote in his book “I Korea” about ondol: “Korean people dressed very warm outdoors -- too warm, in fact -- and at night, they lie down on overheated floors, like bread being baked in an oven.”

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Ondol is not only for heating rooms. People can use the heat of the fireplace to cook as well.

A hot water ondol system was adopted as an international standard by the International Standards Organization Technical Committee.

Blocks of soybean dried and fermented on heated floors, meju in Korean, is the main ingredient of traditional condiments. © Topic

ONDOL AS A GLOBAL STANDARD

The ondol underfloor heating system was introduced to the West by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). He designed numerous buildings around the wo r l d , i n c l u d i n g t h e G u g g e n h e i m Museum in New York, and is famous for expressing an “Oriental” concept of space in his buildings. In 1942, he created a sensation when he employed a panel heating system, derived from ondol, in his Usonian houses for the upper classes. While he was working in Japan on commission to design the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, he discovered the ondol system in a traditional Hanok building that had been taken to Japan from Gyeongbokgung Palace during colonial times (1910-1945) -- and returned to Korea in 1999 -- and was amazed at how well the system functioned. Upon his return to the U.S., he developed an underfloor heating system using hot water pipes. He installed this system in some 30 build-

Underfloor heating system is increasingly being exported around the world. © Shutterstock

heating systems were installed in the homes of Maasai people in Tanzania and in some houses in Kunming,Yunnan Province, in China. The Maasai were especially happy with the heating system and called it “Korean magic.” Finally, boiler manuf acturer s are increasingly exporting the ondol system all around the world. They export dry-type hot water heating panels that are easy to install without additional construction

under the floor. For this reason, these panels are very popular in mainland China, Russia and the U.S. These modified heating floor systems can accommodate different housing styles and are expected to attract even more interest from all around the world. As people around the world recognize the excellence of Korea's ondol underfloor heating system and increasingly use it, year by year, it will soon become synonymous with Korean traditions, just like kimchi.

Underfloor heating system facilitated the custom of sitting on the floor with legs crossed. © Yonhap News

REFERENCES Song Gi-ho. Get ting Married: Family and the Basic Needs of Life. Seoul National University Press, 2009. Park Myeong-deok. Hanok. Sallim Books, 2005.

ings that he designed. He wrote about ondol in his biography:“The rooms in Korea have the best heating system invented by men. Keeping the feet warm is the ideal heating method.” The ondol system does not reduce the level of oxygen in the air nor produce smoke in the room, keeping the air fresh and clean. Chimneys in Korea are more advanced than chimneys and fireplaces in the West by over 1,000 years. A fireplace in the West is directly connected to the chimney and most of the heat exits through the chimney with the smoke, leaving only a fraction to warm up the room. Some historical records state that the fireplaces at the Château de Versailles in France did not generate enough heat and the king and the queen had to sleep with seven dogs in their bed, beside themselves, to keep warm. In 2002, the International Society of Ondol was established in Yanbian, China, to promote research and further development. In 2008, ondol was given real global status as a standard as it was adopted by the Inter national Standards Organization Technical Committee. According to the International Society of Ondol, underfloor

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interview

Surviving the Winter The Korean people have a one-of-a-kind way to stay warm in the winter on heated floors. At first, non-Koreans may be surprised to find the floor so hot, but more and more visitors come to Korea to enjoy the warmth of heated floors in saunas and spas. Written by LEE DAM-MI

“I

come here tonight to hear grandmother’s old stories. On a long winter night, chestnuts are roasting in the brazier.” (From the song “Winter Night” by Lee Myeong-ho) The Koreans have different types of cold-weather snacks in the winter. Roasted sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts are two of the most popular snacks. Near big subway stations, one can easily find street vendors roasting sweet potatoes and chestnuts in large barrel-like drums with smoke r ising above them. The smell of these warming treats is hard to pass by. Another popular winter snack is fish-shaped bread filled with sweet red bean paste.When you split the bread in half, hot steam comes out through the middle.You need to be careful not to bur n the inside of your mouth because the red bean paste can be very hot. Mothers head to the market to pur-

chase fresh ginger.They boil it in hot water with jujubes to make ginger tea. It's a traditional drink in the winter that prevents colds. In fact, ginger is great for those with asthma and bronchitis since it reduces inflammation and dilates the bronchi. The gingerol and shogaol in ginger also help to keep the body warm. Food is not the only way to keep your body warm in the winter. Every season, warm socks and pajama pants made of special yarn, hit the stores. The yarn is a fine, synthetic material that feels comfortable to the body and retains heat very well. Feet warmers are one of the newest essential products in the winter since keeping one's feet warm is very important to Koreans. The war mers are decorated with cute animal cartoons and there are two holes, made of synthetic fiber, into which you can put your feet. This device can be heated

through a USB cable and is a must-have item in the office for under the desk. Hot water mats are also very popular for home use. People either place one on the floor or on the bed, showing their strong tendency to keep the floor warm. Instant hot packs are essential when going outside. People keep them in their jacket pockets or even attach them to their stomach, back or underneath their feet. Finally, public bathhouses and saunas are a favorite spot for those who enjoy sizzling-hot floors. All Koreans love to relieve the tension in their bodies by lying on hot floors. These places have small stores that sell snacks, including boiled eggs and sweet rice drinks. Sitting on the hot floor with friends and family, and eating different types of snacks and treats, is one of the fun aspects of surviving a Korean winter.

Instant hot packs are essential when going outside. © Yonhap News

Street vendors sell roast chestnuts. © Yonhap News.

A store displays different styles of warm socks. © Yonhap News

PEOPLE

Steel Butterfly, Ballerina Kang Sue-jin The principal dancer at the Stuttgart Ballet prepares to step down from the stage in 2016.

ang Sue-jin’s last performance of “Onegin” in Korea was on Nov. 8. She maintained remarkable strength and finesse as Tatiana throughout the performance.When the show was over, everyone in the audience at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera House gave her a roaring standing

ovation. Kang will retire after her performance of “Onegin” with Germany’s Stuttgart Ballet next year. The date of her final performance, July 22, 2016, marks 30 years since she joined the German ballet company as the youngest member, and is also the birthday of her husband. On top of her

dancing career, Kang has served as artistic director at the Korean National Ballet since February 2014. After retirement, she plans to devote all of her time and energy to directing the troupe at the Korean National Ballet.

Written by KIM HYUN-HEE

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IN COOPERATION WITH THE KOREAN NATIONAL BALLET

A BALLERINA, AN ARTIST, A MASTER

Kang started her career in the global ballet world when she became the first Asian dancer to win the Prix de Lausanne in 1985 and joined the Stuttgart Ballet the following year at the age of 19. In 1999, she received the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse. Founded in 1991 by the International Dance Association in Moscow, the award is presented annually for the best ballet work in the previous season. In 2007, the German state government of BadenWürttemberg, where the Stuttgart Ballet is located, named Kang a Kammertänzerin, or a royal court dancer, for being the best artist in her field. She was the first Asian to receive the honor. She received the Medal of Merit from the governor of BadenW ü r t t e m b e r g l a s t ye a r a n d i s n ow inscribed on Germany’s list of intangible cultural properties. Kang’s achievements were not just because of her talent. They were also because of her hard work. She earned the nickname “steel butterfly” from her colleagues because of her seemingly endless energy in training herself to dance on the stage like a butterfly. Some days, she trained for so long that she had to change into a new pair of pointe shoes four times. She practiced every day for about 15 hours. Her fans are well aware that she once had to put raw pieces of meat around her toes in her pointe shoes to minimize the pain enough to do a performance. The picture of her calloused, misshapen feet became a sensation on the Inter net when it was first shown in an article. It made ballet lovers appreciate her passion even more for showing truly what tremendous dedication she gave her career. “For ballet dancers, pain and injury are our best friends. I don’t practice for long hours like I used to, but I still have pain in my feet and my back. I can tolerate all the pain because of the cathartic feeling I get when I perform better than I did the day before. That makes me forget about all the pain. People have great untapped ability. It

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is always mind over matter,” says Kang. GIVING HER 100% EVERYDAY

Kang helps dancers bring out their best and to show them to the world. © The Korean National Ballet

She trains herself with a mind like steel and glides on the stage like a butterfly.

The photo of Kang’s calloused bare feet was a sensation. © The Korean National Ballet

Although her retirement is drawing near, Kang has not yet made any apparent change in her everyday life. She focuses not on her past achievements, but on how she will live her life to the fullest today. Even as an artistic director, she starts her day early in the morning. She goes to her office, finishes some paperwork and joins her troupe to take a class together.The morning class is essential in every dancer’s life to warm themselves up before rehearsals and shows. Kang’s goal at the Korean National Ballet is to help dancers bring out their best and to show them to the world.This is why she tries different genres with her company, including classical, neo-classical and contemporary ballet.The national ballet’s new “KNB Movement Series” project is to discover her dancers’ talent in choreography as well as in performance. She says that she feels happiest when she expresses everything on her mind to her dancers and they deliver their best. Kang’s life is so busy these days that she only gets two or three hours of sleep each night. She says that life’s difficulties have taught her to live each day to the fullest. At the peak of her career, when she won the Prix Benois de la Danse, her leg injury of five years worsened and she had to stop dancing. Once her doctor told her that she could not do ballet anymore, she realized what a blessing it is to be able to dance and freely move her body. She felt as if her life had ended, but she focused on her rehabilitation and made a successful comeback 15 months later. “A slump is another best friend. Dancers shouldn’t be discouraged simply because they are not performing as well as usual. They should be ready to take on a new day every day. The slump will naturally pass if you put your energy into giving your best in practice each time. No one knows what lies in the future, but we can all choose to give our 100% today,” says Kang.

