KOREA(2014.9.) by Korean culture and information service

SEPTEMBER 2014 VOL.10

SEPTEMBER 2014

Reconciliation, Unity and Peace Pope Francis delivers a message to Koreans Fan Maker

Park In-gweon

Travel

Buyeo

Do you know what time it starts? Minsu and Ming-ming are in the theater talking about which movie to watch. Let’s join the conversation in Korean.

요즘 <명량>이 인기가 많아요. yojeum <Myeongnyang>i ingiga manayo.

“Battle of Myeongnyang” is pretty big these days.

Minsu ssi, yojeum museun yeonghwaga jaemiinneunji arayo?

Minsu, do you know if there are any good movies out lately?

아니요, 몰라요. aniyo, mollayo.

그럼 그거 볼까요? geureom geugeo bolkkayo?

You want to go see it, then?

No, I don’t know.

민수 씨, 요즘 무슨 영화가 재미있는 지 알아요?

제가 가서 알아볼게요. jega gaseo arabolgeyo.

몇 시에 시작하는지 알아요? myeot sie sijakaneunji arayo?

Do you know what time it starts?

I’ll go and find out.

-는지/(으)ㄴ지 알다/모르다 “-는지/(으)ㄴ지 알다/모르다” is used to indicate uncertainty regarding a fact or status. “알다” means “to know” and “모르다” means “not to know” In case of adjectives, the adjective stem ending in a vowel + “-ㄴ지 알다/모르다” the adjective stem ending in a consonant + “은지 알다/모르다” In case of verbs, verb stem + “-는지 알다/모르다”

Let’s practice!

Look at the poster below and complete the following conversation with the right phrases.

보기

basic form

나: 네, 알아요. 국립중앙박물관에서 열려요. ne, arayo. gungnipjungangbangmulgwaneseo yeollyeoyo. Exhibition location: The National Museum of Korea Exhibition held from July 3 (Thurs.) to October 12 (Sun.), 2014. Museum hours: 9:00-18:00 Price 12,000 won

Yeah, I know. It’s at the National Museum of Korea.

가: 그럼 (박물관에 어떻게 가다) → ? geureom (bangmulgwane eotteoke gada) → ?

크다

keuda big

adjectives

-은지 알다/ 모르다

jakda small

나: 네, 알아요. 이 앞에서 버스를 타면 돼요. ne, arayo. i apeseo bus-reul tamyeon dwaeyo. 가다

가: 그럼 OO 전시회에 같이 가요. 몇 시에 (문을 닫다) →? geureom OO jeonsihoe-e gachi gayo. myeot sie (muneul datda) 가: 민수 씨, OO 전시회가 (어디에서 열리다) Minsu ssi, OO jeonsihoega (eodieseo yeollida) → eodieseo yeollineunji arayo?

Then let’s go to the ________exhibition together. (to close) → ___________ what time _________?

나: 네, 6시에 닫아요. Minsu, do you know (to open/be held somewhere) ne, 6sie dadayo. Yeah, it closes at six. → where the ____exhibition is being held?

keunji alda/moreuda To know/not know if something is big

jageunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something is small 가는지 알다/모르다

Yeah, I know. Just take the bus out front.

→ 어디에서 열리는지 알아요?

큰지 알다/모르다

작은지 알다/모르다 작다

Then do you (how, to go, the museum) _______________?

-(으)려고 하다 form

gada to go

verbs

-는지 알다/ 모르다

ganeunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something/someone is going 닫는지 알다/모르다

닫다

datda to close

danneunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something/somewhere is closing

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2014 | KOREA VOL.10 NO.9

22 26

04 COVER STORY

Reconciliation, Unity and Peace Pope Francis’s visit to Korea is a major step in the quest for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula

14 PEOPLE

Fan Maker Park In-gweon Diving Woman Jung So-young

18 TRAVEL Buyeo

22 SPORTS

Incheon Asian Games

26 ENTERTAINMENT

Korean Models Stun the World

28 SPECIAL ISSUE

30 CURRENT KOREA

42 GREAT KOREAN

32 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

44 MY KOREA

34 POLICY REVIEW

46 MULTICULTURAL KOREA

38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

48 TALES FROM KOREA

40 GLOBAL KOREA

50 FLAVOR

Pretty Boys

Striving for Peace and Reconciliation Boosting Domestic Consumption Silicon Light Bulbs

Agricultural Cooperation

Yun Dong-ju

Learning Traditional Music

Polyglot Chef Hideko Nakagawa The Weaver and the Cow Herdsman Kkotgetang

Government Enacts Rice Tariffs

The copyright to all the content that appears in KOREA, as protected copyrighted material, belongs to the Korean Culture and Information Service unless specified otherwise. Modification of the content beyond simple error corrections and the unauthorized copying or distribution of the content is forbidden. Content may be used for non-profit purposes only and with the source credited. Violators may be punished under applicable copyright laws. Content in KOREA may differ from the opinions of the Korean government. This magazine is a monthly publication that is distributed for free in order to quickly and easily promote the understanding of Korean culture and the Korean government’s policies. If you would like to get a free print subscription or download the PDF, please visit www.korea.net. Electronic versions are available at major e-book outlets, starting with the June 2014 issue. For more information, please visit www.korea.net. Publisher Won Yong-gi, Korean Culture and Information Service | Executive Producer Suh Jeong-sun | E-mail webmaster@korea.net | Magazine Production Seoul Selection | Editor-in-Chief Robert Koehler | Staff Writer Felix Im | Producer Shin Yesol | Production Supervisor Lee Jin-hyuk | Editorial Advisor Choi Byeong-guk | Copy Editors Gregory C. Eaves, Jaime Stief, Hwang Chi-young | Creative Director Jung Hyun-young | Head Designer Lee Bok-hyun | Photography Ryu Seunghoo, Robert Koehler, RAUM Studio | Printing Pyung Hwa Dang Printing Co., Ltd. | 발간등록번호 11-1110073-000016-06

COVER STORY

Reconciliation, Unity and Peace

Pope Francis encourages forgiveness during visit to Korea Written by Robert Koehler

“L

et us pray for the emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounters and the resolution of differences, for continued generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and for an ever greater recognition that all Koreans are brothers and sisters, members of one family, one people.” So said Pope Francis at a Mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral on Aug. 18, the final day of the pontiff’s landmark visit to Korea. Throughout his visit, his first to Asia, the pope spread a message of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation, reminding Koreans—on both sides of the DMZ—that they are one people. His words resonated in a land where a history of colonialism and war has left scars that political leaders and society at large are still striving to heal. His visit also reflects the growing global status of a Korean church that has grown experientially in recent decades and has become a major player in international missionary and development efforts.

Pope Francis attends a meeting with Asian youth at the shrine of Solmoe in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, on Aug. 15. © Yonhap News

COVER STORY

The pope waves to the crowd at Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 16. © Korea.net

One Family, Divided, But with Hope Almost immediately after his arrival in Korea, Pope Francis visited the Korean presidential mansion of Cheong Wa Dae to meet with President Park Geun-hye. During the meeting, the pope expressed appreciation for the government’s efforts to achieve reconciliation with the North, saying that peace is a gift from God. He also praised Koreans for their culture of respecting elders, and for having developed their nation through hard work. Additionally, he expressed concern for families separated during the Korean War, and promised the Vatican’s support in helping to resolve that issue. He also noted that Koreans’ common language could become a seed that would lead to the gradual reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Throughout his entire trip, the pope would emphasize this message of unity and national reunification. On Aug. 15, at a meeting for young Asian Catholics at the Catholic holy site of Solmoe, a village in Chungcheongnam-do where Korea’s first native-born priest St. Andrew Kim Dae-geon was born in 1821, a young Korean woman asked him how Korean Catholics should view North Korea. He responded, “Are there

two Koreas? No, there is one, but it is divided, the family is divided.” He explained, “You are brothers who speak the same language. When you speak the same language in a family, there is also a human hope.” He added, “My advice is to pray, pray for our brothers in the North, that there might not be victors and the defeated, only one family.” Earlier in the day, the pope held a celebratory Mass in the central Korean city of Daejeon, host city of this year’s Asian Youth Day, a week-long program bringing together Catholic youth from around the continent. Before 50,000 attendees assembled in Daejeon World Cup Stadium, the pope emphasized the need for social justice, peace and forgiveness. “May Catholics in the country fight the seduction of materialism that suppresses righteous values and culture, and the trend of endless competition that causes selfishness and division,” he said. He also expressed sympathy for the victims of the April sinking of the Sewol ferry and expressed hope that the disaster might bring people together, saying, “May this tragic event that has brought all people together in grief confirm their commitment to work together in solidarity for the common good.”

Tomb of Taejo Yi Seong-gye at Donggureung, a Joseon royal tomb complex in Guri, Gyeonggi-do

A Growing Domestic and International Presence Indeed, Korean Catholics have been working for the common good, both domestically and internationally. Korean Catholic missionary groups have sent personnel to over 80 countries, second only to the United States in terms of international activity. Since 1993, the Catholic Church in Korea has provided financial support for no less than 655 major development projects across the globe. There have been several well-publicized cases where Korean clergy or religious leaders have fallen sick and died while engaging in heroic service to the very poor, sacrifices that have touched the hearts of Koreans of all faiths back home. Even the 2010 film “Don’t Cry for Me, Sudan,” a documentary depicting the life of Fr. John Lee Tae-seok, a priest and doctor who spent a decade tending to the people of Tonj in what is now South Sudan before passing away from cancer at the age of 48, became an unexpected box office success. The growth in Korean Catholicism’s international standing mirrors the impressive growth the church has enjoyed domestically. In 1984, Catholics numbered just 1.86 million people in Korea; by 2012, the number had grown to 5.36 million, accounting for about 10 percent of the Korean population. This makes the Korean Catholic church one of the fastest growing in the world. The number of new priests has grown 17 percent since 2008, a marked contrast with other developed nations, particularly in Europe, where the number of priests has plummeted. The growth is even more remarkable when one considers the prevailing trends; economic development has led to a significant drop in church attendance. The growth of the Korean church has been so impressive that some wonder if the Church might learn a thing or two from it. Or as the Wall Street Journal put it in an Aug. 11 article written just prior to the pontiff’s visit, “When Pope Francis touches down in Seoul on Thursday, he will be visiting a church whose homegrown roots, outspoken activism and missionary verve could offer lessons for countries where Catholicism is under pressure—and provide a possible opening for the Vatican’s hopes to grow in Asia.”

Consecrated in 1898, Myeong-dong Cathedral is both the heart of Korea’s Catholic community and a symbol of Korea’s democratization struggle of the late 20th century.

