korea [2013 vol.9 no.3]
Post on 03-Apr-2018
222 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
1/54
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
2/54
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
3/54
3
Publisher Woo Jin-Yung, Korean Culture and Inormation Service
Executive Producer Suh Jeong-sun
E-mail webmaster@korea.net
Magazine Production Seoul Selection
Editor-in-Chief Robert Koehler
Producer Ko Yeon-kyung
Editorial Advisors Jang Woojung, Hu Young Sup
Copy Editors Daisy Larios, Hwang Chi-young
Creative Director Jung Hyun-young
Head Designer Lee Bokhyun
Photography Ryu Seunghoo, RAUM Studio
Printing LEEFFECT
All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced in
any orm without permission rom KOREA and the Korean Culture andInormation Service.
I you want to receive a ree copy o KOREA or wish to cancel a subscription,
please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF fle o KOREA and a map and glossary
with common Korean words appearing in our text are available by clicking on
the thumbnail o KOREA on the homepage o www.korea.net.
11-1110073-000016-06
04
14
28
18
CONTENTSMARCH 2013 VOL.9 NO.3
14 PEN & BRUSH
Pyun Hye-young
18 PEOPLE
Small Step or Giant Leap?
20 TRAVEL
Tongyeong
24 SEOUL
Independence Park
26 FESTIVALSMyeongdong Dance Night
28 SPORTSLee Sang-hwa
30 ENTERTAINMENT
The Korean Look
34 SPECIAL ISSUE I SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
President Park Geun-hye Takes Ofce
38 CURRENT KOREA
Koreas Healing Craze
40 GLOBAL KOREA
Protecting the Past
42 MY KOREAWhite Day and More
44 MULTICULTURAL KOREAKTO President Lee Cham
46 TALES FROM KOREA
The Fairy and the Woodcutter
48 GREAT KOREAN
Yu Gwan-sun
50 FLAVOR
Mugwort Rice Cake
Korean film talents spread their wings
on the international screen
C O V E R S T O R Y04
Korean Cinema Goes Global
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
4/54
C O V E R S T O R Y
Korean lm talents spread their wings on the international screen
Written by Robert Koehler
4
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
5/54
5
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
6/54
1
C O V E R S T O R Y
1. Tower(2012), an
example o Korea's
advanced CG technolo
2. A scene rom The
Berlin File.
3. A scene romA Gift
from Room 7
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
7/54
On September 10, 2012, director Kim Kiduks
lm Pieta won the Golden Lion, the award
or best lm at the 69th Venice Film Festival.
American director Michael Mann, who headed Venices
jury, said Kims lm seduced you viscerally. Natalia Aspesi,
a lm critic with Italian dailyLa Republica, wrote that thelm will leave the average lmgoer with their hair standing
on end, while a review in ellow Italian dailyCorriere della
Serra said the lm was enough to leave even the most
inexorable and uneeling o souls shaken.
Kims Golden Lion at Venice was Koreas rst, but its only
one piece o evidence o a greater truthKorean cinema
has arrived. Once at risk o being dominated in its own
market, the Korean lm industry has transormed itsel
into one o Asias most vibrant. Koreas biggest box o ce
hit, 2012s Te Tieves, put over 12.9 million people in the
seats, a remarkable achievement or a nation o just 50
million. Over the last decade, highprole international
lm estivals like Venice, Cannes, and Berlin have bestowed
major awards upon Korean lms, directors, and actors.
Whats more, international lmmakers in the United States,
Asia, and elsewhere are increasingly eager to work with
Korean cinematic talent, as indicated by the rising presence
o Korean actors and directors in international cinema and
the growing number o requests or joint productions.
Development o Korean Film
Just as mighty trees grow rom little acorns, Koreas globally
prominent lm industry sprung rom humble roots.
Te history o lm in Korea goes back to the very end o
the 19th century, when French short lms were screened
in 1897 or 1898. Tis was just a ew years aer the Lumire
brothers held their rst lm screening
in Paris on December 28, 1895,
marking the beginning o the
cinematic age. By 1903, local
newspapers were advertising
screenings o largely imported lms.
In the 1920s, Korean lms began
to appear. Te 1924 silent lm Te
Story o Janghwa and Hongryeon
was the rst Koreanmade and
Koreanunded lm. In 1934, the rst Korean sound lm,
Te Story o Chunhyang, was released. Tese were di cult
times, howeverthe Korean lm industry aced technical
limitations, but more importantly, the Japanese colonial
authorities placed serious barriers to the development o
independent Korean cinema. As Japans wars grew andmilitarism increased, Korean lmmakers suered rom
worsening censorship and coercion.
With Japans nal deeat in the Pacic War in 1945, the
Korean lm industry was nally ree o colonial control.
Koreas liberation was soon ollowed by the division
o Korea and the Korean War, which destroyed lm
inrastructure and scattered personnel. Following the war,
however, the South Korean lm industry boomed as Koreas
pop culture and mass media developed. With its many lm
companies and theaters, the Chungmuro district o Seoul
became Koreas Hollywood. Korean cinema continued to
fourish throughout the 1960s, experiencing a golden age.
echnology improved, genre lms developed, and auteur
directors plied their trade with greater sophistication.
Te 1970s, by contrast, were a dark age or Korean lm, as
government censorship increased and cinema ound itsel
in competition with another medium o entertainment,
television. Tings began to improve in the 1980s, though,
as censorship was eased and Korean lmmakers gainednotice internationally. Director Im Kwontaek became the
rst Korean director to be invited to European lm estivals
aer his 1981 lmMandala won the Grand Prix at the
Hawaii Film Festival. Ims 1993 lm Seopyeonje, a beautiul
tale o a amily o Korean olk singers, was not only the rst
Korean lm to draw over 1 million viewers, it also sparked
a simultaneous revival in interest in Korean traditional
culture.
Ten came Shiri. Te 1999 blockbusterthe rst ever
in Korean historydrew 6.5 million people, sinking theHollywood blockbuster itanic to set a new Korean box
o ce record. More importantly, the slickly produced action
fick sparked a wave o wellmade and, more to the point,
commercially viable lms. Films likeJSA (2000) andMy
Sassy Girl(2001) were not only drawing millions, but they
were also holding their own against simultaneously released
Hollywood blockbusters. Te 2003 actiondrama Silmido
Cloud Atlas
7
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
8/54
8
C O V E R S T O R Y
and the war lm aegukgiboth o which dealt with the
tragedy o national divisionbroke the 10millionviewer
mark.
Explaining this dramatic turnaround, Mark Siegmund o
the Seoul Film Commission said, Censorship got eased...
and a new generation o talented lmmakers came into theindustry. He added, Korea as an I country contributed
a lot to the development o VFX eects studios, CG, digital
intermediate and so on. I also think the establishment o a
star system similar to the United States and France helped
to boost the lm industry and make it the single most
important 'culture item' besides ood.
In the 21st century, Korean cinema has enjoyed
tremendous commercial success while maintaining a
healthy art house scene. Te last couple o years have seen
one box oce record aer another. Te 2012 crime caper
Te Tieves drew 12.9 million viewers, just nudging out
another 2012 release, the historical drama Gwanghae, which
drew 12.3 million viewers. Directors such as Bong Joon
ho, Park Chanwook, Hong Sangsoo, and Lee Changdong
regularly produce lms that combine commercial appeal
with artistic integrity. While not especially popular in his
homeland, art house director Kim Kiduk continues to
produce works that enthrall overseas audiences, including
European lm estival juries.
Korean Film inthe World
Pietas Golden Lion at the
69th Venice International
Film Festival in 2012
marked only the latest
in a series o ever
growing successes among
Korean lms, directors,
and perormers on the
international stage.
Te rst Korean lm
to garner attention in
an overseas lm estival
was Im Kwontaeks 1981
Mandala, a lm about
two Buddhist monks that
not only took the Grand
Prix at the Hawaii Film Festival but also got a showing
at the Venice Film Festival, a notable rst.Mandala was
only the beginning or Im, who became Koreas most
internationally respected art house director o the 1980s
and 1990s. Ims lms were xtures at international lm
estivals, culminating in two screenings at Berlin (the
rst or Kilsodeum in 1986 and the secondor Te aebaek Mountains in 1995) and a
Best Director award at Cannes in 2002 or
Chihwaseon. In honor o his contributions
to global cinema, Im was awarded an
honorary Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin
International Film Festival. Ims success
has passed on to his actors, too.
Actress Kang Sooyeon won a Best
Actress award at the 1987 Venice Film
Festival or her role in Ims Te Surrogate
Woman and another Best Actress award at the
Moscow International Film Festival or her
role in Ims 1989 lm Come Come Come
Upward.
In time, however, Im was succeeded
by a younger generation o Korean
lm directors. Lee Changdonga
1
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
9/54
9
novelist and director who later became a Minister o Culturewon a Best Director
award at the 2002 Venice Film Festival or Oasis, a moving tale o love between an
excon and a woman with cerebral palsy. Te lm itsel just missed out on a Golden
Lion or best picture, and actress Moon Sori was named Best New Actress.
