Koreana Autumn 2010 (English)

Korean Art & Culture

vo l . 2 4 , no . 3 A u t u m n 2 0 1 0

Korea’s Smartphone Era ISSN 1016-0744

BEAUTY OF KOREA

Floral Wall (Hwachodam)

© Ahn Hong-beom

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he hwachodam is distinctive for its elaborate adornment with decorative floral designs. Examples of hwachodam can be found at palace grounds, Buddhist temples, and private residences from the time of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In particular, the western wall of Jagyeongjeon Hall of the Joseon Dynasty’s palace Gyeongbokgung is regarded as a hwachodam masterpiece.

The Jagyeongjeon building served as the living and sleeping quarters for the women of the royal family, including the daebi (literally, “great queen”), the mother of the reigning king and thus the senior queen of the royal family. The building was originally constructed in 1865 for Queen Sinjeong, the mother of Emperor Gojong (r. 1863-1907). However, since Emperor Gojong was still a young child at that time, it was his father, the regent Daewongun, who actually ordered its construction. It was built as part of the large-scale reconstruction project of Gyeongbokgung, which had been destroyed during the Japanese Invasion of 1592-1598. Later, Jagyeongjeon itself was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1888.

The orange-colored wall of Jagyeongjeon is adorned with various Chinese characters for longevity and happiness, as well as a variety of flowers and birds. Large inlaid tiles decorated with ume, peony, chrysanthemum, and pomegranate blossoms, along with heavenly peaches and bamboo are flanked by ornate Chinese characters for good

fortune. These symbolize a wish for the queen’s long life and well-being for the royal family. The most impressive sections of the wall are adorned with tiles that feature lively depictions of butterflies flitting about colorful flowers.

The tiles were made by impressing the designs and patterns into clay forms, which were fired in a kiln. Chinese characters and intricate arabesque patterns form a frame around the decorative tiles.

The floral wall is the product of anonymous, but skilled, artisans. The sections known as jeondol, the basic blocks of the wall, were shaped and trimmed by master masons, while the relief designs were engraved by specialized artisans. Experienced craftsmen applied plaster and grout to fill in the spaces between the blocks with a mixture of clay, yellow sand, and quicklime. And highly skilled plaster workers were mobilized to arrange and set the jeondol into the desired patterns. When the construction of the wall was completed, professional artists provided the finishing touches, including painting the jeondol surfaces.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government recently selected the distinctive orange of the hwachodam wall of J­agyeongjeon Hall as one of the city’s ten representative colors, along with naming it “Seoul Orange.” On the streets of the city, you can see Seoul Orange-colored taxis, which the authorities might adopt as a uniform color for all city taxis.

Korean Art & Culture

Vol.24, No.3 Autumn 2010

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According to Statistics Korea, the subscription rate of mobile phones in Korea surpassed 100 percent in March 2010. Coming only 26 years after the first-ever mobile telephone service was launched in Korea, this milestone indicates that the average age of mobile phone users is steadily declining, together with a continuous rise in the number of users who maintain multiple mobile phones.

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Korea’s Smartphone Era 44

8 Mobile Phones in Korea: Between Dynamism and Anxiety Kim Chanho 16 Korea’s Mobile Phone Industry Cho Hyung Rae 24 Korea’s Innovative Mobile Phone Technology Kim Dong-suk

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32 FOCUS

Experience Seoul through Books about Everyday Life Gwon Hyeok Hui

38 Interview

Hwang Kap-Sun: Joseon-Inspired Potter of the 21st Century

Jung Hyung-mo 44 Artisan K im Bok-Gon

Maker of Traditional Instruments with the Proper Sound

Park Hyun Sook 50 MASTERPIECES

Gyeonghoeru: Elegant Example of Korea’s Traditional Architecture

Kim Bong Gon 54 ART REVIEW

Diversity of Commemorative Performances in 2010

Kim Moon-hwan 60 ON THE GLOBAL STAGE Lee Se-dol

In the World of Go, Lee Se-dol Embarks on His Own Path

Jin Jae-ho 64 ON THE ROAD Haenam

Where “Land’s End” Meets the Sea Kim Hyungyoon

72 CUISINE Gajiseon: Stuffed Eggplant Dish Lee Jong-Im

76 LIVING

Continuing Education for an Older Population

Charles La Shure 81

JOURNEYS IN KOREAN LITERATURE

Lee Seung-U

A Storyteller’s Destiny Yi Soo-hyung

The Storyteller’s Tale Translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé

Published quarterly by The Korea Foundation 2558 Nambusunhwanno, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-863, Korea PUBLISHER Kim Byung-kook EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kim Sung-yup EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Park Jeong-yeop EDITORIAL BOARD Cho Sung-taek, Han Kyung-koo, Han Myung-hee, Jung Joong-hun, Kim Hwa-young, Kim Moon-hwan, Kim Youngna COPY EDITOR Dean Jiro Aoki LAYOUT & DESIGN Kim’s Communication Associates ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lim Sun-kun PHOTO DIRECTOR Kim Sam ART DIRECTOR Lee Duk-lim DESIGNER Kim Su-hye Subscription Price for annual subscription: W 18,000, Asia by air US$33, Korea — elsewhere by air US$37 W 4,500 Price per issue in Korea — Subscription/circulation correspondence: The U.S. and Canada Koryo Book Company 1368 Michelle Drive St. Paul, MN 55123-1459 Tel: 1-651-454-1358 Fax: 1-651-454-3519 Other areas including Korea The Korea Foundation 2558 Nambusunhwanno, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-863, Korea Tel: 82-2-2151-6544 Fax: 82-2-2151-6592 ADVERTISING CNC Boom co,. Ltd Towercrystal Building, 1008-1, Daechi 3-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-851, Korea Tel: 82-2-512-8928 Fax: 82-2-512-8676 LAYOUT & DESIGN Kim’s Communication Associates 384-13 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, 121-839, Korea Tel: 82-2-335-4741 Fax: 82-2-335-4743 www.gegd.co.kr Printed in autumn 2010 Samsung Moonwha Printing Co. 274-34, Seongsu-dong 2-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 133-831, Korea Tel: 82-2-468-0361/5

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© The Korea Foundation 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the Korea Foundation.

The opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily represent those of the editors of Koreana or the Korea Foundation.

Koreana, registered as a quarterly magazine with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Registration No. Ba-1033, dated Aug. 8, 1987), is also published in Chinese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, and German.

Korea’s Smartphone Era Changes in everyday life due to the advancement of mobile phone technology can be readily seen everywhere in the world; however, in no country is this phenomenon more all-encompassing than in Korea. To fully understand the pervasive role that mobile communications play in Korean society, it is necessary to look at the factors behind this trend, as well as the global competitiveness of Korea’s mobile phone industry.

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Mobile Phones in Korea: Between Dynamism and Anxiety Statistics indicate that Koreans spend the most amount of time on their mobile phones, as compared to the people in other countries, which includes double the time of users in Germany. What are the factors behind this zealous passion for mobile phones in Korea, where the ubiquity of wireless communication contributes to a unique dynamism of Korean society?

Kim Chanho Professor, Sungkonghoe University Kim Yong-chul Photographer

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S News & World Report published a feature article, entitled “How They Do It Better” (March 18, 2007), which described how the United States, despite its having the world’s largest GDP and producing the most Nobel Prize winners, still has a lot to learn from other countries. For example, Bhutan has the world’s lowest smoking rate, Germany and the Netherlands have streets that are safe for bicycle riders, and the Afghan people are known to treat guests with the utmost hospitality. It also mentioned that Korea along with Japan, is first in the world in terms of mobile phone usage, and Korea’s mobile phone network is faster than the broadband communications network of the United States.

Everyday Necessity The number of mobile phones in Korea, which surpassed the 40-million mark in November 2006, amounted to some 47.7 million, as of October 2009 (including owners of multiple phones). When the CDMA technology was introduced to the market in 1996, mobile phone users amounted to a mere 3 million, which means that there has been a 13-fold increase over a 10-year period. We now live in a society in which virtually all Koreans can contact one another, at anytime and anyplace. This connectivity has brought about farreaching changes to people’s lifestyle and social relations, as it has long been assumed that everyone owns a mobile phone.

If anyone should leave for work and somehow forget their mobile phone

Flashy ad displays in front of the Samsung Electronics headquarters herald the release of the “Galaxy S” smartphone, which has enjoyed strong consumer demand.

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1 A Wi-Fi Zone, one of several available at major KTX stations, is the product of a collaborative effort by the KORAIL and KT.

2 At an SK Telecom customer experience center, people can freely try out the latest mobile phones and a wide variety of content.

at home, they might not be able to do their regular work, along with having a sense of unease, without their access to the world. Indeed, for everyday life in Korea, the mobile phone is essential, as reflected in an advertisement that refers to the mobile device as “the center of our lives.” For many people, they would not even think about going somewhere without their phone, making it an inseparable appendage of their body.

When people leave a concert venue or movie theater, they immediately turn on their mobile device, so as to not miss any calls. The uniqueness of Korea’s mobile phone culture is readily evident from the observations of foreigners who live here.

On the KBS TV program, “The Beauties’ Chatterbox,” a German participant, Maria, remarked: “At a restaurant or bar, the first thing everyone does is to take out their mobile and place it on the table! Everyone does it! And it is so surprising to see students answering their mobile during class, but professors will answer their phone during class, too. When eating with a friend, they will send out a text message once every five minutes. That gets really distracting and annoying.”

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Text Messages Compared with users in other countries, Koreans use their mobile phone far more for the sending of text messages. In the Philippines, there is also a high level of text messaging, but this is due to the expensive rates for voice calls there. In Korea, other factors are behind the popularity of text messages. Above all, the Hangeul writing system is extremely digital-friendly.

At a glance, you can notice that the keypad of a Korean mobile phone includes only ten or so Korean characters. The Hangeul alphabet consists of 24 vowels and consonants that are used to create syllabic blocks. But the vowels are made by combining a few basic letters, while the primary consonants can also be easily converted into more complex forms. Because of this structure, you can type much faster in Hangeul than in other languages, such as English. In fact, in speed text-message contests, Koreans regularly place first, mainly due to the inherent advantage of their writing system, rather than their nimble fingers.

In addition, the Korean lifestyle is ideally suited for the sending of text messages. Students spend the better part of

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With the growing popularity of smartphones, people can utilize a variety of innovative applications to make life more convenient. The ease of access to an abundance of information about traffic, restaurants, cinemas, and various events has significantly enhanced the quality of life for residents of the Seoul metropolitan area and Gyeonggi-do Province, which is home to a dense concentration of some 20 million residents.

their waking hours at school and off-campus institutes. And even when they return home, more study awaits. With so little free time to spend with friends, the mobile phone provides a much-needed relief. In spite of physical constraints, today’s students can still maintain close contact with their cohorts.

They can send text messages on the sly during class, and even when they are sitting at home in their rooms in “complete silence,” they can talk as much as they want with their friends.

This is not limited to young people. In the off-line world when people are physically in the company of people with whom they do not want to communicate, they send text messages to those with whom they do want to communicate, and they welcome text messages sent to them.

Personal-Public Use Overall, mobile phones are used more for voice calls than

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for text messages. Statistics indicate that Koreans spend the most amount of time on their mobile phones, as compared to the people in other countries, which includes double the time of users in Germany. What are the factors behind this zealous passion for mobile phones in Korea, where the ubiquity of wireless communication contributes to a unique dynamism of Korean society? In his book, The Network Revolution, Its Opening and Closing , Professor Hong Sung Wook of Seoul National University’s School of Biological Sciences noted: “The especially rapid spread of pagers and cell phones in Korea, as compared to other countries, is due in part to a cultural longing of people to be connected with others through technological means of communication, after they had experienced the rapid collapse of the traditional community since the early 1990s, and also in part by a relaxed attitude toward privacy, as seen in the fact that a cell phone number is

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1 Nowadays, thousands of mobile phone shops can be found throughout the country. With advanced mobile communications technology being developed more quickly, the mobile phone replacement cycle in Korea is becoming ever shorter.

2 In 2007, SK Telecom launched its video-call service, which salespeople demonstrated to passersby.

3 The award ceremony for the first LG Mobile World Cup, held in Gotham Hall, New York. Some 6 million contestants in 13 countries competed in regional preliminaries over a 12-month period for a chance to be named the No. 1 “thumb tribe” (fastest sender of text messages). The team from Korea placed first, followed by teams from the United States and Argentina.

willingly shared with others rather than being kept private.”

Koreans maintain a strong inclination toward collectivism, under which “we” takes precedent over “I.” As such, to the Korean way of thinking, a sense of contentment is possible only when you can get along with others. With the boundaries of privacy being rather vague, people will freely give out their mobile phone number. If you look over the participant lists of various seminars or professional events, mobile phone numbers are often included alongside the names. Much like a rural community, Korea’s information society maintains a less defined sense of individuality. In the course of its rapid industrialization and urbanization, Korea experienced massive displacement of populations, from the rural areas to urban cities, and within the cities as well. Moreover, there is also high employee turnover, with about one-third of new hires finding alternative work within one year. In this way, the mobility of today’s society does not allow people to take root in a particular community, while a majority of personal relationships end up as fleeting experiences. Even family members can become so immersed in their individual spheres that interaction with each other is little more than perfunctory conversation.

In today’s highly mobile society in which it can be a challenge to communicate on a deep level with the people around us, whether at home, in the neighborhood, at work, or at school, mobile media serve as a vast network of circuits that enable us to transcend spatial limitations and keep in touch with each other. The more distant that we might feel from those nearest to us, the closer we feel toward those apart from

us. In Korea, where managing a network of personal relationships, based on a variety of connections, is critical for social acceptance, the mobile phone functions as the link to reinforce these ties. The list of speed-dial numbers that is stored on a phone defines the owner’s personal life and social standing.

Even as the mobile phone has become an essential aspect of everyday life and a vital channel for social contact, it can also lead to a lack of consideration for other people. In particular, foreigners in Korea are invariably taken aback by the extent to which Koreans will talk on their mobile phones in public, including on the streets or on a subway. With little regard for their own privacy or for the people around them, they carry on phone conversations, talking and laughing aloud as if in their own home. Interestingly, the extraordinary market penetration of mobile phones among Korean consumers has benefited much from this cultural anomaly. As a result of people’s nonchalance in using their mobile phone in public places, including a crowded subway, the mobile phone’s intrinsic value is greatly enhanced.

On the other hand, this sense of openness can be advantageous as well. A prime example of this is the success of a volunteer organization that provides interpretation services for foreigners in Korea, over the phone. This group, known as the Before Babel Brigade (BBB), is named after the Tower of Babel, when people had difficulty communicating with each other due to language differences. Launched on the occasion of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea, the BBB now includes some 3,700 volunteer members who offer interpretation for 17 lanAutumn 2010 | Koreana 13

1 At the SK Telecom booth at the Mobile World Congress 2010, an annual exhibition event of the global mobile telecommunications industry, held in Barcelona, Spain, representatives demonstrate the recent convergence of automobiles and wireless telecommunication technology.

2 With the “smart pay” system, your mobile phone can be used for a purchase instead of a credit card.

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guages. To use the service, all you need to do is dial 1588-5644, select your language, and describe your situation. As for the BBB members, they simply answer any calls directed to them during their on-duty hours.

Worthy of note is the considerable success of the BBB group in Korea, while this kind of initiative has failed to gain traction in other countries. The key factors behind the BBB’s effectiveness are related to the pervasiveness of Korea’s mobile phone culture and the willingness of volunteer members to answer calls from complete strangers, in need of interpretation assistance. Indeed, a vast majority of people would prefer not to take on this inconvenience; but, for volunteer-minded Koreans with sufficient language ability, this is a means of contributing to society. As such, the mobile phone is regarded as a private device for personal communication with family and friends as well as a public resource for the provision of assistance.

Spontaneous Dynamism In this way, mobile phone use in Korea crosses between the public and private domains, which serves to further deepen the roots of this culture. In fact, an information society that facilitates spontaneous connections is well aligned with the Korean penchant for expediency. The mobile phone, along with the Internet, are thus ideally suited to the Korean preference for spontaneity over deliberation and careful planning, as well as the ability to think on your feet and come up with a creative solution.

However, the mobile phone can also be a source of aggravation in people’s everyday routines. Meeting times and places are frequently changed, while the people who call to cancel an appointment at the last minute has become an all too common occurrence. Sometimes a group of people will agree to have dinner together, but instead of deciding on a restaurant 14 Koreana | Autumn 2010

beforehand, they will discuss possible alternatives while on the move, thereby creating an unnecessary complication. Due to the mobile phone’s convenience, people become excessively dependent on it, which can increase their stress level. People are reluctant to turn off their phone lest they miss a call. Moreover, if someone repeatedly fails to answer your call, you might think they are using caller ID to deliberately avoid you. Indeed, people expect you to answer all calls and to promptly respond to a text message, while such a “breach of etiquette” can easily result in a misunderstanding or dispute. In particular, couples who are dating are notorious for squabbling over mobile phone incidents.

While the mobile phone’s ubiquity might complicate your everyday life at times, it is also unrivaled in its capability to influence the masses. Since 2002, the mass candlelight protest has become one of the most powerful means for expressing public opinion on controversial issues, but this would not have come about without the mobile phone. The mobile phone is indispensable for the efforts to rapidly mobilize a large group of people because it can simultaneously send out a message to multiple parties. In his book, The Culture-Deficient Society: From Hippies to Burnouts , cultural critic Lee Dong-yeun, remarked about the guerilla nature of today’s information media: “Mobile text messaging has a far greater impact on mobility than Internet mail services in that it allows people to distribute information among the masses, anonymously and in real time. For this reason, the mobile text message functions as a new medium to publicize group activities and events.”

The political impact of the mobile phone is even greater when combined with Twitter. The surprising outcome of the local elections, in June 2010, was in part attributed to the use of social media such as Twitter. The participation of younger generation voters was a decisive factor in disproving the expectations of a low voter turnout, which reached 54 percent,

the highest level in 15 years. Young voters who supported the opposition party were encouraged by the closeness of exit poll results, so they quickly sent out messages to encourage their friends to get out and vote. In particular, it was found that Twitter users with smartphones played a key role in tipping the election results. A similar development contributed to the election of President Obama in the United States. This trend has led to the emergence of “mobile parties” in the political world, along with predictions of updated election strategies and campaign methods.