Celebrating Korea’s Unique Heritage One of the highlight events on the Pope’s itinerary was his Aug. 16 open air Mass at Gwanghwamun Square in the heart of Seoul, where he beatified Paul Yun Ji-chung (1759–1791), one of Korea’s first Catholic martyrs, and 123 of his fellow believers who also died for their faith. Before a thronging crowd of 800,000 gathered in a plaza surrounded by skyscrapers, and with the landmark Gwanghwamun Gate of historic Gyeongbokgung Palace as a backdrop, the pope paid tribute to Korea’s almost singular Catholic history, in which the faith entered the country in the late 18th century without the assistance of foreign missionaries. “I invite you, Catholics of Korea, to remember the great things which God has wrought in this land and to treasure the legacy of faith and charity entrusted to you by your forebears,” he said. “In God’s mysterious providence, the

COVER STORY

Roman Catholic faith was not brought to the shores of Korea by missionaries. Rather, it entered through the hearts and minds of the Korean people themselves.” At the Mass, the pope once again implored Koreans to seek peace and social reconciliation, citing the example of Yun and his 123 fellow martyrs. This was part of Korea’s rich history. He said, “The legacy of the martyrs can inspire all men and women of good will to work in harmony for a more just, free and reconciled society, thus contributing to peace and to the protection of authentically human values in this country and across our world.” Later in the day, the pope visited Kkotdongnae, a welfare facility for the disabled, elderly and homeless in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do. At the facility, founded in 1976 by Fr. John Woong-jin Oh, the pope stressed the importance of communal life, humility, charity and mercy. He spent much of his time, however, kissing and embracing children, including children with disabilities. Particularly touching was his blessing of Lee Gu-won, a lay missionary who was born without arms or legs. Said Lee after the meeting, “I will emulate the will of the pope, who thinks of the poor and marginalized first, and pray for people who have it worse than me.”

Mass for Peace and Reconciliation On Aug. 18, his last day in Korea, the pope held a Mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic church in central Seoul that is not only the heart of Korea’s Catholic community, but also a symbol of Korea’s democratization struggle of the late 20th century. In keeping with the theme of his visit, the pope called on Koreans everywhere to forgive one another and seek peace. “I ask you to bear convincing witness to Christ’s message of forgiveness in your homes, in your communities and at every level of national life,” he said

1. The pope beatifies Paul Yun Ji-chung (1759–1791), one of Korea's first Catholic martyrs, and 123 of his fellow martyrs before a crowd of 800,000 in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, on Aug. 16. © Yonhap News 2. The pope meets with representatives of Korea’s major religions ahead of his Mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral. © Yonhap News 3. The pope receives a butterfly-shaped pin from Kim Bok-dong, a survivor of Japanese wartime sexual slavery. © Yonhap News

in his homily. The Mass was attended by a virtual microcosm of Korean society, with representatives of all walks of life. Just prior to the Mass, the pope met with the leaders of 12 of Korea’s leading religious orders, including the Ven. Jaseung, head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddism; the Rev. Kim Youngju, head of the National Council of Churches in Korea; and Namgung Seong, head of Won Buddhism, a Buddhist sect originating in Korea. He also met with seven elderly former “comfort women,” victims of Japan’s forced sexual slavery during World War II. One of them, Kim Bokdong, presented him with a butterfly-shaped pin, which he put on his vestments. Also attending the Mass was a group of largely elderly priests, nuns, monks and lay persons who were born in North Korea but who currently live in the South.

A Reforming Pope Pope Francis has been called a revolutionary figure, and to be sure, he’s quite unlike any pope that has come before him. The first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first pope from the

Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope in 1,272 years, he has been a remarkably liberal leader since assuming the Chair of St. Peter a year and a half ago. His great charisma—the

COVER STORY

international press frequently likens him to a “rock star”—is largely grounded in his personal humility. His rejection of the palatial apartments high above St. Peter’s Square where past popes have lived in princely isolation is already a radical step. Images of the pope having a simple lunch surrounded by his staff at a table in a canteen help to explain why his name came at the top of the list of topics mentioned on Facebook in 2013. Even in Korea, he eschewed the trappings of luxury, choosing to get around in a humble compact car and residing at the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican embassy in Seoul. Pope Francis also refuses to be disconnected, and has become known for his constant efforts to reach out to the public, whether through blessing children or touching the sick and weak. This could be seen no more clearly than during his visit to Korea, where he spent much of his time meeting with, touching and blessing ordinary Koreans and children, sometimes interrupting his schedule to do so. In one such case, the pope conducted an unscheduled baptism of Lee Hojin, the father of a high school student killed in the Sewol sinking. The pope’s rock-star status has not been without its promotional benefits to Korea. With the pope came, so did

legions of international journalists and broadcasters from all corners of the globe. This has drawn wide-sweeping attention to Korea’s remarkable rise from poverty, its dramatic history and its tragic division, deepening the world’s perception beyond K-pop and television dramas.

A Unique Case of Self-Evangelization What makes the Catholic church in Korea special is its unique history of self-propagation, a history virtually unparalleled in the history of the Catholic Church. As the New Advent Encyclopedia, the definitive Catholic encyclopedia of the United States, points out, “In a manner perhaps unique in the annals of the Church, the Faith was introduced [to Korea] without preaching and before any missionaries had penetrated the country.” Indeed, Korea’s first contact with Catholicism came almost by accident by way of the annual embassies Korea sent to Beijing. It was through these missions that aristocrats came across Catholic texts; one such man, Yi Seung-hun, was baptized in Beijing in 1784. When he returned to Korea, he baptized his companions, and a lay Catholic community was formed. When the first foreign priest, Fr. Jacques Tjyou of

Korea’s Holy Sites

God’s gifts of reconciliation, unity and peace are inseparably linked to the grace of conversion, a change of heart, which can alter the course of our lives and our history, as individuals and as a people.

With its dramatic history of martyrdom, Korea is home to many Catholic holy sites.

Solmoe Holy Site Located in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, Solmoe Holy Site is where Korea’s first native Catholic priest, St. Kim Dae-geon, was born in 1821. Ordained in Shanghai in 1846, he returned to Korea that year but was soon arrested an executed. He was canonized in 1984.

–Mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral, Apr. 18

China, arrived in Korea in 1794, he found 4,000 believers. The enthusiasm for this new faith was not shared by the Confucian authorities, who proscribed the religion and persecuted its followers. The royal government launched three major persecutions of Catholics in the 19th century, the last and greatest in 1866. The persecutions produced over 10,000 martyrs, 103 of whom were cannonized by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Korea in 1984. Despite a flourishing underground community, Catholicism remained illegal until Korea and France established diplomatic relations in 1886. This tradition of self-propagation and layperson leadership continues to this day. In Korea, lay Catholics can often be seen engaging in the sort of grassroots evangelizing often associated with evangelical Protestantism, such as Bible study and prayer meetings. Franklin Rausch, professor of history at Lander University in South Carolina, explained to the Wall Street Journal, “In the older Catholic churches

Haemieupseong Fortress This old town wall in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, is not only one of Korea’s bestpreserved fortresses, but it is also a major Catholic holy site. During the great persecution of 1866, thousands of Catholics were executed at the fortress. A major Catholic shrine is located nearby.

Jeoldusan Holy Site Jeoldusan—literally, “Decapitation Mountain”—is a hill overlooking the Hangang River in Seoul where countless Catholics were executed during the 1866 persecution. It is now crowned by the Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine, built in 1967.

Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine 1. Pope Francis kisses a little girl on the forehead as he greets the crowd from the Popemobile prior to a Mass in Seoul. © Yonhap News 2. A painting of the 124 martyrs beatified by the pope during his visit to Korea. © Yonhap News

This spot, located just inside where the old West Gate of Seoul was located, served as a royal execution ground during the Joseon Dynasty. Not surprisingly, it was the site of execution for many Catholics during the 19th century persecutions, including 44 of Korea’s 103 sainted martyrs. Yakhyeon Catholic Church, Korea’s oldest Western-style church, is located on a hill overlooking the site.

Myeong-dong Cathedral The mother church of Korea’s Catholic community, Myeongdong Cathedral is a beautiful piece of Gothic architecture in the heart of Seoul. Its crypt chapel contains the remains of nine martyrs, including five French missionaries martyred during the persections.

COVER STORY

Young Catholics from around Asia arrive at Haemieupseong Fortress for the closing Mass of Asia Youth Day, Aug. 17. © Yonhap News

in places like the U.S., nuns and priests dominate. In Korea, it’s more of a partnership.” The Catholic Church also played a very important role in Korean society, particularly in the second half of the 20th century, when church leaders took a leading role in Korea’s democratization movement. The late Card. Stephen Kim, Korea’s first cardinal, turned Myeong-dong Cathedral into a refuge for political dissidents. The church has also taken an active role in social activism, opening hundreds of hospitals, orphanages and centers for the elderly. Today, the Catholic church is very much a piece of Korean society. Not many years before, the Catholic Church in Korea was still seen as a “mission” church, needing support and guidance from outside leaders. Quite a number of Korea’s Catholic bishops were foreigners, all missionaries belonging to the most prominent American, Irish and French missionary organizations. In recent decades, however, Korean Catholics have been recognized by the world’s Catholic leaders as mature members of the Church, admirable in their devotion and generosity. Pope Francis has helped affirm this notion by inviting no less than 30 bishops from his own entourage to accompany him to Korea, as well as another 60 bishops from across Asia. They came to observe the substantial popularity of Catholicism in Korea, with continued requests

for baptism and a considerable number of priests and religious and lay people alike wishing to serve as missionaries in other countries. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, France was sending missionaries to serve the Korean community. Today, Korean priests serve in France, a nation in desperate need of priests.

A Final Prayer for Peace Even on the flight back to Italy, the pope continued to express concern for Korea and its people. In an in-flight interview with journalists, he expressed hope that the Korean Peninsula would one day be reunited. Speaking about the Mass he held at Myeong-dong Cathedral that day, he recalled a special gift he had received from Seoul cardinal Andrew Yeom Soojung. “Today in the cathedral when I put on the vestments for Mass, there was a gift that they gave me; it was a crown of the thorns of Christ made from the iron wire that divides the two parts of the one Korea,” he said. “We are now taking it with us on the plane, it’s a gift that I take, the suffering of division, of a divided family.” He still has hope, however. “The two Koreas are siblings and they speak the same language. When you speak the same language it’s because you have the same mother and this gives us hope,” he said. “The suffering of division is great, and I understand this and I pray that it ends.”