Lees 2007 lm Secret Sunshine was likewise praised by critics worldwide, with lead
actress Jeon Doyeon taking home the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2007.A watershed in Korean cinema came in 2004 when Park Chanwooks gritty
vengeance tale Oldboywon the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and
it would have taken best overall i le to the jury president, American director
Quentin arantino. Just as importantly, the lm sparked intense interest rom
overseas lm ans, who promoted the lm widely on lm sites like Rotten omatoes
and IMDB. Even overseas directors couldnt help but be impressedthe 2010
Miguel Sapochnik sciencection lm Repo Men seemingly mimics one oOldboys
most iconic scenes.
Ten there is director Kim Kiduk. Te enant terrible o Korean cinema, Kims
lmslowbudget art house lms that ocus on the grittier sides o Korean lie
have not been warmly received by the Korean moviegoing public. International lm
estivals, on the other hand, love them. Even beore Pieta won the Golden Lion at
Venice in 2012, Kims lms had racked up an impressive collection o major awards,
including a Best Director award or Samaritan Girlat Berlin in 2004 and another
Best Director award or 3-Iron at Venice, also in 2004. His 2011 documentary
Arirangwas also well received by the jury o Cannes, which gave it the Prize o Un
Certain Regard in its category.
Even outside o the lm estivals, Korean lms are gathering a ollowing overseas.
Most amously, Kim Kiduks lms have done extremely well on the European arthouse circuit. His 2004 lm Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, a beautiully
shot lm that ollows the lie o a Buddhist monk, was even noted by American lm
critic Roger Ebert in his list o great lms; he said, Rarely has a movie this simple
1. Kim Ki-duk and stars oPieta at Venice
International Film Festival
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kim Ji-
woon on set oThe Last Stand
3. Scene rom The Thieves, Korea's all-
time biggest box ofce hit
2
3
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
10/54
C O V E R S T O R Y
10
moved me this deeply. I eel as i I could review it in a
paragraph, or discuss it or hours.
Hollywood Films, Korean Talent
In 2012, the Wachowski siblingsrenowned or their
Matrixtrilogyreleased the blockbuster Cloud Atlas,
based on the critically acclaimed novel by David Mitchell.
Te lm itsel polarized critics and audiences, but the
perormance o Korean actress Bae Doona as Sonmi451,
a cloneturnedrevolutionary in a aruture Seoul, earned
widespread praise and even sparked talk o an Academy
Award nomination or best supporting actress.
Baes perormance was also, to date, the most prominent
one by a Korean actress in an overseas blockbuster, and
certainly a sign o things to come. With Korean cinema on
the ascendancy worldwide and Hollywood increasingly
desperate or new ideas and talent, American production
companies are turning their eyes to Korea or inspiration
and manpower. Korean pop culture expert Mark Russell,
author oPop Goes Korea, said Hollywood has always been
a great maw o international talent, hungrily consuming
many o the best lmmakers rom around the world,
regardless o origins, so it is no surprise that Korean actors
and lmmakers are being recognized, courted, and hired
there.Initially, Hollywoods interest was conned to the
purchasing o remake rights. In the early 2000s, Hollywood
remade a number o successul Korean lms, including Il
Mare (remade as Te Lake House in 2006, starring Keanu
Reeves),My Sassy Girl, andA ale o wo Sisters (remade in
2009 as Te Uninvited).
Korean actors began
breaking into Hollywood
soon aerward. Te
Wachowskis were the rst
to turn to Korea when
they cast R&B singer
Rain in their 2009 action
fickNinja Assassin. Jang
Donggun, likewise,
was given top billing in
Sngmoo Lees overseas
production Te Warriors Way, starring Georey Rush and
Kate Bosworth. Neither o these lms were a commercial
success, but they did open the way. Actress Jun Jihyun,
with whom the world ell in love thanks to her 2001 lmMy
Sassy Girl, also starred in an Englishlanguage production,
2009s Blood: Te Last Vampire, a vampire action lmdirected by French director Chris Nahon.
Actor Lee Byunghyunwho earned worldwide notice
with standout perormances in a number o Korean lms
such asA Bittersweet Lie and Te Good, the Bad, the
Weirdmade his Hollywood debut in a supporting role as
Storm Shadow in the 2009 action lm G.I. Joe: Te Rise o
Cobra. He gets to reprise that role in the upcoming sequel,
G.I. Joe: Retaliation, set to open at the end o March. He will
also appear in RED 2 alongside G.I. Joe: Retaliation costar
Bruce Willis this summer.
Even grizzled veterans o the Korean silver screen are
making the leap. Actor Ahn Sungki, one o Koreas most
beloved perormers, will join ellow Korean Park Siyeon
and Hollywood stars Morgan Freeman and Clive Owen in
the medieval epic Te Last Knights (release date unknown).
More notable has been the draing o Korean directors. A
troika o major Korean directors have crossed the Pacic to
work on Hollywood productions released or set to release
in 2013. Te rst to debut was Kim Jeewoon, noted or hisKorean lmsA ale o wo Sisters, Te Good, the Bad, the
Weird, and I Saw the Devil. His action lm Te Last Stand,
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, debuted in January 2013
to surprisingly good reviews.
Perhaps the most anticipated Koreandirected lm o
2013 is Stoker, a Gothic horror directed by Park Chan
wook, the man behind Oldboy. Based on a screenplay
byPrison Break star Wentworth Miller, the lmto be
released in Marchstars a number o major Hollywood
names, including Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, andMatthew Goode. Its a testament to the greater global
awareness o Korean cinema that Stokers poster proudly
proclaims, From the director oOldboy.
Bong Joonho, another Korean New Wave director lauded
or his lms Te HostandMother, makes his overseas
debut with Snowpiercer, a postapocalyptic thriller based
on the French graphic novel Le ransperceneige. Perormed
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
11/54
11
Memories of Murder(dir. Bong Joonho) Bong's
best lm and one o the best Korean movies,
well, ever. Bong can do bigbudget spectacle
(Te Hostand his orthcoming international lm
Snowpiercer), butMemories o Murderis a smart,
beautiully shot thriller ull o dark humor and
sharp insights.
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (dir.
Hong Sangsoo) Hong has made a lot o movies
over the years eaturing many o the same
elements, but this is my avorite. Te blackand
white style is very attractive, and it is great to see
downtown Seoul shot so lovingly.
e ieves (dir. Choi Donghoon) Te most
successul Korean lm o all time and perhaps
the most symbolic o where Korean lms are
today big, slick, and international. It has an all
star cast, some creative action sequences, and a
hardtodene spark.
Sunny(dir. Kang Hyeongcheol) Kind o the
opposite oTe Tievesa small, un lm that
mixes nostalgia, music, and social insight. Plus it
was a surprise box o ce hit. An interesting take
on the changes Korea has been through over the
past 25 years or so.
Chunhyang(dir. Im Kwontaek) A great retelling
o the classic Korean tale by one o Korea's most
respected lmmakers. It's a ew years old now,
but it still holds up.
Awards or Korean Films in Overseas Film Festivals
Awards or Korean Directors and Actors1
2
1. Director Bong Joon-ho
2. Director Park Chan-wook
3. Director Kim Jee-woon
KOREAN CINEMA FOR THE UNINITIATEDFilm recommendations by Korean flm expert Mark Russell
3
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
12/54
12
C O V E R S T O R Y
in English and put together by a joint Korean, American,
and French team, the lm eatures a bevy o Hollywood
talent including Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, ilda
Swinton, Octavia Spencer, and Ed Harris. Popular Korean
actor Song Kangho will star as well.
Joint Productions
Koreas rst joint production was the 1957 lmAn Exotic
Garden, produced with Hong Kongs Shaw Brothers. In
act, Korea participated in a great many joint productions
during the 1960s and 1970s, but these were oen Hong
Kong lms that were joint productions in name only.
Nowadays, the situation is quite dierent. Tanks to the
high production value o Korean lms and the rened
sensibilities o Korean artists, overseas lm producers are
actively reaching out to Korea to produce joint productions.
Te Korean Film Council supported 33 Koreanoreign
joint productions in 2012 alone.
One better known joint production was Tree... Extremes,
eaturing horror work by three Asian directors, including
Park Chanwook. Parks segment starred Lee Byunghun
and actress Kang Hyejung. While not a huge commercial
success, the lm was well received by critics.
Korean actress Kim Hyojin and Japanese actor Hidetoshi
Nishijima are teaming up orMumyeonin, a Korean
Japanese joint production based on sukasaki Shiros science
ction novel Te Genome Hazardand set or release this
year. Another potentially interesting joint production is the
upcoming KoreaUS dance lm Cobu 3D, inspired by Romeoand Juliet and starring Korean singer BoA.