Diverse Functions Today’s mobile phones are no longer just phones. It is a personal media device, but also a channel for far-ranging social communication. The ability to instantly send out a message to a large number of users greatly amplifies the mobile phone’s utility. Furthermore, the mobile phone can now accommodate Internet services and mass media functions. It is becoming much more common to see people staring at their mobile phones on the subway, but they are not checking their text messages. More and more people are watching video through DMB (digital media broadcast) or connecting to the Internet to search for information. With the spread of smartphones, people are enjoying using a variety of applications that make

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life more convenient. With the growing popularity of smartphones, people can utilize a variety of innovative applications to make life more convenient. The ease of access to an abundance of information about traffic, restaurants, cinemas, and various events has significantly enhanced the quality of life for residents of the Seoul metropolitan area and Gyeonggi-do Province, which is home to a dense concentration of some 20 million residents.

Mobile phones are captivating more and more people. Everything has gotten faster. This has both enhanced efficiency and at the same time increased tension. Korea’s frighteningly rapid growth has made it hard enough to take the time to stop and look around, but with the expansion of mobile communications, life now flies by at light speed. When that rhythm seems too fast, we want to introduce a pause somewhere in that tight time and space. The mobile phone handily meets our needs here as well. Now that they have the ability to connect to whomever they want at any time, anywhere, people are busy tuning into each other’s frequencies. Those faint waves could be the magnetic field of an excited sympathy, or it could just be the noise of imperfection. Mobile phones are a media that rearranges the order of our life and change our interpersonal relationships. They are a circuit that traces the fingerprints of our heart.

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Korea’s Mobile Phone Industry Early on, the mobile phone industry in Korea basically imported parts from foreign suppliers, and assembled them into finished products. But, over the past 20 years, the mobile phone has become the face of Korean industry, with cutting-edge technology.

The industry is now preparing for a new leap into the popular smartphone market.

Cho Hyung Rae Assistant Editor, The Chosun Ilbo Ahn Hong- beom Photographer

The Samsung Electronics mobile phone design team relies on a dedicated staff of engineers and technicians to turn out an endless stream of new models.

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he Samsung Electronics mobile phone facility in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is the production base for Samsung’s top-of-the-line mobile phones, including the recently released Galaxy S. This is also home to the “five-second production line,” that is capable of producing a mobile phone in only five seconds. In 1998, the production time per unit was 23 seconds, but by 2005 the time had been reduced to a worldrecord 5 seconds. After the inspectors on this line pick up a phone, in a matter of five seconds, they press the keys, check the vibrate mode, look for flaws on the exterior, view the colors of the LCD screen, and confirm that the camera function works properly. These inspectors are as quick with their hands as any magician.

Workers on other assembly lines go about their work with equal quickness and dexterity. Unlike the production plants for automobiles or large appliances, such as refrigerators or washing machines, the mobile phone facility does not utilize a conventional assembly-line process. Instead, a module method 16 Koreana | Autumn 2010

is adopted, in which one to three workers independently carry out ten or so assembly processes at a worktable. The workers take less than ten seconds to fit circuit boards packed with components into the phone body, which is secured with five or six tiny screws, measuring only 2 millimeters in diameter. In this way, the Gumi production facility churns out some 55 million mobile phones a year, which represent an aggregate value of 18 trillion won (about $16 billion). The facility is less than one-tenth the scale of an automobile or large appliance factory, but in terms of annual sales and profitability it is without a doubt the leader of Korea’s manufacturing industry. If you visit a mobile phone facility, it might be readily apparent that the mobile phone industry is ideally suited to a Korean workforce, which can use their natural dexterity and delicate touch to full advantage.

Early on, the mobile phone industry in Korea basically imported parts from foreign suppliers, and assembled them into finished products. But, over the past 20 years, the mobile

phone has become the face of Korean industry, with cuttingedge technology. The industry is now preparing for a new leap into the popular smartphone market. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have managed to surpass such prominent global makers as Motorola and Sony Ericsson, rising to No. 2 and No. 3 in the world rankings. Samsung Electronics, with a 22 percent share of the global market, is steadily gaining ground on the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia of Finland. The success of Korea’s mobile phone industry can be attributed to an exquisite harmony among Korean entrepreneurship, the guiding hand of the government, diligence of local manpower resources, and the Korean consumer, who continuously seeks out the latest IT devices, but also demands flawless product performance.

Launch of CDMA The success story of Korean mobile phones began in 1996 with the world’s first commercialization of CDMA (the U.S.

mobile telephony standard). The protagonist of the Samsung mobile phone’s success, former Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Ki-tae, noted: “If Korea had not adopted the CDMA technology, the mobile phone industry would not have been able to grow as much as it has.” Korea’s adoption of CDMA technology was the result of Korean innovation, which brought in the original technology from abroad and created the world’s finest products through Korea’s unique ability to react to change and quickly apply solutions.

In the early 1990s, the Korean government began preparations to shift from analogue to digital mobile communications.

First, a particular technology needed to be selected. In Europe, the GSM system was being commercialized and gaining acceptance. But the Korean government selected the CDMA as its technology standard. CDMA was the proprietary technology of a little-known venture firm, Qualcomm of the United States.

Various experts and members of the media criticized the government’s decision, arguing for the already proven GMA Autumn 2010 | Koreana 17

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Phone assembly at LG (left)

standard, but the government panel was impressed with the CDMA’s superior call quality and frequency efficiency.

This decision was also fueled by Korea’s pride and patriotism to commercialize its own digital communication technology and to foster a domestic mobile phone industry, as well as the confidence that came from its independent development of a full-scale electronic switching system. But if you take a close look at the reality of the CDMA story in Korea, you would notice that the process was fraught with a succession of serious errors and technical obstacles. The project managers had to travel to every corner of the country to double check the connections, due to Korea’s mountainous terrain, while it is known that the Qualcomm consultants worked throughout the day and night during the Christmas holidays in order to meet the January 1, 1996 deadline for the launch of CDMA service.

In less than a year, the Korean government’s gamble paid huge dividends. Samsung Electronics and other Korean mobile phone makers quickly gained control of the domestic market with their technologically advanced digital mobile phones. By the end of 1996, Samsung Electronics captured over 50 percent of the domestic market, while Motorola, which had dominated the Korean market during the analogue mobile era, saw its market share plunge to less than 20 percent. The originator of wireless mobile communications and manufacturer of the world’s first mobile phone, Motorola had miscalculated the impact of Korea’s conversion to CDMA and did not move fast enough on its digital product line, resulting in disastrous market consequences.

Tech-savvy Consumers After the launch of CDMA, the number of domestic mobile phone users literally skyrocketed, from 3.18 million in 1996, the first year of CDMA’s adoption, to 6.83 million in

1997, 23.44 million in 1999, and 29.05 million in 2001, an exponential increase in a matter of just a few years. Korean mobile communications providers, such as SK Telecom, KTF (now KT), and LG Telecom (now LG U+), offered subsidies to mobile phone purchasers, as part of a fierce competition to attract new subscribers, which also served to boost the market’s explosive growth.

Another factor was the Korean consumer, who was constantly on the lookout for the newest IT products. Korea is known the world over for purchasing a variety of high-priced mobile phones, while the turnover rate for mobile phones among consumers is incredibly short, about 18 months or so. In Korea, this tendency is related to the fact that consumers think of their mobile phone as a kind of social indicator, which reflects their sense of fashion and ability to keep pace with technology trends. As a result of this consumer demand, Korean mobile phone makers adopted a business model under which they pushed for the development of as many models as possible for continuous introduction to the domestic market.

And based on consumer response, the most popular models would then be exported abroad. Moreover, the Korean consumer’s penchant to complain about even the most minor flaw forced the domestic manufacturers to implement stringent quality-control standards.

The effectiveness of this process enabled Samsung Electronics to achieve a milestone of 10 million sales of its SGH-T100 model. Released in 2002, the mobile phone was said to reflect the ideals of Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, which led to its being known as the “Lee Kun-hee phone.” In particular, this model was revolutionary for its unique design, which enabled the unit to fit snugly in the palm of your hand, and its application of a full-color LCD screen, a world’s first.

There were those who questioned the wisdom of including a then-pricey color LCD screen in a mobile phone, but this

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In 2005, Korea became the first to offer DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) service, which enabled users to view terrestrialbroadcast programming on their mobile phones. And in 2006, Korea launched the world’s first video telephony service that allowed callers to see each other. Even more impressive is the fact that these applications were available on a standard mobile phone, and did not require a high-end model, thus demonstrating the innovative technology of Korea’s mobile communication sector.

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1 At the LG Electronics booth at the International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), in Las Vegas, Nevada, technicians demonstrate high-speed data transfer, based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, a next-generation mobile telecommunications service.

2 Instructional session at the “Galaxy S Academy,” of Samsung Electronics, for users of its Galaxy S smartphone.

Samsung innovation led to a consumer craze for the color-screen mobile phone in Korea and worldwide, which helped to vault Samsung into the ranks of the world’s top three manufacturers of mobile phones.

Another advantage for the Korean mobile phone industry was the large number of makers of electronic components in Korea. For example, for the supply of semiconductors and displays to produce mobile phones, Samsung Electronics, Hynix Semiconductor, and LG Display were all recognized for the global competitiveness of their products. As such, the domestic makers of mobile phones were especially well positioned to develop innovative products that could be brought to the market in the shortest period of time.

In addition, Korea’s mobile phone industry has been highly responsive to market trends, and the professional dedication of its product engineers has made a great contribution as well.

For example, the No. 1 global maker, Nokia, will introduce about 30-40 new models in a year, but Samsung Electronics is likely to develop and release up to 100 new models each year.

Korean engineers immerse themselves into product development, even working seven days a week, in an effort to develop products that respond to rapidly changing trends. This effort has led to a number of hit products, such as the previously mentioned “Lee Kun-hee Phone,” as well as the Blue-Black Phone, which features a slide-top body, and the stylish Chocolate Phone, which appealed to younger generation consumers. Former Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Ki-tae was known to conduct his own product testing by stomping on a brand new phone or tossing it into a washing machine. Prior to concluding a business contract with the CEOs of foreign communication enterprises, he would

3 The first 10-million sales model of Samsung Electronics,

hurl his phone against a wall as a live demonstration of the durability and reliability of Samsung products.

World-class Mobile Phones The consumer popularity of Samsung’s mobile phones helped to establish a global image of Korea as a maker of top-quality mobile phones, which provided a boost for other domestic mobile phone producers, 3 such as LG Electronics and Pantech. All the while, Korea’s mobile phone exports soared, setting record-high sales year after year. In 1996, Korean mobile phone exports amounted to some $1.22 billion, but this figure swelled to an incredible $13.62 billion by 2002, a 10-fold increase in export revenue in less than 10 years. After the launch of the third generation of mobile communications in 2000, the growth rate of Korea’s mobile phone exports further accelerated.

Within a year after releasing the slide-top Blue-Black Phone, Samsung Electronics recorded sales of more than 10 million units. Despite the fact that the Blue-Black Phone was marketed as a luxury-price phone, with an unheard of $500 price tag, it enjoyed especially strong consumer demand in the advanced markets of the United States and Europe in spite of weak demand for mobile phones in general, making its success almost beyond expectations. The Blue-Black Phone started a worldwide trend for the color black, in contrast to the previous tendency for silver or white mobile phones. As such, the BlueBlack Phone earned 3GSM’s “Best Mobile Handset” award, a kind of “Oscar” for the mobile phone industry, in 2005, while the U.S. business magazine Fortune included a full-length feature article that described the entire development and marketing process of the Blue-Black phone, as part of its 75th anniversary edition.

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dubbed the “Lee Kun-hee Phone” (after the conglomerate’s chairman), was released in 2002.

4 Blue-Black Phone, another 10-million sales model of Samsung Electronics Autumn 2010 | Koreana 21

1 The “Smart Sim,” a next-generation mobile phone storage device, was unveiled at the MWC 2010 exhibition.

2 With “Mobile in Vehicle” technology, users can control basic automobile functions through software installed on their smartphone.

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As for LG Electronics, its own meteoric ascent began in 2005. LG Electronics struggled somewhat when its development of mobile phones based on the European GSM standard encountered delays, but with the launch of the thirdgeneration mobile phone market, it became Korea’s secondranked manufacturer of mobile phones, behind only Samsung Electronics. The first product to herald LG’s global emergence was the Chocolate Phone, released in 2005. This hit product, which combined stylish design with its distinctive chocolate color, became LG Electronics’ first model to break the 10-million sales mark. In March 2007, LG followed this up with the world’s first touch-screen phone, the Prada Phone, which was designed in cooperation with the world-class designer, Prada.

Five models of LG Electronics mobile phones have become 10-million sellers thus far, enabling it to unseat Motorola from the No. 3 ranking in global market share.

22 Koreana | Autumn 2010

First in the World Korea’s mobile phone industry has been the driving force behind the development of its mobile communication services, as well as the growth of the IT parts and content industries.

For example, Korea launched the world’s first video telephony service in 2006. In June 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated video calling as a key innovation of the iPhone 4, but Korea had already adopted its own video calling service in 2006. Moreover, Korea also introduced the world’s first DMB (digital media broadcasting) service in 2005, which enables users to view terrestrial-broadcast programming on their mobile phones, along with countless other “world’s firsts,” such as ring-back tone and wire-wireless music portal services.

Even more impressive is the fact that these applications were available on a basic mobile phone, and did not require a high-end model, thus demonstrating the innovative technol-

ogy of Korea’s mobile communication sector. In all likelihood, if Korea was an English-speaking country, the landscape of today’s smartphone and mobile content markets would be completely different. The failure of Korean communications enterprises, such as SK Telecom and KT, to make noticeable headway in markets abroad despite their cutting-edge mobile phones and services, is due in large part to an inability to surmount linguistic and cultural obstacles, rather than technological constraints.

Smartphone Era There is no doubt that the smartphone era has presented the Korean mobile phone market with a new challenge. In the six months after Apple’s iPhone arrival in the Korean market, in late November 2009, it has managed to garner some 700,000 users, far exceeding people’s expectations. Domestic firms predicted that iPhone sales would amount to about 100,000 units, but this was well off the mark. The Korean consumer’s tendency to quickly embrace the latest IT products and to regard the mobile phone as a fashion accessory clearly contributed to the iPhone’s widespread popularity. Of note, the iPhone introduced Korean consumers to not only the smartphone’s new hardware but also its diversity of mobile content. Apple’s

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App Store has provided Korean game makers and other content providers with potential access to the worldwide content market. On the other hand, the smartphone proved to be an abrupt shock and unexpected challenge to Korea’s telecom providers and mobile phone industry, which had failed to advance beyond voice calls and wireless Internet access.

Although the iPhone’s success has been surprising, Korea’s mobile phone makers are just as quickly preparing the launch of their own smartphone models. Only six months after the iPhone’s debut in Korea, Samsung Electronics released its Galaxy S model, a smartphone that is fully comparable to the iPhone, while LG Electronics and Pantech are preparing to release their own cutting-edge smartphones, with features that will dazzle overseas consumers. Korean mobile phone manufacturers have adopted the OS software developed by Google and Microsoft, but they intend to optimize the software applications in an effort to differentiate their smartphone models, based on user-friendly features. Korea’s mobile phone industry has learned how to adapt foreign-developed technology and to add its own innovations to create an even better product.

Together with its proven ability to respond quickly to market developments, the Korea mobile phone industry seems well on its way to turning a crisis into another opportunity.

Autumn 2010 | Koreana 23

Korea’s Innovative Mobile Phone Technology Innovation and technology resources, as well as the tech-savvy nature of Korean consumers who are eager to be at the forefront of market trends, have combined to fuel the remarkable development of Korea’s mobile phone industry. Indeed, this favorable environment has enabled Korean mobile phone makers to vault into the upper echelon of the global telecom market.

Kim Dong-suk Mobile Division Chief, Electronic Times Kim Yong- chul Photographer

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he world’s first mobile phone was Motorola’s DynaTAC, released in 1983. Weighing in at a hefty 1.3 kilograms, it brought to mind a brick or dumbbell. Up through the mid1980s, Korea had not yet entered the global mobile phone market. But the history of Korea’s mobile phone did get underway in 1986, when Samsung Electronics launched the first domestically developed car phone, the SC-100, which was followed by the SH-100, in time for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Back then, the Korean mobile phone market was dominated by foreign-made mobile phones, such as those of Motorola.

24 Koreana | Autumn 2010

But everything changed with the advent of the 1990s, as Samsung Electronics enjoyed sharp growth in its share of the domestic mobile phone market. By the 2000s, locally developed mobile phones from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics emerged on the world market, where they quickly gained consumer acceptance with their trend-setting color LCD screen, camera function, customized ring tone, and stylish design. In 2002, Samsung Electronics became the world’s third-largest mobile phone manufacturer, and by 2007 rose to the No. 2 ranking of the global market.

The stylish “Prada Phone,” which was jointly developed by LG Electronics and Prada, along with a wristwatch-like accessory, the Prada Link

Cho Jin-ho, vice president of Samsung’s Mobile Communication Division, noted: “Korea’s mobile phones are far ahead of overseas mobile phones, in terms of technology, including superior call quality and producing ultra-light and slim phones.” He went on to add: “It also helps that Korean mobile producers were able to establish sustainable business strategies and have been quick to respond to changes in the global mobile communication market.”

Text Input Technology What kind of text input methods do mobile phones utilize?

In today’s market, Samsung Electronics’ “Cheonjiin” (Heaven, Earth, and Human Hangeul) system and LG Electronics’ “Naratgeul” (National Writing) system are the most popular text input methods for mobile phones, with the Samsung method being the leader with a 70 percent market share. For English users, the U.S. T9 text input method is the mainstream standard, but due to the characteristics of the English alphabet there has not been a need to develop a variety of input methods such as that for Hangeul.

Mobile phone text input is a vital technology that generates some 720 billion won (about $625 million) of annual textmessage revenue for mobile telecom providers. The scientific composition of Hangeul plays a key role in the mobile phone text-messaging business, while handset manufacturers believe that their text input method can bolster the market image of their products among consumers. And in fact, leading mobile phone makers have filed for patents to protect their proprietary input methods. In 1998, Samsung Electronics negotiated the rights for its system from its developer Choi In-chul and completed the patent registration process, while LG Electronics paid 1.0 billion won (about $870,000) for the usage rights of the “National Writing” system, which had been patented by the venture company Linguistic Science in 1999.

In particular, the Samsung “Heaven, Earth, and Human” system attracted considerable attention for its use of minimal keys for writing vowels. The number of keys required for consonants could not be reduced any further, but this was not true for Hangeul vowels. Korean vowels are written with a combination of elements, so it is possible for the number of keys to Autumn 2010 | Koreana 25

In February 2010, at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung Electronics unveiled its TouchWiz 3.0 interface, which is designed to facilitate social networking functions and multi-tasking UX. TouchWiz 3.0, which is featured in the Galaxy S, the smartphone Samsung released on June 25 as its response to the iPhone, signals the user when a new message has been received, without disrupting any ongoing call or function.

be reduced if the structural principles are adjusted. As a result of such structural adjustments, all Hangeul vowels can be expressed through a combination of only three keys.