Taking Small Steps Professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University sees hope for inter-Korean relations in the message of Pope Francis Interview by Felix Im

ore than simply acting as a religious leader for the world’s Catholic minority, the pope occupies a symbolic peacekeeping role that carries great meaning across the entire planet, one that supersedes any religious context. Whether people recognize it or not, the pope can often be both a social and political figure who exercises a great amount of non-religious influence with just a few words. Koh Yu-hwan, a professor in the department of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University, thinks that the impression Pope Francis left behind during his visit can exert a positive influence on inter-Korean relations. “Pope Francis gave us a very powerful message during his last Mass, one that was aimed directly at both the politicians and people of Korea,” said Koh. “I can’t help but think that he reminded both us and our leaders of the importance of peace and reconciliation.” One Nation, One Family In his final Mass at Myeong-dong Cathedral, with President Park Geun-hye in attendance, Pope Francis made a plea for the two Koreas to reunite and make peace, appealing for the “emergence of new opportunities for dialogue, encounters and the resolution of differences.” He insisted on the dire need for forgiveness, emphasizing “continued generosity in providing humanitarian assistance to those in need,” thoughts that clearly oppose any justification for taking an eye for an eye. The pontiff also insisted that all Koreans are members of the same family, like brothers and sisters, an especially potent comment in an era where many young Koreans no longer support unification. Although nearly 92 percent of Koreans were in favor of a united peninsula in 1994, a 2010 survey showed that only 49 percent of those in their 20s still supported the possibility, compared with 67 percent of people in their 50s and above. “Pope Francis reminded us that although we’re politically divided, the two Koreas are still the same people of the same family,” Koh reflects. “He reminded us that we speak the same language—that we come from the same mother.” As for how the North views the pope’s visit, there is still much speculation. This past Aug. 14, the day of Pope Francis’s arrival, North Korea fired five shortrange missiles into the East Sea, which some interpreted as a provocative demonstration against South Korea and the West. Koh, however, isn’t worried. “North Korea doesn’t recognize any official religion, and, to be honest, I don’t think they really even know who Pope Francis is or how much global influence he exercises—either that or they don’t care,” he said. Koh points out that Aug. 15 marks the day of Korean independence from Japan, which he thinks is the only reason for the missile test. “It was just an exercise in patriotism—nothing more.” One Step at a Time Professor Koh also sees the pope’s visit as a therapeutic opportunity, a chance to heal the social and political wounds left by the Sewol ferry disaster this past April. “Our society was left scarred by that tragedy, and I think the pope’s soothing words and message of peace offer us a chance to finally begin healing,” he said. Koh emphasized that Pope Francis’s visit is significant not because it will bring any major changes, but because it simply represents progress in the right direction. “It’s the small steps that are going to help the two nations reconcile, not any monumental transformations. Opportunities for cultural exchange like the Incheon Asian Games or the pope’s visit, for example, can offer those small steps.”

PEOPLE

Staying Cool Master fan maker Park In-gweon doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in cheap gimmicks Written by Felix Im Photographed by Ahn Jong-hwan

f the many souvenirs people acquire as tourists in Korea, a buchae, or traditional fan, is a very common one. Sold in nearly any shop in Insa-dong that boasts its selection of “traditional” gifts, the Korean buchae has perhaps become the country’s most prevalent traditional craftwork, available in a variety of colors and designs. It’s also one of the few traditional items that are still actively used today. While you’d be hard-pressed to find someone wearing hanbok on the subway during rush hour, or young musicians who are interested in learning traditional instruments like the gayageum, it is still a common sight to see buchae being used on summer days, even on the busy streets and transit routes of Seoul.

From Tool to Masterpiece Park In-gweon, designated Jeollabukdo Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 10 and master buchae craftsperson, builds a type of fan that is not so easily accessible. Made entirely by hand and only using traditional methods and natural material, his buchae are a far cry from any you’ll find in a souvenir shop—and far more precious. Those who have seen the film “Gwansang” (2013) have witnessed Park’s work, embodied in the buchae used by actress Kim Hyesu. Viewers will get another chance to see his artistry in Lee Byeonghun’s upcoming film “Memories of the Sword.” Park has a whole list of production studios that have hired him in the past to make fans specifically for their film or soap opera. “To be honest, I’m still not satisfied with what I’ve made so far,” Park says while handling some raw bamboo in his workshop, his hands calloused and nearly bleeding. His wife sits in the corner heating up some glue made from ground fish remains. Scattered all around him are pieces of bamboo, cut into various sizes and lengths; the walls are lined with tools for which this writer doesn’t even have the names. He picks up an incomplete fan—a bundle of split, carved and reassembled bamboo strands that have been tied together while the glue dries. “These fans, they involve so much detail, so much precision. It takes a lifetime to learn how to make them.”

Park grew up in a small town in Jeollanam-do and first learned the art of crafting buchae from his relatives. He didn’t decide to make a career of it, however, until his early 20s. Back then, before air-conditioners and electric fans were common, hand-held fans were the primary way for people to cool off, and were thus that much more important. “People don’t buy my fans for utilitarian reasons anymore,” Park says. “Now they purchase them as artwork, as something to display in their living room.” Indeed, Park’s creations are on par with any painting or sculpture money could buy. So much care and time goes into his pieces that it almost seems improper to actually use them for their practical purpose.

Staying Native Park specializes in a particular type of buchae called hapjukseon, a folding fan that dates all the way back to the Goryeo era. Each spoke on the fan is made by splitting individual bamboo strips, gluing them back together and arranging them into a neat, accordion-like structure. Hapjukseon fans are what you see people whipping out into a beautiful, multilayered semi-circle—something very much like a peacock’s tail feathers— and then carefully folding them back up afterwards. Park’s fans are so highly valued that people come directly to his home in Jeonju to buy them, for he doesn’t even have a shop. “I have no time to run a business or operate a store. I work on my craft all day.” Craftsmen from China and Japan have approached him, requesting that he teach them the secrets of his art, but Park always refuses. “If anyone can make the Korean hapjukseon, then its value drops,” Park explains. “This is a traditional craft that needs to stay in Korea, in the hands of those who know it best, here in Jeonju.” He explains that the art of hapjukseon is not something you can produce en masse or copy; it’s an ancient skill that requires lifelong dedication and a lot of patience. He recalls several people who first approached him as willing learners but, after realizing how much dedication and effort his craft requires, fled as quickly as they came. “Apparently, not everybody wants to spend their entire lives making fans!” he laughs.

PEOPLE

Keeping an Endangered Way of Life Alive The youngest haenyeo in Korea, Jung So-young is helping to preserve Jejudo Island’s diving tradition for future generations Written and photographed by Douglas MacDonald

or hundreds of years, Jejudo Island’s haenyeo, or women of the sea, have braved frigid waters, stinging jelly fish, choppy waves and dangerous currents in search of abalone, conch, urchin and other aquatic delights. Holding their breath for a minute or more at a time while diving to depths of more than 20 meters, a career as a haenyeo is hardly for the faint of heart. Back on dry land, these intrepid women sell the bounty from their bulging nets at local markets and restaurants all over Korea and abroad, with the proceeds helping them to support their families. The role of the haenyeo first emerged in the 1700s when men on Jejudo Island began to fish in deeper waters, leaving women to take over offshore diving. The strong-willed, independent women were so good at the work that they often became the sole breadwinners in their households while their husbands stayed at home to take care of the children. Since then, generations of haenyeo have passed this craft along to

their daughters, and by the 1960s, the island’s nearly 30,000 divers generated for almost two-thirds of Jejudo’s seafood revenue. Today, however, a multitude of issues ranging from tourism and depleted seafood stocks to better education opportunities and changing attitudes about women in the workplace have come to threaten the future of the haenyeo. At present, there are only about 4,500 diving women left on the island: half of them are over 70 years old and 90 percent are over 50, with only a handful of younger women seeking to carry on the tradition.

Bringing Youth to an Endangered Way of Life Jung So-young is one of such women. At 29 years of age, she is the youngest registered haenyeo in Korea. The strong, boisterous former swimmer hails from Chujado Island, about an hour’s ferry ride north of Jejudo. Jung left the island at a young age, but returned three years ago she at the

encouragement of her 70-year-old mother, a former haenyeo Mother-Daughter Competition herself. Now a second-generation diver, Jung resides in her Jung’s work gets her up early, usually between 5:30 and 6 a.m. family’s home located on a picturesque islet 10 minutes from She enters the sea between 9:30 and 10 a.m., depending on the main island of Chujado by boat. the tide, and dives for 90 minutes at a time. Jung will typically Once home, she had to adjust to the realities of small-town hold her breath for about a minute while diving and then rest island life: electricity and fresh water, things she took for at the surface for 30 seconds before heading back down into granted in a big city, are in short supply here. The transition the murky depths. “Sometimes I stay down longer if I find to the working in the ocean, however, went much more something good,” the good-natured diver jokes. smoothly. Jung’s childhood on the island imbued her with a Like most haenyeo, this routine is repeated for six or seven love for the ocean, and swimming has always come second hours a day. When she comes home, she’s exhausted and nature to her. She felt comfortable almost immediately as often suffers from nasal congestion, leading her to sometimes she first followed her mother into the take a Tylenol in the morning before going sea, making each dive enthusiastically out to work. Headaches and diving-related before coming home with a large pain are common occurrences for women bag of sora, or turban shells, later in this field. “When I was a girl, I worried that afternoon. “That was fun!” she about my mom’s health and despised the exclaims, remembering the first day job,” she remembers. “But now, having the fondly. “Once I found out how much chance to dive side-by-side with her every money I could make selling the shells, day more than makes up for that.” I decided to become a haenyeo right She can see that working with her away.” mother has helped energize the elder diver. She officially registered as a haenyeo “My mother is a proud woman and has in April of this year, and soon after was worked very hard for many years. She’s rewarded with her best haul yet. “I competitive. She wants to see her daughter was on a typical dive with my mom,” take over for her when she gets too old she explains excitedly, “when I looked to dive. She doesn’t want to see another down and saw two giant abalone on haenyeo take her place in the sea.” That the side of some rocks. Unfortunately, competitive streak extends to their daily Jung shows off some harvested shellfish. I couldn’t get them off of the rocks. dives, too. “We often ask each other what’s I tried six times before surfacing and in our nets. My mom gets a little jealous asking my mom for help. Then, when I found her, I couldn’t sometimes,” she says with amusement. remember where the abalone were located. Finally we found Earlier this year, Korea applied to have the haenyeo added them and, with my mom’s help, I pried them off of the rocks. to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. When When I came out of the sea I kissed them. They weighed 1.3 asked about the future of her chosen profession, Jung kg. I felt like I had won the lotto!” explains, “I’m thankful for the help the local government Though Jung’s skill and persistence have brought her provides these days (including free dive suits and medical success, her work has also been fraught with danger. Fishing checkups at the hospital). This will help to preserve the lines are a common occupational hazard, and one day she haenyeo’s way of life.” In the face of dropping sea creature found herself tangled up while diving in deep water. She populations, however, the government has placed limits on fought to free herself as the waves pushed her into jagged how frequently the women can dive—now only 12 days volcanic rock, and it was only after repeated tugs of the a month. Jung is concerned that, though the UNESCO line—and a healthy dose of calmness under stress—that she designation could help preserve what parts of the culture was finally able to escape to the surface. Another day at sea still remain in Jejudo, the rules and formalities that come saw her come up for air only to find that her distinctive, with it may hinder her ability to make a living. “But I’ll bright orange buoy she uses as both a marker and resting dive for as long as I can,” she says. place had drifted far away.

TRAVEL

Wistful Reminders of Greatness Once the capital of a mighty kingdom, Buyeo captivates with its laid-back charm Written by Robert Koehler

udging from its glacial pace of life, you’d never guess that the sleepy market town of Buyeo was once the heart of a great nation. Explore a bit further, though, and you’ll find plenty of evidence of a glorious golden age, a time when the city was the bejeweled capital of Baekje (18 BC―AD 660), a kingdom renowned throughout Asia for its sophistication. With beautiful pleasure gardens, ancient ruins and plenty of charm, Buyeo’s a town that will captivate you if you give it half a chance.

