Korea(2014.10.)

CONTENTS

OCTOBER 2014 | KOREA VOL.10 NO.10

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04 COVER STORY

Season of Beauty, Season of Plenty The Korean autumn offers much to see, do and, of course, eat

14 PEOPLE

Designer Kim Young-se Calligrapher Yeo Tae-myong

18 TRAVEL Sokcho

22 SPORTS

Incheon Asian Games

24 ENTERTAINMENT

The Roots of Korean Hip-Hop

26 SPECIAL ISSUE

28 CURRENT KOREA

42 GREAT KOREAN

32 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

44 MY KOREA

36 POLICY REVIEW

46 MULTICULTURAL KOREA

38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

48 TALES FROM KOREA

40 GLOBAL KOREA

50 FLAVOR

“The Admiral” Breaks Records

President Park Goes to Canada, US Upgrading Liberal Arts Education Big Brains Battle Dementia

From Yellow Dust to Green Grass

Choi Ik-hyeon

Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace

A School for Multicultural Children The Dancing Dragon Jeoneo Gui

Hangeul Gets Its Own Museum

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 Han Seong-rae | 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 Byong-Gook | 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

Season of Beauty, Season of Plenty The Korean autumn offers much to see, do and, of course, eat Written by Chung Kyung-a

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High blue skies and autumn foliage surround Seoul’s Changgyeonggung Palace.

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uring a visit to Korea in 1960, the legendary American writer and Nobel laureate Pearl S. Buck was so captivated by the wide, cobalt sky of the Korean autumn that she exclaimed, “I want to fold up the Korean autumn sky and send it in a letter.” But she was only one of countless artists to fall in love with the Korean fall, an exceptionally beautiful time of year. From the rugged peaks of Korea’s eastern mountains to the streets of central Seoul, trees come alive in hues of crimson and gold beneath a high, endless sky of the deepest blue. Invigorated by the refreshingly crisp temperatures and the beautiful landscape, Koreans venture into the mountains and rural pathways by the millions to recharge and commune with nature.

Everywhere you look there are riotous eruptions of color. The fields are overrun in the purples of the cosmos flower and the whites of the chamomile. In the courtyards of homes and schools, stately ginkgo trees shade passersby beneath canopies of deep yellow, while great silver seas of reeds shimmer in the autumn wind atop the seemingly endless hillsides.

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COVER STORY

Farmers in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, sweat as they harvest potatoes. © Yonhap News

A Season of Plenty As it is in many places throughout the globe, the autumn is the season of the harvest in Korea.

Of course, the adoption of modern farming technology has allowed for year-long prosperity, but there’s no denying the natural abundance that accompanies the fall, when the rice fields turn golden and in the orchards the tree limbs bend heavy with ripe apples and pears.

The Chuseok holiday celebrates this time of plenty. Held on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the festival—one of the two biggest of the Korean calendar—traces its roots back to the harvest and full moon festivals of ancient times.

Traditionally, the most important obligation of the holiday has been the carrying out of Confucian ancestral remembrance rites, or the jesa. A great deal of time and effort is needed to prepare the

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enormous amount of food needed for the rite.

Accordingly, Korea’s womenfolk have long considered the holiday an onerous time, indeed.

Nevertheless, the meal table of the morning following the jesa is a wondrous sight of bounty, full of fresh fruit, fried dishes, fresh and roasted seafood and mounds of vegetables. The holiday is a time of such abundance and good cheer that it has given rise to the Korean proverb, “Let all the days be as joyful as Chuseok.”

The autumn is not only a time of abundance, but also of much preparation for the winter ahead.

It is an especially busy time for farmers, who tend to fields of cabbage and radish, which will soon be picked to turn into kimchi for the winter.

On rooftops and along country roads, bright red peppers are spread out to dry beneath the autumn sun. Housewives are also busy at work preparing

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

pickled vegetables, or jangajji, that, in the days of old, were the primary source of vitamins in the cold days of winter. Pickled vegetables are not difficult to make; sliced vegetables are placed in a glass jar, covered in a sauce of water, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar and left for three days. More sauce is boiled and added three days later. After cooling, the pickles are stored in a cold place like a refrigerator. Jangajji are a favorite of children and seniors who have trouble eating some of Korea’s spicier dishes. Nowadays, with low-sodium diets coming into fashion, low-salt preparation techniques have been added to the repertoire.

In later autumn, rural families get to work preparing meju—the great blocks of soybean that are used to make both bean paste and its important byproduct, soy sauce. In countryside villages, you’ll often find grandmothers hard at work preparing the blocks not only for their own consumption but also to send as gifts to their children and grandchildren.

ubiquitous sight in shops in autumn. Like apples, they’ve become a popular export item, too, with USD 54.9 million-worth exported last year, and even greater levels are expected with the recent agreement by Mexico to import Korean pears. The United States, meanwhile, imported USD 24.5 million in Korean pears last year.

Another commonly seen fruit in autumn is the persimmon. Fields of bright orange persimmons ripening as their branches stretch up against the clear, cloudless sky is one of autumn’s most captivating scenes. The southeastern town of Sangju is Korea’s largest producer of persimmons.

In autumn, local farmers string peeled persimmon together and hang them to dry until they become gotgam, or sweetened dried persimmon, which

Great Natural Bounty Visitors to Korea are often amazed by the bounty the fields and seas yield during autumn.

The orchards produce a wide variety of delicious fruit in fall, including apples, pears and persimmons. The northern region of Gyeongsangbuk-do is particularly known for its delicious apples, which thrive in the area thanks to the dramatic day-night temperature differences.

Large and sweet, Korean apples are an increasingly popular export product, particularly to Taiwan, where some USD 7 million in apples were sent last year.

Korean pears, or apple pears, as they are sometimes called due to their apple-like shape, are another autumn delicacy. The southwestern town of Naju is considered Korea’s pear heartland, so much so that locals erected a museum in the fruit’s honor.

Usually eaten peeled, sliced and raw, Korean pears are much larger than their Western counterparts, and much sweeter, too. Boxes of the big yellow fruit, a popular holiday gift for family and friends, are a Persimmons are hung up to dry at a farm in Nonsan, Chungcheongnam-do. © Yonhap News

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COVER STORY

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are a popular Lunar New Year gift. Many people, however, enjoy persimmons fresh, sliced and raw. Soft, overripe persimmons, meanwhile, are also a popular treat. In addition to being eaten on their own, persimmons are also used in other dishes, most notably a spicy persimmon punch, or sujeonggwa.

Korea produces distinctive seafood in autumn, too, including blue crab and jumbo prawns.

Perhaps the best loved, however, is the gizzard shad, or in Korean, the jeoneo. These small fish are caught in large numbers off the west and southern coasts from September to November, and are eaten in a variety of ways, including raw and in spicy salads. Most typically, however, they are roasted.

The smell of the roasted shad is so good, the Korean proverb goes, that even a daughter-in-law who has fled the home will return upon smelling it.

Season of Togetherness The autumn is more than just a time to eat and prepare to eat. It’s a time for families, friends and neighbors to get together. This is especially important in today’s Korea, where multi-generational households are growing increasingly rare.

Naturally enough, the Chuseok holiday is the most popular time to get together. The holiday is accompanied by a mass exodus from the cities as urbanites descend on their rural hometowns to tend to family tombs and gather with loved ones. This movement is frequently likened in the local press to a national migration. In households, families get together to make the ubiquitous half-moon-shaped rice cakes called songpyeon that are steamed on a bed of pine needles, or to enjoy folk games like traditional wrestling, or ssireum, or take part in a communal folk dance in which participants form a circle while holding hands, known as the ganggangsullae. The southwest corner of Korea is especially famous for the latter.

Many new families are born in the autumn, too.

The season is a time of love and romance. Look no further than the tree-lined road along the old stone wall of Deoksugung Palace, where you'll find plenty of couples—young and old—strolling hand-in-hand amidst the falling leaves. Along with spring, autumn is the most popular wedding season, too. According to statistics from 2000 to 2012, October was the most popular month in which to tie the knot, with 38,000 couples registered. November was the second-most popular with 37,000.

In schools, autumn is also the prime time to hold their yearly sports meets. Those meets are a veritable neighborhood party, especially in rural districts, where not only parents show up to watch the proceedings but even local grandfathers and grandmothers. In between the races and other events, a hardy lunch with fresh chestnuts and fruit is usually prepared. Local seniors, meanwhile, enjoy their meal with a glass or two of makgeolli or soju. In agricultural communities, the sports meets typically take place once the intensive farm work of spring and summer is complete, imbuing the event with added significance.

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1. Soybeans ferment and peppers dry outside a traditional home.

2. Children learn to set the table for Chuseok at the aT Center in Seoul on Aug. 21. © Yonhap News 3. Visitors enjoy the autumn colors at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul. © Yonhap News 4. Andong's International Mask Dance Festival © KTO

Enjoying the Natural Beauty With pleasant temperatures and even more pleasant scenery, the autumn is a perfect time for outdoors activities.

Many Koreans head to the mountains to breathe the fresh, crisp air and to take in the colorful autumn foliage. Go to any peak in the autumn, and you’re bound to find hundreds of hikers, many decked out in such fine outdoor wear it looks as if they are going to conquer K2. As you make your way to the peak, you’ll pass groups of hikers resting in the shade, enjoying some rice rolls, cucumber or even a shot or two of liquor.

While almost any Korean mountain in bound to be beautiful in autumn, some peaks are especially known for their foliage. Mt. Seoraksan in Gangwondo, Mt. Naejangsan in Jeollabuk-do and Mt. Juwangsan in Gyeongsangbuk-do are renowned for their maple trees, which turn bright crimson come fall. Mt. Sinbulsan in Ulsan and Mt. Mindungsan in Gangwon-do, meanwhile, are famous for their shimmering fields of reeds, which wave like an undulating silver sea in the autumn wind.