Korean production talent has become a soughtaer
commodity, too. Te Chinese Civil War epic Te Assembly
(2007) is a typical example. A box oce hit in China, the
lms massive battle scenes and special eects were handled
by the very same Korean production team that had handled
the popular Korean War epic aegukgi.
Park Chan-wook on the set oStoker
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
13/54
13
Why have Korean flmstaken o since 2000?
Korean lms had been on thecreative upswing long beore 2000,
earning respect on the international
lm estival circuit and enjoying an
explosion o new talent. Some o that
came rom the increased reedom and
internationalization Korea gained aer
the Olympics in 1988. Some o that was
rom growing richer.
But when it comes to the Korean
box oce, the dramatic rise o Korean
lms came rom a deliberate move
toward bigbudget, highrisk/high
reward business. Movies like Shiri,JSA:
Joint Security Area, and Friendtotally
changed lmmakers' ideas o what was
possible, really pushing the ambitions
o the industry to a higher level.
Tose changes, though, are part o
a much wider series o changes that
have swept Korea since the 1990s (and
that have swept much o Asia). Korea's
rst multiplex opened in 1997, and
since then the number o screens in
Korea has quadrupled. Te Korean
wave has made many Korean celebrities
amous around Asia and the world,
helping to increase cultural exports and
make producers think in international
terms. Te rise o China (rom close to
nothing in 2000 to the world's second
biggest movie market today) has greatly
changed the movie market around the
whole region.
What advantages doesKorea have going or it interms o flmmaking?
Korea really punches above its weight
when it comes to cinema. Koreanlmmakers are very ambitious and well
educated. Tey have been growing and
pushing or over 15 years, and that kind
o experience is invaluable.
Korean crews are really hardworking
and put in long, long hours or little pay,
which helps producers and directors get
the most out o their budgets.
And thanks to the Korean wave, there
is a deep pool o talented actors who are
well known internationally.
Te big movie companies (CJ E&M,
Lotte Entertainment, and Showbox)
have a lot o experience and know
how, too. Oldschool lmmakers may
think CJ has too much power, but when
you look at the top 10 Korean lms,
it is surprising how mixed it isjust
two CJ lms, our Showbox, two Lotte,
one Cinema Service, and one by Next
Entertainment (although CJ dominates
1120). But in this day and age, you
need size to compete internationally.
Are there particulartrends we should benoting in Korean flm?
One o the best trends over the past
couple o years has been an increaseddiversity, with bigbudget and small
lms both nding audiences and more
kinds o stories being told (not just
gangster/revenge lms). Diversity
real, organic, grassroots diversity, not
by government atis one o the most
important tools or the longterm
health o the Korean lm industry.
Aer a great blossoming o talent
in the late 1990s, the industry got a
bit insular or a while, with ew new
directors emerging. And the same types
o stories were getting a bit overtold
(especially gangster and revenge plots).
But that seems to have gotten better
over the past couple o years.
KOREA REALLY PUNCHESABOVE ITS WEIGHT WHEN IT
COMES TO CINEMADiscussing Korean cinema with
Korean pop culture expert Mark Russell
Written by Robert Koehler
Photograph by Susan Hagopian
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
14/54
14
P E N & B R U S H
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
15/54
At the beginning o Korean writer Pyun Hyeyoungs rst novel
Ashes and Red, a man reerred to only as he gets sent by his
company to the country C, where optimism is as transient as
a shooting star.
Te story starts the moment he begins to realize he is isolated in a
oreign country by no ones intention, and it progresses through his pastmemories and into the dark puzzle o his exwies murder.
Despite the lack o inormation about the charactername, nationality,
age, or which country he is living in-the writer gives the man a striking
presence on the page with her poetic, yet gritty, descriptions.
I didnt want people to have stereotypes about the character by
identiying who he is and where he is rom, Pyun explained in a calm
voice during an interview with KOREA at a Hongdae ca in February.
Like most o her previous short stories, Pyun deliberately sends
her character to a place he has never been beore. I this sounds like
an exciting journey, it could be. Whats waiting or him is nothing but
torture, loneliness, and pain.
His characteristics are more like a deep refection o mysel. Im a
pessimist and that aects him in the plot, Pyun said, adding that she
has newly ound the gloomy side o hersel rom writing novels.
When my characters are in trouble, I dont easily give them hope.
Teyre lonely and devastated till the end.
Naturally, nicknames like dystopia author and grotesque author
ollow her ame, but anyone who has seen her gracious smile tells her
they have been ooled by her writing.People tell me they eel betrayed, saying its awkward or someone
who looks like a romance writer to write stories about people bleeding
and stabbing each other. Tis kind o irony is what Im drawn to, and I
apply that to my stories. Something that looks peaceul on the outside
can be catastrophic on the inside.
Te overall plot is strongly connected to an epidemic disease
that spreads rapidly around the world. Pyun says that while people
are always exposed to warnings o imminent dangerwhether its
an inectious disease like SARS or an earthquakethose constant
warnings are what place people in danger.Ironically, whats meant or peace and saety results in a bigger
catastrophe. When people read signs warning o danger, which are
oen metaphysical, they start by naming the disease, and all o a sudden
its all over you, though you dont know exactly what it is.
YetAshes and Redis more artul and less awkward than it rst seems.
Pyun created the book title by associating hopelessness with the color
grey and relating the protagonists ght or survival with the color red.
PYUN
HYE-YOUNGAuthor oAshes and Redlooksat a man in crisis
Written by Monica Suk
2
15
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
16/54
16
Te mans ate is to live on, despite a series o tragedies
happening in his lie. Red has a dual image o blood and
struggle or survival. I nd much joy in contradicting images.
Naturally, that greyred color contrast is spotted
throughout the book through grey rats, a garbage
incinerator, a sky hazy with smog, and the man bleeding
or making someone bleedwhile trying to survive.
In a world where communication is missing and the
characters are stripped o dignity, Pyun has accomplished
the larger act o balancing grey and red.
Te initial plot I had in mind was the man being
isolated orever, nding himsel in a giant pile o garbage.
Ten my readers would think its the structure o the
world or society they should blame or his agony. But
sadly, the mans tragedy could be the result o his own
decisions or ear o imminent dangers.
Last August,Ashes and Redwas translated into French
and received fattering reviews. During a series o meet
andgreet events and book discussions held a month
aer its publication, Pyun says she was surprised by the
overwhelming response rom French readers.
It was promising to see people reacting so passionately
to my novel, though it was only about a month aer the
book hit the shelves there. Te book embraces emotions
that can be shared by the two countries, so thats probably
what caught the readers eyes.
When asked about her plans to publish the English
translation, she responded with a big smile, saying her agency
has a plan but that she is not sure when that will happen.
Korean novels have been knocking on oreign doors
or years now, and thats nally bearing some ruit. Korean
novels are now at a critical juncture, when both old and
new books are being actively translated. Its about time.
P E N & B R U S H
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
17/54
17
(Excerpt- p.167169)Gazing into the dark, untreated sewage reminded him that he might have to go back to
that black water, just like he fowed there rom the park. Te man may have to let himsel
into the water to run away to the other side, or even drink it to survive. O course, these
werent going to happen anytime soon, but it will someday.
He wasnt worried about it. It was too ar to be concerned. All he could think about was
the past bearing on the situationit was enough or him. omorrow was too vast and too
ar away to surmise. All he knew about the uture was that it was time that had not come
to him yet. Looking into the petroleumlike water, he knew the clock wasnt always doing
its job. ime is sometimes stagnant, like it is stuck in the mud, and sometimes it fows very
slowly, mixed with sewage. So its not surprising i the uture doesnt come at all.
Like an old man who dwells on his past, he was preoccupied with past events while
staring at the black sewage. Only trivial, hopeless events lled his brain, and until then
he didnt realize that he would desperately miss the past: his exwie playing Chopins
Sonata on the last day o the year in an empty piano institute; the an with blue wings on
the ceiling o the hightemperature hotel room where they had slept together or the rst
time; the squeaking Ferris wheel the two rode together near a sea.
He also remembered his broken tooth rom chasing his riends and the tone o his
moms voice when she told him to throw the tooth to the roo, believing in some myth.
When looking at the dust pillars peaking through the manhole, he remembered his exwie breaking into laughter aer giving him a pedicure, streams o sunlight hitting the
living room foor. His toenails were too thick to eel the brush but her hair, smoothly
sweeping against his oot, tickled him. Once he orgot to remove the nail polish and was
embarrassed at a sauna in ront o his colleagues.
Years had gone by, but he was about to break into tears.
Despite the hot temperature in the hotel room and that
broken bluewing an, he didnt want to stop making
love with his exwie. He wanted to cry because o the
piano sound, the tooth thrown on the roo, and the red
pedicure. His tears werent coming rom regretting themeaningless past, but rom the act that he was getting
too ar rom the reality that was lled with unimportant
events. He may get even arther rom it. Te mans
tragedy came rom a thought that he may never ever
get closer to such small and trivial happenings o lie.