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1 Samsung Electronics adopted the “Heaven, Earth, and Human Hangeul� text input method for its mobile phones

2 The LG Electronics smartphone Andro-1 features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

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Optimization of Input Methods The QWERTY keypad, similar to a computer keyboard, has only recently become a topic of debate, in response to the smartphone launch in Korea. However, in the regions of North America and Europe, where Social Networking Services (SNS) is an integral aspect of mobile communication, the QWERTY keypad has long been accepted as a cultural code for younger generation users in English-speaking countries, where longer text and mobile email messages are popular. In the mid 2000s, in an effort to address complaints from consumers in the North American market, who said it was too cumbersome to send text messages with only nine keys, LG Electronics decided to change the mobile phone text input method. With the volume of text messages practically doubling every year, mobile phone users demanded an easier input method so that they could send off messages and chat as if using a PC. Although various PDAs and smartphones had already installed the computer keyboard-style QWERTY keypad, there was no regular mobile phone with this feature. Even PDAs and smartphones were only used by a minority of consumers who were very familiar with IT gadgets. In response to this market void, LG Electronics developed a text message-friendly model, which came with a new QWERTY keypad, thus combining the advantages of a PDA with a mobile phone, which took the North American market by storm.

The text-message phone market rapidly expanded around its core of younger generation users and businesspeople, with LG Electronics leading this sector with a wide array of innovative mobile phones, including those with touch-screen functions and a removable keypad, along with low-cost models.

In the process of mass producing the QWERTY keypad-equipped mobile phones, much effort and research were focused on the physical design and on assuring operational reliability. Because this phone has many more keys than a regular touch-screen display, additional testing is re-

3 LG Electronics smartphone “Optimus Q”

4 At the LG Electronics Mobilecomm U.S.A., Inc. mobile phone design competition, the “Design the Future” technology received an award for its Braille keypad for visually impaired users.

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quired to ensure that the keypad is durable, easy to use, and responds quickly. Moreover, every application and widget of the phone needs to be designed and installed in horizontal and vertical modes. As such, a phone equipped with the QWERTY keypad presents a serious design challenge because it makes the phone thicker. The Optimus Q (LG LU2300), recently released

by LG Electronics in Korea, is earning high praise for its slim 14.35-millimeter thickness, even when equipped with a QWERTY keypad, as well as the ease of use of its keypad and the speed at which it converts from horizontal-vertical mode.

Russian President’s Phone Meanwhile, early this year it became known that the LG Electronics 3G (third generation) Touch Watch Phone (LGGD910) was being used by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, thus confirming the global appeal of Korea’s mobile phones. This model includes Internet and video-call capability, along with featuring a touch screen that measures 1.43 inches, about one-half the size of a regular mobile phone screen. Even when the LCD screen is turned off, the clock function is visible in sunlight or indoor lighting.

A number of technology innovations were necessary to create a 3G phone capable of offering video calling on a pocket-size device, which included the integrated circuitry for projecting sharp images on a small touch screen. The mobile phone model developed

by LG can thus be regarded as an optimal integration of technology and design, which combines miniaturization technology with highdensity instrument design. The phone features a 1.43-inch full-function touch screen that enables users to easily make calls and input text, along with time and alarm options, all at your fingertips. It also includes a simple voice-recognition function that allows users to 4 initiate calls by voice command, as well as a TTS (Text-ToSpeech) input method.

Mobile-related Patents As the development of technology for next-generation mobile phones accelerates, the competition for relevant patents is intensifying as well. Samsung Electronics, which announced its goal of capturing the No. 1 world ranking in 2010, has been the most active in patent filings. Since 1998, Samsung Electronics Autumn 2010 | Koreana 27

1 The E250, a hit model distributed by Samsung Electronics to the global market in 2006, has since recorded sales of some 40 million units.

2 The popularity of smartphones has contributed to a rapid spread of social networking services, such as Twitter.

has applied for 12,000 mobile phone-related patents in Korea, and another 25,000 abroad. In order to lead the way in the 4G (fourth generation) and mobile Internet standards, it has invested heavily in R&D efforts, which has resulted in some 100 Samsung Electronics technologies being selected as standards for the 3G and 4G mobile phones. Currently, Samsung Electronics has applied for some 3,000 mobile communication patents in 27 countries.

As for LG Electronics, it is focusing on patents related to MPEG4 video technology and user interface. It has thus applied for a large number of patents related to the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and 3GPP2 specifications for 3G mobile communications, of which several patents have already been issued. LG also intends to pursue patents related to new technology for improving the quality of handsets and multimedia applications. LG Electronics has applied for 1,800 patents related to mobile phone technology in Korea and another 12,000 abroad. Pantech has also applied for about 4,000 patents in Korea.

1 LG Electronics has announced its plans to become the global leader in LTE (long-term evolution), a 4G mobile communications technology. Choi Go-Hee, head of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Technology Research Lab., explains: “In the field of LTE, which has been widely adopted as the 4G mobile communications standard, LG Electronics is developing the world’s first technology in various areas and producing handsets, thereby establishing a broad foundation to become one of the world’s premier telecom enterprises.”

Under 4G mobile communications, the next generation of mobile technology, it will be possible to attain transmission speeds of 1 Gbps, while stationary, and 100 Mbps, while on the move at over 60 kph. This is 50 times faster than the transmission speed possible with WCDMA, while moving, and ten times faster than the fastest landline networks. With the 4G system, users will be able to download a 700 MB film in less than a minute.

TechIPm, a mobile communication consulting firm in the 28 Koreana | Autumn 2010

United States, reported that, of all the patents submitted to the U.S. Patent Office and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in the past year (as of May 2010), 1,238 patents have been related to LTE. Of these patents, 134 are applicable to mobile phones, notebook PCs, and PDAs, and are likely to be adopted as standards for the 3GPP. LG Electronics has filed the most patent applications, at 40 (30%), while Qualcomm ranks second at 30 (22%), and Samsung Electronics is fifth at 14 (10%).

Fashion Accessory In early 2004, at the Yeouido Twin Towers, the headquarters of the LG group, LG Electronics Mobile Communication Company President (then Vice President) An Seung-gwon received a surprise from Kim Ssang-su, CEO of LG Electronics, and Park Moon-hwa, CEO of the Mobile Communication Company. If the LG Electronics Mobile Communication Research Institute carried out its master plan to produce one truly innovative product each year, it would be exempt from the regular budget and product development status reports. This

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unconventional decision, difficult to imagine in any large-size corporation, where the reporting system is such a vital aspect of management, was the beginning of the “Chocolate Phone” secret project.

The proposal for this secret project came from President An’s own experiences. It was kept a secret because as more and more people get involved in a project, secrets begin to leak, and 3 what may start out as an original product naturally becomes just like any other product as more and more suggestions are applied. In addition, he gave the task of designing the product not to a mobile phone designer but to an inhouse music player design expert. He was able to take the design most appropriate to a mobile phone from a pool of concepts established in order to create an original portable audio device

that would succeed in the competitive MP3 market, where design was key.

The ultimate goal was to produce a phone that the consumer would want to immediately buy at first glance. For this, LG envisioned the world’s slimmest model with a slide-top body, compact enough to fit easily in your shirt pocket. To accentuate the phone’s smart and stylish appearance, its exterior was pure black, while the typical lines and product logo showed a minimalist approach. Of note, for the first time ever in a mobile phone, its entire surface functioned as a touchpad, such that any operation only needed the touch of your finger.

Painstaking effort went into overcoming various design issues, as the touch-screen technology enabled a slimmer look, but the touch keys had to be rigorously tested for reliability and durability. Moreover, the designers sought to have the phone, which was all black when closed, to come alive with color images whenever open.

From the initial planning, the Chocolate Phone project was carried out so that the prod-

3 The LG Crystal phone features a transparent slidedown keypad with headset accessory.

4 LG Electronics regularly sponsors design competitions in an effort to develop mobile phones that combine stylishness with innovation

4 Autumn 2010 | Koreana 29

1 The Ultra Edition, yet another Samsung Electronics 10 million-seller, was awarded the prize for “Best Mobile Handset or Device” in 2007 at the 3GSM World Congress, which was attended by over a thousand cell phone and communications companies from around the world.

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uct technology was developed to satisfy the designer’s ideas.

After developing the technology to adopt the original design concepts, the designer made the final call at each step of the development process. In this way, it was possible to achieve the project goal of creating an innovative phone that appealed to consumer sentiments through product design, thereby drastically altering buyer attitudes toward function-related mobile phones. This was the story behind the LG Electronics’ launch of its “Black Label Series,” in which the mobile phone was no longer simply an IT device, but a consumer product and fashion accessory as well. The Chocolate Phone completely changed the image of LG Electronics mobile phones, and it was sold in the most countries for the longest period of time, becoming the company’s biggest seller at over 21 million units.

Ultimate User Experience An ability to use your smartphone to check the news and weather, along with having a map application to guide you to the site of the nearest discount store, and then being able to compare prices—this

kind of mobile convenience is part of the “user experience” (UX). The evolution of UX thus enables smartphone users to enjoy the advantages of a mobile experience from the home to the workplace, and everywhere in between.

In February 2010, at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung Electronics unveiled its TouchWiz 3.0 interface, which is designed to facilitate social networking functions and multi-tasking UX. TouchWiz 3.0, which is featured in the Galaxy S, the mobile phone released on June 25 as Samsung’s response to the iPhone, signals the user when a new message has been received, without disrupting any ongoing call or function. Another new feature is the integrated messaging service known as Social Hub. This function uses the mobile phone user’s address book to manage information from webmail services and messenger services abroad, and to automatically post updates to Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking services. Email and chat can also be used directly with the address book. For users who utilize advanced applications, such as SNS, it can link together Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace services to the phone’s address book and calendar, thereby optimizing the linkage to social networking services and appointment scheduling, at any time and place.

The user can check the weather, stock market, breaking news, and other information on the regular screen, or utilize special widgets, such as Hybrid Clock and Info Alarm, for the combined display of various information.

Chang Dong-hoon, senior vice president of the Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, said:

2 The Samsung Electronics Star phone is a full2

30 Koreana | Autumn 2010

touch phone that recorded 10 million sales only six months after hitting the European market, and 20 million sales in the first year.

“TouchWiz 3.0 is Samsung’s new UX design, offering easy and convenient functions for the regular user, together with a variety of functions for the advanced user.” He went on to add: “We intend to upgrade the competitiveness of our smartphones through the application of a variety of functions that have been optimized for smartphones.”

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Prada Phone As for Prada, whose name is synonymous with creative design, it is known for closely guarding the propriety of its creative processes in order to maximize the value of its design efforts. However, contrary to its secretive ways, Prada granted complete access to the Korean media, which inquired about the details of its collaborative project with LG Electronics for the development of the Prada Phone. Indeed, the openness of Prada was a reflection of its immense pride and satisfaction with the final product. LG and Prada unveiled their trend-setting Prada Phone in conjunction with the fashion week events of Milan, Italy, the traditional fashion center of the world.

Founded in 1913 and now one of the top three designer labels in the world, Prada proudly unveiled the Prada Phone, which was designed and developed in cooperation with LG Electronics. The project partners carefully selected the retail stores and distribution networks as well. Among the more than 300 Prada retail outlets worldwide, only 20 outlets, with an exclusive image, were approved to market the product. In addition, about 300 top-tier department stores were selected as retailers of the Prada Phone.

The Prada Phone reflects the distinctive and sophisticated design associated with the Prada brand. The phone’s sleek form and elegant luster are highlighted by its deep black tone. The phone, without any raised number or function keys, features a 3-inch LCD touch screen that responds to a light touch of the finger for user operations. A bar-menu touch screen harmonizes with its stylish black form. Moreover, LG and Prada agreed not to promote their product through TV advertising, in an effort to enhance its aura as an exclusive luxury item that does not need the typical media exposure. The attention to detail also included the distribution of product display guidelines to the selected retail outlets.

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3 The LG Electronics Chocolate Phone was developed in such a way that the technology was adapted to fit the designers’ ideas starting from the planning phase.

4 The Samsung Mobile Unpacked event at the MWC2010 event showed off a varied lineup of smartphones, such as the Wave.

Autumn 2010 | Koreana 31

FOCUS

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Experience Seoul through Books about Everyday Life Nowadays, a growing number of books about Seoul are being published. Of course, some are guide books with information mainly for tourists, but many others are literary books that help to reveal unfamiliar aspects of Seoul through personal accounts about everyday life.

Gwon Hyeok Hui Curator, Seoul Museum of History

1 Little-known stories about the Bukchon district of Seoul are featured in Indulged in Bukchon.

2 Cityscape of Cheongjin-dong, Jongno, in 2008, as described in Seoul Cityscape Scenery.

32 Koreana | Autumn 2010

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number of recently published books, which explore aspects of contemporary Seoul, share a common thread: they strive to reveal Korea’s history through tradition and modernity, as well as culture and the arts. The result is a kind of “city exploration” that closely connects the modern day with the city’s historical roots.

Everyday Life in Seoul This recent trend is an offshoot of a “revival of tradition” movement, of the past 20 years, that seeks to shed new light on the sites and relics from such eras as the Unified Silla period, Goryeo Dynasty, and Joseon Dynasty. In the 1990s, Korean Culture Travelogue , written by the art historian Yoo Hong-joon, led to a surge in visitors to the historical sites scattered about Korea, but attention has since shifted to “today’s cities.” This development contrasts with earlier books that focused on cultural sites, along

with emphasizing “nation” and “tradition,” in the form of largescale narratives.

The recent books about Seoul focus less on historical events and well-known art works, while instead making the city their primary subject, which is illuminated through rather mundane or even minute details. Typically, they use storytelling to introduce a site, along with breathing life into its particular significance with personal accounts. This contrasts with the previous style of basically reciting the facts about historical incidents and figures, such as the reigning king.

Casting New Light Walking in Seoul with an Old Map , by geography historian Lee Hyeon Goon, and Seoul is Deep , by historian Jeon U-yong, both offer detailed stories about Seoul during the time of the Joseon Dynasty. Lee delves into the history and culture of Seoul, a wallAutumn 2010 | Koreana 33

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2 1, 2 The Seokjojeon stone building, on the grounds of Deoksugung Palace, is introduced in Tears of Palaces, Silence of a Hundred Years, along with the Hwangudan Altar in Sogong-dong, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty.

enclosed city, from a historic-geographic perspective. For example, he discusses the location of Gyeongbokgung Palace and Mt. Bugaksan, and the background of Jongno Street’s development, along with describing the residents of Bukchon (North Town) and Namchon (South Town), through the use of human-interest stories.

Similarly, Jeon seeks to revive the forgotten history of various sites in Seoul by telling stories with details that are little known to even longtime residents. This includes his explanation of the origin of the expression “Seoul kkakjaengi” (or city slicker) based on folklore, and the use of similar methods to convey the significance of landmarks in Seoul such as Cheonggyecheon Stream, Jongro Street, and the fountain on the grounds of Deoksugung Palace, as well as various other attractions with cultural value. His book also provides detailed narratives, based on a humanities approach, about the distribution of social classes within Seoul, social changes related to the demise of the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese colonial period, and the efforts of residents to adapt to Korea’s modernization.

Of note, Tears of Palaces, Silence of a Hundred Years differs noticeably from the previously published books about Korean palaces. Whereas other books would typically introduce palaces as symbols of Korea’s

34 Koreana | Autumn 2010

cultural traditions, this book describes the serious damage that the Japanese colonial authorities inflicted on the palaces in Korea.

The section entitled “One Hundred Years of the Empire’s Fall, What Happened to Our Palaces?” provides a summary of the book’s content. It presents detailed accounts about the way in which such valuable royal sites in Seoul as the Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, and Gyeonghuigung palaces, as well as Hwangudan Altar, were defiled by the Japanese colonial authorities, including instances of the dismantlement and disposition of structures. In this manner, it traces Korea’s turbulent modern history through the ordeals of its palaces.

Accordingly, the more recent books on Seoul, while being rooted in Korea’s history and culture, are expressed through personal accounts and human-interest stories that naturally appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. In terms of explaining the history and background of Seoul, considerable attention is focused on the historical sites and events related to the Korean Empire and subsequent Japanese colonial period. In particular, much effort is made to show the connections between the present and the past.

A notable example is Gwon Gibong’s Meeting with Disappearing History on a Stroll through Seoul , which reconstructs Korea’s modern history through stories about various sites and buildings.

This book provides richly detailed accounts about Cheongye

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3, 4 An old house in Seochon, described in Seoul Cityscape Scenery, and a stone monument in honor of Yeomgeo hwasang, a monk during the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), which had been erected at Gyeongbokgung Palace and is now housed at the National Museum of Korea.

Overpass, which has since been torn down; a 100-year-old movie theater; Sewoon Shopping Mall, once a proud symbol of Korea’s industrialization; and the old house of the poet and writer Choe Nam-seon, now in danger of being demolished. There are also stories about obscure streets and hidden-away places, which are nonetheless closely related to Korea’s history. Additional publications, based on microscopic historical research of the Joseon Dynasty and Japanese colonial period include Gang Myeonggwan’s Scenes Behind the Alley During the Joseon Dynasty and Sin Myeong-jik’s Modern Boy Strolling in Gyeongseong , both published in 2003.

A New Take on Bukchon Increasingly, books are being published to introduce Seoul as the locus of everyday life in a modern city, without the weight of historical facts. An example of this trend is the Bukchon area, a must-see attraction for foreign visitors interested in the sites in and around Seoul. Literally meaning “North Town,” the Bukchon area is comprised of portions of the Wonseo-dong, Jae-dong, Gye-dong, Gahoe-dong, and Insa-dong administrative divisions, within the Jongno-gu District. At the time of the Joseon Dynasty, Bukchon was a typical residential area; however, it has since become one of the few remaining neighborhoods with a preva-

Downtown Seoul viewed from the Seoul Wall (photograph: Seo Heon-gang)

Autumn 2010 | Koreana 35

Indeed, it can be said that an increasing number of people of every social rank and background have come to lament the disappearance of longtime sights and scenes in Seoul. It thus seems necessary for us to visit these sites whenever possible, for as long as they are around.

lence of traditional Korean houses, or hanok . Because of this, the area is subject to special development restrictions in an effort to preserve its existing hanok. In this regard, Kim Yu-gyeong’s Seoul, From Bukchon and Ok Sunny’s Bukchonholic strive to introduce Bukchon as a vibrant center of everyday life, aside from being a symbol of Korea’s traditional architecture. Seoul, From Bukchon offers a comprehensive life history of Bukchon, based on the vivid testimony of the area’s residents, business proprietors, and artists, whom the author had met over the course of several years, thereby depicting human values not recorded in historical materials.