You don’t have to hit the mountain trails to enjoy the autumn, however. Many cities, towns and regions have easy walking trails through scenic locations. The best-known are the so-called Ollegil, a series of trails that completely ring Jejudo Island, Korea’s largest island and one of its most famous travel destinations. The Ollegil drew over a million hikers last year. You don’t even have to leave Seoul for a good autumn walk. Millions flock to ginkgo-lined roads like Samcheongdonggil, Deoksugung Doldam-gil and Garosu-gil to walk beneath their golden canopies and inhale the romance of the season. Seoul’s Haneul Park, meanwhile, is adorned with wave upon wave of silver reeds, which are lit up at night during the annual Seoul Reed Festival in October.

Celebrations Everywhere Autumn is Korea’s festival season. During the months of September and October, over 100 regional festivals, both big and small, are held throughout the country. As a result, October is commonly referred to as “the month of culture,”

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COVER STORY

a time to not only enjoy great food but to reflect, read and create while basking in the splendor of Korea’s cultural richness.

The capital of Korea and home to a quarter of the nation’s population, Seoul hosts several autumn festivals, the most popular of which is the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, when thousands fill the parks along the Hangang River to watch as the skies above Yeouido light up during one of the greatest spectacles of the year. Not to be outdone, the port city of Busan hosts its own international fireworks festival near the scenic Gwangalli Beach.

Musical performances and laser shows add to the excitement.

One of Asia's top jazz festivals, the Jarasum International Jazz Festival is held on the river island of Jaraseom in the Gyeonggi-do town of Gapyeong, just 40 minutes outside of Seoul. In addition to legions of passionate jazz fans, who come by the tens of thousands to lie on the grass and take in the sounds, the festival also draws some of the biggest names in the global jazz scene.

Also held near Seoul are the popular ceramics festivals hosted in the Gyeonggi-do towns of Icheon and Yeoju. During the days of the Joseon Dynasty, these towns formed the heart of the Korean porcelain industry, their kilns providing the ceramics used by the royal court. The towns

are still home to many master craftsmen, and the festivals provide an opportunity to experience a truly Korean art.

The mountains and coastal towns of Gangwon-do provide a perfect venue for coastal festivals. One of Korea’s most interesting festivals is the Gangneung Coffee Festival, which pays tribute to the East Sea town’s proud coffee tradition. The area around Gyeongpodae Beach is home to about 30 cafés run by pro baristas who have gathered in the small seaside community to pursue their culinary visions.

The mountains and rivers of Jeongseon-gun, meanwhile, play host to the annual Arirang Festival, when the valleys of this rugged region resonate with the sounds of Korea’s most famous folk song.

The central Chungcheong-do provinces were home to the capital cities of the ancient kingdom of Baekje, a legacy celebrated by the grand Baekje Cultural Festival, held in the towns of Gongju and Buyeo. The festival features a myriad of cultural events, including traditional memorial rites for various Baekje personages, as well as concerts, food and even a fireworks show.

In addition to local and national festivities, the months of September and October are typically times when international sporting events are held, as fall weather in Korea is ideal for outdoor activity.

The city of Incheon was selected to host the 17th

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Brilliant autumn colors of Baegyangsa Temple in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do

Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 this year, making Korea the meeting point for athletes from across Asia. This year’s event is particularly significant as it presents an opportunity for North and South Korea to take one more step toward reconciliation and mutual understanding.

Culture, History and Great Food The southwestern Jeolla-do provinces, known for their rich heritage in the traditional arts and outstanding local cuisine, host a wide range of colorful regional festivals. Music lovers won’t want to miss the Jeonju International Sori Festival, which is not only Korea’s biggest showcase of traditional music such as pansori, a form of lyrical storytelling now registered with UNESCO, but also a great world music festival with performing groups from all over the world.

The ecologically significant wetlands of the Suncheonman Bay, famous for its beautiful fields of reeds, hosts the Suncheonman Bay Reeds Festival, when visitors can stroll amidst the shimmering reeds which seemingly stretch into the horizon. The wetlands are especially beautiful in late autumn, when it is covered with heavy fog in the morning.

No discussion of Jeolla-do festivals would be complete without mentioning the Namdo Food Festival in Damyang, a celebration of southwest Korea’s culinary culture, said to be the best in the country. The festival is an unparalleled opportunity

Jarasum International Jazz Festival © Yonhap News

to sample specialty items from all over the province.

Southeastern Korea, home to the Gyeongsangdo provinces, also hosts some outstanding festivals.

One of Korea’s most popular autumn festivals is the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, when hundreds of colorful paper lanterns are floated on the Namgang River in front of Jinju’s historic Jinjuseong Fortress. The practice began during the Battle of Jinju during the Imjin War (1592-1598), when

Season for Reading?

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oreans frequently say that autumn is a season for reading. In fact, we have Tang Dynasty philosopher Han Yu to thank for this, for it was he who coined the Chinese saying, "denghuo keqin ," or "make friends with the reading lamp," while encouraging his son to study. Koreans call autumn, "the season for making friends with the reading lamp."

Why not? The weather is cool, the sky high and clear and the harvest abundant, putting people in the right state of mind for sitting down with a good book.

Libraries, schools, educational offices and local governments throughout Korea host a wide range of reading-related events in autumn, including book markets, book festivals and poetry readings. In fact, the month of September has been legally designated the "Month of Reading," while October has been designated the "Month of Culture."

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COVER STORY

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1. Seoul Lantern Festival © KTO

2. Persimmons left on the tree for the magpies © Yonhap News

defenders floated lanterns on the river to prevent invading Japanese troops from wading across the river. Nowadays, however, the lanterns carry wishes made by festival goers.

Another popular festival in the region is the Andong Mask Dance Festival, held in the UNESCO-designated village of Hahoe, a preserved Joseon Dynasty community on a bend in the Nakdonggang River. Developed in the highly hierarchical society of pre-modern Korea, the mask dance was used to lampoon the corruption and absurd behavior of various segments of Joseon society.

Many regions of Korea have their own versions, but Andong's is the best known. International groups are invited to perform at the festival as well.

Season of Ease Put simply, autumn in Korea is a time of plenty, with much to eat, see and do. Life becomes much more relaxed, which brings to mind the fact that as recently as just 50 years ago, Korea was a predominantly agricultural society. To the peasants of old, this would have been the most blissful of times.

There’s a scene that sums up the Korean autumn best, and it brings us back to Pearl Buck. The author was in a car touring the area around the ancient

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Korean city of Gyeongju, accompanied by a young reporter. As they passed a farm house, Buck noticed a persimmon tree in the yard. At the top of the tree, several persimmons—bright orange orbs set against the cobalt autumn sky—had been left unpicked.

Turning to the reporter, Buck asked, “Have they been left on the tree because they are too hard to pick?” When the reporter explained that the remaining persimmons, called "magpie food" in Korean, were intentionally left on the tree to feed the birds, she exclaimed, “That’s it! The thing I wanted to see in Korea was not relics or royal tombs.

Even if this is all I see, I think I shall be satisfied with my visit to Korea.”

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High Skies and Fat Horses Long-time Korea resident Suzanne Crowder-Han talks about autumn, her favorite time of year Interview by Robert Koehler

“I

like the Korean saying cheongomabi , meaning ‘the sky is high, the horses are fat.’ A friend taught it to me a long time ago when we were walking in the countryside under a brilliant blue sky surrounded by nature’s bounty.”

Suzanne Crowder-Han has seen many a Korean autumn in her days here. In fact, it’s her favorite season. “Autumn is my favorite time of the year,” she says. “I love the cool, crisp feel of the early morning, the high blue skies of midday, the glorious sunsets and the cosmos daisies.”

Originally from South Carolina in the United States, CrowderHan has lived in Korea since the late 1970s, when she first came to the country as a volunteer with the US Peace Corps.

Now the director of the Seoul Study Center of the Council on International Educational Exchange, a US-based non-profit educational organization, she is now a recognized authority on Korea and author of several books about the country, including “Notes on Things Korean.”

The Korean autumn is a bit different from where she grew up in the American southeast. In particular, it doesn’t last nearly as long, unfortunately. “Korean autumn is rather short compared to South Carolina, where I grew up,” she says. “And the colored leaves don’t last as long.”

Changing Customs While the high blue skies are still very much a part of the Korean autumn experience, Crowder-Han has watched some of the customs attached to the holiday change during her decades in the country. “When I first came to live in Korea as a US Peace Corps volunteer back in the late 1970s, it was quite common to see people returning from outings carrying a branch with a few persimmons or chestnuts as a sign of autumn,” she says.

“And many taxi drivers would keep a quince or two in their back window to impart a nice fragrance to their car.” These are things you’re unlikely to see now, even if persimmons are still a popular gift and roasted chestnuts are a ubiquitous presence along Seoul’s streets.

Autumn is a time of plenty in Korea, and of course, CrowderHan has her own autumnal favorites. “I guess one of the foods I identify with autumn in Korea is pine mushrooms,” she says.

“They’re really delicious, cooked or raw. And, crab, which are coming into season now.”

Like many residents of Korea, both local and foreign-born, she enjoys strolling in the great outdoors to take in the spectacular colors of the season. “I like to walk in the mountains to see the autumn foliage, and in the countryside to observe people harvesting rice and watch the red peppers drying in the sun.”

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PEOPLE

Designs Inspired by Life Industrial designer Kim Young-se reveals the secrets of “black box” design Written by Max Kim Photographed by Lee Hyang-ah

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hen designer and CEO of INNODESIGN Kim Young-se takes his prototypes to clients, he puts them in a small, rectangular black box. Over the years, this unique method of presentation 1 has become Kim’s signature move, earning him the nickname “black box designer” among his peers and clients.

A Powerful Symbol For Kim, the black box symbolizes the personal creative process, one that operates independently of client input or feedback. It bears a meaning that is analogous to the term’s denotation in science and engineering, where black box refers to a system whose internal workings are unknowable and can only be understood in terms of what goes in and what comes out, in this case, the moment of inspiration and the resulting design.

