Korea(2015.1.)

CONTENTS JANUARY 2015 | KOREA VOL.11 NO.1

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04 COVER STORY

The taste of time No country enjoys fermented and preserved foods like Korea

14 PEOPLE

Abstract painter Youn Myeung-Ro Tea researcher Park Dong-chun

30 CURRENT KOREA

42 GREAT KOREAN

Men in aprons

32 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

18 TRAVEL

22 SPORTS

36 POLICY REVIEW

24 ENTERTAINMENT

38 CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

26 SPECIAL ISSUE

40 GLOBAL KOREA

Seosan’s Cheonsuman Short track skater Shim Suk-hee Gugak singer Song So-hee Bringing down trade barriers Uncovering a new dinosaur

ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit

Boosting the economy Smarter agriculture

Yi Hwang

44 MY KOREA

Learning taekwondo in native territory

46 MULTICULTURAL KOREA

Finnish glass artist Annaliisa Alastaro

48 NATURE KOREA

Seoul’s northern guardians

50 FLAVOR Bossam

Building, the Korean way

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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 an understanding of Korea 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.

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Publisher Kim Jae-won, 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

The taste No country enjoys fermented Written by Yoon Sook-ja

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of time

and preserved foods like Korea

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f you are lucky enough to visit a Korean traditional home, or a Hanok, you’re more than likely to encounter an area near the kitchen that is specifically designed for long-term food storage. Contrary to its Western counterpart, which is typically dark and cool, this elevated stone platform, called a jangdokdae, will typically have good ventilation, plenty of sunshine and several brown clay pots, or onggi. Lift the lids of these onggi and you’ll find an assortment of fermented sauces and condiments, such as red bean paste, soybean paste and, of course, soy sauce. These condiments are said to be so essential to Korean cooking that, traditionally, one of the best ways to get to know a family is to try its pastes and sauces. It is perhaps fitting, then, that the space where these items are stored is equally important and that, in the words of

another proverb, a family’s good taste is cultivated in its jangdokdae.

Koreans have been developing, producing and savoring stored fermented foods, or jeojang eumsik, for thousands of years. As such, one of the most distinctive characteristics of Korean cuisine is its rich variety of stored, fermented foods, including kimchi, Korea’s best-known and arguably mostloved contribution to global culinary culture.

Korea’s stored foods are a reflection of the nation’s geography, history and social development, and to understand and appreciate this dietary culture is to gain insight into the Korean soul.

All countries consume some sort of fermented food, of course. In the West, for instance, foods such as cheese, yogurt and pickles have long been dietary mainstays. In no other country, however,

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1. Jangdokdae covered in snow in Jeonju 2. Stew made from fermented soy beans, or Doenjang jjigae © KTO 3. Raw crab seasoned in soy sauce, or Ganjang gejang © KTO

are fermented foods so dominant as in Korea. It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of the dishes commonly found on any given Korean dinner table are fermented. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine a Korean meal without at least a side dish of kimchi, the spicy pickled cabbage for which Korean cuisine is almost synonymous.

The excellence of Korea’s preserved foods As a biological phenomenon, fermentation refers to a metabolic process through which sugars are converted into acids. In food products, this typically means carbohydrates being broken down into lactic acid using yeasts and healthy bacteria, yielding a number of positive effects. The most obvious benefit is that it preserves the food and creates a wide variety of nutrients, including enzymes, vitamins, fatty acids and helpful bacteria that make the food not only healthier but also easier to digest. It also gives food a rich, sour taste that stimulates the appetite and gets the digestive juices flowing.

Fermentation is an ancient technique, with evidence of its practice stretching back at least 9,000 years. In Korea, it likely came with the introduction of agricultural practices and the cultivation of grains from China in prehistoric times. Soon enough, Koreans were fermentating everything, including grains, soybeans, vegetables and seafood. We already know that, prior to Unified Silla (676-935), Koreans had managed to perfect the brewing of alcohol, one of the world’s most common uses of fermentation. This was no doubt helped by the need for alcohol in the wide range of religious ceremonies that developed thanks to the cultivation of grains such as rice and barley. The creation of Korea’s commonly used sauces and pastes, too, developed naturally after the introduction of soybeans into the Korean diet.

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Geography and climate have also played a major role in the development of Korea’s fermented food. Korea is a peninsula, surrounded by seas on three sides. This has blessed the country with an abundant supply of fish and shellfish, but in the days before refrigeration, this also meant seafood would need to be preserved before it could be sold in inland markets. Perhaps even more importantly, Korea is a country with a long, cold winter in which the cultivation of vitamin-rich vegetables is not usually possible. Fermentation of abundant crops such as cabbage, however, allowed Koreans to continue eating greens throughout the winter.

Both historical and political shifts, too, contributed to the development of Korean cuisine.

In particular, the rise of Buddhism during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668) and its adoption as the state religion during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) resulted in a reduced consumption of animal protein while promoting a more vegetable-based diet. In fact, it was during Goryeo times that commonly encountered dishes such a seasoned or fried vegetables and Korean pickles, or jangajji, were embraced universally at mealtimes.

Fermentation techniques are not difficult to

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carry out and do not require anything in the way of expensive tools, allowing even the humblest of households to preserve the foods they need to survive. In the olden days, before refrigeration, the only preservation methods available were natural ones. What this usually meant was using salt to ferment and store vegetables, meats and seafood.

Koreans ferment and preserve virtually everything, and a comprehensive description of Korea’s fermented food culture would require far too many pages than is currently practical.

Let us look, therefore, at just a few of the most representative fermented food families.

Jeotgal and other fermented seafoods Seafood typically spoils quickly, and many cultures have developed ways to ferment seafood to allow it to go longer without rotting. This typically involves making the flesh more acidic, which kills the bacteria that causes the spoilage in the first place. To do this, salt is usually added in large quantities to the flesh, innards and eggs of fish and shellfish, forcing digestive enzymes to break down sugars, and allowing the seafood to mature for an appropriate amount of time.

This is how jeotgal, Korea’s commonly eaten

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1. Shoppers buy fermented seafood, or jeotgal , at Incheon's Soraepogu Harbor at the height of the gimjang season. © Yonhap News 2. Salted pollock intestines, or changnanjeot © Yonhap News 3. Kimchi and its ingredients

fermented seafood, is made. Like kimchi, jeotgal is produced from a wide range of seafood products, including shrimp, shellfish, fish intestines and fish eggs. It is typically eaten as a side dish, often as a dipping sauce for other foods, although it is also used as an ingredient in other dishes, such as Korean stews. If you visit Seoul’s sprawling Noryangjin Seafood Market, you’ll find alleyways of shops selling jeotgal by the barrel.

As Korea is surrounded by water, its people have been eating fish since at least the Neolithic period, even prior to the introduction of settled agriculture and grain cultivation. To allow seafood to remain edible for longer, it was usually salted and/or dried, a technique that was extended to other kinds of foods such as fruit, meat and poultry. Chinese records show that Koreans have been producing salted seafood since at least the third through fifth centuries B.C. In addition to jeotgal, another commonly eaten preserved seafood is dried fish, or jaban. Mackerel and pollock, which are produced in Korea in large quantities, are commonly used for this purpose. To ensure the fish doesn’t spoil, salt is applied to the flesh to extract the moisture, lowering the pH level and increasing the acidity. Jaban is usually prepared during periods when the overall fish catch is good, and typically served as a side dish for rice in inland farming and mountain villages.

Kimchi and jangajji Koreans began preserving vegetables as a result of the country’s climate and horticultural variation from region to region. Each season and area of the country produced its own vegetables, but this climactic and geographic diversity also placed limits on the availability of different types of produce.

To overcome this hardship and ensure a consistent supply of nutritious vegetables throughout the year, preservation techniques were developed.

Historical records show that Koreans have been eating salted vegetables for as long as there have been records of human existence on the peninsula - since forever, it seems. Kimchi, Korea’s most famous food item, was invented to store vegetables over the long, cold Korean winter, a time when it

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was almost impossible to grow anything and access to fresh vegetables was poor. Kimchi was typically produced at the end of autumn, not long after the harvest, in a communal tradition called the gimjang, during which large quantities of kimchi are made in preparation for the winter months. This process was designated by UNESCO as a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.

While the basic process of making kimchi is to salt the vegetables – most often cabbage – other processes are added to improve the taste and nutritional value of the dish. For instance, jeotgal is sometimes added to the kimchi to give the dish a bit of protein as well as additional calcium, magnesium and iron, which are difficult to obtain in the winter months.

Other vegetables are mixed in, too, with the added fiber effective in lowering cholesterol and reducing harmful waste in the digestive tract, producing healthier digestion and lessening the potential for colon cancer.

Produced during the maturation process, the lactic acid that gives kimchi its distinctive flavor also blocks the production of harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines. It is also a good alkaline food that helps prevent acidosis, the excessive acidity

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of the blood, which is often the result of the overconsumption of meat products.

Another form of preserved vegetable is jangajji, which involves pickling or marinating vegetables in soy sauce, bean paste or pepper paste for long periods of time. Like kimchi, this is typically served as a side dish, often sliced and seasoned with sesame oil, sugar or salt. Jangajji comes in a wide range of forms, with each region producing its own variety, although common forms include pickled garlic, radish, cucumber and perilla leaves.

In the days prior to refrigeration, jangajji was, along with kimchi, practically the only way to enjoy vegetables during the cold Korean winter.