ENTERTAINMENT

In 1988, all of Korea was gripped in excitement for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Summer Games. © Topic

Reply 1988 It’s back to the '80s and '90s with tvN's newest program. Written by CHOI YUN-HWA

he popular “Reply”TV series is now back on cable channel tvN. “Reply 1988” is the title of its newest show, following the success of “Reply 1997” in 2012 and “Reply 1994” in 2013. The series have brought back retro styles over the past several years by portraying high school and college students from the 1990s.The show cuts to the present day in short segments, too. The key objective for the audience is to guess who married who among the main characters. This element of mystery keeps the audience glued to their sets. In past seasons, some viewers even posted requests at the show’s online community asking the script writers to

change the plot in certain ways. The new “Reply 1988” (2015) takes viewers back to the late 1980s, to a small neighborhood in northern Seoul. It portrays the lives of five families and shows the friendship and love that exists among the neighbors there. One of the show’s main characters, Deok-seon, lives with her older sister who is a college student, her younger brother, and her parents. Though not wealthy, it is a loving family. She often argues with her sister about their clothes and feels her father’s sorrow when her grandmother passes away. Deok-seon is a cheerful, mischievous young woman, but she is also considerate of others. She has

four very close friends in her neighborhood, all of whom are boys. Some of them develop feelings toward her along the way, which complicates the relationships among them. The ultimate question is, “Who did Deok-seon marry?” It keeps the audience glued to the television screen each week. REMINISCING CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITIES

“Reply 1988” draws attention to love of family and close-knit communities, social aspects which may have faded somewhat in today’s modern light. The five families know almost ever ything about each another. The mothers gather at the big

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wooden bench out in the alleyway to do house chores together. They share food at nearly every meal, and their teenage children deliver side dishes house-to-house. They make kimchi together and discuss any issue about their teenage children. Today, neighborhoods are filled with apartment tenements and people rarely know who lives next door. The world moves faster and young people have a hard enough time attending to their own needs, such as finding a job or making a living. “Reply 1988” reminds people of the love and fr iendship that was once shared between neighbors and illustrates the true meaning of family. It’s a nostalgic trip back in time for those who lived through the era, and for those in their teens or 20s it’s an interesting look at how society used to function. It brings memories and feelings back to today’s digital society, including the emotional closeness among family members, friends and neighbors. Viewers reminisce about the ‘80s in their own way, laughing and cr ying throughout the show. Many people find themselves crying because the show triggers fond memories from that time. The show is well-liked by younger people, as

Cassette tape player is one of the reminiscences of 1980s. © Topic

well. A 24-year-old living in Seoul’s Ssangmun-dong, where the show is set, says, “I didn’t live through the ‘80s, but I realized that the young people from that time had similar worries about life as I do today.” “Reply 1988” provides viewers of all ages a great chance to relive their favorite memories or to get a wonderful secondhand experience of that time.

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opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics. In 1988, all of Korea was gripped by excitement for the upcoming sporting event. Korea was only the second Asian host of the Olympic Games, and the 16th host worldwide.The Olympics served as an opportunity for Korea to show the world that it was no longer in the rubble of the Korean War (1950-1953). The 1988 Summer Olympics also heralded a significant thaw in the Cold War, as 159 countries, the most ever to participate in any games, attended the event. The popularity of “Reply 1988” is attributable to the depiction of the fashion trends, music, movies and social issues of the late ‘80s. The show features the Gangbyeon Music Festival, which was a big success, the first “Die Hard” movie and various singers from the time. Characters wear big glasses or athletic pants and jackets. In one scene, the young men in the show watch the Hong Kong crime movie “A Better Tomorrow” (1986) starring Leslie Cheung and Chow Yun-fat, with tears rolling down their cheeks.

SEOUL IN 1988

The show starts in October 1988 when Deok-seon becomes a sign bearer for the

tvN’s “Reply 1988” paints typical daily lives of Seoul in the late 1980s. © CJ E&M

RETRO FRENZY IN FULL SWING

It’s not a surprise that “Gangnam Style”singer Psy’s latest song, “Bell Bottoms,” is retroinspired. In his music video, Psy busts out with retro dance moves in his bell-bottomed trousers. Fashion items from the 1970s and catchy rhythms, coupled with Psy’s silly, hilarious facial expressions and energetic dance moves, draw viewers in. Bell bottoms were very popular in the 1970s when Elvis Presley sported these pants and long sideburns. These funky flares, sideburns and acoustic guitars soon became symbols for Korean youth of the time. Retro-inspired items are slowly coming back on the market.Vinyl records, cassette tapes and game consoles are featured on fashion items. A candy manufacturer introduced a 1988-themed, limited edition snack. A discontinued beer line has come back onto supermarket shelves in limited amounts.

CURRENT KOREA

An Era of Video Bloggers Anyone can create and share their own content online. Written by CHOI YUN-HWA

igh school student Lee Ye-jin became famous online with a video of herself on Facebook and YouTube covering Adele’s “Hello.” She was eventually invited to appear on the Ellen Show on Nov. 20.As of Nov. 25, her cover video, uploaded on Nov. 5, had received nearly 14 million views on YouTube and 4.8 million views on Facebook. Young talent like Lee no longer have to go through auditions for singing competitions or appear on popular TV shows. They can simply film videos of themselves and post them online.

ANYONE, ANYWHERE

One of the first Korean platforms created for video blogg ing, or vlogg ing, was Afreeca TV, a peer-to-peer (P2P) video streaming service. Today, there are almost 220,000 vloggers using the service, and the number of viewers is steadily rising. Also called “broadcast jockeys” in Korean slang, these vloggers have entire channels on Afreeca TV. Users browse through the list of channels sorted by topic and click on the channel they want to watch. They can use the service on a desktop or on a mobile

device. They can also post real-time comments and the vlogger often immediately responds to viewers’ comments or questions. These vloggers don’t have complicated setups for their shoots. All they need is a camera, a microphone and a computer. They can stream live anywhere they want. The videos are either shown through live streaming or on demand. The list of topics that these videos address include cooking, eating, gaming, finance, life advice, school & studying and beauty.The list goes on and

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on. The vloggers can be celebrities, but they could also be just about anyone. Most of them are in their teens or 20s, but the number of middle-aged or elderly vloggers is increasing. LIFE AS A VLOGGER

Some vloggers started vlogging as a hobby but along the way have found it to be their calling. Great Library TV, or Dae Doseogwan TV, a popular gaming channel, is run by one such vlogger.The channel has over 1.1 million subscribers, and the more popular videos there have over 400 million views. Its creator, Na Dong-hyeon, makes tens of thousands of dollars per month through YouTube ads alone.“I used to work at an IT fir m. I had good knowledge of online trends. So I had no fear or regrets about quitting my job. I had always been interested in games, so I started my channel playing the game ‘Civilization V.’ My channel became a hit in just one week,” explains Na. When Na started vlogging in 2013, most vloggers streamed Major League Baseball or English Premier League football games since they were not broadcast on TV in Korea at the time. He was one of the first vloggers to create his own content. The main attraction of his channel was his fun, gripping video game commentary. Just an ordinary cubicle drone had successfully transformed himself into an online sensation.

BUILDING BIGGER NETWORKS

Multi-channel network (MCN) services is one of the most thriving media industries in Korea today. As some of the large corporations have begun to establish their own MCN services, the variety of vlogs has increased and the quality of videos has improved. The conglomerates team up with individual vloggers to help them distribute their content, manage copyright and promote themselves. IT experts project that the vlogging business will continue to boom since more people are taking up vlogging and more investment is being directed toward it. Korea’s biggest online portal, Naver, recently released a live-streaming “V app.” This platform is used by pop groups who post videos of their daily lives to reach out to their fans through different channels.

There are about 220,000 vloggers and hundreds of thousands of users on Afreeca TV.

Na Dong-hyeon from Great Library TV appears in ads and speaks at different events.© Afreeca TV

popular gaming channel YangDding, won the 2013 YouTube Music Award. © treasure hunter

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Famous groups like Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, Girl’s Day and Beast film themselves behind the stage, in their studio or at home, and post the videos. In these videos, these young stars talk about beauty, food and fitness, among other things. On Google Play alone, the mobile app had over 1 million downloads in its first few weeks. ONE-PERSON VLOGGING EVOLVES

Vlogging is transforming the media industry and pop culture. Terrestrial and cable TV channels alike, including MBC and tvN, are adopting a vlogging format on their shows.A good example is MBC’s “My Little Television.” A number of celebrities are each allotted a channel every week to showcase their talents or to share their knowledge about a certain topic. More and more companies are using vloggers instead of celebrities to advertise their products. Yang Ji-yeong from the popular gaming channel YangDding, a winner of a 2013 YouTube Music Award, makes a sizable income through advertisements. Food and beverage companies are especially fond of using vloggers, who come up with their own ideas for advertisements and produce them on their own. This allows for more candid, interesting ads. Big-name Korean vloggers are expanding far beyond their comfort zones and exploring different possibilities in their jobs.

tvN's new entertainment prgram allows one celebrity to plan a one-hour show of its own. © tvN

SPORTS

Players cheer after receiving their trophy after the 2015 Premier12 final. © Yonhap News

Korea Wins First Premier 12 The national baseball team claims victory in the inaugural WBSC Premier12 championship. Written by KIM LEE DAM-MI

n the semifinal match against Japan, Korea was down 3-0 until the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, two straight pinch hitters, Oh Jae-won and Son Ah-seop, hit back-to-back singles. When Jeong Keunwoo knocked in the first run with a double, the crowd began to go wild. The score quickly became 3-2. Lee Dae-ho then delivered the key hit with a single to left field to bring home two more runs and make the score 3-4. Just when Korea seemed certain to fall, the team made a stunning comeback. This victory over its long-time rival put Korea into the final. L e e D a e - h o, w h o p l ay s f o r t h e

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan’s professional league, said, “I’ve been playing in the Japanese league for a long time, but this is my first time playing on the national team as a senior member. I’m happy that my teammates grabbed a great opportunity and that we were able to win.” In the final match, Korea defeated the U.S. 8-0 and won the 2015 WBSC Premier 12 tournament.The Premier 12 is an international baseball championship among the world’s top 12 teams, sponsored by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The inaugural games were held this year after the International Baseball Federation’s

Baseball World Cup ended its long run -since 1938 -- with its final competition in Panama in 2011. HISTORY OF KOREAN BASEBALL

Korean baseball has made great strides since 1980 when the professional domestic league began. The introduction of a free agency system has given players numerous opportunities. Teams have adopted less controlled training systems in order to make technical improvements. Professional teams have improved their facilities over the years, analyzing tactics and managing player s’ physical conditions through

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A number of excellent players have gone on to play in the major league.

Park Chan-ho

Ryu Hyun-jin

Choo Shin-soo

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BREAKING INTO THE MAJORS

Park Byung-ho © Yonhap News

strength training and video monitoring systems. Fans have become much more reasonable toward the players and genuinely enjoy the games now.They no longer demand hearings when the team loses in international competitions. Lee Kwang-hwan, former head of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and manager of the Seoul National University Baseball Team, has witnessed these changes firsthand, as he has managed professional teams for over 25 years. “Korean baseball

has been developed by coaches who received systematic education on how to train players, in both theory and in practice. The KBO runs a baseball academy for coaches and staff, in partnership with Seoul National University.We have a wide range of classes, from practice courses like Batting Tactics and theory classes like Baseball and Nutrition through to special classes on CPR and cor r uption in the baseball world.”The KBO plans to establish a baseball museum in the near future.

Korean players have been given more opportunities to play in North America’s Major League Baseball.Their achievements in international tournaments have attracted the attention of scouts and managers. In fact, after winning the Premier 12 championship Kim Hyun-soo, Park Byung-ho and Lee Dae-ho announced that they will be joining the major leagues in the coming season. A number of excellent players have proven their ability to compete in the major leagues over the years. Park Chan-ho joined the LA Dodgers after playing on the national team at the 1998 Asian Games, and played in the major leagues for over 15 years. Choo Shin-soo began his professional career in the major leagues after playing in the 2000 Junior Baseball Championships on the national team. He’s currently an outfielder for the Texas Rangers. Park Byung-ho, who hit a three-run homer in the final match in the Premier12 tournament, signed a deal with the Minnesota Twins at the beginning of December.