Traditionally, this isn’t quite how the business of industrial or commercial design works. The more common practice is where the client commissions a particular design and the designer is then expected to produce and deliver a product based on the provided specifications. For people like Kim, however, this routine can be stifling.

“After doing commissioned work for a long time, I realized that I have a lot of great ideas that don’t get commissioned by clients, and being unable to use them has always been frustrating to me,” says Kim. “I was always asking myself what to do with the ideas that I come up with by myself, always thinking of ways I can get them out there.”

A defining watershed in Kim’s career and the dawn of black box design came in 2004, with the pivotal success of one of Kim’s mobile phone designs. The client was Samsung, which, at the time, was still carving out its reputation in the mobile phone industry.

Kim’s pitch was a horizontally rotating screen for flip-top phone, and it was instantly picked up and manufactured by Samsung Anycall. Dubbed the “horizontal instinct” phone, or garobonneung phone in Korean, by the public, Kim’s design exploded in Korea, becoming one of Samsung’s most successful and iconic products leading up to the smartphone era.

“Looking back now, it was such an obvious idea” recalls Kim, “but I remember being so taken aback and excited when

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I thought of this that I sat down and sketched it all in about 15 minutes. I knew I was onto something big.”

The Brilliance of Simplicity As with the rotating cell phone screen, Kim aims for a sense of the “brilliantly obvious” in all his designs. His goal is to design things so simple and intuitive that it provokes the classic exclamation, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“What this expression means is that a lot of people can relate to an idea that hasn’t been introduced to the world yet,” explains Kim, “The presence of this feeling is the ultimate harbinger of success for a design, and it’s a constant guiding principle in my work.”

Good design, according to Kim, is the byproduct of this pursuit, motivated by the impulse to articulate what people at large subconsciously want or need in their day-to-day lives.

“That’s why my inspiration comes from an inner curiosity— a fundamental interest in the lives of people and the little things they do,” says Kim, “Observing the little details of everyday life is very important to me as a designer.”

“Everything I look at during my day, I can’t help but look at through the lens of a designer,” he adds, “I can’t stop designing things in my mind.”

True to his word, Kim can recount a little story for each of his designs—that “eureka” moment that strikes in the midst of even the most mundane tasks. Once filed away in his sketchbook, all that’s left is to wait for the right client to come along.

1. INNO wave headset

2. Laneige's sliding compact

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PEOPLE

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rofessor Yeo Tae-myong of Wonkwang University in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, teaches classes in calligraphy—one of those humanities departments that’s quickly falling under the categorization of “obsolete” or “impractical.” More specifically, he works in Korean calligraphy and Hangeul-related design. Yeo’s work can be easily seen on several signs in Jeonju’s Hanok Village, a hotspot of traditional architecture and a national tourist attraction. Anyone who drives through Jeonju’s highway tollgate is greeted with a sign that bears his calligraphic signature. Much of his personal work, which combines calligraphy, graphic design, painting and even poetry, is exhibited in museums in Beijing, Moscow, Berlin, Los Angeles and several other locales. Yeo proves that the art of penmanship isn’t a dead tradition but something we still crave and need today. Beauty never becomes obsolete.

Thinking Outside the Brush Calligrapher and font designer Yeo Tae-myong proves that just because something is traditional doesn’t mean it has to be stagnant Written by Felix Im Photographed by Shin Guk-beom

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From Hobby to Profession “People have forgotten that universities are places of knowledge, institutions where people are encouraged to explore the unknown and discover for discovery’s sake,” Professor Yeo insists.

“They are not, as we have come to think, job-training institutions. Korean calligraphy is about exploring the Korean sense of beauty, something very different from that of China, the United States or anywhere else.”

Indeed, the modern world seems to have become so obsessed with doing more things at a faster pace on a portable screen that people have largely forgotten the importance of art for its own sake.

Yeo, however, hasn’t forgotten. He spent most of his youth teaching himself the art of calligraphy, as it wasn’t even offered as a subject back then. “Paintings,

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1. Logo for the Busan International Film Festival 2. Logo for Kooksoondang's Myeongjak liquor

particularly Korean paintings, were what I officially studied. Calligraphy was my hobby,” he says.

Yet it was Yeo’s hobby that became his career. At the insistence of his father, Yeo went to work after high school at a chemical company. Because he had studied art they put him in the sample room. “One month later, I ran away!” Yeo reminisces, laughing.

It wasn’t until after he completed his military service that his parents finally relented and allowed him to pursue his dream. While enrolled as an art major he continued to study calligraphy on his own, using ancient Joseon texts gathered from antique stores and dusty bookshops. He didn't become aware of his true calling, however, until several years later, at an exhibition in Berlin.

A Reawakening In 1991, Yeo was invited to Berlin for an exhibition meant to juxtapose calligraphy from China, Japan and Korea. However, when Yeo submitted work written in Chinese characters, they simply asked him why it looked the same as the Chinese contributions.

“I was blindsided,” Yeo recalls. “Calligraphers in Korea were so obsessed with writing Hanja characters that I didn’t even think of it that way.”

Luckily, Yeo had been experimenting with Hangeul on his own and showed them a few samples from his private collection. The response was infinitely better. “They were blown away! Why? They couldn’t

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read it or understand what the words meant, which means they were strictly drawn by the letters’ beauty.

That’s when it occurred to me: Hangeul is beautiful.”

Since then, Yeo has spent his career crafting Hangeul lettering that’s both beautiful and relevant to modern Korea. He founded the Korean Calligraphy Design Association to bring together calligraphers and designers to create unique fonts and designs using the Korean alphabet. Yeo attests that Korean script is unique in both its philosophy and creation, and thus shouldn’t be forced to fit design models originally meant for Roman characters. He also developed six different computer fonts and has written extensively on the importance of creating various fonts and calligraphic styles for Hangeul.

Originally, Yeo’s efforts were greeted with criticism and ridicule. Traditional calligraphers didn't even consider Hangeul as part of their art, often claiming it was merely a practical alphabet and not an aesthetic one. This was all before Hallyu, the socalled “Korean Wave,” which has seen worldwide popularity of Korean music, film and television. It was also definitely before learning Korean became trendy. Yet Yeo still somehow managed to find the courage to believe in his craft. “To me, art is about creating something new, something that has not been done before,” Yeo reflects. “Traditional calligraphy, as beautiful as it is, didn’t offer much outside the box, and outside the box is where I wanted to go.”

TRAVEL

Between Scarlet Mountains and the Deep Blue Sea East Sea town of Sokcho charms with natural splendor and great food Written by Robert Koehler

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ot far from the border with North Korea, the East Sea fishing port of Sokcho is best known as the gateway to Seoraksan National Park, considered by many to be Korea’s most spectacular mountain park. The town itself is not large, but it is an important fishing port, and the constant influx of tourists gives it a surprisingly lively feel. Its dramatic location, wedged between the East Sea and Mt. Seoraksan, make this a very pleasant place to spend a day or two.

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The foliage turns bright colors in the Jujeongol Valley of Seoraksan National Park. Š Yonhap News

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TRAVEL

Sokcho Town With the East Sea in the foreground and Mt. Seoraksan forming the backdrop, the city boasts some fine scenery. Of particular scenic interest are the town’s two large lagoons, Yeongnangho and Cheongchoho, which are popular leisure spots favored by local walkers and joggers. The latter was also the primary venue for the 1999 Gangwon International Tourism Expo, and is where you’ll find the landmark Expo Tower and a visually striking commemorative hall. From the top of the tower, visitors are provided panoramic views of Cheongchoho, Sokcho and Mt. Seoraksan. Don’t miss it.

Sokcho’s Jungang Market is a pretty vibrant place, too, and a good place to score raw fish. It’s also famous for its Korean-style 1 fried chicken, or dak gangjeong, which are knots of chicken meat fried and covered in a tangy sauce.

Along the coast, you’ll find a couple of harbors used by the local fishing fleet, including Dongmyeonghang and Daepohang. Dongmyeonghang is also where to go for the best sunrises in town—look for the Yeongeumjeong, two traditional pavilions, one atop a hillock overlooking the sea and another on a wave-beaten rock in the sea itself, attached to the land via a pedestrian suspension bridge.

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1. Ojingeo sundae , a sausage made from filling a squid with noodles and vegetables 2. Ferry going to Abai Village © Yonhap News 3. Port of Dongmyeonghang © Yonhap News 4. Hikers scale the peaks of Seoraksan National Park. © Yonhap News

Abai Village One particular neighborhood is Abai Village, located on a strip of land between Cheongchoho Lake and the East Sea. The fishing village was founded after the Korean War by villagers who had fled their homes in North Korea’s Hamgyeongdo region. Most residents are either the original founders or their descendants. The village’s name, abai, means “father” in the dialect of Korean spoken in Hamgyeongdo, and is a reference to both the origins of the community and the large number of elderly who call it home. The neighborhood looks like it stepped straight out of a 1970s Korean TV drama (in fact, it was actually used as the set of a popular 2000 drama, “Autumn in My Heart”), which lends it much of its charm.

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Seoraksan National Park Spread some 398 square kilometers over three counties, Seoraksan National Park is Korea’s most spectacular mountain park. Mt. Seoraksan (“Snow Peak”) is, in fact, the South Korean section of North Korea’s famous Kumgangsan Mountains, which Koreans have lauded for their beauty for centuries. This is a land of high granite peaks, sculpted by the elements into spectacular shapes, overlooking the white capped expanses of the East Sea. Imagine the mythical landscapes of ancient Korean and Chinese watercolor paintings, and you’ll have a good idea of what awaits you. It’s enchanting any time of year, but especially so in autumn, when the hillsides are ablaze in hues of red and gold, and in winter, when the park becomes a glistening, snow-covered wonderland.

Home to 2,000 animal species, including the endangered Amur goral, and 1,400 rare plant species, the park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1982.