While essentially ignoring the 600-year history of Seoul city, Bukchonholic introduces the hustle and bustle of today’s Bukchon, by capturing the area’s notable characteristics. By providing useful information on tourist attractions, it also functions as a helpful guide for visitors. The visitor destinations introduced in the book, however, are not the typical historical sites or museums that house national treasures, as might be included in a regular introductory book. Instead, there are descriptions of a traditional outdoor market, a park area with a unique atmosphere, and a man-made garden found atop a high-rise building.

Exploring the Alleys Seoul Cityscape Scenery (Seoul Punggyeong-hwacheop)

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1 According to Seoul Cityscape Scenery, the Pimatgol alley, off Jongno Street, was once abuzz with daily activity.

2 A large-scale restoration project has brought Cheonggyecheon Stream back to life (photograph: Seo Heon-gang).

36 Koreana | Autumn 2010

observes and examines Seoul city in minute detail. In a section entitled “Scenes of Our Life Here and Now,” there are stories told by a couple, who both work as architects, about the numerous sites in Seoul that they had visited over a 10-year period, along with sketches of scenes that caught their fancy. Through the eyes of these architects, the readers can enjoy a glimpse of various buildings and sights, including postmodern buildings, historical palaces, and overlooked alleyways. The book offers rich accounts about such places as Pimatgol, an old restaurant area in Cheongjin-dong, along with Jongno and Euljiro, as well as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Unhyeongung Palace, Myeong-dong, Mt. Namsan, and the neighborhoods around Hongik University, Yeouido, and the recently developed and still developing New Towns.

Recently, considerable interest has been focused on exploring the “alleys” of Seoul. Filled with nostalgic memories, these byways are living reminders of Seoul’s past, but are now in danger of disappearing. Gwon Young Sung’s I Indulge in Alleys illuminates Seoul’s colorful alleys by contrasting them with the alleys found in the cities of other countries. To support his claim that “alleys are like a complex artwork that portrays the vibrancy of

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life,” the author introduces such “works of art” as Pimatgol and the alleys of Buam-dong in Seoul, together with Shibamata alley in Tokyo, alleys of the medieval town of Rotttenburg, Germany, and the quaint alleys of Florence, Italy. In a section, “The Most Beautiful Way of City Strolls,” the author reveals his attachment to the delightful charm of alleys that are often ignored by passersby.

Seoul’s Disappearing Scenery Above all, the popularity of these recent books on Seoul is related to their use of human-interest stories, not found in previous publications, which bring new aspects of the city to life, along with giving Seoul a new face, still familiar but seen in a different light. The relevance of books on Bukchon and alleyways in Seoul is undoubtedly related to the often massive development projects that seem to be under construction in every corner of city.

The alleys, which had been formed by the endless streams of people from the countryside who made their way into Seoul, as a result of Korea’s industrialization and urbanization, are now fast disappearing due to an onslaught of high-rise apartment complexes. Areas such as Pimatgol in Jongno, which dates back to

the Joseon Dynasty, and alleyways of the so-called Moon Village, a lower-income residential area, are being forever lost for the sake of development, such as New Town projects.

The growing numbers of people who deplore the consequences of unabated development can be seen in the popularity of these books as well as the emergence of photo-blog sites, which seek to focus the public’s attention on the potential loss of Seoul’s human character. Amateur photographers wander about the city to capture images of its street life, neglected residential areas, and alleys in the shadows, which are then posted on Internet sites. Recently, the “Our Culture” (Munhwa Uri) civic group has been making efforts to research and document various city spaces, while the Seoul Museum of History has sought to document Seoul’s idiosyncratic scenes before they are plowed over by commercial development. Indeed, it can be said that ever more people of every social rank and background have come to lament the disappearance of longtime sights and scenes in Seoul. It thus seems necessary for us to visit these sites whenever possible, for as long as they are around.

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A

s you enter the pottery workroom of the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University, you first notice the palegreen hue of its interior. It is here that pale-greenish clumps of clay are transformed into sleek, milky-white porcelain wares. Hwang Kap-Sun, a 47-year-old professor, and his students can be seen hunched over a potter’s wheel at all hours of the day.

I visited the workroom in late June. On a table, there were about 30 porcelain works with identical forms, in an orderly arrangement, which appeared to have been recently produced.

“These items will be gifts for the leaders of countries participating in the G20 Summit in Seoul in November. The porcelain bottles will be filled with a traditional Korean rice wine, based on a special process that Baesangmyun Brewery has revived. The concept is to have Korean culture in every aspect of the gift, from the wrapping paper to the lid decoration. So, I was pleased to participate in this project. We were asked to provide 100 porcelain vessels for the rice wine, but we decided to produce about 170,” professor Hwang notes.

Clad in coveralls smeared with white clay residue, a relaxed

Professor Hwang, with his glasses perched atop his head, spoke in a cheerful tone. I happened to notice how his fingernails were caked with white powder from the constant handling of clay. His porcelain creations are as smooth as the stones gathered from a riverbed. In recognition of his fine craftsmanship, Hwang received the “Best of the Best” honors at the Red Dot Awards in 2003, a gathering of international designers, and he also earned a “High Design Quality” award at this event in 2005.

In March this year, he received the gold medal of the Baverian State Prize (Bayerischer Staatspreis) for the Design Category (Bereich Gestaltung) of the International Handicrafts Fair Munich (Internationale Handwerksmesse München). In late 2010, a large-scale exhibition of his works will be held at the Ateliers d’Art de France in Paris, and at the Hamburg Museum for Arts and Handicrafts (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg) in Germany.

‘Why does it have to be that way?’

Based on my memory as a child, my mother was like a moun-

INTERVIEW

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Hwang Kap-Sun

Joseon-Inspired Potter of the 21st Century The potter Hwang Kap-Sun has been referred to as a “cultural nomad,” who can bring alive the past with his reinterpretation of Joseon-era white porcelain traditions. For this gold medal recipient of the Design Category at the International Handicrafts Fair Munich, his innovative works are the result of extensive research of long-ago techniques of incising, polishing, and glazing.

Jung Hyung-mo Editor, Culture Section, Joongang Sunday

38 Koreana | Autumn 2010

tain. She was often sick and would lie down on her side. Seen from her back, she looked like a mountain to me.” As a young boy, Hwang Kap-Sun would toss his schoolbag aside as soon as he returned home, and go out to play for the afternoon and late into the evening with his uncle, who was not that much older, and his friends. He would play all kinds of games. But he especially liked playing with clay. He considered everything from the earth to be very precious. And whenever he came across a piece of quartz or amethyst, he would cry out with delight.

In middle school, he enjoyed reading, while in high school, he worked actively on the school newspaper. In addition, he always drew pictures in his spare time and developed an interest in art.

However, as the oldest son, his parents were adamantly opposed to his pursuit of an art education. But after a lengthy standoff with his displeased parents, Hwang’s persistence was eventually rewarded and he was allowed to enroll in the Department of Ceramic Crafts of Seoul National University, after spending one extra year cramming for the entrance exam.

“The campus was so large,” Hwang recalls. “I joined the

mountain climbing group as well as the choir. I also peeped in on the theater group and helped to build a stage. I organized a cartoon group by myself. I drank often with my seniors of the college of humanities. But the classes in my major were the least interesting. They taught us exactly how a celadon work should be made, or a white porcelain. I could only wonder: ‘Why does it have to be that way?’”

Hwang wanted to do something completely new and different. An artisan who reproduces traditional crafts? Or an artist who creates works based on past art traditions? But neither was suitable enough. So, he thought: “I’m not a potter of the Joseon Dynasty but a ceramic artist of the Republic of Korea. I believe that the 21st century requires a style more fitting to the modern times.”

He found inspiration when he happened to view a ceramics exhibition in Seoul, during his sophomore year. It was an exhibition of works by the ceramic artists group, Keramikergruppe 83, of Germany, whose members also belonged to the International Academy of Ceramics. “‘How is it possible to create such works

1 Hwang Kap-Sun, a ceramics artist, with his wife and fellow artist Kang Si-Sook 2 For this series of vessels, Hwang was awarded the Gold Medal, for the Design Category, at the International Trade Fair Munich.

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Coexistence (Sichzusammenfinden), a series of ceramics works by Hwang

“My body contains the genes of those Joseon potters who made such exquisite ceramics. The elegance of Joseon white porcelain inspires me to engage in deep self-reflection. As such, I believe in my ability to create unique porcelain wares based on my own style. When a work is created in such a manner, and then is praised by people around the world, I am confident that it is truly Korean.�

40 Koreana | Autumn 2010

with clay?’ I wondered aloud. I suddenly realized: ‘This is chemistry.’ I then dreamed about going abroad to study.” After completing his military service as a ROTC officer, he wandered about India and Nepal for three months in 1990, and then made his way to Germany. His destination was the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts in Kiel, a city in northern Germany. There, he became a student of Professor Johannes Gebhardt, a member of Keramikergruppe 83.

Study in Germany Hwang would always arrive an hour early for class and take a seat in the front row. He rented a rather expensive apartment nearby the school so that he could save on time and commute expenses. He had only limited means but insisted on using only the best-possible raw materials for his assignments. He fully immersed himself into the study of raw materials, his major field.

Before the start of a course, he would read the entire textbook, sometimes as thick as a phone book, and memorize important parts. In this way, he already had an overall understanding of the course material before the first lecture.

“I used the facility and raw materials as if they were my own.

During the seven years of my study there, I undertook countless experiments with glazes during the four-hour morning sessions.

To make a high-quality glaze by effectively combining such elements as potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium, which had been extracted from kaolin, quartz, feldspar, limestone, and other materials—this was a top secret process in the old days.

But even the same glaze will have a different result depending on the type and thickness of the clay. That’s the know-how I learned from all kinds of experiments. If the textbook said, ‘Do not mix titanium with phosphorus,’ I would mix them together anyway to see what happens.”

When Hwang received the Justus Brinckmann Award in 2002, Dr. Rüdiger Joppien, Curator of the Hamburg Museum for Arts and Crafts, described Hwang as “someone who knows how to express the subtle nuances of transparency and refraction of light by using hundreds of different kinds of glaze.” His teacher was no doubt impressed by Hwang’s dedication to his study, which resulted in the award of a scholarship and the use of a studio, adjacent to the gallery area and yard. He was also invited by the National Porcelain Manufacturing Meissen (Staatliche PorzellanManufaktur Meißen) to participate in its visiting artist program. In addition, Hwang got married to a fellow student, Kang Si-Sook.

In 2000, in place of his teacher, Hwang was dispatched to Hangzhou National College of Art in China to serve as a visiting

Hwang designed and produced porcelain vessels that will be filled with traditional Korean wine and presented as gifts to the national leaders who attend the G20 Summit in Seoul, in November.

professor for the study of materials. “I was very excited about teaching glazing techniques, the core process of ceramics, in the very country where ceramics originated. I taught from seven in the morning until well past midnight for two months, with the help of two interpreters, who worked in shifts. It was a great opportunity to show Chinese students the Korean spirit.”

Due to the assistance that Hwang received during his study in Germany, he felt a need to contribute to the welfare of his local community. So, when a neighborhood woman came to him with a broken flowerpot, he fixed it right away, despite his long list of important tasks. And when young students in the neighborhood came by and asked him to teach them about ceramics, he would provide careful instruction for as long as they maintained an interest in learning. He also spent time with the art teachers from neighborhood schools.

German society’s appreciation of the community-mindedness of Hwang and wife led to their receipt of the Kultur Aktuell (Norddeutscher Kulturpreis), an award for individuals recognized as human cultural assets, from the provincial government of Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany. Prior to selecting the award recipient, the 21 members of the selection committee visit a number of sites to gather information about candidates during a two-year evaluation period. The Korean-born composer Yun I-sang had earlier received this award, for which Hwang became its 19th recipient.

Hwang regards this award as “his most notable personal honor.”

Later that year, he returned to his former university as a professor, marking a triumphant homecoming after 14 years abroad.

Hwang’s Unique Ceramics Upon his return to the ceramics department, the first thing that Hwang set about doing was to establish a system so that students could use the best-quality raw materials as freely as they desired. Due to the department’s limited budget, students had been required to pay a 250,000-won fee ($220) for raw materials.

Hwang also asked the students to agree to donate 10 percent of their “earnings,” from the sale of their works at art events and prize money awarded at exhibitions.

“There are always some students who will use more materials than they pay for, so it looks like there will be a loss.” But as Hwang explains: “However, these students will create excellent works and will thus be able to sell more of their works and receive awards. They can thus donate a share of their earnings. I just tell them to use as much of the materials as they need, but they should also come early and stay late at school.”

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1~3 According to Hwang, the Joseon Dynasty’s elegant white porcelain has been the inspiration for his ceramics works

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The fruit of Hwang’s seven years of teaching in this way started to show up in late 2009. His students presented a gallery exhibition, from November 27 to December 6, 2009, during which their ceramic works generated some 80 million won (about $70,000) of sales. In addition, at an exhibition titled “Sedimentation,” staged at Gallery LVS in Sinsa-dong, in Seoul, from this April 1-24, most of the exhibited works were sold as well.

But what is the secret of Hwang’s unique ceramics? After shaping a piece on a potter’s wheel, it is fired after applying glaze to only the interior surface. The uneven exterior surface is then trimmed with a diamond-edge tool until it reaches a texture like a person’s skin; but, the inside is smooth and milky-white. This is how Hwang achieves the unique look and feel of his ceramics.

In his mind, a perfect ceramic work is a kind of “egg,” with a limestone shell surrounding water and life within. And of course, it is white. A whiteness, which is nearly transparent, is a manifestation of his aesthetic ideal. “When ceramics are fired at the usual temperature of 1,250° Celsius, they can maintain their shape and are durable enough. You also use less energy.” Hwang also explains: “But, I fire my works at 1,280° Celsius so that they attain a glass-like state. This technique increases the difficulty, but the glaze becomes transparent, and the finished product has less absorptance.”

His method of making ceramics calls for industrial production. He says: “Crafts are not art works. It is necessary to reproduce your works.” For this, he emphasizes “industrial standards” to his students. Even today, he continues to experiment with glazes and raw materials. Over the years, Hwang has created about 8,000 glazes. His office at Seoul National University is overflowing with all manner of ceramic pieces that had been fired with his experimental glazes. He exchanges ideas with his students and shares the results of his experiments, after saving the data on his computer.

Genes of Joseon Potters What is the significance of ceramics to Hwang Kap-Sun? For this, he cited a story from Bukhagui (Discourse on the Learning from the North) by Bak Je-ga, a Joseon Dynasty scholar. “At first, when potters made ceramics, the works were made rather crudely. As a result, people would use the items with little care, while developing a crude behavior as well. The crudeness of ceramic works led all of society to develop a crude way of life. You should thus put much care into the making of even an ordinary ceramic piece.”

As for his cone-shape, milky-white ceramics, for example, a geometric structure accented with blue lines, should these works be thought of as descendants of the white porcelain of the Joseon Dynasty? Hwang describes the white porcelain of the Joseon period as having been “born of Nature’s gifts of ideal soil and water, but in a society in which potters were discriminated against,” and therefore potters experienced an “unfortunate fate despite the excellence of their works.” He then mentions an interview conducted by a German newspaper that described him as a “cultural nomad.” A hundred years ago, he noted, potters could travel no farther than a few kilometers from their home, but today they can blend together the influences of many cultures, even thousands of kilometers apart, for their modern form of ceramics. This kind of “communication,” he says, is a condition for new standards of beauty in the era of the global community.

“My body contains the genes of those Joseon potters who made such exquisite ceramics. The elegance of Joseon white porcelain inspires me to engage in deep self-reflection. As such, I believe in my ability to create unique porcelain wares based on my own style. When a work is created in such a manner, and then is praised by people around the world, I am confident that it is truly Korean.”

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ARTISAN

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1 Artisan Kim Bok-Gon has dedicated his four-decade career to the restoration and recreation of Korea’s traditional musical instruments, especially string instruments like the gayageum (12-string zither) shown here.

2 A hyangbipa (lute) produced by Kim

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n his Chojeongjipseo essay, the Confucian scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, Bak Ji-won, wrote that even if we follow the model of the past, we should not ignore change, and when we create the new, we should remember the old. From this a four-character Chinese word, “beopgo changsin ” has been derived, which emphasizes the importance of pursuing future value based on tradition.

Pursuit of Proper Sound Kim Bok-gon is an artisan who lives up to the spirit of “beopgo changsin.” Designated Seoul Intangible Cultural Property No. 28, he is a maker of musical instruments, who is not attached to the past but instead strives to continuously move forward. In 2005, after an exhaustive examination of historical records, he successfully recreated five instruments of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660). The five instruments are depicted on the Baekje Giltbronze Incense Burner (National Treasure No. 287), produced some 1,400 years ago: the geomungo , six-string zither; buk , drum; hap , four-string instrument; jongjeok , transverse flute; and baeso , wind instrument similar to a pan pipe. Moreover, based on additional research on the materials and playing techniques that influence sound, in November 2000, Kim received a patent for the soundboard of string instruments and the method of its manufacture. Then, in the following year, he developed and obtained utility model registration for a tension-control device for the haegeum , a two-string fiddle. Making grooves in the wood of a sound box (the body of a string instrument), is a method that Kim devised, based on his research of traditional techniques, to enhance the sound quality.

“An instrument can be refined with the help of modern machinery. With a computeroperated drill, you can make much more precise holes than the former method of using a hand gimlet. Accurately made holes help to reduce warping of the wood and to dramatically decrease the need for tuning an instrument. Still, you can only marvel at our ancestors’ fundamental understanding of musical instruments and their treatment of materials, as recorded in the Musical Canon of Joseon (Akhakgwebeom ) from 500 years ago.

Using traditional methods in areas that cannot be dealt with by modern technology is a wonderful fusion of the old and new,” Kim notes.

Kim has mastered the production of all types of Korea’s traditional musical instruments, but his specialty is string instruments, such as the gayageum (12-string zither) and geomungo. For traditional string instruments, the strings are attached to the sound board and vibrated to produce the sound. For example, the ajaeng (seven-string bowed zither) and haegeum are played with 2

Kim Bok-Gon

Maker of Traditional Instruments with the Proper Sound The artisan Kim Bok-Gon has contributed much to the restoration and development of Korea’s traditional musical instruments. In addition to recreating a number of ancient instruments based on his extensive research, he strives to create something new as well. Hence, Kim Bok-gon is an artisan and an inventor.