Tenacity was crucial in developing Korean baseball Lee Dae-ho of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

In the Korean league, Lee Dae-ho was the cleanup hitter and had an outstanding record. In the 2010 season, he set world records by hitting a home run in nine consecutive games and by coming out on

top in seven offensive statistics: batting average, home runs, runs batted in, runs scored, on base percentage, slugging percentage and hits. In 2011, he joined the Japanese league as an infielder for the Softbank Hawks. He spoke to KOREA at the new Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul after the national team won the Premier12 title. “The language barrier was the greatest challenge for me when playing in the Japanese league. The most frequently spoken word was Osu, short for Ohayo Gozaimasu, which means “Good morning.” I always broke the ice first to get along with the Japanese players. There were, of course, other challenges. The training system there was very different, and the ball was made of a different material and wasn’t the same size as the one we use. The Japanese players

at first weren’t friendly toward me. This made me focus on training even harder because I understood the challenges before joining the league. I showed them my strong tenacity and determination. Korean baseball, in retrospect, has developed considerably since 2000 when I first started my professional career. Still, the history of professional baseball in Korea is relatively short compared to that in the U.S. or Japan. Improvements are certainly needed to better support players. I’m happy that my team won the 2015 Japan Series and grateful that I won the MVP award. I’m also happy to have made headlines for signing the bigest-ever deal in Japan. I did my best here to show the excellence of Korean baseball. Next year, I’ll be joining the major leagues to take on new challenges.”

PEOPLE

Brim-making Artisan Jang Sun-ja She carries on the family business for a third generation. Written by YI EUN-SEOK Photographed by Moon Duk-kwan

n Joseon times (1392-1910), men always wore traditional headgear called gat to protect against the sun and rain.The hat originated in the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668). The materials, embell i s h m e n t s a n d p ro d u c t i o n m e t h o d s changed throughout the centuries, and gat eventually found its familiar form as a black hat with a wide brim. The men wearing this headgear were virtuous Confucian scholars. It is commonly known that one of the primary materials for these hats was horsehair, but an even greater amount of bamboo was actually used in them. The crown of the hat was made of horsehair, and the wide brim, called a yangtae, was made of bamboo. Jang Sun-ja is a third-generation brim-making artisan from Jejudo Island, a practitioner of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 4, and she works with bamboo nearly every day.

FROM MAKING BAMBOO THREADS TO WEAVING BRIMS

“My mother, br im-making artisan Ko Jeong-saeng (1904-1992), couldn’t get her hands on bamboo stalks one day. She needed them to make hat brims, so she suggested that I work in the bamboo business. I began supplying bamboo to brim makers across Jejudo Island when I was 22 and did so for 10 years,” says Jang. Jang bought bamboo stalks in Damyang and sold them on Jejudo Island. Brimmaking required bamboo “threads,” or super-thin strips of bamboo, and bamboo suppliers needed to be able to pick out good, healthy bamboo stalks with wide sections and no marks. While she was working as a bamboo supplier, her mother was designated as a practitioner of Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 4, and she started mastering the skills of brim-

making herself. “One day, I asked her if I could help her peel off the skin from the stalks, and she suggested I try making the bamboo threads with a bamboo-knife.That is how I began. I was the only one left to follow in my mother’s footsteps because all of my sisters had gotten married by then,” recalls Jang. The making of the brim entails making bamboo threads and weaving the threads into a brim. Bamboo threads are made from thick bamboo stalks from two- or threeyear-old bamboo.The stalks are halved and split into thin slivers. The inner and outer parts are separated.The outer parts are then boiled for five hours in a traditional iron cauldron and dried in the sun. The dried slivers are soaked again in water for 20 hours and boiled in a lye solution with wood ash at the bottom of the cauldron. “It is very difficult to split bamboo

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stalks. The first step in making bamboo threads is to peel the skin off the stalks to make them thinner. To do this, I need to sharpen the knife and scrape off the surface of the stalks,” explains Jang. Tall bamboo stalks are split into 0.1-centimeter strips.The artisan then puts these strips on their lap to scrape the ends to get paper-thin strips. These strips are split again at the ends into individual hairlike threads.There used to be artisans who specialized in making bamboo threads, but brim makers have to do this work themselves today. Once the threads are made, the brim is woven by alternating two strands to form a base to interlace with the warp. There can easily be 300 to 500 warps in a brim, and there are about 10,000 threads. Brim-making is the craft of splitting bamboo stalks into fine threads and weaving the warp and weft on a round board. The entire process takes about one year.The first row of the brim is woven by fine strands and the flat warps are woven onto them. This basic structure is placed on the board like beams of sunlight, and then the thinner, rounder wefts are woven, row by row.When this process is done, a sliver is inserted diagonally between the warp and weft strips, and the brim is polished by applying a mixture of fish glue and black ink.

Traditional gat hats embody the spirit of Confucian scholars and offer lessons to people today.

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keep track of time, and I was completely oblivious to the changes in season. I figured out how to make bamboo threads after years of dedicated work. I did it on my own, and I felt as if I had the whole world,” recalls Jang. She could have gone into farming to earn a better living, but she did not give up on brim-making. There were certainly many bumps along the road, but her situation has started to improve. All of her three daughters have decided to become brim makers, and her daughter-in-law, whom she calls her “fourth daughter,” is always by her side helping her with the work. She opened a museum to put her mother’s work on display and teach people about traditional hats. “Brim-making has always been very difficult. Now, I’m grateful that I’ve helped to keep the tradition alive and to leave my work and technique for posterity,” says Jang. She sometimes wonders what would have happened had she stayed in the bamboo business, which was quite lucrative. Nevertheless, she is happy to have become an artisan and to be recognized for her skills in the craft. She is certain that the traditional technique will stay alive for generations to come.

FOLLOWING HER CALLING

Brim-making is a series of delicate processes. Just making one brim requires about 40 days of labor. Simply put, it is not a lucrative job. Jang became a br im maker to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but she understandably had many concerns about it. Becoming a brim maker meant that she would only make a meager living because the traditional headgear is, obviously, no longer common today. Nonetheless, she felt that it was her calling because there was no one else to keep the family business alive. “After my mother passed away, I sharpened the knife and made bamboo threads in my mother’s old room for three years. I practiced and trained on my own. I didn’t The entire process of brim-making takes about one year. 23

TRAVEL

Damyang, City of Bamboo Discover the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wonderful foods, stunning scenery and welcoming people. Written by CHOI YUN-HWA Photographed by MOON DUK-KWAN

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amyang in Jeollanam-do Province is famous for its bamboo. A long stretch of road is lined with bamboo, left and right, from the Damyang Tollgate on the expressway. Damyang enjoys relatively war m weather throughout the year, with an average temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, and receives about 1,000 millimeters of rainfall annually. Mountains protect the city from strong winds, and the Yeongsangang River flows through its heart. All of these factors make for ideal conditions in which bamboo can grow.

Weaved bamboo cases are the quintessence of Damyang's famous bamboo crafts.

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displays woven cases of different colors and shapes.The technique of weaving bamboo is an important aspect of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage, but there are only about 20 artisans left in Damyang. Seo Shin-jeong is one such artisan. She inherited the family business from her father. Making one complete case is very timeconsuming. It requires 13 meticulous processes and thousands of touches. Nonetheless, the artisans pour their energy into each of these traditional craft pieces. 300-YEAR-OLD TREES

JUKNOKWON BAMBOO FOREST

Visitors can breathe the fresh air of the bamboo forest the moment they arrive. Bamboo produces prodigious amounts of oxygen, making the Juknokwon Forest even more enjoyable, especially in the winter. People forget the coldness of the winter as they walk through the forest of green, stately bamboo. A 2.4-kilometer p a t h t w i s t s a n d t u r n s t h ro u g h t h i s 10.1-hectare forest.Visitors can lie in hammocks here and there throughout the forest to relax and listen to the leaves crackle in the wind.The sound is almost otherworldly and celestial. It is a great way to find peace of mind. Bamboo releases more anions than other trees. Anions help pur ify blood, improve immunity and balance the autonomic nervous system.This is why the Juknokwon Forest is increasingly visited by people for health purposes. On top of a small hill by the ticket box at the entrance is the Bonghwangdae from which one can see all of Damyang, including the Damyangcheon Stream, the Gwanbangjerim Forest and Metasequoia Road. The bamboo in Damyang is particularly thick, strong and resilient, which makes it suitable material for handicrafts. Not surprisingly, Damyang is famous for its bamboo crafts. There are many different types of crafts, but weaved bamboo cases are the quintessence of bamboo craftwork. The forest’s Chaesangjang Exhibition Hall

Walking through a forest of green, stately bamboo makes you forget the coldness of winter.

Across a bridge from the Juknokwon Forest is the Gwanbangjerim Forest. It was established to protect the Gwanbangje Embankment. The trees there are on average 300 years old.The tree trunks are so thick that it is impossible to completely wrap one’s arms around them. The park was established during the reign of King Injo (r. 1623–1649) when the Gwanbangje Embankment was built to prevent flooding. More and more trees have been planted throughout the centuries, and the park is now home to some 320 trees. The main road stretches about 2 kilometers, and it is lined with many different types of trees, from hackberry trees to elm

The trees in the Gwanbangjerim Forest Park are 300 years old on average. 25

trees to fringe trees.The 1.2-kilometer section from the Hanggyo Bridge toward Metasequoia Road is designated as a natural monument. It is best to stroll along the road and bask in the fresh air, but visitors can rent bicycles to tour around the area, too. Two- and four-person bicycles are available. A 2-kilometer walk from the Gwanbangjerim Forest connects to Metasequoia Road. Established in the 1970s as part of a nationwide project to plant trees along the road, it has been named one of Korea’s most beautiful roads. The road was almost demolished when a highway through the area was planned, but local residents managed to keep it. The ferocity of the residents’ protest against the highway was enough to make the authorities route the highway elsewhere, so today we can still enjoy the road lined with dawn redwoods. In the spring and summer, visitors can walk along the trees covered with bright green leaves. In the winter, they can truly enjoy the dark-brown trees for what they are. When the trees are covered in snow, the road takes on a completely different look

Bamboo produces prodigious amounts of oxygen, making the forest walk even more enjoyable, especially in the winter.

and visitors may feel as if they are in a magical world. NUTRITIOUS, AROMATIC FOODS

Damyang is filled cheek-by-jowl with restaurants that lure people in with amazing aromas. The city is particularly renowned for its traditional dishes. Popular delicacies include rice cooked in a bamboo culm with chestnuts, jujubes, pine nuts and other g rains (daetongbap), dishes featur ing bamboo sprouts and chopped short ribs marinated in soy sauce (tteokgalbi).