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1. Staff at the Seoil Nongwon farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, inspect hanging soybean blocks, or meju . Seoil Nongwon is famous for its traditionally produced sauces. © Yonhap News 2. Workers hang up pollock to dry near PyeongChang, Gangwon-do. Repeatedly frozen and thawed throughout the winter, the pollock is shipped to market around mid-March and served in stews and other dishes. © Yonhap News 3. Pumpkin and other vegetables being dried 4, Garlic pickled in soy sauce, or maneul jangajji

Twigak, bugak and dried vegetables Unlike kimchi and jangajji, twigak and bugak are not pickled, but rather vegetables that have been preserved by being fried in oil. They are often served as a side dish for wine or as a dried delicacy. Traditionally, they were most often made in autumn, after the harvest, and enjoyed during the winter and spring months. They are most frequently associated with Korean Buddhist cuisine, since monks, who are prohibited from eating meat, use the fried vegetables as a nutritional

supplement in their diets.

Twigak are simply vegetables that have been dried and fried. Seaweed is the most commonly encountered version, and is often served with a seasoning of sugar or salt. Bugak, on the other hand, is made from first applying a glutinous rice paste to the vegetables, which are then dried and fried. Commonly used vegetables include potatoes, chilies, perilla leaves and seaweed. Drying the vegetables in the sun also has the advantage of boosting the food’s supply of vitamin D. Another use of dried vegetables is mugeun namul, which was also developed to provide a rich source of vitamins during the winter months when there is hardly a green leaf in sight. Here, vegetables are dried and stored, and when it comes time to eat, they are put in water, rehydrated overnight and boiled. The Jeongwol Daeboreum holiday, celebrated on the day of the first full moon of the year, was traditionally marked by serving mugeun namul such as eggplant, zucchini, chili peppers and bracken, although nowadays, fresh vegetables are more commonly served.

Jang: The secret behind the Korean flavor The Dongguk Sesigi, an 1849 book describing

Onggi: Korea’s breathing pots

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he large clay jars, or onggi , commonly found outside Korean homes are used to produce and store fermented foods such as soy sauce, soybean paste and red pepper paste. They are an ancient tool, with evidence of clay jar production stretching back thousands of years. The jars attained their current shape and general size during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

In addition to being time-honored, onggi are also an especially ingenious piece of technology.

The pots are microporous, meaning that the clay has small holes in it that allow the contents to breath. More specifically, they are designed to allow moisture to escape while letting wind and air pass through, which helps to prevent

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spoilage. In addition, because the jars are fired at low temperatures, they are broken down easily and 100 percent biodegradable, meaning all the material can be reused. Indeed, the onggi are one of the key reasons why Korea was able to develop such a complex cuisine with regard to fermentation and sustain it through centuries of human development.

COVER STORY

Korea’s seasonal customs, tells us that the most important work done in the home over the course of the year is the making of soybean-based sauces and pastes, or jang, and the preparing of kimchi. Jang are seasonings used to regulate a food’s saltiness and create a harmonious flavor, traditionally produced by each individual household.

The production of jang begins with the soybean, and its rich supply of protein. In ancient times, the most common form of jang was a mixture of soy sauce, or ganjang, and soybean paste, or doenjang. By Korea’s Three Kingdoms period, however, soy sauce and soybean paste had become distinct condiments.

People had grown so good at making jang and other fermented foods that a Chinese book written in 290 makes note of how proficient the people of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo were at producing fermented food.

What is not commonly known, at least among Westerners, is that soy sauce and soybean paste are two products borne of the same process.

Traditionally, every 10th month of the lunar year, families would pound boiled soybeans into powder and mold it into blocks, or meju. These blocks would then be dried for a week, after which time they’d be tied up in straw and hung for about 40 days. Next, the blocks would be placed in a clay jar, mixed with brine and left to ferment. Over time, a dark, reddish-brown liquid would separate out. This is soy

sauce. The thick dregs that are left, often including at least some whole, uncrushed beans, is the soybean paste. The fermentation process takes about a year, but some soy sauces are fermented for up to five years.

Another popular sauce, red pepper paste, or gochujang, is made from mixing red chili peppers and glutinous rice powder into soybean paste and allowing the resulting mixture to age. It came into being sometime after the 16th century, when the New World ingredient of red pepper was introduced to Korea. The addition of the pepper and rice adds both a bit of fire to the paste as well as a sweetened flavor, making it a household favorite.

Soy sauce is an amazing seasoning that yields a mosaic of flavors. It can be salty, sweet, bitter and savory. In East Asian countries such as Korea, where vegetables play a larger role in the diet of the average person, soy sauce is also an important source of protein, as well as a condiment that can be used to preserve other foods for a long time, such as jangajji.

Doenjang, meanwhile, is high in protein and amino acids, especially the essential amino acid of lysine, which is found only in low amounts in Korea’s main staple of rice. It is also rich in two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, making it effective in warding off skin and vascular diseases. Linoleic acid, produced during the fermentation process, is also reportedly effective in preventing cancer.

Making ganjang and doenjang

ganjang

The beans are soaked in water, steamed for three to four hours, crushed and molded into soy bean blocks, which are then left to dry. The fermented soybean blocks then are put into a clay jar with salted water to make ganjang . The mixture is left to mature for 40 to 60 days. Chili pepper and trace amounts of charcoal are added, as they have a sterilizing effect. The resulting liquid is ganjang, and the remaining solid matter is used to make doenjang .

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deonjang

The heart and soul of Korean flavor Korean food expert Joe McPherson praises the centrality of fermented foods Interview by Robert Koehler

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orean food blogger Joe McPherson's first experience with Korean fermented food was not an entirely pleasant one.

“It was a jar of kimchi in my Korean history class in Alabama,” he recalls. “It was awful. In hindsight, it was really awful kimchi. I was just cabbage pickled in vinegar and chili powder.”

The man behind ZenKimchi, one of the world's most popular Korean food blogs, McPherson has enjoyed many a bowl of kimchi since then. Having moved to Korea in 2004, he has been a tireless promoter of Korean food culture internationally, something he now does professionally through his public relations firm, ZenKimchi International.

Unique in its ubiquity To McPherson, it's the importance of fermentation to Korea's culinary culture that sets it apart. “I think having fermented foods as the basis of the food culture is pretty unique,” he says.

He points out that most Korean foods require some sort of fermented product as an ingredient. “You need fermented bean paste, fermented chili paste, soy sauce,” he says. “All of them are fermented.”

Of Korea's vast number of fermented dishes, he feels doenjang is the most distinctive. “I think it's the heart and soul of Korean flavor,” he says. Doenjang's pungent odor can put some people off, but it's nonetheless a mainstay of Korean cooking, featuring in stews, meat dishes and as a condiment for vegetables. Yes, Japan has a similar dish in miso, but “Korean doenjang is more rustic, more masculine, stronger, punchier,” he says.

A delicate balance McPherson praises Korean fermentation techniques as a delicate balance between “goodness and rot.” He also notes its ritualization in events such as gimjang , the making of winter kimchi, and the hanging of the meju , the soybean blocks that are used to make doenjang and soy sauce. “People live with their fermented products in a way,” he says.

He sees potential for the globalization of Korean fermented dishes. And, indeed, it has already begun. “Fermentation is one of the big buzzwords in America and Europe,” he says. “It's because of the health properties and people don't see it as rot anymore.

They see it as a good thing, as an art form. They see there's a complexity of flavor, that there are a lot of interesting flavors in fermented food.” In particular, we are starting to see doenjang beginning to be used in many professonal kitchens overseas.

“You'll see it mixed into a vinaigrette, or used as a barbecue sauce,” he says.

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PEOPLE

In the eye of the beholder Legendary abstract artist Youn Myeung-Ro avoids labels Written by Felix Im Photographed by Lee Hyang-ah

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rtist Youn Myeung-Ro, perhaps Korea’s most recognized figure in contemporary abstract art, credits one of his teachers in elementary school with sparking a creative passion that became a lifelong career and a spiritual pursuit.

“There was a book with four great historical figures, or something like that: Socrates, Confucius, Jesus and Siddhartha Gautama. So I just drew my own versions of them, copying the textbook’s pictures,” Youn recalls. “Right away, my teacher exclaimed that I’d done an excellent job, and for a while I was the talk of the entire school.”

Transcending historical circumstances Born in 1936, when Korea was a Japanese colony, Youn spent his childhood in what is now North Korea. In 1945, when Korea was liberated, Youn’s family moved south, eventually settling in Jeonju. It wasn’t long, however, before political turmoil erupted again. Many of Youn’s memories from early adolescence involve the blood, corpses and propaganda of the Korean War (1950-1953); he was only in middle school when he saw his first dead body - a group had been dumped near his home, the victims of a political purge. “You don’t forget those kinds of things,” he says.

Fortunately, Youn’s interest in art wasn’t diluted by such experiences, and he continued developing his own style.

Given that the 1940s were a time of extreme poverty, however, most parents at the time simply wanted their children to get a steady job, and Youn’s were no exception.

Even if students sought higher education, parents implored that they study either law or medicine. “Yet I still managed to convince them to let me study art!” Youn recalls with a smile.

Youn’s days at Seoul National University mark the start of his professional career. While still a student, he was selected for a state-sponsored exhibition, the Gukjeon, a formidable achievement even for established artists. The chosen piece was something Youn had painted in honor of John Paul Sartre’s story “The Wall.” Produced before Youn had fully embraced his abstract style, the subject matter is comparatively concrete, almost portrait-like. That being said, it was still highly unconventional, as Youn’s contemporaries were mostly focused on standard still-lifes and traditional landscapes. Despite the recognition, however, he quickly became disillusioned with the mechanics of state-sponsored exhibitions.

“I didn’t like the idea of ranking art in a sequential fashion,” he says.