The Gungnamji Pond, a former royal pleasure pond from the Baekje Kingdom

TRAVEL

History of Greatness At its height in the late fourth century, the Baekje Kingdom was the master of southwest and central Korea, controlling everything from the Hangang River basin to the South Sea. Beginning an early exchange with China, Baekje achieved an unrivaled level of development that had a profound impact on neighboring Korean states and those further afield, such as ancient Japan. Its Buddhist art was particularly renowned, typified by the warm, enigmatic “Baekje smile” seen on the faces of many Buddhist statues and reliefs. Baekje had three capitals. The first was located in the Seoul area. When this fell to invasion in 475, the capital was moved

to Gongju, today a mid-sized city not far from Buyeo. In 538, the capital was moved again to Buyeo thanks to its more defensible position on the Baengmagang River. With the capital in Buyeo, Baekje underwent a cultural golden age, but the kingdom’s military situation continued to deteriorate until finally, in 660, a coalition army of rival Korean kingdom Silla and Tang China seized and sacked the city, bringing the kingdom to an end. Baekje’s brilliance did not end with the fall of Buyeo, however. Royals, scholars and monks fled Baekje for Japan, where they left a profound cultural imprint in the developing kingdom.

Falling Flowers At the north end of town is a small, wooded hillock overlooking a bend in the Baengmagang River. In the days of Baekje, the hill was a royal garden and a fortress to which the king could escape in times of trouble. Trouble did in fact come in 660, when a Silla-Tang army laid siege to the city. Just before the capital fell, some 3,000 court ladies who had taken refuge in the fortress climbed to the top of a cliff overlooking the river and, preferring suicide to surrender, jumped to their deaths into the river below. The cliff has henceforth been known as Nakhwaam, or “Falling Flowers Rock.” Near Nakhwaam is a small Buddhist temple famous for its mineral spring and a dock where you can board cruise boats on the Baengmagang River.

1. Wooden bridge and pavilion, Gungnamji Pond 2. A wooden pagoda looms over a restored Baekje Buddhist temple at Baekje Culture Land. 3. Buyeo National Museum and sixth century gilt-bronze incense burner © KTO 4. Dancers perform a reenactment of a form of Buddhist mask dance brought to Japan by a Baekje dancer named Mimaji in the seventh century. © Baekje Cultural Festival

Baekje Cultural Festival (Sep. 26−Oct. 5) In September, Buyeo celebrates its Baekje heritage with the Baekje Cultural Festival. The festival opens with four non-verbal performances, and also features martial and royal re-enactments, as well as several programs designed to give visitors hands-on learning. It’s a great opportunity to educate yourself about a fascinating period of Korean history.

Royal Remains Baekje’s legacy can be found everywhere. In the very heart of Buyeo is a towering five-story stone pagoda that marks the former site of Jeongnimsa Temple, one of Baekje’s grandest Buddhist temples. All that remains is the pagoda, one of only two surviving from the Baekje era, but the majesty of the tower gives us an idea of the kind of splendor the kingdom once enjoyed. At the southern end of town, meanwhile, is Gungnapji, a former royal pleasure garden that local authorities claim is Korea’s oldest human-made garden. Surrounded by swaying willow trees and a bucolic landscape that seems to stretch forever, the pond is a perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon relaxing. In the center of the pond is an artificial island connected to the shore by a long, wooden bridge. To see more treasures from the Baekje Kingdom, head to the Buyeo National Museum, home to a collection of 13,000 items mostly from the Baekje period. The highlight here is its stunning gilt-bronze incense burner from the sixth century. The intricately crafted artifact, with its detailed depiction of the Buddhist cosmos, will have you staring for hours.

Baekje Culture Land Opened in 2006, Baekje Culture Land gives visitors an opportunity to experience, even if just a little, the brilliance that was the Baekje Kingdom. In addition to 4 shops, cultural spaces and a highly recommended resort, the complex is home to painstaking reconstructions of a Baekje palace and Buddhist temple, the latter featuring a five-story wooden pagoda. Baekje Culture Land is also where many of the events of the Baekje Cultural Festival are held.

A specialty of Buyeo is yeonnipbap , or sticky rice steamed in a lotus leaf. Try the very popular Baekje-ui Jip (T. 041-834-1212) near Buyeoseong Fortress.

The nicest place to stay by far is the architecturally spectacular Lotte Buyeo Resort (T. 041-9391000), a spa resort in Baekje Culture Land. Another good place to stay is Baekjegwan (T. 041832-2722), an 18th century Korean aristocrat’s home near Gungnamji Pond that’s now used as a guest house.

Buses for Buyeo depart from Seoul’s Nambu Bus Terminal (travel time: 2 hours).

Seoul

Buyeo

Jejudo

The main stadium for the Incheon Asian Games ÂŠ Yonhap News

SPORTS

Rivalry Among Neighbors Incheon Asian Games to feature some intriguing matchups Written by Kim Tong-hyung

hina’s Sun Yang dominated the 2012 London Olympics, cementing his status as the top swimmer in Asia. Having trained aggressively during the two years since, his Korean rival Park Tae-hwan is finally getting an opportunity to wrestle that title away from him. The competition between Sun and Park is just one of many rivalries that are expected to captivate spectators and television viewers during this year’s Asian Games, to be held in Incheon from September 19 to October 4. The games, which first began in 1951 in New Delhi, have been enjoying a higher profile as Asia continues to grow as a source of world-class athletic talent. Koreans won 76 gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, and as this year’s hosts, the nation has set the target at 90 golds, hoping to finish second in the medal table behind China. Korea’s gold medal contenders include Park, who will be competing in a swimming venue that happens to be named after him; sharpshooting Olympic champion Jin Jong-oh; fencing powerhouse Kim Ji-yeon; and rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae, a rising star who reached the Allaround Finals in the 2012 London Olympics—the first Korean to do so in her event. The country’s under-23 football squad is also aiming to finish on top, which would give supporters new hope for Korea’s future in the sport, which looked bleak after the senior squad delivered disappointing results at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “Ninety gold medals is not an easy goal, but

Members of a cheer squad composed of people from both Koreas gather at the Press Center in Seoul on Aug. 6. © Yonhap News

I think our athletes can do it if they perform to the levels they have consistently displayed in training,” said Kim Seong-cheol, top training supervisor at the Korea National Training Center in northeastern Seoul.

Park vs. Sun Park, 25, won three gold medals in the men’s 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyle competitions in Guangzhou, outshining Sun, 23, who won two golds in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle relay. Sun dominated Park in London two years later, edging him for the 400-meter freestyle gold with an Olympic record of 3 minutes and 40.14 seconds before shattering the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle with 14 minutes and 31.02 seconds. A humbled Park, who took the silver in the 400 meters, told Korean reporters after the medal

SPORTS 1

ceremony that Sun was the better swimmer. One wonders whether Park still holds that opinion, having maintained peak form ahead of the Asian Games. He has so far swept the national championships (with six golds in total) and clocked an impressive 1:45.25 in the men’s 200-meter freestyle. Sun, meanwhile, has been struggling to rebound from adversity. He was suspended by Chinese swimming authorities for his involvement in a drunk-driving accident in November last year, which resulted in him needing surgery on one of his toes. Sun returned to competition in March, but his times in the 200-, 400- and 1,500-meters have been underwhelming. Park and Sun are expected to go head-to-head in the men’s 200-meter freestyle on Sept. 21 and in the men’s 400-meter 2

freestyle on Sept. 23 at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center. “Park is in top physical form and he has been training rigorously to improve his endurance and the quickness of his starts. It seems that his efforts are starting to pay off,” said Jeong Il-cheong, vice president of the Korea Swimming Federation. “The winter is a critical period for a swimmer in preparation for a summer competition, as it takes five to six months to pull up your conditioning. Sun can still impress in Incheon as he is immensely talented, but he obviously would have wanted more time to prepare.”

Aiming for Gold Elsewhere Korean sharpshooters and fencers impressed in Guangzhou where they took a combined 22 gold medals—success they plan to repeat in Incheon. Jin, who took the gold medal in both the men’s 10-meter air pistol and men’s 50-meter pistol at the London Olympics, remains peerless in his events. On the women’s side, Kim Jang-mi, who won the gold in the 25-meter pistol at a Beijing World Cup event in July, is a surefire contender for a top honor this time around. Kim Ji-yeon, 26, has gained popularity for her athletic brilliance in multiple fencing events, making her the prime candidate to lead the group of Korean fencers who are targeting seven golds. Kim has been dominating international competition since defeating Russia’s Sofya Velikaya in the 24

1. Park Tae-hwan swims in the finals of the men’s 200-meter individual medley during the 2014 MBC Cup National Swimming Championships. © Yonhap News 2. Park Tae-hwan lifts the hand of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang after the former won the men’s 400-meter individual freestyle event at the 2010 Asian Games. © Yonhap News 3. Gymnast Yang Hak-seon performs at the 2012 Olympics in London © Yonhap News 4. Sharpshooter Jin Jong-oh took the gold medal in both the men’s 10-meter air pistol and men’s 50-meter pistol at the London Olympics. © Yonhap News

women’s individual sabre finals at the London Olympics. Barring injury, an Asian Games title is to be expected from gymnast Yang Hak-seon, the winner of the men’s vault in the London Olympics. Yang has been given the nickname of the “God of Vault” in the Korean press, earned for his highly challenging signature move: a triple-twisting front somersault. In a different kind of gym altogether, Korea’s boxing scene has suffered in recent years as it continues to lose talent to mixed martial arts. Han Sun-cheol, 30, who won the men’s lightweight silver in London, and Shin Jonghun, 25, a flyweight who took the silver in the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships, are aiming to inject excitement into the sport with a stirring display in Incheon.

Football Wildcards Despite Korea’s status as a regional football stronghold, the country has not won an Asian Games gold medal in the sport since the 1986

Games were held in Seoul. In the Asian Games, football teams are each allowed to pick three “wild card” players over the age of 23. Korea coach Lee Kwang-jong is considering veterans such as Ulsan Hyundai’s striker Kim Shin-wook and goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu. It remains unclear whether Son Heung-min, the promising Bayer Leverkusen attacker, will be able to play for Korea in Incheon considering his club commitments. Incheon, which follows Seoul (1986) and Busan (2002) as the third Korean city to host the Asian Games, hopes that the event will help cement its status as an international hub for business and leisure. Korea is an experienced host of international sporting events, as it hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988 and the football World Cup in 2002, aside from the Asian Games. Also, the 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in PyeongChang, Gangwon-do.

ENTERTAINMENT

n 2010, Vogue Magazine featured Korean models So Young Kang, Lee Hyun and the first East Asian winner of the Ford Models Supermodel of the World in 2008, Hyoni Kang, in a spread alongside five other Asian models, crediting each as having “redefin(ed) traditional concepts of beauty.” The move was particularly surprising to many fashion aficionados, mainly because Vogue has “largely ignored Asian models in the past,” according to an article in New York Magazine. The presence of Asian beauties both on runways and in magazine spreads comes as a breath of fresh air to an industry that predominantly subscribes to Western ideals of beauty. “Five seasons ago, you’d be hard pressed to find one show or one complete season in New York that uses even one Asian woman. And now, you just wouldn’t have a show without one,” commented legendary casting director Andrew Weir in an interview with Reuters that aired in 2013, shedding light to the challenges currently facing Asian models.