The main road of Gwanbangjerim stretches about 2 kilometers. 26

On a hill overlooking the Yeongsangang River there is a street of noodle houses in front of the Juknokwon Forest, with outdoor seating areas filled with wooden sit-on-the-floor tables. The area used to be a market where people bought and sold bamboo products. Noodles were quick, satisfying meals for the merchants. Over time, more and more restaurants opened while the market slowly closed down.Today, it is popular among tourists. A tour guide at the Korea Bamboo Museum recommends bamboo leaf tea, which is made from the leaves of trees grown in a bamboo forest and nourished by the water fallen from the bamboo. Myeonggahye is a traditional tea house where people can taste bamboo leaf tea made from wild leaves.The tea is produced in small amounts by traditional methods and has a mild taste. Kim Ga-hye, owner of Myeonggahye, says, “All types of tea have the smell of the manure used to grow the leaves. Wild tea, on the other hand, retains an intrinsic aroma and a taste of the leaves.” Another specialty of Myeonggahye is golden bamboo tea, made from the skin of

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bamboo sprouts.This original tea received an award at the World Tea Tasting Competition held in Boseong, Jeollanam-do Province. Golden bamboo tea has a more earthy taste than bamboo leaf tea. Myeonggahye offers classes to visitors who want to learn about Korean tea drinking. A SECRET GARDEN, SOSWAEWON

The Soswaewon is a cluster of traditional Hanok homes deep in the mountains amid a garden of bamboo, a stream and ponds. It is one of Korea’s oldest and best gardens. Meaning “clean and pure,” the Soswaewon embodies the integrity and the noble spirit of the Confucian scholars of Joseon (13921910), as it was home of scholar Yang Sanbo. He lived here after abandoning his worldly ambitions. Each spot in this cozy garden has its own meaning. The Jewoldang, where the owner came to clear his mind or read books, means “a clear moon after rain stops.” The name of the pavilion by the stream, the Gwangpunggak, means “crisp wind when the sun appears after rain.”Visitors can listen to the water of the stream from inside the pavilion. It took 10 years for Yang San-bo to complete this garden. It is said that he planted each tree and flower with the heart and spirit of a virtuous scholar.Though the whole garden is relatively small, it is filled with trees of different kinds, including bamboo, Japanese apricots, camellias, crape myrtles, Chinese haws and cor nelian cherry trees. Confucian scholars often gathered here in the garden to work or to discuss issues together. In his will,Yang San-bo wrote, “There is no part of this garden that my feet have not stepped on. Do not sell or give this to anyone who cannot take good care of things here. Do not let any one person in the family have sole ownership of this garden.”Yang’s descendants took great care of the Soswaewon in honor of this will. Thanks to them, we can all enjoy a beautiful garden today.

Soswaewon is one of Korea’s oldestand best gardens meaning “clean and pure.”

WHAT TO EAT The southern region of the country is famous for its local delicacies. Among many different dishes, chopped short ribs marinated in soy sauce (tteokgalbi) is a popular delicacy from Damyang. The dish is prepared according to the original recipe from a cookbook from Joseon times, the Siuijeonseo. On a popular TV show, Deokingwan (1121 Jukhyang-daero, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province; Tel. 061-381-7881) has been recognized for the excellence of its chopped short ribs, made solely from the meat of domestically-raised female cows. Rice cooked in bamboo culms (daetongbap) is a great dish to eat with the meat. WHERE TO STAY The Jukhyang Cultural Village (Tel: 061-3802680), located inside the Juknokwon Forest, has traditional Hanok homes surrounded by bamboo. It has rooms that can accommodate up to 12 people and a VIP lounge. Damyang Resort (Tel: 061-380-5000) offers a more convenient option with an adjacent hot spring and spa. GETTING THERE By car, visitors can take the Gyeongbu Expressway, the Nonsan Cheonan Expressway or the Honam Expressway. Take the Gochang-Damyang Expressway at the Jangseong Junction and get off at the Damyang Interchange. Stay to the right toward Damyang, and pass the Damyang Technical High School Intersection and the Tongun Three-way Intersection on Jukyangdaero. Turn onto Juknokwon-ro. Visitors can also take a bus bound for the Damyang Terminal from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal.

Seoul

2hour 30min

Damyang

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SPECIAL ISSUE

Asia Culture Center Opens This Asia-wide cultural complex produces and distributes cultural contents. Written by CHOI YUN-HWA

The Asia Culture Center opened on Nov. 25. © ACC

fter 11 years of construction and a cost of some KRW 700 billion, approximately USD 590 million, the Asia Culture Center (ACC) is now open to the public in Gwangju in the south west of Korea. The biggest cultural complex in Korea and in Asia, the ACC had its official opening ceremony on Nov. 25 at the Asian Arts Theatre, part of the center. The ceremony was attended by some 700 figures from home and abroad, including Pr ime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-deok and culture ministers from five Central Asian countries. It featured performances by Asian traditional orchestras, percussionists and Korean drum dancers, as well as a video clip showing the entire process of constructing the ACC.

any other building. Most of its space is underground, and the area above ground is a big park. There are five sections of the ACC complex: the Democratic Peace Exchange, the Cultural Infor mation Center, the Cultural Creation Center, the Arts Theatre and the Children’s Culture Center.The old complex of the Jeollanamdo Provincial Government was renovated and turned into the Democratic Peace Exchange, which sits above ground. The

A CENTER FOR ASIAN CULTURES

The ACC is built on a total area of 40 acres, larger than the National Museum of Korea by some 2.8 hectares. The ACC is unlike

Various exhibitions are held in celebration of the opening. © ACC

historical parts of the complex were kept intact, including the main building and the police department offices that served as headquarters for the civilian democracy movement during the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980.This part of the complex is histor ically significant because the people resisted the forces of martial law, resisting until the very end. Architect Woo Gyu-seung, who designed the ACC under the theme “Forest of Light,” tried to keep the memory of the democracy movement alive in the complex. This is why those parts of the ACC that are renovated old buildings of the Jeollanam-do Provincial Government were kept where they were, above ground. The rest of the complex is 25 meters underground, but it doesn’t feel like it’s underground because of the nearly 70 windows that cover the ceilings. It’s very appropriate for the theme of light. A large plaza at the center of the complex adds to the feeling of openness and luminosity.

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INAUGURAL EVENTS

The opening ceremony was attended by some 700 figures from home and abroad, including Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jong-deok and culture ministers from five Central Asian countries. © ACC

IN COOPERATION WITH ASIAN CULTURAL CENTER (ACC)

CULTURAL WINDOW TO THE WORLD

The five sections of the ACC have different purposes and functions. The Democratic Peace Exchange is responsible for cultural cooperation, both domestic and international, and for distribution of cultural content. The Cultural Information Center is where Asian societies are studied and information about traditions is published in journals and books, and shared through forums. This center consists of the Library Park, where visitors can experience different Asian societies, the Cultural Resource Center, for the preservation and management of cultural information, and the Asia Cultural Research Institute. This is also where cultural experts will be educated and trained.The Cultural Creation Center will serve as home for artists as they work on their art and display their work. This laboratry-type workspace will enable artists to combine art with science and technology, and to do truly inventive work. Exhibitions of the artists’ works will make for a very exciting scene here, too. The Asian Arts Theatre aspires to become the center of performing arts for all of Asia by facilitating collaboration among different production teams from different countries to showcase their original works. The Children’s Culture Center will help children

develop both their understanding of diverse societies and their creativity. It will host performances and festivals to encourage children to take part in a wide range of cultural activities. The overall vision of the ACC is to be a window for Asian societies as they look out into the world. It not only serves as a venue for exhibitions and performances, but also as a comprehensive institution for the preservation, research, creation and distribution of cultural content and human resource development. This will create numerous jobs and have a positive effect on the local economy, in that it will establish a network of artists, academia and businesses. Technical support and active distribution of cultural content will truly bolster the ACC’s function as Asia’s largest cultural institution.

Representatives from leading cultural institutions from around Asia will gather at the ACC on Dec. 24. Some 32 countr ies, including Vietnam, India and Iran, will share in the latest trends in the art world and seek ways to develop their respective fields during a meeting at the Asian Arts Space Network. The biggest inaugural exhibition at the ACC is “Test Pattern No. 8” by sound artist Ryoji Ikeda. The exhibition draws people in with a stark contrast between black and white and a high frequency sound that is almost discomforting.This is an interactive exhibition in which a new image appears when visitors stand on the work in their bare feet. Another exhibition shows the development of Asian societies over the past 200 years, since the industrial revolution and the rise of global capitalism, in 30 separate sections. The ACC will host a number of forums. As part of the 2015 Asia Story Festival, artists from Korea and Central Asia will discuss ways to recreate myths and legends through art at the Asia Story Talk Show. French marketing consultant Clotaire Rapaille, Korea’s first culture minister Lee O-young and other renowned scholars from abroad will be invited to speak. The ACC also plans to work together on different projects with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Getty Research Institute, the Rijksakademie and the National Gallery Singapore.

The ACC is built on a total area of 40 acres. © ACC 29

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Education Needed to End Vicious Cycle of Violence President Park Geun-hye emphasized the need to stop violence through education during her visit to UNESCO headquarters in Paris. EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

President Park Geun-hye gives a speech at UNESCO headquarters on Dec. 1. © Cheong Wa Dae

n Dec. 1, President Park Geun-hye emphasized the importance of education to put an end to the vicious cycle of extreme violence in her speech at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. President Park expressed Korea’s interest in bolstering cooperation with the U.N. organization. President Park said, “Education is the fundamental solution to the vicious cycle of extreme violence, including the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, and protections for peace must be established.” “There is no better way to construct such defenses, which will stand the test of time, than to sow in the minds of children in conflict zones the seeds of reconciliation instead of hatred, dialogue over violence, and hope in place of despair. I believe the answer lies in nothing else but education, and that, accordingly, the education of global citizens must be disseminated and strengthened further.” President Park vowed to work on the “Better Life for Girls” initiative, to support

vocational training and ICT education in Africa, and to expand Korea’s partnership with UNESCO on educating people in how to be global citizens.This last initiative would be done by UNESCO’s Asia Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding in Seoul, which seeks to develop school curricula and disseminate best practices. In regard to issues involving the Korean Peninsula, President Park said, “Regional uncertainties and threats to peace caused by a specific country can threaten the whole international community. The nuclear weapons program and the human rights abuses in North Korea are such cases.” “To bring Korea closer to peaceful reunification, I propose we open three channels of cooperation between the South and the North, oriented toward the environment, people’s livelihood and culture. The cultural channel, in particular, will become a focal point for restoring a sense of common identity as one people,” she said. P r e s i d e n t Pa r k p r a i s e d Ko r e a -

UNESCO relations, saying, “UNESCO supported the publication of textbooks in Korea by building textbook printing plants there in 1951. It also helped Korea establish its basic educational policy by designing measures to rebuild the country’s education system. There can be no denying that UNESCO’s support was instrumental in furthering Korea’s national development.” Korea and UNESCO also signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering voluntary contributions between UNESCO and Korea, and on the establishment of an International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement under the auspices of UNESCO. Korea and UNESCO agreed to work closely together on an initiative to support science, technology and innovation, and on a plan to establish an International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management that would educate people about water resources and conduct joint research in developing countries.