Seoraksan National Park can be divided into three sectors. Outer Seorak is the region of the park closest to the sea, and is the most frequently visited part of the park. The western part of the park is called Inner Seorak, and is further subdivided into North Inner Seorak and South Inner Seorak. Inner Seorak is more remote, less touristic and more natural. The park contains several peaks over 1,200 meters, including Daecheongbong Peak (1,708 meters), Korea’s third highest peak.

In addition to the natural splendor, the park is also home to two major Buddhist temples, Sinheungsa and Baekdamsa.

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© KTO

The bustling Jungang Market, the waterfront restaurants of Daepohang and the Raw Fish Center at Dongmyeonghang are good places to score raw fish. Another local specialty are dak gangjeong, stir-fried chicken wings coated in a sweat and spicy sauce. Finally, no discussion of Sokcho’s food scene would be complete without mention of sundae, or steamed Korean blood sausage, typically made from pig intestine stuffed with noodles, vegetables, been curd and clotted pig blood.

At the high end, the Youngrangho Resort (T. 033-633-0001) has a tower condo, villa-style condos and a spectacular location on the side of Lake Yeongnangho.

For budget accommodation, The House Hostel (T. 033-633-3477) by Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal is very popular with backpackers for its clean, basic rooms, eclectically decorated communal lounge and friendly, English-speaking owner, who will be all to happy to give you the low-down on Sokcho’s scenic spots.

From Seoul, buses to Sokcho depart from Seoul Express Bus Terminal (travel time: 3 hours, 10 minutes).

Sokcho

Seoul

Jejudo

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SPORTS

Going for Gold Korean baseball, archery and fencing lead the way in the 2014 Asian Games Written by Robert Koehler

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ith the 17th Asian Games currently underway in Incheon, Korean athletes are performing exceptionally well, led by dominating showings from the Korean baseball, archery, fencing and shooting teams.

Korean Baseball Team Earns Gold the Scrappy Way Korea’s national baseball team put on an especially strong showing in the group preliminaries, with manager Ryu Joongil's team posting three straight shutouts against Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong.

The gold medal game was a considerably closer affair, as Korea faced off once again with Chinese Taipei, whom Korea had routed 10–0 in group play. This time, however, the Taiwanese led for most of the game until Korea staged an eighth-inning rally. Korea made its way back in scrappy fashion, tying things up when Taiwanese relief pitcher Chia-Jen Lo hit a Korean batsman with the bases loaded. A subsequent grounder to second drove in the second run.

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Korean reliever Bong Jung-keun pitches hard against Chinese Taipei in the Asian Games baseball final. © Yonhap News

Korea's Choi Injeong attacks China's Sun Yiwen during the women's team epee event on Sep. 25. © Yonhap News

Third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun drove in two insurance runs in the eighth.

Korean Archers Dominate Korean archers are putting on another typically dominating performance, with the men’s and women’s teams taking five of the tournament’s eight gold medals. They’ve also taken three silvers and a bronze.

Women’s archer Jung Dasomi won two gold medals. Jung joined teammates Lee Tuk-young and Chang Hye-jin in destroying China 6–0 in the women’s recurve team event. Later, in the individual event, Jung defeated her teammate Chang 7–1.

In the women’s compound team event, Choi Bo-min, Kim Yun-hee and Seok Ji-hyun downed Chinese Taipei 229–226 for gold. Not finished, Choi won gold in the women’s individual compound event as well.

On the men’s side, archer Oh Jin-hyek took gold in the men’s recurve individual event, defeating China’s Yong Zhiwei 6–4.

Fencing to Win Korea's international fencing success has continued into the Asian Games. Korean athletes have won eight gold medals in fencing events: mens epee individual, men’s sabre individual, men’s epee team, men’s sabre team, women’s foil individual, women’s sabre individual, women’s foil team and women’s sabre team.

In particular, the women’s foil team beat China 32–27 to take gold at their fifth consecutive Asian Games. The men’s team, meanwhile, handily beat Iran to take its first gold in 12 years.

Victories in Judo, Shooting Korean female judokas have performed exceptionally well in Incheon, winning three individual golds and a silver in the team event. Jeong

Gyeong-mi became the first Korean woman judoka to defend her Asian Games title by taking gold in the under 78-kilogram class.

The men’s team didn’t perform quite as well, with only Kim Jae-bum taking gold in an individual event. The men’s team did take gold in the men’s team event, however, defeating Kazakhstan 4–1.

Korean sharpshooters have also taken eight golds in shooting events. Shooter Kim Mi-jin not only took gold in the women’s double trap event, but set a world record in doing so with 110 points.

More Golds Wushu fighter Kim Myeong-jin became the first Korean to win an Asian Games gold at sanda, winning the sanda under 75-kg event.

Also claiming a first was rower Kim Yeji, who became the first Korean female rower to win gold in the Asian Games.

Cyclist Jang Kyung-gu took gold in the men’s road event, clocking in at 4:07:52 after 13 laps of the 14-kilometer road track of Songdo Road Cycling Course.

In bowling, the Korean trio of Lee Na-young, Jung Da-wun and Son Yun-hee took gold in the women’s trio event, defeating Singaporean trio New Hui Fen, Jazreel Tan and Cherie Tan by a score of 3,896 pinfalls to 3,753. Lee and Son also took gold in the double’s event.

Eighteen-year-old golfer Park Gyeol also took gold in the women’s individual event, shooting a 19-under 269 at the Dream Park Country Club.

1. Jung Dasomi takes aim during the team recurve archery event on Sep. 6. © Yonhap News 2. Track cyclist Cho Ho-sung races during the time trials of the men's 1 km omnium event on Sep. 23. © Yonhap News

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3. Wushu athlete Lee Ha-sung performs at the men's changquan event on Sep. 20. © Yonhap News

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Movement of Rhyme A peek into the hip-hop music scene of Korea Written by Paola Belle Ebora

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ne night in Hongdae, this writer found herself magnetized by a young crowd huddled around two guys who were spitting out rhymes along with some beats. The playground felt like it had transformed into a small club, with people raising their hands up and bobbing their heads to the beat as the two guys churned out impressive raps, one after the other.

In a country that is seemingly dominated by pop, it was refreshing to see that more urban music styles aren’t exclusively kept underground. Hip-hop groups such as Drunken Tiger, Dynamic Duo and Epik High, as well as solo artists like Beenzino, can be heard on mainstream radio and even seen performing on major music shows. It could be said that hiphop is now enjoying some well-deserved attention alongside mainstream music. However, that was not always the case.

Dropping the Beat In an interview with Fuse News, Drunken Tiger’s Tiger JK recalled how the hip-hop scene was back in the early ‘90s.

“Back in the day, it was like crazy. Hip-hop existed, but it was crazy underground. It was almost like a secret society.”

Because hip-hop was a relatively new genre to the music industry then, the artists had a lot of room for experimentation and growth. In an e-mail interview with KOREA Magazine, Jerry.K, one of the founders of the now-defunct hip-hop label

Soul Company that was a force in the early days of hip-hop in Korea, said, “Generally, in the mid- to late-90s, the scene had a relatively shoddy sound and rap wasn’t localized enough.

Then in the mid-2000s, great artists started to see the light in the major and underground scene so that it has now gotten a position in mainstream music.”

The earlier days of Korean hip-hop saw artists like the pioneering group Seo Taiji and the Boys, who introduced rap to mainstream listeners. Other groups that shook the scene include Uptown, DJ DOC, Cho PD and Jinusean, who mainly incorporated a lot of English words in their lyrics primarily because the Korean language has different pronunciation and strong syllables that make rapping difficult.

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Duo) as the pioneers of underground hip-hop in Korea. Their successful breakthroughs into the mainstream were crucial in elevating Korean hip-hop to a new level.

With the establishment of more hip-hop labels, such as Just Music, AOMG, Illionaire and Hi-lite, that have helped cultivate the current industry, talented rappers are more encouraged to continue pursuing success.

This is especially evident in the TV program “Show Me the Money” (2012), a survival talent show that was produced with the sole purpose of shining the spotlight on the country’s aspiring rappers.

The show appeals to hip-hop fans and industry people alike. Amy Kim, a hip-hop aficionado who likes Dynamic Duo, said, “I like ‘Show me the Money’ because the show molds the future of the hip-hop industry. The contestants can enhance their skills and styles, which they can use in their future career. It also shows how versatile rappers are these days.”

Jerry.K, who is also currently the chief of independent label daze alive music, added, “I can only acknowledge the commercial ripple effect of this program and, at the same time, we cannot erase the impression that it controls the whole scene. Also, if you consider the few high-level stages (performances) in the latter half of the season that got special interest from the regular public, I think it is a good opportunity for the hip-hop scene.”

With the music and scene being barely 25 years old, hiphop in Korea still has a long way to go, but its rising stars have demonstrated a level of artistry that is unstoppable. Slowly, hip-hop has been reaching greater heights and is showing the world that Korea is more than just bubble-gum pop. Koreans, too, can rap.

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1. A performance at Show Me the Money © CJ E&M 2. Dynamic Duo © Yonhap News 3.DJ DOC © Yonhap News 4. Fans go crazy at a concert. © Yonhap News

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It wasn’t until rapper-producer Verbal Jint was able to come up with a “rhyming formula” that made rapping in the vernacular easier and more natural for local artists.

Cashing in on the Local Tongue The development of a hip-hop music industry in Korea became more apparent as more artists honed their craft.

Alongside Verbal Jint, who revolutionized Korean rap, Jerry.