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Youn's works on display © 2014 Youn Myeung-Ro

Refusing to conform To put his vision to practice, Youn and a handful of compatriots founded the 1960s Artist Association at the start of the decade with the goal of promoting a genuinely creative movement. To announce its presence, the group held an outdoor exhibition - the first in the nation - with paintings displayed on the stone walls near Deoksugung Palace. The show was a success, and launched Youn’s career much further than expected. Although the 1960s Artist Association was essentially a protest of the Gukjeon and state-sponsored creativity, many established Gukjeon figures visited the exhibition and expressed enthusiastic praise. Throughout the decade, Youn was featured in exhibitions in Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and other cities. He helped found the Korean Modern Printmaker’s Association in 1968, indirectly earning him the opportunity to study techniques in lithographs, etchings and silk screens at the New York Pratt Graphic Center.

“What an experience that was, going to New York City, to see some of the world’s best art and museums after only seeing them through books!” he recalls.

Still creating art at 78 years old, Youn’s work now spans several decades and genres, and is featured in exhibitions worldwide. Appreciating his works, often untitled, takes time; the more you look, the more you see. At first, it appears like chaos, but you eventually discover an indescribable precision, something beyond words. “If you give something a title, it taints the viewer’s experience; they ignore everything unrelated to that one word or phrase,” says Youn, confidently.

“It’s better to respect the viewer’s imagination.”

PEOPLE

Reviving an ancient tradition Traditional tea researcher Park Dong-chun brings a timehonored legacy back to life Written by Young H.K. Pae Photographed by Lee Byeong-ju

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hen I entered the East Asian Tea Culture Research Center at its location near Seoul, I expected to be greeted by the sweet fragrance of tea. Instead, I was met with the scent of ancient texts about the society and history of Joseon (1392-1910), all carefully overseen by the center’s director, Park Dong-chun.

Park’s appearance – a scholarly figure in her 60s, smiling in her modernized Hanbok – was in line with what I would expect from a famous authority on tea culture. As she explains her craft, I am reminded that the history of tea practices is as multigenerational as it is multicultural: Park’s work space is home to ancient texts, Japanese iron kettles, Chinese porcelain teapots, white porcelain saucers from the Joseon Dynasty and Goryeo celadon teacups. Park has dedicated her career to preserving such an eclectic history, and has spearheaded the research and restoration of Korean tea culture for the past thirty years. She is no doubt the country’s leading expert on tea.

Changing with the times As Park’s research can attest that one cannot discuss tea customs in Korea without first discussing the emergence of Buddhism. As a religion in which meditation is highly regarded, the spread of Seon Buddhism during the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) also introduced tea ceremonies as one of the forms of practice.

Since then, however, it has undergone considerable change, depending on the ruling class of the time, Park explains. It was shaped by Joseon Dynasty’s policy to oppress Buddhism in favor of Confucianism, as well as by Japanese imperialism (1910-1945).

The first time Park encountered Seon-style tea was in 1970, when she was obtaining a graduate degree in Confucianism at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. It was then that she met the chief monk of Daeheungsa Temple in Jeollanam-

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do, Ven. Eungsong (1893-1990). By that time, the monk had already put considerable effort into organizing the Buddhist scriptures and original texts relating to tea meditation. “The monk taught me a great deal about the philosophy and mindset related to tea culture. … Despite his old age, he put the utmost effort into roasting his tea leaves repeatedly. The process of making tea is a performance; Buddha is in the teapot. He (Eungsong) did not hesitate to give advice on my own tea.” Living in the temple for four years, Park was exposed to the teachings of Seon Master Choui (1786-1866), who is known to scholars as the “Korean Tea Sage.”

A ‘hot’ technique Over the course of her studies, Park researched both the origin and history of Korean tea customs and completed a comparative analysis on traditional tea practices in Korea, China and Japan. Her extensive research appears to have paid off, as those who try the tea she prepares usually remark that it tastes of freshness and purity, or soswae – simple but energizing.

Unlike common tea brewing methods, Park uses a “hot brewing” technique. She pours hot water over the tea leaves and allows them to sit for just 20 to 30 seconds. “Koreans prefer the hot and pure taste fit for our nature, climate and lifestyle,” she explains. “It is the essence of the tea’s flavor that reveals its purity and fragrance in hot water.”

Recognized for its benefits, tea has received considerable spotlight lately for its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. According to Park, good tea must first appeal to the eye by being clear and lucid. Roasted tea should not elicit a smell of grass. It is at once refreshing and delicate. Under Park’s care, Korea’s tea legacy will continue to be preserved for future generations to share and enjoy.

TRAVEL

Seosan's Cheonsuman Bay is one of Korea's best bird-watching destinations Written by Robert Koehler

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very winter, the waters and wetlands around Seosan’s Cheonsuman Bay become one of the world’s greatest birdwatching spots. Come either just before dawn or just after sunset and you’ll be treated to the spectacle of tens of thousands of birds taking off and landing in flocks so large they seemingly black out the sky. Indeed, over 300,000 birds can be found here, including a good many endangered species. While not often listed among Korea’s internationally best-known travel destinations, the bay is nonetheless one of the country’s premier ecotourism spots and an area that offers a rare opportunity to learn more about the peninsula's avian wildlife.

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A flock of Baikal teal dances in the sky. © Seosan Birdland

TRAVEL

A happy accident Nestled in a nook on Korea’s famously craggy Yellow Sea coast, Cheonsuman Bay’s ecology is the result of a reclamation project that was launched in 1979 to boost domestic food production and to put men and equipment to good use as they returned from the petrodollar-fueled construction boom in the Middle East. The construction of a mighty, 7.7-kilometer breakwater produced two huge freshwater lakes, Ganwolho Lake and Bunamho Lake, and over 6,400 hectares of new agricultural land on a reclaimed tidal flat.

As intended, the project, which was completed in 1987, did result in a boost in food production. But it did something else, too. The bay’s location on a major bird migration route and its mild maritime climate, with wintertime temperatures some 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than inland regions, were combined with the new, rich supply of winter grains in the post-harvest fields of the reclaimed land, producing an ideal nesting spot for migratory birds.

Birds of a feather Since the 1980s, Cheonsuman Bay has been recognized by birders all over as one of Korea’s premier bird-watching sites. In 1999 it was added to Wetlands International’s East-Asia Anatidae Site Network, a list of wetland locations favored by East Asia’s Anatidae, a family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. Every autumn, at the start of the bird migration season, the town of Seosan hosts the

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Cheonsuman International Bird Watching Fair, one of the biggest events of the birding calendar.

The pleasant temperatures and natural feast 1 provided by the surrounding farmland are an irresistible temptation to over 200 species of migratory birds such as wild geese, storks, spoonbills, mute swans and white-naped cranes. Truth be told, the growth of the bay as a nesting spot has taken some of the luster off other previously well-known bird-watching spots as the feathered beasts abandon them in favor of Cheonsuman.

One species particularly beloved by bird-watchers, photographers and casual visitors alike is the Baikal teal, a species of duck that breeds in Eastern Siberia and winters in Korea, China and Japan. Once highly threatened, the population of this species has rebounded so well that it may be the most common species of duck in Korea. The males are easily

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1. A bird photographer hides behind a straw screen. © Yonhap News 2. A flock of swans rests on Ganwolho Lake. © Seosan Birdland 3. Ganworam Hermitage © KTO

recognized by their striking head plumage of green, yellow, black and white.

Most notably, however, they fly in large, dense flocks of tens of thousands.

These black, dancing clouds can be seen in the late afternoon, as the ducks take off in search of food in the nearby rice fields, and in the early morning, when they return to gather in the middle of the lakes. It’s a natural phenomenon so breathtaking that several years back the BBC sent a film crew to capture it.

You’ll find plenty of wildlife photographers trying to do the same.

Where and how to see the birds The best place to see the birds is Cheonsuman Bay’s District A, which covers the area around Ganwolho Lake. Most bird-watchers head to the east end of the breakwater, not far from the entrance to Ganwoldo, a small island just off the coast. This is where you’ll find most of the Baikal teals, and you’ll find plenty of other birds as well.

In between the two lakes is Seosan Birdland, a park area with a multimedia hall, exhibit hall, information booth and other facilities for the convenience of visitors. Birdland also hosts regular hands-on programs and tours, depending on the season and weather.

A good pair of binoculars will go a long way, and photographers should remember to pack their zoom lenses. The birds have a keen sense of both sight and hearing, so be sure not to wear bright red, yellow or white clothing and avoid running or shouting.

Ganworam hermitage Located on the small island of Ganwoldo, the Buddhist hermitage of Ganworam is the closest thing Korea has to France’s famous Mont SaintMichel. At low tide, the hermitage is attached to the mainland by a land bridge, but at high tide, it becomes a true island. The hermitage’s name means “Observing the Moon,” and to be sure, it’s especially lovely at night when the moonlight reflects off the water. The hermitage was founded at the start of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) by the monk Muhak Daesa, famous for being an advisor to the founder of the dynasty, King Taejo (r. 1392-1398).

The coastal road around Ganwoldo is lined by restaurants, some of which specialize in rice mixed with beans and oysters, or gulbap. Give Keun Maeul Yeongyang Gulbap (T. 041-662-2706) a try. There are a couple of raw fish joints, too, if that's your thing.

For something a bit different, try the floating pension in the village of Chang-ri on Bunamho Lake. You can choose between dome and container-style accommodations. Call T. 0106432-1535 to make a reservation.

Buses to Seosan depart from Seoul’s Nambu Bus Terminal (travel time: 2 hours). From Seosan Bus Terminal, take a local bus for Ganwoldo.