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n Nov. 30, President Park Geun-hye delivered the keynote speech, “2030 Energy Strategies to Foster New Industries,” in the first session of the Leaders Event and High Level Segment at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) climate summit in Paris. The president outlined Korea’s goals to open new markets of KRW 100 trillion and to create 500,000 new jobs through new energy industries and, in the process, meet Korea’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution target. Showing strong support for an agreement on a new post-Kyoto climate framework, the president listed Korea’s strategies to tackle climate change. They included reduction of greenhouse gases, new energy

industries, the sharing of new technologies and business models with the developing world and, finally, participating in discussions on the need for an international carbon trading market. The new climate framework, if an agreement is made, is expected to encourage both developing and developed countries to participate and to adopt a mechanism where each country voluntarily sets its reduction targets, unlike under the Kyoto Protocol. That treaty, adopted by many countries in 1997 and which expired in 2012, mandated greenhouse gas reduction quotas only on the rich world. In her speech, President Park presented Korea’s plans to create new energy markets and jobs.The plans included the creation of

Greenhouse Gas Reduction President Park Geun-hye presses for greenhouse gas reduction at the U.N. conference on climate change. EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

Showing her strong support for a new climate control framework, the president unveils the nation’s plans to create new markets and jobs through new renewable energy technologies and business models. © Cheong Wa Dae

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“pro-sumer” markets that enable trading electricity produced and saved through new and renewable energy facilities, and the “Carbon Free Island” project on Jejudo Island. “Korea has some of the world’s most energy-efficient technologies and is a major manufacturer, and we have submitted a 2030 target to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent from businessas-usual (BAU) levels,” said the president. Concerning the “pro-sumer” market, she said that the market would “enable anyone to trade electricity produced and saved through new and renewable energy facilities and through electric automobiles.” She explained some of the nation’s other measures, too. First, she explained how Korea would enact step-by-step a “zero footprint” rule for all new buildings. Second, she also spoke about Jejudo Island’s plan to use solely renewable energy and to provide more electr ic cars on its path toward becoming “carbon-free.” Korea’s plans to develop business models that answer the needs of the developing world and its plans to disseminate the models through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) were also presented by the president. Mentioning the GCF’s approval of Jejudo’s “energy-independent island” model that was proposed as one of the first business models, the president explained how the model works. “Photovoltaic systems and storage systems will be set up at Amazon’s factories run by oil-generated power, which will enable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and provision of power 24 hours a day,” she said. She also spoke about a “smart farm” model that Korea has been promoting as a new GCF-supported model.“The temperature and humidity in greenhouses that have been designed by a combination of high tech and renewable energy can be controlled automatically, and this will eventually increase productivity and the quality of crops, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all thanks to renewable energy,” she said.

Korea & Visegrad Group Hold First-ever Talks Leaders from Korea and four Central European countries gathered for summit talks in Prague. EXCERPT FROM KOREA.NET

rom Dec. 2 to 4, President Park Geunhye attended a series of summit meetings with leaders of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. This summit was the first time in which a Korean leader met with the V4.The president met with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. President Park and the V4 prime min-

isters discussed the deepening of relations between their countries. President Park outlined a path which Korea and the Visegrad Group could take to strengthen cooperation. It includes: seeking unity and unification; achieving mutual prosperity; cultural enrichment; and, lastly, enhancing partnerships covering global and regional governance. The summit consolidated Korea’s commitment to developing, multipronged partnerships with the four countries and to

laying a foundation to expand its horizon of multilateral cooperation, beyond ASEAN and into Central Europe. The five leaders adopted a joint statement under which they will enhance mutual cooperation across a wide range of areas, including infrastructure and energy, the creative industries, trade and investment, the defense industry international cooperation and policies concerning the achievement of peace across the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

KOREA-CZECH REPUBLIC BILATERAL TALKS would be the best partner for the new nuclear power project, President Park called for “inclusive cooperation” ranging from power plant construction and technological exchange through to official EU certification. The president also suggested they raise their partnership up to a level where the two countries could then jointly work on a third country’s nuclear energy program. The two leaders also discussed their President Park Geun-hye (second from left) met with Czech Prime deepening partnership in science and Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in Prague on Dec. 3. © Cheong Wa Dae technology. Prime Minister Sobotka expressed interest in “more opportunities to work with Korea, whose President Park met Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav cutting-edge technology and applied sciences are Sobotka on Dec. 3 at Prague Castle where they the best in the world.” Mentioning the memorandiscussed measures to expand bilateral cooperation, dum of understanding signed between the Korea following their agreement in February to build a Institute for the Advancement of Technology and more cooperative partnership. the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, the The leaders agreed to deepen their partnership Czech leader said that he expects to “increase joint covering nuclear energy. Explaining his country’s research between Korean and Czech research instiplans to build new nuclear power plants and to tutes.” soon begin negotiating with prospective providers, In reply, President Park said that she hopes to comthe Czech prime minister expressed appreciation for bine Korea’s competence in the applied sciences the Korea Electric Power Corporation’s interest in the with the Czech Republic’s strengths in pure research, project. and collaborate in the development of automobile Assuring her Czech host that a Korean corporation parts, smart devices and other high-tech products.

Choosing transport as one of the primary fields for further collaboration, the president said that she hopes the two countries will work together on the Czech Republic’s high-speed rail line and its smart transport network. Reviewing their partnership on national defense, since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year when the Czech prime minister visited Seoul, the Korean leader requested that the prime minister consider the Korea-made KAI KUH-1 Surion utility helicopter as a candidate for the country’s multipurpose combat helicopter. The two leaders adopted an action plan for 2016 to 2018 where they will implement the bilateral “strategic partnership” agreed upon during the Czech prime minister’s visit to Seoul earlier this year. This plan includes specific measures to deepen their partnership in diplomacy and national defense, economic matters and the business environment, the arts and tourism, and human resource management. Finally, showing her appreciation for the Czech Republic’s contributions to peace on the Korean Peninsula, as the former Czechoslovakia was a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission and for its continued assistance concerning North Korea, President Park asked for the Czech Republic’s support for Korea’s efforts to unify the peninsula.

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KOREA-POLAND BILATERAL TALKS On the same day, President Park Geun-hye held a bilateral summit with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo. The president asked for cooperation so that internationally competitive Korean firms could participate in large-scale infrastructure improvement projects in Poland, such as railroads or Internet networks, projects on which the Polish government is currently working. Prime Minister Szydlo said in response that, “Poland is moving aggressively to develop technology, reindustrialize and explore new markets. We are striving to emulate Korea, as the country has achieved rapid economic growth.” “Cho Seong-jin’s recent victory at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition has kindled

Koreans’ interest in Poland. I hope that there will be much more of this kind of cultural exchange in the future,” said President Park. “Just like the connection between Cho Seong-jin’s performances and the music of Chopin, I hope cultural exchange between our countries can deepen,” said Prime Minister Szydlo. In regard to cooperation on defense, President Park said, “Bolstered cooperation on security and national defense is important to develop our bilateral relationship for the future. I would like to ask for your interest in and cooperation on this so that bilateral cooperation in the defense industry can be thoroughly developed, highlighted by the export of Korean-made K-9 self-propelled artillery last year.”

President Park Geun-hye and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo held a summit on Dec. 3 in Prague. © Cheong Wa Dae

KOREA-HUNGARY BILATERAL TALKS In the meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, President Park said that she hopes that “the second Korea-Hungary joint economic committee can open in the near future.” She also asked for the Hungarian leader’s cooperation so that Korean companies could take part in ongoing subway renovations and other major large-scale infrastructure projects in Hungary. Prime Minister Orban said in response that, “Hungary also has great hopes for the commencement of a second Korea-Hungary joint economic committee. I hope that our two countries will be able to discuss various measures in order to expand cooperation across many industries and many sectors of the

economy.” The Hungarian leader continued by saying, “I would like to welcome the systemic foundation laid by our two countries for cooperation on national defense and the defense industry thanks to the signing of an agreement between the two countries to protect sensitive military information.” “I hope that in the near future our countries will be able to sign memorandums of understanding in the defense industry and on military supplies so that cooperation can expand, including Hungary’s purchase of multi-purpose helicopters from Korea,” Prime Minister Orban added. President Park Geun-hye and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held summit talks on Dec.3. © Cheong Wa Dae

KOREA-SLOVAKIA BILATERAL TALKS During the Korea-Slovakia summit, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico asked President Park to encourage more Korean firms that worked on Incheon International Airport to participate in the ongoing construction of Bratislava Airport. President Park told the Slovak leader that she would inform the firms about the new airport construction project so that both countries could establish a winwin relationship. Prime Minister Fico told President Park that he wishes to discuss Korea-Slovak cooperation on nuclear energy at the joint economic committee to be held in the first half of next year. President Park Geun-hye and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met in Prague. © Cheong Wa Dae 33

President Park told the Slovak leader that Korea will closely cooperate with Slovakia when plans for the new atomic power plant construction project become concrete. She told the Slovak leader that about 90 Korean firms are operating in Slovakia and contributing to the economy there, and she proposed signing an agreement on economic cooperation and the formation of a joint economic committee. Finally, Prime Minister Fico told President Park that he hopes she will be able to visit Slovakia so that both sides could discuss in detail measures to bolster cooperation.