K looks to groups like Garion, DJ Soulscape, P-Type and Drunken Tiger and CB Mass (currently known as Dynamic

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SPECIAL ISSUE

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Hangeul Gets Its Own Museum

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New exhibit space teaches the world about Korea’s exclusive writing system

Harmony Between Heaven, Earth and Humanity Work began on the National Hangeul Museum in 2011. Its space of 4,200 square meters, with three above-ground stories and a single basement floor, is located immediately between the landmark National Museum of Korea and the lush gardens

Written by Robert Koehler

f there’s one piece of cultural heritage Koreans are proud of above all else, it’s Hangeul, Korea’s indigenous script that is so simple to learn anyone could reasonably master it in a single day. Korea even has a national holiday to commemorate it, Hangeul Day, celebrated on October 9, supposedly the day when King Sejong the Great proclaimed the creation of the writing system in 1446. This year’s Hangeul Day, the alphabet’s 568th birthday, will be special, however, as it will also mark the opening of the National Hangeul Museum, a beautiful new exhibit space where visitors will be able to see the past, present and future of Korea’s native alphabet.

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1. National Hangeul Museum © National Hangeul Museum 2. Statue of King Sejong the Great at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul © Yonhap News 3. Hunminjeongeum Haerye © Yonhap News

of Yongsan Family Park in Seoul’s central Yongsan district. It is an architectural expression of the concept of “Heaven, Earth and Humanity,” or cheonjiin, the philosophy that underpins Hangeul’s vowel system. Each layer of the stunning structure, designed by Korean architectural firm Dosiin, is covered in Hangeul characters representing harmony between heaven, man and humanity. The structure also features modern interpretations of Korean traditional architectural elements such as the cantilevered eaves of a Korean home, or cheoma, and the colorful painted patterns found most notably at Korean palaces, shrines and temples, or dancheong.

The museum will contain a wide range of exhibits and hands-on programs that serve to teach visitors about Hangeul and its place in the world.

The ground floor is an informational space where visitors can search for material related to Hangeul using state-of-the-art information technology. It

will also hold a cafeteria, lecture room and other facilities.

The second floor is where the museum’s regular exhibits will be on display. Here we can learn about Korea’s writing systems prior to Hangeul, the process by which Hangeul was created, Hangeul education and art, and present and future trends regarding the alphabet. The museum has already acquired 7,450 items by donation and another 1,176 items through public acquisition. Highlights of its collection include a copy of the Hunminjeongeum Haerye, a commentary explaining the Hangeul alphabet published in 1446, three years after the invention of the alphabet by a committee of scholars commissioned by King Sejong the Great.

There is also a copy of the Tongnip Sinmun, Korea’s first modern newspaper written in Hangeul, and a copy of “The Tale of Hong Gil-dong,” the first novel written in Hangeul.

The third floor, meanwhile, is an educational space where visitors can participate in Hangeulrelated hands-on programs and compare the alphabet with other writing systems around the world. The third floor is also where special exhibits will be held.

Teaming Up with Google to Promote Hangeul Google, the world’s largest Internet search engine, has taken a keen interest in the museum. As part of its Google Giving program, the company has put its technology to use both at the museum and on the museum’s website to help non-Korean speakers, multicultural families and children learn about the writing system. On October 30 of last year, Google chairman Eric Schmidt paid a visit to the construction site of the museum. “Though the language King Sejong used has changed a lot, Hangeul is still core to Korean culture,” he said. “Our future goal is to share Korea’s rich culture with the world.”

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CURRENT KOREA

Hero Roars Back to Life Flick about Admiral Yi Sun-sin sets new box office record Written by Violet Kim

“T

he Admiral: Roaring Currents” opened in theaters this past July 30, and has been breaking records ever since. According to data from the Korean Film Council, the film attracted more than 13 million viewers—equivalent to more than a one-fourth of the entire population of South Korea—in less than three weeks.

As of September 4, total viewership hit the 17 million mark, and the number of people who have seen the movie is set to rise. Distributor CJ E&M hosted free screenings for senior citizens

aged 65 or more during the Chuseok holiday.

The film also represents a significant step forward for domestic cinema, at least in sales.

“The Admiral: Roaring Currents” is currently the highest-selling film in Korean box office history, knocking off previous record-holder “Avatar” on August 17 by selling more than 14 million tickets.

Not Just a Local Hit The success has carried over overseas, too.

The movie was released in the United States

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1. Poster for “The Admiral” depicting Japanese invaders 2. Scene from “The Admiral” in which actor Choi Min-sik plays Admiral Yi Sun-sin

on August 15, and raked in USD 1.18 million within the first week, making it the highest-selling Korean film in North America. Critics have also been generally upbeat so far, with favorable reviews from the Los Angeles Times and Film Journal International.

When a box office smash is this big, its success naturally invites speculation. It’s certainly true that local media noted how distributor CJ E&M didn’t hold back on marketing the film. CJ E&M also happens to belong to the same conglomerate as Korea’s largest movie theater chain, CJ CGV. Beyond the numbers, “The Admiral” is a historical dramatization of a famous naval battle that occurred in 1597, when Admiral Yi Sun-sin led 12 ships to victory against a much larger armada of more than 300 invading Japanese vessels in the Battle of Myeongnyang. The movie attributes this victory to a combination of clever military strategy, wherein Yi takes advantage of the ocean currents in the strait where the battle took place, and the personal charisma of the admiral, evident in scenes where the character doles out advice to his feeble son, or inspires his commanders with sudden acts of violence or courage, or both.

Historical Cinema The thematic elements of the movie are also worth consideration. “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” also opened amid other successful blockbusters with either nautical themes or historical settings. Movies such as “Sea Fog,” “The Pirates,” and “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” are all regarded as the top domestic releases of the summer. The first is based on the true, bleak story of KoreanChinese immigrants suffocating in a fishing vessel. The second is a period comedy about pirates, set during Joseon times (13921910). “Kundo: Age of the Rampant,” lacks the pelagic element of the other films,

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but, along with “The Pirates” and “The Admiral,” deals with themes of honorable dissent against a corrupt higher power.

There’s also the David and Goliath aspect to “The Admiral.” While in some ways you can’t go wrong with an underdog story, this particular story happens to be 128 minutes long, without much respite from the testosterone-laden exchanges between major military figures. What might be more relevant is that this underdog story features one of Korea’s most revered national heroes as the underdog. The invading samurai aren’t the only antagonists in the movie.

The admiral is also up against frightened inferiors, superiors that have given up on him, and his injuries incurred during war.

Actor Choi Min-sik of “Oldboy” fame plays Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the movie, but the historical figure has always been a national hero. Every Korean worth their salt knows about Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Along with the Battle of Myeongnyang featured in the film, Yi is known for the Great Battle

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CURRENT KOREA

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of Hansan, along with his other victories against the Japanese navy during the six-year invasion known as the Imjin War. Geographically, a statue of the admiral stands in close proximity to the statue of King Sejong at one of Seoul’s major landmarks, Gwanghwamun Square.

Given that King Sejong invented the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, and is generally regarded as the greatest king in Korean history, this is not an insignificant juxtaposition.

A Hero Remembered Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s popularity seems to have spiked this summer in particular, and in ways that go beyond movie attendance rates. For example, the Great Battle of Hansan Festival is held annually in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnamdo, and celebrates the achievements of Admiral

Yi Sun-sin. This is not the most attractive of descriptions for a so-called “festival,” save for perhaps the hardcore history buffs. Yet attendance rates dramatically increased this year, according to head festival planner Choi Wanseok. The festival’s position is that the movie had something to do with it, for “The Admiral” director Kim Han-min was one of the visitors this year.

Yi’s popularity isn’t limited to Korea.

American graphic novelist Onrie Kompan traveled to Korea to research Admiral Yi Sun-sin for an eponymous series of graphic novels, which has sold over 33,000 copies. Granted, Kompan’s novel was published several years before the movie. Kompan himself discovered Admiral Yi through a KBS period drama that aired from 2004 to 2005.

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1. People stand in line to see “The Admiral.” © Yonhap News 2. Portrait of Yi Sun-sin © Yonhap News 3. Shoppers look at books about Yi Sun-sin at Kyobo Book Centre in Seoul amid renewed interest in the admiral thanks to the box office success of the film “The Admiral.” © Yonhap News 4. People take in “Chungmugong Story,” a permanent exhibit by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts introducing the life of Yi Sun-sin. © Yonhap News

event or a positive indicator of a larger trend in successful domestic cinema, or successful historical cinema, it’s unlikely that people will forget “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” any time soon. The movie has written itself into Korean box office history and elbowed its way into theaters worldwide—perhaps not as impressive a feat as defending a fleet of 12 ships against 330, but worthy of recognition in its own way. After all, in many ways, it’s the films, festivals and books that sing the achievements of a historical figure that create the legend, as much as the achievements themselves.

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However, it’s worth noting that Kompan came back to the peninsula this year and saw the movie, and also attended the Great Battle of Hansan Festival. It’s also worth noting that a historical figure generally seen as a strictly Korean hero is now featured as the protagonist in a medium that, in the United States, has traditionally been reserved for fictional superheroes with supernatural abilities. Finally, it’s significant that, according to an August 27 announcement on the official Yi Sun-Sin comic book Facebook page, the creators of the comic have received an influx of inquiries about the availability of their books.

It’s easy enough to acknowledge the burst of national and international interest in “The Admiral” this summer. Box office success has a tendency to do that. It’s trickier to establish a direct causal relationship between the release of the movie and the various Yi-themed festivals and books that have come under the spotlight.

What’s certain, however, is that there’s an undeniable fever surrounding the movie, as well as echoes of interest in its hero.

Whether the movie’s popularity and the magnified interest in its hero are a unique

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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Park Visits Canada, United Nations President concludes landmark FTA with Canada and addresses global gathering on climate change, international cooperation Written by Yoon Sojung and Wi Tack-whan

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resident Park Geun-hye had a very eventful diplomatic schedule in September, with a state visit to Canada followed by a visit to New York to address the U.N. Climate Summit 2014 and the 69th U.N. General Assembly.

1. Korean President Park Geunhye and Prime Minister Stephen Harper take part in a joint news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sep. 22. © Yonhap News 2. President Park shakes hands with local Koreans as she makes her way to a conference room with Governor-General David Johnston at Rideau Hall on Sep. 21. © Yonhap News 1

Welcome to Canada President Park arrived in Canada on September 20 for a three-day visit.