Seoul Seosan's Cheonsuman

Jejudo

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SPORTS

A new queen reigns Shim Suk-hee wins her 12th gold medal at the ICU World Cup Written by Claire Jang

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n Nov. 17, 2014, 17-year-old skater Shim Suk-hee added yet another gold medal to what promises to be an outstanding athletic career. Competing in the International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Cup in Montreal, Canada, the high-school speed skater from Gangneung, Gangwon-do, won the second ladies’ 1000-meter, her 12th consecutive gold medal since the beginning of the 2012/2013 World Cup.

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Girl power During the event, Shim crossed the finish line with a time of 1:30:641, beating her compatriot, Choi Min-jeong by a mere 62 nanoseconds. Yihan Guo from China came in third.

Shim’s strategy for the race was that of a veteran skater: Saving her strength in the beginning of the event, she waited until the five final laps to begin leading the pack and then maintained her pace until she crossed the finish line.

Following her first-place win for her individual performance, Shim earned another gold medal for Korea in the ladies’ 3000-meter relay shortly after finishing the 1000 race. Korea’s ladies relay team Shim Suk-hee, Choi Min-jeong, Jeon Ji-su and Lee Eun-byul - clocked a time of 4:09:985, spending the entirety of the race at the front of the pack, and leaving Italy, Russia and Canada to claim the next spots behind them. With the addition of the relay win, Shim has taken home a total of five medals so far during the first and second rounds of the World Cup. Other Korean athletes have been dominating the 2014/2015 World Cup as well. Rookie skater Choi, who had come in second place for the 1000-meter event, won two gold medals after coming in first in the 1500 event and participating as a team member in the 3000 relay.

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1. Shim competes in the 1,500-meter preliminary at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Feb. 15, 2014. © Yonhap News 2. The Korean women’s short track skating team smiles as they show off their medals at a press conference in Sochi, Russia on Feb. 22, 2014. © Yonhap News 3. Shim waves the Korean flag after winning gold in the 3,000-meter relay at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. © Yonhap News 4. Shim smiles at the reception given to her by students at a scholarship awarding ceremony held at Sehwa Girls High School on March 27, 2014. © Yonhap News

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Another Olympic champion, Lee Sang-hwa, also won five gold medals in the 500-meter World Cup. Even with an injury in her left knee, Lee continues to be a contender, collecting gold medals in multiple events.

Prodigy turned ‘monster’ Shim started short track speed skating at the age of 6 after her brother took up the sport as a hobby.

When she started showing considerable talent, however, her whole family moved to Seoul to support her training.

Standing 175 centimeters tall, Shim is noticeably taller than most of her peers, an issue she has addressed in past interviews, stating, “My drawback was my height. Because I’m tall, I lack in agility. Most people think that if you’re tall, it’s a disadvantage in speed skating. But these days my height gives me both advantages and disadvantages.”

Fortunately, her size has also brought a degree of physical strength that has offered a competitive edge for the young skater.

She acquired the title “Monster Girl” in the Korean media when she competed in the 2012 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Melbourne, Australia, an event that brought her individual gold medals for the 500, 1000 and 1500 events, and then another for the 3000 relay. At her Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, her debut at the famed competition, she took gold in the 23

3000-meter relay, silver in the 1500 and bronze in the 1000 event.

Eye on the gold Many industry experts say that Shim has improved her performance since the Olympics, which bodes well for her potential showing at the upcoming 2018 games in PyeongChang. Having proven herself as a “queen of short track,” she will compete in the third round of the World Cup in Shanghai, and with the fourth round taking place at the Mokdong Artificial Ice Rink in Seoul.

“When someone says ‘short track,’ I want my name to be remembered as a hero. A star shines brightly for a short moment, but a hero continues to be a hero, so I want to be a hero instead of a star,” commented Shim in an interview. With the string of gold medal wins and the persistence she’s shown at such a young age, there’s little doubt that Shim will leave a legacy in the field of short track speed skating.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Regaining the spotlight Gugak gem Song So-hee breathes new life into native music Written by Paola Ebora

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tanding tall on stage dressed in an elegant Hanbok, Song So-hee immediately commands the audience’s attention. Like a delicate flower just beginning to bloom, her youthful beauty mesmerizes everyone who looks at her with bated breath. As she opens her mouth to let out her powerful and expressive voice, she captivates the crowd even further, inviting them into the world of gugak, or “national music,” a genre of Korean traditional music.

Against the grain While there are those who still favor styles from the past, it is an accepted fact that the majority of consumers, especially young ones, have their music players blasting more modern genres such as pop,

rock, hip-hop and the like. From the beginning, however, the now 17-year-old princess of gugak has chosen to walk a different path from her peers.

Song’s welcome into the world of gugak happened quite early - as young as 5, in fact.

Having shown a talent for singing at a young age, her father, who has an ear for traditional music, persuaded his daughter to develop her abilities in traditional songs.

Her natural talent went far. After besting many older artists in local competitions, she progressed to showcasing her renditions of folk songs on even bigger stages, performing in broadcasted talent shows, concerts and other public functions.

In 2008, Song became the youngest grand prize winner in the history of the country’s

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1. Song performing in Insa-dong, Seoul, on March 22, 2014 © Korea.net 2. Song receives a plaque from Hanwoo Association Chairman Lee Kang-woo during a ceremony to mark her appointment as promotional ambassador for Korean beef on March 25, 2014. © Yonhap News

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longest-running music show, “Korea Sings,” at 11 years old. By age 12, she made an even greater impression through her appearance on the televised talent show “Star King,” appearing as a charming gugak prodigy with a mature voice that contrasted with her innocent charm.

This image of a fresh, youthful gugak artist has caught the attention of the whole nation. By the time she was a teenager, she was featured in an advertisement for a major telecommunications company. As her public exposure broadened, more people became intrigued by the young lady who, along with her beauty and grace, could captivate people with traditional songs.

Setting herself apart from her contemporaries in the music industry, Song has worked to bring gugak closer to younger listeners, finding ways to promote the genre through popular media.

Revitalizing the old More recently, through her appearance on the television show “Immortal Songs 2” on KBS, Song was able to bridge the gap between traditional and pop music as she sang pop music with a gugak twist. With her powerful voice, she is able to make the intricacy of traditional songwriting more accessible to people who have grown accustomed

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to modern melodies.

She has now developed from a prodigy into a traditional music idol, giving gugak a more hip, updated image.

Song’s active promotion of gugak prompted the government to name her as the “Best Korean of the Year” in 2010. She was also appointed as an honorary ambassador for the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, as well as to the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion wherein she helps promote Korea’s traditions and arts.

Gugak is a genre that is an essential part of the national identity, enriched by hundreds of years of history and laced with traditions that have been passed down over many generations. However, despite the importance of preserving such a cultural identity, younger generations have chosen to focus more on contemporary music, often giving traditional music the cold shoulder. For this reason, Song just might be the extra boost that traditional music has been looking for to make people take a break from the colorful dynamics of K-pop and have a closer listen to their native sounds.

SPECIAL ISSUE

Bringing down borders Korea-China FTA brings promising economic benefits Written by Young H.K. Pae

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n Nov. 10, 2014, a Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached in Beijing, by President Park Geun-hye, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) Yoon Sang-jick.

The agreement will go into effect in the middle of next year.

Dominance in the import market Korea is the third nation to pass an FTA with the world’s three biggest economies: the U.S., China and the EU. China is often called Korea’s “second domestic market” because it is Korea’s biggest, most rapidly growing target for exports. According to the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy, the mainland Chinese consumer market is

estimated to grow from USD 4.7 trillion in 2013 to USD 5.7 trillion in 2015, eventually climbing to USD 9.9 trillion in 2020. Experts believe that this agreement will lay the groundwork for Korea’s dominance in the Chinese import market.

According to the Korea International Trade Association, Korea’s share in the Chinese import market was surpassed by Japan in 2005, but pushed forward to first place by 2013. As of September 2014, Korea had a 9.6 percent share of China’s import market, followed by Japan’s 8.3 percent, the U.S.’ 7.8 percent, Taiwan’s 7.6 percent and Germany’s 5.4 percent. Among these five countries, Korea is the only country that has signed a formal FTA with China, which has signed 12 FTAs with 19 other nations. None, however, threaten Korea’s stronghold.

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In effect

Final agreements

Currently negotiating

Korea’s FTA reach Trade volume with Korea, figures in parentheses referring to GDP (units: hundred-million dollars)

China

Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein

1. Yoon Sang-jick, Korea’s trade minister, and Gao Hucheng, China’s commerce minister, shake hands and exchange agreements after the signing of the Korea-China FTA, as Korean President Park Geun-hye and Chinese President Xi Jinping look on in Beijing on Nov. 10, 2014. © Yonhap News 2. At a meeting hosted

by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on May 27, 2011, EU ambassadors discuss ways to build a strategic partnership between Korea and the EU following the ratification of their FTA. © Yonhap News

10+ ASEAN member states

2288

(9 trillion, 469.1 billion)

Korea, China, Japan, Australia, India, New Zealand

EU

EFTA 88

1051

(1 trillion, 108.9 billion)

(17 trillion, 512.1 billion)

Canada 99

(1 trillion, 826.7 billion)

RCEP Turkey 53

(819.9 billion)

KoreaChina-Japan Vietnam

India 176

(1 trillion, 876.8 billion)

Indonesia

ASEAN 1353

(2 trillion, 133 billion)

Singapore 325

(297.9 billion)

* Based on 2013 figures EFTA GDP based on 2012 figures

U.S.A. 1019

Building a foundation Looking to MOTIE’s analysis of the Korea-China FTA, the preferential tariffs given to China will help Korean small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) secure their competitiveness in steel

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Peru 34

(202.4 billion)

Chile

302

A decade of growth Korea will abolish tariffs on 9,690 products within 10 years, while China will abolish tariffs on 5,846 of the products that imported from Korea. Over the next 20 years, over 90 percent of products traded between the two countries will quality for tariff reductions. As tariffs on another USD 45.8 billion worth of products are eliminated over the next decade, Korean companies are expected to increase their exports to China.