Knowing that he couldnt turn back time, the man ell
into a black hole o utter despair.
French translation oAshes and Red
(photo courtesy o the Korea Literature
Translation institute)
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
18/54
18
P E O P L E
Rocket program director Cho Gwang-rae on Koreas recent successul Naro-1 launch
Written by Ben Jackson
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
19/54
On January 30, Korean aerospace
history was made with the
successul placement into low
earth orbit o the countrys rst carrier
rocket, KSLV1, and the subsequent
successul deployment o a satellite. Telearning curve leading to the launch included
two ailures, in 2009 and 2010, making
Januarys victory over gravity all the sweeter.
Dr. Cho Gwangrae, director o Koreas
KSLV1 (Korea Space Launch Vehicle)
Program Oce talked to KOREA about the
origins and uture trajectory o the nations
rocket aspirations.
Chos rst experience with projectiles was in collecting empty
shotgun cartridges as a boy rom around Junam Wetlands near
his hometown, the southeastern city o Changwon, and selling
them back to the US military personnel who had been shooting
ducks there. Hal a century later, aer majoring in electronics
and entering the Institute o Space Science and Astronomy,
then aliated with the Electronics and elecommunications
Research Institute, Cho is the man in charge o launching
satellites on behal o Korea at the Korea Aerospace Research
Institute (KARI). Despite the recent deluge o media attention
ollowing the January satellite launch, he remains cheerul andpatient in answering naive aerospace questions rom non
experts.
Late Start
Te Soviet Union put Sputnik1, the worlds rst articial
satellite, into orbit in 1957, says Cho. Korea started its
rocket development relatively late because its economic plans
worked by selecting and intensively cultivating other areas o
industry. We launched KSR1, the countrys rst sounding
rocket, in 1988. KSR1 and 2 had solid uel engines. In 2002,
we successully launched KSR3, which used liquid uel.
Delivering heavier payloads, however, requires engine
technology on a dierent scalewhich Korea continues to
work on developing. A rocket consists largely o three elements:
guidance and control, communications, and propulsion, says
Cho. KSLV1, also known as Naro1 aer the southern island
rom which it was launched, was built through a collaborative
eort between Korea and Russia, drawing
on each countrys strengths in each element
o rocket technology. Russias input was
particularly crucial or the liquidueled rst
stage o the rocket, an area in which domestic
research has not advanced as ar as othertechnology.
Big Benefts
Most people agree that space development
is important or Korea, says Cho. I we
dont keep up with other countries, we risk
becoming a backward state in this area.
While successul rocket launches tend to prompt hyperbole
about imminent moon colony development and manned
trips to Mars, the capacity to launch payloads into space oers
more immediate and practical benets. Once a country has
the necessary technology, the next stage is launching its own
satellites, to avoid paying other countries to do so and to build
up a reputation or reliability, says Cho. Launching services
are a sellers market: theres no compensation or clients i a
launch goes wrong and their payloads are lost. Aer that stage,
you can start oering launching services to other countries.
Te prospect o autonomous space development and
providing lucrative launch services is appealing in the longterm, but Cho stresses the need or strong support at the
government level. Tis is a process that requires large
amounts o very longterm and highrisk investment, so the
private sector wont go near it, he says. With continued
support, Korea is set to continue development o domestic
propulsion technology; KARI has its eye on 2017 or the test
launch o an entirely Koreanbuilt rocket capable o delivering
a payload similar to Naro1.
Ongoing JourneyTis has been one success or us, but we still have a long way
to go. Te Naro1 launch was just the beginning, not the end.
Weve had both ailures and successes, but theyve all been highly
valuable in terms o how much weve learned rom them.
I Koreas space development, having gotten o the ground in
earnest, ollows a similar path to the countrys other industries, we
can expect to see it among the worlds top global players one day.
19
1. Naro-3 launch (photo courtesy
of KARI)
2. Dr. Cho Gwang-rae (photo by
Ryu Seunghoo)
2
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
20/54
C O V E R S T O R YT R A V E L
20
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
21/54
21
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
22/54
22
Great Battles Won
During the Joseon Dynasty, ongyeongs
strategic port was home to the Samdo Sugun
ongje Sayeong (Command Post o the Navies
o the Tree Provinces), an important naval
headquarters with command over much o
southern Korea. ongyeongs present name,
in act, pays tribute to this base. It was in the
waters o ongyeong that the pivotal Battle
o Hansando was waged on August 15, 1592,
in the early days o the Imjin War. Duringthis battle, a Korean feet o 54 ships led by
renowned Admiral Yi Sunsin destroyed a
much larger Japanese feet, and in so doing
completely changed the course o the war.
Memorials to ongyeongs place in history can
be ound all over town, including a massive
shrine or Yi on the island o Hansando itsel.
Aer Koreas orced annexation by the
Japanese in 1910, the Japanese imperialists
took great pains to develop ongyeongs port.
Tey dug a canal to give the harbor better
access to the sea and built an undersea tunnel
to ease transport. Tis inrastructure allowed
the Japanese to more eciently exploit their
colony but also allowed local students to more
easily seek educational opportunities abroad.
Over time, returning students would orm the
heart o ongyeongs dynamic arts and culture
community.
Naples o the Orient
ongyeong sits on a peninsula jutting
southward rom the Korean mainland. Te
peninsula, in turn, is nearly bisected east to
west by a ne natural harbor surrounded by
high hills. Te hills and sea recall the beautiul
Italian port o Naples, hence ongyeongs
nickname, the Naples o the Orient.Te downtown waterront is a colorul
place o docks, shing feets, and seaood
restaurants. An old canal links the harbor
to the seas west o the peninsula. oday, this
canal is crossed by several scenic bridges and
lined with a walking path. Te canal makes
or ne nighttime walks when the bridges are
lit up. O particular note is the historic tunnel
built underneath the canal. Constructed by
the Japanese in 1932, it was the rst undersea
tunnel built in East Asia. Vehicle trac is now
banned, but pedestrians still make requent
use o the tunnel, which now includes exhibits
on ongyeongs history.
o get the best views o the city, head to
Mt. Mireuksan (451 m), a high vantage point
south o town. Cable cars take visitors to the
T R A V E L
1. Dongpirang Village
2. Nammangsan Sculpture Park
2
1
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
23/54
23
MORE INFO
What to Eat
Tongyeongs signature
dish is Chungmu
gimbap, a simple
dish of rice rolls
accompanied byradish kimchi and
slices of spicy squid.
Cheap and filling, this
dish is best procured from the row of restaurants
across from Tongyeong Ferry
Terminal.
If you prefer raw seafood,
theres plenty of that to be
had at Tongyeongs Jungang
Live Fish Market.
Where to Stay
The Chungmu Beach Hotel offers pleasantaccommodations at reasonable rates. Even
cheaper, but good value, is the Napoli Hotel,
with views overlooking the
harbor.
Chungmu Beach Hotel:
T. 055-642-8181
Napoli Hotel:
T. 055-646-0202
Getting There
BUS: Express buses to Tongyeong depart from
Seoul Express Bus Terminal (travel time: 4
hours).
peak, which oers inspiring views o not only the harbor but also the countless
islands o Hallyeohaesang National Park.
Arts & Culture
Because o ongyeongs brisk exchanges with the outside world, the city gave
birth to one o 20th century Koreas richest culture and art scenes. Among the
cultural gures who have called ongyeong home are poets Yu Chihwan and
Kim Chunsu, painter Jeon Hyuck Lim, and composer Isang Yun. Lim (1916-
2010), a pioneer o Korean abstract painting, maintained a gallery just across
rom ongyeong Bridge that is well worth a visit both or its art and lovely
views. Also worth a visit is the Cheongma Literature Hall, dedicated to poet
Yu Chihwan (1908-1967). Te museum overlooks the sea and is a rewarding
stop or anyone with an appreciation or modern Korean poetry. A more
modern contribution to ongyeongs art scene is Dongpirang Village, an older
hillside neighborhood beautied with colorul wall murals painted as part o a
successul public art project.
Te highlight o ongyeongs artistic calendar, however, is the ongyeong
International Music Festival (IMF). Held every spring and autumn, the IMF
brings some o the worlds top classical musicians to ongyeong or several days
o perormances, workshops, and competitions. Te theme o this years spring
estival (March 22-28) is Free & Lonely, a reerence to the lie o the estivals
spiritual ather, composer Isang Yun (1917-1995). Born in ongyeong, Yun
studied composition in Japan and Germany and eventually settled down in
West Berlin. In 1967, however, he was kidnapped rom Berlin and brought back
to Seoul, where the government charged him with spying or North Korea. Aninternational campaign by leading musicians led to his release; he returned
to Germany but never stepped oot in his homeland again. His compositions
harmonize Western avantgarde music and the sounds o traditional Korea.