POLICY REVIEW

he President Park Geun-hye administration’s “Government 3.0” initiative is designed to boost transparency, information sharing, communication & cooperation and the overall management of state affairs, and to promote economic growth through public sharing of governmentowned data. GOVERNMENT 3.0 AND PUBLIC DATA

The main objective of “Government 3.0” is to improve the quality of life of the people. It involves, primarily, making the government more transparent, competent

and service-oriented by openly sharing the datasets produced and commissioned by all government organizations, including central and regional governments, government-run committees and governmentinvested institutions. By encouraging the use, reuse and free distribution of data and infor mation, the gover nment aims to deliver customized public services that meet the needs of each and every individual citizen, and to promote business while encouraging communication and collaboration between government departments. “Government 1.0” involved one-way

communication from the government to the people. “Government 2.0” saw bilateral interaction between the government and the people. “Gover nment 3.0” is an upgrade of these, made possible by using high-quality information that serves the unique needs of individuals and businesses with regard to numerous matters, including geography, weather, traffic, welfare and finance. Not only do the people actively consume information, they also create information by providing suggestions and ideas to the government, and by expressing their approval or disapproval of govern-

Government 3.0 and Public Data President Park Geun-hye’s administration leads in job creation, transparency, competency and government services with its use of open, public data. Written by JULIANNA CHUNG

Winners of the second Startup Idea Utilizing Open Public Data competition pose for the camera. © Yonhap News 34

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ment policies and projects. All documents are disclosed in their original state, which the government claims boosts transparency in government operation. ACT ON PROMOTION, PROVISION, USE OF PUBLIC DATA

The first step toward realizing “Government 3.0” was the enactment and enforcement of the Act on Promotion of the Provision and Use of Public Data, passed in August and October 2013. It requires public institutions to openly disclose all of their data, except sensitive information related to national security and citizens’ personal information. According to Article 2 of the act, “public data” refers to any datum or information, including that on databases and electronic files, processed in optical or electronic form, and created or acquired and managed by any public institution for their daily operations. In other words, any datasets (text, figures, images or video clips) created, acquired or managed by any public institution can be public data. It need only be registered on the Open Data Portal at www.data.go.kr. The Open Data Portal, managed by the Ministry of Interior, promotes the transparent distribution and use of data. ACTIVE UTILIZATION OF DATA

Since the launch of the Open Data Portal, the volume of data available to the public increased from 5,272 files in 2013 to

Co-chair of the Open Data Strategy Council Kim Jin Hyung (fourth from left) spoke during a meeting of the Open Data Strategy Council. © Yonhap News

14,287 this past July. Citizens’ use of public data has increased 47 times, and use by civil servants 16 times. From 2013 to October 2015, usage of public data increased from 13,923 cases to 659,867, and the civil services’ use of public data increased from 42 cases to 653. The result has been much better all-around services for the people. For example, there is now one-stop services for low-income earners by which they can apply for reductions and exemptions on telecommunications charges, electricity bills and gas fees. Previously, those who were eligible for the exemptions had to identify themselves, indicate which benefits they were eligible for and apply separately with each responsible agency. Now,

Strategy of Government 3.0 Transparent Government

• Releasing government-owned public data • Encouraging private sector to use public data • Promoting private-public partnership

Competent Government

• Improving communication between government departments • Internalizing collaboration and communication within the government • Encouraging intelligent administration through the use of big data

Service-oriented Government

with a system of openly sharing data, the government can give every applicant customized services, for all their benefits at once, through a social security information service at the local community center. With the sharing of public data, collaboration and communication among government departments has increased, improving public services still further. For example, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Military Manpower Administration and the Republic of Korea Army have joined hands to address career challenges faced by young men with only a high school education, after fulfilling their mandatory military service. By assigning them positions in the ar my where they can

The Evolution of Government Government 1.0

Government 2.0

Government 3.0

Administration focus

Government

Citizens

Individual citizens

Direction of governance

Government-led / Mobilized

Services

• Providing customized public services • Offering one-stop business support services • Narrowing the digital divide • Utilizing cutting-edge IT to customize public services

Channels

Collaborative Limited participation communication / & sharing Active participation / Sharing

Bilateral interaction Bilateral interaction One-way delivery of between citizens and and customized services to citizens government services Face-to-face

Internet

Wireless Internet, Smart mobile technologies

Source: Ministry of the Interior, Office of the President

Students interested in startups and new ventures listen attentively to a speaker at a Utilizing Open Data for Startups seminar. © Yonhap News

acquire technical skills, they will be in a better position to find employment when they return to civilian life with the help of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Open public data has also resulted in the creation of many new businesses. A total of 2,554 smartphone applications that use bus and subway information, including safety apps for women, were developed with the disclosure of the Seoul Transport Operation & Information dataset, and 27 local governments, including Gyeonggi-do Province and Busan, have started providing real time information about public transport. To further promote the commercial use of public data, the government has sponsored annual Startup Idea Utilizing Open Public Data competitions. Many businesses have blossomed from these competitions, including the mobile app “Seoul Date Pop”

In July 2015, Korea was ranked first among 29 other countries in regard to Open Government Data (OGD).

that won an Excellence Award in 2013.This app uses open data about tourist attractions to offer customized ideas on things for couples to do when out on a date. College student Shin Dong-hae is now a venture CEO attracting over KRW 400 million in private investment.Another big success story is Red Table, a website that lists the rankings of restaurants in each area of Seoul based on big data analysis of social media, real time data from the Korea Tourism Organization and commercial information from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Do Hae-yong, who won a Grand Prize for Red Table in 2014, has attracted KRW 1.1 billion in private investment, and is currently working with Alipay, China’s online payment solution, to expand his business. For the first time in the world, the Open Data Portal also discloses original

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documents approved by central government agencies to allow citizens to timely view the decisions made by their government and how it will impact them. For instance, in Daegu, the local government is disclosing special audits of apartment management expenses in municipal, provincial and county websites to do away with any suspicion among residents about conflicts of interest. FIRST IN OPEN GOVERNMENT DATA

As a result of the actions implemented through the “Government 3.0” plan, by July 2015 Korea was ranked first out of 29 countries in terms of Open Government Data (OGD). This was in the “Government at a Glance 2015” survey published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to the OECD, OGD is a philosophy and a set of policies that promote transparency, accountability and value creation by disclosing government data to the public.The average rate of openness concerning government data

was 0.58. Korea scored a 0.98, followed by France, the U.K.,Australia and Canada. The OECD released its open government index for the first time this year in order to help countries devise strategies concerning the release of public data. The table is composed of 19 sub-indicators that cover three factors of information: usability, accessibility and government support. “Korea ranks first in this year’s Open, Useful, Reusable Government Data Index (the OUR data index), which looks at the availability and accessibility of government data on a national portal and the government’s support for the reuse of data in creating public value,” the OECD stated in its evaluation sheet. Highlighting Korea’s achievements, the OECD reported that Korea releases data in four areas that the OECD emphasizes, including election data, expenditures of both the central and local governments and demographic data. It also stated that Korea reports the highest number of services that use public data -- 407 of them --

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and that Korea actively supports the creation of new business opportunities based on the data. MORE DATA FOR PRIVATE FIRMS IN THE FUTURE

The government will continue to make more data available to the public, especially for private firms. In the first half of this year, the government released data for use in government building projects and national financial institutions. In the near future, it will release public data in eight other areas, including statistics on real estate and commercial districts. By the end of 2017, the government will further release public data in 36 areas, such as education and health, as these are the areas where data is in highest demand by the pr ivate sector and that could benefit businesses most.The government also plans to expand its support for new startups that use open data by hosting more competitions and hackathons, and by increasing funding and facility support for such startups.

Open, Useful, Re-usable Government Data (2014) Total score

OECD

1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 No nafonal OGD portal

0.3 0.2 0.1 0

KOR fra gbr aus can esp prt nor usa mex fin grc aut jpn nzl deu bel CHL dnk slv che irl

ita

est nld svk swe pol tur

col

Source: OECD (2015), Government at a Glance 2015

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Long-range Wi-Fi Networks A brand-new technology opens doors for Wi-Fi networks with a range of up to 1 kilometer. Written by LEE DAM-MI

ech startup Newratek Inc. recently developed an innovative new technology that could arguably redefine wireless networking.This new technology allows wireless connections to reach up to 1 kilometer, a dramatic increase from the current reach of only about 50 meters.This is true innovation, since Wi-Fi is a “local” area wireless computer networking technology. Wi-Fi technology has developed thus far by expanding the data transmission capacity. Newratek, however, zeroed in on providing long-range, low-power networking system suitable for the Internet of Things (IoT) when developing its new baseband chip. Jaime Casap, Global Education Evangelist at Google, said that, “Generation Z does not understand a world without smartphones and Wi-Fi.” Generation Z is the generation born in and after the 1990s. The majority are the children of Generation X.These teenagers grew up using the Internet through wireless connections to purchase laptops or smartphones at much lower prices thanks to Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi, in fact, has not only benefitted Generation Z, but is also very important to everyone in our modern world as it has the ability to bring the whole world into the palm of our hands. Now, Newratek’s new baseband chip will enable us to enjoy a wider range of networks from one single access point.

GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED STARTUP

Newratek is one of the tech startups at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). The firm was established by two research teams, two patent attorneys and a doctor of law specializing in marketing. Their goal was to develop wireless local area network tech-

nologies. The company received support from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and from the ETRI after their business plan was approved.Thanks to the government’s Startup Accelerating Program, which ensures financial and human resources support, provides market entry plans and monitors any issues during early

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operations, Newratek was able to quickly become a strong, mid-sized company with highly-trained employees, excellent technology and solid capital. Based on the government’s strong support, in 2007 Newratek’s CEO, Lee Seokgyu, developed the world’s first 4G mobile communications technology with a speed of 3.6 Gigabits per second. It was fashionably dubbed “New Nomadic Local Area Wireless Access,” or NoLA. This technology was 3.6 times faster than the minimum speed required by the International Telecommunication Union at the time. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Siemens and Samsung Electronics had not succeeded in developing a chip of equal caliber. Since then, through years of further research, the company expanded its range of wireless communication tools.This past September, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning selected Newratek as a successful example of economic innovation.

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Newratek’s new technology will improve the range of wireless communications and consume far less electricity.

APPLICABILITY TO SMART INDUSTRIES

Newratek is seeking to make major advancements with its newest baseband chip.The possibilities for its application are endless. The chip can be used in smart

WI-FI IN KOREA

As of 2011, there were over 2 million WiFi users in Korea. KT, a telecommunications company, is a leading operator of Wi-Fi hotspots, with more than 100,000 “KT Olleh Wi-Fi Zones” across the country. This exceeds the total number of hotspots installed in all of the U.S. Wi-Fi networks have a range of 20 to 30 meters for home use and 100 to 200 meters for commercial use, depending on the type of access point and the capacity of the devices.

home technology via sensor networking. A smart home is a system that connects home appliances, water and power systems and air-conditioning and heating systems through a wireless network to monitor real-time use and to remotely control them. In 2014, the total estimated value of the global smart home market was USD 48 billion. It’s expected to reach USD 111.5 billion by 2019. The chip can also be used to automate industrial processes by establishing wireless field networking services between machines. It can be placed in smart meters for gas, electricity, water or parking, or it can be used in wearable devices for healthcare purposes. Newratek’s baseband chip is currently undergoing standardization at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Once standardized, the chip could be used for Facebook’s satellites and Google’s Loon Project to provide Inter net access to remote parts of the world. Experts anticipate that the chip will be especially useful in the IoT market since it has far greater capacity and is more effective than other low-power network technologies like ZigBee or Z-Wave. With this new chip, Newratek could far surpass global giants like Qualcomm and Broadcom. Its commercialized products are expected to hit the market in 2016 after several more verification steps.

GLOBAL KOREA

000000000000000000000000

Korean Language Around the World Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, is inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World register, and the Korean language is spoken by some 70 or 80 million people all around the world. Written by LEE DAM-MI

n the summer of 2011, 17-year-old Nicole stepped onto the plane, a little nervous yet excited. She was on her way to Korea to go to a concert by her favorite boy band, Beast. She had worked at parttime jobs for six months to raise the money to purchase the airfare from her hometown in Germany. She had studied Korean for a year to understand the lyrics to Beast’s songs and to write comments at

online fan communities. Today, she is studying Korean at Sogang University in Seoul. Jinjing from China, began studying Korean while watching Korean soap operas. She studied at a Korean university as an exchange student. Her proficiency in Korean has improved over the years, and she can have everyday conversations with her Korean boyfriend.