Her official itinerary began the following day, when she held a meeting with Governor General of Canada David Johnston and discussed with him ways to develop bilateral relations between Korea and Canada. She also attended an official welcoming ceremony that took place at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the governor general. Park said in her speech, “Korea and Canada are making history together based on their 100-year-old friendship.

This is a historic moment to open another 50 years of bilateral relations.”

“Canada is one of the G7 countries and Korea’s seventh largest trade partner,” the president elaborated. “Canada is an exemplary country in terms of creative industries, and Korea is an IT superpower. The two countries are close cooperative partners and share basic values. They both harness great capabilities that can contribute to world peace and development, as well as to mutual prosperity.”

President Park also emphasized that the Korea-Canada free trade agreement will help to maximize cooperation potential between the two nations. After the meeting, Park attended a state banquet as an official guest of the governor general. During the banquet, the Canadian governor general said that Canada is Korea’s blood brother, as it sent about 30,000 soldiers to the country during the Korean War (1950-1953), and about 500 of them sacrificed their lives. The governor general also said that the historic draft of their bilateral free trade agreement will lead both countries down the path toward prosperity, and that the two countries will continue to seek ways to further advance their strong cooperative relationship in trade and technological innovation.

In response, Park said, “Our two countries are partners that have mutually beneficial economic systems and share the values of freedom and democracy.”

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FTA Agreement Signed President Park Geun-hye and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper held summit talks on September 22 and officially signed a free trade agreement (FTA). The two leaders agreed to upgrade their bilateral relations from a special partnership to a strategic one. They also adopted a joint declaration which covers international cooperation and extended bilateral exchanges.

President Park valued the relations upgrade, saying, “Our bilateral relationship holds great growth potential, as the two countries are complementary to each other as global partners.”

At the joint press conference after the summit, Park said, “I

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SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

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would like to welcome the signing of the KoreaCanada FTA. I agree that we need to make efforts to maximize the effects of the free trade deal.”

The president also said that the two nations agreed to find ways to make the free trade deal affect not just trade and investment but influence areas like cooperation on technology, people-topeople exchanges and economic cooperation in the private sector.

Harper said of the deal, “Today is a very historic day for both countries.” The Canadian leader emphasized that the bilateral free trade deal would benefit the peoples of both countries.

“The free trade agreement will offer jobs for Koreans and Canadians and provide opportunities for Korean and Canadian firms. Both countries will be given more choices and opportunities in terms of economic growth and investment,” he said.

On the occasion of the summit, the two countries signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) across nine areas, including energy, natural resources, science, technology, developing the Arctic, people-to-people exchanges and other spheres. Both nations also signed an agreement to lift limits on the number of flights and aviation routes between the two countries.

President Park additionally attended a Korea-

Canada business forum and a tree-planting ceremony at the official residence of Canada's governor general.

Climate Action Is an Opportunity President Park then flew to New York to attend the U.N. Climate Summit 2014 and the 69th U.N. General Assembly.

At the U.N. Climate Summit 2014 on September 23, President Park emphasized that we should consider taking action to face climate change as an opportunity. “Investing in the chance to unlock new energy industries and jobs can ignite fresh engines of future growth,” she said.

She insisted that technology and market-based solutions should be at the center of our response to climate change, emphasizing efforts in the private sector. “Innovations can’t come from government alone. To encourage the private sector to lead, markets should reward carbon-cutting innovations,” she said.

Park said that all countries need to be on board, with participation from both industrialized and developing countries. “For developing countries, however, cutting carbon dioxide can be a burden.

To help them invest in needed capabilities and build markets, the developed world should transfer technology and expertise.”

“The Korean government pledges up to 100 million dollars to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), including the 50 million we are currently paying,” said Park. She emphasized the need to form a GCF and urged the active participation of member countries.

Promoting Humanism, International Cooperation President Park delivered the keynote speech at the 69th U.N. General Assembly on September 24, a first for her time in office.

The global meeting was held under the theme of “Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda.”

President Park emphasized that the U.N. should go back to where it began, with its human-

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1. President Park presides over the second session of the "Finance" discussion of the U.N. Climate Summit 2014 in New York on Sep. 23. © Yonhap News 2. President Park gives a keynote address at the 69th U.N. General Assembly on Sep. 24. © Yonhap News 3. President Park meets with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon on Sep. 22. © Yonhap News

centered goals and international cooperation, and play a central role in effectively responding to new threats and challenges, such as the continued conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, terrorism targeting foreigners in Iraq, the Ukrainian crisis and the Ebola epidemic.

In regard to global peace, Park stressed the need to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and urged Pyongyang to make a strategic choice by giving up its nuclear weapons in exchange for economic development. The president explained her vision for Northeast Asian peace, which is designed to solve regional conflicts concerning history, territory and ocean security and to build trust and cooperation between neighboring countries. She further explained the need to form a nuclear power safety body in Northeast Asia and discussed ongoing efforts to build cooperation across Eurasia.

In regard to human rights, Park expressed her strong support for the U.N.’s strengthened policy

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on human rights. She highlighted the fact that at any time or any place, sexual violence against women during wartime violates all human rights and all types of humanitarianism.

Regarding North Korean human rights issues in particular, Park urged Pyongyang and the international community to take the necessary measures to implement the recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry (COI) under the U.N. Human Rights Council. She called for cooperation between the U.N. and other countries to protect the human rights of North Korean defectors so that they can choose their final destination.

Finally, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, President Park held bilateral summits with the leaders of Spain, Egypt and Uganda.

POLICY REVIEW

Children from multicultural families listen to explanations from the curator during a tour of the National Museum of Korea. © Yonhap News

For the Love of Humanity Government decides to step up liberal arts education Written by Kim Daye

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orea, the world’s 14th largest economy, doesn’t fare well among its peers when it comes to public happiness or creativity.

The country was ranked 25th this year in the OECD’s Life Satisfaction index table among 34 countries, right behind Spain and followed by Italy. The Korean government believes there are solutions to this problem, one of which is to increase and improve education in the humanities in schools nationwide.

In July last year, five months after her inauguration, President Park Geun-hye created the Presidential Committee for Cultural Enrichment (PCCE), a special affiliated committee dedicated

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to the promotion of liberal arts and the humanities.

After 11 regular meetings and several sessions to hear the public’s opinion, the special committee laid out seven major plans to initiate a countrywide transformation.

On August 6, when the plans were announced, President Park said at a PCCE meeting that humanities education will play an important role in helping people to consider others and to value the community, and it needs to be integrated into society like its capillaries.

“I also believe we cannot overcome the sluggish economy if liberal arts, scientific technology and existing industries do not converge,” she said.

Humanities Education The first two plans-probably the most influential-involve strengthening humanities education in elementary and secondary schools and in universities. The government plans to develop a curriculum that students in both liberal arts and natural science tracks have to take in order to gain basic, fundamental knowledge in the two fields. In an attempt to move away from teaching-to-the-test methods and cramming methods, class participation through debate and cooperative learning will become more important. While extracurricular activities and clubs focused on the humanities will be supported by the government, students will be encouraged to learn a musical instrument, participate in a musical or a play and become proficient in at least one sport.

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The government will also ask universities to reform their liberal arts courses, which students tend to take more casually, investing less effort in them than in their majorrelated courses. The improved courses aim to cover various foundational studies and to help foster key competencies, including communication skills.

Furthermore, more financial support will be available to researchers in the liberal arts. Scholarships that have been mostly given to those majoring in natural sciences or engineering will now be awarded to promising liberal arts students interested in research, while strategically important humanities projects, such as the translation of Korean

classic literature, will be delegated as national projects.

Humanities for Society Through four other plans, the government is seeking to make humanities education available to the whole of society. One plan is to discover and utilize each region’s indigenous culture and education infrastructure to help people living outside Seoul and other metropolitan cities enjoy cultural activities.

For example, the Humanities on the Street program, in which readers visit the sites introduced in literary works, will be expanded.

Another plan is to create more liberal arts content. Among many different platforms, there will be exhibitions in national museums and galleries, such as the Humanities and Modern Art

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Project, which is to be held for a year starting this past August at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. The government wants to involve a wider spectrum of the public in liberal arts education, too. Retirees will be invited to share their experiences and mentor the young in community classes. Programs to encourage reading will also be expanded to serve “the neglected,” including inmates, the disabled, single mothers and North Korean defectors, a government official said.

The government eventually wants to take the initiative to an international level. Korea has been organizing the World Humanities Forum every other year—the third one will be held in Daejeon from October 30 to November 1—and the government said it plans to develop it into a global event like the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

1. About 100 CEOs from the Busan/Gyeongsangnam-do region listen to a lecture by Yonsei University philosophy professor Kim Hyeong-cheol as part of a special series of lectures hosted by Busan’s Pukyong National University. © Yonhap News 2. Families read books together at Seoul Library. © Yonhap News

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CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Big Brains Battle Dementia Domestic researchers claim breakthrough for combating Alzheimer’s disease Written by Sohn Tae-soo

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domestic university has teamed up with a local pharmaceutical company to make a great leap forward in the development and commercialization of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning recently announced that a Gyeongsang National University biology research team dedicated to developing the source technology needed to elminate Alzheimer’s disease signed a contract on July 29 this year with Korea Pharma Co., a pharmaceutical firm developing drugs aimed at treating and curing dementia. Their aim is to transfer natural protein technology that it has developed. The contract was made on the condition that the college team receive KRW 2

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billion as a down payment and 6 percent of the total sales of the medicine.

Tobacco’s Unexpected Gift The team’s success with developing a suitable drug came from extracting a large amount of natural protein from tobacco leaves, taking care to ensure the substance possesses neither the toxicity nor the side effects of the original tobacco.

The trials evaluating the new technique involved applying the treatment to a series of animal test subjects suffering from senile alcoholic dementia.