Park Hyun Sook Freelance Writer | Ahn Hong-beom Photographer

Autumn 2010 | Koreana 45

a bow, while the geomungo is played by strumming the strings with a pick, and the gayageum by plucking the strings. The sound box is made from paulownia wood, whereas the base frame is made with chestnut or pine wood. The decorative carvings added to either end of the instrument are made from the wood of the jujube, ebony, or Chinese juniper. To optimize the sound quality, paulownia wood is required, due to its ability to reverberate the instrument’s tones, as well as its resistance to cracking and pest infestation. Paulownia is the most popular wood for making traditional stringed instruments because of its lightness and exceptional durability.

Passion for Learning Turning 55 this year, Kim has been making traditional Korean instruments for more than 4 decades. After completing primary school, he went to Seoul with his friends at the age of 15. He had no definite plans at the time, but managed to find work at a workshop that produced geomungo and gayageum.

“Everyone was poor back then and only four or five people out of a hundred went on to secondary school. I had no idea what I was going to do in Seoul, so I naturally ended up being hungry. My friends went to work in tailor shops or Chinese restaurants, while I entered the workshop of Choe Tae-jin, in Jongno, in downtown Seoul. This was purely by chance. I spent the next 20 years as Choe’s

apprentice. It wasn’t something I necessarily wanted to do, but something I had to do to make a living, so I got a number of scars on my hands,” recalls Kim. The boy’s natural curiosity about the things that he liked sparked a passion for learning. He studied on his own for the college admission examination and succeeded in entering the University of Seoul. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in arts management at Chung-Ang University, and then completed his Ph.D courses in classical literature at Hansung University. Kim says that through his studies he came to realize that his work, the preservation of tradition, was such a wonderful art that it became a source of personal inspiration and enthusiasm.

Choe Tae-jin, Kim’s teacher, was designated Gyeonggi-do Intangible Cultural Property No. 30, while his teacher was the title holder Kim Gwang-ju, who was taught by his father, Kim Gwang-chil. In particular, Kim Gwang-chil is known as the individual who laid a foundation for the modern production of the sanjo gayageum for folk music. Under his teacher’s strict guidance, Kim Bok-gon dedicated himself to the research of Korea’s traditional instruments. By reading the

1 A sanjo gayageum, a type of zither used for folk music, is another string instrument made by Kim

2 Kim inscribed this thought on the back of a geomungo (six-string zither): “Wooded mountains paint a thousand pictures even without ink, clean water makes the sound of ten thousand zithers even without strings.”

3 To make a gayageum, the movable bridges that support the strings are installed on the sound box. The bridges are known as anjok in Korean, which means “goose feet.”

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Musical Canon of Joseon , commissioned by the king in 1493, he learned that the 12 strings of the gayageum are meant to represent the 12 months of the year, and about the structure and playing methods of the instruments. Of note, this knowledge gave him much insight into the worldview of our ancestors and their efforts to abide by philosophical principles.

Scientific Research The jeongak gayageum , which is used for court music, is 170 centimeters in length and 30 centimeters in width, with 140-centimeter-long strings. The production of a single gayageum requires a substantial amount of time and effort, 2 with much attention being paid to properly drying and aging the wood. “According to the Musical Canon of Joseon , the best wood to use is the bottom seven to eight feet of the trunk of a paulownia tree. Scientific analysis of the paulownia wood, conducted by the Sound Research Institute of Seoul National University, found that the bottom section of the tree trunk, where the wood grain was the straightest, produced the clearest sound. It is remarkable to have modern science provide evidence for the excellence of a sound box, with straight grooved lines, so that the best sound can be produced with this instrument from the past,” Kim says.

To analyze the sound box with grooved lines, Kim consulted with forestry experts, ear specialists, and hearing-aid makers.

As a result of these dedicated efforts, he was able to re-create an improved version of the sound box, along with a protective coating of lacquer that helps to optimize the sound quality. The sap of the lacquer tree is said to last 1,000 years. Kim was issued a patent for the new lacquer coating that he devised for treating the sound box. The late Won Gwang-ho, a Human Cultural Treasure in the field of geomungo performance, once played a geomungo made by Kim and proclaimed it to be a “master instrument.” Gayageum player, Hwang Byeong-gi, has also praised Kim’s instruments.

The sound box designed by Kim is an impressive sight. At Kim’s workshop in Seocho-dong, Seoul, I looked over a gayageum with a body made from the smooth wood of a paulownia tree without any knots or imperfections. This sound box creates vibrations of a consistent wavelength, which assures a clean, clear sound. The elegance of the instrument is enhanced by mother-of-pearl inlays on the movable bridges and ox-bone decoration. “A gayageum generally takes one month to make. There are two types of gayaguem. The jeongak gayageum is for court music, while the smaller sanjo gayageum is for folk music. The 12 silk strings, which are attached to the paulowniawood sound box and supported by movable bridges, are plucked to make the desired sound. If you count the time needed to prepare the materials, a gayageum takes a substantial amount of

To analyze the sound box with grooved lines of gayageum, Kim consulted with forestry experts, ear specialists, and hearing-aid makers. As a result of these dedicated efforts, he was able to recreate an improved version of the sound box, along with a protective coating of lacquer that helps to optimize the sound quality.

3

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time and effort to make,” notes Kim. “For the sound box alone, a selected piece of paulownia wood needs to be dried and aged in the rain and snow for at least ten years. Technology is important, but the fundamentals are even more important.

No matter how advanced the technology might be, if the wood is not properly dried, then the sound will be like undercooked rice.”

So Little Time According to Kim, his making of traditional instruments has brought him the good fortune of being able to listen to excellent Korean music. He thus understands why the literati of the past regarded the performance of music as a form of self-cultivation. Music has been a reliable soul mate of this master maker of musical instruments during the difficult times of his career. It shed light on the shadows of his mind and consoled the ache in his heart. “Through making these instruments, I came to realize that unless we have an ‘empty space’ in our lives, like the void of the gayageum or geomungo sound box, it’s hard to produce the proper sound. Only by truly emptying ourselves can we fill ourselves with something new. The true beauty of Korean painting can be found in its empty spaces. The term geumseul , which is used to refer to the matrimonial harmony between husband and wife, originally referred to the harmony of the geomungo and the bipa [lute]. If such harmony

can be maintained not only between husband and wife but all people, we would have a truly wonderful society. There’s a beautiful story about a man who cut off the strings of his instrument upon the death of a friend, who had greatly loved his music. Jieum , the word that we are using today to signify true friendship has been derived from this old story. It literally means ‘to understand music well.’”

It is Kim’s dream to recreate the 65 instruments documented in the Musical 4 Canon of Joseon . And he hopes to see the day when a well-crafted Korean instrument of fine wood can be recognized as a masterpiece, in a manner similar to that of a Stradivarius violin. Toward this end, Kim continuously searches for highquality pieces of wood and researches ancient techniques. Throughout the interview he repeatedly mentioned that “24 hours in a day is too short,” like the refrain of a song. In this way, he is like Thomas Edison, who only slept three hours a night and regretted the time he had to spend eating. The new instruments created by the hands of this man, who combines the tenacity of a master artisan with an experimental spirit, will be highlighted by basic fundamentals and dazzling innovation.

“A musical instrument is a vessel of the times. Along with maintaining its basic shape, the vessel must also be able to contain the new things of its time,” states Kim. “Only in this way can the instrument produce the new music of its time.”

While faithfully adhering to traditional production techniques, Kim also applies modern technology to enhance the sound and precision of his instruments.

For example, he devised a tension control device for the haegeum (two-string fiddle), for which he has received utility model registration.

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MASTERPIECES

Gyeonghoeru

Elegant Example of Korea’s Traditional Architecture Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, of Gyeongbokgung Palace, was the primary venue for holding court banquets and formal events during the Joseon Dynasty. Designated National Treasure No. 224, Gyeonghoeru is Korea’s largest and most impressive pavilion structure.

Kim Bong Gon Former General Director, National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage

The Gyeonghoeru Pavilion overlooks a man-made pond that provides symbolic | Autumn 2010 and aesthetic value.

50 Koreana

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he original Gyeonghoeru was a small-scale pavilion located west of the royal sleeping quarters of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Due to the building’s structural instability, it was replaced with a larger two-story pavilion and pond in 1412 (12th year of the reign of King Taejong). But after the buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace, including Gyeonghoeru, were extensively damaged by fire during the Japanese invasions (1592-1598), the pavilion site was left vacant for about 270 years. The pavilion was then rebuilt in 1867 as part of a major palace reconstruction project during the reign of Gojong.

The two-story pavilion structure from this time measures seven kan in length and five kan in width (a kan is equal to the distance between two support pillars).

The name Gyeonghoeru means Pavilion of Felicitous Gatherings, as an expression of the virtuous atmosphere that might be present whenever the king met with his ministers or foreign envoys. In this way, it was hoped that this auspicious venue would enable the king to earn the trust and loyalty of his officials, and thus govern the nation in a more judicious manner. Historical records indicate that the pavilion was built as a venue to hold royal banquets and to entertain foreign officials. The pavilion was also used by the king for a variety of ceremonial activities, such as observing archery competitions,

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Since its reconstruction in 1867, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion has stood as an enduring example of Korea’s traditional architecture and advanced construction technology. The pavilion’s masterful design and graceful surroundings enhance its elegant appearance.

honoring generals dispatched to war, and hosting celebrations for members of the royal family, in addition to being a venue for conducting civil service exams. And because Gyeonghoeru’s manmade pond is said to symbolize the country’s water, in times of extreme drought, sacred rituals would be held at the pavilion to pray for rain.

Symbol of Fire Prevention Gyeonghoeru Jeondo , a compilation of documents about the pavilion’s construction, was written by the senior court official Jeong Hak-sun, during the reign of Gojong. It explains the structure’s technological details as well as the planning concepts that adopted principles of Confucian cosmology, as outlined in the Book of Changes (I Ching) . Hence, the structures of the royal palace, where the king resided, were carefully designed to integrate the essence of heaven and earth, in accordance with Confucian thought.

The Gyeonghoeru structure includes 48 pillars that form an area of 35 square bays, which is related to the 36th hexagram (six times six palaces) of the 64 hexagrams of the Book of Changes .

Although the number of the pavilion’s square bays is one short of 36, the void of a missing bay is symbolized by the taegeuk , or great absolute. Of the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes , the sixth trigram (gam ) is represented by a large body of water. As such, the original purpose for the construction of Gyeonghoeru was related to the prevention of fire. Because Gyeongbokgung Palace looks out toward Mt. Gwanaksan, which is said to be flameshaped and a symbol of fire, the palace is especially vulnerable to the threat of fire, based on the principles of geomancy.

And in fact, the palace has been destroyed by fire on several occasions, thereby giving rise to the importance of adopting such 52 Koreana | Autumn 2010

water-related symbolism in an effort to prevent another fire.

According to Gyeonghoeru Jeondo , an additional fire protection measure included the installation of a bronze dragon in the pond’s waters. The dragon is associated with the first of the eight trigrams (geon ), which is said to help prevent fire given the ability of metal to attract water, based on the concept of the five fundamental elements. And in fact, the bronze sculpture of a dragon was recovered when the pond was dredged in 1997, thus confirming the Gyeonghoeru Jeondo documentation.

The book also explains how Confucian influences have been incorporated into the architectural design of Gyeonghoeru. The floor plan is configured in three levels or sections. The innermost section’s area is equal to three bays, to reflect the trilogy of heaven, earth, and man, while the eight pillars represent the eight trigrams. The central section has an area of 12 bays, for the 12 months of the year, while each of the 16 pillars include 4 attached panels, which in total symbolize the 64 hexagrams. The 24 pillars along the outermost section stand for the 24 seasonal divisions. It is thus evident that the people of Joseon sought to have the pavilion reflect an abundance of Confucian principles.

Stately Pillars and Roof Because Korea’s traditional architecture relies on a wooden framework, the roof area tends to dominate a structure’s overall elevation. Moreover, with Gyeonghoeru being such a largescale pavilion, it is natural for its expansive roof to be a dominant feature, which could overwhelm the lower section. However, as a result of Gyeonghoeru’s architectural design, the high stone pillars of the lower level and the wooden pillars of the upper level are perceived as continuous columns, which serve to divert attention away from the large roof, while creating a visual effect

During the construction of Gyeonghoeru, a bronze dragon was placed in the pond as a fire-protection symbol, since the wooden palace structures are especially vulnerable to fire damage.

with more balanced proportions. The masterful design and construction of the support pillars well demonstrate the architectural expertise of the Joseon era.

As you enter Gyeonghoeru, your vision is naturally attracted to the stately white granite pillars that support the broad ceiling above. Then, after focusing on the interior pillars, the outside scenery comes into view. The wood beams overhead are decorated with ornate flower patterns that contrast vividly with the whiteness of the stone pillars, resulting in a dramatic scene, based on a diversity of visual and spatial elements. The pillars are designed with a minheullim style, under which the upper sections are slightly tapered to convey a sense of elegance. In the case of Western-style architecture, an entasis technique is used to produce a similar convex effect. At the time of King Seongjong (r.

1469-1494), the stone pillars were adorned with dragon carvings.

When an envoy from Okinawa, Japan noticed a reflection of the dragon figures in the pond’s waters, he declared this scene as one of the most wondrous sights in Seoul. Unfortunately, when the pavilion was rebuilt by Gojong, the original dragon carvings were not re-created on the pillars.

Hospitable Atmosphere The wood floor of the main section includes three levels to define various areas. From its outer edge, the floor gradually rises toward a high point in the center, which symbolizes the king’s supreme ranking. The delineation of floor areas, based on rank, is a reflection of the Confucian emphasis on social order. The variation of floor levels serves as a symbolic representation of the role of social order and enhances the spatial aesthetics as well. In particular, since the floor area of Gyeonghoeru is so expansive, it was necessary to add variation in order to promote a more hospitable and intimate atmosphere.

The varied floor levels also complement the pavilion’s use as a venue for celebratory occasions without creating spaces that are separated by walls or other barriers. Each section features high clerestory-style windows above door panels. When the panels are opened, the graceful scenery outside is brought indoors.

In this way, the pavilion’s natural openness is fully highlighted.

Decorative wood carvings are placed between the pillars. The

panels, which function as sunshades, are an architectural expression of the canopies or tents depicted in Goguryeo tomb murals.

Because of the decorative panels, Gyeonghoeru projects an elaborately ornate appearance when viewed from the exterior. From the interior, the panels form a frame to enhance the picturesque surroundings.

Man-made Pond A royal pavilion calls for an attractive setting where it is possible for the structure and the natural surroundings to harmonize and complement each other. In this regard, Gyeonghoeru is an ideal example. The handsome peaks of Mt. Bugaksan stand at its back, along with a majestic Mt. Inwangsan to the right, and Mt. Gwanaksan and Mt. Namsan to the south, off in the distance.

Stretching out to the left are the overlapping roofs of the various buildings of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Gyeonghoeru’s setting is greatly enhanced by its large square pond. Water is a fundamental feature of a project’s landscaping, which serves to soften the lines of architectural structures.

If a large-scale pavilion such as Gyeonghoeru did not include the presence of water, this would tend to result in a less inspiring appearance, due to a lack of contrast. As such, the man-made pond allows the graceful setting of Gyeonghoeru to be reflected on the water’s surface. Within the pond, there are two small islands overflowing with a variety of lush trees and plants. The pond and its two islands are a reflection of the Taoist beliefs in the immortals, who are often depicted in a utopian setting.

The large scale of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and its man-made pond attest to the advanced state of civil engineering attained by Joseon society. In particular, the pond’s water circulation system is especially worthy of note. The bottom of the pond is elevated along the eastern side so that the water can continuously circulate. Without disturbing the pond’s mirror-like surface, the inflow of water from Mt. Bugaksan provides a natural circulation that keeps the water clean, thus revealing the remarkable level of engineering technology that went into the overall design. Moreover, the pond’s stone embankment, which dates back to the time of King Taejong (1412), has remained intact all this while.

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ART REVIEW

Diversity of Commemorative Performances in 2010 The year 2010 marks the centennial of Japan’s annexation of Korea, as well as the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, and the 30th anniversary of the Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement. To reflect upon these historical events, a series of performances, including two original musicals, Hero and A Splendid Holiday are being staged this year.

Kim Moon-hwan Theater Critic

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1 The musical Hero portrays the exploits of Korea’s famed independence activist Ahn Jung-geun

2 In The Korean War and Yi Seungman, the director Jeong Jin-su sought to present Korea’s first president, Yi Seung-man (Syngman Rhee), in a different light.

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he year 2010 marks the anniversary of several landmark events in the history of Korea. Japan annexed Korea 100 years ago (1910), while 2010 marks 60 years since the outbreak of the Korean War (1950) as well. This year is also the 50th anniversary of the April 19 Student Revolution (1960), when Korea’s college students and activist intellectuals took to the streets to confront the dictatorial regime that for too long had failed to heed the public’s demand for more democratic governance.

Soon after Korea had been liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, it found itself engaged in a devastating Korean War (1950-1953), which exacted a horrendous toll in human life and tragedy.

Even while suffering from widespread poverty in the war’s aftermath, the Korean public could not tolerate the government regime’s efforts to maintain its grip on power by manipulating the election process. Led by student groups and social activists, the grass-roots revolution was able to topple the dictatorial regime in 1960. But the political chaos continued into 1961 when a military coup led to the advent of an authoritarian government, which ruled the country with an iron fist.

In October 1979, President Park Chung Hee was assassinated by one of his cohorts, bringing a close to the lengthy reign of his authoritarian regime. Nonetheless, pro-democracy demonstrations continued to be staged in Seoul and around the country. On May 18, a large-scale demonstration was held in the city of Gwangju, in the southwestern region of Korea. However, this civilian uprising was brutally suppressed by military troops led by then General Chun Doo Hwan, together with adherents of the Yusin system from the previous regime. The year 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of the bloody Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement, a dark tragedy in Korea’s recent history. This year, a wide array of performances is being staged to pay tribute to and reflect upon these historical events.