THE WORLD’S 13TH MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE

This year, Ethnologue (www.ethnologue. com), an atlas of the world’s living languages, listed Korean as the 13th most spoken language in the world. It made quite a jump, from 18th place in prior years. Today, there are about 77.2 million Korean speakers in the world. This number has been increasing due to the g rowing

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number of fans of Korean soap operas and music who have begun learning Korean. The demand for Korean has also r isen partly because of the increasing presence and influence of companies like Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motors in the global market. More and more universities around the world are offering Korean language courses and programs.The Korean Department at Egypt’s prestigious Ain Shams University is very popular because of the

high employment rate of its graduates.The 10-year-old department runs intensive courses with 19 faculty members and 30 students. Nearly all of the university’s Korea majors find employment after graduation, year after year, astounding in a country where youth unemployment exceeds 30%. Those who speak Korean can find a job relatively easily because many Korean companies have regional offices in Cairo. Samy Rashad, an Egyptian cast member in the popular talk show “Non-Summit,” studied Korean at Ain Shams University. THE KING SEJONG INSTITUTE

“Hangeul has so many expressions.”

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(r. 1418-1450), Hangeul celebrates its 570th birthday in 2016. The government provides systematic Korean language education for non-Koreans throughout the world through the King Sejong Institute. It has 140 locations in 54 countries and teaches about 50,000 students every year. In 2012, the institute started out with 90 locations in 43 countries. Song Hyang-geun, chairman of the King Sejong Institute Foundation, says in the institute’s January 2016 newsletter that the number of students will exceed 100,000 by 2020, as the institute plans to further expand in the coming years. Jiaxin Cathy Wang, the grand prize winner of the 2015 King Sejong Institute Speech Contest in Waterloo, Canada, started learning Korean so that she could watch Korean reality TV shows. The King Sejong Institute offered her an opportunity to study in Korea for six months as part of her prize. The institute selects outstanding students every year and invites them for a one-week trip to Korea in early October, as Oct. 9 is Hangeul Day.The students then have a chance to experience different traditions and participate in other activities, all while practicing their Korean.You can find the nearest institute location at www. sejonghakdang.org. The institute frequently updates the information on its website to provide the best services to those who want to learn Korean.

IN COOPERATION WITH THE KING SEJONG INSTITUTE

Emiko, a 32-year-old translator from Japan, studied Korean in college. She then studied at the language institute at Sungkyunkwan University and attended the Graduate School of Digital Image & Content at Dongguk University. She now lives in Busan with her Korean husband whom she met while working as a translator for a theatre company. Her husband travels between Korea and Japan and plans joint performances, and she translates for him. Emiko became interested in Korean in high school because of the shared history and geographical proximity between Korea and Japan. She wonders how Korean has so many different expressions. For instance, there are several expressions for different colors. She is also amazed that the shapes of consonants and vowels were derived from the shape of the mouth, lips and tongue.

The superiority of Korean has been recognized by the world for many years. Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) mentions Korean in the introduction to her novel “The Living Reed” (1963). She writes, “Hangeul is the world’s best and easiest alphabet. A combination of 24 components can accurately express any sound that can be made by the human voice.” Hangeul -- clusters of syllabic blocks -- was invented in a scientific and creative manner, in consideration of the relationship between letters and sounds. This is why UNESCO inscribed Hangeul on its Memory of the World register in 1997. Hangeul is the only writing system in the world whose creation, inventor and basic principles are clearly known. Proclaimed in 1446 by King Sejong the Great

Foreign students study at the King Sejong Institute of Moscow, Russia.

An Algerian student at the King Sejong Institute poses for the camera. 41

GREAT KOREANS

Joseon Painter Shin Yun-bok He satirized the ruling class by portraying their libertinism in a bold, unflinching manner. Written by KIM NAE-ON

hin Yun-bok, born in 1758, was one of the most prominent painters of Joseon (1392-1910), along with Kim Hong-do and Kim Deuk-sin. He pioneered a new style of painting daily life where he audaciously depicted the sexual libertinism of the time, using vibrant colors, masterful brushstrokes and creative composition techniques. His paintings were filled with elements of freedom, romance and humor. Despite his fame, almost nothing is known about the man himself. He is mentioned in just one sentence in the encyclopedia of Joseon’s calligraphic painters, 1928’s “A

Collection of Korea’s Paintings & Calligraphic Works” (Geunyeokseohwajing). It says, “The son of Shin Han-pyeong, Shin Yun-bok was a court painter and was good at genre painting.” BOLD SUBJECTS AND REFINED AESTHETICS

Shin is believed to have started painting at a young age because his father was a painter at the royal painting institute, the Dohwaseo. His father, Shin Han-pyeong, was highlyskilled and did portraits of the kings. Shin later became a court painter himself, but

according to historian Mun Il-pyeong (1888-1939), he was expelled from the Dohwaseo for doing too many paintings on salacious themes. He was not at all interested in the calm, disciplined demeanor that the ruling class was always expected to maintain. He naturally found himself in the drinking houses frequented by the elite in the nar row back alleys, where people openly expressed their deepest fantasies. Early in his career, Shin was largely influenced by Kim Hong-do (1745-?), but he soon found his own style. While Kim Hong-do depicted the everyday life of the

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ordinary people with strong brushstrokes and a limited range of color, Shin mainly portrayed the hedonism and libertinism of the nobility, using more delicate brushstrokes and vibrant colors. The primary subjects of Shin’s paintings were the women who were true to their desires. “Danopungjeong” portrays women gathered by a stream on the morning of Dano, the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, to wash and enjoy the day. Interestingly, Shin directed attention to the fully-dressed woman getting on a swing by giving color only to her and not to the other women, who are bathing in the water. The unusual composition and his portrayal of the women are remarkable. “Woryamilhoe” features a man and a woman hugging each other in the darkness of the night at the corner of a street. However, the main subject of this painting is another woman who is sneaking a peek at them from around the corner. The depiction of the characters is very realistic, and the painting stirs curiosity by making viewers feel as if they are actually voyeurs themselves. Because of the soft brushstrokes and keen observation apparent in his paintings, Shin was portrayed as a woman in the soap opera “Painter of the Wind” (2008) and in the movie “Portrait of a Beauty” (2008). During a time when Confucian ethical values restricted people’s freedoms, Shin chose to feature women, who were often marginalized in society, as the primary subjects of his paintings. He even portrayed the ruling class from the perspective of professional female entertainers. His style is interpreted as a protest against the Confucian values that dictated every aspect of life in an attempt to promote humanism.

who valued their reputations above all else. These new lords were open to new ideas and experiences and supported Shin’s more progressive style of painting. According to art critic Kang Se-hwang (1713-1791), Shin “did not have a permanent residence. He was a wanderer and socialized with the middle class.” After being expelled from the Dohwaseo, he associated with the increasingly influential middle class and did paintings about relations between men and women, and about courting with no inhibitions. A variety of new paints were then being imported from China and the West. They enabled Shin to use bright, bold colors, like red, blue and yellow. Shin keenly observed the social atmosphere to draw inspiration. He satirized the ruling elite for its hypocrisy, portraying the rampant eroticism that goes on between men and women. “Yugwakjaengung” comically portrays men of the ruling class fighting over a young professional female entertainer. The painting suggests that the fight was quite intense, as the man in the middle has his shirt undone and has lost his hat.

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The young female entertainer stands at a distance, calmly watching the men, as if mocking their passion. “Yageummohaeng” portrays a man from the ruling class behaving obsequiously to a patrol officer after being caught strolling around the neighborhood past curfew with a young female professional entertainer. The officer has his hand out toward the man, suggesting that he is demanding a bribe.The young female entertainer stands by the men and has an air of nonchalance. This painting is actually about the extremely superficial virtue of the ruling class, not the secret affairs between men and women. Shin’s paintings illustrate the changing values of society and the ways in which men and women consorted with each other. They are helpful today when conducting research into the lifestyles and clothing of Joseon, since his paintings are very realistic. Shin was a true pioneer, bold enough to poke fun at the ruling class in his vivid and humorous style all while Confucian values dictated one’s way of life.

THE BEST GENRE PAINTER OF HIS TIME

Shin Yun-bok’s rise to prominence in the art world was relevant to the changing times in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Wealthy landowners who emerged in late Joseon times had different philosophies and tastes from the traditional ruling elites, Scenery on Dano (Danopungjeong) © Topic

MY KOREA

t has been over seven years since I first set foot on the Korean Peninsula. Little did I know that it would be the first of four trips and that even in 2016, I would still be a frequent visitor to Korea and continuing my studies just outside of Seoul. In 2008, as the typical tourist, I visited the famous sites. From saying “Hello” to King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-Sin in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, to having bibimbap mixed rice and choco pies at the Jeonju Hanok Village, I saw the most iconic Korean tourist sites in just six weeks my first time around. It was then that I learned about Dongdaemun, the Great Eastern Gate and one of the four old main gates of Seoul. Dongdaemun Market today is a great place for tourists to buy souvenirs and to indulge in Korean street-food. However, back in 2008,

the area, apart from the beautiful Gate of Uplifting Mercy itself, was, in my opinion, a little bit old-fashioned and maybe even somewhat shabby. Many places in Seoul were under construction at the time, so I didn’t think much of it. However, it was just this past summer that I found myself back in Dongdaemun. I had agreed to meet a friend for lunch, and to my great surprise, the whole neighborhood seemed to have been made over. At the subway station, the environment that unfolded before me was so much better than what I remembered.The place seemed much sharper, and the buildings around the station seemed to have become even higher. The sports stadium that had previously graced the surroundings with its presence had disappeared.The name of the subway station had changed from Dongda-

emun Stadium to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. Going during the daytime and visiting the huge tower shopping malls and seeing the gate in daylight is great fun, but the real fun starts at night when Dongdaemun’s Night Market comes to life.The first time I heard about the night market, I immediately felt tired because the prospect of spending the whole night at the market didn’t seem fun to me for even one second. However, my friend convinced me to go, and it was another way of immersing myself into Korea. Being in my late twenties, I prepared for the day by taking a daytime nap and finding out what else I could do around the Dongdaemun area. When we arrived, the first thing was finding the gate and taking a stroll along the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

Nighttime Shopping and More There is more to the Dongdaemun shopping area than just shopping. Written by GEERT SCHOLTEN ILLUSTRATED BY YANG BOK-SEON

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It runs all the way from Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung Palace and empties into the Hangang River. From there, we turned our attention toward the remodeled Dongdaemun area and the shopping blocks. At first glance, the high-rise shopping malls were overwhelming, but when you go inside, you get a lot of shopping pleasure and can see the latest fashion trends, especially for female shoppers. Finding something specific is not a problem because maps of the layout of shopping mall towers are easy to read and in multiple languages. For Korean language learners, Dongdaemun is a great place not only to do some shopping but also to improve your Korean skills and fine-tune the art of haggling in another language. Another great shopping experience is the stalls along the streets where you can find a lot of different souvenirs ranging from the Korean traditional bric-a-brac through to the ubiquitous “I Love Korea” T-shirts. I’ve come here often to buy socks for a good price. From there, we headed to the wholesale area where people usually buy clothes in large quantities, and the mere sight of it really makes for an interesting experience altogether.