When the agreement is fully effectuated, annual tariff reductions are estimated to total USD 5.44 billion, 5.8 times more than the USD 9.33 million gained through the KORUS FTA (the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement), and 3.9 times more than the USD 1.38 billion gained through the KoreaEU FTA. Minister Yoon Sang-jick of MOTIE said, “The openness is seemingly lower than that of the KORUS or Korea-EU FTAs, but (is actually) at a very high level.”

15 (378.4 billion)

Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia

Australia (1 trillion, 505.9 billion)

Colombia

(16 trillion, 768 billion )

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New Zealand

(276.9 billion)

manufacturing, petrochemical products, fashion, infant products, sports and leisure goods, health products and luxury household appliances.

The Korea-China FTA lays the way for continued growth in stable fields such as construction, logistics, environmental work, law and entertainment.

Commenting on the potential opportunities, a MOTIE official said that Korea will likely “dominate the upcoming ‘Chinese future and luxury markets.’”

The government anticipates sealing negotiations with New Zealand, Vietnam and other nations in the near future. It is also considering partaking in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership and a Korea-China-Japan FTA. Korea also signed FTAs with both Australia and Canada in April and September of 2014, respectively.

As of Nov. 28, 2014, Korea exceeded a volume of trade of USD 1 trillion for the fourth consecutive year, the nation’s largest trade volume to date.

From January to October last year, export growth to FTA partner countries, such as the U.S. and the EU, was 8 percent higher than the same period last year. Agreements with major economies are expected to continue broadening Korea’s global trade network.

SPECIAL ISSUE

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Uncovering the beast Enigma surrounding giant ornithomimosaur resolved by team of local experts Written by Sohn Tae-soo Photographs courtesy of the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources

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ince the first observed specimen of Deinocheirus mirificus was collected by a Polish-Mongolian paleontological team in southern Mongolia in 1965, the elusive dinosaur had been speculated to be an agile and carnivorous animal - bigger and more menacing than the Tyrannosaurus rex. Deinocheirus was given its name, meaning “unusual, horrible hand,” for that very reason.

When considering that, up until recently, the

specimen was mainly a pair of forelimbs measuring a staggering 2.4 meters in length, Deinocheirus had remained one of the most mysterious extinct beasts of the last half-century. This is largely because the varied characteristics of the bones - which present conflicting traits of ornithomimosaurs, or “bird imitating” dinosaurs - had made it difficult to resolve the animal’s evolutionary lineage. Not anymore.

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1. Drawing of a Deinocheirus that was featured in Nature 2. Lee speaks at the press conference to announce his Deinocheirus research results.

3. Photo of research team next to the Deinocheirus fossil taken during their expedition to Mongolia in 2009 (Lee is on the bottom right.)

Resolving the Mongolian mystery A joint multinational exploration team led by YuongNam Lee, director of the geological museum at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), has recently disclosed that Deinocheirus mirificus, which is believed to have first appeared 70 million years ago, was an omnivorous reptile that prospered in the late Cretaceous period, eating both fish and bracken near the shore.

Though there were two new Deinocheirus specimens discovered in 2006 and 2009 at the Nemegt Formation of Altan Uul IV and at the Bugiin Tsav, respectively, it was not until 2011 that the team could acquire the skulls and foot bones through collectors.

Based on the final analysis, the dinosaur would have reached 11 meters in length and weighed more than 6 tons. Between 2008 and 2011, the team was able to establish an almost complete profile of the dinosaur breed, including bone structure, size, weight and feeding habitat, based on the study of two complete Deinocheirus skeletons it had acquired.

The team’s research, titled “Resolving the longstanding enigmas of a giant ornithomimosaur Deinocheirus mirificus,” marks the first time that paleontological research of an exploration team led by a Korean scientist has been introduced in the prominent environmental research journal Nature.

Deinocheirus is the largest ornithomimosaur ever known. Lee also pointed out that, contrary to what

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had been suspected in the past, Deinocheirus’ broad hips and large feet indicate that it was by no means agile. “If true, the long forearms with giant claws may have been used for digging and gathering herbaceous plants. Robust hind limbs with posteroventrally tilted, wide hips, femora longer than tibiae and massive feet clearly indicate that Deinocheirus was a slow mover,” Lee added.

A tale for the ages The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the missing skeletal pieces sound more like the plot of an Indiana Jones film than the account of a team of Korean scientists. When the scientists first came upon what appeared to be a partially complete Deinocheirus skeleton, clues around the site suggested that the missing pieces - the skull and the feet, often taken for their respective teeth and claws - had been excavated illegally by poachers, presumably for private sale. News of the missing pieces eventually reached a French fossil dealer, who had noticed similar bones in a private collection in Belgium that bore the characteristsics of a large ornithomimosaur. The experts involved in the original dig were immediately contacted and, fortunately, the anonymous private collector was convinced to donate the specimens back to the original research team, facilitating a groundbreaking discovery for Lee and his colleagues.

Analysts say that, now that the true nature of Deinocheirus has been finally uncovered, such a discovery may be one of the most contentious issues in the field of paleontology.

CURRENT KOREA

Men in aprons More men are heading to the kitchen after work Written by Claire Jang

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or many years, Korean kitchens were forbidden to men. There was even a superstition that the moment a male walks into a kitchen, he brings bad luck to the family. Kitchens had been “women’s territory” for years in Confucian society. However, recent trends show that the tides have turned. More men have taken up cooking for a variety of interesting reasons. A man donning an apron and chopping onions in the kitchen will turn fewer heads than it did in decades past.

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A cultural shift Among classes held at educational centers at department stores, culinary schools and other public institutions, 20 percent are male and for some classes, the percentage goes up to 40 to 50 percent. Many are even male-only classes.

What’s all the more interesting is that men are

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learning how to cook for different reasons. Single men in their mid-20s to 30s are learning how to cook to impress women or, if they are living alone, to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Married men take up cooking to help their spouse or to initiate conversation with their children.

Kim Jae-yeol, a manager at a marketing company, said that he started having better conversations with his family since he started learning how to cook. He said, “On weekends, my daughter asks me to cook the dishes I learned that week, and when I do, she takes a photo and shows them off to her friends.”

Sometimes men learn how to cook because their survival depends on it. For some male retirees men, if their spouse is working or has passed away, they have to learn how to prepare food on their own. For elderly retired males, cooking helps them be more independent and avoid becoming a samsigi, an unemployed male that stays home and waits to be fed three meals a day. Even though middle-aged or retired men are learning how to cook for pragmatic reasons, it does not change the fact that more are finding cooking to be somewhat enjoyable.

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As seen on TV Media is also fueling the trend. It’s not uncommon to see attractive men cook on TV. If the UK has Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay, Korea has Leo Kang and Edward Kwon, faces of popular reality cooking shows like “Master Chef Korea” and “Yes Chef.”

1. A cooking contest for retired men held at a welfare center in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district © Yonhap News

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2. Celebrity chef Edward Kwon © Yonhap News 3. Dishes made by men of all ages at a men’s cooking contest in Seoul's Jungnang-gu district © Yonhap News

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Kim Dong-suk, assistant director at the Korea Culinary Academy, said, “Recently, the media has highlighted men with culinary skills, and the appearance of star chefs like Edward Kwon and Leo Kang has shown people that men can also cook.”

On another popular show, “Three Meals a Day,” two good-looking actors, Lee Seo-jin and Ok Taecyeon, struggle to feed themselves three daily meals at a secluded farm in the countryside.

In shows like “Dad! Where Are You Going?” and “Superman Is Back,” celebrity dads are tasked with cooking and cleaning as well as feeding and taking care of their kids.

These shows depict the extent to which the conservative and patriarchal side of society is shifting. Women now consider men that help around the house to be attractive. The advertisement industry has taken advantage of this trend to promote their products and the hottest male celebrities are now dominating advertisements for kitchen-related products.

In ads, it is easy to see male celebrities like Lee Seung-gi promoting kimchi refrigerators, kitchenware or electric ranges. The popularity of these images seems to reflect the trend reflects women’s preference for hunnam, a neologism for describing sweet and tender gentlemen, over macho types. Whether men learn how to cook to attract women or solely for survival, it seems that cooking is being used as a tool to melt down barriers and bring people closer.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

Celebrating 25 years of ties Korea, ASEAN strengthen cooperation at ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit Written by Korea.net

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K

orea and the 10 nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held the 2014 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in the port city of Busan on Dec. 11-12 to celebrate 25 years of dialogue between Korea and ASEAN, Seoul's second-largest trading partner and investment

President Park Geun-hye poses with other national leaders at the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan on Dec. 12, 2014. © Yonhap News

destination. During the two-day event, held under the theme “Building Trust, Building Happiness,” Korea and ASEAN explored ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two sides and bolster cooperation in a wide range of sectors, including the arts, security and the economy.

President calls on ASEAN to encourage North Korea to abandon nukes Prior to the summit, President Park released a statement to the media in all 10 ASEAN member states calling on ASEAN to play a larger role in persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and to become a responsible member of the international community, part of her administration’s efforts to achieve unification and peace on the peninsula. She said that each and every member of ASEAN can be of great help in bringing about peace on the Korean Peninsula and eventual reunification, as many of them have diplomatic relations with both Koreas.