Countless Islands
Te waters o ongyeong are part o Hallyeohaesang National Park, a maritime
park comprised o the scenic coastline and islands o southeast Korea.
ongyeongs seas are dotted with 150 islands, 41 o which are inhabited. Many
o these islands and islets can be seen rom the peak o Mt. Mireuksan. Another
good vantage point is Dara Park, where some o the nest sunsets in Korea can
be enjoyed.
Ferries rom ongyeong Harbor take passengers to some o the islands. One
o the most scenic ones is Somaemuldo, an island best known or its scenic sub
islet, Deungdaeseom Island. With white dramatic clis rising rom the blue sea,
the isletcapped by a historic lighthouseis one o the most photographed
sites in the country. Deungdaeseom Island can be reached rom Somaemuldo
twice a day by a narrow gravel causeway revealed during low tides.
Tongyeong
Seoul
Jejudo
Busan
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
24/54
24
S E O U L
Seodaemun Independence Park is a monument to the sacrices made by Korean reedom
ghters in the nations darkest hour. Its centerpiece, the ormer Seodaemun Prison, was
the place o internment or many Korean independence activists during the Japanese
colonial era. Some, like the patriotic martyr Yu Gwansun, even met their end here. Te park
is hallowed ground or Korean patriots, visited by millions o school children, amilies, and
tourists who come to learn about Koreas 20th century struggle or national survival.
March 1 Independence Movement
Independence Park is most closely associated with the March 1 Independence Movement o
1919. Inspired by US President Woodrow Wilsons Fourteen Points, 33 Korean nationalists met
at a restaurant in Insadong to read the Korean Declaration o Independence, a proclamation
o Koreas reedom rom the colonial rule o Japan, which had orceully annexed Korea in
1910. Tis sparked peaceul proindependence gatherings elsewhere in Seoul, which were
brutally suppressed by the Japanese colonial authorities. Protests spread throughout Korea, but
these, too, were met with Japanese brutality. Many leaders and participants in the protests were
conned in Seodaemun Prison, Koreas largest penitentiary.
Historic prison sheds light on Koreas ght or reedom
1
MORE INFO
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
Admission: KRW 1,500
T. 02-360-8590
Getting There
Dongnimmun Station
(Line 3), Exit 5
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
25/54
25
Te movement was ultimately crushed, but it inspired an entire generation o independence
activists. Foreign journalists and missionaries brought word o the uprising and Japanese atrocities
to the outside world, alerting the international community to the Korean struggle or reedom.
Seodaemun Prison History Hall
Seodaemun Prison was built by the Japanese in 1907, although most o the austere brick halls
date rom a 1920s reconstruction made necessary by the infux o prisoners aer the March 1
Movement. Te prison ollows the hubandspoke design common in older prisons worldwide.
Also preserved is the imposing ront gate, the old administration block and engineering wing,
and, in the back o the complex, an old, wooden structure where executions were carried out.
Te old womens wing, where emale prisoners were kept in unspeakable conditions, has also
been preserved.
Te Japanese authority imprisoned thousands o Korean independence activists in Seodaemun
Prison throughout the colonial era. It continued to be used as a prison even aer Korea won itsindependence in 1945. Under Koreas dictatorships o the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, many democracy
activists were imprisoned here. In 1987, the government replaced the prison with a newer acility
built outside o Seoul, and in 1992, the historic prison was converted into a museum.
Visitors are ree to explore the old brick halls. Some o the old prison cells are open to the
public, too. Tere are also displays that show visitors the torments suered by imprisoned
independence activists at the hands o the colonial authorities, as well as multimedia displays
explaining the acilitys history.
Independence Gate
Near the prison and also part o Independence Park is the picturesque Independence Gate, an
earlier monument to Koreas reedom struggle. Designed by a Western architect and completed in
1897, the granite gatemodeled aer Paris amed Arc de riomphewas erected at the behest
o the independence activist Philip Jaisohn and the Independence Club, a group o Koreans
dedicated to preserving Koreas reedom in the ace o imperial aggression. o build the gate, the
authorities rst demolished the old Yeongeunmun Gate, where Chinese envoys were received in
the days o the Joseon Dynasty. Te stone pillars o the old gate still remain, however. Te hall
where the envoys were welcomed was reconstructed nearby in 1996.
1. Main courtyard,
Seodaemun Prison
History Hall
2. Interior, Seodaemun
Prison History Hall
3. Independence Gate
4. Entrance, Seodaemun
Prison History Hall
2 3 4
1
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
26/54
F E S T I V A L
26
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
27/54
Seoulites and seasoned tourists
alike know that shopping hub
Myeongdong in Junggu, central
Seoul, is or buying, not dancing. In
Myeongdong, youre more likely to
spend your won on something like anoverwhelmingly pink Etude House
makeup basketor three. Or a bowl
o the amed Myeongdong kalguksu
(noodle soup).
o nd Seouls nightlie, common
knowledge dictates that you hit the bars
along Apgujeongs Rodeo Drive or do
a crawl o Itaewons various pubs and
lounges. And or dancing, you can shell
out ten thousand to several ten thousand
won or entrance into a swanky
Cheongdam superclub or a hip, grimy
basement venue in Hongdae.
Seoul never suered rom a lack
o places to play aer dark. So it was
perectly acceptable that Myeongdong
was never known or its nightlie; there
were always other spots. But then the
ambitious municipal government oJunggu decided to launch Myeongdong
Dance Night.
Myeongdong Dance Night was a
novel, exciting alternative to the same
old haunts. Tis monthly, openair
dance music estival, which debuted
in September 2012, had an enviable
outdoor venuethe space in ront o
Myeongdong Teater. And competitive
pricesit was ree. Te Myeongdongstrip, congested in the day and tomblike
at night, was reborn on Dance Night. But
there was more than dancing going on.
In its latest reincarnation on December
21, 2012, Dance Night number our
eatured a silent parade, where 200
or so participants would ollow and
execute missions individually piped
to them through wireless headphones.
Meanwhile the adjacent CGV movie
theaters were oering latenight,KRW 5,000 screenings where tired
dancers could unwind i they wished.
Te December Myeongdong Dance
Night attracted a crowd o about 2,500
energetic dancers who partied past
midnight despite subzero temperatures.
It might have had something to do with
the act that Myeongdong Teater was
also the only venue that night oering a
white prelude to Christmas, with snow
machines pumping fakes o snow into
the sky.
Aer that, Myeongdong Dance Nightlay dormant or a couple o months. But
its coming back this March to kick o
another year o monthly parties. And it
hasnt lain dormant in vain.
Te estival is hosted by the Myeong
dong Special ourist Zone Association
and sponsored by the district
government o Junggu. But we really
know that these Myeongdong parties
will dazzle again in 2013 because theyll
be directed by Sangsang Gongjang, the
guys behind the World DJ Festival.
Many things will remain the same,
such as the DJs, the VJs, the silent
parades, and the movie nights. And more
importantly, everything will happen in
the open air without any admission.
But 2013 does see a name change or
the estival, which will emerge rom itswinter hibernation under the new, more
inclusive moniker o Myeongdong Night
Festival. Its really not just about dancing
now.
Te h Myeongdong Dance Night
or the rst Myeongdong Night Festival
will be on March 9, no preparation
necessary. All you have to do is show up
at Myeongdong Teater around 10 pm
with a ew dance moves and a bucketloado stamina.
Finally, those who dance better with
a bit o alcohol in their system will
appreciate the addition o Beer Night,
which essentially means that nearby
restaurants and bars will be in business
or the nighthawks.
27
MyeongdongDance Night
Dancing the night away inSeouls beating heart
Written byViolet Kim
Photographs courtesy ofJung-gu Office
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
28/54
28
S P O R T S
Written by Kim Tong-hyung
Speed skater Lee seems to be Korean sports next big thing
Lee Sang-hwa
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
29/54
29
Kim Yuna, the gureskating megastar, seems
secure in her place atop the pantheon o
Korean sporting heroes. Whats interesting is
that her closest competition is coming not rom massive
spectator sports like baseball, ootball, or gol, but rom
the anonymous realm that has been speed skating, where
a surging Lee Sanghwa is building a case to coopt Kims
nicknameQueen o Ice.
Lee, a 24yearold who is just entering her athletic prime,
has been dominating the womens sprint competition inpast years with an authority ew have ever displayed.
While her lengthening list o accomplishments includes
a Vancouver Winter Olympics gold and multiple world
championship titles, it could be said that the highlight o
her career so ar came in January when she set a 500meter
world record in the World Cup Speed Skating event in
Calgary, Alberta.
Lee's time o 36.80 seconds lowered the mark o 36.94
seconds set by China's Yu Jing on the same oval about a
year earlier at the World Sprint Championships, makingher the rst Korean emale speed skater to break a world
record at any level.
I wasnt expecting to set a new world record here, a
surprised Lee told reporters at that time. I was hoping to
set it next week at the world championships in Salt Lake
City.