Hero Musical The Hero musical (script: Han A Reum, director: Yun Ho Jin, producer: Acom International Company) which portrays the life of Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910), is centered

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around Ahn’s assassination of Ito Hirobumi, the head of the Japanese privy council, on a railway platform in Harbin, Manchuria, in 1909. As the first Resident-General of Korea, Ito presided over Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. According to the musical drama’s story line, when Ahn was tried in court he named Ito as the lead conspirator behind the assassination of Empress Myeongseong, the last empress of the Korean Empire (1897-1910). This accusation, although its validity has not been confirmed, is plausible from a macro-historical perspective, and is aligned with the sentiments of The Last Empress , another Acom musical production. A grand Korean musical, The Last Empress was so highly acclaimed at home and abroad (New York and London showings) that it has been referred to as a “national musical.”

The Hero script is a fast-moving story about a nine-month period that starts on September 2, 1909, in an area of cypress trees in Kraskino, Primorsky Krai, Russia, where Ahn forms a patriotic cabal with 11 other compatriots.

Of note, each member cuts off the tip of a finger as a blood ritual to demonstrate their allegiance to the struggle for Korea’s independence.

The story ends with Ahn Jung-geun’s execution on May 26, 1910, for the assassination of Ito Hirobumi.

1 Audiences enjoyed the fast-moving story line of the Hero musical 2 The Korean War and Yi Seung-man featured a star-studded cast of Korean performers

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The musical is a history-based drama, but it also introduces fictitious events and characters for dramatic and artistic effect.

It is linked to The Last Empress by a court lady, who had witnessed the assassination of the empress. She is dispatched to Japan through the efforts of a patriotic group of eunuchs, known as Jeguk ingmunsa. After working as a geisha, she manages to become Ito’s mistress. In reality, the Jeguk ingmunsa, which masqueraded as a press group, was an intelligence agency under the direct oversight of Emperor Gojong (r.

1863-1907). Although the Jeguk ingmunsa was supposedly disbanded in 1909, in the musical drama it plays a covert role in Ahn’s assassination of Ito. The former court lady, while Ito’s mistress, accompanies Ito on his trip to Harbin, and attempts to kill him in his sleep just before the train arrives at Harbin Station. As for Ito, who had his suspicions about his mistress from early on, he only pretended to be asleep.

Due to her failed attempt, she is forced to flee by jumping off the fast-moving train, while looking like a fluttering snow flake, for which she was named Seol-hui (Snow Girl).

Another fictitious character is a Chinese merchant, who helps Ahn to fulfill his mission, and his younger sister Ling Ling, who secretly loves Ahn. As her brother is killed and the life of her beloved is in

jeopardy, Ling Ling sacrifices herself to save Ahn from the bullets of Ito’s bodyguards. The fictitious elements are so smoothly woven into the story that all the characters, including the hero and the antagonist, are portrayed as believable figures with distinctive personalities. For example, Ito Hirobumi is not stereotyped as a ruthless colonialist but is instead depicted as another kind of hero figure, who happened to pursue a different kind of ideal, causing various critics to express the potential for this musical to be staged in Japan.

The exceptional acting and singing of the performers and the special effects created by using two projectors to create a scene of the train in motion were highly praised by audiences. At the 4th Muscial Awards, Hero received awards for the categories of Best Original Musical, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Music, Best Set Design, Best Lighting and Best Sound Design. The award for Best Music went to Peter Casey, the longtime musical director of the theater company, who composed the show’s original musical arrangement.

The Korean War and Yi Seung-man Along with Korea being the host country of the G-20 Summit this year, 2010 is the 60th anniversary of the Korean War, in which 21 countries provided military and nonmilitary assistance.

As such, it is timely to pay tribute in 2010 to the countries that came to the aid of Korea’s defense. Although a series of special

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TV documentary programs on the Korean War have recently been broadcast, the effort of the theatrical circles, in this regard, has been quite subdued. The Myeongdong Theater did present The Toenails of General Oh , a satirical work on the Korean War that premiered in 1988.

This year’s most notable production has been The Korean War and Yi Seung-man (written and directed by Jung Jin-Soo), which the Minjung Theater Company staged at the Daehangno Arts Theater. This work is a large-scale docudrama featuring a number of veteran performers of the Minjung Theater Company. Of note, it includes the characteristics of a documentary aspect as well as critical play, which questions the public’s criticism of the first president of Korea, Syngman Rhee (Yi Seung-man), despite his contributions to the establishment of the First Republic of Korea.

The former president, who was forced to step down following the 1960 Student Revolution due to his manipulation of the election process, took refuge in Hawaii, where he later died. Jung Jin-Soo remarked that the play sought to provide the public with an opportunity to reappraise the achievements of Syngman Rhee and the significance of the Korean War on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. Accordingly, for the writing of the play’s script, he relied mainly on the research of right-leaning historians.

The play’s title refers to the Korean War, but it centers on the period from June to November 1953, when the two sides were negotiating an armistice. The war broke out on June 25, 1950, and lasted for over three years until a cease-fire was declared upon the signing of an armistice agreement on July 27, 1953.

The drama focuses on an incident that occurred on Sunday, June 18, 1953, when President Syngman Rhee made a bold decision to release over 27,000 Communist-minded prisoners from a U.S. prison camp. The release of these prisoners, who were in fact South Korean civilians who had been conscripted by the Autumn 2010 | Koreana 57

1 The musical A Splendid Excursion is based on the Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement of May 18, 1980.

2 General Oh, the protagonist of the play Toenails of General Oh , which premiered at Myeongdong Theater in 1988

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The musical, A Splendid Holiday , is an effort to combine lyricism with a dynamic presentation; however, its story line is less than captivating although the musical score, by German composer Michael Staudacher, is worthy of praise. In comparison, A Splendid Holiday falls far short of the dramatic impact of Bride of May , which was staged a decade ago for the 20th anniversary of the Pro-democracy Movement in Gwangju.

North Korean military, surprised the world, and especially the United States, which had been rushing to conclude an armistice agreement.

The play depicts this abrupt action as the president’s tactic to pressure a hesitant United States into signing a Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Agreement. In other words, Rhee meant to send a message to the United States that he was capable of ignoring the armistice and taking unpredictable actions to attain his goal of protecting Korea’s national interests. Although this audacity put his own welfare at risk, the mutual defense agreement was initialed on August 8, and then formally signed on October 1, 1953 in Washington, D.C. According to the play, the defense agreement was a critical aspect of Korea’s security, which paved the way for the country’s war-recovery efforts and economic development. In addition, the play stresses that Rhee’s efforts to educate talented students and to promote science and technology built a foundation for the eventual introduction of nuclear technology into Korea.

In this play, these sentiments are revealed through the indi58 Koreana | Autumn 2010

vidual characters, including Syngman Rhee, his Austrian wife Francesca, and the Army Chief of Staff Paik Sun-Yup, as well as U.S. Vice President Nixon and other U.S. officials, and various Chinese figures represented by Peng Dehuai. The drama’s lack of stage settings, aside from the president’s office, is overcome by various monologues and the appearance of the president’s staff members, along with the inclusion of video clips, which maintain the audience’s interest with a steady flow of action. Park Gi-san, who played the role of Syngman Rhee, must have practiced hard to imitate Rhee’s distinctive voice and gestures, since there are many people who can still remember the former president. Overall, the audience and critics were favorably impressed with Park’s performance. The playwright highlights the drama’s theme by reciting from the memoirs of General Paik, who is still alive: “People used to call President Rhee ‘a fool at personnel management and a genius at diplomacy.’ At any rate, it is no exaggeration to say that the one month after the release of the Communist prisoners to the signing of the armistice agreement was

brother. In the end, however, both the girl’s father and the young man are killed.

Thirty years after the tragic event, the girl, now a middle-aged woman, visits the May 18 Memorial Cemetery to place flowers on their graves, where she reflects on the past. The musical strives to create a harmony between lyricism and a dynamic presentation, but its story line is rather monotonous due to excessive repetition, although its musical score, created by the German composer Michael Staudacher, who has lived in Korea for sometime now while teaching applied music at a university, is worthy of praise. In comparison, A Splendid Holiday falls far short of the dramatic impact of Bride of May , which was presented a decade ago for the 20th anniversary of the Pro-democracy Movement.

Through the poetic infusion of Bride of May (script: Hwang Ji-woo, director: Kim Gwang-lim, production: Yeonwoo Company), the tragic incidents of the Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement take on a universal character, applicable to anytime and anywhere, as it combined poetic and dramatic aspects. The playwright states that the play is based on the historical facts of the May 18 Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement of 1980. Except for the setting, however, the story itself is a “complete fiction created by an internal desire to portray drama,” according to the playwright, who is also a distinguished poet. Nevertheless, this “complete fiction” is truthful in its revelations. Thus far, the handful of artistic attempts to pay tribute to the Gwangju incident has failed to impress a wide range of audiences with a clear message, but Bride of May has been different. Indeed, it can be favorably compared to such masterpieces as Les Mains Sales (Dirty Hands)

by Sartre and Les Juste (The Just Assassins) by Camus.

While I was watching this outdoor play—an outright passion work—I felt like kneeling in prayer. It reminded me of a passion play that I had seen in Oberammergau, a town in the south of Germany, while I was studying there decades ago. The passion play, which lasted for six hours, was a kind of penance ritual. It is said that this play had been performed so that the survivors of the plague, which had devastated European society in the 13th century, could give thanks for being spared from such a tragic fate. Nowadays, it is performed once every ten years.

Likewise, it would be fitting to stage Bride of May every year, as an effort to appease the souls of the unfortunate victims laid to rest at the May 18 Memorial Cemetery. As such, this would be a passion play for all Koreans, or rather, all the people in the world who believes in democracy.

I especially hoped the play would be staged in 2010, but this does not seem to be the case. The year 2010 is also the 10th anniversary of the historic June 15 Inter-Korean Summit, in 2000. Amid the tumult created by the sinking of the Korean naval vessel Cheonan on March 26, the inter-Korean summit anniversary was observed with a low-key gathering of related figures. In the future, this landmark event might be the subject of a stage performance, which portrays its significance in a new light.

the most dramatic moment in his presidency, when he gained almost all that was needed for Korea’s future from his solitary struggle with the United States.”

A Splendid Holiday The musical A Splendid Holiday (written by Kim Jeong-suk and directed by Kwon Ho-seong), which was also made into a feature film, May 18, deals with the Gwangju Pro-democracy Movement of 30 years ago. “A Splendid Holiday” (Hwaryeohan hyuga) was the code name for the military’s deployment mission to Gwangju to quell public demonstrations during a period of martial law. The irony of the title is reflected by an early scene of a family enjoying a picnic outing on a beautiful day in May, followed by bloody scenes of the military’s brutal suppression. Amid the violent chaos, love blossoms between a girl (nurse), the daughter of a retired colonel, and a leader of the protesters, an orphaned young man who lives with his younger 2

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ON THE GLOBAL STAGE

In the World of Go, Lee Se-dol Embarks on his Own Path Cho Hoon-hyun, Lee Chang-ho, and Lee Se-dol of Korea have captured more than 80 percent of the world titles at tournaments for the board game go (baduk in Korea and weiqi in China). Since his emergence in 1997, Lee Se-dol has already garnered 13 championships; however, he seems destined for even greater success in the future, as a result of his unrivaled mastery of the game.

Jin Jae-ho Game Commentator

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n April 27, 2010, 27-year-old Lee Se-dol of Korea captured the 2nd World BC Cup with a 3-0 victory over Chang Hao of China, for which he earned 300 million won (about $260,000) in prize money. In addition, during 2010, Lee has compiled an incredible record of 24 consecutive wins. Lee recalled his father’s repeated admonition about the importance of “living a life that you can be proud of,” while holding up the champion’s trophy at the World BC Cup awards ceremony.

Praise from his Rivals From the outset of the 2nd World BC Cup tournament Lee Se-dol displayed an unorthodox strategy, which invariably resulted in victory based on his seemingly perfect execution. Lee prefers to pose the questions and to resolve problems in his own style, rather than simply following the path set out by the past masters of go. Lee enjoys searching for and venturing along the less-traveled path, which others might be hesitant to take. During the final contest of the World BC Cup, the level of perfection attained by Lee, in terms of his mastery of game strategy, was clearly evident.

Chang Hao, who is widely regarded as China’s premier go player, recalled his first encounter with Lee Se-dol during the 1997 LG Cup, while Lee was still a teenager. “At the time, Lee was not yet on top of his game. His skills were not what they are now. But he was very quick to learn tactics. Although I was able to defeat him that day, he made an indelible impression on me.” Chang Hao again triumphed over Lee at the 1998 LG Cup. 60 Koreana | Autumn 2010

“Although he lost again, I was so impressed by our match. In the span of just one year, Lee exhibited a dramatic improvement in the level of his skills and tactics. Whenever the match reached a decisive point, Lee showed a great sense of anticipation and was able to turn an apparent disadvantage into victory. This quality is extremely rare among young players due to their relative inexperience.”

In 2000, Chang Hao and Lee Se-dol met again at the LG Cup, but this time it was Lee who emerged victorious. “Lee Se-dol came up with a new strategy every time he encountered difficulty.

He was very thorough in probing the weakness of his competitors.

I felt that he had a special ability to even snatch victory from the grasp of defeat. I knew that his time would come soon enough.”

Independent Spirit “I think that I am the best. I do not think that anyone can defeat me.” That is how Lee Se-dol, then 19, after winning the 16th Fujitsu Cup organized by the International Go Federation in Japan, responded to a reporter who asked him: “Who do you think is the best player in the world?” It might seem natural for the winner of a prestigious go tournament to think of himself as the “best go player in the world.” Nevertheless, in the world of go, which has long been associated with propriety and humility, Lee’s statement was no doubt thought to be an audacious remark by the conservative-minded go circles. But boldness has become the trademark of Lee Se-dol, who has shown an ability to defeat the world’s best go players and a willingness to publicly criticize the game’s longstanding traditions.

Korea’s Lee Se-dol burst onto the scene of professional-level go in 1997. He has since captured the firstplace title at 13 international events.

The widely used fundamental theories and doctrines have been handed down over the generations, and are thus accepted as proven notions. But Lee, who demonstrated his championship caliber at the age of only 19, thrives on making bold moves, which are likely to catch his opponents off guard, due to his independent spirit and his ability to move beyond fixed notions. Lee Se-dol, who replaced the saying “one should not do things that way” with “one can do things that way,” is nothing less than a pioneer in the world of go.

No other go player has dared to challenge the game’s establishment the way that Lee has. He has refused to participate in dan ranking competitions, and has called for elimination of the dan system, under which each player is assigned a particular rank.

Lee has even referred to the time-honored rank-promotion system as “meaningless.” Due to his one-man rebellion against the tradition-bound go establishment, there are those who think it is arrogant of Lee to say the game should be more open-minded and

accept the fact that, on occasion, a low-ranked player can defeat a top-rank player. Eventually, Lee’s protestations did lead to changes in the ranking system. Although many paid little heed to his personal crusade early on, there are now few, if any, who have not come around to Lee’s way of thinking.

In July 2009, Lee railed against another customary practice, which even led to his “retirement from professional competition.” In doing so, Lee became the first go player to announce his retirement while still at the top of his game. News that one of the top-ranked players was calling it quits set the world of go on its ear. This episode began when Lee called for an end to the expediency that had long been applied to competitive play. Initially, his demand received little attention from other players. Nevertheless, his persistent call for all rules and regulations to be strictly enforced was eventually accepted. Of course, Lee experienced a financial loss during the six months that he voluntarily sat out.

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long marked the game of go will most certainly be acknowledged by future generations of players.

Korean Champions Korea is known for its global dominance of several sports, including taekwondo, archery, and short-track skating, in which Korean competitors have monopolized the awards podium at the Olympic Games and world championships. And it is now time to include go on this list as well. In the past, a majority of the top go players hailed from Japan and China; however, since the 1980s, Korea has become the center of the world of go. Korea’s production of several world-renowned players of go, a game regarded as the ultimate challenge for the thinking man, has served to highlight the nation’s intellectual culture.

Cho Hoon-hyun (58) remains the world record holder, in terms of his total of 157 international titles, while his disciple, Lee Chang-ho (36), has won another 138 titles. Overall, these two have been the dominant force of the world of go during the past 30 years. For his part, since 1997, Lee Se-dol has continued the recent tradition of go champions from Korea. In 2002, Lee defeated Yoo Chang-hyuk (44) to win the Fujitsu Cup, for his first world championship. In 2003, he captured the LG Cup, by defeating Lee Chang-ho, who is known as the “Stone Buddha” for his unflappable demeanor. Since then, Lee has gone on to garner 31 titles, including 13 world championships. Lee’s bright future is underscored by his youthful age of 27 years.

As such, Cho Hoon-hyun, Lee Chang-ho, and Lee Se-dol of Korea, have collectively captured more than 80 percent of the world titles over the past 30 years.

‘My younger brother’ Lee Se-dol, who entered the professional ranks at the age of 12, and has since become one of the world’s elite go players, seemed destined to live a life revolving around this game.

His name, Se-dol (世乭), which was given to him by his father, literally means “ruling the world with go stones (game pieces).” Lee Se-dol was born in 1983 on Bigeumdo Island, which is nearby the Mokpo area of Jeollanam-do Province. Lee grew up as a free spirit thanks to an open-minded household. In this regard, Lee attributes his brashness and strong personality to his upbringing. His father, the late Lee Su-o, taught all five of his children to play go. How-

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“I no longer play go just to win.

I want to push myself until I reach the zenith of my discipline, with a perfect game.

Being able to play a mistakeand regret-free game remains my professional and personal goal.”

1 Lee matches wits with seventh-dan ranked Baek Hong-seok at the 38th High Cup event.

Lee Se-dol is known for gaining an advantage with his unorthodox game strategy.

2 Lee faces off with Gu Li, one of China’s top players, at the 23rd Fujitsu Cup.

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ever, only the second son, Sang-hoon, and the youngest, Se-dol, acquired the ability to compete in go tournaments.

When Se-dol was seven years old, his brother Sang-hoon, then 15, became a professional player. Although Sang-hoon exhibited a high level of talent, it was the unusual remark he made during an interview that caught everyone’s ear: “My younger brother is a better player than me.” “Who on earth is your brother?” “He is still learning go at home in the countryside.” This was how the existence of Lee Se-dol, a go champion in the making, was made known to the world. After hearing from Sang-hoon about the happenings of the Korean go circles, Lee’s father decided to send Se-dol to Seoul, so that he and his older brother could learn from the master Kwon Kap-yong (53).

In 1994, Lee Se-dol competed in his first professional tournament at age 11. However, he officially registered as a professional player the following year, thereby becoming the third-youngest to do so, after Cho Hoon-hyun and Lee Chang-ho, who turned professional at 9 and 11, respectively. Suddenly, faced with stiff competition from more experienced players, Lee struggled to make headway in the professional ranks. By the time Lee’s father passed away in 1998, Lee Se-dol’s professional career had been mired in a rut for four or five years. By coincidence or otherwise, his father’s death seemed to bring his free spirit to life, which enabled his natural talent to flourish.