The team was able to confirm that the approach showed a positive effect on neuron protection by promoting the signals in the brain’s hippocampus

and cerebral cortex. In addition, the researchers were able to demonstrate that the technology could regenerate cells by restraining the death of neurons and activating their propagation. They also announced that the treatment was successful not only for the initial- and middle-stage patients of Alzheimer’s disease, but also for the terminally and critically ill patients suffering from senile alcoholic dementia. What’s more, the regenerated cells did not die after the stoppage of medication.

Previous efforts at developing new synthetic drugs for treating the disease had only succeeded in alleviating the symptoms, rather than curing the disease.

Professor Kim Myeong-ok, who led the research team, said that it will take four to five years for full commercialization after finishing clinical tests.

“Although we have yet to consider a variety of issues, including the concrete period for injection and the possibility of a relapse in the disease through clinical tests, we have so far confirmed that it will be able to cure Alzheimer’s disease,” she was quoted as saying by Yonhap News, adding that it will be a good opportunity for Korea to dominate a market that’s worth some 30 trillion won.

Fighting Back Gyeongsang National University has been able to develop the technology by receiving the support of the Future Promising Convergence Technology Pioneer Project initiated by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning. The team had already applied for the Patent Cooperation Treaty, an international patent law treaty that provides a unified procedure for filing patient applications to protect inventions in each of its contracting states.

“The hitherto developed medicine for Alzheimer’s disease had only succeeded in slowing down the process of Alzheimer’s disease, and even the multinational pharmaceutical enterprises have not yet produced foreseeable outcomes,” said an official at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning on condition of anonymity. “The recent development of the original technology will likely contribute a lot to dominating the related markets

and helping to cure Alzheimer’s disease as early as possible.”

Currently, there is no drug therapy that cures Alzheimer’s disease. Existing medicines can only improve the conditions, or temporarily slow the disease’s progress. Scientists around the world have attempted to develop drugs to cure Alzheimer’s since it was first observed in 1906, but to no avail, partly because patients mostly began treatment after the advancement of the disease.

Some 10 percent of the elderly population in Korea is reportedly known to have dementia, according to a survey conducted by the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. Around 60 to 70 percent of those patients have Alzheimer’s disease, a figure which will hopefully drop soon.

1. A woman with Alzheimer's puts together a puzzle as part of treatment. © Yonhap News 2. Some 170 companies from 12 nations participate in the 2014 Busan International Silver Expo at Busan's BEXCO. © Yonhap News

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GLOBAL KOREA

Yellow to Green Green Asia Network plants trees, saves lives and blocks yellow dust Written by Max Kim

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ome springtime in Korea, “yellow dust” warnings make their way onto the airwaves, as people outside choke on clouds of fine soil particulate that shroud the peninsula for days at a time. Appearing in increasingly vicious flare-ups in recent years, yellow dust, or hwangsa, is formed in northern China and Inner Mongolia before migrating east, and climatologists say that desertification in the region is to blame.

A Dusty Problem Along with climate change and dwindling biodiversity, desertification was identified as one of the world’s foremost environmental challenges during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Mongolia’s pasturelands in particular have been noted to be

especially vulnerable to desertification, exacerbated by both a changing climate as well as the depletion of land resources by a rapidly swelling population.

With around 80 percent of Mongolia being affected by desertification, the issue is understandably high up on the agendas of governments and environmental bodies all over the world.

Civilian initiative is also an important part of the effort, and a handful of environmental groups have stepped up to the challenge. Seoul-based Green Asia Network (GAN) is one of the Korean NGOs that has been spearheading the fight against desertification in Mongolia since 1998, and their land management project received first prize at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) 2014 Land for Life Award earlier this

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year—the first Korean organization to take home such a global environmental award.

According to GAN Secretary General Oh Ki-Chul, however, the prize is more than just an achievement award for a job well done. In the UNCDD press release for the award announcement, Secretary General Oh emphasized the global relevance and renewability of GAN’s methods, stating that, “[GAN’s] model can be applied to areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America that are facing similar conditions.”

that they could align their environmental goals with the practical needs of the locals living off the land, many of whom were migrating as “eco-refugees” to cities, forced away by tough living conditions in the increasingly inhospitable pasturelands.

“We needed to come up with a self-reliant survival strategy for these ‘eco-refugees,’” said Oh. “Forestry and farming offered a way out for those who couldn’t keep up nomadic livestock farming due to desertification.”

GAN currently pays local forestry volunteers a monthly wage, aiming to create a sustainable and cooperative community that heals both the damaged landscape as well as the staggering local economy, and has reported a great deal of success on both counts. In Baganuur, a coal mining city severely hit by desertification, GAN’s efforts raised the survival rate of trees to 95 percent.

Thanks to such efforts, a little bit longer down the road Koreans can expect spring winds that aren’t quite so dusty.

1. Planting trees helps prevent desertification. © GAN 2. Locals tend to a young forest in Mongolia. © GAN

A Strategic Approach Their award-winning model takes a three-pronged approach.

On top of the more obvious reforestation efforts (e.g., planting trees) GAN targets the social and economic facets of desertification as well, engaging both Mongolian and Korean people to spread social awareness. Eco-tours, for example, allow participants to witness the effects of desertification in person, take part in forestry initiatives and travel through untouched pockets of Mongolian nature along the way.

On an economic level, the group provides a variety of opportunities to affected people, including infrastructure and training, to encourage self-reliant, sustainable agriculture among local farmers whose livelihoods depend on the land—a critical human perspective to a problem that might seem to be strictly a matter of science.

“At first, we thought that all we needed to do was plant trees,” said Oh in an August interview with Pressian, a local news agency. “That was because in the initial stages we lacked an understanding of Mongolian nomadic culture.”

Going Green for the Long Run Along the way, however, Oh said that GAN leaders realized

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GREAT KOREAN

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hoi Ik-hyeon (1833–1906) was perhaps as close to the ideal of a noble scholar, or seonbi, as is humanly possible. He wasn’t born into wealth, possessed a precocious and virtuous mind and—perhaps most importantly—never sacrificed his beliefs and integrity for social stature or money. In fact, Choi spent a significant chunk of his life either in exile or out of office, constantly undergoing ridicule from elite officials and aristocrats. Keeping true to the ongoing struggle of his documented existence, Choi also died in political banishment while resisting Japanese imperialism.

Unafraid of Power Choi was born in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do, and started studying Neo-Confucianism at only five years old.

In his early 20s, after passing the official civil service exam, he began his life as a government administrator.

Far from being bureaucratic and obsequious, however, he was never afraid of directly admonishing policies he considered unjust or wasteful. Choi was especially critical of the regent Heungseon Daewongun (r. 1863– 1873) and his attempts to replenish depleted funds for the reconstruction of Gyeongbokgung Palace by increasing taxes. He also admonished the regent’s campaign to shut down several Confucian academies. After officials demanded that Choi submit to Heungseon Daewongun’s authority, he responded by resigning. Choi was later exiled by the regent’s supporters to Jejudo Island. When King Gojong, the regent’s son, came into power in 1873, he implemented some of Choi’s administrative solutions, such as abolishing major taxes for palatial reconstruction.

The new monarch even offered Choi several promotions throughout his life, but more often than not, Choi refused to be appeased, rejecting such offers out of protest.

Choi lived to see some very tumultuous times in East Asian history: China’s opium wars, the coerced opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew Perry and the United States, and the imminent intrusion of Westerners into East Asia. Such events made many Koreans fearful and suspicious of the outside world. This fear was exacerbated when Japan later forced an open-door treaty that set the stage for colonization. Throughout his life, Choi insisted that Korea protect itself from the forced treaties and self-serving policies of intruder nations, particularly Japan. Although Heungseon Daewongun

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Choi Ik-hyeon Virtuous scholar and patriot who refused to relent in the face of Japanese imperialism Written by Felix Im

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was a strict isolationist, Choi believed that the regent’s incompetence failed to protect Joseon from invasion; he was also unwilling to empathize with King Gojong’s attempts to deal with Japan diplomatically.

A Nation on Its Knees, a Man on His Feet In 1876, the Ganghwa Treaty opened Korea’s doors to Japan, supposedly for trade and diplomatic exchange. Although King Gojong allegedly agreed to the treaty, in reality Japan’s military strength left him with no choice. Regardless, Choi demanded that the treaty be immediately dissolved by kneeling before the royal court with an axe, asking the king to kill him if his plea went unheard. Choi was exiled again, this time to Heuksando Island,

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1. Portrait of Choi Ik-hyeon © Yonhap News 2. A memorial ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Choi Ik-hyeon is held at a temple on Japan's Tsushima Island. © Yonhap News 3. Shrine for Choi Ik-hyeon © Yonhap News

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far off Korea’s southwestern coast. He returned three years later in 1879, at 46 years old, and didn’t submit another official protest until 1895, the year when reformist policies dictated that all males cut off their topknots. Choi and other conservative leaders refused to obey the decree, choosing instead to opt for organized rebellion. From his hometown of Pocheon, Choi attempted to lead an armed resistance against imperialist soldiers and their supporters, but was soon arrested and incarcerated in Seoul. King Gojong, sympathetic to Choi’s beliefs, offered him new positions in office, but Choi chose to stay in jail.

After the Eulsa Treaty of 1905 stripped Korea of its sovereignty, the imminent colonization of the Korean Peninsula became undeniable. A year later, Choi, with the help of a few followers, went south to Jeollabuk-do and gathered an army of around 400 independence fighters. He was 73 years old by then. Unfortunately, Joseon’s fate had already been sealed, and Choi was soon arrested.

After being exiled to Tsushima Island, situated between the Korea Strait and the island of Kyushu, Choi died after refusing to eat any of the food the Japanese soldiers provided. Although his army of followers remained active for a few years longer, Korea herself did not see independence until 1945, after Japan’s WWII defeat. For his bravery and unwavering patriotism, Choi was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, first-class honors, in 1962.