No need or complaints. While Lee came short o
setting two world records in a span o two weeks, she did
top the 500meter race sprint in the world championships
to mark her eighth consecutive rstplace nish in World
Cup competitions this season.
In Salt Lake City, Lee also set consecutive national
records in her 1,000meter appearances, conrming herstatus as a dual threat in the upcoming Sochi Winter
Olympic Games in 2014. Lee had never nished better
than h in international 1,000meter competitions, but
her pace o improvement in recent months allows or
higher expectations.
In her most recent appearance, Lee cruised to a rst
place nish in the womens 500meter sprint in the
National Winter Sports Festival at the aereung ice rink in
Seoul on Feb 16, dominating the nal competition to the
point where it looked like she was racing alone. Her time
o 38.45 seconds was a new record or the annual event.
Her growth as an athlete has been so quick its scary.
Its impossible to predict how good she really can be,
said Kim Kwankyu, vice president o the Korea Skating
Union, who coached Lee in the Vancouver Games.
Heading into Vancouver, a thirdplace nish or Lee
in 500 meters seemed like a reasonable goal. She ended
up winning the gold anyway. Some wondered whether
Lee was a fuke, but as everyone now knows, she was justscratching the surace o her immense talent.
While Lee is obviously in top orm, she intends to pace
hersel to assure she doesnt peak too early beore the big
show, the Winter Games in Sochi. However, Lee plans
to swing into high gear or the International Skating
Union (ISU) World Cup Speed Skating Final scheduled
or March 8-10 in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, a
competition she considers an Olympic preview.
Te World Cup nal is a very important event
in preparing or Sochi, Lee told reporters aer hervictorious lap at the aereung rink.
Nothing much has changed or me. I am getting o to
quicker starts and doing a better job in retaining my speed
throughout the race. Tat has really improved my time. I
have lost weight since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and
worked mysel to get in better shape and strengthen my
muscles. Te dierence was immediate in speed.
1. A look o intensity at the ISU World Sprint Championships
2. Lee wins gold at the ISU World Sprint Championships
2
1
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
30/54
30
ENTERTAINMENT
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
31/54
31
1. Dakota Rose at a cosmetic
show or Etude House
2. SHINees Jong Hyun
modeling or Etude House
ake a ew steps rom the main entrance o the Myeongdong shopping
district across rom Lotte Department Store and you will notice at
once that you are standing at the center o a cosmetic empire.
Te massive shopping area is always packed with locals and oreigners on
the lookout or a bargain on beauty products. At least one or two cosmetic
brands take up space in each building, and that speaks volumes o the
Korean cosmetics industry, which is growing at a urious rate.
o lure in more travelers, owners o Myeongdong ranchise shops like
Etude invest in holding largescale promotions targeting oreign nationals in
dutyree shops and major tourism sites. Tey even hire Chinese and Japanese
natives as well as multilingual Koreans as parttimers.
As lowcost Korean makeup brands like Missha began to mushroom and
Korean dramas and lms became popular abroad in the early 2000s, this
phenomenon quickly ollowed suit.I enjoy watching Korean dramas and wonder how so many Korean
actresses have no acne whatsoever, said Jia Lin, a huge an o Kpop and
dramas living in New York.
My riends and I like to guess what brand an actress uses and then order
them online.
Going Behind Celebrity Power
It is di cult to estimate how broad and ar the Korean drama
boom has gone, but a makeup artist at a popular beauty salon in
Cheongdamdong notes that export volume or Korean skincare
and makeup products will ever increase as long as Korean V
shows stay popular in Asia and Europe.
I have Chinese tourists spending a whole day at the salon
just to get the exact look o Girls Generations Yoona rom
the KBS showLove Rain and actress Yoon Eunhye in the
MBC showMissing You, she says.
I give them a ull makeover and they go out the door with a
Written by Monica Suk
Korean beauty brands give global cosmetics market a makeover
The Korean Look
1
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
32/54
32
complete list o products I used on their ace. Sometimes I eel like a
personal marketer or these brands.
When Missha and other shops such Te Face Shop and Skinood
emerged as bright spots in the industry, they were mostly recognized or
their price competitiveness.
With the help o top idol stars as the ace o these brands, however,
Korean beauty stores are now peoples goto places or trying the Korean
celebrity style.
Yes, Korean cosmetic products have gotten expensive over the last
ew years, but the result is good, and the quality is good, too. It lasts a
long time and matches my skin better, Lin said.
She added that she has been wanting to get the natural look o Korean
makeup style, which is why she subscribes to popular Korean makeup
tutorials posted by Oiseau88 on Youube.
Her avorite product is blemish balm cream, better known as BB cream,
because it can give her a very light and natural look, like Korean actresses,
she explained.
One o the reasons or the endless popularity o Korean cosmetics is
their continuous eort to develop, produce, and supply the worlds best
quality products, which are comparable to timehonored American
products like Estee Lauder and Kiehls.
Such eorts include introducing special labels or cosmeceuticals,
which reers to the combination o cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Estee Lauders Advanced Night Repair, the Brown Bottle, is soughtaer here in Korea, but most people in their 20s like me dont even dare
to buy it because o its expensive price, said Shin Yoori, who just got a
job at a PR agency last year.
Instead, I use Purple Bottle, the same kind o repair essence product
made by Missha. Its much cheaper but has the same eect. I dont
really see the reason to pay more to get the same result.
Trends in Mens Grooming
Men have been making a signicant contribution to the strong demand
or Korean skincare products. Tey are willing to drop a good deal o
money to pamper their skin and get that glowing look.
O course, such a pretty boy movement is powered by celebrities like
boy bands VXQ! and SHINee. Believe it or not, Korean rapper and
singer Psy is the latest to join this group o pretty boys.
In Korean cosmetic brand Flower Mens recent V ad, Psy is seen
looking at ladies and correcting their makeup in a nightclub bathroom.
He suddenly turns his chair towards the camera and shouts:
ENTERTAINMENT
32
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
33/54
33
Do you know what theyre doing right now? Teyre getting ready to
seduce you all. But why is that these beautiul women are trying to firt
with everyone but you? Tis is or a person like you.
Ten he presents a product that targets male consumers, who account
or more than hal o the entire Korean grooming market. Tis is bigger
than in any other country in the world, even in Asia, where not a low
number o men preer the pretty boy look to manliness.
Overseas Market
For Korean companies, cosmetics have always been immune to
economic downturn. Despite the global recession rom 2008, exports o
South Korean cosmetics have been showing a steady increase over the
course o the years.
In act, its growth rate was more prominent between 2010 and 2011.According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA)s
report last August, Korean beauty brands logged morethanexpected
overseas sales by recording USD 805 million, an increase o 34.8 percent
rom 2010.
Te steep increase is naturally infuenced by the growing number
o auction websites like eBay and their overseas shipping service.
According to eBay Korea, around 775,000 domestic cosmetic products
were shipped abroad in 2011 alone.
Not surprisingly, China was the biggest consumer, making up nearly 32
percent o Koreas total exports in 2011. Japan was the second biggest market
or Korean cosmetics, taking up close to 17 percent during the same period.
Te gure is likely to go up when including Chinese and Japanese
tourists purchases within the country. Shopping has always been a big
part o traveling, and gures show a 25-28 percent jump in Chinese
travelers during the Lunar New Year in recent years.
In the meantime, local cosmetics companies are implementing
aggressive expansion plans targeting Asian consumers, like partnering
with conglomerates.
Already, Missha runs 25 shops in Japan and Te Face Shop has spots in
400 supermarkets and drug stores. Speeding up, Te Face Shops goal is to
reach 1,200 by 2015.
I noticed that Koreans are very ashionsensitive and stylish people.
I wasnt surprised to see people spending countless hours shopping or
beauty products and clothes when I visited Seoul a ew years ago, Lin said.
Five years ago, my dresser was ull o American products, but now
theyre all Korean. Korean cosmetics rms know exactly what their
consumers want.
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
34/54
34
SPECIAL ISSUE I SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
1
Written by Robert Koehler
Koreas rst emale president pledges to realize Second Miracleon the Hangang River
PRESIDENTPARK GEUN-HYETAKES OFFICE
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
35/54
35
President Park Geunhye
took the oath o oce on
February 25 in the most
widely attended inauguration event in
Koreas history. Some 70,000 people
attended Parks swearingin, includingoreign dignitaries such US National
Security Adviser om Donilon, Tai
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra,
and Japanese Deputy Prime Minister
aro Aso. Even Korean rapper Psy
was in attendance, perorming his
globally renowned hit Gangnam
Style or the crowd.
Te rst emale president o the
Republic o Korea, Park assumes
oce at a time when Korea aces
great opportunities and challenges,
both domestically and internationally. With the administrative
vision A New Era o Hope and Happiness, Park aims to aect
a paradigm shi in governance that would allow Korea to
realize its ull potential through integration and sustainable
development. On the economic ront, the new administration
hopes to bring diverse economic parties together to pool
their strength. It is on this oundation that I will breathe newenergy into our economy and realize a Second Miracle on the
Hangang River that culminates in the happiness o the Korean
people, said Park in her inauguration address.