She also introduced some plans that are under way that will strengthen ties between South Korea and Southeast Asia, including the launch of a business council to network small- and mediumsized businesses in South Korea and ASEAN states and the opening of an “ASEAN Culture Plaza” to bring Southeast Asian cultures to South Korea.

Expanding economic cooperation between Korea, ASEAN At the ASEAN-Republic of Korea CEO Summit, a gathering of national leaders, world-renowned economists and global CEOs held on Dec. 11 as part of the Commemorative Summit, President Park emphasized the need to increase economic cooperation between Korea and ASEAN. “Korea and ASEAN need to combine their strengths and create synergies to infuse new vitality into the economy of both regions,” she said.

In particular, she suggested that Korea and ASEAN help SMEs in both regions join the global value chain more easily, and called on big conglomerates and SMEs to work together in a creative manner.

SUMMIT DIPLOMACY

President Park and the leaders of ASEAN’s 10 member states hold the first session of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit. © Yonhap News

She also suggested that economic cooperation between Korea and ASEAN, which had previously focused on energy and manufacturing, be expanded to cover the service sector, pointing to the popularity of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian food in Korea.

To realize this cooperation, however, she said regulations would need to be eased. “In order for this potential for cooperation to be realized with a tangible outcome, it is most important to get rid of regulations that stand in the way of cooperation and progress in the service industry,” she said, adding that businesspeople themselves should communicate with governments and point out which sectors require deregulation.

President Park also called for the further liberalization of the Korea-ASEAN FTA, which took effect in 2009, explaining that the utilization rate of the Korea-ASEAN FTA among Korean businesses is roughly half that seen with other FTAs, primarily due to the lack of high-level liberalization and complicated rules of origin.

Welcoming an agreement between Korea and ASEAN on trade facilitation and other improvements to the FTA, she said, “Additional liberalization measures and improved rules of

origin will follow so that more businesses can take advantage of the benefits of the FTA.”

Upgrading the partnership and sharing experience In the first session of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit on Dec. 12, President Park called on ASEAN member states to set up a 2016-2020 action plan that would deepen KoreaASEAN cooperation in three broad sectors: the economy, politics and the arts. She said, “We need to upgrade our strategic partnership through more substantial cooperation backed by the quantitatively expanded cooperation built over the past 25 years.”

She expressed her will to build a win-win economic cooperative relationship with the ASEAN Economic Community that will be established at the end of next year, saying, “Korea will build a balanced, mutually beneficial relationship with ASEAN aimed at co-prosperity.”

She expressed hope that additional negotiations on the liberalization of the Korea-ASEAN FTA would be able to take place soon thanks to this special summit, in order to achieve the goal of bilateral trade reaching USD 200 billion by

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the year 2020. She also announced that Korea would share its development experiences in order to narrow the development gap among ASEAN members. In particular, she vowed to help spread the Saemaul Undong, a set of rural development policies; support the incubation of talented human resources in science and technology; and increase the size of the KoreaASEAN cooperation fund to USD 7 million next year, up from the current size of USD 5 million. “The power that led to the remarkable development of the Korea-ASEAN relationship is derived from the mutual understanding of our shared historical experiences,” she said. “Korea will share its precious experiences in overcoming poverty thanks to the aid of the international community and in achieving industrialization and democratization in order to accomplish the goal of common development with ASEAN.” The second session of the summit focused on international security issues centered on responses to climate change and to natural disasters.

President Park gives an address to open the first session of the summit. © Yonhap News

Summit adopts joint statement The summit participants wrapped up the summit by adopting a joint statement outlining the vision of the future of the Korea-ASEAN relationship.

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In addition to strengthening economic ties, Korea and ASEAN agreed in the statement to develop the security dialogue between the two sides, and strengthen cooperation in order to address traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including combating terrorism, human trafficking, illicit drugs, money laundering, arms smuggling, sea piracy, international economic crimes and cybercrime, as well as the proliferation of weapon of mass destruction. Regarding North Korea, the heads of the participating nations expressed concern about the maintenance of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the launch of ballistic missiles. They urged North Korea to fully implement its promises as agreed upon in the September 19 Statement, and to take responsibility in following the U.N. Security Council's resolutions. Along with President Park, the leaders expressed their support for her Trust Building Process on the Korean Peninsula, the Initiative for Peaceful Unification on the Korean Peninsula and for her Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative.

Relay summit and Korea-Vietnam FTA During the course of the two-day summit, President Park held summits with the leaders of all participating nations, including talks with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei held in Seoul just prior to the summit. During the summits, President Park and the ASEAN member state leaders explored ways to bolster cooperation and discussed matters of mutual interest.

In particular, President Park held a summit with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Vietnam on Dec. 11, during which the two sides signed a bilateral free trade deal. The agreement covers a total of 17 areas spanning the whole economy, including products, services, investment and intellectual property rights. “Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, ties between the two countries have made rapid progress, in particular in the economic field,” said President Park. “This FTA will help further develop the already close, cooperative relations.”

Leaders share opinions at the plenary session of the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 15, 2014. © Yonhap News

POLICY REVIEW

The biggest winner Korea’s 3-year economic plan aims for highest growth rate in G20 Written by Daye Kim

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ccording to reports released by the Korean government, Korea’s Three-Year Plan for Economic Innovation is on track to raise its GDP more than any other growth strategy proposed by other Group of 20 (G20) nations, based on analysis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Changing the forecast If the measures of the Three-Year Plan are implemented, national GDP will rise from its 2013 value of KRW 1.136 quadrillion to KRW 1.437 quadrillion in 2018, the government said. When compared with the IMF’s estimate of KRW 1.378 quadrillion forecasted in October 2013, a figure that didn’t incorporate the impact of the plan, the Korean goverment’s proposal represents a 44 percent jump, or KRW 60 trillion. Korea submitted 105 measures - behind China’s 120 and followed by Italy’s 90.

In comparison, when all 20 member states execute their proposed measures, the combined GDP may rise from USD 63 trillion in 2014 to USD 85 trillion in 2018, the IMF and OECD concluded. That’s 2.1 percent higher than the 2018 GDP of USD 83 trillion projected by the IMF in 2013. This was reflected in the communiqué from the 2014 G20 summit, which said the plan will ultimately add more than USD 2 trillion to the global economy and create millions of jobs.

Collective growth strategies The international organizations calculated their figures by quantifying the collective impact of some 1,000 strategies that member countries submitted ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane, held on Nov. 15 and 16. The quantified impact of the reforms proposed by other countries isn’t available because member nations agreed not to disclose them.

With one of the 2014 summit’s main themes

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being growth strategies, member countries came up with reforms under four categories: increasing investment, promoting competition, boosting trade and uplifting employment.

To promote investment, the Korean government said it would reform regulatory systems, support investment in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and invest more in safety facilities. The government will cap regulations by removing one regulation when another is added. It will also spend KRW 85 trillion on social overhead capital from 2014 to 2017 to expand investment in infrastructure. With regard to boosting employment, the government plans to improve maternity protection and child care support to help working mothers, while also providing a comprehensive support system to train and hire young people.

A welcome shift The government also vowed to continue negotiating for more free trade agreements and help businesses fully utilize existing agreements. It will deregulate e-commerce to encourage more exports and imports online. To jump-start competition, the government said it will deregulate seven service industries with high growth potential, including healthcare, education, tourism, finance, software, content creation and logistics. It will also work to fight unfair practices by large corporations aimed at SMEs. Additionally, the government reiterated its efforts to promote the creative economy, defined as the convergence of science, information and communications technology and existing sectors to create new industries and jobs. Some of Korea’s proposed measures were even reflected in the Brisbane Action Plan, an international blueprint for growth among G20 nations.

While each G20 country monitors and assesses its own growth strategies, a peer review system with input from the IMF and OECD is designed to ensure that member nations pursue the reforms.

The G20 will also produce an annual report on the progress being made, and the IMF and OECD will help estimate the impact of the measures on GDP until 2018, the Brisbane Action Plan said.

The main initiatives of the government’s 3-Year plan

Normalizing the abnormal

Innovative economy

- Reduce discrimination between part-time and full-time employees while neutralizing the labor market’s structure

- Support venture firms and revitalize the startup market

- Establish market economy principles and apply them to the field

- Construct a Northeast Asian oil hub

- Expand economic domain through FTAs and other initiatives

- Correct social imbalances by addressing the intensifying income gap

Readjusting import-export balance by boosting domestic consumption - Cut red tape in healthcare and medicine, education, tourism, finance and other servicerelated industries (readjust governmental regulations through newly implemented taskforce) - Provide support to SMEs for exports

- Revolutionize the public sector - Upgrade the welfare system to transmit benefits properly

How society will be affected by the implementation of such strategies and initiatives Present USD 24,000

Average income per person

(estimated figure for 2013)

Potential annual growth

Around 3%

Employment rate

37

65.3% (as of November 2013, based on persons aged 15-64)

3 years later

30,000 40,000

Surpass USD , well on the way towards USD

4% 70%

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Smarter agriculture Convergence and synergy to lead to better farming practices Written by Sohn Tae-soo

I

n the age of science and technology, the domestic agricultural sector, including government agencies and private research institutions, has been putting significant effort into accelerating the process of applying cutting-edge technologies to the farming industry.

Gathering to discuss future development A variety of programs for utilizing agricultural technology namely, techniques to facilitate the growth and harvesting of animal and vegetable products - are offering a concentrated academic experience to individuals who pursue careers in the agricultural and other green industries.

On July 2, 2014, the Rural Development Administration (RDA) hosted a seminar at the Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, affiliated with Seoul National

University, under the title “Development of Future Agricultural Technology through the Utilization of Convergence Technology.� The seminar drew more than 60 farmers and researchers devoted to the development of farming robots and unmanned intelligent agricultural machines.