Breaking the Mold Korean models make their mark in the world of fashion Written by Paola Belle Ebora

Rising in the East The international fashion scene has seen a spike in the number of Korean faces gaining prominence in recent years. Jang Yoon Joo, who debuted in 1997, has walked Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. Hye Park (Park Hye Rim) modeled for Louis Vuitton and Prada back in 2004. Han Jin (Han Hye Jin) appeared on the scene in 2006 at the fall shows of Banana Republic, Gucci and Marc Jacobs in New York, Milan and Paris. With their naturally long limbs, thin frames and unique facial features, the Korean models began to catch the eyes of designers and casting directors who are always scouting for new faces who will

carry their brands’ global image. In a report by Reuters, Mark Badgley of U.S. fashion label Badgley Mischka cited that Asian models being “beautiful on the runway, beautiful walkers, beautiful body types” were his reasons for choosing them to model his brand. “The fashion industry is always on the lookout for the next new thing—something different that stands out. Along with this, Asia has been steadily growing to have the largest shares of luxury good consumption. Enter the Korean models,” said fashion stylist RJ Roque on why Korean models are starting to be given more face time. According to a report by Bain & Company, a Boston-based business consulting firm, Korea’s luxury market is valued at USD 11.3 billion, the third largest in Asia behind China and Japan.

Leaving Footprints on the Global Runway Last year, New York Magazine included a series of Korean models in its lineup of “Ten Rookie Models to Watch For This Fashion Week”: Kim Sung Hee, the first Asian face of Prada; Park Ji Hye, a versatile model who did campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Diesel; and Soo Joo, who walked the Spring 2013 couture runway exclusively for Chanel, which New York

Magazine claimed was previously “unheard of.” Female models are not the only ones getting their share of the global spotlight. Male models such as Sung Jin Park, one of the top Asian male models currently in the industry, has graced ads for Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss, among others. Noma Han, the face of Benetton in 2010, and Jae Yoo, the first Asian male model to walk at a Calvin Klein menswear show in the Fall 2011, are also making their mark in the cutthroat world of fashion. There are many who attribute Korean models’ greater exposure to simple economics, citing Asia’s growing dominance as a formidable market for high-fashion luxury goods. Others may look to the heightened global interest in Korean media—primarily K-pop—that continues to skyrocket with each coming year, leading skeptics to believe that the bubble may soon burst and this growing interest in Korean models is nothing but a flash in the pan. Economics and politics aside, however, with the fastchanging fashion landscape, what used to be a lack in Asian representation in the global fashion industry—and of Korean talent in particular— is beginning to balance out, with Korea further establishing itself as a serious contender among global tastemakers.

1. Seoul Fashion Week F/W 2011 kicks off with new threads by designer Lie Sang-bong. © Yonhap News 2. Models strut their stuff at the 2014 Busan Fashion Walk. © Yonhap News

SPECIAL ISSUE

Government Enacts Rice Tariffs Market access limits ditched in favor of import duties Written by Max Kim

n a move that signifies a gradual loosening of economic protectionism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced in July that it would be removing caps on rice imports from 2015 onward. Slated to replace the terms of the current World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement, under which Korea is expected to import 408,700 tons of foreign rice in 2014 (around 9 percent of its demand), a system of tariffs would be enacted that abandon the policy of regulated minimum market access (MMA). In place of the old policy, the government would impose a steep duty on otherwise unrestricted foreign rice imports as an alternative means of protecting the domestic rice industry. Loosening Up Although the 1994 Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations scrapped trade quotas in favor of tariffs on all agricultural products between WTO member nations, Korea has postponed placing tariffs on rice over the last two decades— a deferral set to expire at the end of 2014. Citing

the strain of increasingly punitive import quotas, which have multiplied approximately eightfold since 1995, and which are the result of having deferred tariffs, the ministry said in its July announcement that it would seek measures to protect the domestic rice industry while pushing forward with its new tariffs. In a televised appearance in July, MAFRA minister Lee Dong-pil defended the government’s decision as an inevitable last resort. “I don’t know if I would call it the optimal solution,” he said, “but the current rice import quota is around 410,000 tons and the decision was made with the realization that the domestic rice industry cannot survive if this quota were to be raised.”

Trends in the minimum market access (MMA) of Korean rice

In the case of a postponement of opening Korea’s rice market

572,700 388,353 368,006 306,964 286,817 51,000 1995

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According to government sources, the first step towards this goal would focus on setting and maintaining a high duty. Although the exact number has yet to be decided, most experts speculate that it will fall somewhere between 300 and 500 percent. Lee believes that a high tariff on imported rice would make it more expensive, and therefore a less desirable choice for consumers. If tariffs bump up imported rice prices beyond their domestic counterparts, this would mean that the probability of rice imports surpassing the quotas already in place is slim. The government is scheduled to submit a proposed tariff rate to the WTO in September, which will then be individually vetted by member nations.

Protecting Local Production Despite the government’s position that it would exclude rice from future free-trade agreements as well as Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, its critics—a significant percentage of whom are rice farmers—have expressed concerns that tariff rates will fail to remain at a level beneficial to them. In a July radio interview, Song Gi-ho,

388,353 In the case of a complete removal of all import caps in Korea’s rice market

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an attorney with Minbyun (Lawyers for a Democratic Society) and international trade expert, said that a high tariff is not in itself a permanent solution and clarified the need for more thorough and realistic measures. “What’s really important is how we are going to establish and maintain the tariff rate,” he said, “but I have yet to hear about a detailed plan for any of this.” Responding to such criticisms, MAFRA has outlined a number of contingency measures, including continued investments in agricultural infrastructure and technology, as well as setting up certain financial safeguards for Korean rice farmers. In light of Korea’s recent announcement of its interest in joining the TPP, the decision to institute tariffs in a sector that has long enjoyed government protection is highly significant, signaling the current administration’s commitment to becoming an active player in international free trade.

CURRENT KOREA

All Made Up Korea shows that men, too, can be pretty Written by Violet Kim

eauty and grooming are often seen as the domain of women, but Korea has a bit more gender equality when it comes to looking good. The country is currently the world’s largest market for men’s skincare, leading in global sales of men’s cosmetics. According a July 2014 report from Euromonitor International, a London-based market research firm, the men’s grooming market in Korea increased by 7 percent to KRW 1 trillion in 2013. This is primarily attributed to an increase in the number of brands targeted at men, as well as an increase in the number of men who have shown interest in using beauty products. Sales of male grooming products at leading makeup brand AmorePacific increased by 11 percent in the same period. For those who may feel a bit mystified by the trend,

have no fear—there is help. On Sunday nights, Korean men can tune into “Get it Beauty HOMME,” a cable TV show described by its producers as a beauty guide for male viewers. Episodes cover topics such as how to mold your hair into that perfect coiffure and the best beauty products for maintaining moisturized lips or contouring your face.

Changing Landscapes Male interest in looking good isn’t just limited to products. There’s also a place for men in Korea’s booming plastic surgery market, with an increasing number of clinics, including Real for Men and Man & Nature, targeting male clients exclusively. How does this fit in with the image of the sojuchugging, Confucian salary man? It doesn’t. Male

attention to appearance can be seen as part of an overarching preoccupation with appearance in Korea, where looking good is often seen as an important part of succeeding socially and financially. To help illustrate the sort of marketing strategies being used to promote these products, the top-ranked brand in the 2014 Korean Standard Premium Brand Index in the male cosmetics category has a name that literally translates as “men holding flowers” or “man holding flowers.” The increase in cosmetics usage and attention to grooming is also related to the shift towards promoting fine-featured, smooth-skinned male K-pop stars who display new and alternative markers of male attractiveness. K-pop group members and other male beauty icons are also starring in an increasing number of advertisements for cosmetics.

Shining Stars G-Dragon, the solo star who rose to fame as part of the popular boy band Big Bang, for example, has worn everything from moisturizing creams to mascara in advertisements for makeup brand the Saem’s Global Eco line. In one commercial for the brand he even sports a smear of red lipstick. According to local news reports, the Saem has reported that G-Dragon’s presence in their “Eco Soul 90 Degree Mascara” commercial has had a positive impact on sales. It’s possible to argue that G-Dragon represents an extreme—casual male grooming has not yet reached the level of lipstick or mascara use—but the larger trend of men buying makeup is undeniable, and men’s skincare seems here to stay. Actors Jang Dong-gun and Lee Min-

ho, who both rose to popularity in TV soap operas, have advertised skincare products for popular local brands. Although K-pop stars may be the visible players, the trend isn’t just limited to teens and twentysomethings. According to The Wall Street Journal, male plastic surgery has become more socially acceptable since the blepharoplasty procedure—the removal of fatty tissue from one’s eyelids—of former president Roh Moo-hyun in 2005. The average men’s care lines typically carry products that range from BB Creams and blackhead cleansers to anti-wrinkle creams aimed at the older crowd. Perhaps initiating a trend of their own, the website for brand Bosod features celebrity endorsements from a slightly older generation, including former soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan. Ahn is in some ways an early adopter in the men’s cosmetics industry. In 2002 he costarred with baby-faced actor Kim Jae-won— now the host of “Get it Beauty HOMME”—in a commercial for tinted lotion. More than a decade later, beauty products for men continue to increase in popularity, with Euromonitor predicting that the men’s grooming category will increase by 5 percent annually over the next few years. 1. Male cosmetics label Lab Series conducts grooming classes. © Yonhap News 2. Male employees of Korean Air receive professional makeup training. © Yonhap News 3. Men soothe their fatigued and overworked skin with a cleansing facial massage. © Yonhap News 4. Hallyu star Lee Min-ho © Yonhap News 4

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

1. Pope Francis makes a speech with President Park Geun-hye on Aug. 14 at Cheong Wa Dae. © Cheong Wa Dae 2. Pope Francis is welcomed with flowers as he arrives in Korea on Aug. 14 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. © Cheong Wa Dae

3. Pope Francis offers a gift to President Park at Cheong Wa Dae, an intricate map of the city of Rome engraved on copper, made to celebrate The Major Jubilee in 2000. © Cheong Wa Dae

Striving for Peace and Reconciliation President Park and Pope Francis emphasize the need for inter-Korean peace and reconciliation Written by Cheong Wa Dae

resident Park Geun-hye and Pope Francis met at Cheong Wa Dae on August 14. President Park said that all Koreans joined in welcoming him to Korea and that the long-awaited papal visit, the first since that of Pope Saint John Paul II in 1989, gave great joy to everyone. She went on to say that she had heard a lot about the activities of the pope, who devotes himself to promoting world peace and helping the socially vulnerable, and that she was glad to meet him in person. She added that his choice of Korea as his first destination in Asia was especially meaningful. President Park also expressed her appreciation to him for showing great affection for Korea by blessing Koreans in his warm-hearted letters, as well as taking a continued and enormous interest in praying for peace. More than anything else, she said she was grateful to him for conveying sympathy to the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking and their families and keeping them in his prayers.