New Administration, New Philosophy
Te chie goal o the Park administration is to satisy what
it calls the call o the times, calling or a strong economy,
the aecting o social justice, maintaining national security,
promoting peaceul reunication with North Korea, and the
transormation o Korea into a reliable and exemplary nation
internationally.
o meet these demands, the Park administration will adopt
a very new administrative philosophy by which Korea will
move away rom the traditional governmentled development
model toward a symbiosis between the peoples wellbeing and
national development. Te ocus o the national administration
will shi rom the nation to individuals. Likewise, economic
policy will move away rom the
exportoriented, statisticscentered
game o catchup to a new game in
which Korea will take the lead in the
global market through qualitative,
wellbalanced growth ocused ondomestic demand. National policy
will place unprecedented importance
on issues o welare and social
progress, with a newound ocus
on social capital. No longer will the
government lead and the private
sector ollowthe public and private
sectors will now collaborate and
communicate on policy.
Te Park administration has
set out ve concrete goals, to be
implemented through trustworthy
governance based on openness and inormation sharing:
Goal 1: Jobscentered creative economy
Goal 2: ailored employment and welare
Goal 3: Creativityoriented education and
cultural enrichment
Goal 4:A sae and united society
Goal 5: Strong security measures or sustainable peace
on the Korean Peninsula
As part o these goals, the Park administration has set out a
urther 140 tasks to accomplish.
Raising Koreas Global Profle
Te Park administration aces a number o important oreign
policy tasks. Perhaps the most important o these tasks is the
establishment o sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Key to this is achieving a resolution to the North Korean
nuclear issue. It is my sincere hope that North Korea can
progress together as a responsible member o the international
community instead o wasting its resources on nuclear and
missile development and continuing to turn its back to the
world in selimposed isolation, Park said in her inauguration
speech. rust can be built through dialogue and by honoring
1. President Park Geun-hye takes the oath o ofce
2. Inauguration at the National Assembly o Korea
2
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
36/54
36
SPECIAL ISSUE I SUMMIT DIPLOMACY
promises that have already been made. It is my hope that
North Korea will abide by international norms and make the
right choice so that the trustbuilding process on the Korean
Peninsula can move orward.
As peace is built on strong security, the Park administration
will take measures to strengthen Koreas deensive capabilities,
including the boosting o innovation in deenserelated
industries and the adoption o utureoriented deense
capabilities tailored to the everchanging strategic environment.
Te administration will also pursue the strengthening o
Koreas longstanding alliance with the United States as well as
strengthen deense cooperation with other states.As a key member o the economically dynamic East Asia
region, Korea will also strive to strengthen cooperation with
its Asian neighbors, including China and Japan. On the global
stage, the Park administration will elevate Koreas role as a
middle power that contributes to world peace. In particular,
the administration will promote the continued expansion o
overseas development assistance and implement exemplary
integrative development cooperation practices.
Opening a New Era o Hope
In her inauguration address, Park acknowledged that the
Korean success story, the Miracle on the Hangang River,
was built on the combined sacrices o the Korean people.
Te Korean saga that is oen reerred to as the Miracle on
the Hangang River was written on the heels o our citizens
who worked tirelessly in the mines o Germany, in the torrid
deserts o the Middle East, in actories and laboratories where
the lights were never turned o, and in the reezing ront lines
saeguarding our national deense, she said. Tis miracle wasonly possible due to the outstanding caliber o our people and
their unstinting devotion to both amily and country.
Noting the many challenges currently acing Korea, she
armed her aith in the Korean people and their ability to
succeed. Forging a new path is seldom an easy task, she
said. But I have aith in the Korean people. I believe in their
resilience and the potential o our dynamic nation. And so I
1. Multicultural choir perorms at the inauguration ( Jeon Han o korea.net) 2. Foreign dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony ( Jeon Han o korea.net)
3. Psy perorms in pre-inauguration show 4. President Park Geun-hye waves to the crowds 5. President Park Geun-hye enters Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential mansion.
1
2 3
4
5
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
37/54
37
pledge to embark on the making o a Second Miracle on the
Hangang River premised on a new era o hope handinhand
with the Korean people.
Park talked o bringing about an economic revival by the
ostering o a creative economy. A creative economy is dened
by the convergence o science and technology with industry,the usion o culture with industry, and the blossoming o
creativity in the very borders that were once permeated by
barriers, she said. It is about going beyond the rudimentary
expansion o existing markets, and creating new markets and
new jobs by building on the bedrock o convergence.
Tis new economy will be one where single individuals can
raise the value o an entire nation. New opportunities to serve
their country will be opened to numerous talented Koreans
thriving across the global village, she said. And to those who
are equally enabled at the home ront, eorts will be enhanced
to allow them to become convergence leaders imbued with
creativity and passion as pillars o a uture Korea. She also
emphasized the role o economic democracy, saying, One o
my critical economic goals is to ensure that anyone that works
hard can stand on their own two eet and that through the
support o policies designed to strengthen small and medium
sized enterprises, such businesses can prosper alongside large
companies.
Park touched on the importance o social welare, one o thecatchphrases o the presidential campaign. She emphasized
the need or welare that matched the needs o its recipients,
saying, A new paradigm o tailored welare will ree citizens
rom anxieties and allow them to prosper in their own
proessions, maximize their potential, and also contribute
to the nations development. Park stressed the importance
o education and educational reorm in allowing individuals
to reach their potential. We need to provide active support
so that education brings out the best o an individuals latent
abilities, and we need to establish a new system that ostersnational development through the stepping stones o each
individuals capabilities, she said. Te day o true happiness
will only come when an increasing number o people are able
to enjoy what they learn and love what they do.
Park spoke about the importance o culture. In the 21st
century, culture is power, she said. It is an era where an
individuals imagination becomes creative contents She
said her administration would support creative endeavors
to create jobs and, ultimately, spark a global cultural
renaissance. Creative activities across wideranging genres
will be supported, while the contents industry, which merges
culture with advanced technology, will be nurtured, she said.
ogether with the Korean people we will oster a new culturalrenaissance, a culture that transcends ethnicity and languages,
overcomes ideologies and customs, contributes to the peaceul
development o humanity, and is connected by the ability to
share happiness.
Park also made it clear that prosperity was built on a bedrock
o security. urning her attention to the North Korean nuclear
issue, she warned, North Koreas recent nuclear test is a
challenge to the survival and uture o the Korean people, and
there should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none
other than North Korea itsel.
She expressed hope that North Korea would end its sel
imposed exile and join the international community as a
responsible member. Trough a trustbuilding process on
the Korean Peninsula I intend to lay the groundwork or an
era o harmonious unication where all Koreans can lead
more prosperous and reer lives and where their dreams can
come true, she said. rust can be built through dialogue and
by honoring promises that have already been made. It is my
hope that North Korea will abide by international norms andmake the right choice so that the trustbuilding process on the
Korean Peninsula can move orward.
In concluding her address, Park spoke o the need to revive
Koreas communal spirit. In the needy days o our past, we
shared with each other whatever we had. Even in the midst
o their hardship, our ancestors had the generosity o mind
to leave aside a ew persimmons or the magpies during
the harvest season. We are a people that have long led a lie
o communal sharing, she said. Reviving that spirit once
again and building a society fowing with responsibility andconsideration or others will allow us to be condent that the
new era o happiness that all o us dream o is truly within our
reach. She ended by imploring Koreans to work together. Let
us all work together towards a new era o happiness and hope,
so that we can all become partners in another miracle or a new
chapter in the Miracle on the Hangang River.
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
38/54
38
CURRENT KOREA
One o Korean broadcaster SBS' most popular programs is Healing Camp, which runs
every Monday rom 11:15pm to 12:25am. Entering its third year, the program brings
major Korean entertainers, sports stars, and public gures on to discuss the di culties
in their lives, and more importantly, coness their wrongdoings. Its V or the soulthrough
the conessions and discussions, both participants and viewers experience a sense o catharsis. So
popular is the show that during the 2012 presidential election, both presidential candidates made it
a point to appear.Te popularity oHealing Camp is but one illustration o Koreas growing healing culture. Te
stresses and demands o 21st century urban lie can be souldestroying and physically exhausting,
and as a result, many Koreans are exploring ways to heal both the body and the spirit. Te
quest or healing has taken many orms, rom hikes around Koreas scenic seashores and weekend
meditation sessions at Koreas Buddhist temples to bestselling inspirational reads.
Olle Trails and Meditation
One o the rst experiments with healing came in 2007 when ormer journalist Suh Myeong
sook established the Olle walking trails that ring Jejudo, a scenic island o Koreas southern coast.