Lee Se-dol was not alone in his development. His teacher Kwon Kap-yong recalls: “He was an extremely smart boy. His was not the kind of talent you see every day. Concerned that his genius might be stifled, I was very careful about how I taught him. He truly was a remarkable boy. His only weakness was that he would refuse to do anything he didn’t like. His personality was so unique that those around him would often look at Lee with a wary eye.”

Lee Se-dol has always been grateful to his older brother, who is eight years older. “There were many people who helped me to

become the person I am today. However, it is to my brother that I owe the biggest thanks.” Lee is especially appreciative of the fact that his brother set aside his own promising future, as a professional player, to concentrate on being his manager and cultivating his exceptional talent.

On the Global Stage Go is more than an intellectual game; it is an endeavor that can strengthen your mental discipline through a process of selfdevelopment. As such, it is intricately related to the human brain’s continuous development. go is a form of philosophy that calls for the wisdom acquired through real-life experiences and personal enlightenment. It also serves as a channel to communicate with all manner of people, without regard to gender or age.

A number of intellectual pastimes are enjoyed by people the world over, such as chess, bridge and checkers. However, the game of go is intimately associated with Asian culture and tradition, along with being recognized as a rite of passage (禮道) for over 4,000 years. Lee Se-dol hopes that a global coming out party for the ancient game of go is just around the corner. Believing that go is the ultimate thinking man’s game, Lee looks forward to seeing more people around world learning about and enjoying the intricacies of go.

The world will soon be able to have a closer glimpse of go, which along with chess, will be a competitive event at the 16th Asian Games that is being held in Guangzhou, China, in November 2010. Lee Se-dol will compete in the 16th Asian Games, as a representative of Korea. His participation is not based solely on his desire to compete; he also intends to publicize the game of go among worldwide audiences. “I no longer play go just to win. I want to push myself until I reach the zenith of my discipline, with a perfect game. Being able to play a mistake- and regret-free game remains my professional and personal goal.”

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ON THE ROAD

Haenam

Where “Land’s End” Meets the Sea The residents of Haenam rely mainly on agriculture for their livelihood even though the area is surrounded by the sea on three sides. The nearby Buddhist temple Daeheungsa offers a temple-stay program. Alongside the mountain to the rear of the historic Yun Seon-do family house is a picturesque path that winds its way through a lush forest of Japanese Nutmeg-yew trees.

Kim Hyungyoon Essayist | Ahn Hong-beom Photograper

Uldolmok Straits between Haenam and Jindo Island, which is also known as Myeongnyang Straits, is the site of the historic “Great Battle of Myeongnyang,” where Admiral Yi Sun-sin recorded a decisive victory against the Japanese invaders.

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t took five hours by express bus to get from Seoul to Haenam. In Korea, a long, narrow country with a well-developed roadway network, this drive is among the longest. During my stay, I did something that I had never experienced before and had not imagined doing: I took part in a Buddhist ceremony. I have visited a number of Buddhist temples and prayer halls, but this was the first time for me to participate in a Buddhist service.

Temple-stay at Daeheungsa On a summer afternoon, we arrived at the ancient Daeheungsa Temple in Haenam. The caretaker who greeted us at the temple entrance ushered us into a building with several rooms and a shower area. What I mean by “us� is the six people who had volunteered to come along and participate in the temple-stay program there. We all took a shower to refresh ourselves after walking up the mountain path to the temple, and then changed into Buddhist attire that identified us as program participants. Thereafter, our guide gave us a tour of the temple grounds.

With the approach of sunset, we arrived at the main hall, while monks were taking turns striking a large-size drum, called beopgo , at a pavilion opposite the sanctuary. After one monk played the drum for a while, another monk took the drumsticks, approached the big, round tightly stretched ox skin, and maintained the simple but pulsating rhythm. Although the monks, who wore jangsam , a monk’s robe with a gasa , or surplice, slung over the shoulder, were standing with their backs toward us, they seemed to be dancing because of their nimble, cat-quick strokes in beating the drum. After the drumming, the sound of an object scratching against a wood surface was heard. The monks were playing the mogeo , a wooden fish-shaped percussion instrument. Then, we heard a metallic sound, created by the unpan , a metallic plate in the shape of a cloud. Yet another sound followed; the deep, farreaching reverberation of a large bell (beomjong ).

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As this bell was being struck several times, we were ushered into the sanctuary. We sat in the front row and followed the lead of a monk who chanted prayers while striking a moktak , a wooden percussion instrument, during a continuous process of kneeling down and standing up. During our tour of the grounds, the guide had instructed us on how to place our palms together for a half bow, and to lower our entire body to the ground for a deep bow, known as ochetuji . The expression o-che-tu-ji , which literally means “five body parts thrown to the ground,” is a deep bow that involves having the forehead, elbows, and knees touch the ground.

The ceremony lasted about half an hour, somewhat shorter than I had expected. It might have been simplified, but the experience was long enough for me to become immersed in the reverential atmosphere. I had already sensed a special ambiance when the sound of the beating drum echoed through the grounds, gently 2 stirring the tranquil mountain forest. In a 66 Koreana | Autumn 2010

church, a choir accompanied by an organ can produce a beautiful sound, but the drumming that reverberated throughout the temple compound possessed a beauty of its own. The slow chanting of the monks during the ritual was another form of music.

Throughout my teenage years I had been a faithful Christian and thus abided by the Christian principle: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Thus, even though I stopped going to church, I could not imagine bowing down to the Buddha. But I finally broke my old taboo. It came to me in the dimly lit sanctuary that praying with your entire heart is an act of self-purification, no matter what the object you might be bowing to. After dinner, we were told to return to the place where we had changed our clothes. The sun had not yet set, but dinner was already completed, leaving me to wonder what we would be doing for the remainder of the evening.

The schedule attached to a wall indicated that we would have tea with a monk

1 Maemseom, two tiny rocky islets just off the coast of “Land’s End” 2 Yunjangdae, a polygon-shaped wood cabinet of Buddhist scripture. It is said that turning the cabinet has the same effect as performing a good deed, such as reading Buddhist scripture.

3 Iljiam Hermitage of Daeheungsa Temple. A small tile-roof building sits in a small pond, with a smaller, thatch-roof structure across the pond.

and then adjourn to bed at 9:00. I had somewhat anticipated this, but I was still at a loss. Accustomed to staying up until about midnight each night, I felt uneasy about having to go to bed so early.

And all we could do before going to bed was to drink tea! The guide appeared and informed us that we would be having tea at Iljiam, a well-known hermitage, and also staying there overnight. I was greatly surprised. Who would have expected that!

Iljiam and Monk Choui I had visited Haenam last winter and again in spring, when I visited Daeheungsa both times. During my visit in the spring, I hiked along the slopes of Mt. Duryunsan, which sits behind the temple. But I had not thought about stopping by at Iljiam, one of the hermitages affiliated with the temple. My reason might sound strange, but I did not want to simply take the typical course followed by most people who visit Daeheungsa. I wanted to avoid the hermitage, which is said to be a place of personal nirvana, because everyone else visited there. I thus had no plans to visit Iljiam this time, either. But Daeheungsa had made the arrangements as a special event for the program participants. The program description on the Internet site did not mention where we Yun Ki-jung © would stay overnight, so I had not expected this at all.

The guide took us to the hermitage, three at a time, in a fourwheel-drive farm vehicle. The distance was not that far, but the path was steep, and if we had needed to climb up there by foot, we would have definitely required another shower. Two buildings came into sight as we approached the hermitage: a small tile-roof structure supported by wooden pillars resting on a layer of stones set in a pond, and a smaller thatch-roof building across the pond.

Beyond the buildings there was a dense forest whose darkness provided a contrast to the yard area, which included Crape Myrtle trees, broad-leaf taro plants, and a sparse grove of bamboo. The yard was enclosed by an old weathered bush clover fence, to which spiders had attached their silvery webs. Minnows darted about among the dwarf water lilies in the pond, where the building’s cornerstones were embedded. A clean, cool breeze gently rustled the bamboo grove. From the yard, you could see rolling mountains extend far into the distance.

A young man welcomed us. The resident monk was in Japan on some mission, so this young man would be our host. He said that he had been there for about two months learning about tea

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from the monk. We were served tea while sitting in a pavilion which looked out upon the pond. The young man explained that the monk had picked the tea leaves from a field within the temple precinct and then roasted them in a large pan at 350° Celsius, all the while stirring the leaves so that they would not burn. As compared to regular tea leaves, which are roasted at 250° C, these tea leaves could be used to brew five or six times, without any loss of flavor. Seated at a long rectangular wooden table, we enjoyed the flavorful tea. We talked about tea and the monk’s special roasting method of roasting at a higher temperature, along with learning more about the young man and how he first came to this rather isolated place.

Iljiam is the hermitage where the 19th-century monk Choui spent the second half of his life, about 40 years. As a Buddhist monk, he discovered the Buddhist truth in tea. He believed that the Buddha’s Way and the pleasure of meditation could be attained through the drinking of tea. From this remote hermitage, he communicated with the world through tea and sought to convey the pleasures of tea drinking. Indeed, this is a sacred site in regard to Korea’s traditional tea culture. Although I did not realize enlightenment through drinking tea that day, I was able to spend a relaxed night with a clear mind, free from idle thoughts.

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1 A Buddha statue carved on North Mireuk Rock at Daeheungsa Temple

2 Direct descendents of Yun Seon-do, of the Joseon Dynasty, still live in the family house.

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Bogildo Island In Haenam, the “Land’s End” area is so-named because it is located at the extreme southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. In fact, it could be said that this area represents one of the farthest points of the vast Eurasian Continent. Many Koreans will say that Haenam is on their list of must-see travel destinations. Although this village area along the sea is not one of Korea’s most picturesque sites, people seem to have an interest in visiting the “Land’s End” area, due to its rather dramatic name. When I stayed there about 15 years ago, I can remember the area being deluged by torrential rain. The heavy rain thrashing the deserted beach left an indelible impression on me, a vagabond at heart. I can still vividly recall that rainy day, and now I am back at the same place.

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The sky was overcast but showed no sign of rain. But, the once empty beach of my memory was now filled with a mixture of restaurants, shops, and visitor accommodations.

Particularly striking, along the mountain slope that projected out toward the sea, was a monorail carrying people at a considerable height above the ground below. My friend and I rode the monorail high into the sky. Unfortunately, lowlying clouds obscured our view, but I had a keen desire to return on a clear day to float over the coastline and view the gorgeous seascape, with its scattered islands. The village has a harbor from where ferry boats come and go on their way to nearby islands. There, we boarded a ferry for Bogildo Island. Administratively, this island is overseen by nearby Wando Island, but it is a part of Haenam as far as the local residents are concerned. In their minds, this island is connected to Haenam through Yun Seon-do, a 17th century Joseon poet who lived out his exile there.

While the 19th-century monk Choui was a Buddhist, Yun Seon-do, who had lived 200 years earlier in Haenam, was a Confucian scholar. During the 519-year reign of the Joseon Dynasty, Confucianism was recognized as the ruling ideology, while Buddhism was suppressed. However, Confucian and Buddhist figures were not naturally antagonistic toward each other; they often interacted with each other and also maintained friendly relations.

For example, Yun Seon-do stayed at a Buddhist temple from the age of 11 and studied there to prepare for the state civil service examination, which he passed at the age of 26. As for Choui, although a Buddhist monk, he would engage in intensive intellectual discourse with the young, representative Confucian scholars of the 19th century.

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A Confucian scholar involved in politics, Yun Seon-do’s career path traveled along a winding path, as was the case with many political figures at that time. Yun has been so highly regarded by subsequent generations for the poetry that he composed during the latter, unfortunate part of his life. In contrast to other poets of long ago, who preferred to write with Chinese ideographs, he wrote his poems with Chinese ideographs as well as the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, which was in large part disparaged by his contemporaries, especially conservative-minded Confucian scholars.

As a result of his legacy of 75 poetic works, he is considered a distinguished early poet who revealed the aesthetic significance of the Korean language through the Hangeul alphabet.

On Bogildo Island, we visited the exquisite Saeyeonjeong garden, which provides a glimpse into how the Korean noble class enjoyed their leisure time and the aesthetic sensibility they had acquired. Yun Seon-do, a poet of a noble and wealthy family, had a garden built to provide a tranquil refuge for the time he spent studying and relaxing. He called it “Seyeonjeong,” which literally means “a place that purifies one’s mind with its surrounding beauty.” There, he would study and entertain his Confucian friends, who came by to write and recite poetry, along with enjoying music and dance.

Nutmeg-yew Trees The Yun Seon-do family house is found in the eastern area of Haenam. It has been the Yun family residence from the time of

his great-great-great-grandfather, and his direct descendants still live there. A community area formed around the residence along with the graves of ancestors and sadang (ancestral shrine) reveals much about the housing, lifestyle, and customs of noble families during the Joseon Dynasty. Moreover, the museum building there enables visitors to acquire a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Joseon culture.

Unfortunately, when I arrived there, it was too early in the morning for the residents to greet guests. So I had to satisfy myself with peering into the yard area of the old house from the gate. Actually, the purpose of my visit was not to look around this house. Leaving the elegant house behind, I walked along the path behind the village that wound its way toward the mountain.

While leisurely walking along the quiet path, flanked by highreaching pine trees, I filled my lungs with clear, purified air. After focusing on the trail for a while, as I enjoyed the fresh air, I eventually took notice of the dense growths of Japanese Nutmegyew trees. The trunks of the mature trees rose straight and firm from the ground, with branches that seemed to extend vigorously skyward. Thickly laden with evergreen needles, the branches appeared to create countless hieroglyphic characters, difficult to decipher, but awe-inspiring to behold. The trek along the pathway that wound through the lush woods was less than arduous thanks to the wooden steps provided for the convenience of hikers.

The forest was planted by the Yun family after they settled in the area some 500 years ago. The Japanese Nutmeg-yew tree

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produces wood that is useful for building houses and for making furniture. In addition, according to Korea’s traditional medicine, its fruit is a versatile ingredient that is known to help “beat the heat of the dog days, kill parasites, heal the venomous bites of snakes and insects, and cure infectious diseases contracted from an animal carcass.”

And in fact, the Japanese Nutmeg-yew tree has been designated a natural monument of Korea. Meanwhile, the women of the Yun family use the tree’s fruit to make a traditional snack, called gangjeong . If you visit this residence around the Lunar New Year or Chuseok (autumn harvest) holidays, you might have the good fortune to meet one of the 14th-generation descendants of Yun Seon-do and to enjoy the subtle taste of this snack with a cup of tea.

1 Sunset scene from a Land’s End village 2 At Land’s End, a local restaurant serves up a bountiful feast of tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) surrounded by a tableful of side dishes.

3 A lush forest of mature Japanese Nutmeg-yew trees is found behind the family home of Yun Seon-do.

Tteokgalbi Feast Last year, when I visited Haenam in the winter, I stopped off at Lake Gocheonam, which is known for its vast reed fields, covering an area of 1.65 million square meters, spread out along the lake’s 70 Koreana | Autumn 2010

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An area in Haenam is known as “Land’s End” because it is situated at the extreme southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Many Koreans have an interest in visiting this area because of its “Land’s End” name, which sounds rather dramatic. At one end of Haenam, there is a village with a harbor from where ferry boats come and go on their way to nearby islands.

14-kilometer-long shoreline. In particular, the reed fields serve as an annual habitat for a variety of migratory birds, including the spectacled teal. Up to 98 percent of the spectacled teal population is said to visit Lake Gocheonam, along with uncommon birds such as the black-headed stork and a rare eagle species. While observing the countless flocks of migratory birds that seek refuge in the area, right alongside the sea, I realized that Haenam has a great deal to offer.

The area’s fertile earth yields an abundance of grain and vegetable crops, while the nearby sea offers plentiful fish of various kinds. The mountain ridges rise gradually, embracing dense woods, as can be seen around Mt. Duryunsan, which is home to Daeheungsa Temple and Mt. Dalmasan, with its historic Mi­hwangsa Temple. The forest trees of Mt. Dalmasan extend down the mountain slopes to the flat land around Mihwangsa Temple, forming a continuous green belt.

During my stay at Land’s End, I decided to have tteokgalbi for dinner, which was served with 29 separate side dishes. Tteokgalbi is prepared from the rib meat of an ox, which is marinated and

then grilled over a charcoal fire. The dish is not exactly a Haenam specialty, but there is a restaurant there that has served tteokgalbi for more than 80 years. And I must say that it was truly superb.

The restaurant also served grilled herring that was tasty as well.

As for the side dishes, I imagined that I would not be able to even sample more than half of the items, but I ended up with a majority of the dishes being somehow empty. I also enjoyed kimchi, various vegetables, steamed eggs, and even jeotgal , a salted fish that I normally avoid. I was again assured about how plentiful local products can be used to create a true feast.

On the second evening, I spent the night at a family-run establishment that rents rooms to overnight visitors. It was a traditional Korean house operated by a kind-hearted and hard-working young couple. I had stayed here when I visited Haenam before and I liked the spacious, clean rooms. The scenery around the house also gave me a sense of comfort. A dog at a neighbor’s house along the alleyway would bark at a stranger, adding a homely touch that allowed me to relax. Haenam is such a place as that.

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CUISINE

Gajiseon is an easy-to-prepare dish made with steamed eggplant.

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Gajiseon: Stuffed Eggplant Dish The otherwise ordinary eggplant has come into the spotlight as a so-called color food, for its anthocyanin content. Gajiseon is a dish that features steamed eggplant as the primary ingredient. The eggplant’s soft texture combines with the stuffing and seasoning to create a distinctively flavorful experience.

Lee Jong-Im Director, Korea Food & Culture Research Center Ahn Hong-beom Photographer

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he value of a food should not be based solely on its nutritional value. Other factors such as color, flavor, and taste determine the palatability of food. The visual impact of food is known to stimulate your central nervous system, which can thus whet your appetite. As such, people will often seek to harmonize the various colors of the ingredients for visual appeal. Because the anthocyanin in eggplant is said to help prevent chronic diseases and to slow the aging process, it is being increasingly promoted for its health benefits.

The eggplant is an annual plant that reaches a length of 60 to 100 centimeters. It is believed to have originated in India, and then to have made its way to Korea long ago, via China. Eggplants grow from early summer to early autumn. The eggplant contains 95 percent water and 3.4 percent glucides, as well as small amounts of lipids, vitamins, and minerals. When selecting an eggplant, look for those with a shiny, smooth surface without blemishes, and a deep purple color.