Peace: A Gift Worth the Effort Thanking the president for the extraordinary hospitality extended to him, Pope Francis said that he understood well the fact that Koreans have a culture of respecting elders and have built a nation through hard work. He also said that the exchange of a number of letters between him and President Park had impressed upon him that her primary interests lie in peace. Citing that peace is a gift of God, the pope said that he understood how hard the president is working to achieve it. President Park responded by saying that peace is a gift worth working hard for. President Park said that 2014 would be remembered as being particularly special because both a new cardinal was appointed in Korea and the pope made a highly celebrated visit. Noting that Korea is the only nation in the world where Catholicism was first accepted and spread by lay people, the

president said that having Pope Francis personally preside over the beatification Mass in Seoul for Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 124 martyrs killed for their Catholic beliefs carried particular significance for the country.

Addressing Divided Families The president noted that the popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s devotion to peace and reconciliation was deemed especially invaluable to Korea, which still remains divided long after the war. Saying that divided families, which are the painful testimony to the tragic war, are suffering a lot because most of them are elderly, the president emphasized that it was urgent to resolve this problem from a humanitarian perspective. The president went on to explain that the absence of a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and the continued threat of war and nuclear conflict in the lives of all of the Korean people were wounds that had yet to heal. She said that while the Korean Government would respond firmly to any provocations by the North, it was keeping the door open for dialogue and making efforts to continue exchanges and cooperation. The president called peaceful reunification the only way to rid the Korean Peninsula of the menace of war and nuclear conflict and resolve such issues as divided families and North Korean defectors, and said she hoped for the Holy Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued interest and prayers for the establishment of peace on the Peninsula and an era of unification. With regard to the divided families, the Holy Father said that he empathized with them in their pain because he understood the importance of family. He said the Catholic Church would continue to provide support to resolve this issue. He also pointed out that Koreans in the North and the South used one language and described this as a seed that, if properly watered and cared for, would help to bring about the gradual unification of the Peninsula.

POLICY REVIEW

Shoppers examine the goods at a grocery store in Seoul. © Yonhap News

From the Inside Out

Government gears up to increase domestic consumption Written by Kim Da-ye

ith new finance minister Choi Kyung-hwan at the helm, on July 24 the government’s economic team unveiled a KRW 40.7 trillion package of macroeconomic policies to buoy the sluggish economy. At the center of the stimulus package is an effort to boost tepid domestic consumption that was further weakened by the Sewol ferry disaster. The government fears anemic domestic demand could have negative implications for the entire economy. It pointed out that a slow rise in wages led to weak consumption, while the 6 million citizens who continue to work without permanent jobs have left the labor market unstable and society

divided. The economy is also losing vitality, as entrepreneurship fades and investors become conservative, the ministry said. The government’s worst fears are that the Korean economy will face a plateau similar to Japan’s “Lost 20 Years”— a prolonged, stalled economic growth—having already begun to detect some signs of a long-term slowdown. These indicators have included low inflation, as well as an excessive current account surplus caused by slumping domestic demand rather than growing exports. To reverse these trends, the government unveiled its “KRW 41 trillion plus alpha” package. It consists of fiscal and financial support for households and

small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In addition to these measures, the government plans to introduce a variety of tax breaks as a means of increasing households’ disposable income. This approach will be carried out in conjunction with their attempts to revitalize the housing market by enabling financially sound home buyers to borrow greater sums. “Economic agents are losing confidence after the Sewol disaster because of many structural problems: households and businesses are daunted, and people are cutting their spending as the population is aging. It is extremely important that their confidence in the future economy is restored,” said Choi in a press conference on July 24.

‘KRW 40 Trillion Plus Alpha’ The government vowed to run fiscal policies in an expansion-driven manner until the end of 2015, or until the economy recovers. In the second half of this year, fiscal support will increase by KRW 11.7 trillion, or approximately 0.8 percent of the country’s GDP. That amount is expected to boost GDP growth by 0.1 percentage points in 2014 and another 0.1 percentage points in 2015, the government said. In addition, the government noted that the amount is larger than the usual size of the supplementary budget, which has typically been 0.5 percent of GDP, with the exception being those that were designed to overcome the economic crises in 1998 and 2009. Meanwhile, with the added stimulus package included, the finance ministry modified the GDP growth rate predictions for 2014 from 3.9 percent to 3.7 percent, the same number projected by the International Monetary Fund. Approximately KRW 6 trillion of the KRW 11.7 trillion will support low-income households’ housing costs, while KRW 400 million has been allocated to SMEs and microenterprises, KRW 100 billion to the tourism industry and another KRW 100 billion for distribution of agriculture and fisheries products. To help alleviate the cash crunch faced by SMEs, the government will contribute KRW 1.5 trillion to the credit guarantee fund and augment trade insurance by KRW 500 billion. The central and municipal governments and state-

Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan (third from the left) speaks at a joint press conference in Seoul on Aug. 12, explaining deregulation while emphasizing the need to boost trade and investment in major service sectors. © Yonhap News

Encouraging a virtuous cycle by circulating corporate profits back into household incomes Vastly improved conditions for corporate investment Greatly improved incentives to boost investment, raise wages and increase dividends

Increased household income helps companies by increasing consumer demand Bolster investment Raise wages Increase dividends

Increased corporate profits

Increased household income Upsurge in consumption

POLICY REVIEW

run institutions will spend a combined KRW 2.8 trillion more than they had originally planned, and an additional KRW 300 billion will be used to attract private investment by ensuring it is guaranteed. The remainder of the package—KRW 29 trillion—will be used to supply a variety of funds and further build up existing support for businesses, mainly SMEs. The government will also inject KRW 10 trillion more into policy-driven finance run by the Korea Development Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, Korea Exim Bank and the Korea Finance Corp., boosting the fund to KRW 191.9 trillion within the second half of this year. An additional KRW 5 trillion will be added to the exchange equalization fund, which aims to protect Korean currency and the exchange rate. At the same time, the Bank of Korea’s financial support, from which commercial banks can borrow at low rates in order to make cheaper loans to businesses, will be increased by KRW 3 trillion, pushing the total to KRW 15 trillion. Furthermore, the government plans to create a KRW 5 trillion fund that invests in the maintenance of ageing safety facilities and safetyrelated industries, as well as a KRW 3 trillion fund that helps SMEs to invest in facility infrastructure. In 2015, primary collateralized bond obligations (P-CBOs) worth KRW 2 trillion will be issued to assist companies undergoing temporary cash The government has raised the portion of debit card and cash spending that can be deducted from taxable income to help boost spending. © Yonhap News

crunches to repay their bonds. The government also proposed spending KRW 1 trillion on setting up a tonnage bank that buys used vessels.

Boosting Demand The traditional method to boost household income is for the government to focus on job creation. In light of the present economic situation, however, the government is instead opting to add more direct measures to help increase the cash flow of the working population and the elderly, this time through tax breaks. One tax relief scheme has been designed to provide incentives to businesses that offer higher wages to their employees. The equivalent of 10 percent of a firm’s annual average wage increase will be deducted from taxable income when the wage increase exceeds the national average over the last three years. Salaries earned by executives and high earners, however, will not be considered in the calculation of the average wage. In order to encourage companies to pay dividends and buoy the stock market, the withholding tax rate on dividends will be cut to 9 percent from 14 percent. Another measure involves creating negative incentives. More specifically, it punishes companies that hoard cash. Large corporations whose equity exceeds KRW 50 billion will have to pay a 10 percent tax on part of their income when the value of their investments, wage increases and dividend payments aren’t considered “adequate.” To tackle the consumer sentiment that soured after the Sewol tragedy, the portion of one’s debit card and cash spending that can be deducted from taxable income will be raised from 30 percent to 40 percent, with the spending period limited to July this year and June 2015. The tax exemption scheme on payments made with credit cards was supposed to be abolished at the end of 2014, but will be extended by two more years. For the elderly, interest accrued from savings of up to KRW 50 million won’t be taxed, an increase from the previous limit of KRW 30 million.

The government has eased the loan-to-value ratio (LTV) and debt-to-income ratio (DTI) to revitalize the housing market.

Revitalizing the Housing Market The expansionary policy that drew a great deal of attention is that for the lackluster housing market, policies aimed at easing the loan-to-value ratio (LTV) and debt-to-income ratio (DTI) regulations that restrict how much one can borrow to buy a house. The LTV ratio for a single borrower used to vary depending on what kind of a financial institution he or she borrowed from and where the property was located. The ratio was set at between 50 and 70 percent for those buying properties in the metropolitan area of Seoul and borrowing from banks or insurance companies, compared to 60 to 85 percent for those taking loans from nonbanking institutions. It was set at to 70 percent, this past August. The DTI ratio used to be 50 percent for buyers of properties in Seoul and 60 percent for Gyeonggi-do and Incheon. It has now been consolidated to a single rate of 50 percent. “The LTV and DTI regulations have a contradictory impact on two conflicting policy goals: boosting the housing market and controlling household debt. Hence, the recent move to ease the regulations signifies that the government sees the former as a more imminent task than the latter,” said Suh Hyun-duk, research fellow at Korea Capital Market Institute, in a recent report.

“It seems appropriate to ease the regulations now as long as the government aligns this priority with its policy goals.” The government added that it will try to pass pending deregulatory legislation on the housing markets, allowing more flexibility on the sales price cap on newly built houses and abolishing levies on excessive profits from rebuilt houses. The market has so far responded positively to the new finance minister’s pledges. In a recently published report, Noh Keun-hwan, analyst at Korea Investment and Securities, commented on the stimulus package, saying that he approves the government’s intention to have a broad spectrum of households and businesses benefit from the policies, rather than focusing on particular groups. “The policies aren’t going to raise the GDP growth rate immediately; the impacts will materialize gradually because the causes of the sluggish economy are structural … And the portion of the KRW 41 trillion package directly related to household income isn’t that large, comparatively speaking,” said Noh. “Nevertheless, we evaluate the government’s policy direction positively from a short-term perspective because its accurate understanding of the current situation and strong determination to boost the economy have both been confirmed.”

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Let There Be Light Domestic researchers develop 2-D silicon nanosheets with tunable visible-light emissions Written by Sohn Tae-soo

omestic researchers have succeeded in developing a 2-dimensional silicon nanosheet that is capable of emitting light, opening the door for the technology’s future use in such optical devices as light bulbs or light sensors. The National Research Foundation of Korea said on July 9 that a team composed of researchers from Yonsei University, Pohang University of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology has developed thin, sheet-type silicon nanosheets that could emit light in one of three primary colors: red, green and blue.

unprecedented. The pursuit of a silicon-based nanosheet became attractive when it was noted that the 2-D form of silicon, also known as silicene, displayed a similar hexagonal pattern to graphene, a highly useful 2-D substance. According to the study, “Two-Dimensionally Grown SingleCrystal Silicon Nanosheets with Tunable Visible-Light Emissions,” the researchers were able to report “gas-phase 2-D growth of silicon (Si), that is cubic in symmetry, via dendritic growth and an interdendritic filling mechanism.” The results of this approach (and change in pattern) were silicone-based nanosheets (SiNSs) measured at varying thicknesses between 1 and 13 nm.