Inspired by Spains amous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail, Suh established a series o relaxing
coastal hiking trails that link the villages and other scenic points o the volcanic island in order to
help ease people`s worries and anxieties, as she put it in a media interview in 2009.
Jeju Olle rails were a big hitover a million hikers a year descend on Jejudo to walk the trails.
Now several municipalities on the mainland have adopted similar hiking trails. Te East Sea coast
town o Yeongdeok, or instance, opened its Blue Road, a trail that runs the entirety o the towns
scenic seashore. Even Seoul has its Bukhansan Dullegil rail, where worldweary Seoulites can go
to recharge.
Realities of modern life have Koreans looking forphysical and spiritual renewal
Written by Robert Koehler
KoreasHealing Craze
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
39/54
Another healing experience has been the Jogye Order o Korean Buddhisms incredibly
popular emplestay program. Originally conceived as a more culturally insightul
accommodation option or overseas visitors who had come to see the 2002 FIFA World Cup,
the emplestay program has developed into one o Koreas best examples o cultural tourism
and is a superb way to recharge the mind and spirit. Some 109 Buddhist temples around Korea
host weekend sessions where participants o all religions learn about temple lie, engage in
meditation, perorm intensive bowing, chant, hike, and more. Fresh mountain air, healthyBuddhist vegetarian cuisine, early bedtimes and wakeup times, plenty o physical activity, and
lots o opportunities or introspection and selrefection can prove incredibly invigorating.
Jennier Flinn, a university employee in Seoul who has done two emplestays, said, emplestays
are like a minivacation, but with a greater spiritual angle that helps you eel better about
yoursel.
Healing on the Screen and on the Bus
While SBSs Healing Camp is the most popular healing program on V, its by no means the
only one. All the major stations now run healingoriented programming. MBC, or instance,
runs a weekly program called Dad, Where Are We Going?, which sends athers and their
children to remote mountain areas where they can spend two days learning about one another.
KBS, too, attempts to heal its viewers withMoonlight Prince, where guests discuss a dierent
book each week, using the opportunity to discuss their lives in a comortable environment.
Even bus companies have gotten on the healing bandwagon. In order to turn long intercity
bus trips into opportunities to recharge the soul, Dongbu Express has begun placing bestselling
books in its buses or passengers to read. Each month eatures the bestsellers o ve dierent
publishing houses, with books donated by the publishing companies themselves.
39
1. TempleStay
2. Healing Camp SBS
3. Blue Road. Photograph courtesy o
Yeongdeok-gun Ofce
1
2
3
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
40/54
40
G L O B A L K O R E A
In 2010, Koreas Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) and Cambodias
National elevision Kampuchea (VK) collaborated to produce a
documentary on the history o the Khmer Empire o the 12th and 13th
centuries. Te spectacular documentary utilized Koreas 3D technology to
reproduce the ancient Khmer capital o Angkor Tom and the magnicent
Hindu temples o Angkor Wat, an internationally recognized symbol o
Cambodia. Trough advanced 3D imaging, viewers explored the unrivaled
beauty o these ancient monuments and the brilliance o the civilization that
produced them almost as i they were actually there.
Te documentary is only one example o Koreas eorts to assist other nations
in preserving and rediscovering their cultural heritage. From the jungles o
Southeast Asia to the deserts o Mesopotamia, Korean expertsand theirtechnologyare being put to work restoring and promoting humankinds
historic and cultural inheritance. Perhaps this is only natural or Korea, a nation
that or millennia has prized culture and civilization above all else.
From Angkor to Babylon
Over two and hal years ago, an EBS lm crew traveled to Iraq on a very
special mission. Using 3D imaging technology, they would recreate the
Protecting the PastKorea helps developing nations keep and restore their cultural heritageWritten by Robert Koehler
EBS Great Bab
EBS Great Babylon
EBS Angkor Wat
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
41/54
41
majesty o one o historys most storied civilizations, ancient
Babylon. With the active support o the Iraqi government,
which sought to restore pride in a people traumatized by
a decade o confict, the crew traveled to ancient ruins to
rediscover the wonders o Babylon. Later, Korean computer
technology and cinematic imagination came together to li theveil on a abled but mysterious civilization in the documentary
Te Great Babylon. Te crew recreated ancient battles and
reconstructedi only on screenmonuments o legend such as
the ower o Babel, the Hanging Gardens, and the Ishtar Gate.
Te Great Babylon producer Kim Dongjoon explained the
signicance o the project. Tis is very valuable visual content
o Mesopotamian civilization because there has been a war
or a very long time and a lot o heritage was destroyed and
lots o exhibits in museums were lost, he said. Tis video is
in 3D, and is the only visual content in the world taken in the
last decade in Mesopotamia. I think this is very educational
or students and adult viewers in Korea as well as in other
countries.
Te Great Babylon was EBSs second venture in 3D historical
reconstruction. Te rst came in 2010, when they released the
documentaryAngkor Wat. Like the Babylon production, this
lm was produced with the support o the local authorities.
Te documentary explored not only the construction o
Angkor Wat and other monuments o the Khmer Kingdom,but also told the tale o the kingdoms greatest personalities and
the culture and customs o the Khmer civilization.
Temples Rise rom the Jungle
Te ancient temple complex o Vat Phao in Laos was, along
with Angkor in Cambodia, one o the jewels o the Khmer
Empire. Just south o Vat Phao are the ruins o another ancient
Khmer temple, Hong Nang Sida. Along with other Khmer
Empire temples and shrines in Champasak Province, it is
registered on UNESCOs World Heritage list. Unortunately,
the centuries have not proven kind to the temple, which is
almost entirely in a state o collapse.
Beginning this year, however, the Korean government
will undertake a KRW 6 billion project to restore the temple
to its ormer greatness. In January, the Cultural Heritage
Administration, the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, and
Laos Ministry o Inormation, Culture and ourism signed a
memorandum o understanding or the sixyear restoration
project. Koreas rst ever participation in the restoration o an
overseas cultural site is a turning point in Koreas overseas aid
program, which hitherto had shown little interest in overseas
cultural heritage. Said Kim Kwanghee, manager o the
international cooperation team o the Korea Cultural Heritage
Foundation, Koreas international reconstruction aid has so
ar ocused on inrastructure, but this is the rst time Korea
has participated in cultural property reconstruction. I think its
highly signicant that we are reconstructing a World Heritage
site that has allen into disrepair.
MORE INFO
http://home.ebs.co.kr/docuprime
EBS Angkor Wat
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
42/54
M Y K O R E A
42
Aer living in Korea or 10 years, I have almost gotten used to all the uno cial, or some might perhaps even say
contrived, holidays here. In act, I have actually started enjoying them or the ingenuity and unlled rivolity
they add to lie in Korea.
Written by Michelle Farnsworth
Illustrated by Kim Yoon-Myong
WHITE DAY
AND MOREExperiencing some o Koreas more
unique holidays
-
7/29/2019 KOREA [2013 VOL.9 No.3]
43/54
43
In many parts o the world, November 11 is called Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, or
Veterans Day. Tis is a very somber and serious holiday that commemorates the end o World
War I and honors those who bravely gave their lives ghting or their country. In Korea,
however, November 11 is associated with a much dierent holiday, best known as Pepero
Day. Pepero are a relatively cheap, simple, and delicious pencilthin cookie oen covered inchocolate and then dipped in crushed almonds. Four Pepero sticks held up vertically next to
each other resemble the date 11/11. We assume that a clever marketer at Lotte Conectionery
recognized this and created the uno cial holiday. Walk by any convenience store in Korea on
the days leading up to November 11 and you will see that the marketing initiative has been a
huge success. Tere are Pepero o every size and favor on display wrapped up in baskets and
netting or nestled in the arms o a teddy bear. It is uno cially expected that Pepero be given to
anyone who sits near you at the o ce, interacts with you daily, or is ever so slightly more than
just an acquaintance. Te deeper the relationship, the more elaborate the Pepero gi that must
be given. I daresay that some o the most extravagant gi displays and promotional events I
have ever seen were outside a 711 on November 11, 2011.
While Valentines Day is celebrated all over the world, it has a slightly surprising twist in
Korea. I was really shocked when I rst learned that in Korea women are expected to provide
chocolate to their targets o aection on Valentines Day. Te men merely enjoy the attention
and the sugar rush. Te rules are very clear and very rm. No man would ever dream o giing
chocolates to their lady love on Valentines Day in Korea.
However, payback comes exactly one month later on White Day, when the men must
reciprocate with candies. Te rules here are also very clear. Men must gi candies to the lady or
ladies in their lives. It could be either candy or chocolate, and women need only thank the men
and enjoy the sweet treats. Tis is a day that I personally look orward to all year, as the chocolates
can come rom any man and are not necessarily meant as a romantic gesture. Men, mark your
calendars and do not orget to recognize all o the special ladies in your lie on March 14.
And exactly one month aer that, on April 14, Koreans observe Black Day. Tis is the holiday
that amuses me the most. Black Day is obse
top related