The participating researchers unveiled their projects in four categories: research and development (R&D) of unmanned intelligent agricultural technologies, agricultural robot technologies and technological convergence, cultivation of a variety of species of plants, and R&D to build vegetation plants.

In particular, they discussed pending issues such as overcoming the shortage of labor in agricultural districts, agricultural robots as aids in the face of uncertain supply and demand and the establishment of future cooperation.

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together more than 150 specialists engaged in agricultural research, robotic engineering and academic and industrial cooperation, the symposium was cosponsored by the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery, the Korea Association of Robot Industries and the Robot Convergence Forum, among others.

The goal of the seminar was to enhance the competitive edge of domestic agriculture by revitalizing research into agricultural robots and by encouraging cooperation among related industries. The symposium was held in two sessions: “Convergence Technologies for Agriculture and Robots and Related Policies” and “Plans for Applying Robot Technologies to Actual Farming.”

According to Lee Yang-ho, an administrator at the RDA, “We hope this seminar will lay the cornerstone for developing agriculture through the convergence of robot technologies, so that the agricultural sector can function as a locomotive engine for the growth of the creative economy.”

Researchers inspect fresh vegetables at the Gyeonggi-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services’ Future Agriculture Research Center, the first farm in Korea to use robots. © Yonhap News

Taking on the trend In the meantime, the town of Boeun-gun in Chungcheongbuk-do is pushing for the commercialization of high-quality silkworm cocoons with the intention of using them as materials for producing artificial eardrums. A seminar was held this past July in Boeun-gun - a trailblazer region devoted to such industries - with as many as 40 researchers participating. Similar efforts have already been made in the U.S. and elsewhere, and Boeun-gun is keeping abreast of global advances in the field.

Gaining a competitive edge On April 16, 2014, the RDA held a seminar on the issue of industrial cooperation for the convergence of agricultural and robotic technologies at one of its divisions, the National Academy of Agricultural Science, located in Suwon. Bringing

Information technology meets biotechnology Meanwhile, an increasing number of local autonomous governments are moving to adopt the so-called ubiquitousIT-based (U-IT) unmanned autonomous fruit tree-pest surveillance system. The system makes use of the convergence of information technology and biotechnology, compared with previous systems under which farmers had to predict the spread of fruit tree pests with the naked eye.

The system first targets such fruits as apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots and cherries and then analyzes the density of the vermin, the time of infestation and the breed through an image-processing procedure on computer servers.

According to online information on the state-of-theart technologies offered by the RDA, the U-IT-based pest surveillance systems can decipher the image of vermin caught in a “sexual pheromone” trap and make a real-time decision on whether or not to cull them immediately.

1. Spectators witness the world's first grafting robot at an exhibit of high-tech farm equipment using advanced sensors developed by the Rural Development Administration. © Yonhap News 2. Visitors take a look at a farm automation system at the 2012 IT Expo in Busan. © Yonhap News 1

2

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GLOBAL KOREA

Š Korea Land & Housing Corporation

Building, the Korean way Government assists local construction firms to acquire projects abroad Written by Daye Kim

A

new Korean-style residential city will be built on the outskirts of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a major city in Bolivia.

On Nov. 18, 2014, Korea Engineering Consultants Corp. (KECC), an affiliate of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions, landed a USD 363,000 deal to create the master plan for a new city that would be three times as large as the planned district of Bundang, Gyeonggi-do, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) announced.

KECC will survey the soil of the 5,723-hectare site about 15 kilometers northeast of Santa Cruz

de la Sierra; plan residential complexes as well as earthworks; recommend how to procure materials; calculate site development costs for a feasibility study; and review the project’s general outline. The contract is valid until April 2015.

Exporting Korean cities The Bolivia deal marks the first export of a Koreanstyle planned city that was thoroughly assisted by the government, the ministry said.

Although domestic construction and engineering firms have accumulated much experience in

40

Maritime Affairs (MLTM) at the MOLIT. “It is meaningful that the government found a new offshore project through sharing Korea’s experiences in building infrastructure, and directly helped a Korean firm to win a contract.”

1

1. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a Korean-style new town to be built in Bolivia 2. Hanwha Engineering & Construction won an KRW 8 billion contract to build Bismayah, a Korean-style new town in Iraq displayed here in illustrated form.

Korean companies are building an increasing number of new towns overseas. © Hanwha Engineering & Construction

developing new residential towns here, they have struggled to win contracts abroad due to a lack of reputation overseas and a less developed foreign client network.

To help domestic firms to find new urban development projects abroad, the land ministry set up the International Urban Development Cooperation Center in October 2012, a subsidiary of the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. As it stands, the Bolivia deal is the organization’s first major achievement.

In May and June last year, the center held a twoweek training program in Korea for government officials in charge of urban planning and housing in Bolivia, Peru, El Salvador and Ecuador. After the program, the municipal government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra requested the presence of Korean urban development experts. Five experts were sent to Bolivia for six months, creating a basic design of the new city, studying the project’s technological and economic feasibility, and sharing the Korean way of planning and developing a new residential district.

In September, after learning about Koreanstyle urban development, Grupo Empresarial Lafuente (GEL), a Bolivian developer in charge of the project, decided to hire a Korean firm for designing the master plan.

“This deal is the outcome of the government’s support for exporting new residential cities under the ‘Three-year plan for economic innovation,’” said Song Seok-joon, director of construction policy at the Ministry of Land, Transport and

41

Building towards something greater Song added that the size of the deal secured by KECC isn’t big, but Koreans firms may win upcoming deals worth up to USD 730 million in fields such as design, civil engineering and construction. “It is highly likely that Korean firms will join the projects that follow,” he added, “considering Bolivia’s hope to adopt Korean-style urban development.”

Operating the International Urban Development Cooperation Center is one of the government’s many efforts to help the diversify markets for the country’s construction firms. This past November, the MLTM invited some 100 government officials from 37 countries, African Development Bank and Asian Development Bank - potential clients for domestic builders - to a training program that promoted the Korean model of infrastructure.

Korean construction firms won overseas deals worth USD 48.3 billion between January and September of last year, up 5.2 percent from the same period in 2013. In the third quarter alone, Korean companies were awarded contracts worth around USD 5 billion from relatively new markets, including nations in Europe, Central and South America and Africa - a vast improvement from the some USD 700 million of deals signed in the same period in 2013.

2

GREAT KOREAN

I

f you’ve spent time in Korea, chances are you’ve seen a depiction of Joseon scholar, philosopher and poet Yi Hwang (1501-1570), although you probably didn’t know who he was when you casually passed along the KRW 1,000 note that bears his portrait. While most countries seem to favor putting presidents, kings or great warriors on their official currency, Korea’s banknotes are dominated by scholars. In fact, the only monarch to grace a bill is King Sejong the Great, a leader who was lauded for being the proficient linguist who oversaw the invention of Hangeul, the country’s native alphabet.

Perhaps Yi is pictured on Korea’s most commonly distributed note because he was one of the original voices of the true Seonbi, or noble scholar. In addition to establishing a uniquely Korean tradition of NeoConfucianism, Yi dedicated his entire life to scholastic research and personal reflection, forgoing the pursuit of political power.

Starting early Yi was born in what is now Andong, Gyeongsangbukdo. Because his father passed away when he was only 7 months old, Yi was raised by his mother, who cared for him alongside the seven other children in the family. Yi’s mother toiled endlessly to support them, with particular focus put on her sons’ education. It’s said that she would repeatedly tell her male offspring that they needed to study and work several times harder than other children, otherwise they’d be looked down upon for being the byproduct of a single-parent household. It appears that such words made a tremendous impact on young Yi, who finished reading the “Analects of Confucius” by age 12 and by 18 had composed one of his best works, “Yadang,” a poem about a pond. At age 20, Yi undertook the massive task of reading and interpreting the “Yijing,” the oldest of the Chinese classical texts. Only three years later, he entered Seonggyungwan Academy, Joseon’s foremost educational institute.

After overcoming the death of his wife in his late 20s, Yi eventually passed his civil service examinations and started life as a bureaucrat at 34. When he lost his mother three years later, however, he spent the next three years in mourning, as dictated by filial tradition.

Yi ended up restarting life as a government official at age 37, but by this point had already grown disillusioned with the political struggles and corruption of the royal

1

Yi Hwang One of Joseon's first true scholars exemplified the Seonbi spirit Written by Felix Im

42

2

court; instead, he chose to concentrate on purely scholastic and philosophical matters, spending all of his time in the library. Although Yi held several positions throughout his life, he resigned from nearly every one, citing physical illness as his reason. The royal court always pleaded for his return, however, as Yi’s knowledge, wisdom and sincerity were unmatched. He eventually agreed to serve as a governor in provinces outside Seoul, wishing to distance himself from the capital’s politics. In 1560, Yi founded what became one of Joseon’s most distinguished Confucian academies, the Dosan Seodang.

Call of duty Unconcerned with worldly riches or political influence, Yi was feeble and poor by the time he established the academy, yet his devotion to teaching, studying and writing never faltered.

3

1. Statue of Yi Hwang © Yonhap News 2. The Four-Seven Debate, a discussion of NeoConfucianism based on letters exchanged between Yi and scholar Gi Daeseung over the course of eight years, beginning in 1559 © Yonhap News 3. Dosan Seowon, a Confucian academy built

by Yi's students on the site where he taught them

43

Among Yi’s many disciples was Yulgok, another great scholar who is pictured on today’s KRW 5,000 note. Still, King Myeongjong (r. 15451567) persistently tried to coax Yi back into office, although he was turned down every time. When envoys from Ming China (1368-1644) arrived in 1567, however, Yi realized that his expertise was needed. Though it was incredibly rare for a monarch to make repeated requests for an official’s return despite so many refusals, when King Myeongjong was succeeded by King Seonjo (r.