For me, as a guy, the highlight of the night would follow afterward in the form of the various food stands that can also be found in the Dongdaemun shopping area. I recall that there used to be more food stalls when the stadium was still around, but the neighborhood still offers a wide variety of foods, both outside and inside the area. My favorite Korean foods are stir-fried rice cake, vegetables and fishcakes in red chili paste, or tteokbokki, and the great varieties of skewered foods that are sold there.You can find all different kinds of dishes that make street food so interesting and delicious, especially if your tolerance for spicy food has evolved a bit. The later it gets, the more people you will find who are enjoying soju, Korea’s standard distilled alcohol, together with cow or pig intestines, or gopchang, while they wait for morning, or in our case, the first subway.These are the moments where you wish you could just keep on eating because the food here is so diverse and great that it’s simply too difficult to pick just a few and walk past the rest. Merely deciding which is your favorite can take a lot of time. All in all, if you want to combine some culture with a great variety of

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food and also increase your wardrobe or buy a large quantity of souvenirs for your loved ones back home, the Dongdaemun shopping area will provide you with an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

Geert Scholten is currently doing his Ph.D. in Korean History at the Academy of Korean Studies in Bundang. He has been studying Korean since 2007 and still enjoys exploring the various cities and mountainous that Korea has to offer, since the Netherlands has hardly any mountains of its own.

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

How Can We Help You? The International Student Organization at HUFS helps foreign exchange students adjust to school life in Seoul. Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG Photographed by HONG HA-YAN

rriving at a new place and settling down can be a daunting and challenging experience for anyone. In a foreign country, with very different language and behavior, the transition can be especially difficult. For foreign exchange students at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), help is now within reach. On the day they arrive in Korea, staff at the International Student Organization (ISO) are already waiting for them at the train station to take them to school and to help them get settled and to enjoy their stay in Korea. HELP IS AT HAND

The ISO was established at the university in 2003 under the Office of International Student Services to facilitate international students’ integration into campus life and to encourage interaction between the international students and the Korean students. In order to help the new students get settled without undue difficulties in their new country, the ISO’s assistance reaches far beyond campus. “Many foreign students who have just arrived in Korea have a hard time getting things done during the first few weeks in Seoul due to the language barrier. So the staff accompanies them here and there when they need help.This could be for any reason, such as buying a new SIM chip for a cellphone, opening a bank account or buying groceries. “The very first service we provide is student pick-up when they arrive here from the airport,” explains Seo Yu-jin, pres-

ident of the ISO and currently a sophomore majoring in English Education. It is her job to oversee the services and various cultural programs planned for the 350 exchange students from 35 different countries who came to HUFS for the fall semester. PROMOTING CULTURAL EXCHANGE

As well as helping the visiting students adapt to life in Seoul, promoting friendship and interaction between the exchange students and the Korean students is an important part of the group’s work. The Buddy Program is designed to enhance cultural exchanges among the students by matching a Korean student with an exchange student. Every semester, two hundred Korean and exchange students are selected and they take part in various cultural programs, such as mini Olympics and field trips that are organized by the ISO’s Buddy Team. Yirath Locano came to Korea from Mexico in August and she has forged many new friendships through the ISO since then. “I

For foreign exchange students coming to the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, help is now within reach. 46

had a great time at the events and loved the new experiences. It was fun, and I learned a lot about Korean traditions,” she says. There is also the Atti Team that supports foreign students in a number of ways. The team works closely with the foreign students to help them better enjoy their time at HUFS. “We need to be ready to help the students at all times, so we keep the ISO office open dur ing all school hours,” says Kwon Min-jeong, head of the Atti Team. “It can be hard work, but it's very rewarding when an event goes well or when the students say thank you when we pick them up,” she says. Max Vellguth is an exchange student from Germany and he remembers when a student from the ISO greeted him at the train station. He says, “I was very pleasantly sur pr ised at what g reat hospitality I received from the student, who came all the way to the station just to take me to the school. It was something very different from anything I experienced in Germany, and it gave me a great first impression of Korea and of the school.” The ISO is a university club, but the work is time-consuming and requires a great deal of responsibility on the part of its 38 active members. “We’re not quite like other clubs.We volunteer to help and try to understand the foreign exchange students from their point of view. One of the great things about being part of the ISO is being able to meet students from other countries to which I’ve never been and learn about their society,” says Seo.

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ISO staff members get together every week to plan new events and programs for foreign exchange students. 47

NATURE

Left Untouched, Hongdo Island The island boasts picturesque scenery of rock formations, clear water and breathtaking sunsets. Written by KIM NAE-ON

ongdo Island lies far out in the Yellow Sea, 115 kilometers west of Mokpo in Jeollanam-do Province (South Jeolla Province) and 22 kilometers from Heuksando Island, its nearest neighbor. The entire island is designated as a natural monument. Hongdo means “Red Island.” Some claim that the island got its name because of the camellia flowers that cover the island. Others say that the name refers to the red glow over the island when the sun sets. Interestingly enough, Hongdo Island itself actually is reddish-brown due to the mineral content of the metamorphic rock that forms much of it. Dubbed one of the best vacation islands by the Korea Tourism Organization, it stays busy throughout the year.Visitors can take a two-hour boat tour around the island to see all of Hongdo Island’s breathtaking views.The island is ringed by beautiful rock formations, including the Pillar Rock, the Monkey Rock and the Tower Rock.The waters are crystal-clear, and the island’s trees stand tall and lush. The views are postcard-perfect. Sea cliffs and oddly-

shaped rocks, formed over millennia of erosion by strong winds and crashing waves, unmistakably evince the passage of time. Another way to enjoy the serenity of Hongdo Island is to bask in the ocean breeze at the pebbled-filled Ppadol Beach. Perhaps because of such surroundings, residents of Hongdo Island have a calm attitude about life. They simply follow the laws of nature. They appreciate water, for they have always lived in scarcity of clean drinking water.When a storm comes, they patiently wait for it to calm down. One of the island’s villages, Daepung-ri, is where the powerful maritime warlord Jang Bogo (787-846) from Unified Silla waited for the winds to die down before leaving for Tang China in the soap opera “Emperor of the Sea.”The name Daepung, in fact, means “to wait for the wind.” Hongdo Island is an important place for ecological research, too, because most of the island is left untouched. It is home to numerous rare plants and sea creatures, such as Sedirea japonica, whose scent can be picked up from 4 kilometers away, and purple sea sponges.

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A beautiful sunset casts a reddish glow over Hongdo Island. ÂŠ Topic 49

FLAVOR

Sweet Pumpkin Porridge Written by CHUNG DA-YOUNG Photographed by HONG HA-YAN COOKED AND ST YLED BY KIM YOUNG-BIN

n a cold winter day, nothing is better than staying cozy inside and eating something warm and filling. Sweet pumpkin porridge, or hobakjuk, is the perfect comfort food for such a day. It truly hits the spot. The sweet velvety porridge makes a delicious winter breakfast or a hearty snack. It’s made from yellow pumpkins harvested in the fall or early winter. Pumpkins are high in protein and vitamin A, which helps

fight viruses and improves one’s immunity. Also, because it can be stored for a long period, pumpkin was, for centuries, a reliable source of food in the winter. Many foods can be made from pumpkins, including crispy fritters, sweet rice cakes and savory side dishes. The all-time favorite winter recipe is sweet pumpkin porridge made with pumpkin and sweet rice flour. The traditional recipe calls for

kabocha squash, but it can also be made with butternut squash or most any winter gourd as long as it’s naturally sweet. After boiling or steaming the pumpkin, simmer it with sweet rice flour over a low heat. Add water for a velvety smooth consistency. Season the porridge with salt and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

I’m going to start exercising this year to stay healthy.

새해부터 건강을 위해서 운동을 할 거예요. saehaebuteo geongang-eul wihaeseo undong-eul hal geoyeyo. Jinju, where are you going so early in the morning? I’m on my way to the gym. I’m going to start exercising this year to stay healthy.

진주 씨, 아침부터 어디 가요?

Jinju ssi, achimbuteo eodi gayo?

운동을 하려고요. 새해부터 건강을 위해서 운동을 할 거예요.

undong-eul haryeogoyo. saehaebuteo geongang-eul wihaeseo undong-eul hal geoyeyo.

마크

진주

That’s great. Working out is the best way to maintain health.

좋은 생각이에요. 건강을 유지하기 위해서는 운동이 최고지요.

joeun saenggagieyo. geongang-eul yujihagi wihaeseoneun undong-i choegojiyo.

I’m planning to do this regularly, at least three times a week.

일주일에 세 번 이상 꾸준히 하려고요.

iljuire se beon isang kkujun-hi haryeogoyo. 마크 진주

-기 위해서, 을/를 위해서

Let’s practice!

‘-기 위해서’, ‘을 위해서’ is added to a verb stem or

Try to make conversation with the following vocabulary.

a noun to indicate that the verb is the purpose of what follows. verb stem+ | -기 위해서

to maintain health in order to maintain health 건강을 유지하다

Example I’m going to start exercising this year to stay healthy. 저는 새해부터 건강을 유지하기 위해서 운동을 할 거예요.

noun+ | 을/를 위해서

jeoneun saehaebuteo geongang-eul yujihagi wihaeseo undong-eul hal geoyeyo.

for good health

I’m planning to do this at least three times a week. 일주일에 세 번 이상 꾸준히요.

건강을 위해서

건강을 유지하기 위해서

‘에’ is added to a noun expressing time or quantity to

iljuire se beon isang kkujunhiyo. →

What do you plan to do? 무엇을 하고 싶어요?

What do you have to do for your plan? 무엇을 해요?

How much do you have to do? 얼마나 해요?

to maintain health 건강을 유지하다

to exercise 운동을 하다

a week/three times 일주일 / 3번

geongang-eul yujihada

undong-eul hada

iljuil / sebeon

to go backpacking 배낭여행을 가다

to save money 저금을 하다

a month/KRW 100,000 한달 / 10만원

baenangyeohaeng-eul gada

jeogeumeul hada

handal / simmanwon

to be fluent in Korean 한국어를 잘하다

to study 공부를 하다

a day/30 minutes 하루 / 30분

han-gugeoreul jalhada

gongbureul hada

haru / samsipbun

indicate that the noun is a unit of measure, similar to the English preposition ‘per’.

Pronunciation 받침 ㅇ [ng] Final consonant 운동을 하다 [undong-eul hada] to exercise