MY KOREA

First Time’s a Charm The lure and charm of Seoul’s biggest palace Written by Noe Alonzo Illustrated by Kim Yoon-myong

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C

oming from the United States, it wasn’t every day that I got to step foot in a palace. Gyeongbokgung Palace, right behind Seoul’s famous Gwanghwamun Square, was my first palace, and an impressive one at that. I cannot explain the feeling of stepping through the main gates.

To simplify the emotion, the feeling borders between disbelief and conquest. I must have come at the wrong time, though, since my feeling was interrupted by the changing of the guards. It wasn’t really that exciting, but I got a kick out of watching the fakest beards ever, although there were other things that caught my attention, too.

First Impressions Can Be Deceiving The first thing that caught my attention was the size of the palace. I was expecting something much taller, but it makes up for its height with its immense perimeter. It is almost like a city, a small metropolis complete with a sewage system, a lake, and a pond with a beautiful pagoda as an island.

Unfortunately, you aren’t allowed into the pagoda, which is perhaps a good thing, since the overload of tourists would probably sink it. The pagoda does have a name, Hyangwonjeong, which I would never have actually known were it not for the cute tour guides that came on in intervals.

Gyeongbokgung Palace sure knows how to choose its guides.

I wasn’t part of any tour, but I was content to take a few pictures and walk around aimlessly. Gyeongbokgung Palace is, after all, a very photogenic place and the autumn season only amplifies its beauty. My next destination was the nearby Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion. I can’t exactly say how long I spent at these two sites since clear blue skies and orange foliage combined with splendid architecture made the minutes and hours fly by. Yet no matter which angle I chose, there was always a good picture waiting to be taken.

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Small But Important There was also something that caught my eye repeatedly: the presence of lion-like creatures called haetae. Perhaps, they are some type of protector? These haetae sculptures were everywhere, especially at entrances. Most notable to me were their placement on the tiles of roofs, adding much more décor than I had anticipated.

Despite the palace being grandiose in scale, it was the small details that kept me in place the longest. The décor is the main reason that I feel one day at Gyeongbokgung Palace is simply not enough. It seemed that everywhere I looked there was some small detail that was left unnoticed, whether it was the tiles on the roof, the colorful ceilings with ornamented dragons, and even the bricks on the floor.

There were also the fish. Part of me almost felt as if some magical expectation had been met the first time I saw live koi fish in the stream. Growing up, I had always seen koi on television when anything Asian was on, so witnessing them firsthand helped to validate the entire experience.

Not Just a Snapshot Across the Geumcheon stream was Geunjeongjeon Hall, or the throne hall.

Unfortunately, I was unable to enter, which is a shame, since I felt that it would have made my experience much richer. Still, Geunjeongjeon Hall stood grandiosely. It deserves special mention since it feels so spacious and disconnected from the rest of the palace. Not to mention, it made for some very nice pictures.

I could have been lost within that palace all day, but unfortunately the palace must follow operating hours. This is not to say that this was my last time to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gyeongbokgung is not one of those tourist traps that one goes to and scratches off their list. To truly appreciate it, you have to go many times, and that is what I intend to do.

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

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orea Poly Tech Dasom School in Jecheon, Chungcheongbukdo is one of the nation’s alternative schools that use customized curriculums to help students from multicultural backgrounds adjust to Korean society, giving them both vocational skills and Korean language abilities. Korea Poly Tech Dasom School was founded in 2012 and is looking forward to seeing its first graduates in February 2015.

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A Hopeful Alternative Korea Poly Tech Dasom School helps students from multicultural families better adapt to life in Korea Written by Young H.K. Pae Photographed by Shin Guk-beom

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Specially Designed The school’s principal, Lee Sangdeok, is a leader with an interesting background, having filled various educational and government posts. She served as Dean of Poly Tech College for many years before becoming a presidential advisor regarding women’s issues in 2002. She also worked in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, as well as in Korean Women’s Hotline, and has dedicated much of her career to helping women in trouble.

Before my visit, I thought there would be students from all around the world.

After arriving and meeting the students, however, I was surprised to learn that around 45 percent of them were from China, while the rest were mostly from Southeast Asia. Their parents were from Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Russia, Japan, Cambodia, Mexico, Ecuador and Uzbekistan. The student body is composed of young people who have had difficulties learning Korean, understanding the culture or connecting with local communities.

There are three specialized courses from which students can graduate: Computer Machine, Plant Installation and Smart Electric. All 134 students stay in a dormitory throughout the school year, as do the teachers. The faculty

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1. Principal Lee Sang-deok walks with two students.

2. Korea Poly Tech Dasom School 3. Shop class at Korea Poly Tech Dasom School.

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contributes to a familial atmosphere that helps students settle in and focus on their schoolwork.

All 44 third-year students passed their exams and received a certified license in one of the school’s three fields of study.

Unparalleled Dedication Most of the school’s teachers have experience working as volunteers. They applied to teach at Dasom, even though it’s not the best school to work at, simply because they wanted to help the students learn. Their passion for teaching is “unparalleled,” Principal Lee said. Teachers even tutor students individually or in small groups after classes.

Chang Sung-kuk, who has been elected Student Body President, first came to Korea from China when he was in middle school. His mom remarried when she met his Korean stepfather. He is fluent in Korean because he attended a regular Korean middle school. Sung-kuk explained that since the majority of the students are from China, there is the potential for conflicts between the Chinese students and students from other countries.

However, Chang wants to establish a sense of international community among students, hoping to help everyone get along. Additionally, he has

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joined the school band, plays bass guitar, and is a member of the swimming club and the robot club.

Yoon Mi-young, a first-year student, came to Korea less than a year ago. Her mother is Vietnamese and is now married to a Korean man as well. She participated in the school’s Korean Language Speech Competition and won an award.

She is in the computer track but says that she wants to work as interpreter who can speak Vietnamese, Korean and English. She currently studies English very hard to achieve that goal, working with the school’s English teacher after classes.

Her extracurricular activities include the piano, swimming and cooking.

A New Hope For years, Principal Lee Sang-deok helped women who were exposed to domestic violence and financial difficulties. This experience has helped her better understand the situations of immigrant women. Now, Lee hopes to build Dasom into a stepping-stone for both children and their parents so they can lead a happier life in Korea.

Currently, Dasom School is recruiting students for 2015 until November, 13 2014. Please visit dasom. kopo.ac.kr/design/index.asp for more information.

TALES FROM KOREA

The Dancing Dragon A dragon's song and dance save the day against evil spirits Written by Felix Im Illustrated by Shim Soo-keun

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he ancient Silla Kingdom (57 BC―AD 935), which occupied most of the Korean Peninsula at its height, ended up being one of the world’s longest-sustained dynasties, managing to subdue Baekje in 660 and mighty Goguryeo in 668. Amid such a vast history, however, there is a legend that starts with the kingdom’s 49th monarch, King Heon-gang (r. 875―886). According to the “Samguk Yusa,” an ancient collection of folktales mixed with historical accounts, King Heongang one day went on a walk along the beaches of what is now present-day Ulsan. The walk wasn’t peaceful for long, however, as the skies suddenly blackened as an ominous fog diffused throughout the entire beach.

Frightened, the king asked one of his prophets, “What could such an inauspicious sign mean?”

“It is the doing of the Dragon of the East Sea, meant to caution you against doing evil,” the prophet replied.

A Special Ambassador King Heongang didn’t take such warnings lightly, and immediately commanded that a temple be built in honor of the dragon. As soon as he issued his orders, the skies instantly cleared, and the East Sea Dragon, apparently satisfied,

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appeared with his seven sons. Before anyone could say anything, the dragon family started performing a mystifying but beautiful dance directly before the king’s eyes. As soon as the performance was over, the East Sea Dragon informed King Heongang that he would send one of his sons to live with him in the palace and assist in royal affairs. This son’s name was Cheoyong. Infinitely delighted, the king gladly accepted the dragon’s offer, and even arranged for Cheoyong to be married to one of the court’s most beautiful ladies.

For a while, things went well: Cheoyong proved to be a useful assistant, as well as a fantastic entertainer, and his wife was considered by many to be most beautiful woman in all of Silla. She was so beautiful, in fact, that there were some who wanted to snatch her away from the unsuspecting dragon.

Among such greedy spirits was Yeoksin, or the God of Sickness. After observing Cheoyong’s habits and memorizing his daily routine, Yeoksin transformed himself into a normal human and snuck into Cheoyong’s quarters. Using his wicked magic, the God of Sickness befuddled Cheoyong’s wife, putting her under a stupefying spell, allowing him to have his way with her.

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The Power of Dance When Cheoyong returned and saw what had happened, instead of lashing out in anger he immediately burst into a mysterious dance, singing an entrancing tune all the while.

Yeoksin, frightened at first, quickly became hypnotized by the mysterious power of Cheoyong’s dance and song. Despite dragons’ great strength and power, Cheoyong’s ability to retaliate with art instead of violence struck Yeoksin with awe, and he soon found himself on his knees in front of the dancing dragon, begging for forgiveness. He vowed to never disturb Cheoyong ever again. He also swore that, from that day forward, he wouldn’t dare enter any room whose door displayed an image of Cheoyong. It is said that the people of Silla thereafter developed a tradition of painting the image of Cheoyong onto their faces to ward off evil forces. The song that Cheoyong sung to Yeoksin became known as the “Cheoyongga,” or the “Song of Cheoyong,” and several traditional masks were made throughout the ages to represent the power of his song and dance.

FLAVOR

Jeoneo Gui Written by Shin Yesol Photograph courtesy of the KTO

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he aroma of grilled gizzard shad, or jeoneo gui, is a tell-tale sign that autumn has arrived. Gizzard shad are caught in great numbers off the west and south coasts of Korea in the autumn months, when the fish are fat and full of flavor. The smell is so good that there’s a saying, “A daughter-in-law who ran away would return home upon smelling jeoneo gui.”

Salted and grilled, the fish are eaten as is, with no need to debone them. You can also serve them raw in a salad, mixed with vegetables and a tangy sauce.

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