Versatile Eggplant Gaji namul (seasoned eggplant) is an easy-to-prepare Korean eggplant dish. For this, the eggplant is first steamed and then thinly sliced, mixed with garlic, sesame salt, and sesame oil, and garnished with chopped shallots. Depending on your preference, vinegar can be added for a measure of tartness. Gaji naengguk (cold eggplant soup) is a popular dish during the sweltering days of summer.

For this soup, the eggplant should be prepared the same way as for gaji namul (steamed, sliced, and seasoned).

Then, add cold water and season with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and salt, to produce a flavorful gaji naengguk soup with sweet and sour tones.

Another recipe calls for the eggplant to be parched rather than steamed. Slice the eggplant and parch in oil, while adding onion, green pepper, and shallots for seasoning.

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The eggplant dish is garnished with pine nuts and strips of egg (yolk and egg white), shiitake mushroom, red pepper, and green pepper. Korea’s traditional cuisine often calls for a fivecolor garnish for symbolic and visual effect.

light until the moisture is removed. In the past, fresh eggplant was not readily available in the winter, but nowadays, the proliferation of greenhouse facilities enables a year-round supply of fresh eggplant. In contrast to fresh eggplant, dried eggplant has a unique flavor as a result of its chewy texture and somewhat bitter taste. On the day of the first full moon of the year by the lunar calendar, daeboreum, it has long been a custom for Koreans to eat nine kinds of dried namul (vegetables) with japgokbap (multi-grain rice). The dried vegetables are soaked in water and parched in oil, and then seasoned.

Gajiseon Versions Gajiseon features steamed eggplant as the primary ingredient. To prepare gajiseon, cut eggplant pieces with a crosswise slit, stuff the slit with seasoned chopped beef, chicken, or shellfish, and then simmer the eggplant in beef

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stock, season the eggplant with ganjang (soy sauce), gochujang (pepper paste), and doenjang (bean paste). Although the bright color of the eggplant will fade during the cooking process, the soft texture of the eggplant combines with the stuffing and seasoning to create a distinctively flavorful experience. An endless number of variations can be created by adding other ingredients and seasonings.

The following recipe is for a traditional style of gajiseon, with a stuffing of beef and mushroom. This dish is especially recommended for anyone with high blood pressure, or with a metabolism that produces excessive heat. It is important for the eggplant pieces, after being soaked in salt water, to be carefully squeezed so that as much of the water as possible is removed (Step 1). As one variation, you can steam the eggplant with doenjang sauce and an anchovy broth to create a richer flavor.

Gajiseon is prepared by slicing pieces of eggplant with a crosswise slit, stuffing the slit with seasoned chopped beef, chicken, or shellfish, and then simmering the eggplant in beef stock, seasoned with a sauce that includes ganjang (soy sauce), gochujang (pepper paste), and doenjang (bean paste). An endless number of variations can be created by combining other ingredients and seasonings.

Traditional-style Gajiseon Ingredients 2 eggplants, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon salt, 100 grams beef (rump), 3 dried shiitake (seogi ) mushrooms, 1 cup beef broth (or water) Garnish: 1 egg (separate yolk and white), pine nuts, slivers of red pepper, shiitake mushrooms, green pepper Seasoning for meat: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon chopped shallots, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame salt, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, pepper

Cooking method 1. Cut the eggplants into 4-centimeter-long pieces. Make a crosswise slit on each piece and soak them in salt water for about 30 minutes.

Drain the water and carefully squeeze the eggplant pieces to remove excess water.

2. Mix the seasoning ingredients with soy sauce.

3. Thinly slice the beef and combine with 1/2 of the seasoning mixture.

4. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water for about 30 minutes. After squeezing out excess water, slice the mushrooms thinly and combine with the remaining 1/2 of the seasoning mixture.

5. Mix together the seasoned meat and mushrooms. Stuff into the slit of each eggplant piece.

6. Place the stuffed eggplant pieces in a pot and add beef broth. Adjust taste with gukganjang (soy sauce for soup). Parboil over high heat and simmer for 10 minutes over medium to low heat. Occasionally spoon the broth over the eggplant.

7. S eparate the egg yolk from the white. Fry each separately in oil, resulting in a thin layer of each. Slice into thin strips. Slice the red pepper, green pepper, and shiitake mushrooms into 2-centimeter-long slivers.

8. l ace the gajiseon in a bowl and add a small amount of broth. Garnish with the egg strips, shiitake mushroom, red pepper, green pepper, and pine nuts.

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LIVING

Continuing Education for an Older Population One’s sixtieth birthday is an important milestone in Korea. Once a person reaches 60 years, they have finished one cycle and are now beginning the next. In a matter of speaking, they are beginning a new life. This has never been truer than it is today in Korea, where the rapid aging of society is leading to a steadily growing number of people over the age of 60. Many of these people are not content to have finished one life and are eager to learn the skills and practice the pastimes that will take them through their new lives.

Charles La Shure Professor, Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Ahn Hong-beom Photographer

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1 1, 2 C omputer classes are offered at the Seoul Nowon Senior Welfare Center.

or some time now, we have been seeing a change in populations around the world; as mortality and fertility rates drop, societies are getting older. A report published last year by the United Nations calls this population aging “unprecedented, a process without parallel in the history of humanity.” According to this report, the number of older persons (which it defines as those aged 60 years or over) will surpass the number of children (those under the age of 15) worldwide before the year 2050.

Population aging is even more prevalent in Korea, where it is well above the global average. Korea’s National Statistics Office uses the more conservative figure of 65 years of age as the cutoff point for older persons, but even so the percentage of older persons has been rising steadily, from 7.2 percent in 2000 to 10.7 percent last year. In another nine years, by 2018, the figure is expected to reach 14.3 percent, which will be greater than the percentage of children. And by 2050, Korea is expected to be the most aged society of all OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations.

The socioeconomic implications of this change are, of course, immense. But what does it mean for Koreans and how they live their lives? How are these older members of society adapting to this change and preparing for the future? One way is through one of the pillars of Korean society: education. Many older people are unwilling to sit idly and watch the world pass them by. They are taking charge of their future and learning new things: hobbies and pastimes, vocational skills, or simply the skills they will need to enjoy a longer life.

Keeping the Older Population Young at Heart In Nowon-gu, in northeastern Seoul, a three-story brick building sits next to an apartment complex. On the side of the building are the words “Nowon Senior Welfare Center,” but the people who come here every day to learn just call it “school.”

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1 Calligraphy class is a popular activity of the Seoul Nowon Senior Welfare Center

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center was established 20 years ago and has been running educational programs for the last 17 years. There are about 150 students who attend the school regularly, although the number of people who pass through the doors on any given day can number close to 500. It indeed looks and sounds very much like a school: some students listen to lectures in classrooms, others participate in hands-on activities such as art or dancing classes, and there are always people enjoying recreational activities such as table tennis or pool.

In one of the smaller classrooms, a group of about 20 women practice Korean calligraphy. One of the students, Mrs. Yun (age 70), has even won a prize for her work in a calligraphy competition. “Calligraphy calms the mind and is a pleasant way to pass the time,” she says. “It has helped to keep me young at heart.” To her fellow student, Mrs. Lee (80), the center is more than just a school. “I don’t go anywhere else. This is like a second home to me.” Although all of the students are extremely modest about their skills in calligraphy, their work is indeed beautiful, and you can tell by the way they hold their brushes that they take great pride in what they do.

In the classroom next door we watch another group of students learning modern dance moves, showing that they are not only young at heart but young in mind and body as well.

Although the programs here are designed for the older generation, there is also plenty of interaction with the younger members of society. The puppet play program is a good example of such interaction. The older students make the puppets, write the scripts, and then perform the plays for audiences of children at kindergartens and other locations. There are also plenty of musical programs at the center as well, and each year the students hold concerts for the general public. Ms. Lee admits that population aging poses some challenges, but she is opti-

When Mr. Jeong worked as a civil servant, he used computers frequently, but that changed after he retired. He said: “After about five years, I forgot everything. Well, I knew that just wouldn’t do, and that I had to begin again, so I applied for the class.” At the moment he is practicing what he has learned by working on a digital photograph of his granddaughter.

mistic about the future. “Our elders are now much better off in terms of education or financial stability. To that extent, they are much more sophisticated in their way of thinking, and they have a much stronger presence in society.” She adds, “I believe that they have a lot of potential and much to offer to society.”

The Seoul Senior Welfare Center, located in downtown Seoul, also has programs that allow members of the older population to learn new things and share them with society. For example, the center has a broadcasting booth where members produce an in-house radio show. Right now the broadcast is only available within the building, but the center is looking into securing their own frequency for broadcasting to the rest of the region as well. The 3rd Korea Senior Citizens Film Festival, which will be held in early October, brings together promising filmmakers both young and old; young filmmakers focus on issues facing the older population, while older filmmakers provide their own perspective on life.

Returning to the Workforce In addition to enriching their lives and the lives of others, the older population is also looking to join or rejoin the workforce. Right next to the Seoul Senior Welfare Center is the affiliated Senior Goldenjob Training Center, one of many places that prepares older people to reenter the workforce. Year-round programs teach job-seeking skills such as preparing resumes and practicing interviews, as well as practical skills that will be needed for the jobs themselves.

The janitorial program, for example, runs for two full days, during which lecturers come to share their experience and knowledge. One of the lecturers works as a building manager and teaches his older students what they need to know about the various types of equipment and chemicals they will be using. He notes that although janitorial positions are specialized jobs, most people who apply for them do so with no prior training. “Some 99.99 percent of applicants come with no knowledge, but these people here are quite sincere about it. They have the will to succeed.”

On this particular day, some 30 students, a mixture of men and women, are paying close attention to the lecture. One of the students, Mr. Kim (64), worked as a manager at an automotive company before retiring. He agrees that preparing before starting a new job is crucial.

“Every job requires a certain level of professionalism. I don’t want to think of this as something easy, that I’m just sweeping or mopping,” he explains. “Learning about cleaning and maintenance makes it easier for me to adjust to the new job, so receiving this sort of education is both good for me and good for my employer.”

There are many other ways that the older population are both reentering the workforce and contributing to society. In Seodaemun-gu, a district west of where the Seoul Senior Welfare Center is located, the Forest Experience Guide Club has been training members of the older population as forest guides since 2004. These forest guides accompany visitors to the region’s mountains, sharing their expert knowledge of the local ecology and turning a simple hike into a rewarding and educational experience. Mr. Kang (83), a team leader in the club, emphasizes the importance of what these guides do. “These experiences teach children the importance of nature and of life by allowing them to experience life with all of their senses.

Experienced guides can talk about the origins and functions of the various flowers and trees that make up the forest, not to mention teach life lessons, and in this way share their understanding of forest ecology and culture.” He adds, “This is where we live, and it is very rewardAutumn 2010 | Koreana 79

ing to me that I can protect the future resources I will hand down to my descendants and at the same time teach those descendants about the importance of nature.” And this is just one way that older members of society are making use of their years of experience. All around the country, the government employs local senior citizens as cultural guides precisely for the experience and knowledge they possess of their regions.

Preparing for the Future

The individuals who complete the Seodaemun-gu Forest Experience Guide program take pleasure in sharing their information with visitors

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Reentering the work force is only one way that the older population is preparing for the future. It is not as easy for older people to adapt to changes in society, culture, and technology as it is for younger people who tend to adapt very easily. But many of them are making an effort to learn new skills that will make their lives easier and more comfortable. One of these skills is the ability to properly use a computer. Just about every senior welfare center has computer classes, and they are often among the most popular. The Nowon Senior Welfare Center is no exception. Here, students learn everything the modern computer user needs to know. Mrs. Jo (74) uses her computer to send emails to her children and grandchildren, who live in the United States, and she takes the class to learn other Internet skills as well. Mr. Jeong (63) had been waiting a long time to take this class. “It’s hard to get in,” he says. “It’s a very popular class, so you have to be selected by the drawing of lots, and it’s very hard to be chosen.” When he worked as a civil servant, he used computers frequently, but that changed after he retired. “After about five years, I forgot everything. Well, I knew that just wouldn’t do, and that I had to begin again, so I applied for the class.” At the moment he is practicing what he has learned by working on a digital photograph of his granddaughter.

Computers are not the only adjustment that older members of the population need to make, especially when it comes to men. In Korea, the kitchen has traditionally been the exclusive domain of women and, although that has changed a lot for the younger generations, many older men have never had the chance 1 to learn how to cook. The Silver Men’s Cooking Class at the district office in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, gives older men an opportunity to do just that. Some men find themselves in a position where they have to take care of the wives that have taken care of them for most of their lives. Others are just looking for a new way to express their love for their families. Mr. Gu (70) says, “All this time I have been eating what my wife cooked for me or eating out, and I thought it would be nice if I could make something to eat with my family.”

In addition to learning the skills they will need to help them enjoy their lives to the fullest, members of the older population are also paying close attention to their health. Most welfare centers, such as the Nowon Senior Welfare Center and Seoul Senior Welfare Center, also have health and sports facilities where their members can keep in shape and ensure that their lives will not only be longer and fuller, but that they will enjoy good health as well.

According to the United Nations, not only is the current population aging unprecedented, it is also unlikely to change. Last year’s report calls it “irreversible,” and goes on to say that “the young populations that were common until recently are likely to become rare over the course of the 21st century.” So the current generation of older members of society is not only ensuring that they themselves will have long and fulfilling lives, they are paving the way for future generations to do the same when their turn comes. This is our future, and these motivated people are our pioneers.

Journeys in Korean Literature

Lee Seung-U (b. 1959) began his literary career in 1981. In his novels, the former theology student has delved into the inner realm of people of the secular world from the metaphysical perspective of a Christian worldview. His novel, The Private Life of Plants (La Vie Rêvée des Plantes) , has been included in the Folio series of French publisher Gallimard. The short story “The Storyteller’s Tale” (2006) is part of his ninth collection, My Old Diary .

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CRITIQUE

A Storyteller’s Destiny Yi Soo-hyung Research Professor, Seoul National University

L

ee Seung-U made his literary debut in 1981 with A Portrait of Erysichton , in which he raised religious questions about God, violence, and original sin. Thereafter, he has written novels and short fiction that explore the topics of salvation, guilt, and other metaphysical themes of contemporary people. As is evident in his well-known work, The Reverse Side of Life (1992), metaphysical exploration is an essential aspect of his writing. In this sense, for Lee Seung-u, writing a novel (or writing in general) is not limited to the realm of literature, but a reflective process that addresses the existential issues faced by people of modern society. In “The Storyteller’s Tale,” he weaves the story around the wandering storytellers who roamed the country during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). By extending the act of writing a literary work (or writing in general) to the act of storytelling (or talking), this story deals with a theme of self-reflection, which is undertaken on a more general, everyday level.

The protagonist of this story is a man who would have otherwise lived an ordinary, uneventful life, except that he gets laid off from his job, in the aftermath of a global economic crisis. Reading a novel, much less writing one, has never been an important part of his life, along with dwelling on existential questions. If such a man experienced a sense of deep solitude and alienation, after more than a year of unemployment, would this be a fortunate or unfortunate outcome for him? Although such an experience would no doubt be difficult for most individuals, it might not be entirely a misfortune to come face to face with the unavoidable truth that anyone in this modern world has a desperate craving for communication, even though they isolate themselves in a closet within, while hiding their deepest desire for a sense of connection as well as their loneliness.

The man’s wife, who has worried increasingly about his prolonged unemployment, starts working for “Seoul, 21st-century Storytellers,” an Internet-based membership service that dispatches readers to its members. At his wife’s request to fill in for a reader who was sick, the man agrees to visit an elderly member’s home. Of course, he does not expect to get anything out of his role as a substitute storyteller. Besides, the elderly member with deep wrinkles and blank eyes shows an expression of total disinterest in the world around him. Why would such an elderly man, in an almost comatose state, want someone to read a story to him?

Although with reluctance, the protagonist starts reading On Life and Essays on Religion by Leo Tolstoy. The elderly man’s face remained expressionless, revealing no hint that he was paying attention. As the elderly man’s apparent inattention continued, the protagonist gets weary of the meaningless act of talking to someone who does not seem to listen. In fact, this unpleasant situation reminds him of the awkwardness that he had to endure in his previous work. He realizes that his loneliness was not something created by the loss of his job, but an essential human condition,

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and that he had simply failed to acknowledge this in his mindless pursuit of the mundane. Then, to gain relief from his own solitude, he starts to tell the elderly man about stories from his own life, instead of reading from books.

Anyway, from a certain moment I, the narrator, no longer paid any attention to the preferences or opinions of the old man, the client, but simply selected and told this or that story as I wished. As I went on expanding my stories, it finally dawned on me that perhaps I was not telling stories for him to listen to but rather he was listening so that I could tell stories. If the benefit I got from talking was greater than that which he received from listening, who is dependent on whom? Surely human nature is closer to being “a speaking being” than “a listening being”…

In “The Storyteller’s Tale,” the narration has a conversational tone, telling the stories of the man’s life to the elderly man and the reader as well. The protagonist talks about how he lost his job, what an unexpected blow it was, what his life has been like since then, and how he has come to see the elderly man. In fact, the contents of the stories might be of little importance. What is truly important is to recognize that had he not been in such a situation, which made him feel inclined to talk about himself, the stories would never have been told to anyone.

As is revealed later, the elderly man who listens silently to the man’s stories feels the same way. Decades ago, the elderly man was involved in a particular political incident, the likes of which happened frequently in Korea during the 1970s and 1980s, along its thorny path toward democracy.

Breaking 30 years of silence, he starts to talk about his personal experiences, too. It seems that the elderly man has been listening to the stories of his visitor to endure the silence forced upon him, because the man’s stories, in some sense, could be anyone’s, including that of himself.

After enduring 30 years silence, the elderly man finally talks about himself after hearing the news that the man, who had promised the old man that he would restore his former glory if he keeps silent until he calls him, died. The protagonist mutters: “We should never forget that, as someone once said, under the surface of our lives flows long and dark, amazing and passionate, stories that there is no way of knowing unless they are told.” Our lives, as well as that of the protagonist and the elderly man, are afflicted with stories that cannot be heard when not told—the stories that seek to find a way out to be told. Talking, or writing a novel, can be a process to share such stories. What is the purpose of this behavior, anyway? But, it is less about a purpose than getting to know about ourselves, about others, and ultimately about each other. Our life itself is a process of knowing and understanding each other, not for any specific purpose, but for the sake of understanding itself. In that sense, we are destined to be a kind of storyteller as well. And those who are a bit more sensitive to this destiny can become novelists.

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