More Light for Less A Look into the Future Though silicon’s value as a In addition to the creation of semiconductor is evidenced by its photoluminescent RGB light dominant use in the electronics emissions, which create light industry, it had so far never been from the release of photons, the found to emit light, thus limiting researchers were also successful its previous applications for optical in using the SiNSs to produce devices such as displays, lighting and electroluminescent emissions, or sensors. those derived from the passage In the past, researchers have often of an electrical current. Using formed silicon into 1-nanometera simple organic light-emitting wide particles as a means of diode (OLED), which differs from potentially extracting light from a conventional LED because of the the element, but due to the small carbon-based nature of its active size of the wavelength range, the emitting layer, the team was able particle form has been demonstrated to produce electrically driven to generate lower efficiency in terms light in two hues: blue and white. of light emission. Attempting to A 2-dimensional silicon nanosheet. Courtesy of Choi Heon-jin Responding to this breakthrough, resolve this issue, the research team the researchers pointed out that, “Tunable light emissions has generated 1-nanometer-thick sheet-type silicon using a in visible range in our observations suggest practical process modeled after the creation of snow crystals. implications for novel 2-D Si nanophotonics,” emphasizing When silicon nanosheets are produced commercially, that the tunability—the ability to shift colors based on the lower-priced silicon will replace the expensive chemical thickness of the sheet—is a crucial aspect of the work’s future compounds currently being used as optical devices. applications. “We can control the colors of the light by readjusting the The study was published in the May 23 digital issue of ACS thickness of silicon sheets, and then produce white light Nano, and has been supported by the Ministry of Science, by combining them,” Choi Heon-jin told Yonhap News. ICT and Future Planning, the National Research Foundation According to Choi, this recent development—namely, that of Korea said. silicon could possess additional features and researchers The researchers concluded that “the growth of SiNSs could successfully change its pattern—paves the way for the demonstrates the feasibility of synthesizing 2-D nanomaterials development of silicon-based optical devices in the future. from nonlayered, isotropically structured materials.” These Limited to a few substances, the spontaneous growth developments offer hope for the future of optoelectronics, a of atomic 2-D materials is known among the scientific future that local researchers hope to continue revolutionizing. community to be both difficult and, for many substances,

GLOBAL KOREA

International participants learn to cultivate strawberry saplings at a facility run by the RDA's National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science (NIHHS) in Gimhae, near Busan in May of this year. © KOPIA

Growing Together KOPIA bridges Korea and the world through agricultural cooperation Written by Bae Ji-sook

n July 10, a Korea Project on International Agricultural (KOPIA) center opened in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican

Republic. The center, under the wings of Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA), will focus on enhancing the lives of local farmers by developing ways to deter harmful insects, and to improve productivity at vegetable and tangerine farms. The institute will also promote the Saemaul Undong Movement, a community-driven development plan designed to boost industrialization and help local people escape poverty. The movement, launched in the 1970s by

the government and then expanded to rural communities, stressed diligence, self-help and cooperation. It is said to have laid the groundwork for Korea’s agricultural growth through the establishment of village roads, irrigation facilities and other essential structures. “The center will also work as a bridge between Korea and the Dominican Republic in the exchange of technology, the training of local scientists and the dispatch of field experts,” said Chung Hye-kyung, director of the National Academy of Agricultural Science. “We will also put our efforts into developing tailored technology and techniques for local farmers,” she said at the center’s opening ceremony.

Leading by Example The KOPIA center in the Caribbean country was established after Korea and the Dominican Republic signed a memorandum of understanding about the issue in December 2013. According to the RDA, the island nation was impressed with Korea’s history of escaping poverty by developing and modernizing suburban areas so that vegetables could be cultivated year-round. Korea will dispatch agricultural experts to the Dominican Republic to share knowledge and to nurture the next generation of talent. Assisting the teams of scholars and experts will be university students majoring in 2 agriculture. The Dominican Republic is now KOPIA’s 20th location. Other nations include Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Algeria, Ethiopia, Uganda and Senegal. KOPIA was designed to forge agricultural ties with developing nations through technological support and the codevelopment of resources. It is part of Korea’s dedication to international society and global cooperation, and it has helped Korea establish a model for agricultural reform. “Korea was one of the poorest nations in the world back in the 1950s. Through rounds of innovations in the agricultural industry, including the Saemaul Undong, we were able to transform ourselves into an aid donor in November 2009, and have since become a member state of the OECD,” said Kim Duk-ho, director of international affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Tailored Support The RDA, an agricultural ministry affiliate, has been working to increase technological cooperation amongst international organizations. It has devoted itself to the development of cutting-edge technologies through joint research, international symposia and other cooperative efforts. The institute has sent its researchers to international institutes for mutual collaboration and expert training. The institute has also signed treaties including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biodiversity as a way to support an initiative of “Low Carbon, Green Growth” in the agricultural sector. In addition, the international alumni of the RDA have organized

1. A school for learning Korean in the Democratic Republic of the Congo © KOPIA 2. Rural Development Administration chief Lee Yang-ho discusses agricultural technology cooperation with Myint Hlaing, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Myanmar on Jan. 23. © KOPIA

the RDA Alumni Association. “We believe some of the previous support programs have been less fruitful because they lacked understanding of individual circumstances and environment. Farmers who can’t afford the gas to run state-of-the-art technologies and facilities should be given tailored advice and recommendations,” director Kim said. “KOPIA is helping farmers support themselves and develop agricultural resources by focusing on a region or nation’s main crops. In Southeast Asia, it was the tropical crops and bioenergy production, while in Central and South America, the main focus was on grain, fruits and vegetables. We believe that agricultural development is necessary for a nation to jump to the next level,” said Kim Hyun-sun, an RDA official.

GREAT KOREAN

Yun Dong-ju One of the nation's best-known poets demonstrated the true spirit of independence Written by Felix Im

The year of poet Yun Dong-ju’s birth, 1917, falls well after the annexation of the Korean Peninsula by Japanese imperialists in 1910. These circumstances are the main reason why Yun was born in Manchuria, just across the Tumen River, in a village set up by Korean migrants in 1899. Yun’s childhood name, given to him by his father, was Haehwan, meaning “bright like the sun.” His two little brothers were given similar nicknames that also corresponded to the brightness of the moon and stars— perhaps a not-so-coincidental likeness to the title of Yun’s famous collection of poems, “Heaven, Wind, Stars, and Poems.”

Born in Exile Yun grew up in a village called Myeongdongchon (now known as Longjing, in Jilin province) that was small enough to keep him close to nature; his time spent gazing at the

sky and the stars as a child presumably provided him with inspiration when he started composing poems as a student in Pyongyang and Seoul. Yun’s hometown was also a place where the people were heavily inclined towards progressive thinking and Christian and Western thought, being largely influenced by Presbyterian missionaries. Because the majority of Myeongdongchon’s residents were Koreans who had fled to the Manchurian city to escape Japanese oppression, it was a place where the atmosphere exuded a spirit of Korean nationalism, laying the foundation for the life force of Yun’s poetry. Much of Yun’s childhood education was heavily focused on Korean history and nationalism, as well as on Christian teachings. In 1935, Yun headed to Pyongyang to attend middle school. While advancing his knowledge of Korean history, he started writing poetry, and published

his first poem through a magazine run by the student association. His school was soon shut down, however, when the Japanese governor-general forced the resignation of the principal, a Presbyterian missionary, because he refused to worship at Japanese shrines. Yun then returned to Manchuria, where he finished his schooling and continued to write poetry that exhibited deep introspection mixed with a pronounced resentment towards Japanese imperialism. In 1938, he enrolled in the humanities department of Yeonhui Technical School (now Yonsei University), despite his father’s insistence that he study medicine. The same year also marks Japan’s declaration that the Korean Peninsula fell under the National Mobilization Law, a systematic maneuver to shift nearly all of Korea’s economic and natural resources to Japan’s Pacific War effort. In 1940, Yun wrote a poem expressing his indignation towards a god who could sit back and watch in complete silence while his country’s sovereignty was violated.

First and Last Book In 1941, Yun compiled 18 of his poems into a collection titled, “Heaven, Wind, Stars, and Poems.” Because Japanese censorship and surveillance were at an all-time high, he divided his work into three portions: he kept one for himself, gave one to a friend and entrusted the last to one of his professors, who suggested that he refrain from publishing it for fear of persecution. Sadly, Yun would never see his beloved collection of poems published, although readers today are more fortunate. In 1942, after graduating from Yeonhui Technical School, Yun headed to Japan,

where he studied English literature at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Only six months later, however, he transferred to Doshisha University in Kyoto to join a lifelong friend, Song Mong-gyu, who was also studying English literature. Yun enjoyed a period of relative happiness in Kyoto, his university being more or less exempt from many of Japan’s totalitarian policies. Then, in July of 1943, while he was packing to go home for summer break, Yun was arrested by Japanese police, who were rounding up Joseon citizens that were suspected of Korean nationalism. The following year, Yun and Song were sentenced to two years in Fukuoka Prison. Yun died only a year later, on Feb. 16, 1945, after receiving a mysterious “vaccination” administered by the prison warden. Accounts provided to Yun’s parents by Song, who died only a month later, suggest that inmates were subjected to a variety of biological experiments. Korea was granted independence on Aug. 15, 1945. In 1948, a few of Yun’s former classmates at Yeonhui worked together to finally publish “Heaven, Wind, Stars, and Poems,” which has since become a staple in the nation’s literary canon. On Aug. 15, 1990, the Korean government awarded Yun the Independent Medal of the Order of Merit for National Foundation.

Wishing not to have so much as a speck of shame toward heaven until the day I die, I suffered, even when the wind stirred the leaves. - From “Foreword”

1. A bust of Yun placed where he sat in his old classroom at Daesung Middle School (now Longjing Middle School) in Longjing, Jilin province, China © Yonhap News 2. Graduation portrait of Yun © Yonhap News 3. ‘Heaven, Wind, Stars, and Poems’ © Yonhap News 4. Yun Dong-ju Museum © Yonhap News

MY KOREA

Right on Time Learning traditional music by exploring Koreansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concept of time Written by Jocelyn Clark Illustrated by Kim Yoon-myong

he bloody wounds that mark a new player’s fingers. This is the first image that comes to mind when I look back on my first year of studying the gayageum, a traditional zither-like string instrument. Somehow I’d managed to land a scholarship to study at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts in Seoul (now the National Gugak Center) several years before it would establish its first program for foreigners.

Old School The second image is that of a phone booth in Seoul’s Sillim-dong, outside my boarding house. It was 1992—back in that ancient period before the country became completely wired, before beeper pagers, cell phones or email. Anxious exam students lined up outside the phone booth would start banging on the glass if I spoke with my parents back in Alaska for more than a few minutes. There were only four subway lines, and city busses would pass in angry clusters, the driver of the front bus gesticulating at passengers to take the one behind it. If you didn’t manage to catch one of them, you’d have to wait another hour for the next cluster. These limited means of communication and transport did not make keeping appointments easy, so people would routinely show up two hours late or not at all. My gayageum teacher was no exception in this regard. Here on a scholarship for the sole purpose of studying the instrument, I eventually expressed my frustration to the institute’s director, who had generously secured my position. With a wry smile, he suggested that the solution to my problem was to listen to more “court music,” known as jeongak, paying particular attention to its heterophony, or the way individual instruments play the same melody but at somewhat different times. If I were to do that, he said, I might discover that Koreans’ relationship to time was quite different than that of Westerners. Along the way, he added, I might gain a more profound understanding of Korea and the music I’d come here to study.