1567-1608), Yi was once again called back into office from retirement. This time he agreed.

A lifetime of intense scholarship, however, had taken its toll on Yi’s health. Sensing his end, Yi composed his “Seonghak Sipdo,” an advisory document that offers an analytical and philosophical approach to ruling a kingdom, and presented it to Seonjo as his final act of service. In 1570, Yi passed away shortly after requesting to his son that his funeral be held in a modest fashion.

Legend has it that he died calmly and peacefully in a seated, meditative position - a fitting way for a great thinker to leave this world.

MY KOREA

Kicking myself into place Learning taekwondo in Korea can enrich life as an expat Written by Ian Tibby Illustrated by Kim Yoon-myong

C

haryeot! Gyeongnye! (Attention! Bow!) My eyes look straight at the floor as my tense and anxious body bows to the two judges sitting behind the table.

Junbi! (Get Ready!)

The three board holders quickly move their wood pieces into position. I swing a roundhouse kick, my eyes beginning to blaze as I let out a loud kihap, or yell. There are gasps and looks of surprise from the other students My body is vibrating with excitement. Nerves. Power. Energy.

Focus. The sound of wood breaking. It begins.

My taekwondo journey Taekwondo has been a part of my life ever since middle school. I was the geeky, nerdy kid who never liked to play sports, so when one of my good friends joined a taekwondo academy, my mother saw it as a good way to get me some much needed confidence, not to mention plenty of exercise. Starting to practice taekwondo was probably the best decision of my childhood; the sense of discipline and focus that it instilled in me was remarkable. You train with your friends, encouraging each other along the way, pushing each other through your exhaustion and pain to the end.

It was with these memories that I decided to restart my training when I came back to Korea in 2013. I joined Arirang Taekwondo in January 2014 and haven’t looked back since. The dojang, or martial arts school, is located near Sookmyung Women’s University Station on Line 4. As such, we have a lot of university

44

students in our classes, along with working professionals and a small group of international residents as well.

This particular dojang caters only to adults, so all weekday classes are held in the evening, with the first class starting at 6:30 p.m. Each class lasts 50 minutes and focuses on one aspect of taekwondo. Some classes focus on learning the pumsae, or forms, for each belt rank, while other sessions focus on breaking boards, or having students concentrate on kicking targets, both for speed and accuracy. An incredibly rigorous full-body workout and strength-training class is offered twice a week, and on Sundays they host 90-minute sparring sessions. The school has six instructors: four Koreans and two foreigners. All of the Korean instructors are fifth degree black belts and are excellent teachers. They are patient, encouraging and very knowledgeable. In fact, the head instructor was once a member of the Korean National Taekwondo Demonstration Team.

Same kicks, different vibe The atmosphere surrounding taekwondo is different in Korea than what I was used to in the U.S. The dojang I attended back home was run very much like a military academy. If an instructor gave a command, all the students would respond with a loud “Yes, sir!” or “Yes, ma’am!” Discipline and focus were two of the key buzzwords. In my school in Korea, there is far less emphasis on structural discipline. Instead, everything comes back to working hard and succeeding as an individual, with the instructors constantly testing your limits. I’ve never left a class feeling underworked I’m always sweaty and exhausted, but I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

I have personally enjoyed my year of relearning taekwondo in Korea. The exercise helped me lose weight, and I now feel a lot healthier. As luck would have it, it is also the place where I met my girlfriend. I can honestly say that my taekwondo experience has made my life in Korea much better. If you’re thinking about giving taekwondo a shot, I promise that you won’t regret it. Korea’s national sport isn’t just for Koreans: It’s for everyone.

45

MULTICULTURAL KOREA

One step at a time Finnish glass artist Annaliisa Alastaro finds her own pace amidst Seoul’s rush-hour lifestyle Written by Felix Im Photographed by Lee Hyang-ah

46

W

hen glass artist Annaliisa Alastaro first decided to come to Korea in 2006, the plan was to stay for only a couple of years. Before arriving here, she had almost no preconceived notions regarding life in Korea.

Campus love Perhaps Alastaro would have never set foot in Korea had she not met her husband, Hong Sung-hwan, a respected glass artist in his own right. Hong, who currently works in both glass art and architectural design, was in Finland for graduate school when Alastaro was an undergraduate student at the same institution, Aalto University in Helsinki. “I spotted him on campus because he stuck out from the usual Finnish student crowd, and remembered him when I ran into him later,” she says. Hong was actually an accomplished artist and designer by that point, having held personal exhibitions all across Europe. Hong and Alastaro married in 2005 and moved to Korea the following year with their two daughters.

“I knew absolutely nothing about Korea before coming here. I remember seeing a paragraph about Korea in a school textbook as a young student, something about traditional fan dances, but other than that, I had no images - no preconceived notions at all,” she recalls. “I just arrived with an open mind.”

Getting out of the city The newlyweds first settled in Insadong, a trendy area in Seoul with many shops that sell traditional items, © Glass Studio Annaliisa but Alastaro didn’t feel that an urban environment was ideal for her children. She has since settled in a spacious residence in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, close enough to the city but surrounded by enough natural space to nourish a child’s growing mind and an artist’s creative instincts. After her husband set up a workshop near their home, it was only a matter of time before Alastaro starting working on her own projects. Having studied glass art and

47

ceramics, she quickly developed her own style. She’s held a number of personal exhibitions, and is an established figure in the local glass arts scene.

“I’ve always enjoyed creating things with my hands,” she says, “whether it’s sewing clothes, crafting pottery or making decorations for the house.”

Normal yet unique Alastaro and her family have even been featured on television, most notably on a documentary program titled “Human Theater” in 2009. On the program, the footage of her family showed images of a loving mother and father, endearing and peaceful. Alastaro and her husband were also depicted as creative souls, showing scenes mostly shot in their workshop. “The family on TV seemed a little more unique than we actually are,” Alastaro says. “We’re really a normal family. We don’t spend all of our time working on an urgent project like crazed artists,” Alastaro says, laughing. It is apparent, however, that Alastaro and her family operate at their own pace.

Finland and Korea are completely different, so adjusting to life in Korea obviously hasn’t been entirely carefree.

Finland is known for its long summer days and long winter nights, its forests and lakes, an unorthodox but effective education system and a relatively laidback lifestyle. Seoul, however, is a hyper-modern arena of IT, fast-paced residents and a seemingly insatiable thirst to build anew. From Alastaro’s perspective, the role of design and art in daily life isn’t established here.

“Glass art, whether it’s plates, coffee mugs or decoration, is an integral part of Finns’ daily lives, as is design in general,” Alastaro explains.

“Finns, if they can help it, never use a plastic or paper cup to drink water or coffee. A common gift for young students who are moving out is glass plates or cups so they don’t have to eat and drink using cheap, disposable products.”

NATURE KOREA

Seoul’s northern guardians The peaks of Bukhansan National Park give Seoul residents easy access to nature and history Written by David Mason

Bukhansan National Park in winter Š Yonhap News

48

K

orea offers us so many great mountains to climb, and fascinating sites interspersed throughout them to visit. Many people, however, who have arrived fairly recently don’t realize that some of the most beautiful and history-packed mountains are easily accessible in the northern areas of Seoul, in Bukhansan National Park.

A set of 10 major mountains and many significant subsidiary hills, peaks and crags, the Bukhansan Mountains have always been the spiritual and physical guardians of historic Seoul. The Seoul City Wall, built around their southern peaks, still runs from Mt. Namsan up over Mt. Inwangsan and Mt. Bugaksan, back down east over the Mt. Naksan ridge and then completing the circle back to Namsan.

Contrary to mistakes that can be found on some maps and websites, there is no single mountain with the name “Bukhansan.” The term actually designates the entire sub-range of mountains that dominate northern Seoul, all interconnected by ridges. The peaks that are most often erroneously called by that name constitute the dramatic tripartite summit of Mt. Samgaksan, or “Three Horns Mountain.” Its highest point is Baegunbong, or “White Clouds Peak,” at 836.5 m above sea level; the “bong” at the end of the name is sometimes replaced with the more religious suffix, “dae,” meaning a platform upon which a Buddha sits to teach.

By any name, the mountains within Bukhansan National Park are the highest peaks around Seoul, and highly rewarding on any visit.

They feature dozens of Buddhist temples at their forested foothills or perched on their craggy cliffs, including major sites such as Doseonsa, Hwagyesa, Seunggasa and Mangwolsa. The mountains are also home to a collection of shamanistic and Confucian shrines, as well as other historic sites and monuments. Rarely can you find such a combination of natural beauty and cultural fascination so densely woven together, with a dense network of wellmarked trails connecting it all.

49

FLAVOR

Bossam Written by Shin Yesol Photograph courtesy of the KTO

B

ossam literally means “wrapped,” and it's an appropriate name for this popular dish of boiled pork belly slices, bean paste, fermented shrimp and fresh kimchi served wrapped in vegetable leaves.

In the olden days, the dish was served just after gimjang, when communities would gather to produce the large amounts of kimchi needed for the coming winter. This

was the time of year when the kimchi was at its crispiest and freshest, making it a delightful accompaniment for the pork, which is tender enough to melt in your mouth.

In Seoul, a good place to enjoy bossam is Jongno 3-ga, where there’s an entire alleyway lined with bossam restaurants. Many of these places specialize in gul bossam, in which the meat is topped with a raw oyster.

50

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