Different Time, Different Tune At the time, one of the few concert venues for traditional music was the regular Saturday concerts held by the center. If you went to every Saturday performance throughout the year, you could (and still can) get a very good overview of all genres of traditional music. The concerts always started with some kind of court music, which I suddenly found myself listening to with new ears. For instance, in Sujecheon (“Long life, Immeasurable as the Heavens”), perhaps the jeongak genre’s most representative piece, I began to notice how individual instruments slowly danced around their final destination in a different way, each reaching the goal tone at a different point in time. At certain junctures in the rhythm cycle, the whole orchestra would come together momentarily, on a single note, before each part moved on, slowly. The sounds of some instruments, however, would busily wind their way to the next stop on a road prepared by the impressive court ajaeng, an instrument with thick silk strings played with a bow of rosined forsythia. Until recently, the measurements for playing “in time” and “in tune” in Korea were never calculated in the ways I grew up with playing oboe in the West—to the beats per minute of a metronome and the tempered cents and hertz of a tuning machine. But now, the instrument maker at Nangye Gugak Instrument Production Village builds such machines directly into student models of the gayageum, so beginners can tune and count electronically instead of by ear. Somehow, the more metronomes and tuning machines that are used to meter the tempo and tones of Korean music, the more the busses run on time. Increasingly, Koreans move through the minutia of busy, perfectly scheduled lives with metronomic, finely tuned precision. And it’s not unusual these days that I find myself asking to be forgiven for being a few minutes late.

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

Out of the Frying Pan Chef, author, polyglot and travel enthusiast Hideko Nakagawa offers something outside your average cookbook Written by Max Kim Photographed by Ahn Jong-hwan

y all accounts, chef and author Hideko Nakagawa is the typical poster child of multiculturalism. A Japanese expat who married and settled down in Korea 20 years ago, Nakagawa runs an international cooking class out of her home in Yeonhui-dong, speaks fluent Korean, and effortlessly navigates between her Japanese roots and her adopted Korean ones. Her most recent cookbook, “Mediterranean Cooking,” is part of a three-piece series on Mediterranean cuisine, although at the end of they day, she is a truly international chef whose repertoire spans an impressive range of national cuisines. These credentials alone, however, skip over what are arguably the more important parts of Nakagawa’s colorful past and cultural self-education. “A focus on this vague idea of the multicultural figure makes the story boring,” she says.

“I mean, the questions are just so predictable‘When did you come to Korea?’ or, ‘Tell us about your marriage to a Korean man.’”

A Plethora of Plates and Palates Yet when viewed in the context of her work as a chef and lifelong food enthusiast, her eclectic worldview and experiences take on a more concrete, expressive and flavorful form. Nakagawa’s fascination with food is an extension of her appreciation for the world beyond her own. For her, food is more than a tasty meal or a pretty plate; it’s an exercise of the pleasure of discovery as well as a signpost for her memories. “When I was little, my father’s relatives lived by the sea, and my mother’s by the mountains in Nagano Prefecture-the region people call the Japanese Alps,” she says. “So every summer, I would travel back and forth. I would eat seafood in one place, and wild vegetables that I picked with

my maternal grandmother at dawn in the other.” Nakagawa credits this early exposure to a variety of tastes as an important formative experience that still resonate with her today. Even her haziest memories of early childhood contain vivid impressions of food. “I lived in West Germany in the 1970s, from preschool to about second grade,” she says, “so right around the time when my sense of taste was actively forming. Even to this day when I’m sick, I crave the foods I had then—German bread, butter, sausages.”

Global Cuisine in Practice This relationship between place and palate is a continuing theme in Nakagawa’s life and cooking in the present, where her foods bear the mark of their origins. “When it comes to ingredients, I try to use what’s available locally and incorporate it into my cooking,” she says, “I like to use Korean ingredients to make Mediterranean or Japanese food.” Though her father, a recently retired chef who was trained in French cuisine, provided her with an informal cooking education when she was young, Nakagawa rejected the conventional culinary school route. Studying linguistics, German, and Spanish instead, she eventually found herself in Barcelona, where she worked as a secretary to the branch manager of a Japanese pharmaceuticals company while studying Catalan and relishing the local food. Today in Seoul, paella, a seafood and rice dish popular in Barcelona, is the centerpiece for her cooking classes. Her conscious avoidance of a conventional professional cooking education, as well as her reluctance to open a restaurant, stems from her love for cooking being akin to her fondness of travel. It is fueled by a compulsion for something novel and the freedom to pursue the unexpected. “I have a rough idea of what having a restaurant would be like because my father ran one,” she says, “Ultimately it’s repetition, day in and day out. And that’s how your life works from then on.” Nakagawa says that there are too many other things she would like to do for her to commit a restaurant. For the time being, working on her next book is at the top of the list.

TALES FROM KOREA

The Weaver and the Cow Herdsman A tale of two lovers whose deep affection triumphed over loneliness— and responsibility Written by Felix Im Illustrated by Shim Soo-keun

his is a story of star-crossed lovers—quite literally: a tale of both great beauty and tremendous sadness. It begins with the Sky King, or Ruler of the Universe, who had a daughter named Jingnyeo, which translates as “weaver girl.” In addition to being a loyal daughter, Jingnyeo was also a very diligent weaver. One day, however, the Sky King sensed in her a deep loneliness. In order to make her happy, he introduced her to Gyeonu, whose name translates as “cow herdsman.” The two quickly fell in love and, under the King’s blessing, got married.

Too Much of a Good Thing It looked as if the two would live happily ever after, for they could hardly bear to be out of each other’s sight. Their passion was beautiful beyond description, their rapture beyond measure. In fact, the newlyweds were so completely absorbed in one another that they neglected everything else

outside their romance. Jingnyeo stopped weaving, leaving the King and his servants with no cloth, and Gyeonu left his herd unattended, leaving the cows to wander throughout the galaxy in disarray. The King was furious, and decided that the pair’s behavior revoked their privilege of being together. He separated them by putting them on opposite sides of the Milky Way—a star arrangement often described in mythology as a celestial river—with Jingnyeo in the West and Gyeonu in the East. Devastated, the two cried and grieved unceasingly, their wails of despair echoing throughout the heavens. The distanced lovers are represented in today’s night skies by the stars of Altair (Gyeonu) and Vega (Jingnyeo). The sounds of sadness and heartbreak emitted by the cursed couple reverberated down to Earth, where it deeply moved all the magpies and ravens, inspiring them to fly up to the heavens once a year to form a bridge across the Milky Way, thus providing a precious respite amid the accursed

lovers’ separation. This annual reunion between Gyeonu and Jingnyeo occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Lunar Calendar, known as Chilseok, or “Seventh Moon” in Korean—a time when the movements of both stars lend the illusion of them meeting at the top of the sky. Folklore commonly describes any raven or magpie that remains on Earth on this day as either sick or dying. Additionally, if it rains on the evening of Chilseok, one can witness the tears of the reunited lovers’ happiness and glee. The rain that commonly appears on the morning afterward, however, are the tears of grief and heartbreak the lovers shed as they prepare to part for another year.

A Celebration of Love This poetic tale is commonly said to have been passed down from an ancient Chinese legend, with a version also existing in Japanese folklore. In the lunar calendar, July 7 also has its own

festival in honor of the pining lovers, a celebration of our love for those dear to us. It is known as the Qixi Festival in China, the Tanabata Festival in Japan and the Gyeonu and Jingnyeo Festival in Korea. The event draws couples from all over the country, encouraging them to celebrate their affection for each other while giving thanks for not being separated by an obstacle as vast as the Milky Way. Although the term “star-crossed” lovers was coined by Shakespeare to describe Romeo and Juliet, it also conveniently happens to be the perfect term to describe the two stars in our night sky that can only convene once a year, Altair and Vega. So which couple is more tragic: Romeo and Juliet, whose love was terminated by suicides rooted in misunderstanding? Or Gyeonu and Jingnyeo, whose unfaltering passion for each other cursed them to remain separated forever, save for that one precious day a year?

FLAVOR

Kkotgetang Written by Shin Yesol Photograph courtesy of Ttottirangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Talk Talk (kshee04.blog.me)

eptember marks the end of the blue crab fishing season, so why not celebrate it with a big, steaming bowl of kkotgetang, or blue crab stew? A specialty of Koreaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west coast, kkotgetang uses smaller blue crabs, which are boiled in a spicy

seafood broth, hot-pot style. Seafood like shellfish and shrimp are added next, along with green onions, garlic and other vegetables. The result is a very rich and very flavorful dining experience. The dish gets even better in winter, when the female crabs are full of eggs.

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Do you know what time it starts? Minsu and Ming-ming are in the theater talking about which movie to watch. Let’s join the conversation in Korean.

요즘 <명량>이 인기가 많아요. yojeum <Myeongnyang>i ingiga manayo.

“Battle of Myeongnyang” is pretty big these days.

Minsu ssi, yojeum museun yeonghwaga jaemiinneunji arayo?

Minsu, do you know if there are any good movies out lately?

아니요, 몰라요. aniyo, mollayo.

그럼 그거 볼까요? geureom geugeo bolkkayo?

You want to go see it, then?

No, I don’t know.

민수 씨, 요즘 무슨 영화가 재미있는 지 알아요?

제가 가서 알아볼게요. jega gaseo arabolgeyo.

몇 시에 시작하는지 알아요? myeot sie sijakaneunji arayo?

Do you know what time it starts?

I’ll go and find out.

Let’s practice!

Look at the poster below and complete the following conversation with the right phrases.

보기

basic form

Yeah, I know. It’s at the National Museum of Korea.

가: 그럼 (박물관에 어떻게 가다) → ? geureom (bangmulgwane eotteoke gada) → ?

크다

keuda big

adjectives

-은지 알다/ 모르다

jakda small

나: 네, 알아요. 이 앞에서 버스를 타면 돼요. ne, arayo. i apeseo bus-reul tamyeon dwaeyo. 가다

Then let’s go to the ________exhibition together. (to close) → ___________ what time _________?

나: 네, 6시에 닫아요. Minsu, do you know (to open/be held somewhere) ne, 6sie dadayo. Yeah, it closes at six. → where the ____exhibition is being held?

keunji alda/moreuda To know/not know if something is big

jageunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something is small 가는지 알다/모르다

Yeah, I know. Just take the bus out front.

→ 어디에서 열리는지 알아요?

큰지 알다/모르다

작은지 알다/모르다 작다

Then do you (how, to go, the museum) _______________?

-(으)려고 하다 form

gada to go

verbs

-는지 알다/ 모르다

ganeunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something/someone is going 닫는지 알다/모르다

닫다

datda to close

danneunji alda/ moreuda To know/not know if something/somewhere is closing

SEPTEMBER 2014 VOL.10

SEPTEMBER 2014

Reconciliation, Unity and Peace Pope Francis delivers a message to Koreans Fan Maker

Park In-gweon

Travel

Buyeo